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?