Book Reviews

For the whole of human history, we have lived alongside birds. We have hunted and domesticated them for food; venerated them in our mythologies, religions, and rituals; exploited them for their natural resources; and been inspired by them for our music, art, and poetry.  
  
In Ten Birds That Changed the World, naturalist and author Stephen Moss tells the gripping story of this long and intimate relationship through key species from all seven of the world’s continents. From Odin’s faithful raven companions to Darwin’s finches, and from the wild turkey of the Americas to the emperor penguin as potent symbol of the climate crisis, this is a fascinating, eye-opening, and endlessly engaging work of natural history.

MY THOUGHTS

This is the second book I have read by this author and I find his writing really easy to read and it flows really well. I have been enjoying reading books about animals and nature recently as my non fiction reads in between my fiction books and I have a few more books by this author on my tbr for the next couple of months.This book looks at different birds that according to the author changed our world in some way like the dodo who has become the poster child for extinction after it became extinct it also goes into detail on how it became extinct and other factors that come into play in the cases of the other birds talked about in the book. If you are a nature lover then this is a book I would highly recommend along with all the authors other books which are all about birds/nature.

In the epic follow-up to the New York Times bestseller Sword Catcher, praised by George R. R. Martin as “everything I look for in fantasy,” Lin and Kel must chart a perilous course between love and lies.

Kel Saren, body double to Conor, crown prince of the dazzling city of Castellane, is caught between two worlds. In order to protect his beloved prince, Kel must find the culprits responsible for a massacre at the royal palace—and the only clues are held by the Ragpicker King, the notorious criminal who rules Castellane’s underworld. The trail Kel follows leads back to the Hill, where among decadent nobles and glittering parties a dark conspiracy to destroy the royal family has taken hold—a conspiracy headed up by the monstrous Artal Gremont, the man engaged to marry the woman Kel adores.

Meanwhile, Lin Caster must face the aftermath of the greatest risk she’s ever taken. To save the life of a dying friend, Lin has falsely claimed to be the Goddess Reborn, the legendary heroine destined to save her people. Now the terrifying—but strangely magnetic—leader of her people has arrived to test her powers. The price of failure is exile, and only through her alliance with the Ragpicker King can she continue to access the magic that may save her.

Then Prince Conor reappears in her life, demanding that she use her healing powers to cure the madness of his father, the King. Lin soon realizes the King is gripped by an ancient and terrible magic, one whose lure she cannot deny any more than she can deny her growing passion for Conor.

As the simmering tensions in Castellane reach a fever pitch, Lin and Kel must decide who to trust when any false move means death—or worse.

MY THOUGHTS

I enjoyed the first book Swordcatcher and was looking forward to this one as well and I must say it didn’t disappoint I found the beginning to be a little slow but once it picked up the pace I fell in and was swept along for the ride and what a ride it was. We start the book just after the first book finishes I think there was about a week in between the ending of the first book and the start of this one so you would have to read the first book before picking this one up. Again with this book you are mostly following Lin and kel but you get bits in between the chapters from other peoples perspective which was good as I thought it rounded the story out better. A few of the plot points I did guess like who the ragpicker king really is and prosper beck as there are subtle clues throughout both books if you notice them which lead you to their real identities. Overall I thought the story led on really well from the ending of the first book and as far as I knew this was supposed to be the last book but the ending left it where you knew there was no way this could be the end of the story and when I looked there is a going to be a third book but so far I have only seen a name no release date, synopsis or cover so hopefully it won’t be too long away. But if you are looking for a good book series with a some fantasy elements in it then this is a good series to pick up.

As a society, there is a tendency to elevate romantic love. But what about friendships? Aren’t they just as – if not more – important? So why is it hard to find the right words to express what these uniquely complex bonds mean to us? In Friendaholic: Confessions of a Friendship Addict, Elizabeth Day embarks on a journey to answer these questions.

Growing up, Elizabeth wanted to make everyone like her. Lacking friends at school, she grew up to believe that quantity equalled quality. Having lots of friends meant you were loved, popular and safe. She was determined to become a Good Friend. And, in many ways, she did. But in adulthood she slowly realised that it was often to the detriment of her own boundaries and mental health.

Then, when a global pandemic hit in 2020, she was one of many who were forced to reassess what friendship really meant to them – with the crisis came a dawning realisation: her truest friends were not always the ones she had been spending most time with. Why was this? Could she rebalance it? Was there such thing as…too many friends? And was she really the friend she thought she was?

Friendaholic unpacks the significance and evolution of friendship. From exploring her own personal friendships and the distinct importance of each of them in her life, to the unique and powerful insights of others across the globe, Elizabeth asks why there isn’t yet a language that can express its crucial influence on our world.

From ghosting and frenemies to social media and seismic life events, Elizabeth leaves no stone unturned. Friendaholic is the book you buy for the people you love but it’s also the book you read to become a better friend to yourself.

MY THOUGHTS

Having read a couple of Elizabeths other books I saw this and immediately picked it up as I knew I wanted to read it. She goes through the different aspects of friendship with different people and after each chapter there is a person talking about what friendship is to them which was a nice little extra. Elizabeth also dedicates certain chapters to specific friends of hers and talks about how they met and she asks them questions about what they think about friendship which again was nice to get different perspectives. I really enjoy Elizabeth’s non fiction writing and will definitely pick up more of it as I have really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it.

