Reindeer Readathon 2024 Mid-Month Update

*nervously laughing at how close to Christmas and 2025 we are*

How is everyone's reading going in this, the last month of December? Mine is going... it can go either way, I'm not gonna lie. I had one novella done (hooray), one DNF (boo) and having two reads on the go (one physical, one ebook - not my smartest move) and hoping to get a few audiobooks/podcasts under my belt before the end of the year. Plus, am doing Reindeer Readathon and, as it stands, I have completed one prompt (Prancer: Read a book that mentions a specific date or event in the synopsis) and, before you say it, I am not including DNFs in my prompts.

NetGalley November & Reindeer Readathon 2024 Update

I thought I would touch base and let you know how my NetGalley November is going as it’s been a little hit and miss.

On the one hand (the audiobook hand), I am had a good time with Deja Brew (a cute cosy-fantasy romance audiobook) by Celestine Martin and I am currently devouring the audiobook of Hilary Mantel’s A Memoir of My Former Self, a collection of essays and articles (a genre I am not used to!).

And on the other, I quit two reads (One by One by Freida McFadden and Sleep by CL Taylor), and I nearly quit my current read as I felt the first chapter was so confusing. I think I found my footing with A Palace Near The Wind by Ai Jiang, but I am hoping that, because it’s a novella, I can power through a try another NetGalley proof (After my last DNF, I didn’t want to go near any titles and I didn’t for a good 24 hours before I started A Palace Near The Wind. Now, I have a least 3 or 4 I want to try. On the audiobook front, I have about 2 that am leaning towards and these are odd picks as they are outside my comfort zone (but seeing as next Sunday is the 1st of December, I sense am not going to have enough time to power through them! Oh well…

So, yeah, my NetGalley November is not going as smoothly as I would like, but at least I am doing it and not rushing/forcing self.

On a different note, I have quit Twitter/X. Yes, I have fled the site and deleted my account. It’s sad (as I enjoyed my time on there and using it to make bookish friends in the blogging sphere, but just became so toxic and not a pleasured place to be) but, at the same time, weirdly liberating. (I am looking at using my Instagram more, so heads up on that front. And I am looking into BlueSky – not sure I will join but we shall see…)

Also, heads up for December, but I am going to casually do the Reindeer Readathon. Casually as I am a slow reader and there are books I want to attempted to read over the Christmas period that I don’t think will fit the prompts…

(I filled in the form. I am in Team Candy Cane and I have no idea what am doing for the prompts. Maybe the Book Gods and Goddess have mercy upon my poor bookshelves…)

NetGalley November 2024

I am very behind on my eProof and audiobooks (hell, I am behind on reading and blogging in general!), but I wanted to try and get some of my NetGalley reads under some control. I mean, last year, I lost loads of my proofs on my kindle due to either my Amazon account being deleted or hacked so the whole 80% ratio is never going to happen. 

But I do wanna try and get some control and tackle some of my audiobooks via NetGalley. So, this isn’t a “Here’s what am going to read over the month”, but I wanted to touch base, say hi, chat about my reading plans for the next few weeks and hold myself to account. 

So, what am I going to do? I am going to try and listen to several of my NetGalley audiobooks over the next month or so (I have a vague idea what the next 3 audiobooks I want to tackle/am in the mood for), try and backtrack over some proofs and, over December, try and continue this plan but allowing self to be flexible and have a lot of fun on rereads and relistens (maybe even make a plans of those relistens I wanted to do this year, but kept putting off. Yes, The Diviners by Libba Bray, I do mean you). 

Now, is this going to be easy? No, as I am a mood reader and so, my mood will be affect by outside events (this past week was hard as WTF world?!), but am going to try and continue to have fun and push self to discover new stories and chat about them on my socials/on here (though, be warned, I am going to quit Twitter before the year is out!). 

So, here we go! Let’s try and get a wiggle on NetGalley and look forward to a calm rest of November/December (which I sense won’t happen, but deep breaths). 

Oh, do you guys wanna see my NetGalley audiobooks that are on my phone? 

When the World Tips Over - Review and Inspired Playlist

I don’t want to write a long review for When The World Tips Over by Jandy Nelson. Mainly because I fell in love with this. I knew I would within the first few pages of read that this was going to be a 5 star read and am so happy that I was proven right (I remember a few years I read another Jandy Nelson novel, I’ll Give You the Sun, and I gave it three stars but I think, if I reread it, I would change my thoughts on it). 

But When the World Tips Over, I fell in love with. I think it helped that I didn’t rush reading this (the original plan was the read it over September, but it spilt into October [very similar to last year when I read Cassandra Clare’s Sword Catcher. I didn’t rush reading it and I need to do this more!) and I savoured. 

Anyway, let me tell you a little about the book and this post as it’s different from my normal. 

Title and Author: When The World Tips Over by Jandy Nelson

Publisher: Walker Books

Bought, Borrowed or Gifted: Gifted by the UK publisher in exchange for an honest review/reaction

Buy From (Affiliate): https://uk.bookshop.org/

The Fall siblings live in the town of Paradise Springs, where you can get drunk on the air, the devil winds blow so hard that it can blow sense out of the head, and the Fall family is a family divided. 

The eldest, Wynton, is a powerhouse on the violin and is on track for fame or self-destruction of himself and his family. His brother, Miles, is smart, beautiful, perfect, but he feels lost and alone, and not even his dog whispering gift can pull him out of his darkness. And the youngest, Dizzy, can see ghosts, bakes beautiful soufflés and wishes to be a lead in her own romance. 

But when a mysterious girl with rainbow-coloured hair saves Dizzy from a car accident, the Fall family finds their world tipping over. Is the mystery girl an angel? A normal girl? Whoever she is, she becomes important to each of them and soon, her stories of family curses, betrayals, love stories within love stories within love stories might bring the Fall together.

