Happy Friday bookish people! I hope you’re all having a wonderful day. Today I wanted to share some of the exciting book releases happening in January. Please note: this is not an extensive list, actually it is usually quite small, it is only a selection of the books that sound most interesting and also the dates I include are the UK release dates.
Happy Monday bookish people! I hope you are all doing well today.
It is 2025! Can you believe it? 2024 was such a long year, both in good and bad ways and I am hopeful that 2025 will see better books and better things in general. Do you have any goals for 2025? Reading or otherwise I’d love to hear about them. A goal for me is to make progress in my series’, I have a habit of reading the first book, buying the whole series and then they just sit there on my shelves waiting for me to read them while I read newer and shinier ones instead. I want to do better with that this year.
Today I am bringing you what I will be reading in January:
Happy Friday bookish people! I hope you are all having a good day today. It is time for the final wrap up of the year, and what a reading year it has been. I was struggling to find time in most of the months but since October I have been enjoying my reading again, and picking up brilliant books too.
Here is what I read in December,
From my TBR:
A Lively Midwinter Murder by Katy Watson – I did read this and a review is coming on the 20th December
Everyone this Christmas Has A Secret by Benjamin Stevenson – I read this
The Mistletoe Mystery by Nita Prose – I did read this
Hercule Poirot’s Silent Night by Sophie Hannah – I read this
Murder on the Dance Floor by Helena Dixon – I also read this
Which means…. I completed my TBR this month! I only had five specific books that were christmas themed that I wanted to read and I am very happy that I got the chance to read them all this month. Not only that but I also got to read some books outside my TBR, which were:
Do Your Worst by Rosie Danan – review coming on the 13th December
A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas – I know, I FINALLY read this book and yes, I absolutely loved it. So much so that I went and bought the complete hardback series immediately after I finished it..
Ace of Shades by Amanda Foody – At the time of writing this post I am currently reading this book and I will finish it before the end of December
Shadowscent by P M Freestone – I started this book and I have decided to soft DNF it, I still want to try it again but what I read wasn’t keeping my interest so I decided to leave it for later
So, in December I read 9 books – so far at least, as I am writing this it is the 15th December so it is likely I will read something else this month too, but right now I’m not sure what book that will be.
Happy Friday bookish people! How are you all today? I hope you are all good. This is the big one everyone. Today I will be sharing my favourite books that I have read this year.
Share with down in the comments what some of your favourite books have been this year, I could easily have done a top ten with almost all five star books that I have read this year but I decided to stick only with a top five, the best books I have read this year.
In at number five is…
Powerless by Lauren Roberts
I was torn on this decision, actually until I was writing this list down to make this post I had a different book in this spot but I have just read Powerless and I gave it a 4.5 stars to begin with and then I just could not stop thinking about it. I had to change it to a five star and put it in spot number five.
In number four is…
Murder At The Dolphin Hotel by Helena Dixon
This is a series I have discovered this year, this book is the first in the series, and I absolutely adore it. If you love cosy mysteries set in the 1930s then I am sure you would love these as much as I do.
In number three is…
Throne of the Fallen by Kerri Maniscalco
Kerri Maniscalco is now definitely one of my favourite authors, I loved her Stalking Jack the Ripper series and then her Kingdom of the Wicked series and now this is the first in the spin off series and this one follows Prince Envy. It is a brilliant book, I loved it.
In number two is…
The King’s Mother by Annie Garthwaite
This novel is a follow up to her first novel, Cecily, it follows Cecily Neville – the mother of King Edward IV, his wife Elizabeth Woodville and Margaret Beaufort – the mother of Henry VII as they navigate the royal court as women. It is powerful and beautiful and emotional and it will always be one of my favourite books I have ever read. Especially as I got to visit the Neville’s family Castle the day after I read this book.
And finally, in my number one spot is…..
