Tag: Book Review

June Reading Wrapup

Halfway through the year and I’m still a few books behind my reading target, but have already found a couple of books that will be in my top ten come the end of the year. In June itself I read an interesting mix with non fiction outnumbering fiction, which is unusual for me.

The Bumblebee Flies Anyway by Kate Bradbury

An autobiographical story of Kate Bradbury creating a wildlife garden in the middle of Brighton. Written in a rambling, meandering style with flashbacks to her childhood and trips to see specific insects, interspersed with personal tragedies from bereavements to breakups that only nature could soothe and heal. I could relate so strongly to her desire to provide a safe, inviting habitat for birds, bees, butterflies and other wildlife, and felt keenly her grief over gardens and green spaces paved over or covered with decking and fake grass, or bulldozed to build blocks of flats and carparks. I also found it full of useful information about what to plant to benefit particular species, a really inspiring read.

Diary of a Young Naturalist by Dara McAnulty

Follows the diary entries of Dara for a full year, one that brings change and upheaval as he moves house and starts at a new school, but balanced by time spent in nature. This is a heavy book in places as he describes his struggles in social settings due to autism, school bullying and his frustration about environmental issues such as climate change and loss of species, yet the darker moments are balanced by his fascination and reverence for the natural world from the birds and insects in his own garden to adventures exploring the coasts, forests and mountains of Northern Ireland, and the warmth and safety of his family.

Nala’s World by Dean Nicholson

Dean was a fairly ordinary young man, a bit of a drifter who decided to cycle around the world when he turned 30; not long into his journey across Europe he comes across, Nala, a stray kitten whom he immediately falls in love with and decides to take with him on his adventure. Caring for a pet gives Dean an external purpose beyond his own whims and goals, teaching him lessons in empathy, compassion and responsibility. The overarching theme of this story is kindness, and the ripple effect that one kind deed creates, as Dean’s story of finding and caring for Nala inspires others to donate money to animal charities around the world or adopt strays of their own, as well as the countless people he meets on his journey that share food with him or offer him a place to stay.

Raising Good Humans by Hunter Clarke-Fields

A slightly different parenting book about using mindfulness techniques to cultivate patience, kindness and empathy to help parents become calmer and build stronger connections with their children. As a few other parenting books I’ve read, the book starts by asking parents to identify their own triggers and childhood experiences before moving on to developing a mindfulness practice that can be applied to the challenges of parenting as well as developing skills for mindful listening and communicating to help foster connection and cooperation. I found this really easy to read and put into practice, a very helpful parenting book for those of us who aspire to remain calm in trying times.

Juniper and Thorn by Ava Reid

The only fiction book I read this month was a twisted gothic fairytale by Ava Reid. Juniper and Thorn is narrated by Marlinchen, the third and youngest daughter of a wizard who has been cursed never to feel full no matter how much he eats, never rested no matter how long he sleeps, and to find fault with his daughters no matter how beautiful, clever or kind they are. I found the atmosphere incredibly tense and unsettling but this story was absolutely gripping. Juniper and Thorn is the story of wizards and witches, hunger and revulsion, magic, monsters and rebellious maidens.

What have you been reading lately? X

May Reading Wrapup

I finally felt like I hit my reading stride in May.

The Hollow Boy by Jonathan Stroud

The third book in the series but the first I was completely unfamiliar with and I was gripped from start to end. The narrator, Lucy, is off-kilter through this partly because she wants to test her extraordinary ability to connect with ghosts, and also by a new member joining the team, Holly. Lockwood and Co are invited to investigate a wave of hauntings affecting Chelsea, and find themselves teaming up with their rivals from the bigger and more prestigious Fittes agency. In the midst of the action, there’s so much going on for the characters personally as Lockwood reveals part of his past to his friends, and struggles to find the balance between being a leader and a friend; George shows his caring side and what a team player he can be when he’s not lost in his research; new girl Holly trying to fit in; and Lucy finding it easier to empathise with the dead than the living as she tests her powers to communicate with ghosts and struggles with so many teenage insecurities. A rare middle book that really stands out in the series, I found The Hollow Boy utterly compelling and thrilling.