DNFing Juliette Willoughby

It feels like I am always talking about quitting reads/audiobooks lately. Mainly because I had a huge DNF (Did Not Finish) blitz over the summer. And it looks like I haven't stopped going "F*** this!" just yet.

This time, it's The Final Act of Juliette Willoughby by Ellery Lloyd. In theory, this is right up my street. A murder mystery, set in the art world and university, but told in three different timelines (one of which is the artist of a mysterious missing painting). And yet, at 44% and me audiobooking this over the course of several weeks, I decided to cut my losses.

Why, I hear you ask? Because of two reasons.

Mixing It Up

I was at work last week thinking about my reading and audiobooking while I have been on my surprise blog read (due to reading slump), and I realised that the stories I chose to read were mostly in genres I don’t normally gravitate towards. 

Not sure why, but I found this realisation really interesting that during this time, the stories that I class as my bread and butter (crime and fantasy) were the stories I would DNF. 

So, I thought I would have a little chat and show you so you vaguely know what happened over the past few months and try and figure out if this is the route I will be going in the upcoming months. 

so, throughout July and August (if you followed me on my socials, mainly Instagram), you would know that these were my reads. 

Mostly, there were all short stories barring two, which I would class as novellas. We have one collection of crime short stories (The Man in Black and Other Stories by Elly Griffith - write-up can be found here), four MM romance short stories (Marrying the Guide by Nora Phoenix, Only One Beach House by K.M. Neuhold, The Head Coach by Charlie Novah and The Stargazers of Copper County by May Archer), one historical fantasy novella (Queen B by Juno Dawson) and a Disney Twisted Tale (Sally’s Lament by Mark Mancusi).  

And these were fun. I had a blast (though I do admit that most were very much candy floss reads, but sometimes, these types are reads are exactly what you need. Plus, I haven’t read much MM romance this year so reading short stories was wonderful and a perfect pick-me-up and a good way to give me a good shake with my reading as, at times, I do put a lot of pressure on myself to read certain types of stories and genres for one reason or another. While that’s fine for me as a book blogger (I have a ton of books/ebooks/audiobooks I have to read for review purposes), but as a reader, this is very restricted and kinda sucks the fun and the flexibility out of it. Reading should be a pleasure and while I adore reading within certain genres, I have become a reading magpie and like to try new genres. 

Which, I sense, is exactly what I did throughout September and for the rest of this year. I’m allowing myself to try new things and being impulsive while attacking the neverending TBR shelves on all my platforms (physical, ebook and audio). 

And for those of you curious, this was what I (mainly) audiobook throughout September and the beginning part of October:

Ok, I fib. Two of these I audiobook and finished (and they were engrossing). We have Marple: Expert of Wickedness by Mark Aldridge (which looks into the creation of Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple) and Getting Away with Murder by Lynda La Plante (a memoir of the prolific writer). Like I said, both were engrossing listens (though there were occasions I wish both were a little more critical). And the book I planned to read through September but is carrying over into October is Jandy Nelson’s When the World Tips Over, and this is a such a solidly five star read, I am savouring my time with it (very similar to when I read Sword Catcher by Cassandra Clare last year and am planning to do next year when its sequel, The Ragpicker King, comes out). 

And now I am eyeing what I might be reading over the coming few weeks and, yeah, I sense I am going to fall into this pattern of “It’s my genre read, but not at the same time…”. Wanna see what I mean?

Does that mean I’m going to stick to up maybe TBR? Nope, highly doubt that (mood reader). But, am I going to allow myself the space to pick books outside my comfort genres? Yep. And that’s what I’m weirdly excited about. The chance to try new genres, new stories and share them with you in new/different ways. 

Library Audiobooks On Hold List

As I try to slowly ease myself back into book blogging and trying to to find the joy (I am now wondering if I should focus on this and my Twitter/X less in 2025 and focus more on Instagram, Goodreads and StoryGraph), I was thinking about the heck-ton of audiobooks I have to listen to. 

I have a good few on my Audible that I purchased. Same goes with NetGalley (audiobooks for review). But I do snoop on my local library’s audiobook app. In the past, I look to see if I can find the audiobook version of any NetGalley eProofs I have and, if I can find it, I do try to request and listen. 

But, as I am very much a mood reader, I have a tendency to request then change my mind and cancel my request, but I keep that title on “My Reading List”, which is very, very long and has a real mix of genres (fantasy, thriller, non-fiction, classics, etc), lengths and a nice mix of rereads and audiobooks I have never read before. 

Now, I know I wrote a post about this MONTHS ago (it was filled on crime audiobooks), but this time, I want to show you some titles that I know I’m going to listen to in the next few months and are currently either on hold for me or are downloaded on my phone.

*slowly edges back onto the blog*

*slowly edges back onto the blog*

Nothing to see here! I was here the whole time. Ok, I wasn't, but reading slumps and blogger slumps/burnouts happen. And it happened to me. Annoyingly.

Mainly because I was cooking up plans. I wanted to do a nice Halloween reading month (focusing on fantasy or really creepy crime!), a NetGalley reading month in November (I would like to get some of my audiobooks under control) and I wanted to just get back into fun, no worries blogging.

And then the slump hit and my plans came to a grinding halt.

I would quit everything I started, feel really underwhelmed over blogging and the idea of calling the blog and all social media a day was very tempting (I came really close to closing my Twitter account! One more strike and it's gone!). So, I took a break (feels like I've taken so many breaks this year! I don't know if my blogging has recovered from COVID burnout, if I am being honest with you [or maybe I'm too old to continue comparing self to the whipper-snappers of BookTok and Booksagram).

I've always said that I wanted this bookish blog to be like a friend you meet up in a coffee shop and have a bookish chat over. And I still want that, but maybe I should change it to a bookish friend you meet you every now and then for a coffee and a chat.

