Tag: reader

2023 in Books

I read a total of 50 books in 2023, only reaching my target on the 30th of December as I underestimated how much time and concentration I’d have left for reading during my maternity leave.

The books pictured were my Top Five favourites, these are the stories I haven’t been able to stop thinking about since I read them. There’s some interesting overlap between my favourites with ghosts and the paranormal in both Hell Bent and The Hollow Boy, environmental themes through Drive Your Plow Over The Bones of the Dead and Leila and the Blue Fox, and aging amateur sleuths investigating murders in both Drive Your Plow and The Man Who Died Twice.

Overall I read 39 fiction books and 11 non-fiction. Most of the non-fiction books I read covered parenting/child development or environmental themes.

The fiction I read ranged across genres from children’s and YA to mysteries, fantasy and science fiction, and this year I dipped into the contemporary romance genre for the first time with writers like Jenny Colgan and Sarah Morgan. I’ve always been put off by the covers and a fair dose of literary snobbery when it comes to contemporary women’s fiction but was thoroughly captivated by relatable characters and the nuanced exploration of family, friendships and romantic relationships that I found in the small sample of stories I read. I also read four translations, one translated from Polish was a surprise favourite (Drive Your Plow), while the other three were translated from Japanese.

I borrowed 26 books from the library last year, a trend that I plan to continue this year as libraries are a such a brilliant community resource.

24 for 2024

I’ve picked out 24 books from my TBR to read in 2024, though I’m a mood reader and notoriously bad at sticking to reading plans. Many of these are sequels to series I’ve already started but some are books I’ve seen recommended by other bloggers and bookstagrammers and a few have been recommended by close friends and even one from my husband who mostly reads subjects related to his career and only reads a handful of fiction books a year. Spot any favourites?

Have a lovely week. X

December Reading Wrapup

Belated Happy New Year! I just managed to reach my reading target on the 30th of December after a very stop-start reading year, and will share my yearly wrapup and favourites soon, but first here’s my December reading wrapup.

The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi

This is often recommended to people who enjoyed Leigh Bardugo’s Six of Crows but was a poor imitation for me, the two lead characters felt derivitive of Kaz and Inej with their drawn out angst-ridden romance, and my favourite character was actually Zophia, who was written with autistic characteristics, struggling to fit into the team and navigate social situations, whom I found much more interesting and sympathetic. The story is set in an alternative version of Paris, but with a merging of science and magic that gives some people the ability to forge items with special powers and uses. The Gilded Wolves had a few good twists, lots of mystery and puzzles to solve, and some good action scenes but I didn’t enjoy it as much as I’d hoped and probably won’t read the sequel.

The Galaxy and the Ground Within by Becky Chambers

Perfect for Christmas, instead of a snowed in story, it focuses on five aliens stranded together on a pit-stop planet forging kindness, co-operation and even friendship across ideological and racial chasms. One of the aspects of this series that I’ve really appreciated is how well described the alien races are from their biology to culture, yet these stories offer such compelling explorations of humanity with this one covering colonisation, parenthood, reproductive choices and so much more. While other books in the quartet have brought tears to my eye, this one made me laugh out loud several times, and it was such an uplifting end to the series.

Midnight at the Christmas Bookshop by Jenny Colgan

I loved The Christmas Bookshop and enjoyed returning to the story to find out what Carmen and everyone else was up to. This is a good sequel but the plot is a little contrived as misunderstandings drive Carmen and her Brazilian lover Oke apart, then another misunderstanding creates a wedge between Carmen and her sister. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the introduction of a new anti-hero, Jackson McClackerty, who owns a chain of tacky Tartan gift shops, which if you’ve ever been to Edinburgh you’ll know are everywhere, and loved getting to see more of the bookshop and the house above it.

The Vanishing of Aveline Jones by Phil Hickes

Set around the Winter Solstice, it seemed like a good choice to read over Christmas itself. The third book in the spooky children’s series follows Aveline and her friend Harold visiting her missing Uncle Rowan’s house as he has been gone long enough to be presumed dead. Aveline starts witnessing mysterious incidents almost immediately and decides to investigate. This has some genuinely chilling scenes as Aveline finds herself lured into a fairy barrow underground and trapped there by the cunning Fae. The plot does rest quite heavily on Aveline’s impulsiveness and foolishness, but it’s an enjoyable story of bravery and friendship with a few good scares.

The Christmas Bookclub by Sarah Morgan

I picked this up after thoroughly enjoying The Christmas Sisters. The story follows three friends who meet every year for a Bookclub holiday and the woman who runs the hotel that they stay at on this particular trip. I found parts of the story a little predictable but what I really like about Sarah Morgan’s stories are how relatable the main characters are and the strong, supportive female relationships between them as they navigate various personal dilemmas. This is an easy and uplifting read about friendship, change and new beginnings.

