Tag: bookworm

April Wrap Up: 9 Books Read

On By Beth JonesIn Wrap-Ups + TBRsLeave a comment

Hi everyone! It’s time for my April wrap up – I read 9 books in April, which definitely isn’t my best month but it’s not too shabby either. If you want to watch a video about all the books I read, you can view this below.

Books I read in April

Storygraph | Bookshop.org

What if men built a tower from Earth to Heaven-and broke through to Heaven’s other side? What if we discovered that the fundamentals of mathematics were arbitrary and inconsistent? What if there were a science of naming things that calls life into being from inanimate matter? What if exposure to an alien language forever changed our perception of time? What if all the beliefs of fundamentalist Christianity were literally true, and the sight of sinners being swallowed into fiery pits were a routine event on city streets? These are the kinds of outrageous questions posed by the stories of Ted Chiang. Stories of your life . . . and others.

★★★
3 out of 5 stars

Storygraph | Bookshop.org

In a time when Shadowhunters are barely winning the fight against the forces of darkness, one battle will change the course of history forever. Welcome to the Infernal Devices trilogy, a stunning and dangerous prequel to the New York Times bestselling Mortal Instruments series.
The year is 1878. Tessa Gray descends into London’s dark supernatural underworld in search of her missing brother. She soon discovers that her only allies are the demon-slaying Shadowhunters—including Will and Jem, the mysterious boys she is attracted to. Soon they find themselves up against the Pandemonium Club, a secret organization of vampires, demons, warlocks, and humans. Equipped with a magical army of unstoppable clockwork creatures, the Club is out to rule the British Empire, and only Tessa and her allies can stop them…

★★★★
4 out of 5 stars

Storygraph | Bookshop.org

Nora Stephens’ life is books—she’s read them all—and she is not that type of heroine. Not the plucky one, not the laidback dream girl, and especially not the sweetheart. In fact, the only people Nora is a heroine for are her clients, for whom she lands enormous deals as a cutthroat literary agent, and her beloved little sister Libby.
Which is why she agrees to go to Sunshine Falls, North Carolina for the month of August when Libby begs her for a sisters’ trip away—with visions of a small town transformation for Nora, who she’s convinced needs to become the heroine in her own story. But instead of picnics in meadows, or run-ins with a handsome country doctor or bulging-forearmed bartender, Nora keeps bumping into Charlie Lastra, a bookish brooding editor from back in the city. It would be a meet-cute if not for the fact that they’ve met many times and it’s never been cute.
If Nora knows she’s not an ideal heroine, Charlie knows he’s nobody’s hero, but as they are thrown together again and again—in a series of coincidences no editor worth their salt would allow—what they discover might just unravel the carefully crafted stories they’ve written about themselves.

★★★★★
5 out of 5 stars

Storygraph | Bookshop.org

After decades of adventuring, Viv the orc barbarian is finally hanging up her sword for good. Now she sets her sights on a new dream – for she plans to open the first coffee shop in the city of Thune. Even though no one there knows what coffee actually is.
If Viv wants to put the past behind her, she can’t go it alone. And help might arrive from unexpected quarters. Yet old rivals and new stand in the way of success. And Thune’s shady underbelly could make it all too easy for Viv to take up the blade once more.
But the true reward of the uncharted path is the travellers you meet along the way. Whether bound by ancient magic, delicious pastries or a freshly brewed cup, they may become something deeper than Viv ever could have imagined. 

★★★★★
5 out of 5 stars

Storygraph | Bookshop.org

‘But where are you REALLY from?’
Phil Wang has been asked this question so many times he’s finally written a book about it.
In this mix of comic memoir and observational essay, one of the UK’s most exciting stand-up comedians reflects on his experiences as a Eurasian man in the West and in the East. Phil was born in Stoke-on-Trent, raised in Malaysia, and then came of age in Bath – ‘a spa town for people who find Cheltenham too ethnic’.
Phil takes an incisive look at what it means to be mixed race, as he explores the contrasts between cultures and delves into Britain and Malaysia’s shared histories, bringing his trademark cynicism and wit to topics ranging from family, food, and comedy to race, empire, and colonialism.

★★★★
4 out of 5 stars

Storygraph | Bookshop.org

In the early 1900s, a young woman embarks on a fantastical journey of self-discovery after finding a mysterious book in this captivating and lyrical debut.
In a sprawling mansion filled with peculiar treasures, January Scaller is a curiosity herself. As the ward of the wealthy Mr. Locke, she feels little different from the artifacts that decorate the halls: carefully maintained, largely ignored, and utterly out of place.
 Then she finds a strange book. A book that carries the scent of other worlds, and tells a tale of secret doors, of love, adventure and danger. Each page turn reveals impossible truths about the world and January discovers a story increasingly entwined with her own.

★★★★
4 out of 5 stars

Storygraph | Bookshop.org

Roach – bookseller, loner and true crime obsessive – is not interested in making friends. She has all the company she needs in her serial killer books, murder podcasts and her pet snail, Bleep. 
That is, until Laura joins the bookshop. 
Smelling of roses, with her cute literary tote bags and beautiful poetry, she’s everyone’s new favourite bookseller. But beneath the shiny veneer, Roach senses a darkness within Laura, the same darkness Roach possesses. 
As Roach’s curiosity blooms into morbid obsession, it becomes clear that she is prepared to infiltrate Laura’s life at any cost. 