Or maybe I should, dare I say it, embrace Instagram/Goodreads/StoryGraph more. I do use these (mainly Stories on Instagram and I do like sharing songs, as I want to have some fun with you guys! Silly fun with a positive spin, I hope!) but maybe I should try and do more with them...

And use the blog to pop in and take a little of a chinwag with you (or to gush over a book or two).

So, I'm going to take it easy on here. Have fun, maybe write odd little posts here & there and, dare I say, try and put self out there more... So, if any podcasts/instragram lives want me...

And, the books I chatted about back in July as my "Here's what I am going to attempt by end of the year?". Well, one I quit, two I have put on the backburner, one I am determinded to start this year and the other three... their time will come...

But going to take it easy on self and lurk on instagram/goodreads & storygraph for a while. HUNT ME DOWN AND SAY HI!

Bloodtide & Bloodsong Extract

i have an extract for you guys!!! Two blog tours in two weeks - I know how to spoil you, yes? And yes, even when I am meant to be on a blog break! 

We have the complete duology of Bloodtide & Bloodsong by Melvin Burgess, a dark dystopian inspired by Norse mythology, where London is a gated wasteland, cut off from the country and run by two warring families: the Volsons and the Conors. 

I don’t want to say any more. This is giving huge Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve vibes and I am here for that! 

Now, before I hand you over to the extract, I was to that Blue from Kaleidoscopic Tours for asking if I wanted to be involved and allowing me to do an extract! And, if the extract wets your appetite, you can find more information at andersenpress.co.uk or uk.bookshop.org (if you fancy using an affiliate link). 

Now, ONTO THE EXTRACT!!!

Sunderworld’s Spotlight

When Blue from Kaleidoscopic emailed about the upcoming new Ransom Riggs, I was intrigued as it wasn’t linked to Miss Peregrine in any way but has a very 90s/Stranger Things, maybe even have a touch of Gravity Falls to it. Yes, I am going geeky/pop culture here as it has that 90-ness vibe to it, and as someone who grew up in the 90s, I am all on board with that. 

For those of you who didn’t grow up in the 90s (while I am out of my zimmer frame as, yes, I am that old), the 90s had the epic battle of Oasis vs Blur, women wanting The Rachel haircut, trying to figure out if you were a Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte or Samantha, GIRL POWER, the wave of New Labour and the Y2K panic, Harry Potter mania… I could go on and on about the 1990s here in the UK. 

For me, this is going to be a weird 90s vibe book (and I sense that I am going to be very wrong about that going into this, but it’s going to be a weird/fun ride!). 

But I am quite excited to find time to read this soon. Hopefully, I can intrigued you guys too and I will leave the book’s blurb below!

Summer Blog Break

I'm going to be honest with you: I seem to be going through a reading slump and blogger burnout. Fun, huh? No idea how it happened but here we are. 

So, going to take a month off blogging and not worry about reading. Hopefully this reset will do wonders as I am finding it a struggle to blog at the moment as it feels a bit pointless of late. Which I know it isn't, but every now and then, I can't help but notice how much time and effort I put into my blog and my bookish socials, only to get very little back (hence why I no longer look at the blog posts's statics).

Maybe I need to shake my blog up and post more non-bookish content like I used to in ye olde days. Maybe it's time to wind down the blog and focus on my socials (mainly instagram, Goodreads and Storygraph). Maybe it's time to ease self out of the bookblogsphere and enjoy reading for pleasure without the worry about blogging. Who knows.

But, before I going and take time out from blogging (and possibly scaring myself with podcasts again and Apple Fitness+ yoga classes [how on earth do you guys do Crow and Side-Crow?!]), I thought I would throw some titles at you that I do have my eye on attempting to read on the next few months...

So, I decided to give myself August off from blogging (barring the blog tours I have agreed to). Which kinda screws up my idea of a possible themed reading months of September and October (I had an idea of calling them something along the lines of "Cyanide September" and "All Hallow's Reads/Occult October"). But, sometimes, you need a timeout and just do something silly and fun.

And that’s what I’m going to do with my reading & audiobooks. Some are a little left field but am excited to try and see if I can finally get round to them in August or make myself go “you have to attempt to try these by the end of the year”. Wanna see some of the titles I have my eye on for the next few months?

The Extract Trap Is Set

I have an extract for you guys and we’re going spy! 

No, not Totally Spies, James Bond or Slow Horses, but Alias Emma by Ava Glass. And I have an extract from her third outing, The Trap. 

Following on from the events of The Chase and The Traitor, Emma Makepeace is assigned to go to Edinburgh for the global G7 Summit when her team uncovers an assassination plot. Except, no one knows who the target is. Their only clue is a newly minted British citizen with ties to Russia in their past. 

To stop the assassination, Emma has to set up a trap, with her as the bait. But with the world’s most powerful politicians in gridlock city, how far is she willing to go?

I have been looking for a new thriller series to dive headfirst into so when the lovely Amanda from Moonflower Books asked if I would be involved in the blog tour, I jumped at the chance. And this extract has wetted my appetite so I hope to give you guys a review in the near future so please keep your eyes peeled for that! 

Now, before I give you guys the extract to read, I just want to thank Amanda for inviting me and answering my hundred and one questions. And if you want to find out more about the series and Ava herself, please check out www.avaglass.uk or This affiliate link of uk.bookshop.org!

Now, with  that out of the way, THE EXTRACT!

Audiobook Review - The Man In Black

Collection of short stories, all written by one author, can go one of two ways: really well or really bad?

But when I heard of The Man in Black and Other Stories by Elly Griffiths, I got ver excited. She's a crime author I keep saying I will try and she seemed to explode during the COVID lockdown, but I've only read one of her books - The Postscript Murders - and I had plans to do more. But life got in the way and I kept putting it off. Until Man in Black was up for preorder... 