A Study In Drowning by Ava Reid
This novel is gothic and enchanting and just everything I hoped it would be. I know some people don’t love this book but I honestly can’t think of one thing that I did not like about it.
Happy Friday bookish people! I hope you are all doing well today. It is that time f the year, time for me to share of the 50+ books I have read this year, which ones are the five I have least enjoyed. I can tell you this year has been very varied, I have had a few five stars which you will see next week in my favourite books of the year post so keep your eyes peeled for that but on the other end I have also had some books that I really did not enjoy.
Of those, here are the five books I enjoyed the least this year.
In at number five is…
The Twat Files by Dawn French
This is a nonfiction book that I got a signed edition of when I went to see her at my local Theatre with Darcey Bussell, I enjoyed the show but the book was a miss for me. I didn’t find it funny and I wasn’t entertained by it. That’s why it is number five on my least favourite books of this year.
In Number four is…
The Last Devil to Die by Richard Osman
This is the fourth book in the Thursday Murder Club series and some of the books in the series I have enjoyed but this one I really did not. I have put up a book review for this one in November if you’d like to read all of my thoughts.
In number three is…
Love Letters to a Serial Killer by Tasha Coryell
This one was such a disappointment for me. The premise of this book was very promising with a woman needing something in her life and writing letters to a serial killer and then getting wrapped up in a murder mystery but the execution of this novel was not good. It could have been much better in my opinion.
In number two is…
The Housekeepers by Alex Hay
This was another mystery book that had a great premise but poor execution. In my opinion this book felt lazy and there were more than one plot point that didn’t fit or was never finished and it was a book that I wish I had DNF’d it instead of pushing on to finish it.
My least favourite book of this year was….
Nine Lives by Peter Swanson
This was not a terrible book, I will say that, my problem with it was that it too closely resembled another book to the point where I felt that it bordered on plagiarism. Obviously it was a more modern version of that book but the plot was very similar and that ruined it for me.
Happy Monday bookish people! I hope you are all having a good day today. I am bringing you a book review today of Powerless by Lauren Roberts. If you have read this book, what did you think of it?
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Blurb/Synopsis:
She is the very thing he’s spent his whole life hunting. He is the very thing she’s spent her whole life pretending to be.
Only the extraordinary belong in the kingdom of Ilya—the exceptional, the empowered, the Elites.
The powers these Elites have possessed for decades were graciously gifted to them by the Plague, though not all were fortunate enough to both survive the sickness and reap the reward. Those born Ordinary are just that—ordinary. And when the king decreed that all Ordinaries be banished in order to preserve his Elite society, lacking an ability suddenly became a crime—making Paedyn Gray a felon by fate and a thief by necessity.
Surviving in the slums as an Ordinary is no simple task, and Paedyn knows this better than most. Having been trained by her father to be overly observant since she was a child, Paedyn poses as a Psychic in the crowded city, blending in with the Elites as best she can in order to stay alive and out of trouble. Easier said than done.
When Paeydn unsuspectingly saves one of Ilyas princes, she finds herself thrown into the Purging Trials. The brutal competition exists to showcase the Elites’ powers—the very thing Paedyn lacks. If the Trials and the opponents within them don’t kill her, the prince she’s fighting feelings for certainly will if he discovers what she is—completely Ordinary.
My Review:
Let’s just start by saying I think this book was fantastic. I loved the premise of the kingdom turning against those who are ordinary and wanting everyone to have powers. Usually it is the other way around in the books I have read so this was quite refreshing. The main thing that I think I loved was the character dynamics, Paedyn was a great female lead character and the two princes with their own motivations and limitations and how they all interacted I found fascinating, I never quite knew where this book would go next. I will say, for the people who have read it, I did not like the character if Adana, when I was reading her I was reading her as a young child character but I later found out she was older and that did not work for me, I also think that she could have been utilized better as a character. I finished this a few days ago and I haven’t stopped thinking about it, I want to pick up the next one immediately.