★★★★
4 out of 5 stars

Storygraph | Bookshop.org

An all-new collection of spring-themed mysteries from the master of the genre.
The days are growing warmer and the nights are growing shorter… It’s the perfect time to relax in the garden with this spring-themed collection from legendary mystery writer Agatha Christie. Blossoming flowers and countryside strolls may sound innocent enough, but not when there’s murder in the air. Beware of secluded cottages, stolen treasure and fatal revenge schemes. This compendium of short stories, some featuring beloved detectives Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple, is an essential omnibus for Christie fans and the perfect gift for mystery lovers.

★★★
3 out of 5 stars

Storygraph | Bookshop.org

It’s the summer before senior year. Gabriel, Reese, Sal, and Heath are best friends, bonded in their small, rural town by their queerness, their good grades, and their big dreams. But they have plans for the summer, each about to embark on a new adventure.
Gabriel is volunteering at an environmental nonprofit in Boston.
Reese is attending design school in Paris.
Sal is interning on Capitol Hill for a senator.
Heath is heading to Florida, to help out at his aunt’s boardwalk arcade.
What will this season of world-expanding travel and life-changing experiences mean for each of them–and for their friendship?

★★★★
4 out of 5 stars

I had quite a positive month and I enjoyed all of my reads. The one I enjoyed the least was Sinister Spring, and my favourite was either Book Lovers or Legends and Lattes – both were so good I can’t decide which was better!

What did you read in April?

-Beth

May your shelves forever overflow with books! ☽

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Review: Mexican Gothic by Sylvia Moreno-Garcia

On By Beth JonesIn Book ReviewLeave a comment

Storygraph | Bookshop.org

After receiving a frantic letter from her newly-wed cousin begging for someone to save her from a mysterious doom, Noemí Taboada heads to High Place, a distant house in the Mexican countryside. She’s not sure what she will find—her cousin’s husband, a handsome Englishman, is a stranger, and Noemí knows little about the region.
Noemí is also an unlikely rescuer: She’s a glamorous debutante, and her chic gowns and perfect red lipstick are more suited for cocktail parties than amateur sleuthing. But she’s also tough and smart, with an indomitable will, and she is not afraid: Not of her cousin’s new husband, who is both menacing and alluring; not of his father, the ancient patriarch who seems to be fascinated by Noemí; and not even of the house itself, which begins to invade Noemí’s dreams with visions of blood and doom.
Her only ally in this inhospitable abode is the family’s youngest son. Shy and gentle, he seems to want to help Noemí, but might also be hiding dark knowledge of his family’s past. For there are many secrets behind the walls of High Place. The family’s once colossal wealth and faded mining empire kept them from prying eyes, but as Noemí digs deeper she unearths stories of violence and madness.
And Noemí, mesmerized by the terrifying yet seductive world of High Place, may soon find it impossible to ever leave this enigmatic house behind.

I’ve wanted to read Mexican Gothic for such a long time, but sadly it let me down a bit. I wanted and expected this book to be similar to Rebecca, which I read last year and I really enjoyed. I loved the atmosphere and gothic mystery of `Rebecca, and in a way it was reflected in the story of Mexican Gothic.

The part of this book that didn’t surprise me at all is that it was so slow. I really found it difficult to motivate myself to pick this up, because the plot just didn’t seem to be moving. I broke this down to few pages a day as I was reading this as part of a buddy read, which definitely helped and I think I would have struggled to finish it if it wasn’t for that. Even reading 20-30 pages at a time felt like a slog.

The plot was really interesting but sadly didn’t carry much weight or tension for me. As the book continues, there was more intrigue and I was fascinated by how the house played a role in this story. However, parts of the plot were much darker than expected, and please check trigger warnings if you are going to check this one out.

The atmosphere was definitely my favourite part of the story, and was quite involving. When I found myself reading this one, I could lose myself in the pages only because of the atmosphere. Overall, there were aspects of this book I enjoyed, but there weren’t enough elements to really love the story, sadly.

★★★
3 out of 5 stars

-Beth

May your shelves forever overflow with books! ☽

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Review: If You Could See the Sun by Ann Liang

On By Beth JonesIn Book ReviewLeave a comment

Goodreads | Bookshop.org

Alice Sun has always felt invisible at her elite Beijing international boarding school, where she’s the only scholarship student among China’s most rich and influential teens. But then she starts uncontrollably turning invisible—actually invisible.
When her parents drop the news that they can no longer afford her tuition, even with the scholarship, Alice hatches a plan to monetize her strange new power—she’ll discover the scandalous secrets her classmates want to know, for a price.
But as the tasks escalate from petty scandals to actual crimes, Alice must decide if it’s worth losing her conscience—or even her life.

This book was sent to me by Harper Insider in exchange for an honest review – thank you!

I honestly enjoyed this book so much. I picked up the audiobook (Harper do some great audio!) and it gripped me from the start – I finished it in about 24 hours. The plot was so easy to get caught up in but also focused heavily on these little moments between the two main characters, who I ended up really liking.

The concept of this book was so fun and entertaining but considered some really heavy topics as well, especially as money was such a huge part of the story. It also discusses themes such as racism, class divide, poverty and inequality. There was so much of this book that felt considered and balanced against the entertainment factor.