18-year-old Bel has lived her whole life in the shadow of her mom’s mysterious disappearance. Sixteen years ago, Rachel Price vanished and young Bel was the only witness. Rachel is gone, presumed dead.

The case is dragged up from the past when the Price family agree to a true crime documentary. Bel can’t wait for filming to end, for life to go back to normal. But then Rachel Price reappears, and life will never be normal again …

MY THOUGHTS

I have read the first Good Girls Guide to Murder book and Five Survive by this author and was excited to read this one too and it didn’t disappoint. I liked Bel although sometimes I thought she wasn’t the nicest I understood why she was like she was. I was suspicious of Rachel when she reappeared but I also wasn’t keen on Bels dad and wondered if he had anything to do with the mum’s disappearance and I enjoyed the story. The ending wasn’t my favourite but it was ok enough but the rest of the story made up for it for me and I didn’t end up putting the book down till I had finished it at 1.30 in the morning. So even though the ending wasn’t my favourite the rest of the story making up for it was enough for me to still give it 4 stars on goodreads. And I would recommend this book if you like her other books.

Prince Oak is paying for his betrayal. Imprisoned in the icy north and bound to the will of a monstrous new queen, he must rely on charm and calculation to survive. With High King Cardan and High Queen Jude willing to use any means necessary to retrieve their stolen heir, Oak will have to decide whether to attempt regaining the trust of the girl he’s always loved or to remain loyal to Elfhame and hand over the means to end her reign—even if it means ending Wren, too.



With a new war looming on the horizon and treachery lurking in every corner, neither Oak’s guile nor his wit will be enough to keep everyone he loves alive. It’s just a question of whom he will doom.

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author Holly Black comes the stunning blood-soaked conclusion to the Stolen Heir duology.

A young couple find themselves haunted by a string of gruesome murders committed along an old deserted road in this terrifying new novel.

July 1995. April and Eddie have taken a wrong turn. They’re looking for the small resort town where they plan to spend their honeymoon. When they spot what appears to be a lone hitchhiker along the deserted road, they stop to help. But not long after the hitchhiker gets into their car, they see the blood seeping from her jacket and a truck barreling down Atticus Line after them.

When the hitchhiker dies at the local hospital, April and Eddie find themselves in the crosshairs of the Coldlake Falls police. Unexplained murders have been happening along Atticus Line for years and the cops finally have two witnesses who easily become their only suspects. As April and Eddie start to dig into the history of the town and that horrible stretch of road to clear their names, they soon learn that there is something supernatural at work, something that could not only tear the town and its dark secrets apart, but take April and Eddie down with it all.

A missing baby. A fraught friendship. A secret that can never be told.

On a brisk fall night in a New York apartment, 35-year-old Billie West hears terrified screams. It’s her lifelong best friend Cassie Barnwell, one floor above, and she’s just realized her infant daughter has gone missing. Billie is shaken as she looks down into her own arms to see the baby, remembering—with a jolt of fear—that she is responsible for the kidnapping that has instantly shattered Cassie’s world.

So begins the story of Billie and Cassie’s friendship–both in recent weeks, and since they met twenty-three years ago, in their small Hudson Valley hometown the summer before seventh grade. Once fiercely bonded by their secrets, including a traumatic, unspeakable incident in high school, Cassie and Billie have drifted apart in adulthood, no longer the inseparable pair they used to be. Cassie is married to a wealthy man, has recently become a mother, and is building a following as a fashion and lifestyle influencer. She is desperate to leave her past behind–including Billie, who is single and childless, and no longer fits into her world. Hurt and rejected by Cassie’s new priorities, Billie will do anything to restore their friendship, even as she hides the truth about what really happened the night the baby was taken.

Told in alternating perspectives in Lovering’s signature suspenseful style, Bye Baby confronts the myriad ways friendships change and evolve over time, the lingering echoes of childhood trauma, and the impact of women’s choices on their lifelong relationships.

A couple inherits an apartment with a spine-tingling past in this binge-worthy thriller from the New York Times bestselling author of Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six.

Rosie and Chad Lowan are barely making ends meet in New York City when they receive life-changing news: Chad’s late uncle has left them his luxury apartment at the historic Windermere in glamorous Murray Hill. With its prewar elegance and impeccably uniformed doorman, the building is the epitome of old New York charm. One would almost never suspect the dark history lurking behind its perfectly maintained facade.

At first, the building and its eclectic tenants couldn’t feel more welcoming. But as the Lowans settle into their new home, Rosie starts to suspect that there’s more to the Windermere than meets the eye. Why is the doorman ever-present? Why are there cameras everywhere? And why have so many gruesome crimes occurred there throughout the years? When one of the neighbors turns up dead, Rosie must get to the truth about the Windermere before she, too, falls under its dangerous spell.

An epic novel of the construction of the Panama Canal, casting light on the unsung people who lived, loved, and labored there, by Cristina Henríquez, acclaimed author of The Book of Unknown Americans

It is said that the canal will be the greatest feat of engineering in history. But first, it must be built. For Francisco, a local fisherman who resents the foreign powers clamoring for a slice of his country, nothing is more upsetting than the decision of his son, Omar, to work as a digger in the excavation zone. But for Omar, whose upbringing was quiet and lonely, this job offers a chance to finally find connection.

