#The Last Bookwanderer

[blogthefiresidechats]

Online order...

After visiting a different book store this past weekend, I went online to order the books that I was looking for but couldn’t find. The last book on the list won’t ship to my house until November when it’s released. The next to the last book on this list won’t ship to my house until February of next year. Everything else I should be getting within the next few days or so.

[manuscripts-dontburn]

Black and British: A Forgotten History

Author: David Olusoga

First published: 2016

Rating: ★★★★★

Absolutely fantastic book, an important part of world history served on a silver platter of historical research goodness, human touch, and wisdom. Perfect if you are looking for a book to read during the next Black History Month. Or really any month.

The Last Bookwanderer

Author: Anna James

First published: 2023

Rating: ★★★★☆

A lovely finale to a lovely series. there was more talking and less actual exploring this time, but I enjoyed it still.

Mary

Author: Anne Eekhout

First published: 2021

Rating: ★★☆☆☆

This book felt like a fevered, confused, depressing, oppressive nightmare. Instead of feeling for Mary, which her biography and the graphic novel Mary's Monster: Love, Madness, and How Mary Shelley Created Frankenstein did, this book turned her into 1) an overtly unreliable narrator and 2) an extremely passive, weary girlfriend. Furthermore, I felt that nothing was moving, that I was stuck in the same place at the beginning as well as the end. There was no journey. Which is so very ridiculous when it comes to a book about Mary Frikkin Shelley.

Sancta Familia

Author: Martin & Tomáš Wells

First published: 2020

Rating:  none

Po zralé úvaze jsem se rozhodla tuto knihu nehodnotit. Není to toti�� něco, co by mělo výraznou historickou výpovědní hodnotu a ani to není dobrá literatura. Na to je zkrátka příliš navázaná na intimitu jedné rodiny. Celou dobu jsem si připadala, že mi prostě do této věci nic není a nemám na jakoukoliv kritiku ani právo.

Svátky krásné hvězdy

Author: František Kožík

First published: 1988

Rating: ★★★★☆

Milý, něžný obrázek Vánoc v dobách minulých, ač ne zcela ještě vzdálených, a tak trochu časová kapsle.

Small Acts of Kindness

Author: Jennifer Antill

First published: 2022

Rating: ★★☆☆☆

The bare bones of the story could have held the weight of a truly Tolstoyan piece of literature. Unfortunately, of the many interesting characters we are stuck with the most boring one and the main event gets an almost shameful sidenote treatment. The latter part of the book is also nothing but characters talking about things the reader already knows. Pity, especially since the historical research here was well done.

The Mayor of Casterbridge

Author: Thomas Hardy

First published: 1886

Rating: ★★★★☆

An extremely well-constructed story where the central theme is the fact of a reaction that inevitably follows any human action. I did not love this as much as I did Tess and I did not really root for any of the characters like I could in Far From the Madding Crowd, but this is definitely a solid read.

Dressed for a Dance in the Snow: Women's Voices from the Gulag

Author: Monika Zgustová

First published: 2017

Rating: ★★★☆☆

I imagine this would be a very good accompanying book to Gulag by Anne Applebaum, mostly because it has the human touch but lacks the more general and detailed realities of the Gulag system. Oral history is possibly the most fascinating way of gathering information, at the same time there will always be a level of unreliability, especially in cases when the author decides to include stories of women she did not interview herself and only learned about them second-hand.

Girl With a Pearl Earring

Author: Tracy Chevalier

First published: 1999

Rating: ★★★★☆

If you ever need a slow, quiet book about an ordinary person, about the intimacy between an artist and his muse, Tracy Chevalier has got your back with this one.

Joy to the World: How Christ's Coming Changed Everything

Author: Scott Hahn

First published: 2014

Rating: ★★★★★

As the Christmas celebrations were canceled in Bethlehem, as the baby Jesus was lying under the rubble in Palestine, there was hardly any joy to be found in our current reality. So I am thankful for this little book, for simply yet deeply touching on the subject of Christmas and its true substance.