And everything about this moment is so lovely and so fragile in its loveliness that I’m almost afraid to hold it. 

This had such an interesting magical realism element – although this book is set in the real world and feels like a contemporary, our main character does have the power of invisibility that adds a fantasy layer. I really liked how this was done and it felt really easy to read and easy to fall into as a story.

I liked both of the main characters, and their relationship between us which had an academic enemies to lovers trope. There was little moments between them which I really enjoyed reading, but the only disappointing part was that I didn’t always feel connected to the characters, it did feel intermittent depending on the scene.

Afraid that the spell will break.

Overall, this book was really enjoyable and the concept was so clever. It had such a unique storyline with some great characters and the audiobook was great too.

★★★★
4 out of 5 stars

-Beth

May your shelves forever overflow with books! ☽

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Review: Kingdom of the Feared (#3) by Kerri Maniscalco

On By Beth JonesIn Book ReviewLeave a comment

Storygraph | Bookshop.org

Emilia is reeling from the shocking discovery that her twin sister, Vittoria, is alive. But before she faces the demons of her past, Emilia yearns to claim her king, the seductive Prince of Wrath, in the flesh. Emilia doesn’t simply desire his body, she wants his heart and soul—but that’s something the enigmatic demon can’t promise her.
When a high-ranking member of House Greed is assassinated, Emilia and Wrath are drawn to the rival demon court. Damning evidence points to Vittoria as the murderer and she’s quickly declared an enemy of the Seven Circles. Despite her betrayal, Emilia will do anything to solve this new mystery and find out who her sister really is.
Together Emilia and Wrath play a sin-fueled game of deception as they work to stop the unrest that’s brewing between witches, demons, shape-shifters and the most treacherous foes of all: the Feared.
Emilia was warned that when it came to the Wicked nothing was as it seemed. But, have the true villains been much closer all along? When the truth is finally revealed, it just might end up costing Emilia her heart.

I’ve read a lot of Kerri Maniscalco’s books and I was really happy to read the 3rd and final book in this series soon after it was initially released. I’ve been following Emilia and Wrath through several worlds and mysterious plots, and we finish in the demon court.

The world has always been magical and well painted throughout this series. Maniscalco writes dark and mysterious fantasy worlds so well and I can still picture some of the scenes months after finishing this series. The world building is one of the biggest appeals for me, and I really wanted to pick up the book because of it.

I’ve had my qualms about Emilia and Wrath throughout this series, including the power dynamic between them that was heavily demonstrated in Kingdom of the Cursed (review here). Although there is definitely heat and tension between them, the sex was definitely in the forefront of this story, and I had mixed feelings about it.

There is no doubt that these books are full of sexual tension and smut, and I do enjoy these scenes for the most part. However, the smut has become heavier and more frequent as this series has gone on, and the balance was a little off by the end. I also couldn’t help but feel like the scenes could occasionally feel just a touch repetitive and lose their excitement.

I love the atmosphere and writing in this book, but did edge down my ratings a little because of the romance, as I couldn’t help but feel it took away from the plot. However, I still really enjoyed the conclusion to this enjoyable fantasy series.

★★★★
4 out of 5 stars

-Beth

May your shelves forever overflow with books! ☽

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London Bookshop Vlog and Book Haul

On By Beth JonesIn Book HaulLeave a comment

Hi everyone! I recently visited London so I thought I’d include my London Bookshop Vlog here where I visited Daunt Books for the first time, which was so cool. Daunt Books has a ‘travel bias’, meaning a good portion of the shop is organised by place – for example, countries have separate shelves and these sections include travel books, non-fiction and fiction.

You can find my bookshop vlog below, and my haul further down the post.

These are the books I got in London and a few others!

Storygraph | Bookshop.org

Two friends meet across three dinners.
In the back room of a pet shop, they snack on dried shrimps and discuss fish-breeding. In a remote new home in the mountains, they look for a solution to a weasel infestation. During a dinner party in a blizzard, a mounting claustrophobia makes way for uneasy dreams. Their conversations often take them in surprising directions, but when one of the men becomes a father, more and more is left unsaid. 
With emotional acuity and a wry humour, Weasels In The Attic is an uncanny and striking reflection on fertility, masculinity, and marriage in contemporary Japan.

I asked my boyfriend Mark to choose a book from Daunt for me to help me decide what to buy, as I like having a book as a souvenir when I visit a new shop or place. I knew I wanted one from the Japan section, so I gave him a few options, but just before we headed out he spotted the above book. It’s a short, 70ish page novella and I’m excited to check it out.

Storygraph | Bookshop.org

Take a story and shrink it. Make it tiny, so small it can fit in the palm of your hand. Carry the story with you everywhere, let it sit with you while you eat, let it watch you while you sleep. Keep it safe, you never know when you might need it. In Kawakami’s super short ‘palm of the hand’ stories the world is never quite as it should be: a small child lives under a sheet near his neighbour’s house for thirty years; an apartment block leaves its visitors with strange afflictions, from fast-growing beards to an ability to channel the voices of the dead; an old man has two shadows, one docile, the other rebellious; two girls named Yoko are locked in a bitter rivalry to the death. Small but great, you’ll find great delight spending time with the people in this neighbourhood.