Ada Bunting is a bold sixteen-year-old from Barbados who arrives in Panama as a stowaway alongside thousands of other West Indians seeking work. Alone and with no resources, she is determined to find a job that will earn enough money for her ailing sister’s surgery. When she sees a young man—Omar—who has collapsed after a grueling shift, she is the only one who rushes to his aid.

John Oswald has dedicated his life to scientific research and has journeyed to Panama in single-minded pursuit of one goal: eliminating malaria. But now, his wife, Marian, has fallen ill herself, and when he witnesses Ada’s bravery and compassion, he hires her on the spot as a caregiver. This fateful decision sets in motion a sweeping tale of ambition, loyalty, and sacrifice. 

Searing and empathetic, The Great Divide explores the intersecting lives of activists, fishmongers, laborers, journalists, neighbors, doctors, and soothsayers—those rarely acknowledged by history even as they carved out its course.

What if you thought you murdered your best friend? And if everyone else thought so too? And what if the truth doesn’t matter?

After Lucy is found wandering the streets, covered in her best friend Savvy’s blood, everyone thinks she is a murderer. Lucy and Savvy were the golden girls of their small Texas town: pretty, smart, and enviable. Lucy married a dream guy with a big ring and an even bigger new home. Savvy was the social butterfly loved by all, and if you believe the rumors, especially popular with the men in town. It’s been years since that horrible night, a night Lucy can’t remember anything about, and she has since moved to LA and started a new life.

But now the phenomenally huge hit true crime podcast “Listen for the Lie,” and its too-good looking host Ben Owens, have decided to investigate Savvy’s murder for the show’s second season. Lucy is forced to return to the place she vowed never to set foot in again to solve her friend’s murder, even if she is the one that did it.

Soledad Barnes has her life all planned out. Because, of course, she does. She plans everything. She designs everything. She fixes everything. She’s a domestic goddess who’s never met a party she couldn’t host or a charge she couldn’t lead. The one with all the answers and the perfect vinaigrette for that summer salad. But none of her varied talents can save her when catastrophe strikes, and the life she built with the man who was supposed to be her forever, goes poof in a cloud of betrayal and disillusion. 

But there is no time to pout or sulk, or even grieve the life she lost. She’s too busy keeping a roof over her daughters’ heads and food on the table. And in the process of saving them all, Soledad rediscovers herself. From the ashes of a life burned to the ground, something bold and new can rise. 

But then an unlikely man enters the picture—the forbidden one, the one she shouldn’t want but can’t seem to resist. She’s lost it all before and refuses to repeat her mistakes. Can she trust him? Can she trust herself? 

Finlay Donovan and her nanny/partner-in-crime Vero are in sore need of a girls’ weekend away. They plan a trip to Atlantic City, but odds are―seeing as it’s actually a cover story to negotiate a deal with a dangerous loan shark, save Vero’s childhood crush Javi, and hunt down a stolen car―it won’t be all fun and games. When Finlay’s ex-husband Steven and her mother insist on tagging along too, Finlay and Vero suddenly have a few too many meddlesome passengers along for the ride.

Within hours of arriving in their seedy casino hotel, it becomes clear their rescue mission is going to be a bust. Javi’s kidnapper, Marco, refuses to negotiate, demanding payment in full in exchange for Javi’s life. But that’s not all―he insists on knowing the whereabouts of his missing nephew, Ike, who mysteriously disappeared. Unable to confess what really happened to Ike, Finlay and Vero are forced to come up with a new plan: sleuth out the location of Javi and the Aston Martin, then steal them both back.

But when they sneak into the loan shark’s suite to search for clues, they find more than they bargained for―Marco’s already dead. They don’t have a clue who murdered him, only that they themselves have a very convincing motive. Then four members of the police department unexpectedly show up in town, also looking for Ike―and after Finlay’s night with hot cop Nick at the police academy, he’s a little too eager to keep her close to his side.

If Finlay can juggle a jealous ex-husband, two precocious kids, her mother’s marital issues, a decomposing loan shark, and find Vero’s missing boyfriend, she might get out of Atlantic City in one piece. But will she fold under the pressure and come clean about the things she’s done, or be forced to double down?

She’s the city girl who refuses to be saddled with a man. He’s the cowboy who wants her anyway. 

The last thing Ada Hart needs is a man to take care of her. Not anymore. After failing out of her interior design program and the disaster that was her short-lived marriage, Ada clawed her way up from her rock bottom. Now, the only person she trusts is herself, and that has gotten her further than ever before. She has her own business, and one of the largest ranches in Wyoming just hired her for the most important project of her career. 

When Ada arrives in Meadowlark, she finds herself in a dive bar where she can’t seem to shake the eyes of a handsome cowboy. When she leads him to the back of the bar, he leaves her with a kiss that most people can only fantasize about. She almost regrets that she’ll never see him again . . . except it turns out he’s her new boss. 

