May 2023 wrap-up!

Hi, everyone! I’m sharing all the books I read in May and I honestly feel like this has been my best reading month so far this year. There’s a couple of books I didn’t enjoy but, for the most part, I read a lot of great books! Here’s what I read:

Coming To Find You by Jane Corry: This is my favourite book by this author so far. It has a dual timeline, with one perspective set in the present and the other during the Second World War. The present day one was enjoyable with the main character fleeing a family tragedy but then you’re left questioning how much she really knows about what happened and what secrets she’s hiding. The chapters set during the Second World War were my favourite as it felt like there was more going on and it was interesting learning about how people defended their hometown and how children were sent to live with strangers. It was an emotional read for sure but very gripping too!

The Bullet That Missed by Richard Osman: It feels like I was waiting for the paperback release of this forever, but it was worth it. The characters were their usual quirky selves and just as loveable. I loved the mystery and the suspense as usual. Roll on book four!

April 2023 wrap-up!

Hey, everyone! I’m sharing the books I read in April and it was not a good month for me. I didn’t read anything in the first half of the month and only got into reading again in the second half. Also, out of the books I read, I only enjoyed two of them. I’m trying to get through some of my older books on my TBR and I hope there’s more enjoyable books in that pile because I did not like the two older ones I read this month. Here’s what I read:

Maybe It’s About Time by Neil Boss: This takes place during the pandemic and, while I was hesitant to read it at first, I did enjoy it and thought it was a heartwarming story. It takes a while for the story to get going and it took a while for me to warm up to the characters but probably around the halfway point I started to enjoy it and was curious the see how it would end. The ending was rather abrupt and I wish there had been an epilogue so we could see what happened after the pandemic. 

Survive the Night by Riley Sager: This is the third book I’ve read by Riley Sager and I love how unique his books are. While this one wasn’t my favourite in terms of plot or characters, it was still very gripping and easy to read. I’ll definitely be reading his other books.

REVIEW: Maybe It’s About Time by Neil Boss

Title: Maybe It’s About Time by Neil Boss
Published by: Matador
Publication date: 30th August 2022
Genre: Contemporary
Amazon UK

Synopsis:

Two people trapped in their different worlds. One by wealth and one by poverty. Twenty years working for The Firm has given Marcus Barlow everything he wants but has taken his soul in return. Finding a way to leave has become an obsession.

Claire Halford’s life hits rock bottom when she is caught stealing food from Tesco Express. Left alone by her husband with two small children and an STI, her suicide music is starting to play louder in her head.

A chance meeting brings them together. As a mystery virus from China starts to run riot across the country, their world’s collide and they find they have more in common than they knew.

Set in the early months of 2020, Maybe It’s About Time is a story about the difficulty of changing lives for the better. Starting as a funny and satirical view of the egocentric world of professional services, it gives way to a heart-warming story of an unlikely friendship that rejuvenates Marcus and Claire, giving them both hope for a better future.

ARC REVIEW: Dirty Laundry by Disha Bose

Title: Dirty Laundry by Disha Bose
Published by: Viking
Publication date: 30th March 2023
Genre: Domestic Thriller
Amazon UK

Synopsis:

Keep your friends close and your neighbours closer…

Ciara has it all – a loving husband, well-behaved children and an immaculate home. But behind the filters, her reality is far from what it seems.

Mishti is stuck in a loveless marriage, raising her daughter in a country that is too cold, among children who look nothing like her.

Lauren is mostly happy, despite being judged for letting her kids run naked, wild and free.

Then Ciara is found murdered in her pristine home and suddenly everyone is a suspect.

Hushed whispers, secret rendezvous and bloody betrayals . . .

Everyone has their dirty laundry, but this goes beyond gossip.

This is all-out war.

March 2023 wrap-up!

Hi, everyone! Before I get into the books I read in March, I just wanted to apologise for neglecting my blog recently. I’ve had a difficult start to the year and I wasn’t in the right mindset for my blog but it’s got better recently and I’m planning on writing more blog posts soon, including reviews and recommendations! But, for now, here are all the amazing books I read in March:

The Beast Hunters: Blood Oath by Christer Lende: I am gutted this trilogy has come to an end as it’s been such a wild ride and I’ve loved every minute of it. I’ve completely fallen in love with these characters after being able to see them go from strength to strength – particularly Ara, she has grown so much since the first book! – and being able to face new challenges without hesitating; it’s been everything I’ve wanted out of a book and more. I’d love for Christer to revisit this world but I’m also looking forward to see what creations he comes up with next!