This is one of the books I asked Mark to pick from, and I’ve wanted to read it ever since I saw it in Foyles Charing Cross Road a few years ago! Mark actually bought me both of these, thank you 🙂

Storygraph | Bookshop.org

In the aftermath of tragedy, it’s strange the things you remember.
 The deafening boom as the house exploded.
 The paralyzing fear as I searched for my wife.
 The blinding smoke burning my eyes as I carried her out. 
But carved into my soul for the rest of my days would be the earth-shattering realization that the woman in my arms wasn’t my wife. 
Bree and I were the only survivors—not that either of us were truly living after that night. As a single dad with nowhere else to go, I moved into her guest house. And somehow, through the guilt and grief, we forged an unlikely team. 
It took years, but I watched the gradual return of her smile—slow and life-altering. The two of us could sit outside for hours, talking about nothing, and it filled the massive hole in my chest with new life. 
I may have carried her out of that fire, but the truth was, Bree saved me. 
As we healed, the secrets and lies of the past smoldered in the ashes, threatening to ignite again. 
Our love was born from the embers, and together we would go up in flames.

The day after we got home from London, I visited the bookshop I used to work in to pick up a few things, including From the Embers by Aly Martinez, which was sent to me from the publisher. Thank you, Hachette!

Storygraph | Bookshop.org

I also decided to buy a standard hardback of Chain of Thorns to round off my Last Hours trilogy! I now have the hardback rune editions and standard editions. I’m sure it’ll be a while still before I pick these up, but I’m glad to have them.

What have you purchased or received recently?

-Beth

May your shelves forever overflow with books! ☽

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March TBR

On By Beth JonesIn Wrap-Ups + TBRsLeave a comment

Hi all!

It’s another month, and time for another TBR! As usual, I played mini-golf to decide what to read in the month of March, and if you’d like to watch this in video format, you can see this below.

Storygraph | Bookshop.org

Two friends meet across three dinners.
In the back room of a pet shop, they snack on dried shrimps and discuss fish-breeding. In a remote new home in the mountains, they look for a solution to a weasle infestation. During a dinner party in a blizzard, a mounting claustrophobia makes way for uneasy dreams. Their conversations often take them in surprising directions, but when one of the men becomes a father, more and more is left unsaid. 
With emotional acuity and a wry humour, Weasles In The Attic is an uncanny and striking reflection on fertility, masculinity, and marriage in contemporary Japan.

The first prompt I pulled out was orange cover, and I immediately chose Weasels in the Attic by Hiroko Oyamada. Mark bought this for me in Daunt Books the other week, and I’ve had my eye on it ever since. It also has a very bright, very orange cover, helpfully!

Storygraph | Bookshop.org

Meet Nora Hughes – the overworked, underpaid, last bookish assistant standing. At least for now.
When Nora landed an editorial assistant role at Parsons Press she thought it would be The Dream Job. But after five years of admin and taking lunch orders, Nora has come to the conclusion: Dream Jobs do not exist.
With her life spiralling and unable to afford her rent, Nora does the only thing she can think of and starts freelancing for a rival publisher.
But when Andrew Santos, a bestselling author (who also happens to be quite attractive), is thrown into Nora’s life, she must decide where her loyalties lie, and whether she’s ready to choose herself and her future over her job…
Your next book club read touching on mental health, happiness and the ups and downs of being a young woman trying to figure it all out.

The next prompt was author debut and I picked up Must Love Books by Shauna Robinson! This one was gifted to me by Harper Collins (as were most of the books in this post!) and I’ve wanted to pick it up ever since they sent it – I’m especially drawn in by the quote from Taylor Jenkins Reid on the cover.

Storygraph | Bookshop.org

Authors June Hayward and Athena Liu were supposed to be twin rising stars: same year at Yale, same debut year in publishing. But Athena’s a cross-genre literary darling, and June didn’t even get a paperback release. Nobody wants stories about basic white girls, June thinks.
So when June witnesses Athena’s death in a freak accident, she acts on impulse: she steals Athena’s just-finished masterpiece, an experimental novel about the unsung contributions of Chinese laborers to the British and French war efforts during World War I.
So what if June edits Athena’s novel and sends it to her agent as her own work? So what if she lets her new publisher rebrand her as Juniper Song—complete with an ambiguously ethnic author photo? Doesn’t this piece of history deserve to be told, whoever the teller? That’s what June claims, and the New York Times bestseller list seems to agree.
But June can’t get away from Athena’s shadow, and emerging evidence threatens to bring June’s (stolen) success down around her. As June races to protect her secret, she discovers exactly how far she will go to keep what she thinks she deserves.

The next prompt was one word title and Yellowface was the first one to catch my eye! I feel so honoured to get a copy of this one, also from Harper Collins. This sounds so interesting and I’m very excited to pick it up before the release in May.

Storygraph | Bookshop.org

A pirate of infamy and one of the most storied and scandalous captains to sail the seven seas. 
Amina al-Sirafi has survived backstabbing rogues, vengeful merchant princes, several husbands, and one actual demon to retire peacefully with her family to a life of piety, motherhood, and absolutely nothing that hints of the supernatural.
But when she’s offered a job no bandit could refuse, she jumps at the chance for one final adventure with her old crew that will make her a legend and offers a fortune that will secure her and her family’s future forever.
Yet the deeper Amina dives the higher the stakes. For there’s always risk in wanting to become a legend, to seize one last chance at glory, to savour just a bit more power…and the price might be your very soul.