Title and Author: The Man in Black And Other Stories by Elly Griffiths

Publisher: Quercus

Bought, Borrowed or Gifted: Audiobook Bought

Buy From (Affilate): uk.bookshop.org

In this collection of 19 short stories, Elly dips her toes into crime short stories, following a mix of characters her readers know and love (Ruth Galloway, DS Harbinder Kaur, Max Mesphisto, even a grown-up Justice Jones and Ruth Galloway's cat, Flint).

Library Audiobook WatchList - The Crime Edition

You can blame @yorkshirebook48 for this post as, a few days ago, they tweeted and asked what our fave crime book was. I answered with the first two adult crime thrillers that I read/devoured: Bones to Ashes by Kathy Reichs and Body Double by Tess Gerritsen. But after I answered, I read other people’s replies to see what they say and see if any titles/covers catch my eye and, if so, put them on my “”Reading Lists”. Let’s say I add quite a bit on there…

And my “Reading List” is now getting a little longer (with a mix of audiobooks that have connections to NetGalley proofs, books I have purchased or have been gifted [by publishers or by friends/family] and lots that I just like the look/sound of), I wanted to share some with you. There are a mix of genres, but I will try and keep this post as close to the crime & mystery genre as possible and, if I enjoy writing this, I will try and do another post in the coming weeks leaning towards fantasy or something else…

So, where to begin?

Tansy Bloom: Monster Hunter Press Release

 EMBARGOED UNTIL 00:01 ON THURSDAY 27 JUNE 2024

AUDIBLE RELEASES NEW ORIGINAL, TANSY BLOOM, MONSTER HUNTER, BY DEBUT AUTHOR L.J. WELLER

NARRATED BY TANYA REYNOLDS

Launching exclusively on Audible 27^th June 2024

27 June 2024, London. Audible, a leading provider of spoken word entertainment, has announced Sex Education star Tanya Reynolds will narrate a new and exciting Audible Original title from debut novelist L.J. Weller. 

 

Three months ago, twenty-eight-year-old Tansy Bloom quit monster hunting. Since then, she’s been trying to live a normal life (whatever that means), but ending up single, unemployed, and living on a boat outside her godfather’s pub definitely wasn’t part of the plan. So, when Tansy’s ex-husband – fellow monster hunter Rex Barclay – turns up like a bad penny and asks for her help with his latest investigation, Tansy reluctantly agrees.

 

At first, the job appears to be a straightforward monster hunt – following a spate of large creature sightings, Rex believes a werewolf is on the loose in Norfolk, and he intends to capture it. But Tansy’s not convinced. For one thing, the mysterious black dog Rex is hunting is able to vanish into thin air. For another, everyone who’s encountered the black dog is dying in a series of freak accidents.

 

Bad news for Tansy, who’s just come face-to-face with the creature herself.

 

L.J. Weller, author of Tansy Bloom, Monster Hunter, said: “I’m thrilled to be working with Audible to bring my debut novel to life. From day one, Audible has championed this book with enthusiasm and excitement, and collaborating with the team has been a wonderful experience. I hope everyone enjoys listening to Tansy Bloom, Monster Hunter as much as I enjoyed writing it!”

 

Tanya Reynolds, narrator and actor, said: “Recording audiobooks can be quite challenging, but when you can totally lose yourself in the world that you're reading, it is such a joy, and this was indeed a joy. All the characters were so vibrant on the page and so fun to read, and the story itself is a joyful journey into mythical folklore with a wicked sense of humour. I had so much fun recording this.”

 

Tanya Reynolds landed her first major role as a series regular on the Sky 1 comedy-drama Delicious. She is also well known for playing Lily Iglehart in the Netflix comedy-drama Sex Education where she was a part of the main cast in the first three seasons. Other credits include Outlanders, Death in Paradise, Emma, Dodger, The Baby, I Hate You and The Decameron.

 

Tansy Bloom, Monster Hunter will be available exclusively on Audible from 27^th June and out now from Audible at http://www.audible.co.uk.

 

Alongside Tansy Bloom: Monster Hunter, Audible has released an array of incredible titles this year including The Shouts Beneath by Paige Cowan-Hall, The River Man by R.B. Croft and Iris is More than Okay by Natalie Cooper. Audible Original list has spawned several bestsellers in the fantasy genre recently, including Morgan is My Name by Sophie Keetch and Slayers: A Buffyverse Story by Christopher Golden and Amber Benson.

About L.J. Weller

L. J. Weller is an author of quirky, contemporary fantasy fiction. Originally from London, she now lives in Norfolk with her family and an ever-growing collection of books and jigsaw puzzles. When she’s not busy writing, she can be found attending pub quizzes or feeding the local wildlife (including a cheeky grey heron named Herbert).​

Her debut novel, Tansy Bloom, Monster Hunter, is a Norfolk-set supernatural mystery inspired by her lifelong interest in folktales, ghost stories and urban legends. An Audible Original, it will be released exclusively on Audible and Amazon from 27th June 2024. Find out more at www.ljweller.com.

The Last Thing You’ll Hear Blog Tour - Guest Post

With Glastonbury, one of the UK’s biggest music festival happening next week, it feels only right to be involved in The Last Thing You’ll Hear blog tour (hosted very kindly by Kaleidoscopic Tours)

The Last Thing You’ll Hear follows sisters Wren and Lark, who seem more like rivals than sisters. So when a mysterious music producer and his DJ prodigy come to their small town, both sisters are desperate to impress. Lark is the one who is taken under the producer’s wing, but Wren can’t help feeling that there’s something sinister going on as Lark distance herself from her friends and family.

But when the sisters get the chance to perform at the most-talked-about music festival of the summer, Enrapture, things come to a head a there’s a lot to lose. Can Wren put her jealously and ambitions to save her sister, or is it too little, too late for them both? 

A twisted thriller set at a music festival? Sign me up! 