Happy Friday bookish people! I hope you are all doing good. I wanted to do something a little bit different today. I have been seeing everywhere people tracking the series’ that they are reading. How many they have started, how many they have completed and reminding themselves of which series’ they are currently in the middle of. So, I thought, why not have a look at how many series’ I am reading… there’s a lot. It’s about the amount I was expecting because I do love reading a series and getting all that time with a group of characters but I am terrible at keeping up to date with them. I have found over the years that I can’t binge a series one book right after the other, I have to spread them out with other books inbetween so then it takes me forever to get around to reading them again.
So, here’s a breakdown of the series’ I own and the ones I have read – or not.
BOOK SERIES’ I HAVE COMPLETED:
The Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead – a nostalgic favourite
The Bloodlines series by Richelle Mead – a spin-off to the Vampire Academy series
The Spellslinger series by Sebastien de Castell – LOVED this series
The Marlow Murder Club by Robert Thorogood – as it stands I am up to date on this series but a new book will be coming in 2025
The Six of Crows duology by Leigh Bardugo
The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman – i have read the four books currently out even though he is writing more but I think I am going to dnf this series.
The Stalking Jack the Ripper series by Kerri Maniscalco – a favourite for me
The king dom of the wicked series by Kerri Mnaiscalco
The Caraval series by Stephanie Garber – another favourite series
The Cruel prince series by Holly Black – started my love of fae
The Brown Sisters trilogy by Talia Hibbert – a romance series that surprisingly I enjoyed
The Hatmakers trilogy by Tamzin Merchant – a middle grade series which is stunning
The new Faraway Tree series by Jacqueline Wilson – up to date on the two currently published
The Dog Sitter Detective series by Antony Johnston – two books out currently so I am up to date
The Trial/The Suspect by Rob Rinder – a great new murder mystery series that has two books out currently and I have read both so I am up to date as of 2024
Gir, Missing trilogy by Sophie Mckenzie
City of Ghosts by V E Schwaab – a short children’s series following Cassidy who can see ghosts
The Maze Runner series by James Dashner
The Divergent series by Veronica Roth
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
The Vicious Duology by V E Schwaab – a great morally grey, are they heroes are they villains kind of book
Name of the Star series by Maureen Johnson – I absolutely loved this when I was younger, it is for teen readers but it is pretty dark
That is all the current series that I have finished/ got up to date with = 22 – not bad but not great either, the next category is the big one…
BOOK SERIES’ I HAVE STARTED BUT NOT FINISHED:
The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy by Megan Bannen – currently reading but I am unsure if I will continue the series or not.
Powerless by lauren Roberts – a definite five star for me
Shadow and Bone by leigh Bardugo
Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas
The Maid by Nita Prose
A Court of thorns and roses by Sarah J Maas
The Miss Underhay series by Helena Dixon
Sabriel by Garth Nix
The left handed booksellers of london by Garth Nix
The three dahlias by Katy Watson
Crescent City by Sarah J Maas
Finlay Donovan is killing it by Elle Cosimano
Grave Expectations by Alice Bell
The Cat who solved three murders by
Throne of the fallen by Kerri Maniscalco
The Prison Healer by Lynette Noni
Once Upon A Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber
Shatter me by taherah Mafi
A Marvellous light by Freya Marske
The strange case of the alchemist’s daughter by Theodora Goss
Six Tudor Queens by Alison Weir
A Curious beginning by Deanna Raybourn
Hercule Poirot series by Sophie Hannah
The art of the dying by Ambrose Parry
Bringing down the duke by Evie Dunmore
Clockwork Sparrow by Katherine Woodfine
Pages and Co by Anna James
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
Anatomy a love story by Dana Schwartz
Love and gelato by Jenna Evans Welch
The vanished bride by Bella Ellis
Pride and Premeditation by Tirzah Price
The windsor knot by Sophia Bennett
Truly devious by Maureen Johnson
How to solve your own murder by Kristen Perrin