The next prompt was more than 400 pages, which is daunting but allowed me to pick up another anticipated release from Harper Collins, The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty! I’ve never read anything by this author, but this one sounds so interesting and I can’t wait to pick it up.

Storygraph | Bookshop.org

Clarissa Wong at HarperCollins/HarperAlley has acquired, at auction, world rights to Firebird, the debut YA graphic novel by Sunmi, in a two-book deal. Firebird follows Caroline as she crushes on Kim, an older student she tutors, and their friendship through their varied experiences as queer children of Asian-American immigrants. Publication is scheduled for 2022; Susan Graham at Einstein Literary Management handled the deal.

The last prompt was cozy reading, and I always see graphic novels as cozy because you can often read them in one sitting. I picked up another anticipated release from Harper Collins, which is Firebird by Sunmi. Thank you to Harper for fuelling my TBR for March!

Which books are you hoping to read in March?

-Beth

May your shelves forever overflow with books! ☽

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January Wrap Up | 10 Books Read

On By Beth JonesIn Wrap-Ups + TBRsLeave a comment

Hello and welcome back to my blog! Today I’m going to be posting my January wrap up. I read 10 books in January, which might be a lot less than I read in December, but I’m still pretty happy with.

I’m hoping to read 100 books this year, and I finished January ahead of schedule, which I’m happy about.

If you’d like to see me discuss the books I read in January in video format, you can watch the video below.

Storygraph | Bookshop.org

Most days, Ellie Pillai is somewhere between invisible, and not very cool – and usually she’s okay with that. But suddenly, Ellie feels different. Maybe it’s the new boy at school who makes her brain explode into rainbows every time she sees him (and also happens to be going out with her best friend), or maybe it’s her new drama teacher, the one who seems to have noticed she exists. Suddenly, her misfit style, her skin colour, her songwriting and all that getting lost in the music in her head seem to be okay too. Because maybe standing out isn’t a bad thing after all.

★★★★
3.5 out of 5 stars

Storygraph | Bookshop.org

Jamie Rambeau is a happy 11-year-old non-binary kid who likes nothing better than hanging out with their two best friends Daisy and Ash. But when the trio find out that in Year Seven they will be separated into one school for boys and another for girls, their friendship suddenly seems at risk. And when Jamie realises no one has thought about where they are going to go, they decide to take matters into their own hands, and sort it all out once and for all.
As the friends’ efforts to raise awareness eventually become a rooftop protest against the binary rules for the local schools, Jamie realises that if they don’t figure out a way forwards, they might be at risk of losing both their friends forever.

★★★★★
5 out of 5 stars

Storygraph | Bookshop.org

A Deadly Education is set at Scholomance, a school for the magically gifted where failure means certain death (for real) — until one girl, El, begins to unlock its many secrets. There are no teachers, no holidays, and no friendships, save strategic ones. Survival is more important than any letter grade, for the school won’t allow its students to leave until they graduate… or die! The rules are deceptively simple: Don’t walk the halls alone. And beware of the monsters who lurk everywhere. El is uniquely prepared for the school’s dangers. She may be without allies, but she possesses a dark power strong enough to level mountains and wipe out millions. It would be easy enough for El to defeat the monsters that prowl the school. The problem? Her powerful dark magic might also kill all the other students.

★★★
3 out of 5 stars

Storygraph | Bookshop.org

★★★
3 out of 5 stars

Storygraph | Bookshop.org

★★★
3 out of 5 stars

Storygraph | Bookshop.org

Ajay is a Mumbai railway kid, a newspaper seller, but his great dream is to be a journalist. His dream comes true when he and a gang of friends create their own newspaper – but what is the cost of uncovering the truth?

★★★★
4 out of 5 stars

Storygraph | Bookshop.org

Jamie and Andrew are strangers, and two of the last people left alive.
After a catastrophic event wipes out most of the population, Jamie finds himself alone in a cabin in the woods.
He’s learned to fear other desperate survivors, but when he meets the injured Andrew, Jamie is compelled to help. As they step out into this strange new world together, their friendship begins to feel like something more…
Jamie and Andrew are hoping for safety, for shelter, for community. But ahead of them is a perilous journey through a world torn apart.
They don’t know what they’ll find on their perilous journey … but they may just find each other.

★★★★
4 out of 5 stars

Storygraph | Bookshop.org

Murder is a very simple crime. But at the hands of a maniac, a serial killer, it becomes a very complicated business.
With the whole country in a state of panic, the killer is growing more confident with each successive execution – Mrs Ascher in Andover, Betty Barnard in Bexhill, Sir Carmichael Clarke in Churston… But laying a trail of deliberate clues to taunt the proud Hercule Poirot might just be his first mistake… 

★★★★
4 out of 5 stars

Storygraph | Bookshop.org

Seventeen-year-old Aisha hasn’t seen her sister June for two years. And now that a calamity is about to end the world in nine months’ time, she and her mother decide that it’s time to track her down and mend the hurts of the past. Along with Aisha’s Chinese boyfriend, Walter and his parents (and Fleabag the stray cat), the group take a roadtrip through Malaysia in a wildly decorated campervan – to put the past to rest, to come to terms with the present, and to hope for the future.