Anyway, I am thrilled to be hosting a guest post about the power/dangers of music and why festivals are the perfect place to set thrillers, written by Jan Dunning. Some of you might know her from her debut thriller, Mirror Me, a twisted fairy-tale inspired thriller set in the world of high fashion…

Before I past you over to Jan’s guest post, I just want to thank her for finding the time to write this for this tour and huge thank you for Blue at Kaleidoscopic Tours for allowing me to tag along on this tour. If you want to say hi to Jan, you can do so on either Instagram and X/Twitter, and if you want to know more about The Last Thing You’ll Ever Hear, please check it out at uk.bookshop.org (Affiliate Link Alert).

Now, with that out of the way, over to Jan!

Audiobook Review - The Last Murder at the End of the World

I’m gonna be honest with you: I have no idea how this got on my radar. It just appeared one day and, after picking it up and down several times, I went “Sod it!” and bought the audiobook. And what I got was something I wasn’t expecting (something I now discover the author does with every book he’s released). 

Title and Author: The Last Murder at the End of the World by Stuart Turton
Publisher: Raven Books & Bloomsbury
Bought, Borrowed or Gifted: Bought
Buy From (Affiliate): uk.bookshop.org

The world is ravaged by a fog that will kill all in its path. The only safe place is a small Greece island where 122 villagers and 3 scientists live, where all live in harmony, all overseen by ABI, an artificial intelligence who keeps the security fields up and the fog at bay. 

But one morning, the island wakes up to one of the scientists is brutally stabbed, which triggers the security fields to lower, meaning that the fog will be on the island within 92 hours. 

What makes the situation worse is that ABI has wiped everyone’s memories so no one can remember what happened the previous night, and even they don’t know what happened or who gave the order to erase the night’s events. 

Meaning someone on the island is a killer and they don’t even know it. And the only way to put the security fields back up is to find the killer and figure out what happened last night…

eBook Review - My Sister’s Keeper

This is one of those books where it feels like every one has either read or know the vague outline of. And the author of this is one of those authors that I have been meaning to read for YEARS, but I keep putting off due to the Hype Monster that surround them and their novels. 

Yes, I am talking about My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult. 

Title and Author: My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult
Publisher: Hodder and Stoughtin
Bought, Borrowed or Gifted: Bought
Buy From (Affiliate): uk.bookshop.org

Anna was born a Saviour Sibling for her older sister, Kate, who has acute leukaemia. When she was born, doctors took blood from umbilical cord. As she’s grown up, she has given her blood, blood marrow and now, at the end of 13, her parents want her to donate a kidney. But Anna decides to sue her parents for medical emancipation. 

Now, from the little I wrote above, you would expect this book to be really heavy and quite dark. We have a saviour sibling storyline, illness and how it affects everyone around the people who is ill (and how those in need to help can slip through the cracks), messy family relationships, a messy relationship between Anna’s lawyer and the court appointed guardian ad litem.

Audiobook Reread - A Discovery of Witches

I am going to be honest: this was meant to be one of the series I wanted to reread this year. And I wanted to do it before the release of the newest installation of the All Souls world, The Black Bird Oracle, which is coming out in mid-July. Now, I don’t think I’m going to be able to binge-reread the rest of the All Souls trilogy (Shadow of Night and Book of Life) as well as the companion novel, Time’s Convert, before it’s release. 

But I am going to try and reread (all via audio) before the end of the year. I do think I am going to attempt Time’s Convert next month (I read this originally and was very middle of the road about it, but I got the audiobook on sale so am doing to attempt it this way as see if my opinion changes as I really like the leads in this). 

Anyway, like I said, I really wanted to reread this, which means I needed to start from the beginning. 

Title and Author: A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

Publisher: Headline

Bought, Borrowed or Gifted: Audiobook Bought

Buy From (Affiliate): uk.bookshop.org

Diana Bishop is a scholar and descendant of a line of powerful witches, though she tries very hard not to use her magic. When she discovered a strange manuscript at Oxford’s Bodleian Library, she returns it to its archives due to the strange enchantments around it. But this manuscript - Ashmole 782 - was thought long lost and deeply enchanted and now, vampires, witches and daemons, are coming to Oxford, watching Diana. In the hopes she recalls it. 

For this book has its own secrets and it looks like Diana is right in the middle of it…

eProof Review - Missing White Woman

Sometimes, you crave a book as soon as you seen the cover online. It’s almost a physical reaction. This is what happened when I saw Missing White Woman by Kellye Garrett. I saw someone tweet about it with the UK cover and I became obsessed with it. I mean, LOOK AT IT! And 24 hours later, it appeared on NetGalley so, of course, I had to request and hope that I would be approved. 

Which I was (hooray!) and once I finished Kate Atkinson’s Normal Rules Don’t Apply, I jumped straight into this. 

Title and Author: Missing White Woman by Kellye Garrett

Publisher: Simon and Schuster UK

Bought, Borrowed or Gifted: Gifted by UK publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review/reaction

Buy From (Affiliate): uk.bookshop.org

It was meant to be a romantic getaway in New York City. Just Breanna and her new boyfriend, Ty. They hired out an airbnb four-story house with a beautiful view of the skyline. Until Bree wakes up one morning to discover a dead woman in her foyer and Ty’s missing. Is the dead woman Janelle Becker, a recently missing dog walker that the media is reporting on and social media is a buzz over? 

A Black woman stranded in a strange city, Bree is scared. A black person involved in the white person’s disappearance/murder isn’t a good look. And she knows how the Police sees her. And until she can find Ty, the only person who can help her is an ex-best friend, a lawyer who Bree shares a complicated history with. 

But as the Police and the social media mob close in, Bree realises that the only way to stay out of jail is to discover what happened that night. But is she going to like what she finds…?