October Reading Wrapup

I read a real mix last month with two children’s books, two Japanese novellas and two contemporary women’s fiction.

The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill

This is the story of a town that sacrifices the youngest baby every year to a witch that lives in a forest, and the witch accidentally feeds one of the baby’s moonlight which gives her magical powers. The Girl Who Drank the Moon is a story about sorrow and grief, and of how we can close off and harden our hearts to protect ourselves from heartache, or we can open them because love expands and can heal all our hurts. I found the back story told in bits a bit hard to piece together, but this is a gentle fairytale that gave me a warm fuzzy feeling, though I didn’t love it quite as much as The Ogress And The Orphans.

Before Your Memory Fades by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

This is the third book in this series, and this one changes locations from a cafe in Tokyo to the coastal city of Hakodate, but this cafe also has a particular seat that allows the customer to return to a moment in the past (or future) to meet someone who has also visited the cafe for the time it takes a cup of coffee to cool. These books are interesting explorations of grief and learning to live with the past it, and I really appreciated the new location with its descriptions of view of the marina and the hustle and bustle of the cafe, but it did require a bit of suspension of belief about how easy it is to become a comedian in Japan and how many young women die suddenly from obscure illnesses.

Crookhaven: School for Thieves by J. J. Arcanjo

This was an impulse purchase, but one that turned out to be a hit. Crookhaven: School for Thieves follows an orphan called Gabe who lives with his gran and happens to be a talented pickpocket. Gabe is eventually invited to Crookhaven, a boarding school that trains the students in the art of forgery, lock picking, pick pocketing, parkour, hacking and other skills they’ll need to know become the next generation of Robin Hoods. Along the way, Gabe starts to search for the parents that abandoned him and disappeared without a trace. This was a very refreshing take on a boarding school story full of friendship, found family, adventure and mystery that I thoroughly enjoyed and I can’t wait to read the next one.

The Last Library by Freya Sampson

I don’t read a lot of contemporary fiction, but I found this completely captivating and heartwarming. This is the story of June Jones, a socially awkward and reclusive library assistant, who has been lost in her grief for ten years after her mother died. When the council threatens to close the library where she works, she finds herself pulled into the protests and campaign to save it, finding friends, community and romance along the way. I was absolutely rooting for June from the start, a really lovely story about grief, friendship, community and libraries.

Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa

I was a little underwhelmed by the second Japanese novella I read last month. Days at the Morisaki Bookshop follows a broken hearted woman who quits her job after finding out her boyfriend is engaged to someone else, and goes to live with her uncle who runs a secondhand bookshop. The book is split into two parts, the first is about the narrator learning to love to read, while the second part is more of a slice of life as she gets to know her aunt better and finds a new love interest. I felt like this book couldn’t decide what it wanted to be and was too short to really try to follow two different story lines.

A Very Distant Shore by Jenny Colgan

This was another impulse pick from the library. I don’t read a lot of contemporary fiction but I’ve been craving heartwarming stories to counter the increasingly bleak news reports. A Very Distant Shore follows a woman caring for her father who lives on the distant island of Mure that is struggling to recruit a new GP and a Syrian refugee who is offered a fresh start on the island. This is a short book but I felt it handled the issues of asylum seekers sensitively, and while the details are deliberately vague it doesn’t gloss over his trauma. I really enjoyed this short, poignant story and I’ll definitely be reading more by Jenny Colgan.

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

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.

June Reading WrapUp

June was a good month for reading, ticking off four books from the TBR and receiving one eagerly anticipated new release. Halfway through the year now and I’m back on track, let’s hope I can keep up the momentum and make my target by the end of the year.

The Red Admiral by Bella Ellis

The third in the Bronte Mysteries series sees the three sisters and their brother leaving their beloved Yorkshire to help a friend living in bustling and gritty London. I love the ways this series juxtaposes the family dynamics with thrilling mysteries to solve, and always against the backdrop of Victorian society without shying away from the darker side of poverty, abuses and moral hypocrisy. The Red Admiral does cover some dark themes (CW: child trafficking and exploitation) but I thoroughly enjoyed this tense adventure with clever twists, daring deeds and an unexpected dash of romance.

How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories by Holly Black

Last year I binge read Holly Black’s Folk of the Air trilogy, and was thoroughly captivated by the slow-burn enemies to lovers romance between Jude, a human raised by Fae, and the cruel and decadent Fae Prince Cardan. I’m usually not a fan of spin-offs but couldn’t resist the opportunity to return to this world of cunning and devious creatures to learn more about Cardan. Beautifully illustrated, How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories is an engaging addition that offers some insight into Cardan’s childhood and formative experiences, as well as a little glimpse of Cardan and Jude’s adventures after the events of the main trilogy.