Weston Ryder is a happy guy. Even happier now that the mystery woman from the bar is the interior designer for his dream project on his family’s ranch. He feels like he hit the jackpot. It’s too bad she wants absolutely nothing to do with him outside of work. Ada is convinced the pull she feels toward Wes will go away, but Wes can’t stop thinking about her. Even though walls are coming down around Rebel Blue, Ada’s walls are firmly in place. 

Can they make it through this project without giving in? Or will they both put their dreams on the line for a chance at love?

From the New York Times bestselling author of Digital Minimalism and Deep Work , a groundbreaking philosophy for pursuing meaningful accomplishment while avoiding overload

Our current definition of “productivity” is broken. It pushes us to treat busyness as a proxy for useful effort, leading to impossibly lengthy task lists and ceaseless meetings. We’re overwhelmed by all we have to do and on the edge of burnout, left to decide between giving into soul-sapping hustle culture or rejecting ambition altogether. But are these really our only choices?

Long before the arrival of pinging inboxes and clogged schedules, history’s most creative and impactful philosophers, scientists, artists, and writers mastered the art of producing valuable work with staying power. In this timely and provocative book, Cal Newport harnesses the wisdom of these traditional knowledge workers to radically transform our modern jobs. Drawing from deep research on the habits and mindsets of a varied cast of storied thinkers – from Galileo and Isaac Newton, to Jane Austen and Georgia O’Keefe – Newport lays out the key principles of “slow productivity,” a more sustainable alternative to the aimless overwhelm that defines our current moment. Combining cultural criticism with systematic pragmatism, Newport deconstructs the absurdities inherent in standard notions of productivity, and then provides step-by-step advice for workers to replace them with a slower, more humane alternative.

From the aggressive rethinking of workload management, to introducing seasonal variation, to shifting your performance toward long-term quality, Slow Productivity provides a roadmap for escaping overload and arriving instead at a more timeless approach to pursuing meaningful accomplishment. The world of work is due for a new revolution. Slow productivity is exactly what we need.

Richard E. Grant emigrated from Swaziland to London in 1982, with dreams of making it as an actor, when he unexpectedly met and fell in love with renowned dialect coach Joan Washington. Their relationship and marriage, navigating the highs and lows of Hollywood, parenthood and loss, lasted almost forty years. When Joan died in 2021, her final challenge to him was to find ‘a pocketful of happiness in every day’.

This honest and frequently hilarious memoir is written in honour of that challenge –  Richard has faithfully kept a diary since childhood, and in these entries he shares in raw detail everything he has experienced : both the pain of losing his beloved wife, and the excitement of their life together, from the role that transformed his life overnight in Withnail & I to his thrilling Oscar nomination thirty years later for Can You Ever Forgive Me? 

Told with candour in Richard’s utterly unique style, A Pocketful of Happiness is a powerful, funny and moving celebration of life’s unexpected joys.

MY THOUGHTS

I had heard good things about this book so when I saw it at the library I had to grab it to borrow and I am so glad I did this book is beautifully written and you can see how much he loves his wife. This book tells you how they met when he came to Britain from Swaziland as he wanted to be an actor which I never knew I thought he was British so I learned something new from reading this. The book is written as diary entries so you find out when his wife finds out she has terminal lung cancer right through with him caring for her every step of the way and while doing it you can see how much he loves her. There are a couple of pages at the back with tributes from celebrities his wife worked with as a vocal coach and from other people in the industry. Overall this is one book I would highly recommend reading for everyone.

Emma enjoys the isolation and quiet of house-sitting. The only company she needs is her dog and her books. 

But when she leaves a one-star review for a poorly written and gruesome horror novel, her peaceful escape turns into a nightmare. Not only is she being harassed by the angry author online, she’s noticing disturbing incidents in the house. Scratches in the night. A figure crawling around in the shadows. 

It soon becomes clear that it’s all connected. 

This is a fight between author and reader. Who will have the last word? . . .

MY THOUGHTS

I really wanted to read this book when it came out and so I bought it then forgot about it and so for the past month or so I have been going through a reading slump and was struggling to find something to read to get me out of it and then I remembered I had this book and so I started reading this I read half of it one day and then I finished it last night. I couldn’t put this book down until I had finished it I was that engrossed in it and it was definitely what I needed to read I loved it. I kind of knew Deek was hiding something and wasn’t the good guy he was pretending to be I just still don’t really get why he targeted Emma. If you are looking for a twisty thriller then you need to read this book as that is what you will get with this story and I ate it up. I liked the twist with Jules and the author I didn’t see that one coming. Overall if you are looking for a good book that reads really quick with thrillery twists and turns then this is it.

True-crime author Amanda Bailey knows all about the notorious Alperton Angels cult. There have been dozens of books and films about the Angels, ever since the night nearly two decades ago, when they attempted to sacrifice a baby they believed to be the Antichrist.

With all the cultists now dead – apart from their charismatic leader – it seems like there’s nothing new to say about the Angels… until now. The Alperton baby has turned eighteen and can finally be interviewed, and if Amanda can track them down, it will be the scoop of the year. But rival author Oliver Menzies is just as smart, better connected, and is also on the baby’s trail.

