My month in books.

What I’ve been reading lately.

It’s no secret that I’m a massive bookworm. My taste in books is as as eclectic as my taste in music or well, basically everything. One of my favourite genres to read are: fantasy, historical fiction, anything about plants, young adult + childrens literature and dark fairytales. If that’s your jam and you’re in need of some magical reads, look no further. I’ll make this a monthly post where we can all hopefully discover some new books together!

The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert

I did not expect to love it as much as I did! It’s a relatively short read about a girl named Alice who’s grandmother wrote a famous book of dark fairytales when she was younger. Her fairytales and the real world collide and there are some interesting twists to the stories that I didn’t expect. There is a sequel that I haven’t read and a third book filled with all the dark and twisted fairytales that I can’t wait to read (and then probably never sleep again EVER).

Threadneedle by Cari Thomas

Just FYI, this is supposed to be a trilogy and there is only one book out yet. If I had known that, I probably wouldn’t have read this already but I’m not sorry that I did because I LOVED this and cain’t wait to find out more in the next book. There are secret magical libraries, stores that sell memories and a bit of school drama that I think could have been cut or shortened, but it’s overall a solid story in my opinion (considering that it’s only the first book). There are characters that I could either relate to, admire or hate with a passion and I enjoy a good character development. I don’t even know how to describe this book so I’ll leave you with the description:

Within the boroughs of London, nestled among its streets, hides another city, filled with magic.

Magic is the first sin. It must be bound.

Ever since Anna can remember, her aunt has warned her of the dangers of magic. She has taught her to fear how it twists and knots and turns into something dark and deadly.

It was, after all, magic that killed her parents and left her in her aunt’s care. It’s why she has been protected from the magical world and, in one year’s time, what little magic she has will be bound. She will join her aunt alongside the other Binders who believe magic is a sin not to be used, but denied. Only one more year and she will be free of the curse of magic, her aunt’s teachings and the disappointment of the little she is capable of.

Nothing – and no one – could change her mind before then. Could it?

The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon (5th book in the Outlander Series)

Well…. I started this one in November of 2021 and…

I haven’t finished it yet (currently on page 950 and yes it has almost 1500 pages). While I adored the first four books of the series this one, so far, is boring, plotless for most parts, rambly, overly detailed and could have used a ruthless editor with a big fat red marker. I love the homesteading and plant bits and how they settled into Fraser’s Ridge and established their homestead and life in the mountains but the rest? I hate to be so blunt but YAWN. Every time I thought the story would finally pick up it got boring again after a few chapters. The irony is that the most mundane things are described in vivid details for literally HUNDREDS of pages and now that I’m finally at a point where some seriously dramatic things are happening (poor Roger), it’s described on a couple of pages.

I still love the story and character but I’m a bit unimpressed, and frankly annoyed, by this one and will probably never read book five again whenever I re-read the series.

The Binding by Bridget Collins

Books are dangerous things in Collins's alternate universe, a place vaguely reminiscent of 19th-century England. It's a world in which people visit book binders to rid themselves of painful or treacherous memories. Once their stories have been told and are bound between the pages of a book, the slate is wiped clean and their memories lose the power to hurt or haunt them.

When I started this book I was very intrigued and couldn’t put it down. I feel like this had so much potential (maybe even turned into a trilogy) but the twists were fairly obvious to me after the first few chapters and the character I found the most interesting died quite early and left me with a bunch of unanswered questions. I thought the ending was charming though!

The Lighthouse Witches by C. J. Cooke

Two sisters go missing on a remote Scottish island. Twenty years later, one is found--but she's still the same age as when she disappeared.

I have only read a few chapters yet but so far I enjoy it a lot. I’m naturally drawn to darker stories that tend to be a bit creepy which is quite ironic because I’m such a chicken when it comes to creepy stories but I can’t help it!