The Creeping Shadow by Jonathan Stroud

In the 4th part of the Lockwood and Co series, Lucy has struck out on her own as an independent agent with the whispering skull but it’s not long before she’s reunited with Lockwood, George and Holly as they investigate a new mystery together, and find themselves unravelling a conspiracy that connects one of the oldest and most prestigious ghost hunting agencies with the criminal underworld that deals in stolen ghost relics. The Creeping Shadow is a creepy, thrilling and explosive adventure that sets the scene for the final part of this series.

The Empty Grave by Jonathan Stroud

One of the things that I’ve loved about the Lockwood & Co series is the different types of ghosts from apparitions to poltergeists, which adds new dangers for the characters, and the final part of this wonderful series brings new challenges for Lockwood & Co as they unravel the conspiracy and finally learn who’s responsible for weakening the barrier that separates the living from the dead. The Empty Grave was a really exciting and satisfying conclusion to the series, and is tied with The Hollow Boy as my favourite part of the series. I’m going to miss these characters, haunted London and their cosy home at Portland Row but it’s been a thrilling, chilling and utterly gripping adventure.

Half A King by Joe Abercrombie

I’m not a fan of grimdark fantasy and have until now avoided Joe Abercrombie for that reason but had heard that his YA trilogy was a bit less grim than his adult fantasy stories so borrowed this from the library. Half A King is the first book in the Shattered Sea trilogy set in world inspired by the Vikings, and follows the story of Yarvi, the younger son of the King of Gettland who was born with a disfigured hand. Struggling with swordsmanship and other skills that require manual dexterity, Yarvi was training for a career in politics as the King’s minister, when he unexpectedly inherits the throne after his father and older brother are murdered. Yarvi swears to avenge them but it isn’t long before he finds himself betrayed and fighting for his own freedom and survival. This story relies heavily on some clever twists, but the writing was a bit repetitive and I found it hard to sympathise with Yarvi as his vow of vengeance seemed more about fulfilling a macho sense of honour and pride than any love for his bullying father. I enjoyed Half A King but I didn’t love it and while I’m curious to know what happens in the rest of the trilogy I’m not desperate to read it.

The Dark Archive by Genevieve Cogman

I took a break from The Invisible Library series because although it had an intriguing overarching plot as the Librarian Irene and her friends, the dragon Prince Kai, and the detective Vale, find themselves negotiating a peace treaty between the Fae and the Dragons, it lacked an overarching antagonist and villain, and was starting to seem a bit formulaic. The Dark Archive is the seventh book in The Invisible Library series, and it refreshes the storyline by resurrecting old enemies driven by vengeance to murder Irene and her friends, and destroy everything she’s achieved in the last few books, which really raises the stakes before the final book in the series.

What have you been reading lately? Have a lovely week. X

April Reading Wrapup

Been struggling to find time to update the blog, but still keeping track of my reading and felt like I finally hit my stride last month.

Our Crooked Hearts by Melissa Albert

A dark and creepy story about witchcraft, secrets and betrayal, narrated by a mother who dabbled in the occult as a teenager looking back on her biggest regrets, and her 17 year old daughter in the present as the mother’s mistakes comes back to haunt them. This was absolutely gripping, creepy and full of suspense, and made me want to get rid of all the mirrors in my house just in case there was someone watching from the other side.

The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman

The second part in The Thursday Murder Club series finds the four aging amateur sleuths investigating a mugging, a diamond theft and murder. This is an ensemble cast and I simply adore them all from the four residents of the retirement village (Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron and Ibrahim) who are still so full of life and mischief to the local police officers (Chris and Donna) who get pulled into their investigations, and even the enigmatic, hunky Polish handyman, Bogdan. I enjoyed The Man Who Died Twice even more than The Thursday Murder Club, it’s a delightful and absorbing mystery full of clever twists, suspense, humour, poignancy, friendship and even a little romance. I’m already predicting that this will be one of my Top 10 reads of the year, and I can’t wait to read the rest of this series.