As Amanda and Oliver are forced to collaborate, they realise that what everyone thinks they know about the Angels is wrong. The truth is something much darker and stranger. And the devilish story of the Alperton Angels is far from over…

MY THOUGHTS

Having read all this authors other books this was the last one left to read and I kept putting it off but I decided to bite the bullet as I kept hearing good things about it and I have mixed feelings in places it was good and I enjoyed it but in others i didn’t. It was written in the same kind of style as the appeal the authors first book as correspondence between multiple people whether that’s messages or emails. I liked the main character of Amanda Bailey but wasn’t fussed on Oliver who is her rival. I also liked Ellie who was Amandas assistant. I liked the premise of the story but felt in places that it dragged on for a bit and could of possibly been a bit shorter.

https://amzn.to/3UMzSvD

Max Van Doren has a wish list, and a great career and a girlfriend are at the top. But despite being pretty good at her job as an assistant to one of Hollywood’s fastest rising talent agents, she has no idea how to move up the ladder. And when it comes to her love life, she’s stuck in perpetual lust for an adorably perfect bartender named Sadie. Her goals are clear–and Max has everything but the self-confidence to go for them. Even her mother seems to assume she’ll be crawling home to her childhood bedroom at some point . . .

When Max’s roommate, Chelsey–an irritatingly gorgeous and self-assured influencer in plus-size and queer spaces–offers to sponsor her for a new self-actualization app, Max gives in. If she can’t run her own life, maybe an algorithm guiding her choices will help? Suddenly Max is scoring big everywhere, and her dreams are achingly close to coming true. But when one of Chelsey’s posts reveals Sadie’s part in the app’s campaign, Max is poised for heartbreak on all fronts. Tired of the sponcon life with its fake friends and endless selfies, Max realizes that to have true influence, she’ll have to find the courage to make her own, totally authentic way in the world . . .

Fresh, feel-good, and endlessly relatable, here is a glorious love story for the digital age and beyond

MY THOUGHTS

I was asked to read and review this book by the publisher and being honest it isn’t one i would normally pick up but i am glad i read it as i really enjoyed it. So we are following Max who moves to hollywood from her small town hoping that her life will get better and that she will have a great life have loads of friends and be out partying every night but it doesn’t turn out like that as she is feeling stuck in her job even though she wants to progress she feels her colleagues and boss don’t take her seriously. Then there is her love life and her social life she really likes the bartender at the favourite bar Johnny’s but she is too scared to let her know and when she isn’t there or at work she is holed up in her bedroom at the flat she shares with her influencer flatmate. So after a disastrous date she decides to let her flatmate sign her up for this app that wants to help her turn her life around in a month and the story goes from there.

https://amzn.to/48l4nMj

Should I have trusted my tyrannical boss when he promised he’d get me home for the holidays? Absolutely not.

He gassed up his private jet and decided he’d be joining me so we could close this massive deal before the new year.

There are three conditions to him coming home with me:

1. My family can’t know that he’s my boss (See note above about him being a tyrant)
2. I will absolutely be getting a big fat raise
3. He has to help me with my holiday wishlist

What’s worse than my boss stealing Christmas? Him pretending to be my boyfriend.

Since he’s faking being in love with me, my mom put us together in my childhood bedroom with just one bed to share.

When the mistletoe comes out, I can’t help but wonder what would happen if my hot as coal boss and I were underneath.

Jack Sinclair is nothing but determined to get everything he wants this Christmas, and it looks like I’m at the top of his list.

MY THOUGHTS

I was watching a youtube video when i saw the lady haul this book and talk about what it was about and i immediately paused the video(i still have to finish watching it) and went on my kindle to look for it and when i saw it was on kindle unlimited i immediately downloaded it and started reading it straight away and i am so glad i did as i really enjoyed it. My favourite character is Lola the main female characters niece she was very straight forward and just came out with what she was thinking which had me laughing a couple of times. I liked the dynamic between Jack and Presley and that she would call him out on his behaviour when he was being difficult and it was good that she came from money herself so it wasn’t a he is rich and she isn’t story as her family is richer than him. I also loved her relationship with her family and you saw how protective of Presley her brothers were. I can’t wait to read more from this series and just hope they are as good as this book.

https://amzn.to/3O8XB52

A haunting collection of short fiction from the bestselling author of The Pallbearers Club, A Head Full of Ghosts, and The Cabin at the End of the World.

Paul Tremblay has won widespread acclaim for illuminating the dark horrors of the mind in novels and stories that push the boundaries of storytelling itself. The fifteen pieces in this brilliant collection, The Beast You Are, are all monsters of a kind, ready to loudly (and lovingly) smash through your head and into your heart.

In “The Dead Thing,” a middle-schooler struggles to deal with the aftermath of her parents’ substance addictions and split. One day, her little brother claims he found a shoebox with “the dead thing” inside. He won’t show it to her and he won’t let the box out of his sight. In “The Last Conversation,” a person wakes in a sterile, white room and begins to receive instructions via intercom from a woman named Anne. When they are finally allowed to leave the room to complete a task, what they find is as shocking as it is heartbreaking.

The title novella, “The Beast You Are,” is a mini epic in which the destinies and secrets of a village, a dog, and a cat are intertwined with a giant monster that returns to wreak havoc every thirty years.

A masterpiece of literary horror and psychological suspense, The Beast You Are is a fearlessly imagined collection from one of the most electrifying and innovative writers working today.

