I just cannot stop buying books. In fact, I'm buying them faster than I am reading them which means that if I continue to buy them at the rate that I currently am, I WILL EVENTUALLY DIE WIT.H UNREAD BOOKS.
How tragic.
Anywho, here is the list of books I've bought throughout November...
Hardbacks:
Sleep by C.L Taylor
The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern
The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow
Still Friends by Saul Austerlitz
Paperbacks:
War of the Worlds by H.G Wells
The Tattoo Thief by Alison Belsham
The Toll by Neal Shusterman
Christmas at Rachel's Pudding Pantry by Caroline Roberts
This is Going to Hurt by Adam Kay
Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch
Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton
Kindle books:
The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock by Imogen Hermes Gowar
The Loney by Andrew Michael Hurley
Half a World Away by Mike Gayle
At least next month I can use the excuse that it's Christmas, right? I've asked for a few books for Chirstmas, and it's crazy to think that this time next month I'll be posting a Christmas book haul!
1. Where do you typically write your blog posts?
I find I write better on an evening or on a night, so 99% of the time it's when I'm lying in bed. I find it really hard to write when there's a lot going on around me, so it's pretty much always when I'm at home.
2. How long does it generally take you to write a book review?
I'm a slow writer (and easily distracted), so perhaps an hour, maybe two? I'm not sure if this is quick or slow compared to other people, but it's taking the photos that REALLY slow me down as I'm at work all day and there is no natural light when I get home!
3. When did you start your book blog?
I've been blogging on and off for 6 years now, but only really transitioned into a book blog around March/April of this year.
4. What is the worst thing about having a book blog in your opinion?
Finding the time to write up posts and take blog photos! I always think my writing could be so much better and my photos be so much prettier if I had a little extra time to put into it!
5. What is the best thing about having a book blog in your opinion?
As cliche as it sounds, it's definitely talking to other book bloggers. I've met a few people in the short time I've been part of the book blogging community and everyone is so kind!
6. What blog post have you had the most fun writing so far?
Most definitely my In-Depth Bookshelf Tour 2019 blog post - it was by far the most challenging and took the longest, but I loved writing it!
7. What is your favourite blog post to write?
Definitely reviews of books I have loved. I love raving about books and hopefully encouraging others to give it a go!
8. When do you typically write?
I pretty much answered this in question 1, but it's almost always on an evening/night, or when I've got a bit of spare time on a weekend. Having a toddler and a full-time job isn't always easy to read books, let alone read books and write up blog posts!
9. Do you review EVERY book you read?
Since I transitioned by blog into a book blog, I have managed to review every book I have read, which I'm pretty proud of, and I hope to continue doing so!
10. How do you write your reviews? With a cup of coffee or tea? With Netflix? Cuddled with your fur baby?
I always have something on the TV in the background, but it can't be anything TOO enthralling otherwise I'd easily get distracted. Typically it's Friends, which I've seen a million times and doesn't distract me too much!
11. When do you write your reviews? Right after finishing the book? Or two weeks after finishing the book?
I usually try to write them straight away, as I'm the type of person who forgets what happened after a couple of weeks. I'm trying my hardest to write notes in my phone as I'm reading, especially if it's something I know I particularly want to mention.
12. How often do you post?
I try to post at least once a week but there is honestly no consistency to when I post - sometimes it's every 10 days, other times it's 3 times a week!
"In a manor by the sea, twelve sisters are cursed.
Annaleigh lives a sheltered life at Highmoor, a manor by the sea, with her sisters, their father, and stepmother. Once they were twelve, but loneliness fills the grand halls now that four of the girls' lives have been cut short. Each death was more tragic than the last—the plague, a plummeting fall, a drowning, a slippery plunge—and there are whispers throughout the surrounding villages that the family is cursed by the gods.
Disturbed by a series of ghostly visions, Annaleigh becomes increasingly suspicious that the deaths were no accidents. Her sisters have been sneaking out every night to attend glittering balls, dancing until dawn in silk gowns and shimmering slippers, and Annaleigh isn't sure whether to try to stop them or to join their forbidden trysts. Because who—or what—are they really dancing with?
