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Favourite Book Quotes: Top 100: 10 – 1

August 6, 2021 theblindscribe

Happy Friday bookish people! It’s finally time to reveal my top ten favourite quotes! I have been having so much fun getting the quotes together and deciding which order I’d place them in and getting to tell everyone about them. I hope you’ve all been enjoying it too.

So, without further ado let’s get to my top ten favourite book quotes!

At number ten is a quote from a duology…

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

10. “No mourners, no funerals” – this being said to show that the characters are a group is something that I really liked about this quote.

Next is a quote from my favourite book….

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

9. “We are all stardust and stories” – this is so whimsical and beautiful, as the whole book is and it reminds me why I love the book.

At number 8 is a quote from a book recently turned into a TV series…

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

8. “Fine, make me your villain” – I think I gasped when I read this line in the book, and it was so good that they kept it in the TV series.

At 7 is a quote from a classic…

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

7. “I am a free bird and no net ensnares me” – this has always been one of my favourite quotes.

Next, is a quote from a book with a beautiful green cover…

A Heart so Fierce and Broken by Brigid Kemmerer

6. “The most dangerous person at the party is always the girl sat alone with a book” – yes, I can imagine that this is true, I don’t go to parties but if I did I would take a book.

At the halfway point, the next quote is from a historical fiction novel…

White Princess by Philippa Gregory

5. “The white rose of York has been stabbed in it’s pure white heart and is bleeding scarlet red”

At number 4 is a quote from a book I read this year…

Serpent and Dove by Shelby Mahurin

4. “Love makes fools of us all darling” – I love this quote, there’s just something about it.

At number 3 is a quote from a huge book..

Crescent City by Sarah J Maas

3. “Through love all is possible” – this would be a lovely quote to live by, and on top of that to know what this quote means to the characters in the book makes it even better.

At number 2 is a quote from a book I am excited to read soon…

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas

2. “Hello, Feyre darling” – Yes! I want this on everything, t-shirts, blankets, EVERYTHING.

Finally, we are at number one….

My favourite book quote is from the second book in a four book series…

Hunting Prince Dracula by Kerri Maniscalco

“catch me if I fall alright? A smile curved his lips in a most delightful manner “I’ve already fallen hard Wadsworth, perhaps you should have warned me sooner” – of course this had to be top, Thomas Cresswell has so many brilliant lines.

So, that’s it – This is my top ten favourite book quotes, and if you go back through my blog you can see my top 100 book quotes. I hope you have all enjoyed reading these!

Book Tags

Three Bookish Things Book Tag

August 4, 2021 theblindscribe

Happy Wednesday bookish people! I am very excited to be doing this tag today, I was tagged by JenJenReviews and it really made me think, I thought it was going to be easy but I needed to have a long look at my books to answer some of them (not that I mind staring at my beautiful books).

Let’s get to the questions!

Three read once and loved authors

Kester Grant – I read her novel Court of Miracles and absolutely loved it, I can’t wait for the next book to be released.
Elly Griffiths – I picked up The Postscript Murders on a whim because it sounded interesting and I ended up reading it in one evening so I’m definitely looking to get the rest of her books at some point soon.
Deanna Raybourn – I read A Curious Beginning last week and now I need to know what happens in the rest of the series.

Three titles I’ve watched but haven’t read

The Vampire Diaries – I didn’t technically watch this one… my sister loved it and would always have it on the TV so I pretty much watched it all without intending to.
Shadowhunters – I have seen and loved the TV series on Netflix but I haven’t finished the book series, I did read the first one and I own them all but I haven’t continued them yet.
Game of Thrones – again I have watched all the seasons but I haven’t picked up the book series yet.

Three Characters you love

Audrey Rose Wadsworth from the Stalking Jack the Ripper series by Kerri Maniscalco – she’s a very strong female lead and I just absolutely love her (and Thomas Cresswell, in my mind they come as a pair so they only count as one here)
Scarlet Dragna from Caraval by Stephanie Garber – one of my favourite books ever I had to pick the main protagonist from this series.
Wrath from Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco – can you tell I love this author? She writes amazing books, and well her fictional men are pretty great too. I am excited to see wrath again in Kingdom of the Cursed which comes out in October.

Three series binged

The Cruel Prince series by Holly Black – what can I say, the second one ended on a cliffhanger so I had to pick up the third book straightaway.
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead – I read these while in secondary school and loved them and the spin off series.