The Good Girl’s guide to murder by Holly Jackson
An ember in the ashes by Sabaa Tahir
Spin the dawn by Elizabeth Lim
Court of miracles by Kester Grant
From blood and ash by Jennifer L Armentrout
The beautiful by Renee Ahdieh
Dangerous remedy by Kat Dunn
Serpent and dove by Shelby Mahurin
house of salt and sorrows by Erin A Craig
The wisteria society of lady scoundrels by India Holton
A curse so dark and lonely by Brigid Kemmerer
The Bear and the nightingale by Katherine Arden
The Invisible library by Genevieve Cogman
A darker shade of magic by V E Schwaab
Scythe by Neal Shusterman
The raven boys by Maggie Stiefvater
Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch
Miss Peregrines by Ransom Riggs
Which gives us 53 started series…
BOOK SERIES’ I OWN BUT HAVE NOT STARTED:
The Graceling series by Kristen Cashore
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
Faebound by Saara-El Arifi
Phantasma by Kaylie Smith
The Bone Spindle trilogy by Leslie Vadder
The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon
Legendborn by Tracey Deonn
Crown of Ivy and Glass by Claire Legrand
Furyborn by Claire Legrand
Sisters Grimm by Menna Van Praag
Bone Criers Moon by Kathryn Purdie
The Guinevere Deception by Kirsten White
Traitors Kiss by Erin Beaty
The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi
The Crowns Game duology by Evelyn Skye
Nevernight by Jay Kristoff
The fate of wrath and fame by K A Tucker
Shadowscent by P M Freestone
Seafire by Natalie C Parker
Al of us Villains by Amanda Foody
Ace of Shades by Amanda Foody
Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor
Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
Truthwitch by Susan Dennard
Traitors Blade by Sebastien De Castel
This Savage Song by V E Schwaab
Trial of the Sun Queen by Nisha J Tuli
The library of the Dead by T L Huchu
Defy the Night by Brigid Kemmerer
Library of the Unwritten by A J Hackwith
Song of the Forever Rains by E J Mellow
lightlark by Alex Aster
Scarlet by Genevieve Cogman
Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare
Chain of God by Cassandra Clare
Swordcatcher by Cassandra Clare
Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Fairies by Heather Fawcett
A Winter’s Promise by Christelle Dabos
Threadneedle by Cari Thomas
Set Fire to the Gods by Saara Rasch
Scavenge the Stars by Tara Sim
Everyone in my Family has killed someone by benjamin Stevenson
One of us is lying by Karen M Mcmanus
Lockwood and co by Jonathan Stroud
Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare
lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare
The Diviners by libba Bray
Daughter of smoke and bone by laini Taylor
All the stars and teeth by Adalyn Grace
Fable by Adrienne Young
Incendiary by Zoraida Cordova
Where Dreams Descend by Janelle Angeles
Deal with the elf king by Elise Kova
Well Met by Jen DeLuca
A Thief’s Justice by Douglas Skelton
Marion Lane and the midnight murder by T A Willberg
Blood and sugar by Laura Shepherd Robinson
The Antique Hunter’s Guide to Murder by C L Miller
Twin Crowns by Catherine Doyle and Katherine Webber
A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik
Empire of the vampire by Jay Kristoff
little thieves by Margaret Owen
This Woven Kingdom by Taherah Mafi
Godkiller by Hannah Kaner
The Atlas six by Olivie Blake
A River Enchanted by Rebecca Ross
Stolen Heir by Holly Black
Realmbreaker by Victoria Aveyard
Belladonna by Adalyn Grace
Mortal Follies by Alexis Hall
Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim
The Foxglove King by Hannah Whitten
One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig
The Wren in the holly library by K A Linde
Five Broken Blades by Mai Corland
Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross
Castles in their bones by Laura Sebastien
Dance of Thieves by Mary E Pearson
Only a monster by vanessa len
The North wind by Alexandria Warwick
The Crimson Moth by Kristen Ciccerelli
The Coven by Harper L woods
Crucible of chaos by Sebastien de castell
Play of shadows by Sebastien de castell
A Dark and hollow star by Ashley Shuttleworth
These Hollow vows by Lexi Ryan
Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
The Serpent and the wings of night by Carissa Broadbent
Way of the argosi by Sebastien de castell
When the moon hatched by Sarah A Parker
Which brings us to 90 series I own at least the first book for but I have not started. Let me know if you have read any of these and what you thought of them.