When Annaleigh's involvement with a mysterious stranger who has secrets of his own intensifies, it's a race to unravel the darkness that has fallen over her family—before it claims her next."
I've been dying to read this since its release day back in August because of three things. The first being that it's set by the sea. The second being that it's a retelling of The Twelve Dancing Princesses. The third being that, aesthetically, it's a pretty bloody beautiful book.
It's absolutely fair to say that I was instantly captivated by this book. I mean, how could you not be when the opening chapter is a dreary, atmospheric funeral of Eulalie, one of the twelve sisters - the lively, charismatic, flirtatious sister who plunged from the edge of the cliffs to her death in the middle of the night?
Admittedly, after that first chapter, the first 1/3rd of the book is a lot tamer than the remaining 2/3rds. The first part of the novel is very fairytale-esque; dress-up glamorous balls that are all very sparkly and enchanting. That's not to say I didn't enjoy the first part of this book, because I did - a lot - but the rest of the novel was a whole other experience that consists of stunningly haunted scenes that left me thinking about them long after I put this book down.
Erin. A Craig has an extrordinary talent for writing scenes that enthrall you and draw you in. Some of the creepier and more sinister chapters had my heart literally racing, especially with the youngest sister, Verity, who draws sketches of her dead sisters, detailing the horrific and gory scenarios they died in - not to mention she talks out loud with them, too. There were twists and turns that I genuinely did not see coming a mile off, which was probably one of the reasons I read this book faster than average (for me, anyway!)
If I had a nit pick though, I would say that there are times when Annaleigh is incredibly passive as a heroine. Often she completely abandons all sense of investigation into Eulalie's death and to figure out who the mysterious killer is. It's a little hard to believe that a girl as suspicious as her would simply do away with trying to figure out what's going on and simply go ahead and scoot through magical doorways that lead to magical worlds full of dancing and ballrooms.
Having said that, I do absolutely love that fairytale retellings are a thing, and I imagine that as an author, it's hard to create a fresh, new perspective on a well known fairytale, in this case, the Brother Grimms' work, but I think Erin. A Craig did a fantastic job and it had me hooked from the get go. She somehow managed to add a creepy, gothic and eerie take on a classic fairytale, that also had elements of romance and mystery too, and yet, the story flowed so easily and so naturally, despite the fact it had huge potential to be a bit messy by covering so many different elements.
Now, I must admit that whilst I didn't care too much for the love story going on, I was genuinely shocked with the revelation about the delusions. I don't want to give too much away, but it was truly mind blowing and at one point I think I let out an audible gasp. It was amazing. Like, truly, utterly amazing story telling and I lapped up every single word on the page.
This book has made me want two things. The first being to read more fairytale retellings, and the second to read whatever Erin. A Craig comes out with next. I loved this book so much, and if you're a fan of mysterious, creepy yet beautiful stories, you'll absolutely devour House of Salt and Sorrows.
Verdict: ★★★★★
Reading has always been a huge passion of mine, and before having my daughter, I would read on average of maybe 2 books a week whilst holding down a full time job, and even then, I would think I wAsN't ReAdInG eNoUgH.
Let's all take a moment to laugh at past Caroline because HELLO I'm lucky if I average 3 books a month now. I'd love to read more, of course I would, but I simply just don't have as much time as I used to, which is perfectly okay, because time spent with my daughter is precious and I obviously wouldn't change it for the world. Instead, I've simply learned to use my time more effectively to still fit in this life-long reading hobby of mine, and I've complied a little list on how fellow parents can keep on top of their TBR piles too!
1. Go electronic
Carrying around a physical book everywhere you go isn't ideal, especially when you're carrying around a bag full of nappies, wipes, juice, toys and goodness knows how many snacks (seriously, little people can EAT goddamit). I've had a Kindle for years, but only over the past 18 months have I really put it to good use. It's lighter, slimmer and doesn't take up much additional space in my bag full of half eaten packets of crisps! And hey, if you don't have a Kindle, you can always download the Kindle app on your phone - it's 2019, people!
2. Play time for your child = reading time for you
I've really cut down on the amount of TV time I allow my daughter to watch. She now has 30 minutes of TV time before having her evening bath, and I use this time to squeeze in a chapter or two! Whilst her eyes are glued to some questionable multi-coloured cartoon, my brain is getting lost in pages of imaginary monsters and worlds far away from ours!
3. Make use of short, unproductive time
This is something I've really gotten into the swing of lately. I now use my 20 minute each way commute to work every day to pick up my Kindle (I get the train, don't drive and read, peeps!) I also use whatever time I have remaining on my lunch hour, and you'd be surprised at how much reading you can get done whilst waiting for a doctors appointment! Making use of time that would otherwise be used browsing aimlessly on Instagram that you've already checked 17 times this morning could be put to much better use in terms of powering through your TBR list!
4. Strike a deal with the dad
My partner loves his xBox and I love reading, but we have a kid to look after - this doesn't necessarily mean we can't have hobbies too. Every now and again, I'll say to him "I'll take Rosie out to the park for an hour so you can go on your xBox and you do the same tomorrow?" - trust me, no man is ever going to turn down precious xBox time. Having that hour every now and again completely to yourself is not only great for your mental health, but also handy to get in some much needed reading time!
5. Read before bed for 30 minutes
I find it difficult to switch off on a night if I don't spend 30 minutes or so reading a book. Setting aside just 30 minutes every night doesn't sound like much, but that's 3.5 extra hours every week and that amounts to a LOT over the year - think of how many extra books you would get through every year just by simply setting aside 30 minutes to yourself on an evening!
6. Pick books with shorter chapters
There is nothing, and I mean NOTHING more annoying than unnecessarily long chapters when you're strapped for time. I'm one of THOSE people who can't put a book down until I've finished the chapter, so having a 30+ page long chapter is a huge no-no from me. I even find that I read more in one sitting if the chapters are shorter, because JUST ONE MORE CHAPTER syndrome is a real thing!
Welcome to my first ever bookshelf tour! I absolutely love reading these posts and seeing how everyone organises their bookshelves, so I figured I would finally do my own. One thing I have come to realise is that photographing a bookshelf is HARD.
And please, let's all ignore the accidental paint sample patch behind my bookshelf from about 5 months ago that I am still yet to fix.
There are also a few books missing from my shelf, mainly because I've lent them out to friends and family, for instance, I own all three books in the Scythe series but the first book I have lent to a friend and so I've only currently got books 2 & 3 from the series (which is secretly killing me inside but still).
Okay, so starting with the skinnier part of the bookshelf, which is a new(ish) addition because the wider one was just not wide enough anymore.
The top shelf is where I keep my fantasy paperback books. We have:
The Confessions of Frannie Langton by Sara Collins
Circe by Madeline Miller
A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer
Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield
The Girl the Sea Gave Back by Adrienne Young
War of the Worlds by H.G Wells
Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman
The Toll by Neal Shusterman
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
I also have a couple of miscellaneous books here too, which you can see on the end.
The second shelf is where I keep my miscellaneous chicklits. We have:
After by Anna Todd
Living My Best Life by Claire Frost
Wait For You by J Lynn
The Ship of Brides by Jojo Moyes
The Last Letter from your Lover by Jojo Moyes
One Plus One by Jojo Moyes
Christmas at Rachel's Pudding Pantry by Caroline Roberts
Rachel's Pudding Pantry by Caroline Roberts
My Summer of Magic Moments by Caroline Roberts
Billy & Me by Giovanna Fletcher
The Pet Shop at Pennycombe Bay by Shiela Norton
Our Song by Dani Atkins
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
A Year of Marvellous Ways by Sarah Winman
Moving onto the next shelf, we have some hardback books that are kind of just 'there'. We have:
Never Greener by Ruth Jones
The Tattooist of Auschwitz and Cilka's Jorney by Heather Morris
The Flat Share by Beth O'Leary
The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes
The Secret Hours by Santa Montefiore
Ellie and the Harpmaker by Hazel Prior
An Island Christmas by Jenny Colgan
My Name is Monster by Katie Hale
Toffee by Sarah Crossan
October Man by Ben Aaronvitch
The Blue Salt Road by Joanne Harris
Peter Pan by by J.M Barrie
On the shelf below that, we have some more fantasy hardbacks. There is:
The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon
Twelve Kings in Sharakhai by Bradley Beaulieu
The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E Harrow
Sleep by C.L Taylor
The Binding by Bridget Collins
A House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin. A Craig
The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern
The Deathless Girls by Kiran Millwood Hargrave
Angela Carter's Book of Fairy Tales by Angela Carter
We have all my Stranger Things books on the next shelf along with a Friends book. There is:
Worlds Turned Upside Down by Gina McIntyre
Suspicious Minds by Gwenda Bond
Darkness on the Edge of Town by Adam Christopher
Still Friends by Saul Austerlitz
And then on the very last shelf of this section, we have my (very small) Stephen King collection. We have:
1986 copy of IT as well as the 2019 cover version
The Green Mile
Desperation
Nightmares & Dreamscapes
Bag of Bones
The Eyes of the Dragon
Moving onto the top shelf of the 'main' part of my bookshelf. This is where I keep predominantly my Jane Fallon books. I currently own all of her books and I always group my books together by author, and then organise that by publication date. I know A lot of people like to do it in colour order and I think that looks pretty bloody beautiful, but personally, it makes me feel a little uneasy knowing my series and authors aren't grouped together. The Jane Fallon books I have are:
Getting Rid of Matthew
Got You Back
Foursome
The Ugly Sister
Skeletons
Strictly Between Us
My Sweet Revenge
Faking Friends
Tell Me a Secret
Also on that shelf is where I keep my Christmas chicklit books. We have:
Sleigh Bells in the Snow by Sarah Morgan
Once Upon a Christmas by Sarah Morgan
Miracle on 5th Avenue by Sarah Morgan
Moonlight over Manhattan by Sarah Morgan
The Christmas Sisters by Sarah Morgan
A Wedding in December by Sarah Morgan
The Snow Spider by Jenny Nimmo
Twelve Days of Christmas by Trisha Ashley
One New York Christmas by Mandy Baggot
Not Just for Christmas by Natalie Cox
How to Stuff up Christmas by Rosie Blake
Also on that shelf we have three books by Miranda Dickinson which admittedly I have had for about 6 years that I still haven't read. They are When I Fall in Love, Fairytale of New York and It Started With a Kiss.
I will make the effort to pick one of these up during this year's festive season!
Then on the second shelf is where I house all my Milly Johnson books, again, in publication order:
The Yorkshire Pudding Club
The Birds and the Bees
A Spring Affair
A Summer Fling
An Autumn Crush
Here Come the Girls
White Wedding
A Winter Flame
It's Raining Men
The Teashop on the Corner
Afternoon Tea at Sunflower Cafe
Sunshine Over Wildflower Cottage
The Queen of Wishful Thinking
The Perfectly Imperfect Woman
The Mother of All Christmases
The Magnificent Mrs Mayhew
On top of my Milly Johnson books is a hardback Carole Matthews book that a) doesn't fit on my Carole Matthews shelf, and b) I need to buy the paperback version of. The said book is The Cake Shop in the Garden.
Laid flat near my Milly Johnson books is the Me Before You Series by Jojo Moyes, which consists of Me Before You, After You and Still Me.
Moving onto the third shelf, and this is where I keep all of my Carole Matthews books. I'm starting to sound like a broken record here, but again, I own all of them. In publication order, they are:
Let's Meet at Platform 8
A Whiff of Scandal
More to Life Than This
For Better For Worse
A Minor Indiscretion
A Compromising Position
The Sweetest Taboo
With or Without You
You Drive Me Crazy
Welcome to the Read World
The Chocolate Lover's Club
The Chocolate Lover's Diet
It's a Kind of Magic
All You Need is Love
The Difference a Day Makes
That Loving Feeling
It's Now or Never
The Only Way is Up
Wrapped up in You
Summer Daydreams
With Love at Christmas
A Cottage by the Sea
Calling Mrs Christmas
A Place to Call Home
The Christmas Party
The Chocolate Lover's Christmas
The Chocolate Lover's Wedding
Paper Hearts and Summer Kisses
Christmas Cakes and Mistletoe Nights
Million Love Songs
Happiness for Beginners
PHEW.
On the fourth shelf, we have some Jane Green and Paige Toon books, and guess what, I DON'T own all of them.
From Jane Green we have:
Jemma J
The Sunshine Sisters
Falling
Spellbound
Mr Maybe
From Paige Toon we have:
The One We Fell in Love With
Johnny Be Good
Baby Be Mine
Five Years From Now
If You Could Go Anywhere
One Perfect Summer
One Perfect Christmas
The Longest Holiday
Laid down flat near those are my Dawn French books. We have Oh Dear Silvia, According to Yes and A Tiny Bit Marvellous.
Moving onto the next shelf on this part of the bookcase. Here is where I keep my YA and contemporary books and they're in absolutely no particular order. We have:
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
American Royals by Katherine McGee
Flawed by Cecilia Ahern
The Potion Dairies by Amy Alward
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
2x Life of Pi by Yann Martel
A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
Golden Hill by Francis Spufford
The Curious Case of the Dog in the Night Garden by Mark Haddon
An American Marriage by Tayari Jones
Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon
Milkman by Anna Burns
The Places I've Cried in Public by Holly Bourne
With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo
The White Road by Sarah Lotz
The Wolves of Winter by Tyrell Johnson
The Last of the Bowmans by J. Paul Henderson
The Stepney Doorstep Society by Kate Thompson
The Choice by Edith Egar
This is Going to Hurt by Adam Kay
The Land of Roar by Jenny McLachlan
War Horse by Michael Morpurgo
Ink, Spark and Scar by Alice Broadway
Then FINALLY we have my horror/thriller/whodunnit books. There is:
The Taking of Annie Thorne by C.J Tudor
One of Us is Lying and Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen M. McManus
Friend Request by Laura Marshall
The Lady in the Lake by Raymond Chandler
The Tattoo Thief by Alison Belsham
And lastly on this shelf, is my Caraval series by Stephanie Garber, which consists of Caraval, Legendary & Finale.
AND BREATHE.
I've started writing this review whilst only 150 or so pages into the book because there are THAT many feeling towards this book and the characters in it already, and I need to rant.
The book jumps between 1985 and 2002. It details Kate and Callum's intense love affair that began when Callum's wife, Belinda, was heavily pregnant with their 3rd child. Kate was 22 when the affair began and Callum was 39. She was an aspiring actress picking up some shifts at Callum's brother's pub, and he was giving his brother a helping hand. Their affair ended in heartbreak, but is rekindled again in 2002 after a chance encounter when Kate, now a famous British actress, meets Callum again at the school he now teaches at.
I HATE THESE CHARACTERS. Like, truly, deeply hate them.
But I think that the point is to dislike them. The author hasn't created characters we're supposed to like, they purposefully unlikeable, especially Kate.
Kate is so beyond self absorbed. She is irritating and makes harmful and hurtful decisions. It's clear that Ruth Jones is trying to hint at something internally deeper and disturbing going on with her character, but this is never fully explored and we are left knowing that there's possibly something, but without any closure on these enclosed issues with Kate are, we are essentially left with a character who is unlikeable and destructive, not only to herself and Callum, but her husband and daughter along with Callum's family too, and whilst we might get some interesting insight of Kate on set and feeling the burden that people are constantly scrutinising her, we never really see the true reasons why she acts out the way she does.