★★★★★
5 out of 5 stars

Storygraph | Bookshop.org

Baek Sehee is a successful young social media director at a publishing house when she begins seeing a psychiatrist about her – what to call it? – depression? She feels persistently low, anxious, endlessly self-doubting, but also highly judgemental of others. She hides her feelings well at work and with friends; adept at performing the calmness, even ease, her lifestyle demands. The effort is exhausting, overwhelming, and keeps her from forming deep relationships. This can’t be normal.
But if she’s so hopeless, why can she always summon a desire for her favourite street food, the hot, spicy rice cake, tteokbokki? Is this just what life is like?
Recording her dialogues with her psychiatrist over a 12-week period, Baek begins to disentangle the feedback loops, knee-jerk reactions and harmful behaviours that keep her locked in a cycle of self-abuse. Part memoir, part self-help book, I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki is a book to keep close and to reach for in times of darkness.

★★★★★
4.5 out of 5 stars

I’m really proud of myself for buddy reading the whole of the Deadly Education series in January with Alex, but sadly they turned out to be my least favourite books of the month. My favourite read of the month was tied with Jamie and The Cats We Meet Along the Way.

-Beth

May your shelves forever overflow with books! ☽

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February TBR

On By Beth JonesIn Wrap-Ups + TBRsLeave a comment

Hello readers!

It’s a little late for my February TBR but here we are! As usual, I picked my monthly TBR by playing mini golf, and you can see the video below.

Storygraph | Bookshop.org

When the Bat’s away, the Cat will play. It’s time to see how many lives this cat really has. . . .
Two years after escaping Gotham City’s slums, Selina Kyle returns as the mysterious and wealthy Holly Vanderhees. She quickly discovers that with Batman off on a vital mission, Batwing is left to hold back the tide of notorious criminals. Gotham City is ripe for the taking.
Meanwhile, Luke Fox wants to prove he has what it takes to help people in his role as Batwing. He targets a new thief on the prowl who seems cleverer than most. She has teamed up with Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn, and together they are wreaking havoc. This Catwoman may be Batwing’s undoing.

The first prompt I received from my mini golf game was the book that’s been on my TBR for the longest. It’s hard to find the exact one, and a lot of the books I’ve owned for the longest are part of a series, but Catwoman: Soulstealer is the standalone that has been on my physical TBR for the longest – I think! I’ve been waiting to read this whole (companion) series together, but we’ll see if I manage to do that or not!

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One morning at Styles Court, an Essex country manor, the elderly owner is found dead of strychnine poisoning. Arthur Hastings, a soldier staying there on sick leave from the Western Front, ventures out to the nearby village of Styles St. Mary to ask help from his friend Hercule Poirot, an eccentric Belgian inspector. Thus, in this classic whodunit, one of the most famous characters in detective fiction makes his debut on the world stage. With a half dozen suspects who all harbor secrets, it takes all of Poirot’s prodigious sleuthing skills to untangle the mystery–but not before the inquiry undergoes scores of spellbinding twists and surprises.

The second prompt just happened to be oldest book released, or the oldest book on my TBR. This one worked out to be one of the most recent books I’ve actually bought, and this edition was only released in November 2022. I’ve read a few Christie books recently and I’m looking forward to reading the first Poirot.

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Romance book connoisseur Tara Chen has had her heart broken ten times by ten different men—all of whom dumped her because of her “stage-five clinger” tendencies. Nevertheless, Tara is determined to find The One. The only problem? Classic meet-cutes are dead, thanks to modern dating apps. So Tara decides to revisit her exes in hopes of securing her very own trope-worthy second-chance romance.
Boston firefighter Trevor Metcalfe will be the first to rush into a burning building but the last to rush into a relationship. Love just isn’t his thing. When his new roommate Tara enlists him to help her reconnect with her exes, he reluctantly agrees. But Tara’s journey is leading him to discover his own new chapter. 
The more time they spend together, the more Tara realizes Trevor seems to be the only one who appreciates her authentic, dramatic self. To claim their happily ever after, can Tara and Trevor read between the lines of their growing connection?

The next prompt I got was most recent purchase, of which I could choose between this one from the January Illumicrate Afterlight box (unboxing video here) and Like a Curse as I received them on the same day. Thank you to Knights Of for my copy of Like a Curse! I can’t wait to read more from Elle McNicoll, but I fancied a romance for Valentine’s Day, and Exes and O’s sounds so good.

Storygraph | Waterstones

Beloved for the simple grace of its artwork as much as the poetic elegance of its text (adapted by Midori Motohashi), The Garden of Words begins with a chance, rainswept encounter between Takao, a young man who dreams of becoming a shoe designer, and Yukari, an enigmatic woman he finds sitting alone, nursing a beer on a park bench. The spare interaction of these two lonely souls sparks a spiritual transformation for the young man, and perhaps the woman as well. As this intriguing, understated story unfolds, their lives will become further intertwined amid rain, beer, school, and shoe cobbling. Words are not often necessary, but in this case just a few words can make a difference in one’s heart.

I then picked up the prompt of favourite author, of which I chose to read The Garden of Words by Makoto Shinkai and Midoiri Motohashi. I am trying to make my way through everything Shinkai produces and I’m a big fan of his films, especially Your Name. I can’t wait to read this manga!

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Lewis has a few things to say to his younger teen self. He knows she hates her body. He knows she’s confused about who to snog. He knows she’s really a he and will ultimately realize this… but she’s going to go through a whole lot of mess (some of it funny, some of it not funny at all) to get to that point. Lewis is trying to tell her this… but she’s refusing to listen.

