Book Tags

Five series’ to finish by the end of the year

Happy Friday bookish people! I hope you are all having a good day today, I thought it might be fun to share the top five series’ that I would like to finish up by the end of 2024. I have started a lot of series, I love getting to spend multiple books with characters so it is the main bulk of what I read.

Here are the five I want to prioritise:

The Hercule Poirot series by Sophie Hannah

I only have one book left, Hercule Poirot’s Silent Night, then I am up to date with this series and seeing as it has a winter/christmas theme I should get to read this in December.

The Painted Dragon by Katherine Woodfine

This is the third book in the series starting with the Clockwork Sparrow, there are actually four books out in this series but I only own the first three and I don’t plan on buying the fourth so I will be finishing the series with book three.

As Good As Dead by Holly Jackson

This is the third and final book in the Good Girl’s Guide to Murder series, I have been putting it off because I love the first two and I have heard mixed things about the last book but I would like to get this one finished off soon.

The Secret Service of Tea and Treason by India Holton

This series is very quirky and fun and this is the third and final book in the series. I have it on my TBR for November so hopefully that will be this series finished up.

A Death in Diamonds by S J Bennett

This is the fourth book in the Queen Elizabeth II investigates series and reading it would mean I am up to date with the series so far. I do enjoy this series although not every books has been brilliant, I’d say two out of the three I have read so far were great and one was not, so fingers crossed for this one.

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November Book Releases!

Happy Friday bookish people! I hope you are all having a great day.

I wanted to share with you just some of the exciting books being released in November, the dates they are going to be released and a short blurb for each of them. Are any of these on your radar? I know some of them are ones I want to read.

The Teller of Small Fortunes by Julie Leong – 5th November

An immigrant fortune teller joins forces with an ex-mercenary and a reformed thief in search of a missing child in this sweet and big-hearted fantasy debut.

Small fortunes. Big feelings.

A cozy fantasy about trying to find yourself – and finding a family instead. Perfect for fans of Legends and LattesA Psalm for the Wild-Built and The House in the Cerulean Sea.

Fleeing a troubled past, immigrant fortune teller Tao roams the dusty countryside with only her mule for company, telling small fortunes, for small prices. Big fortunes come with big consequences . . . which she knows from bitter experience.

It’s a lonely life, until she encounters an ex-mercenary and a (semi) reformed thief, who recruit her into their desperate search for a lost child. Soon, they’re joined by a baker with a knead for adventure, and – of course – a slightly magical cat.

Tao sets down a new path with companions as big-hearted as her fortunes are small. But as her friends break down her walls, the shadows of her past close in. Now, Tao must decide whether to risk everything to save the family she never thought she could have…

Where the Library Hides by Isabel Ibanez – 7th November

1885, Egypt: Inez Olivera is left reeling from her cousin Elvira’s murder, and her mother’s betrayal, and when Tío Ricardo issues an ultimatum about her inheritance, she’s left with only one option to consider.

Marriage to Whitford Hayes.

Former British soldier, her uncle’s aide de camp, and one time nemesis, Whit has his own mysterious reasons for staying in Egypt. With her heart on the line, Inez might have to bind her fate to the one person whose secret plans could ruin her.

The Author’s Guide to Murder by Beatriz Williams – 5th November

There’s been a sensational murder at historic Castle Kinloch, a gothic fantasy of grey granite on a remote island in the Highlands of Scotland. Literary superstar Brett Saffron Presley has been found dead—under bizarre circumstances—in the castle tower’s book-lined study. Years ago, Presley purchased the castle as a showpiece for his brand and to lure paying guests with a taste for writerly glamour. Now it seems, the castle has done him in…or, possibly, one of the castle’s guests has. Detective Chief Inspector Euan McIntosh, a local with no love for literary Americans, finds himself with the unenviable task of extracting statements from three American lady novelists. 

The prime suspects are Kat de Noir, a slinky erotica writer; Cassie Pringle, a Southern mom of six juggling multiple cozy mystery series; and Emma Endicott, a New England blue blood and author of critically acclaimed historical fiction. The women claim to be best friends writing a book together, but the authors’ stories about how they know Brett Saffron Presley don’t quite line up, and the detective is getting increasingly suspicious. 

Why did the authors really come to Castle Kinloch? And what really happened the night of the great Kinloch ceilidh, when Brett Saffron Presley skipped the folk dancing for a rendezvous with death? 

