Last year was surprisingly fruitful where reading is concerned. Despite how busy I seemed to be, and how little time I had to actually write, I was able to finish a total of 48 books. This is a substantial increase on the 35 I finished in 2023, and we’d better not talk about 2022 where…
Category: Book Reviews
Welcome to the book blogging part of my website. Here you’ll find all of my reviews, as well as posts on other reading related events such as readathons, cover reveals, author interviews and blog tours.
Review: A Most Improper Magick by Stephanie Burgis
There are no words which can adequately describe how much I loved this middle-grade fantasy and first book in what looks to be a fun and charming series. The story starts as 12-year-old Kat, dressed as a boy, is trying to sneak out of her house to run off to London. She is scared that…
Review: The Darkness Before Them by Matthew Ward
Political schemes, betrayal, and a desperate revolution can be found in this start to a fast-paced new fantasy series from Matthew Ward. Synopsis All is not well in the kingdom of Khalad. Ruled over by a king that cannot die, noble Fireblood houses vie for control while lower-class Cinderbloods work with no hope of advancement….
Review: The Girl Who Fell Beneath The Sea by Axie Oh
I had high hopes for The Girl Who Fell Beneath The Sea and I couldn’t be happier to have started 2022 so well by finishing this excellent new fantasy about love and sacrifice and the lengths we will go to in order to protect those we love. Title: The Girl Who Fell Beneath The SeaAuthor:…
The Inevitability of Death in Garth Nix’s Old Kingdom Series
I was a teenager when I first read the Old Kingdom trilogy as it was then. I don’t remember quite how old I was, probably around 14 or so. I was lonely and awkward as many young people are, and books were the one constant I had; books were an escape from the uncertainty I…
Review: The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang
I was not ready for this series when I picked it up. I bought the audiobook after having seen other people talk about it on Goodreads, expecting it to be good, but having no idea it would become one of my favourite books to have read this year. Title: The Poppy WarAuthor: R.F. KuangPublisher: Harper…
The Gatekeeper of Pericael by Hayley Reese Chow – ARC Review
A fun and refreshing middle-grade fantasy, filled with magic, monsters, and nerds! Title: The Gatekeeper of PericaelAuthor: Hayley Reese ChowGenre: Middle-grade fantasyPublication date: April 6th 2021Rating: 4/5 Synopsis from Goodreads Twelve-year-old Porter would much rather spend his weekends playing soccer than channeling spirits in the parallel universe of Pericael. Unfortunately for him, Porter’s family has…
Review: The Paris Dressmaker by Kristy Cambron
Set in early 1940’s France, the Paris Dressmaker tells the story of two women who risked their lives to save the people and country they love. Title: The Paris DressmakerAuthor: Kristy CambronGenre: Historical fiction/romancePublisher: Thomas NelsonPublication date: February 16th 2021 Synopsis Based on true accounts of how Parisiennes resisted the Nazi occupation in World War…
Review: Who I Was With Her by Nita Tyndall
Title: Who I Was With HerAuthor: Nita TyndallPublication date: September 15th 2020Publisher: HarperTeenFormat: EbookRating: 5/5 Synopsis There are two things that Corinne Parker knows to be true: that she is in love with Maggie Bailey, the captain of the rival high school’s cross-country team and her secret girlfriend of a year, and that she isn’t…
Rounding Up My Favourite Reads Of The Year
If there’s one thing we can probably all agree on, it’s that 2020 has been an objectively bad year. However, one silver lining has been that I’ve had far more time to read than I anticipated. I was supposed to start postgraduate study in September, however due to the Coronavirus pandemic my start date was…