And the last prompt was quick read, and I chose the graphic novel Welcome to St. Hell by Lewis Hancox. I’ve actually already read this one, and I can confirm it was absolutely brilliant and so well done. It’s a quick read due to the graphic novel format, and Hancox does an amazing job of making such a difficult subject so full of heart, warmth and humour.

Which books are you hoping to read in February?

-Beth

May your shelves forever overflow with books! ☽

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Top 5 Books of 2022

On By Beth JonesIn Let's Discuss!4 Comments

Hi everyone! I recently took it upon myself to rank all 150 books I read in 2022. I’ll add the image of the whole tier at the bottom of this post, but if you’d like to watch me decide the ranking, you can watch my YouTube video linked below.

Ranking all of these allowed me to find my top 5 and 10 books of the year, which was pretty cool to know. I already had a good idea about which were in my top 5, and I definitely knew which would come out on top, but it was so interesting to rank them against each other.

5. Under a Dancing Star by Laura Wood

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In grey, 1930s England, Bea has grown up kicking against the conventions of the time, all the while knowing that she will one day have to marry someone her parents choose – someone rich enough to keep the family estate alive. But she longs for so much more – for adventure, excitement, travel, and maybe even romance.
When she gets the chance to spend the summer in Italy with her bohemian uncle and his fiancée, a whole world is opened up to Bea – a world that includes Ben, a cocky young artist who just happens to be infuriatingly handsome too. Sparks fly between the quick-witted pair until one night, under the stars, a challenge is set: can Bea and Ben put aside their teasing and have the perfect summer romance?
With their new friends gleefully setting the rules for their fling, Bea and Ben can agree on one thing at least: they absolutely, positively will not, cannot fall in love…
A long, hot summer of kisses and mischief unfolds – but storm clouds are gathering across Europe, and home is calling. Every summer has to end – but for Bea, this might be just the beginning.

Overall, this was probably one of my most surprising reads of the year. I read A Sky Painted Gold back in 2021 and although I enjoyed it, it didn’t quite reach 5 stars. Under a Dancing Star, however, was such a beautiful read on a long summer evening and it was absolutely brilliant. I don’t usually read a lot of historical as it doesn’t usually appeal to me, so this was even more of pleasant surprise.

You can read my full review here.

4. i love this part by Tillie Walden

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Two girls in a small town in the USA kill time together as they try to get through their days at school.
They watch videos, share earbuds as they play each other songs and exchange their stories. In the process they form a deep connection and an unexpected relationship begins to develop.

My 4th favourite book of the year was also a little surprising, as I have never read anything by this author before. This was also a very short graphic novel, but it had a big impact.

i love this part covers the relationship between two girls. It follows everything from the smallest moments to the big ones – and it encapsulates so many tiny parts of a relationship that I really related to and loved.

You can read my review here.

3. The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood

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As a third-year Ph.D. candidate, Olive Smith doesn’t believe in lasting romantic relationships–but her best friend does, and that’s what got her into this situation. Convincing Anh that Olive is dating and well on her way to a happily ever after was always going to take more than hand-wavy Jedi mind tricks: Scientists require proof. So, like any self-respecting biologist, Olive panics and kisses the first man she sees.
That man is none other than Adam Carlsen, a young hotshot professor–and well-known ass. Which is why Olive is positively floored when Stanford’s reigning lab tyrant agrees to keep her charade a secret and be her fake boyfriend. But when a big science conference goes haywire, putting Olive’s career on the Bunsen burner, Adam surprises her again with his unyielding support and even more unyielding… six-pack abs.
Suddenly their little experiment feels dangerously close to combustion. And Olive discovers that the only thing more complicated than a hypothesis on love is putting her own heart under the microscope.

My 3rd favourite book of the year was The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood, which I couldn’t help picking up due to the hype! I’m not usually so impressed by romances, but I could not put this one down and I binged it so quickly. I can’t wait to read more from this author!

You can find my full review here.

2. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

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Aging and reclusive Hollywood movie icon Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life. But when she chooses unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant for the job, no one is more astounded than Monique herself. Why her? Why now?
Monique is not exactly on top of the world. Her husband has left her, and her professional life is going nowhere. Regardless of why Evelyn has selected her to write her biography, Monique is determined to use this opportunity to jumpstart her career.
Summoned to Evelyn’s luxurious apartment, Monique listens in fascination as the actress tells her story. From making her way to Los Angeles in the 1950s to her decision to leave show business in the ‘80s, and, of course, the seven husbands along the way, Evelyn unspools a tale of ruthless ambition, unexpected friendship, and a great forbidden love. Monique begins to feel a very real connection to the legendary star, but as Evelyn’s story near its conclusion, it becomes clear that her life intersects with Monique’s own in tragic and irreversible ways.

I also had another surprising read – The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. This one was particularly surprising as I had actually read Daisy Jones and the Six and didn’t feel as impressed by it as everyone else seemed to be at the time. I wasn’t planning on reading anything more by this author, until my lovely friend Courtney read and absolutely loved Seven Husbands. I decided to try it and absolutely fell in love with this amazing book. It’s so involving, beautiful, shocking and I couldn’t put it down.

You can read my full review here.