Audiobook Review - The Familiar

Well, it’s been a while, hasn’t it, dear reader? I didn’t plan to be away for so long. Real life kept getting in the way and the last thing I read (Normal Rules Don’t Apply by Kate Atkinson), I left it so long to write a full-on review on the blog, I wanted to try and see if I could write a review/mini-write up on Instagram.

 
Note to self: if I do this again, MAKE NOTES while you reading using Goodreads and StoryGraph. 
But we’re not here to talk about that, are we? We’re here to talk about The Familiar.

Title and Author: The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo

Publisher: Viking/Penguin

Bought, Borrowed or Gifted: Audiobook Bought

Buy From (Affiliate): uk.bookshop.org

Set in Spanish Golden Age, we follow Luzia, a scullion. She tries not to be seen, but she uses scraps of magic to make life a little easier. But when her mistress discovers that Luzia can perform  little miracles, she demands that Luzia uses them to better the family’s social position. But what begins as simple amusements for the bored nobility takes a dark turn when  disgraced secretary of the Spanish King, Antonio Pérez, and his familiar, Guillén Santángel, sees her and takes a dark interest in her. 

Luzia seizes the chance to better her self, but as her notoriety grows, the danger of her Jewish blood grows as, if she gets found out, the Inquisition’s wrath will be unspeakable. She has to stay several steps ahead. But the rules are always changing in the Spanish court and not everyone gets out alive.

Who Watches This Extract…

FEAR THIS POST FOR IT WILL GO BUMP IN THE NIGHT (only there are differing opinions of when the witching hour is as that’s when I wanted to schedule this. The hour after midnight [12am to 1am] or the time between 3am to 4am. There’s some that say it’s between 2am till 4am!)

ANYWAY (let’s get off that random trail of thought!), I have an extract for you guys and it’s a good’un!

Who Watches This Place by Amy Clarkin is the ghostly sequel to What Walks These Halls and we are back with the Paranormal Surveyance Ireland as they are offered a new job. Strange and disturbing happenings are happening at a new start up, hence why the new owners asked Arthur, his sister Raven and other members to investigate. 

But when a startling disappearance reveals tensions within the group, one has the wonder whether they can overcome them, especially when one of their friends is in danger of suffering a horrific fate? 

Now, I am surprise intrigued about this as I really liked the queer and disability representation elements of What Walks These Halls as well as found family and the spooky Irishness so very excited to sink my teeth into the sequel once I get my grubby little hands on it. 

Now, before I hand you over to the extract, I just want to say a quick thank you to Chloe at The O’Brien Press who remembered I read the first and asked if I wanted to share the love over the sequel (I nearly bit her email-hand off!) and for replying to my last minute queries. And, if the extract below wets your appetite and you want to get more details, you can check out The O’Brien Press website or uk.bookshop.org (if you want to click on an affiliate link, of course). Or, you can check out the author’s social and you can find Amy at either @amyclarkin on Twitter/X or @amyclarkinwrites on Instagram. 

Now, onto the spooOOOOOOooooky extract!

eProof Review - When Among Crows

As I said in my Queen Macbeth post, I was holding that shorter stories will give my reading the kick up the backside it needed after March’s reading slowdown/slump and the disappointing reads over the Easter break.

So you would be surprised to hear that I decided to read this novella.

Let me explain: I fell in the love with the cover when it came into my Twitter timeline and I was deeply considering buying it, so when I saw it on NetGalley, I requested it but I had my doubts that I would be approved as my stats on NetGalley haven’t been great since the great Amazon Easter Hack/Deleting of 2023 (no idea if someone tried to hack my Amazon account or if Amazon tried to delete my account by accident but, due to this, I lost ALL MY EPROOFS ON MY KINDLE!). Now, imagine my surprise when I found out I was approved and, after reading The Brothers by Kimberley Chambers and feeling so underwhelmed by it, I decided to read this instead of the reads I had planned (The Escape Room by LD Smithson, Missing White Woman by Kellye Garrett &/or The Company by J.M. Varese).

Title and Author: When Among Crows by Veronica Roth

Publisher: Titan Books

Bought, Borrowed or Gifted: eProof gifted by UK publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review/reaction.

Buy From (Affiliate): uk.bookshop.org

In modern day Chicago, Polish folklore is alive. Monsters feast on human emotion, knights split their souls to make their weapons and witches always take more than what they give.

Pain brings Dymitr and Ala together. Dymitr’s pain is the monsters he and the other Knights of the Holy Order slay and split his soul into two to create his sword from his own spine, while Ala’s is the family curse she has inherited to see visions of the horrors that the Holy Order committed.

One fateful night, the two meet and agree a bargain: if Ala can help find the legendary witch Baba Jaga. In exchange, Dymitr will give her an enchanted flower that might cure her.

But Ala doesn’t know who Dymitr is and what he truly wants and with less than 24 hours before the flower dies, killing her hopes of the curse being broken, the two need to move fast. But others want the flower and Baba Jaga’s location and they aren’t afraid to hurt and kill to get them… 

Audiobook Review - Queen Macbeth

After the reading slump Of March and the “meh”ness of reading Kimberley Chambers The Brothers and rereading Garth Nix’s Terciel and Elinor, I wanted to hit April with something different. Something with not only more punch and stories I can run to you guys at and go “Guys! Can I chew your ear off over this?!”

And, maybe even, tackle the books and ebooks that lovely publishers send me for review. 

So when this little novella of an audiobook came to my attention on NetGalley, I thought “Maybe something short will help me get out of my head and out of my funk.” (Plus, the cover looks awesome, doesn’t it?)

Title and Author: Queen Macbeth by Val McDermid

Publisher: Birlinn General & W.F. Hopes Ltd

Bought, Borrowed or Gifted: Gifted by audiobook publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review/reaction

Buy From (Affiliate): uk.bookshop.org

A thousand years ago in the Scottish landscape, a woman with her three female companions - a healer, a weaver and a seer - are on the run. Men are hunting her down, as she is the only one who stands in the way between them and the violent ambition for power. She is the first queen of Scotland, married to a king named Macbeth. 