Three favourite book covers

Where Dreams Descend by Janella Angelles
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
The Betrayals by Bridget Collins

Three Goals for this year

To get more followers and friends – I only started a few months ago and the bookish community is so welcoming and friendly, I’d love to get more bookish friends in the next year.
Hopefully start a PhD – I’ve sent in my applications it’s just the waiting
To be less stressed – this is the most unlikely one, I’m always busy and I’m always stressed. I’d love to learn to relax a bit more.

Thank you for reading that’s the end of this tag!

Book Reviews

Book Review: Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco

August 2, 2021 theblindscribe

Happy Monday bookish people! This is my book review for Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco.

In this book review I will give star ratings for four categories and I will write a little about each one. I will try to keep it as spoiler free as possible. I hope you enjoy my book review.

Kingdom of the Wicked Plot:

There are two halves to the plot of this story, the princes of hell and the witches and the other half is the murders of girls in the town but both of these halves intertwine throughout the novel. Each action has a knock on effect. I loved how this story played out, the uniqueness of the princes of hell being based on the seven deadly sins. I was desperate to keep reading this book and to stay in the world, discovering new things in every chapter. The only thing I did not like was the ending to the murder, the identity of the killer, I personally thought it could have been better if it had been someone else.

Kingdom of the Wicked Characters:

Emilia is the main protagonist in this story and she is strong-willed and family oriented. I loved being able to see her develop within this book, she got stronger and learnt to find her own way. The main prince of hell within this book was Wrath and my goodness, I knew Kerri Maniscalco creates brilliant male leads (hello, Thomas Cresswell) but Wrath is in a level of his own.

Kingdom of the Wicked Writing and Dialogue:

I really enjoy Kerri Maniscalco’s writing, it just works for me. There is nothing about it that I do not like.

Kingdom of the Wicked Overall:

I gave this book four stars overall because, I love it but I think I will love Kingdom of the Cursed even more.

Blurb/Synopsis:

Two sisters.

One brutal murder.

A quest for vengeance that will unleash Hell itself…

And an intoxicating romance.

Emilia and her twin sister Vittoria are streghe—witches who live secretly among humans, avoiding notice and persecution. One night, Vittoria misses dinner service at the family’s renowned Sicilian restaurant. Emilia soon finds the body of her beloved twin… desecrated beyond belief. Devastated, Emilia sets out to find her sister’s killer and to seek vengeance at any cost—even if it means using dark magic that’s been long forbidden.

Then Emilia meets Wrath, one of the Wicked Princes of Hell that she has been warned against in tales since she was a child. Wrath claims to be on Emilia’s side, tasked by his master with solving the series of women’s murders on the island. But when it comes to the Wicked, nothing is as it seems…

That is it for this book review, I hope you all enjoyed it!

Book Reviews

Book Review: The Masked City by Genevieve Cogman

August 2, 2021 theblindscribe

Happy Monday bookish people! This is my book review for The Masked City by Genevieve Cogman, it is the second book in The Invisible Library series.

In this book review I will give star ratings for four categories and I will write a little about each one. I will try to keep it as spoiler free as possible. I hope you enjoy my book review.

The Masked City Plot:

The series is about a librarian spy called Irene and her librarian partner Kai, in this book Kai gets kidnapped and Irene must get him back. The plot of this book is full of action and very fast paced, it is intricately created and kept me guessing the whole way through.

The Masked City Characters:

I love Irene’s character, she’s feisty and prepared to defend herself physically and intellectually if needs be. Kai is more charming and their conversations are very witty. I love the way they interact with each other in the first book and in this one. The characters are one of the most important features of this series and Irene is one of my favourite female leads.

The Masked City Writing and Dialogue:

There’s not much I can say here, the writing is okay for me. Some of the language that is used can stumble me for a minute but mostly its clear and well paced.

The Masked City Overall:

I gave this book four stars because I am loving this series and I can’t wait to read the third one.

Blurb/Synopsis:

Librarian-spy Irene is working undercover in an alternative London when her assistant Kai goes missing. She discovers he’s been kidnapped by the fae faction and the repercussions could be fatal. Not just for Kai, but for whole worlds.

Kai’s dragon heritage means he has powerful allies, but also powerful enemies in the form of the fae. With this act of aggression, the fae are determined to trigger a war between their people – and the forces of order and chaos themselves.

Irene’s mission to save Kai and avert Armageddon will take her to a dark, alternate Venice where it’s always Carnival. Here Irene will be forced to blackmail, fast talk, and fight. Or face death.

That is it for this book review, I hope you all enjoyed it.