February 2023 wrap-up!

Hey, everyone! After a rubbish start to the year, I managed to turn it around this month and ended up reading eight books! I am very pleased with the amount I’ve read and I actually enjoyed most of them! Here’s what I read:

This Woven Kingdom and These Infinite Threads by Tahereh Mafi: First up, I read these two beautiful books and ended up rating them both five stars! I was completely captivated by the story and the characters. Both books end on massive cliffhangers and I’m gutted I’ll have to wait another year for the third book! Tahereh is an incredible writer and I would highly recommend her books to young adult and fantasy lovers.

Special edition unhaul

Hey, everyone! It’s been a while since I posted an unhaul but recently I have been working my way through some of my special editions (namely Illumicrate but I also have a few from other companies), and I’ve either not enjoyed them or just decided I no longer want to own a physical copy or this specific edition so I’m unhauling them. Let’s get into it!

A River Enchanted by Rebecca Ross: I read this and I enjoyed it, but not enough for me to want to keep this edition and also buy the sequel. I thought it was too long and I found parts of it boring. I’m not sure if I will read the sequel. I originally wanted to because I liked the ending and wanted to see what happened next but I’m not sure now. If I found the sequel in a charity shop or it was cheap to buy on Kindle, I might consider reading it. I don’t think I’ll actively go out and buy it though.

The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean: This was on my January wrap-up. I enjoyed it but it did leave me feeling disappointed and I’m not sure whether that was due to the hype surrounding it or because I was expecting something more unique. Overall, it felt very rushed and I think it would have worked better as a series rather than a standalone. I love this edition, especially the stencilled edges but I’m never going to reread it and I’d rather it go to someone who will appreciate it more than me.

January 2023 wrap-up!

Hey, everyone! I’m sharing my January wrap-up with you today and I wish I could say that I’ve had a great start to the year but that is sadly not the case. I’ve had a lot going on in my personal life that’s prevented me from reading as much, so I only read three books in January and I’ve already had my first DNF. The positive side is that I mostly liked the books I read so I guess it was successful in terms of enjoyment. Here’s what I read:

The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman: I’ve had a copy of this since the paperback was released and I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to read it. I thought it was a really fun read and the characters were still just as loveable. The mystery was even better than the first book and I loved that we got to find out more about Elizabeth and her mysterious past. The only thing that annoyed me was Joyce’s diary entries. I noticed that when a particular scene happened, for example, all the characters are gathered together discussing their theories, Joyce’s diary would then repeat everything that happened in that scene. It really annoyed me. When I eventually get round to reading the third book, I think I’ll take a break before reading her diary entries and treat them as a recap of what’s just happened. Hopefully that will avoid me getting annoyed with Joyce because I do really like her quirky personality.

BLOG TOUR: The Beast Hunters Dark Sovereign by Christer Lende

Title: The Beast Hunters Dark Sovereign by Christer Lende
Published by: Independently Published
Publication date: 15th November 2022
Genre: Fantasy
Amazon UK – Amazon US

Synopsis:

A mysterious corpse, beastly assassins, and a basement full of cadavers dissolving in acid lead the beast hunters towards an enigmatic candidate, favourite to claim the throne of Ashbourn.

Despite not wanting to get involved in the coming coronation, Ara and the two beast hunters cannot deny the beastly nature of the clues they discover. Ara must adopt fake personas, infiltrate political galas, and pursue shadowy assassins. Still, the candidate’s monstrous nature eludes her. With the future of Ashbourn at stake, Ara has to solve the mystery before the new king is crowned.

Strangely, Ara’s abilities from Cornstead seem connected with the incidents that transpire during their investigation. Whispers in her mind foretell of sinister events, which she slowly sees come to life. The venom that grants her powers, seems to intertwine her fate with the dark creature threatening to be crowned king.

The second book in The Beast Hunter of Ashbourn series, Dark Sovereign offers a grand conspiracy, building on the events from the first book. Can Ara escape her connection to the ominous entity manipulating the Capital?