A crafty locked-room mystery, a pointed satire about the literary world, and a tale of unexpected friendship and romance—this novel has it all, as only three bestselling authors can tell it! 

Games Untold by Jennifer Lynn Barnes – 14th November

Romance, luxury, and secrets abound in this thrilling new collection that takes readers deeper into the world of the #1 bestselling Inheritance Games series.

There is nothing frivolous about the way a Hawthorne man loves.

An amnesiac playboy and the woman with every reason to hate him. A daredevil, his favorite heiress, and three nights in Prague. An unlikely pairing between a cowboy and a goth. Four brothers with an inescapable bond, strengthened by the family they chose, in a house of wonders that promises to always deliver one more secret. 

Discover their stories of love and loss, power, puzzles, and life-and-death secrets in this mind-blowingly romantic collection that proves that when you love the way Hawthornes love, there is no going back.

The Courting of Bristol Keats by Mary E Pearson – 14th November

After losing both their parents, Bristol Keats and her sisters struggle to stay afloat in their small, quiet town of Bowskeep. When Bristol begins to receive letters from an ‘aunt’ she has never heard of, who promises to help, Bristol reluctantly agrees to meet her – and discovers that everything she thought she knew about her family is a lie. Her father might even still be alive. Not killed but kidnapped by terrifying creatures and taken to another realm – the one he is from.

Desperate to save her father and find the truth, Bristol journeys to a land of gods, fae and monsters. Pulled into a dangerous world of magic and intrigue, she makes a deadly bargain with the fae king, Tyghan. But what she does not know is that he is the one who drove her parents to live a life on the run. And he is just as determined as she is to find her father – dead or alive . . .

A heart-wrenching love story that spans worlds and decades, The Courting of Bristol Keats by Mary E. Pearson explores second chances – the ones we are denied and the ones we refuse to give – and the lines we cross that may never be forgiven.

In Want of a Suspect by Tirzah Price – 12th November

The first book in a thrilling mystery duology that follows Lizzie Bennet and Mr. Darcy from the acclaimed Jane Austen Murder Mystery series!

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that London’s first female solicitor in possession of the details of a deadly crime, must be in want of a suspect.

The tenacious Lizzie Bennet has earned her place at Longbourn, her father’s law firm. Her work keeps her busy, but luckily it gives her plenty of reasons to consult (and steal occasional kisses) with Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, a stern but secretly softhearted solicitor at Pemberley.

Lizzie is hired to investigate a deadly warehouse fire and to find the mysterious woman who was spotted at the scene moments before the flames took hold. But when the case leads to the sitting room of a woman Darcy once proposed marriage to, the delicate balance between personal and professional in their relationship is threatened.

Questions of the future are cast aside when the prime suspect is murdered and Lizzie’s own life is threatened. As the body count rises and their suspicions about what was really going on in the warehouse grow, the pressure is on for Lizzie and Darcy to uncover the truth.

Classic characters with an enthralling twist—Lizzie and Darcy, as introduced in the hit novel Pride and Premeditation, are back for more suspense, danger, and romance!

Monthly Wrap Ups

October Reading Wrap Up!

Happy Friday bookish people! I hope you are all doing well today. It is the first of November and the cold weather has arrived which means it is time for my October Reading Wrap Up! Enjoy!

What I read from my TBR:

  • Murder at Enderley Hall by Helena Dixon – I did read this! This is absolutely my new obsession. It is the second book in the Miss Underhay mystery series. Kitty Underhay and her Grandmother run the Dolphin Hotel and Kitty ends up getting involved with investigating thefts and murders alongside an ex-military man named Matthew Bryant. I love this series, I am planning on reading one a month so I should finish the series in around eighteen months….
  • Down Comes the Night by Allison Saft – I did not read this, I am interested in the premise but this month there were other books I was more excited about.
  • Throne of the Fallen by Kerri Maniscalco – As I am writing this post, I am currently 100 pages into this books so I should get it finished by the end of October. Another book that I am loving, it follows Envy, the brother of Wrath from the Kingdom of the Wicked series, he is a prince of sin and I am very intrigued so far about what Envy needs the main female character, Camilla, for.
  • A Perilous Undertaking by Deanna Raybourn – I did not read this, again there were other books I wanted to read more.
  • Belladonna by Adalyn Grace – I did not read this. Honestly, in September and October I have been redecorating parts of my house and I am not sure where I have put my copy of Belladonna so I wasn’t able to read this in October.
  • A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik – similar to Belladonna, I didn’t read this because my copy is hidden away on my bookshelves for the time being.
  • Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson – I have not read this yet but I am hoping to still get to it by the end of October, I am going on holiday so I will have some travel time to do some reading.
  • Shadowscent: The Darkest Bloom by P M Freestone – Same as Enchantment of Ravens I have not got to this book yet but I am still hoping to by the end of this month. Fingers crossed.