Book Reviews

Book Review: A Curious Beginning by Deanna Raybourn

August 2, 2021 theblindscribe

Happy Monday bookish people! This book review is for A Curious Beginning by Deanna Raybourn. I read this book while I was in the hotel room in Hampshire, it was a lovely evening read for me.

In this book review I will give star ratings to four categories and I will write a little about each one. I will try to keep it as spoiler free as possible. I hope you enjoy my book review.

A Curious Beginning Plot:

This was a very unique murder mystery. It had the feeling of an old Agatha Christie, a cosy mystery with a strong female lead and a brooding male lead. There are plenty of secrets to discover within this mystery, I couldn’t be sure who I could trust throughout this novel.

A Curious Beginning Characters:

This was only the first book in a series and this showed in the characters. They were being set up to have a relationship, although which type I don’t know yet, they have their own secrets and there is sometimes tension between them but this makes them realistic. Veronica is quick witted and stubborn and Stoker is just as stubborn and passionate, he is also much more distant from people than Veronica. I am looking forward to seeing how these characters can develop.

A Curious Beginning Writing and Dialogue:

The writing of this novel was difficult for me to get into at the beginning because it was written to fit the Victorian time period that it is set during but once I got used to it the writing became smooth and fit the story beautifully.

A Curious Beginning Overall:

I gave this four stars overall because I enjoyed the mystery element and the characters of this novel and I am interested in seeing how this series continues.

Blurb/Synopsis:

London, 1887.

After burying her spinster aunt, orphaned Veronica Speedwell is free to resume her world travels in pursuit of scientific inquiry—and the occasional romantic dalliance. As familiar with hunting butterflies as with fending off admirers, Veronica intends to embark upon the journey of a lifetime.

But fate has other plans when Veronica thwarts her own attempted abduction with the help of an enigmatic German baron, who offers her sanctuary in the care of his friend Stoker, a reclusive and bad-tempered natural historian. But before the baron can reveal what he knows of the plot against her, he is found murdered—leaving Veronica and Stoker on the run from an elusive assailant as wary partners in search of the villainous truth.

That’s it for this book review, I hope you all enjoyed it.

Book Reviews

Book Review: Charmcaster by Sebastien De Castell

August 2, 2021 theblindscribe

Happy Monday bookish people! This is book review four of seven for today. This one is for Charmcaster by Sebastien De Castell, it is the third book in the Spellslinger series.

In this book review I will give star ratings for four categories and I will write a little about each one. I will try to keep it as spoiler free as possible. I hope you enjoy my book review.

Charmcaster Plot:

This is the third book in the series so I have already been immersed in the world Castell has built and this book continued the beautiful imagery that the first two presented. I loved the uniqueness of this plot and how it tied in details from Shadowblack and Spellslinger, it felt so comfortable for me to be back in this world.

Charmcaster Characters:

As I said above, I was already immersed in this world so I knew the main characters Kellen, Ferius and Reichus very well by this point but there were some characters brought back from the first book that I felt added to the enjoyment of this book.

Charmcaster Writing and Dialogue:

I love Sebastien De Castell’s writing style, he is effortlessly witty, charming and creates complex plots and characters. He also created a very flawed protagonist who really should not still be alive at this point but of course I’m glad he is.

Charmcaster Overall:

This book, the same as the other books in the series, is a four star for me because I enjoyed every moment of it and I can’t wait to begin the fourth book in the series which is on my August TBR.

Blurb/Synopsis:

The third book in the page-turning Spellslinger fantasy series.

‘I was getting almost as good at running away from enemies as I was at making them in the first place. Turns out, I wasn’t running nearly fast enough.’

Kellen has begun to master his spellslinging and the Argosi tricks for staying alive, and he and Reichis have found a career that suits them both: taking down mercenary mages who make people’s lives miserable. But Ferius is concerned that Kellen is courting disaster . . .

Perfect for fans of The Dark Tower, Firefly, Guardians of the Galaxy, Terry Pratchett, Ben Aaronovitch and Jim Butcher.

That’s it for this book review, I hope you all enjoyed it.

Book Reviews

Book Review: Lirael by Garth Nix

August 2, 2021 theblindscribe

Happy Monday bookish people! This is book review three of seven for today and is for Lirael by Garth Nix.

I got this book while in a bookshop with my partner and he suggested that I read it. Originally, he picked it up and handed it to me to read the blurb and I put it back on the shelf saying that I’d pick it up another time. Instead, my partner bought it for me so I read it on the drive up to Hampshire last weekend.

In this book review I will give star ratings for four categories and I will write a little about each one. I will try to keep it as spoiler free as possible. I hope you enjoy my book review.