MY THOUGHTS

I have another book by this author to read but saw this one and had heard good things from someone i follow on instagram and youtube so thought it was a short story collection so i could see if i enjoyed the author’s writing and some of the stories in this book i enjoyed but some fell flat for me. This book was from the horror section of the library so i was expecting to be scared but i just found the stories weird but not scary. I enjoyed the first couple of stories and thought ok this is going well and then a couple i was just like what! Some of the stories in here go on for quite a few pages like the last story but then there are a couple that are really short like one or two pages. Also at the end the author does a story notes part where he talks you through his thought process for each story which i thought was a nice touch so you could understand what he was thinking when he wrote each story. If you think this is something you might like to read i will enclose a link so you can buy yourself a copy.

https://amzn.to/425sHAf

When Lisa Faulkner learned that she wouldn’t have biological children, her plans and expectations for her life were derailed. But, in the months and years that followed, she discovered that there was more than one way to build a family – and that there is a lot of joy to be found in life’s unexpected detours.

In a raw and inspiring story of one woman’s journey through motherhood, family life and self-discovery, Lisa explores the many forms that family can take, and discovers the power of embracing your Plan B. For anyone who has ever found themselves facing the unexpected in life – whether that’s infertility, adoption, grief or any other personal challenge – this is an uplifting and honest account of finding love in unexpected places, and building your life on your own terms.

MY THOUGHTS

I kept seeing this book at the library and it stood out to me each time but i kept putting off borrowing it until the other day when i went up and thought i would just borrow it to read and i am glad i did as it was a good book to read. I didn’t really know much about Lisa Faulkner other than seeing pictures of her in magazines in the 90s/2000s with her friends so it was actually nice to get her story in her own words instead of just reading what the papers and magazines think. In this book she talks about her growing up and losing her mum at 16 and about her relationship with her family and how close her and her sister are she also talks about her and her ex husbands struggle to have a child and how they ended up adopting and she talks you through the whole process and what it was like for them. At times i found myself feeling sorry for her and also being able to relate in some ways to certain things she spoke about. Overall this is a book i would recommend as i learnt things i wouldn’t have otherwise. If you would like to read this book for yourself then i will post a link to amazon underneath for you to get it.

https://amzn.to/3vqwLyV

Lady Augusta Colebrook, ‘Gus’, is determinedly unmarried, bored by society life, and tired of being dismissed at the age of forty-two. She and her twin sister, Julia, who is grieving her dead betrothed, need a distraction. One soon presents itself: to rescue their friend’s goddaughter, Caroline, from her violent husband.

The sisters set out to Caroline’s country estate with a plan, but their carriage is accosted by a highwayman. In the scuffle, Gus accidentally shoots the ruffian, only to discover he is Lord Evan Belford, an acquaintance from their past who was charged with murder and exiled to Australia twenty years ago. With Lord Evan injured and unconscious, the sisters have no choice but to bring him on their mission to save Caroline. What follows is a high adventure full of danger, clever improvisation, heart-racing near misses, and a little help from a revived and rather charming Lord Evan.

Back in London, Gus can’t stop thinking about her unlikely (not to mention handsome) comrade-in-arms. She is convinced Lord Evan was falsely accused of murder, and she is going to prove it. She persuades Julia to join her in a quest to help Lord Evan, and others in need-society be damned! And so begins the beguiling secret life and adventures of the Colebrook twins.

A rollicking and joyous adventure, with a beautiful love story at its heart, about two rebellious sisters forging their own path in Regency London.

MY THOUGHTS

I liked the idea of reading a book set in the regency era so thought this would be perfect i hadn’t heard of it before i requested it from the library and it got straight into the action in the book and kept delivering. I liked Gus and Julia plus lord Evan but not the girls brother he was an ass but i suppose that’s the way things were at the time. The storyline kept me hooked and i would definitely like to carry on reading the series to see where it goes hopefully Lord Evan and Gus can eventually be together and hopefully Julia can find a way to get better. I liked the way the author made the story into three parts but i was all just one story carry on from where the last left off but say a week later it made it flow easily. Overall i did really enjoy this book and if you would like to read it for yourself the link below is for amazon if you would like your own copy.

https://amzn.to/3NRbogl

PARIS: A MILLION MEANINGS IN A SINGLE NAME 

Heiress. Party girl. Problem child. Selfie taker. Model. Reality star. Self-created. 

The labels attached to Paris Hilton.

Founder. Entrepreneur. Pop Culture Maker. Innovator. Survivor. Activist. Daughter. Sister. Wife. Mother.

The roles Paris embraces as a fully realized woman.

Paris rose to prominence as an heiress to the Hilton hotel empire but cultivated her fame and fortune as the IT Girl of the aughts, a time marked by the burgeoning 24-hour entertainment news cycle and the advent of the celebrity blog. Using her celebrity brand, Paris set in motion her innovative business ventures, while being the constant target of tabloid culture that dismissively wrote her off as “famous for being famous.” With tenacity, sharp business acumen and grit, she built a global empire and, in the process, became a truly modern icon beloved around the world.