So, final tallies are: 90 series’ not started, 22 completed series, and 53 series that I have started and not finished
Grand total = 165 series!! Wow, that’s a lot. Hopefully I will make better progress with them in 2025. What are your priority series’ for 2025?
Happy Monday Bookish People! How are you all doing today? I hope you are all doing well.
As we approach the end of the year I am continuing with a post I now do monthly which is to mention some of the books that are being published in the coming month. I have to say, I live in the UK, and I really struggled to find some books that were being published this month, I believe I have three to share with you which is a bit disappointing but I wanted to make this post anyway and just share those three. So, those books are:
A Monsoon Rising by Thea Guanzon – coming out 5th December
Two hearts circle each other in the eye of the storm in this highly-anticipated follow-up to The Hurricane Wars—prepare for more enemies-to-lovers romance, magical adventures, and political schemes in this Southeast Asian-inspired world.
After a lifetime of war, Alaric and Talasyn were thrust into an alliance between their homelands that was supposed to end the fighting; however, being married to their sworn foe feels far from peaceful. Now Talasyn must play the part of Alaric’s willing empress while her allies secretly plot to overthrow his reign. But the longer the couple are forced together, the harder it becomes to deny the feelings crackling like lightning between them. When the time comes to act, can she trust him, or must she ignore her heart for the sake of so many others?
As the master of the Shadowforged Legion, Alaric has trained for battle all his life, but marrying a Lightweaver might be his most dangerous challenge yet. With tensions between nations churning, he needs to focus on the greater threat—the Moonless Dark, a cataclysmic magical event that could devour everything. Only he and Talasyn can stop it, with a powerful merging of light and shadow that they alone can create together. But saving their world from this disaster is a mere preface to his father’s more sinister schemes, and his wife is a burning flame in the darkness, tempting both his loyalties and his desires.
The Hurricane Wars aren’t over. It’s time to choose what—and who—to fight for. The world holds its breath amidst a whirlwind of new magic and old secrets that could change everything.
The Voyage Home by Pat Barker – this is coming out in the beginning of December
The follow-up to Pat Barker’s Number One bestseller THE WOMEN OF TROY
Continuing the story of the captured Trojan women as they set sail for Mycenae with the victorious Greeks, this new novel centres on the fate of Cassandra — daughter of King Priam, priestess of Apollo, and a prophet condemned never to be heeded. (When she refuses to have sex with Apollo, after he has kissed her, granting her the gift of true prophecy, he spits in her mouth to make sure she will never be believed.)
Psychologically complex and dangerously driven, Cassandra’s arrival in Mycenae will set in motion a bloody train of events, drawing in King Agamemnon, his wife Clytemnestra and daughter Electra. Agamemnon’s triumphant return from Troy is far from the celebration he imagined, and the fate of the Trojan women as uncertain as they had feared.
Wind and Truth by Brandon Sanderson – coming out 6th December
The long-awaited explosive climax to the first arc of the #1 New York Times bestselling Stormlight Archive―the iconic epic fantasy masterpiece that has sold more than 10 million copies, from acclaimed bestselling author Brandon Sanderson.
Dalinar Kholin challenged the evil god Odium to a contest of champions with the future of Roshar on the line. The Knights Radiant have only ten days to prepare―and the sudden ascension of the crafty and ruthless Taravangian to take Odium’s place has thrown everything into disarray.