Outside of my TBR, I also read The Examiner by Janice Hallett, The Last Devil to Die by Richard Osman and also, (I haven’t yet, as I am writing this my copy will be arriving tomorrow but I will be reading it immediately), Spectacular by Stephanie Garber.

Overall, that means I have read 5 books and hope to finish two more on top of that by the end of the month. I am happy with that, I didn’t realise I had read as much this month as I have.

How has your reading been this month? Any new favourite books? Let me know in the comments!

Book Tags

Halloween Book Tag!

Happy Friday Bookish People! I hope you’re all having a good day today. It is nearly Halloween! Do you do anything to celebrate? I don’t but I love seeing people in costumes, where I live there are lots of kids on the street so I hear them laughing and it is nice to hear them enjoying themselves.

As Halloween is so close I thought it would be fun to do a short Halloween Book Tag, I found this tag on spaceandsorcery.wordpress.com so go check out how they answered the tag.

1. Carving pumpkins: What book would you carve up and light on fire

It has to be Ulysses by James Joyce. I had to read it for University and I hated every minute of it, it is a large book and the plot did not hook my interest but the worst part of it is that for a big section of it there is absolutely no punctuation.

2. Trick or treat: A character who is a treat and one who is a trick

I am going to cheat a little bit here and pick a character who can be a trick and a treat depending on his mood and that is Jacks the Prince of Hearts from Stephanie Garber’s Once Upon A Broken Heart series.

3. Candy Corn: What book is always sweet?

I decided to go with the Lady in the Tower by Marie Louise Jenson and I love this book, the spine is cracked terribly because of how many times I have read it.

4. Ghosts: A character you would like to visit you as a ghost?

It was tough choice between Thomas Cresswell from the Stalking Jack the Ripper series by Kerri Maniscalco, one of my favourite male leads from any book or Reichus from Spellslinger by Sebastien de Castell which is a squirrel cat creature.

5. Dressing in Costume: A character you would want to be for a day.

Scarlett from Caraval by Stephanie Garber, I actually have dressed as her before to go to Comic Con.

6. Wizards and Witches: Your favourite Harry Potter moment

This would be the fight scene in the Order of the Pheonix

7. Blood and gore: A book so creepy you had to take a break

The Devil makes Three by Tori Bovalino, seriously if you like creepy books this is one to read.

Book Reviews

Book Review: Covent Garden Ladies by Hallie Rubenhold

Happy Monday bookish people! I hope you are all having a good day today.

Today I am sharing my book review for The Covent Garden Ladies by Halle Rubenhold, I got hold of a copy of this book while I was at the Capital Crime Festival in London earlier this year, I hadn’t heard of it before but I am glad that I gave this non-fiction book a chance.

Blurb/Synopsis:

The Covent Garden Ladies tells the story of Samuel Derrick, Jack Harris, and Charlotte Hayes, whose complicated and colorful lives were brought together by the publication of Harris’ List, an infamous guidebook of prostitutes which detailed addresses, physical characteristics and “specialties.” The true history of the book is a tragicomedy motivated by poverty, passionate love, aspiration, and shame. Its telling plunges the reader down the dark alleys of 18th-century London’s underworld, a realm populated by tavern owners, pimps, punters, card sharps, and of course, a colorful range of prostitutes and brothel-keepers.

My Review:

I would first like to say that nonfiction is not my usual genre, I don’t read a lot of it because I sometimes find the information a bit dense to read but this novel is descriptive in the way that a fiction book would be even though the stories it tells are the truth.

This book follows three key people in the world that inspired the TV show Harlots, I found it really interesting to read about people I had never heard of before and how each of them struggled through life, they each had different struggles they had to fight through but somehow all of their stories intersected with one another. I read this book very quickly, every time I put it down I was excited to get back to reading it. If you are interested in reading about people, often people who are misunderstood in society, and the actions that changed the directions of their lives.

Have any of you read this book? Let me know what you thought of it in the comments!

Book Tags

Spooky Book Recs!

Happy Friday bookish people! I hope you are all doing well.