The Whispering Skull by Jonathan Stroud

The second part of the ‘Lockwood and Co’ series finds our three teenage ghost hunting agents investigating the mysterious bone glass mirror rumoured to be a window into the spirit realm. This one deviated quite a bit from the TV series, which I watched before seeking out the books, and didn’t have quite as many thrills and chills as the first book, but I loved the friendship developing between the dashing Lockwood, sarcastic Lucy and curious George, that is at the heart of this series.

The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and the Horse by Charles Mackesy

I had a wobble with uncertainty and self doubt last month, and I ended up reading it in one sitting while my youngest napped in my arms, but it’s a beautifully illustrated book to dip in and out of when in need of some wisdom and comfort. Not quite a story but four companions, a boy with a lot of questions, a mole who loves cake, a wary fox and a gentle horse, travelling together, helping each other, encouraging one another to learn, grow and be themselves, and all of whom are relatable and inspiring in their own way.

Have a lovely week. X

Bedtime Stories

Even though my own reading progress has been slow and sporadic this year, I’ve been reading much more consistently with our 3 year old daughter who loves her bedtime stories and we usually read at least two but often four or more picture books together every evening and wanted to share some of our current favourites.

A Dress With Pockets by Lily Murray, illustrated by Jenny Lovlie

This is a mostly rhyming story about a little girl called Lucy choosing a new dress for her birthday who eschews a dazzling choice of sparkles, frills, feathers and everything in between for a dress with pockets to store all the curious things she finds on her adventures. We love this story because much like Lucy, my daughter loves dresses but couldn’t be less prissy and enjoys exploring on her own little adventures.

‘A Home’ Series by Peter Bently, illustrated by Charles Fuge

A trilogy of books about a badger called Bramble and his friends, I found the first one in the library then bought the whole series second hand. These are lovely rhyming stories about kindness and friends helping each other out from investigating when the local river runs dry to inviting his friends to stay when a storm wrecks their dens and celebrating birthdays together.

Bunny’s Book Club by Annie Silvestro, illustrated by Tatjana Mai-Wyss

A cute and cosy story about a bunny who loves reading so much that he starts sneaking into the library every night to borrow books, before long he starts including his animal friends in his after dark heists until one evening the librarian catches them in the act.

Where Happiness Lives by Barry Timms, illustrated by Greg Abbot

Another rhyming story of three little mice who all live in very different homes from a little cottage to a huge mansion, and the risk of assuming that bigger must be better. Where Happiness Lives is a really lovely story that reminds us to appreciate what we have and to avoid comparing, a message that feels so important to learn early in the era of social media.

Usborne Farmyard Tales ‘Poppy and Sam’ Series, illustrated by Stephen Cartwright

A simple series about two children, Poppy and Sam, who live on Appletree farm with their parents, Ted the farmhand and a range of farm animals from their pets Rusty the dog and Whiskers the Cat to Curly the piglet and, my daughter’s favourite, Woolly the naughty sheep, and all the little adventures they have together.

Our 5 month daughter also likes stories, and we’ve enjoyed a few stories together including books from her baby box, as well as a few That’s Not My, lift the flap and board books she got for Christmas too.

I really love reading bedtime stories together, it’s a lovely activity to help our boisterous oldest girl calm down before bed, and often one of the highlights of my day. I’ve loved discovering so many new stories with both my girls and look forward to sharing more of our favourites soon. Have a lovely week. X

March Reviews 📚📺

The Light We Carry by Michelle Obama

Having read Becoming (reviewed here) a few years ago, I was intrigued by Michelle Obama’s new book where she shares advice, wisdom, humour and inspiration from her life. Once again, I found Michelle Obama refreshingly and courageously candid as she describes formative experiences and watershed moments in her life, and she covers everything from knitting and the value of small steps towards reaching a goal, accepting fear without letting it dictate your decisions to friendships, parenting and marriage. I found this so easy to read, there are parts that I could relate to personally (such as having a parent with MS) and her warmth, integrity and humour all come across so clearly on the page.