History might have written her as a murderer conspirator to her husbands, but here, she is a woman who has loved and lost, and this might cost her everything… 

Neverending Reread List

 I am going to admit that my To Be Read list is very out of control (at the time of writing this, Goodreads and StoryGraph both tell me I have over 400 books that I would like to read one day). Some are recent, others have been on my shelves (both physical and electronic) for a very, very, very long time. 

But I love a good reread. And I discovered that I didn’t do any last year as I had too much to read and review. So, this year, I want to allow myself the chance to reread stories that itch at me and beg for the chance. 

Now, I have several on my radar and I have openly chatted about and I am making plans to attack them (or at least start) over the course of the Spring and Summer months. Plus, there are a few others that are sitting patiently on my kindle and I know that holding them off to next year isn’t going to be an opinion. I sense I might have to allow myself a month of hardcore rereading pleasure.

Now, before I chat about some of the titles, I will be putting affiliate links to bookshop.org to some titles (not all as I do ramble) so if any titles tickle your fancy and you want more details, you can click there and research. But if you want to use Amazon, Waterstones, Foyles or any other bookseller (indie or otherwise), please do so. Let’s share the bookish love!

Golden Age of Crime TBR

As you guys know, I love my fantasy and crime reading. These (YA, middle-grade, adult, New Adult, etc) is my bread and butter when it comes to reading. But with the role of being a book blogger, you feel guilty if you’re not reading the newest or newer releases compared to books that were written and published decades go. Yes, I feel this guilt all the time and, remember, when I first started blogging 14-odd years ago, I focus SOLELY on YA fiction whereas now, I am a magpie and love to take risks with my reading/reviewing (sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t). 

And because I go flit about with my reading and my podcast listening when it comes to fiction, I wanted to make a small(ish) post about some crime titles I have on my “I Will Read You One Day” list that fit in the “Golden Age of Detective Fiction” (for those of you curious, the years most people class as this Golden Age is 1920s and 1930s). 

Now, I am not going to reference EVERY book that fits this term that’s on my To Be Read List as we will be here all day, but I wanted to pick a few out as, I am hoping that if I do, it will make me more likely to read them this year. Now, before I go any further, I have a good mix of books that I have bought, am borrowing from my library and titles that were gifted to be by the publisher in exchange for an honest review, so I will make this a short (for me) post and I will let you know if the title I am chatting about is a gifted book for review as I will put a * by the title. Plus, I will put links to bookshop.org, which will be affiliate. 

Now, get your Jessica Fletcher on and let’s begin!

eProof Review - Rough Justice

The last few months of reading for me has been all over the place. I know I have blogged my reading earlier this month of Evil Under The Sun and Bedknobs and Broomsticks earlier this month, then me DNFing The Glutton by A.K. Blakemore & The Doctor’s Mistress by Daniel Hurst and then reading the platter-cleanse reading Tristan and Lancelot: A Tale of Two Knights by James Persichetti & L.S. Biehler. Maybe I am being more brutal with reading things that make me happy and if it’s not, bye bye or maybe I’m struggling and I need a better balance (maybe I need to do a book cult). 

That’s tomorrow’s challenge, me thinks. After Apple Fitness+ yoga… 

But let’s change the subject. Completely. With something a little different. 

Title and Author: Rough Justice by Her Honour Wendy Joseph KC

Publisher: Transworld

Bought, Borrowed or Gifted: Gifted by UK publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review/reaction

Buy From (affiliate): https://uk.bookshop.org/

Old Bailey judge Her Honour Wendy Joseph KC talks the reader through four very different cases, each looking at the women in the dock and wonders how easy it is for any one of us to be in a court, whether that be a member of the jury, a witness or the person on trial. And, as she looks into these four cases, she discovers horrifying similarities between now and possible miscarriages of justice from years ago and wonders if the law has changed and how the law affects the marginalised and the easily exploited?

The Glutton - Swansea University Dylan Thomas Prize

To celebrate the longlist for this year’s Dylan Thomas Prize (and the shortlist to be announced on Thursday 21st March), a bunch of book bloggers were asked very kindly if they fancied read one of the books on the longlist. One of them was me and it was a mystery which book I was going to get to read as I wanted it to be a surprise. 

The Swansea University Dylan Thomas Prize is an award gifted annually and is opened to published writers in the English language under the age of forty. Let me put the link to Swansea University Dylan Thomas Prize here so you can read more details at your leisure. 

Now, like I said earlier, it was surprise which book from the longlist I was going to get for review and, I will be honest, the title that was sent to me was one of titles I didn’t want. But, I knew whatever title I was going to receive, I was going to start reading that very day as I do always like a challenge and to try something new. 

The book in question: The Glutton by A.K. Blakemore. 

Title and Author: The Glutton by A.K. Blakemore

Publisher: Granta Books

Bought, Borrowed or Gifted: Gifted by PR company, Midas Campaigns, in exchange for an honest review/reaction

Buy From (Affiliate): uk.bookshop.org

Inspired by the French showman and solider Tarare (sometimes spelt Tarar) who lived from 1772 to 1798, we start the book with Sister Perpetue who is caring for a frail, dying man. A man who is once famed for having a ferocious appetite, the man who was once called the Great Tarare, The Glutton of Lyon. A man rumoured to have eaten a child. 

As this man tells his story, we see him from his humble beginnings and, as unrest slowly begins to grip France, a violent act leaves Tarare left for dead and his hunger awaken…

Let’s Lie and Play Mafia

You guys know I am a huge fans of the BBC show The Traitors, right? Same with the movies Knives Out and Glass Onion? So, the idea of these two being mashed together in a book excites me hugely. You can see where this is going, right? When the lovely people at Firefly Press asked if I wanted to be involved in a blog tour to celebrate the release of Lie Or Die by A.J. Clack, I knew I had to jump on it. 