Seeing as it is the month of Halloween, I thought it might be fun to share a book for each genre that I can think of that has the spooky vibes we all look for during this time of the year.

Just a note – I say one for every genre but by that I mean a couple of genres which were the only ones that I could think of.

Children’s Books/Middle Grade – The Araminta Spook novels by Angie Sage – these books are great they follow a girl called Araminta and her adventures with the ghosts who live alongside her in her haunted house.

Historical – Dangerous Women by Hope Adams – a group of women aboard a convict ship heading for Australia and everyone has a secret.

Fantasy – The Devil Makes Three by Tori Bovalino, I read this book earlier in the year, it features a library, demons and magic and the whole thing was so spooky I wasn’t sure I could finish it.

Romance – The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling, a girl with a broken heart accidentally hexes someone and all sorts of trouble ensues. it is a fun romance with a little bit of mystery. You wont be able to predict what happens.

Mystery/Thriller – An Unwanted Guest by Shari Lapena if you like isolated trapped in murder mysteries then you will love this book.

Monthly TBRs

October TBR!

Happy Monday bookish people! I hope you’re all having a good day today.

It is time to share what books I will be reading in October, What are you all going to be reading in October? Let me know down in the comments.

October TBR!!

Murder at Enderley Hall by Helena Dixon

Down Comes the Night by Alison Saft

Throne of the Fallen by Kerri Maniscalco

A Perilous Undertaking by Deanna Raybourn

Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson

Shadowscent

Belladonna by Adalyn Grace

A Deadly Education by Naomi Novak

Then these books are ones I am hoping to read for my PhD work but I am excited about:

The Examiner by Janice Hallett

This Is Not A Game

The Murder of Graham Catton

Listen for the Lie

The Last Devil To Die by Richard Osman

I Hope You’re Listening by Tom Ryan

Ace of Shades by Amanda Foody

Uncategorized

September Wrap Up!

Happy Friday bookish people! I hope you’re all having a lovely day today.

It is October already, the skies are getting darker and it is time to talk about what I read in the month of September.

From my September TBR:

  • Nightshade by E S Thomson – I did not read this book
  • The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent – I was really hoping I would find the time for this book but unfortunately this month I ran out of time.
  • The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern – I am currently reading this book with ten days left in the month when I am typing this so there should be no problem there, I should finish it by the end of the month.
  • Nine Lives by Peter Swanson – I did read this book and my review is coming on the 21st October.
  • Five Broken Blades by Mai Cortland – I did not read this book. I have been trying to prioritize reading the books that have been on my TBR the longest.
  • Murder at the Dolphin Hotel by Helena Dixon – I did read this book and loved it. I recommend this to everyone.
  • Covent Garden Ladies by Hallie Rubenhold – I did read this book and the review is coming on the 14th October.
  • The Wren in the Holly Library by K A Linde – I did not read this.
  • An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir – I did read this, as I am writing this it is the last book I finished.
  • Ballad of Never After by Stephanie Garber – as it stands right now if I finish the Night Circus quickly then I may get this book read as well.

That means I definitely read 4 books, and two depending on how quickly I can read for the rest of the month. So 4 – 6 books read this month is pretty good.

What books did you read this month? Which one was your favourite? My favourite read this month was Murder at the Dolphin Hotel by Helena Dixon.

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September Book Releases

Happy Friday bookish people! I hope you are all having a good day today.

It is a new month and that means a new bunch of books coming out which I will be sharing with you today.

Somewhere Beyond the Sea by T J Klune – 12th September

A Dark and Drowning Tide by Ava Reid – 17th September

Wild Eyes by Elsie Silver – 3rd September

The Thirteenth Child by Erin A Craig – 24th September

Lucy Underlying by Kiersten White – 10th September

We Solve Murders by Richard Osman – 12th September

Monthly TBRs

September TBR

Happy Friday bookish people! I hope you’re all having a good day today.

September is a busy busy month for me. I start my final year of my PhD and I am writing a second novel alongside it, I am also rearranging and redecorating my house so everything is all over the place at the moment but I am hopeful that I will still get some reading done.

These are the books on my September TBR:

Nightshade by E S Thomson

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Five Broken Blades by Mai Corland

Murder At The Dolphin Hotel by Helena Dixon

Covent Garden Ladies by Hallie Rubenhold

The Wren in the Holly Library by K.A Linde

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

The Ballad of Never After by Stephanie Garber

Nine Lives by Peter Swanson

The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent