Hello, I hope you are all doing well? This post is coming a little later than usual because I was lucky enough to head off on a Caribbean Cruise on the last day of March! We saw some beautiful sights on the islands we visited, had fun in the sea and paddled in a rock pool in the middle of a rainforest. There was rum punch, sunshine and steel drums. It was a magical week! Did you get up to anything fun over Easter? Let me know in the comments below.
March wasn’t a great reading month for me with 3 DNFs, however I did manage to fit in one 4.5 star and one 5 star read in-between them which made things a little better…
BOOKS READ
DNF 5% | THE GIRLS WHO DISAPPEARED | CLAIRE DOUGLAS | Standalone | Read 04/03 | Rating: N/A | Paperback | Borrowed | Recommended | Adult | Thriller, Mystery | “Twenty years ago, Olivia Rutherfood crashed her car while driving home with three friends. When she regained consciousness, she was alone – her friends had vanished.” | I didn’t DNF this book for any fault of the book itself, I had to DNF because the person I borrowed the book from wanted it back again. I might give this another go if I come across this book again though in the future as it had an interesting premise.
SORCERY OF THORNS | MARGARET ROGERSON | Sorcery of Thorns #1 (this book was originally a standalone, but now there’s also a follow on novella) | Read 15/03 | ⭐⭐⭐ 3 Stars | eARC & Audiobook | Netgalley & Borrowbox | Review Book (Backlist) & Mood Read | Young Adult | Fantasy, Romance | “An act of sabotage releases the library’s most dangerous grimoire, and Elisabeth is implicated in the crime. With no one to turn to but her sworn enemy, the sorcerer Nathaniel Thorn, and his mysterious demonic servant, she finds herself entangled in a centuries-old conspiracy.” | This is a whimsical, magical tale, containing touches of humour and romance as well as found family and strong friendships. Occasionally Elizabeth’s character made some annoyingly silly moves, but on the whole I did enjoy her as our lead. She’s strong minded, cheeky and a pretty great female role-model. Nathaniel was an interesting character too, with a compelling back-story, tonnes of sass and hilarious one-liners. Silas really stood out to me, mostly because he’s so unique and I haven’t really come across a character like him before. I liked the world-building in this book too, the Grimoires were such a unique touch, and I loved learning about them and the libraries they were housed in. I also found the magic system fascinating. This book was diverse too with disabled characters, plus both aro-ace and bisexual representation. I did find this book a little predictable, I guessed that a lot of the twists were going to happen, before they happened. Also the plot wondered a bit, it didn’t feel completely organised, but it was still enjoyable anyway. In the end, this was a fun, if a little predictable read. With a whimsical, magical world and enjoyable, interesting characters.
DNF 53% | CLEAT CUTE | MERYL WILSNER | Standalone | Read 22/03 | Rating: N/A | eBook | Amazon | Mood Read | Adult | Sports Romance, LGBTQ+ | “A sapphic rivals to lovers rom-com for fans of Ted Lasso and A League of Their Own, where two soccer teammates are at odds before falling in love as their team gears up for the World Cup.” | I liked how diverse this book was with LGBTQ+ characters, and neurodiversity. But where was the actual plot? I had high hopes of a cute sports romance, with friendships and team comradery and fun sports scenes. Especially as I enjoy the Fence and Check, Please graphic novels so much. But instead I just got bored searching for the plot around the romance between the two main characters, and decided to give up.
THE FINAL GAMBIT | JENNIFER LYNN BARNES | The Inheritance Games #3 | Read 22/03 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.5 Stars | Audiobook | Borrowbox | Mood Read | Young Adult | Mystery | “Avery’s fortune, life, and loves are on the line in the game that everyone will be talking about… Secrets upon secrets. Riddles upon riddles. In this game, there are hearts and lives at stake—and there is nothing more Hawthorne than winning.” | This was my favourite book of the series by far, it was thrilling, exciting and tense and the showdown at the end was epic! I think I enjoyed this a lot more than the previous books in the series because we were FINALLY given the answers we’ve waited 3 books for. I liked the resolution too, I thought it was well thought out and worth waiting for.