Before I go any further, let me tell you about Lie Or Die. Kass is tricked by her best mate to get involved in a new TV reality show. Imagine Big Brother meets The Traitors and you get the idea. Ten contestants, one studio, forty four remote cameras. But when contestants start dying (for real), Kass and her fellow contestants are no longer fighting to win the game, but gifting for survival. 

I am thrilled that A.J. Clack has written a small guest post for this tour (and for this tiny little blog) about the game that inspired their debut: Mafia (sometimes is called Werewolf). I have never heard of this so quick Google/Wiki search for me, but I bet you guys know the game. If not, am going to pop a YouTube video below so you can watch…

Now we are all on the same page, I can hand over to A.J. Clack and their tips on playing Mafia/Werewolf. But before I do, I want to say a huge thank you to A.J. for writing this guest post and to Graeme at Firefly for emailing me and chatting about Lie Or Die. And if you’re curious over the book, you can check out either Firefly Press’s website or via Bookshop.org (Affiliate Link). 

With that out of the way, let’s lie, cheat and murder… 

Mini Catch-Up

Oh, the joy of blogger’s guilt. Been blogging for over 14 years (flipping heck, feeling old in book blogosphere! Hey Siri, play something young as I AM YOUNG, DAMNIT!) and, after a period of time, if you’re not blogging, you feel guilty for not blogging and chat about reads past, present and future. 

Plus, been going through a bit of a blogging/real life slowdown. Nothing wrong with that, but let me touch base with you as you guys know I haven’t vanished off the face of the earth with me blogging and reading (though if you follow me on my socials, you know I am very active). 

The main audiobook I listened to since we last chatted was Evil Under the Sun by Agatha Christie (affiliate link to bookshop.org is here). It seems that I might be considering doing an Agatha Christie a month or an Golden Age Mystery a month as I seem to have a load of these on my To Be Read lists (either on my physical shelves, my e-reader shelves or on my radar to investigate at a later date). Now, this seems to be one of the faves of the Poirot fans as it ticks all the boxes: a closed circle mystery of suspect on an holiday island off the coast, a messy love triangle (of sorts) and Poirot at his finest. I can see why fans of Agatha Christie rate this so highly. There is elements that are stuck in its time (the sexism at the end of the book where a successful businesswoman is told to quit her business so she can marry and be a good little wife left a sour taste in the mouth) and the case hinging on a lot of chance/luck…

Am I going to do another Christie this month? Yes, I think I am. I am leaning over between 3 titles (maybe a poll is needed on my socials?) and i am eyeing my British Library Crime Classics (I have one I am desperate to read but saving that for nearer the General Election as the murder is set at the Houses of Parliament). Would you guys like to know the British Library Crime Classics on my TBR? I am very tempted to blog them as they are a weird little mix…

Because I was having a bit of a DNFing blitz, I wanted to read something comforting but I wasn’t in the mood to reread (something I do want to do this year as I did NO REREADING last year. At ALL! I have three books I want to try and reread this year so hopefully, will attack them before the year is out). So, I dived into Mary Norton’s Bedknobs and Broomsticks (affiliate link to bookshop.org is here). This is a bind up of two stories (The Magic Bedknob and Bonfires and Broomsticks), which acts as the inspiration to the Disney movie, starring Angela Lansbury (I adore this movie. Yes, it’s trying too hard to be catch the success of Mary Poppins). And it was a delightfully cosy read but oh my, SO DIFFERENT from the movie. Yes, I knew going into this that the books were inspiration for the movie so there will be huge changes, but I was shocked on how different the two medias were and how dark the book got compared to the movie (yes, the movie is set during the Second World War, but we saw no one die. In the book, we saw someone get nearly burnt at the stake for being a witch).

But it was a nice read. Something I desperately needed as I go into reading some non-fiction (Rough Justice by Her Honour Wendy Joseph KC) and some literary/historical fiction (The Glutton by A…). Don’t worry, normal reading (and I use the term “normal” loosely) will return as I suspect that once these are done, I will be attacking my NetGalley backlog of audiobooks and eProofs (sorry in advance).

eProof Review - The Mystery Guest

Oh boy, where do I start with The Mystery Guest? I liked the first outing with Molly, The Maid, but when I discovered that there was going to be a sequel, I was very hesitant over the announcement. To me, The Maid felt really good and fairly solid as a stand-alone and, because of this, I couldn’t see how the sequel would work.

Title and Author: The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose

Publisher: HarperCollins

Bought, Borrowed or Gifted: Gifted by UK publisher via NetGalley in exchange for honest review/reaction

Buy From (Affiliate): uk.bookshop.org

Set around four years after the events of The Maid, Molly is now Head Maid at the Regency Hotel and the hotel is about to open its new Tearoom with a reclusive author doing a press conference. But when the author falls dead before he could announce his news, Molly finds her trying to figure out what is happening at the hotel.

Book Review - The Fury

Like I said in my previous post this week (The Spy Coast by Tess Gerritsen), I bought this after a job interview as a treat to self. I thought I did really well in the interview (I get really nervous in interviews) and went into Foyles and got a signed copy. Now, I wouldn’t have picked this up if it wasn’t for an interview did on a podcast I listen to call All About Agatha, and I was so intrigued by one or two of the details, I knew I would have to buy it. 

I, sadly, didn’t the job, in case you were wondering. 

Title and Author: The Fury by Alex Michaelides

Publisher: Michael Joseph

Bought, Borrowed or Gifted: Bought

Buy From (Affiliate): uk.bookshop.org

Seven guests go to a private Greek island. One of them being the former movie star, Lana Ferrar. Here, she hopes that she and her guests can unwind and enjoy themselves. 

But when the island gets suddenly cut off by violent winds, something awful happens. One of them is murdered and one of them is the killer…