Lockwood And Co (Netflix)

I had a bit of a reading slump in the middle of March, I don’t usually watch much TV but binge watched Lockwood and Co over a few days. Set in a world where for the last 50 years ghosts have become a tangible threat whose touch can kill, the story follows three snarky teenage ghost hunters solving paranormal mysteries and unravelling conspiracies with lots of humour, a moody soundtrack, found family vibes and an angsty slow burn romance.

The Screaming Staircase by Jonathan Stroud

After watching the Netflix adaption, I requested the first book in the Lockwood and Co series. Narrated by Lucy, a teenage girl who is able to see, hear and sense the kinetic residue of ghosts, when she joins the ghost hunting agency Lockwood and Co. After one case goes disasterously wrong, the team find themselves investigating a murder and take on a high risk case to save their little agency from bankruptcy. One thing that the book does slightly better than the Netflix series is capture the true horror of using children to fight ghosts to keep everyone else safe, and there are some genuinely creepy scenes in the book. Despite knowing the story from the adaption, I thoroughly enjoyed The Screaming Staircase which provides chills, thrills with some humour and cosy moments too, and I look forward to reading the rest of this series.

The Bewitching of Aveline Jones by Phil Hickes

The second book in the series finds Aveline and her mum on holiday in a little village with a history of witchcraft. Aveline has barely unpacked her suitcase when she meets a strange but fascinating little girl called Hazel who is not what she seems. The Bewitching of Aveline Jones sets a tone of unease as Aveline finds Hazel pulling her off track and torn between her loyalties to her new friend and the other people she cares about, and in many ways this is a perfect metaphor for navigating adolescent friendships with some creepy supernatural moments adding extra suspense.

Have a lovely week. X

February Reading Wrapup


February was another slow month of reading, but one where I read the sequel to one of my favourite books from 2021, as well as two translated murder mysteries, one Polish and the other Japanese.

Bloodmarked by Tracy Deonn

The sequel to Legendborn (reviewed here), definitely felt like a middle book as Bree tries to learn how to use her unique powers as the Scion of King Arthur, a medium and the root magic of her ancestors, and prepares to lead the descendents of the Knights of the Round Table into battle with demons attempting to break into the human world. Bree finds herself hunted by enemies inside and out of the Order, and Bloodmarked is full of twists, revelations and betrayals. I’m not generally a fan of Chosen One stories, but I really love Bree for her bravery, loyalty and insights into race, privilege and grief. I found Bloodmarked had some pacing issues but had me hooked to the end, and I’m really looking forward to reading the concluding part of the Legendborn Trilogy.

Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk

This is such a strange novel and hard to describe but it was absolutely gripping, creepy and atmospheric. Written as a stream of consciousness from an eccentric woman in her 60s who lives in a remote Polish village investigating the mysterious deaths of local hunters and poachers whom the narrator believes were killed by animals taking vengeance. I thoroughly enjoyed this macabre murder mystery that kept me guessing until the end about who, how and why, remiscent of Roal Dahl’s short stories and Agatha Christie.

The Honjin Murders by Seishi Yokomizo

My second murder mystery of the month, this time was a Japanese translation. The Honjin Murders follows investigation of the murder of a bride and groom on their wedding night in a locked room. Full of clues, suspects and misdirection, this was a clever and gripping mystery that reads like a Japanese take on Sherlock Holmes or Agatha Christie with a quirky Detective.

January Reading Wrapup

I’m off to a slow start with my reading this year as broken sleep and back-to-back illnesses sapped my energy and attention, so only managed to read 3 books last month, but thoroughly enjoyed them all from two very different parenting books and the eagerly awaited sequel to the brilliant Ninth House that was definitely worth the wait.

How Toddlers Thrive by Tovah Klein

This book focuses on children between the ages of 2-5 years old and really changed my understanding of what motivates toddlers and how they think, feel and perceive the world, which in turn changed how I respond to my own toddler’s behaviour. As is often the case, there are some suggestions for parenting that we’re already doing but it contradicted some of the others ways my husband and I parent our daughters. It also turns some ideas on their head by suggesting that our job as parents is not to make our children happy but to help them learn how to cope with uncomfortable emotions like anger, frustration, disappointment, sadness and fear in order to develop emotional regulation, resilience and flexibility. Klein stresses the importance of realistic expectations for children in this age range, as well as the importance of routines, consistency and learning through play. How Toddlers Thrive is a really interesting and useful book and definitely one I’ll be referring to again over the next few years while we navigate the early years with our girls.

Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo

My most anticipated book of 2023 and I started reading this as soon as it dropped through the letterbox. Reading Hell Bent was like meeting up with old friends, I loved exploring the Yale campus with Alex, Dawes and Detective Turner as they tried to find a way to rescue their friend and mentor, Darlington from Hell. Alex finds herself surrounded by new and old enemies, and as morally ambivalent as ever she’s more haunted by the lives she couldn’t save than the ones she has taken. Although I didn’t find the twists quite as clever or unpredictable as those in Ninth House, Hell Bent is still a gripping, atmospheric read that adds new layers and details to the original, especially about Alex’s powers to communicate with the dead and the history of Yale’s secret societies, and the ending sets the scene for the next part of the series. This has become one of my favourite series and I really can’t wait to see what happens next.

The Unmumsy Mum by Sarah Turner

This is the type of parenting book I usually avoid preferring those based on child development to those that are anecdotal and personal, but I borrowed the ebook late one night while feeding the baby and it made me laugh out loud so many times. Sarah Turner takes an unflinching look at the realities of parenting from breastfeeding and sleep deprivation to mum guilt and so many other aspects of life with young children. The Unmumsy Mum is such an easy to read, relatable, humourous, poignant handhold of a book for anyone that loves their kids but doesn’t love every moment of parenting.

I also had a DNF, The Ballad of Never After, the sequel to Once Upon A Broken Heart, I enjoyed the first book but the sequel just didn’t hold my attention and I gave up at page 134.

Have a lovely week. X

2022 in Books

A very belated happy new year! I decided to combine my end of year reading review with my December wrapup as I only managed to read 2 books last month between Christmas and late nights up with the baby, though just managed to reach my goal of 52 books.

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna

The story follows lonely witch Mika Moon who takes on a job as a tutor for three witch children being raised in secret. This is a slow burn grumpy-sunshine romance between the children’s guardian Jamie and Mika, but it was the found family storyline that really drew me in and kept me hooked. The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches is such a cosy, comforting and heartwarming story about magic, romance, family, home and belonging.

Calm Christmas and a Happy New Year by Beth Kempton

This was an impulse purchase but appealed because it’s about creating a personal and meaningful Christmas. Kempton suggests that there are five main themes of Christmas: faith, magic, connection, abundance and personal traditions, and each of these themes will have more or less significance to us. It was lovely reminiscing about Christmas from childhood to present but also reading about how other cultures and countries around the world celebrate, thinking about ways to simplify how I celebrate Christmas so that it encapsulate all my favourite parts and eschews all the aspects I find stressful or meaningless, and for a relatively short book it covers a lot of different facets of Christmas from budgeting to coping with grief and loneliness around the festive season.

2022 was an interesting year for reading: I read 52 books, 19 of which were borrowed from the library, as one of my reading resolutions was to read at least one book from the library every month, and as it happened all the books I read in March and August were borrowed from the library.

The majority of the books I read were fiction with a mix of contemporary fiction, fantasy, mysteries from Agatha Christie to Richard Osman, and ten children’s stories from ghost stories like Bridge of Souls, Gallant and The Haunting of Aveline Jones to environmental stories like Julia and the Shark, October, October and The Summer We Turned Green.

I didn’t find as many new favourites as the year before though my absolute favourites were the gripping small town drama Beartown by Fredrik Backman and the urban fantasy Jade City by Fonda Lee, which I enjoyed so much I binge read the whole trilogy in February. I also loved the King of Scars duology, and the final books in the Scholomance and Inheritance Games trilogies.

I also read 16 non-fiction books most of which were on environmental themes or parenting, easily the most non-fiction I’ve read in a year since graduating from university, and something I definitely hope to continue in 2023.