Now, with courage, honesty, and humour, Paris Hilton is ready to take stock, place it all in context and share her story with the world. Separating the creation from the creator, the brand from the ambassador, Paris: The Memoir strips away all we thought we knew about a celebrity icon, taking us back to a privileged childhood lived through the lens of undiagnosed ADHD, a teenage rebellion that triggered a panicked – and perilous – decision by her parents. Led to believe they were saving their child’s life, Paris’s mother and father had her kidnapped and saw her sent to a series of ‘emotional growth boarding schools’, where she survived almost two years of verbal, physical and sexual abuse. In the midst of a hell we now call the ‘troubled teen industry’, Paris created a beautiful inner world where the ugliness couldn’t touch her. She came out, resolving to trust no-one but herself as she transformed that fantasy world into a multibillion-dollar reality.

Recounting her perilous journey through pre-#MeToo sexual politics with grace, dignity and just the right amount of sass. Paris: The Memoir tracks the evolution of celebrity culture through the story of the figure at its leading edge, full of defining moments and marquee names. Most important, Paris shows us her path to peace while she challenges us to question our role in her story and in our own.

MY THOUGHTS

When I first saw this I didn’t want to read as like everyone else I thought I knew who Paris was but after seeing some of the things others said about it I decided to give it a try and I am so glad I did as I learnt a lot of what I knew about her was wrong and was just what the media told you. I felt so sorry for Paris for the way she was treated by her family, the media and men in particular and I had no idea that she has been working with people on sorting out the “troubled teen” industry and make the places that help them legitimate and not places where the kids are abused by the staff. I am glad I decided to read this book and even if you aren’t a fan of Paris I would recommend still reading it just to know the true story about her.

Survival can be murder . . .

Hannah awakens to carnage, all mangled metal and shattered glass. Evacuated from a secluded boarding school during a snowstorm, her coach careered off the road, trapping her with a handful of survivors.

Meg awakens to a gentle rocking. She’s in a cable car stranded high above snowy mountains, with five strangers and no memory of how they got on board.

Carter is gazing out of the window of an isolated ski chalet that he and his companions call home. As their generator begins to waver in the storm, the threat of something lurking in the chalet’s depths looms larger.

Outside, the storm rages. Inside each group, a killer lurks.

But who?

And will anyone make it out alive? . . .

MY THOUGHTS

This was the only C.J Tudor book i hadn’t read as i read her anthology of short stories last month and i have read her other books over the course of the last couple of years and i was apprehensive about reading this book as i hadn’t heard great things a lot of people were saying it wasn’t as good as her others but after reading it i have to disagree as i enjoyed it just as much as her others although my favourite of hers is still the burning girls. The story is told over three different storylines which all end up being different timelines that end up at the outcome of a guy seeking revenge for his sisters death. So the first storyline we start the book with is a coach full of kids just after their coach has crashed and ended up in a snowdrift, The next chapter is a different timeline and is a group of people who wake up in a cable car and the third chapter is a group of people in a place called the retreat which conducts research on people who have been infected with a virus that is sweeping the planet infecting people and killing some and turning the rest into zombie like creatures and i don’t want to spoil the rest of the story so i will leave this review there.

https://amzn.to/3RKZpn7

This Christmas a little dog is in for a BIG adventure…

Meet Claude. He’s a loveable, big-eared, permanently hungry French Bulldog, who loves his humans – the McCawley family of number 11 Maple Drive to be precise.

When Daisy and Oliver McCawley start using new words like, ‘ferry’, ‘chateau’ and ‘France’, Claude realises they won’t be spending this Christmas at home. Only, when he finds himself on the street, as the family car pulls away, Claude realises he is ALONE. And more importantly, he is without all the yummy treats he knows the festive season brings…

Cue the start of Claude’s Christmas Adventure. It all begins with a belly-flop through next door’s catflap, where he finds newly single and craft-a-holic Holly, Jack the ex-army postman, his arch nemesis Perdita the cat … and serious amounts of gingerbread.

Maple Drive’s cutest resident is about to bring the street together for Christmas, in ways no-one could have imagined …

MY THOUGHTS

I really enjoyed this book it was like a nice warming cup of hot chocolate in a book and Claude seemed so adorably cute I would of happily taken him in if I lived there. I liked the romance between Jack and Holly that was nice and added to the story as well and them bringing the whole street together for Christmas.

A broken heart and a moment of drunken bravado inspires middle-aged, and typically rather cautious, journalist Mike Carter to take off on a life-changing six month motorcycle trip around Europe. Never mind that he hadn’t been on two wheels since an inglorious three-month teenage chapter involving a Lambretta, four crashes and an 18-month ban for drink-driving, a plan had begun to loosely form…

And so, having completed a six day residential motorcycle course and hastily re-mortgaged his flat, Mike sets off alone, resolving to go wherever the road takes him and enjoy the adventure of heading off into the unknown. He ends up travelling almost 20,000 miles and reaching the four extremes of Europe: the Arctic Circle in the north, the Mediterranean coast in the south, the Portuguese Atlantic to the west and the Iraqi border of Turkey in the east.

But really it’s a journey inwards, as, on the way, Mike finds his post-divorce scars starting to heal and attempts to discover what he, as a man in his forties who hasn’t quite found his place in the world, should be doing. Self-deprecating, poetic and utterly engaging, his is a heroic journey taken for the rest of us too scared to leave our 9 to 5 office-bound existence.