BOOK OF THE MONTH | GHOSTS: THE BUTTON HOUSE ARCHIVES | MAT BAYNTON, MARTHA HOWE-DOUGLAS, BEN WILLBOND, JIM HOWICK, LAURENCE RICKARD, SIMON FARNABY | Companion to BBC’s Ghosts | Read 24/03 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5 Stars | Hardback & Audiobook | Fane Online & Audible | Mood Read | Comedy, Anthology | “Gathered together in this volume is a treasure trove of unearthed cuttings, original records and rare artefacts that explore the unseen lives of those who died at Button House” | I absolutely love BBC’s Ghosts and have followed ‘the six idiots’ since their Horrible Histories days. So I was really excited to virtually attend their event for this book through Fane Online (they are just as funny outside of the show) and to get a copy of this book too. It’s the perfect companion for any fans of the show. Especially now that it’s ended for good, it was nice to have one small piece of this world left to explore. With fun and interesting unseen articles, records and memorabilia from each Ghost’s past and present, it’s absolutely hilarious and every bit the fun experience I was hoping it to be. When I attended the show the cast mentioned they were narrating the audiobook themselves, so of course I had to purchase that too, and listen to it alongside reading this book. Not only did this help me with reading some of the passages (as the hand-writing can be a little hard to decipher at times, even if it does lend some authenticity to the passages). It completely enhanced the experience, with each cast member lending their voice and personality to each extract, with sound effects and additional touches that really make purchasing the audiobook worth it. I just want to note though that not all of the extracts are included in the audiobook (I think it’s mainly Mary’s missing), so that’s something to bear in mind if you plan to listen to this on audio only. But if you do purchase this on Audible (at the time of writing this post) they throw in a free copy of the PDF so you can catch up on what was missed without having to purchase anything extra.
DNF 54% | DAUGHTER OF DARKNESS | KATHERINE & ELIZABETH CORR | House of Shadows #1 | Read 28/03 | Rating: N/A | eARC & Audiobook | Netgalley & Borrowbox | Review Book | Young Adult | Fantasy, Mythology | “Enter the Underworld in an epic new fantasy, where the Gods of ancient Greece rule everything but fate” | I left this book for a week whilst still on holiday and felt no urge to pick it up when I got back. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but there’s something missing from this book that made me feel unenthusiastic about both the characters and the plot. I had high hopes for this too as I absolutely love Greek Mythology.
BOOKS GAINED
- LOVERS AT THE MUSEUM: A SHORT STORY | ISABEL ALLENDE | Standalone | eBook | Free: Amazon First Reads | Adult | Magical Realism | “From the New York Times bestselling author of The Wind Knows My Name comes a mesmerizing tale of two passionate souls who share one magical night that defies all rational explanation.“
- WHAT IS LOVE | JEN COMFORT | Standalone | eBook | Free: Amazon First Reads | Adult | Contemporary Romance | “Head and heart collide in a story of polar-opposite rivals that’s anything but trivial in this game show romance from Midnight Duet author Jen Comfort.“
- JANE SEYMOUR: THE HAUNTED QUEEN | ALISON WEIR | Six Tudor Queens #3 | eBook | Gift: Amazon | Adult | Historical Fiction | “Eleven days after the death of Anne Boleyn, Jane is dressing for her wedding to the King. She has witnessed at first hand how courtly play can quickly turn to danger and knows she must bear a son . . . or face ruin.”
- MORE PERFECT | TEMI OH | Standalone | eBook | Gift: Amazon | Adult | Sci-Fi, Dystopia | “Using the myth of Eurydice as a structure, this riveting science fiction novel is set in a near-future London where it has become popular for folks to have a small implant that allows one access to a more robust social media experience directly as an augmented reality. However, the British government has taken oversight of this access to an extreme, slowly tilting towards a dystopian overreach, all in the name of safety.”