Lirael Plot:

This book was so easy to fall into. The story, the world, the characters, everything about it kept me engaged in what was happening. I haven’t read the first book in this series yet but I definitely plan on getting the whole series now. I read this book extremely fast, even by my standards, it only took me three hours or just over and it’s a 500 page book. I couldn’t wait to see where each chapter would take me. I enjoyed getting to see a different viewpoint in some chapters when it changed between Lirael and Sameth but I was hoping to see more of Sameth’s viewpoint.

Lirael Characters:

The character of Lirael is one of the best female reads in any books that I have read, she is emotionally strong and it was nice to see this develop throughout the book. Plus, she is in the library a lot of the time and I couldn’t relate to that more. Sameth, now what can I say about him, to be honest I found him a little annoying and he complained a lot but I also saw a lot of qualities in him that I can see developing and creating a very strong male lead.

Lirael Writing and Dialogue:

I love Garth Nix’s writing, I read another of his books last year and loved it so much, he has a way of writing effortlessly clever, humorous and heartwarming fantasy novels. I am looking forward to reading many more of his books.

Lirael Overall:

Originally I gave this book four stars but I could not stop thinking about this book so I had to change it to five stars, it’s now one of my favourite books of all time.

Blurb/Synopsis:

Lirael has never felt like a true daughter of the Clayr. Now, two years past the time when she should have received the Sight that is the Clayr’s birthright, she feels alone, abandoned, unsure of who she is. Nevertheless, the fate of the Old Kingdom lies in her hands. With only her faithful companion, the Disreputable Dog, Lirael must undertake a desperate mission under the growing shadow of an ancient evil.

In this sequel to Sabriel, winner of the Aurealis Award for Excellence in Australian Science Fiction, New York Times best-selling author Garth Nix weaves a spellbinding tale of discovery, destiny, and danger.

That’s it for this book review, I hope you all enjoyed it.

Book Reviews

Book Review: Love and Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch

August 2, 2021 theblindscribe

Happy Monday bookish people! This is the second of the book reviews I will be posting today. This is a book review for Love and Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch. I bought the trilogy (Love and Gelato, Love and Luck, Love and Olives) a while ago and finally got around to reading the first one in July.

In this book review I will give star ratings to four categories and I will write a little about each one. I will try to keep it as spoiler free as possible. I hope you enjoy my book review.

Love and Gelato Plot:

I loved the setting and the descriptions of each place throughout this book, the imagery used made me feel like I was there experiencing the location. I originally picked up this book because I hadn’t slept the night before and I needed something nice and light, it did provide this although there were also themes of grief, loss and finding where you belong which I thought gave the story another layer. Outside of this I didn’t find the romance to be hooking me in any way and I did think about putting the book down at points.

Love and Gelato Characters:

The characters in this book could be better in my opinion. They have motivations other than just the romance which is something I enjoyed about this book however, their actions were very predictable. I thought the book could have been shorter and better developed.

Love and Gelato Writing and Dialogue:

The writing of this book worked well for me, it didn’t feel forced in any way and each chapter led into the next smoothly.

Love and Gelato Overall:

I could only give this book three stars because I found myself becoming less interested in the characters and the plot the longer I was reading. However, it did fulfill my need for a light read when I needed it.

Blurb/Synopsis:

“I made the wrong choice.”

Lina is spending the summer in Tuscany, but she isn’t in the mood for Italy’s famous sunshine and fairy-tale landscape. She’s only there because it was her mother’s dying wish that she get to know her father. But what kind of father isn’t around for sixteen years? All Lina wants to do is go back home.

But then she is given a journal that her mom had kept when she lived in Italy. Suddenly Lina’s uncovering a magical world of secret romances, art, and hidden bakeries. A world that inspires her, along with the ever-so-charming Ren, to follow in her mother’s footsteps and unearth a secret that has been kept for far too long. It’s a secret that will change everything she knew about her mother, her father—and even herself.

People come to Italy for love and gelato, someone tells her, but sometimes they discover much more.

That’s it for this book review, I hope you all enjoyed it.

Book Reviews, Uncategorized

Book Review: Pumpkin by Julie Murphy

August 2, 2021 theblindscribe

Happy Monday bookish people! Today is Monday which means it is time for me to upload another book review, and today I won’t be uploading just one – I’ll be posting seven! The first of which was one of my first reads of July, Pumpkin by Julie Murphy. I picked this book up after I saw some of my favourite booktubers talking about it and I thought it would be an interesting read, which it was.