The Year of Living Danishly by Helen Russell

This one has sat on my bookshelf for a couple of years now until I was finally in the mood to read it. Helen Russell and her husband were living and working in London at a frenetic pace before he received a job offer from Lego which would mean relocating to Denmark for a year. Russell decided to use the year to start her own career as a freelance writer and undertake some investigative research into why Denmark consistently tops the world’s happiest country. The book is split into 12 chapters each covering a month of their year in Denmark and a different aspect of Danish culture and society from hygge and hobbies to childcare and taxes. It’s an enjoyable and informative read that is both positive and balanced (she doesn’t shy away from analysing the high rates of divorce, domestic violence and cancer for instance), but it’s also a record of her own personal journey as she considers her own work-life balance and infertility.

Vow of Thieves by Mary E. Pearson

Dance of Thieves was one of my Top 10 favourite reads last year, and the sequel was every bit the nail-biting, heart-pounding and romantic conclusion I was hoping for. While the first book in the duology focused on the enemies to lovers to enemies to lovers again romance between the protagonists, Kazi and Jase, the plot takes centre stage in the in sequel as the leads fight together and apart to save the little Kingdom of Tor’s Watch from an unexpected villain hellbent on revenge, destruction and domination at all costs. Vow of Thieves was tense and thrilling, and provided a very satisfying conclusion to this YA fantasy duology.

Bridge of Souls by V.E. Schwab

The third and final part of the Cassidy Blake series actually turned out to my favourite as the girl who can see ghosts after a near death experience finds herself being hunted by an Emissary of Death. One of my favourite aspects of this series has been the settings, which are wonderfully described from the architecture and history to the food, and while I was familiar with the locations of the previous two books (Edinburgh and Paris), Bridge of Souls is set in New Orleans which was new and exotic to me. Bridge of Souls is a captivating conclusion to this middle grade series full of ghosts and the occult, family and friendship.

Have a lovely week! X

2021 ~ My Year in Books

I fell back in love with reading in 2021, I derived so much comfort and pleasure from books, and it was the first year I’ve ever managed to reach my goal of reading 52 books. My final tally was actually 66 books and I reviewed 47 of those on the blog.

I began 2021 with a mystery, a new genre to me, and where better to start than with the Queen of Crime, Agatha Christie, and Murder on the Orient Express. Agatha Christie ended up being my most read author, as I read five of her Poirot mysteries last year, though Leigh Bardugo, V.E. Schwab and Maggie Stiefvater were close behind with four books each. I started and finished reading whole series last year, binge-reading trilogies and quartets like Shadow and Bone, The Folk of the Air and The Raven Cycle.

Of the 66 books I read, three were actually re-reads. I re-read Maya Angelou’s Letter to my Daughter, as well as two of my all-time favourite novels Jamaica Inn, Daphne du Maurier’s thrilling and chilling tale of smugglers in Cornwall, and Emily Bronte’s gripping story of obsession and revenge, Wuthering Heights.

I read a real mix of fantasy, science fiction, mysteries, magical realism, children’s fiction with a few autobiographies, classics and even a parenting guide thrown in. More than any other genre I found myself drawn to and devouring Young Adult stories, and I found so many new favourite writers and books among them.

My Top 10 favourite books were comprised of stories that captured my imagination, left me wanting more and that I haven’t been able to stop thinking about. Among my favourites were fantasy stories inspired by the legends of King Arthur (Legendborn) and Owain Glyndwr (The Raven Boys), West-African folklore (Raybearer) and Arabian mythology (The Empire of Gold) as well as enemies-to-lovers romances (The Wicked King and Dance of Thieves), paranormal mysteries (Ninth House) and even a classic (Pride and Prejudice). I couldn’t put them all in order, but I tracked down hardback copies of Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo and Naomi Novik’s A Deadly Education to survive rereads and because I couldn’t possibly wait for the sequels to come out in paperback, these two were absolute highlights of my reading year.

I’m setting my goal to 52 books for 2022 as well, though this year I’m really hoping to make a bigger dent in my TBR pile (which seems to permanently hover around 40 books) though my most aniticipated books coming out this year are the concluding parts of Naomi Novik’s The Scholomance trilogy and The Inheritance Games trilogy by Jennifer Lynn Barnes, and the sequel to Legendborn by Tracy Deonn.

What were your favourite books of 2021? Have a lovely week. X