MY THOUGHTS

Having previously read Mike’s two previous books I also wanted to read this one as well and it was actually my least favourite of the three. It started off promising enough but for me i just didn’t enjoy it enough as it went on. If he happens to write any more I will read them as I enjoyed his other two books more.

When Russ and Aurora cross paths at a university party, a drinking game ends with them spending the night together. The next day, Aurora slips away before Russ learns her full name.  

This anonymity ends when they both turn up to their first day of work as camp counsellors. A job they had both chosen to escape Maple Hills for the summer.  

Given their history, there’s still an obvious tension between the two but the camp has a strict “no staff fraternizing” rule. Russ doesn’t want to risk heading home early but Aurora has never been one for rules.

MY THOUGHTS

I have Icebreaker by this author but I haven’t read it yet but I enjoyed this book. I liked the chemistry between the two characters and their friends. The storyline was also good and I felt the story flowed well.

Amari Peters knows three things.

Her big brother Quinton has gone missing.
No one will talk about it.
His mysterious job holds the secret …

So when Amari gets an invitation to the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs, she’s certain this is her chance to find Quinton. But first she has to get her head around the new world of the Bureau, where mermaids, aliens and magicians are real, and her roommate is a weredragon.

Amari must compete against kids who’ve known about the supernatural world their whole lives, and when each trainee is awarded a special supernatural talent, Amari is given an illegal talent – one that the Bureau views as dangerous.

With an evil magician threatening the whole supernatural world, and her own classmates thinking she is the enemy, Amari has never felt more alone. But if she doesn’t pass the three tryouts, she may never find out what happened to Quinton …

B. B. Alston lives in Lexington, SC. Amari and the Night Brothers is his debut middle grade novel. When not writing, he can be found eating too many sweets and exploring country roads to see where they lead.

MY THOUGHTS

I bought the book for this a few weeks ago as I thought it sounded good and then I saw it was on kindle unlimited so I ended up reading it there and I loved it I didn’t want it to finish. I loved the main character Amari and her friend and roommate Elsie but I also liked her relationship with Dylan too till it turned out he was the bad guy. I loved how much Amari loved her brother as well as everything she did was all to go towards finding him. Overall I would highly recommend this book no matter what age you are as I think you will love it either way.

Step into the magical world of Hedgewitch, where the land of Faerie lies just beyond our own, in this enchanting new series for children age 9+ and readers of Nevermoor, The Worst Witch and The Dark Is Rising.

Cassie Morgan has run away. After seven years spent waiting for her mother to return, she flees her dreary boarding school and sets out to find her. But the world outside her school is full of hidden magic and children have been going missing.

With the help of a talking cat and a flying broom, Cassie escapes to the enchanted village of Hedgely. There she will begin her training in the practical skills of witchcraft with the Hedgewitch, who watches over the Hedge, the vast forest that marks the border between England and Faerie.

Will Cassie discover the truth about her mother? Can she find the lost faery treasures before the wicked Erl King gets his hands on them? And what will it take to save her new home – and Britain itself – from the shadowing magic of Faerie?

MY THOUGHTS

I had heard of this book but had not heard much about it and saw it was on kindle unlimited so thought I would read it and see if I liked it and I did it said that the age range was 9 years plus and I think that is appropriate. The story starts with Cassandra who everyone calls Cassie hiding in a cupboard from the hockey team at her school as the leader keeps bullying her, then we hear about a missing girl from her school who was out shopping with her mum when she disappears and no one knows where she can be. Cassie ends up being called to the principal’s office to be told they think her mum is dead as Cassie hasn’t seen her for seven years and she has also stopped paying cassie’s tuition which means she will have to go to a care home as she has no other family so Cassie decides to run away. And that is where the story really begins I won’t spoil it for anyone else but it was good if a little unbelievable in some places but it’s a book I would recommend if you like Harry Potter and the morrigan crowe books.

The Island of Dr. Moreau” is the story of Edward Prendick, an Englishman who finds himself shipwrecked on an island in the South Seas. On the island he discovers the mad Doctor Moreau and a group of beastly creatures that are the result of the Doctor’s experiments. “The Island of Dr. Moreau”, which was meant as a commentary on Darwin’s theory of evolution, is a most uncanny prediction of the ethical issues raised by the science of genetic engineering in modern times and a cautionary tale of the potential dangers of science when left unchecked.

MY THOUGHTS

I thought this book was interesting as it started with mr Prendick being on a dinghy at sea as the boat he was on crashed into another and he is rescued by another boat and looked after by mr Montgomery who works with doctor Moreau and finds and brings the animals back to their island to be experimented on. When they reach their destination at first Mr Montgomery says that Mr Prendick can not go with him but the captain of the ship says he isn’t allowed to stay on board either so the captain and his men cast Mr Prendick off in his dinghy they first found him in then after speaking with doctor Moreau his creatures who are in the boat with Mr Montgomery decide to row their boat over to get him and take him to their island until he can get picked up by another boat which only comes once a year. He stays with Doctor Moreau and Mr Montgomery where they live on the island and encounters the animals who have been experimented on by Doctor Moreau over time. I would hate to think if there was really someone who was actually doing this somewhere in the world as it sounds barbaric what was done to the animals to try and make them more human like.