Desperate fighting continues simultaneously worldwide―Adolin in Azimir, Sigzil and Venli at the Shattered Plains, and Jasnah at Thaylen City. The former assassin, Szeth, must cleanse his homeland of Shinovar from the dark influence of the Unmade. He is accompanied by Kaladin, who faces a new battle helping Szeth fight his own demons . . . and who must do the same for the insane Herald of the Almighty, Ishar.
At the same time, Shallan, Renarin, and Rlain work to unravel the mystery behind the Unmade Ba-Ado-Mishram and her involvement in the enslavement of the singer race and in the ancient Knights Radiants killing their spren. And Dalinar and Navani seek an edge against Odium’s champion that can be found only in the Spiritual Realm, where memory and possibility combine in chaos. The fate of the entire Cosmere hangs in the balance.
Happy Friday bookish people! How are you all doing today? It is December, the final month of 2024, and I am excited to get stuck into reading the christmassy books that I have, admittedly I don’t have very many but the ones I have, I plan on reading.
December for me is looking like it will be a busy month, my diary is already getting pretty full so hopefully I will still have some time to read.
What are you planning to read in December? Any special plans for Christmas?
December TBR
A Lively Midwinter Murder by Katy Watson
Everybody This Christmas Has A Secret by Benjamin Stevenson
Hercule Poirot’s Silent night by Sophie Hannah
Murder on the Dancefloor by Helena Dixon
Okay, this one isn’t exactly christmas but it is set in winter and I have been reading one a month of this series so I want to continue this.
Happy Monday bookish people! How are you all today? It is December, the final month of 2024 but before that we need to talk about how November went.
As a month in general, not the best honestly. It seemed to be a month of one bad thing after another, but hopefully we are past all of that now. Onwards and upwards. In terms of reading, it was actually one of my best months of the year. I have started doing an hour or two of reading every evening instead of watching something on TV and it has made me feel much better, not only in terms of loving what I am reading but also I just feel better within myself, most of the time. Reading has been a great escape from everything this month.
How was your reading this month? Any new favourite books?
My November TBR was:
Murder At The Playhouse by Helena Dixon – the third book in the Miss Underhay cosy mystery series – I did read this and LOVED it, it might be my favourite one in the series so far.
Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Fairies by Heather Fawcett – I did not get to this one, I really wanted to and still do but it wasn’t at the top of my priorities for this month.
Curtain Calls to Murder by Julian Clary – I did read this book. It looked like something i would love from the description and I didn’t hate it but it also wasn’t something I loved. If you’re interested in knowing why I will be writing a review soon.
Powerless by Lauren Roberts – I finally read this and again, I loved it. I will be putting up my review for this in December so look out for that if you are interested.
The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy by Megan Bannon – I am currently reading this book and honestly, I’m not sure at the moment if this is going to be a soft DNF and I will come back to it later or if I am going to push through and see if I like it. I am 100 pages ish in and I have no idea what is going on so we will see.
People of Abandoned Character by Clare Whitfield – I did not read this. I just was not in the mood this month for a gothic feeling book.
The Secret Service of Tea and Treason by India Holton – I did not get to this either which was a shame because I was hoping to get a series finished and crossed off my list.
Queen B by Juno Dawson – I did read this, I love anything Anne Boleyn so I wanted to make sure that I gave this book a go.
Diabolical Bones by Bella Ellis – I did not get around to this book either unfortunately.
Pandora by Susan Stokes Chapman – This was one book that I really wanted to get around to but it just didn’t happen this month.
So, from my TBR I read five books this month which I am pretty happy with but, I also read two books outside of my TBR. I finished Throne of the Fallen by Kerri Maniscalco and then I also read The League of Lady Poisoners.
So, overall I read seven books this month. Which is a great amount in my opinion. I am happy with it and excited to get started on my December TBR.
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