- A WEDDING IN DECEMBER | SARAH MORGAN | Standalone | eBook | Gift: Amazon | Adult | Holiday, Romance | “In the snowy perfection of Aspen, the White family gathers for youngest daughter Rosie’s whirlwind Christmas wedding…. As the big day gets closer, and emotions run even higher, this is one White family Christmas none of them will ever forget!“
- THE SUMMER SWAP | SARAH MORGAN | Standalone | eARC | Netgalley | Adult | Contemporary Romance | “As surely as the tide erases past footprints, this summer is offering both Cecilia and Lily the chance to swap old dreams for new…”
- HERA | JENNIFER SAINT | Standalone | eARC | Netgalley | Adult | Mythological Fiction | “Often portrayed as the jealous wife or the wicked stepmother, this retelling captures the many sides of Hera, vengeful when she needs to be but also compassionate and mostly importantly, an all-powerful queen to the gods.“
READING STATS
| Books Read | 6 |
| Books Read Minus DNFed | 3 |
| Total DNFed | 3 |
| Total Pages | 1499 |
| Avg Days Per Book | 18.3 |
| Avg Pages Per Day | 27.7 |
| Audio Hours | 37:56:00 |
| Re-Reads | 0 |
| Series Stats | 2 Series Finished, 3 Standalones Read |
| Average Rating | 4.2 |
| Author Stats | 6 Different Authors, 4 New Authors |
| Book Length | Shortest (224), Longest (456) |
| Reason Read | 3 Mood Reads, 2 Review Books, 1 Recommended |
| Years Published | Oldest Published (2019), Average Year (2022) |
| Top Genres | Mystery, Thriller, Romance, Fantasy |
FEBRUARY’S TBR
CARRYING OVER FROM LAST MONTH
- THE PRISONER’S THRONE | HOLLY BLACK | 24% COMPLETE | The Stolen Heir Duology #2 | Hardback | Borrowed (Library) | Young Adult | Fantasy | Mood Read | “After the shocking events of The Stolen Heir, Prince Oak is in deeper trouble than ever before. As his situation grows more precarious, Oak is desperate to find a way out, before all of Elfhame is caught in the coming storm.“
- WUNDERSMITH: THE CALLING OF MORRIGAN CROW | JESSICA TOWNSEND | 33% COMPLETE | Nevermoor #2 | eBook | Amazon | Middle Grade | Fantasy | Mood Read | “Morrigan may have defeated her deadly curse, passed the dangerous trials and joined the mystical Wundrous Society, but her journey into Nevermoor and all its secrets has only just begun. And it’s important to remember that not all magic is used for good . . .“
- ADVENTURES OF A YOUNG NATURALIST: THE ZOO QUEST EXPEDITIONS | DAVID ATTENBOROUGH | 4% COMPLETE | Zoo Quest #1-3 | eBook | Amazon | Adult | Memoir, Nature, Travel | Bedside Table Book | “In 1954, a young television presenter named David Attenborough was offered the opportunity of a lifetime – to travel the world finding rare and elusive animals for London Zoo’s collection, and to film the expeditions for the BBC... Written with his trademark wit and charm, Adventures of a Young Naturalist is not just the story of a remarkable adventure, but of the man who made us fall in love with the natural world, and who is still doing so today.”
TBR FOR THIS MONTH
- THE SUMMER SWAP | SARAH MORGAN | Standalone | eARC | Netgalley | Adult | Contemporary Romance | Review Book | “As surely as the tide erases past footprints, this summer is offering both Cecilia and Lily the chance to swap old dreams for new…”
- THE BABY SHOWER | S.E. LYNES | Standalone | Paperback | Borrowed (Family Member) | Adult | Mystery, Thriller | Recommended | “A stunningly twisty story of toxic female friendships, guilt and lies“
- SEVEN DAYS TO DIE | MICHELLE KIDD | Detective Inspector Jack MacIntosh Mysteries #1 | eBook | Borrowed (Amazon Prime) | Adult | Mystery, Thriller | Recommended | “A brutal killer who strangles young women and leaves their bodies strewn across London’s parks. A killer who leaves his next victim’s shoe beside the body of his last one. Detective Jack MacIntosh has seven days to find the truth.“
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