My reading goals for 2023 will be similar to last year, though I’m already off to a slow start and I’m feeling less confident about reaching my target of 52 books by the end of the year. I’ll continue to use and support the library service, and I’d also like to make a dent in my TBR which is currently 45 books long.

What are your reading resolutions for 2023? X

November Reading Wrapup

Dark and stormy November nights are perfect for snuggling up under a blanket with a book but I struggled to commit to anything at the start of the month while waiting for our second child’s arrival, and then once she was here I stuck to shorter books that were easy to dip in to during late nights up with a newborn and the sleepy days that followed…

She and Her Cat – Makoto Shinkai

This quirky little story follows four loosely connected and socially isolated individuals who all adopt cats from abandoned kittens to feral strays, and the narrative switches between the human and feline perspectives. In each of the stories the cats inspire and motivate their humans to change their life in some way. She and Her Cat is an easy to read, heartwarming novella.

Gallant – V.E. Schwab

A strange and haunting children’s story about life and death, and the people caught in between. Gallant follows the voiceless orphan, Olivia, raised in an school orphanage until one day she receives a letter from an unknown uncle inviting her home where Olivia starts to learn the secrets and mysteries of the Prior family and their home, Gallant. This is a tense, mysterious and macabre story but one that gripped me.

The Haunting of Aveline Jones – Phil Hickes

As a child I loved Goosebumps and the Point Horror series, and over the last few years I’ve really enjoyed finding a few new creepy children’s stories. The Haunting of Aveline Jones follows the title character who is staying with her aunt in Malmouth, Cornwall when she finds a book of ghost stories and discovers clues to the mysterious disappearance of a local child 30 years before. Set during a dark and stormy Halloween with some very creepy local folklore and traditions, this was a really atmospheric and thrilling children’s ghost story that really drew me in and I’m looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

Greenglass House – Kate Milford

This is such a strange children’s story, yet one that is thoroughly captivating and charming. The story is set in Greenglass House, an old hotel frequented by smugglers most of the year, when five unexpected guests arrive during the festive break. Milo, the adopted son of the hotel owners, becomes involved in a mystery surrounding the five guests and the hotel, and learns so much about his home and identity over the story. This was such a lovely, gentle adventure and mystery, so easy to dip in and out often while up in the wee hours of the night with a newborn or in snatches during her daytime naps.

The Golden Enclaves by Naomi Novik

My most eagerly anticipated book of 2022 was the third and final part of Naomi Novik’s Scholomance trilogy. Set immediately after the events of The Last Graduate (reviewed here) , El is safely back in Wales with her mum having escaped the Scholomance graduation but still reeling from Orion’s choice at the end of the previous book. The Golden Enclaves really picks up when El is invited to help save wizarding Enclaves around the world and eventually finds herself caught in between New York and Beijing – the two most powerful Enclaves in the world – as they prepare to go to war with each other.

While the first two books were set almost entirely in the Scholomance, this one really opens up the wizarding world, giving readers deeper insight into the politics and practicalities of the Enclaves.

The Golden Enclaves answers most of the questions I had from the previous books as it’s full of revelations about El and Orion, the Wizard eating Mawmouths, how the Scholomance and wizarding Enclaves were created, and El finally starts to fulfil the prophecy that her great grandmother made that El would bring death and destruction to every enclave in the world – though not in any way I could’ve predicted.

The whole trilogy very much questions what people are willing to sacrifice and justify for their own comfort and safety, there’s no central villain as such but lots of people using their power and influence to make life better for themselves and their children at the expense of others, and El is such an unlikely hero because she’s such a misanthrope and cynic who shows consistently that doing the right thing is a choice to be made over and over again even if nobody ever knows or thanks you for it.

Without giving anything away, The Golden Enclaves had a happier ending than I expected, but still a bittersweet conclusion as El has to give up her dream in order to fulfil her purpose, which is totally in keeping with her character development as someone who refuses to sacrifice others to save herself and someone who weighs the cost of every choice and action. Ultimately, this is a dark and poignant but amusing and surprisingly heartwarming YA fantasy story about family, friendship, love, sacrifice, purpose and the choices that define us.

Have a lovely week. X