In this book review I will give star ratings for four categories and I will write a little about each one. I will try to keep it as spoiler free as possible. I hope you enjoy my book review.

Pumpkin Plot:

I really enjoyed the sweet and heartwarming themes in this story. I was lulled into this story by it’s defying stereotypes of prom king and queen, but there is so much more to it. It covers friendship, acceptance, sibling relationships and on top of all this romantic relationships. In a small book I felt a wave of different emotions and of course, it didn’t take me long at all to read through it. The romance itself, although predictable, was sweet and I did find myself smiling sometimes.

Pumpkin Characters:

Waylon is the main character that the story follows and he is a great protagonist, he is relatable and fun. I felt everything he did right along with him and although I couldn’t relate to the things he was going through I did relate to being an outsider and my experiences at school weren’t the best, I found myself wishing I had the confidence he did. Clementine, twin sister of Waylon, was also a great character but I wish she was in the book more than she is.

Pumpkin Writing and Dialogue:

The writing in this book was very smooth and kept me swept along with the story. There’s not much more for me to say here because it wasn’t the best writing I’ve read but it also is very far from the worst I’ve read.

Pumpkin Overall:

I gave this book four stars because I enjoyed it, despite it being a contemporary romance, and I liked the representation that the book provides.

Blurb/Synopsis:

Waylon Russell Brewer is a fat, openly gay boy stuck in the small West Texas town of Clover City. His plan is to bide his time until he can graduate, move to Austin with his twin sister, Clementine, and finally go Full Waylon, so that he can live his Julie-the-hills-are-alive-with-the-sound-of-music-Andrews truth.

So when Clementine deviates from their master plan right after Waylon gets dumped, he throws caution to the wind and creates an audition tape for his favorite TV drag show, Fiercest of Them All. What he doesn’t count on is the tape accidentally getting shared with the entire school. . . . As a result, Waylon is nominated for prom queen as a joke. Clem’s girlfriend, Hannah Perez, also receives a joke nomination for prom king.

Waylon and Hannah decide there’s only one thing to do: run—and leave high school with a bang. A very glittery bang. Along the way, Waylon discovers that there is a lot more to running for prom court than campaign posters and plastic crowns, especially when he has to spend so much time with the very cute and infuriating prom king nominee Tucker Watson.

Waylon will need to learn that the best plan for tomorrow is living for today . . . especially with the help of some fellow queens. . . .

That’s it for this book review, I hope you all enjoyed it! Have any of you read this book? What did you think of it?

Monthly TBRs

August TBR!

July 31, 2021 theblindscribe

Happy Saturday bookish people! July is coming to a close and I’m hoping August will be a great month, not just for reading but also for experience. Next week is my partner’s Father’s birthday and I’m going down to Cornwall for that weekend. Hopefully that will be lovely, I think it will be.

So, in July I ended up reading thirteen books and starting two others and I’m hoping this good reading will continue in August.

Again I’ve given myself a large TBR and that is before any book tour books, let’s get into it:

August TBR:

An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson – I started this one a while back but I’m excited to get back to it in August.
Get A Life Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert – I’m not that keen on contemporary but I won this in a giveaway and I’m willing to give the book a go.
The Good Luck Girls by Charlotte Nicole Davis – I don’t know much about this book but from the blurb it looks good.
The House in the Cerulean Sea by T J Clune – I’ve seen so many good things about this book and I can’t wait to read it.
Legendary by Stephanie Garber – I absolutely loved Caraval, the first in this series, and I’m not sure if I will love this one as much because it follows Tella and honestly I didn’t like her much in the first book.
The Once and Future Witches by Alix E Harrow – Witches are a common theme in books I enjoy so I hope that will continue with this one.
Realm Breaker by Victoria Aveyard
Rivers of London by Ben Aaronivitch – a supernatural detective just sounds amazing
Soulbinder by Sebastien De Castell – I’m very excited to continue with this series.
The Appeal by Janice hallett – this looks like a very unusual murder mystery and I’m looking forward to reading it.
The Masked City by Genevieve Cogman – I’m actually halfway through this book already, I started it a while ago and I’m excited to finish it.
The Way of All Flesh by Ambrose Parry – another murder mystery that should be a good read.
These Hollow Vows by Lexi Ryan – the blurb of this sounds so good.
Where Dreams Descend by Janella Angelles – this is set in a circus and has a competition in it, it gives me a similar feeling to the night circus and I’m looking forward to it.
The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels by India Holton – this one sounds like a light but still intriguing book.

That’s it for my August TBR! Have you read any of these books? Are any on your TBR?