1.Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

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On a bitter-cold day, in the December of his junior year at Harvard, Sam Masur exits a subway car and sees, amid the hordes of people waiting on the platform, Sadie Green. He calls her name. For a moment, she pretends she hasn’t heard him, but then, she turns, and a game begins: a legendary collaboration that will launch them to stardom. These friends, intimates since childhood, borrow money, beg favors, and, before even graduating college, they have created their first blockbuster, Ichigo. Overnight, the world is theirs. Not even twenty-five years old, Sam and Sadie are brilliant, successful, and rich, but these qualities won’t protect them from their own creative ambitions or the betrayals of their hearts.
Spanning thirty years, from Cambridge, Massachusetts, to Venice Beach, California, and lands in between and far beyond, Gabrielle Zevin’s Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow is a dazzling and intricately imagined novel that examines the multifarious nature of identity, disability, failure, the redemptive possibilities in play, and above all, our need to connect: to be loved and to love. Yes, it is a love story, but it is not one you have read before.

And it came as no surprise to find my favourite book of the year was Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin. I absolutely loved this book, which is a slow burn, beautiful story following intricate characters over a number of years.

You can find my full review here.

-Beth

May your shelves forever overflow with books! ☽

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January TBR | Books I Want to Read in January

On By Beth JonesIn Wrap-Ups + TBRsLeave a comment

Hi all and welcome to another post! It’s a little late, but I thought today I’d talk about some of the books I’d like to read in January – as picked by mini-golf.

Every month I play a mini-golf game to decide what I’m going to read and you can see the video below to watch me play!

The books I ended up picking this month are:

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Baek Sehee is a successful young social media director at a publishing house when she begins seeing a psychiatrist about her – what to call it? – depression? She feels persistently low, anxious, endlessly self-doubting, but also highly judgemental of others. She hides her feelings well at work and with friends; adept at performing the calmness, even ease, her lifestyle demands. The effort is exhausting, overwhelming, and keeps her from forming deep relationships. This can’t be normal.
But if she’s so hopeless, why can she always summon a desire for her favourite street food, the hot, spicy rice cake, tteokbokki? Is this just what life is like?
Recording her dialogues with her psychiatrist over a 12-week period, Baek begins to disentangle the feedback loops, knee-jerk reactions and harmful behaviours that keep her locked in a cycle of self-abuse. Part memoir, part self-help book, I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki is a book to keep close and to reach for in times of darkness.

I’ve had this one for a while, thanks to Bloomsbury for sending me a copy! I don’t read a lot of non fiction but this one sounds really interesting and it’s only short, so not too daunting even though I picked this for the prompt outside of my comfort zone.

Storygraph | Bookshop.org

Jamie Rambeau is a happy 11-year-old non-binary kid who likes nothing better than hanging out with their two best friends Daisy and Ash. But when the trio find out that in Year Seven they will be separated into one school for boys and another for girls, their friendship suddenly seems at risk. And when Jamie realises no one had thought about where they are going to go, they decide to take matters into their own hands, and sort it all out once and for all.
As complaints at school turn into a rooftop protest against the binary rules for the local schools, Jamie realises that if they don’t figure out a way forwards, they might be at risk of losing both their friends forever.

I then chose to pick Jamie, which I recently received from the publisher Hachette – thank you to them! I’m so excited for this one, and I’ve actually already started reading it. I picked this one out for less than 300 pages.

Storygraph | Bookshop.org

Abandoned on the Mumbai railways, Ajay has grown up with nothing but a burning wish to be a journalist.
Finding an abandoned printing press, he and his friends Saif, Vinod, Yasmin and Jai create their own newspaper: The Mumbai Sun.
As they hunt down stories for their paper, the children uncover corruption, fight for justice and battle to save their slum from bulldozers.
But against some of the most powerful forces in the city, can Ajay and his friends really succeed in bringing the truth to light? Not to mention win the most important cricket match ever …

I then picked out Ajay and the Mumbai Sun for brown cover (let’s pretend this is more brown than orange….). This one was sent to me by Chicken House and I’ve already read this one!

Storygraph | Bookshop.org

Most days, Ellie Pillai is somewhere between invisible, and not very cool – and usually she’s okay with that. But suddenly, Ellie feels different. Maybe it’s the new boy at school who makes her brain explode into rainbows every time she sees him (and also happens to be going out with her best friend), or maybe it’s her new drama teacher, the one who seems to have noticed she exists. Suddenly, her misfit style, her skin colour, her songwriting and all that getting lost in the music in her head seem to be okay too. Because maybe standing out isn’t a bad thing after all.

The next prompt was more than 400 pages, and I picked Ellie Pillai is Brown, which I’ve also already read on audio and it was super cool, including songs in the audiobook! Thank you to Faber and Faber for this one.

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Seventeen-year-old Aisha hasn’t seen her sister June for two years. And now that a calamity is about to end the world in nine months’ time, she and her mother decide that it’s time to track her down and mend the hurts of the past. Along with Aisha’s Chinese boyfriend, Walter and his parents (and Fleabag the stray cat), the group take a roadtrip through Malaysia in a wildly decorated campervan – to put the past to rest, to come to terms with the present, and to hope for the future.

And last but not least was Mark pick – my boyfriend picked for me to read The Cats We Meet Along the Way, which was sent to me from Guppy Publishing.

What are you planning to read in January?

-Beth

May your shelves forever overflow with books! ☽

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