Don't get me wrong, it's a good book, but it's telling the wrong story. Kate and Callum are boring, but they have so much potential not to be. Okay yes we get it, they are have all the very good sex and they are basically shagging at any given opportunity - but they have no redeemable or creditable qualities. The only real character of interest for me, is Belinda, Callum's wife.
Her husband has an affair with a stunningly beautiful, and not to mention, now famous, actress. Her background is far more interesting and lends itself to an obvious - and hopeful - re-emergence arc. Even the very brief story of how she and Callum first me hints at a more characteristic heroine than all of what we read in Kate! Frankly, Belinda is far more compelling. She is the wronged wife and so much more of a natural protagonist for women's fiction narrative.
There are no happy endings here. But there is also no big climatic reveal. Just a little bit of realism that portrays the consequences of the of hurt and heartache caused by Kate and Callum's actions. I like that there is no happy ever after for these characters. I like that the ending isn't cheesy. But there is also no sense of emotion moving forward. The book kinda just ends, with a bit of a thud. Whilst the last 100 or so pages have a better sense of pace, it still amounts to, well, not a lot, really.
Having said all that and putting my own personal dislike for the characters to one side, Ruth Jones' writing style is actually effortless and the story does just naturally flow. It was the wrong story, but told well and given the fact that I didn't like the majority of the characters within this book, I didn't not enjoy it, which I think is a testament to her writing skills. The book wasn't cheesy or followed the typical rom-com setup, which is a refreshing change from this genre, and I would pick up another Ruth Jones book because the story of Never Greener was so easy to absorb and get into.
There are a tonne more soppier, love-struck chicklit books on the market, and if that's what you're after, don't go for this one. But if you're looking for a modern twist on a typical rom-com novel, then I think you would enjoy this.
Verdict: ★★★
It's Christmas, the season to be snowed under. Merry Smith is overworked. Between family responsibilities, preparing for Christmas, and staying out of the crosshairs of her boss there's room for little else. Her social life is the last thing on her mind, much less finding love.
Jayson Bright is feeling the pressure. Christmas is his most stressful time of year. Deadlines are looming, the holidays are coming, and employees are winding down. He's the one left in the office pulling late and lonely nights. Luckily for these two, their friends and family take matters into their own hands, and Merry and Bright are about to discover that love can be found where you least expect it . . .
This is my first Debbie Macomber book and I only bought this because of a book club I'm a part of, otherwise, I don't think I'd have picked this up. In fact, I thought my first Christmas read of the year would have been from either Carole Matthews or Milly Johnson, but I decided to give this a go because it's the first book I've read that was a book club pick and because I was fancying something festive (I know, it's October blah blah blah).
This was very cutesy, fluffy read. Like ULTRA lovey-dovey, and that's not something I'm overly into. Obviously, this is a book from the chicklit genre so an exaggerated level of romance is to be expected, but this was just a little ***too much*** for my personal liking.
Even the play-on-words of their names (Merry Smith and Jason Bright... Merry & Bright... getit?) is a little too much for me to swallow. One aspect of the book I just couldn't click with, was how Jason had "feelings" for a woman he had only chatted to online after two weeks (seriously) and the same for Merry. Then, after a somewhat bumpy working relationship, Jason and Merry start getting along in real life (he doesn't know Merry is the one he's been chatting to all along) and then he starts to develop an attraction to her for some unknown reason he can't put his finger on - it's all just too convenient and all too easy.
However, I think the main issue lies with the lack of Christmas spirt in this book. Apart from a Christmas party at the very end of the book and the mention of baking Christmas cookies a few times, this book could have been set at any point during the year. This was my first festive read of the year and it wasn't really, well, festive. There's no snow, no Christmas tress, no mince pies, no jingle bells... no festive cheer whatsoever.
I did, however, really love the relationship between Merry and her bother, Patrick, who has down syndrome. I liked how Merry knew the telltale signs that he was fibbing and I liked how Patrick just wanted his sister to be happy and find someone.
Overall, though, this book just didn't quite cut it for me. There wasn't enough storyline, even less festiveness, and it was all just too easy.
Verdict: ★★★
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