The Biggest Prison on Earth: A History of the Occupied Territories

Author: Ilan Pappé

First published: 2016

Rating: ★★★★☆

For over 70 years Palestinians have been paying the prize for Europe failing the Jewish people. And that prize has been intolerably high. It is possibly at its highest right now. October 7th, 2023 did not happen out of nowhere. And the bloody genocide that the Israelis have unleashed after it too has its strong and old roots in previous decades. This is a very balanced account of the history of Palestine post-1948. And with all that balance, it still clearly spells out that Israel is a colonial project that needs to be dismantled.

The Winter Garden

Author: Alexandra Bell

First published: 2021

Rating: ★★★☆☆

If you like The Night Circus, there is a chance you might like The Winter Garden as well. There is a similarly flowery language and fantastical images conjured up after all. Some of the scenes are deeply touching too. But personally, I kept feeling that whilst most of the good parts were there, somehow they did not click into each other the way I would wish. Here are my greatest misgivings: a) The characters in the book are supposed to be intimate friends, but we never really get to see their friendship. We are simply told they are extremely close, but they hardly ever seek out each other and when they do, it is for only a little while and they only talk about themselves, which leads me to... b) There is really only one likable character and he is not either of the two main characters. c) I felt the obsession people had with The Winter Garden rather inexplicable, considering how much magic was obviously readily available in this world. Not a bad book, would read something from the author again, just a pity of a promise unfulfilled.

Gwen & Art Are Not in Love

Author: Lex Croucher

First published: 2023

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Cute YA romance dressed in a historical costume, but the historical aspect has next to no effect on the story (which I personally was a little sad about). There is hardly any story to talk about, but when in the right mindset, I can easily see this one being a favorite for others.

[isfjmel-phleg]

Fortnight of Books 2021: Day 2

Most surprising (in a good way) book of this year? 

Pauline by Margaret Storey. I stumbled across this one in a list of forgotten children’s books (or something like that) on Goodreads and didn’t expect more than a standard old-timey British family or school story. And in some ways it is that--recently orphaned child goes to live with a relative who is terrible to her, but not in the exaggerated children’s-book fashion. It was a very real portrayal of what it’s like to be a young person in the clutches of a controlling, condescending, mind-game-playing authority figure, and that struck a chord with me. The ending might not be terribly realistic, but it is still satisfying.

Most disappointing book/Book you wish you enjoyed more than you did?

Two of these, for different reasons. I read The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater last November because I’ve been meaning to and my dash was full of it. It’s a much beloved book, and its prose certainly earns it that reputation. Stiefvater is quite effective at atmosphere. But somehow...I failed to connect with the characters and had more questions about than investment in the plot. I wanted to love it, and maybe I just read it at the wrong time or in the wrong frame of mind, but I regret this one didn’t do anything for me.

I expected The Bookwanderers by Anna James to be cute and literary middle-grade fluff, which it was, but not executed well. The classic literary characters who made appearances had unconvincing dialogue (overusing the phrase “ever so” does not constitute believable nineteenth-/early twentieth--century speech) and behaved out of character. There’s no way that Anne Shirley would be constantly bemoaning Diana’s lack of imagination behind her back! But having a character be the product of an affair between a real-world woman and Sara Crewe’s father, of all characters, was the last straw.

[foreverlostinliterature]

9/8 Book Deals

Good morning, everyone! I hope your week is going well. :) I didn’t really plan to make another post of deals today, but there was actually a pretty good selection so I figured I’d throw one together real quick. It also looks like there’s a deal where if you spend $10 in ebooks, you get $3 credit for ebooks, so check that out if you plan to buy any today (even if not on this list!).

I’ve had  The Three-Body Problem and Page & Co. on my TBR for ages and have heard so many good things about them! Foundryside is also super popular and has a pretty interesting magic system if that’s your interest. Anyway, I hope you all have a truly wonderful day and happy reading!

Here is the link to find resources on how you can help out with the BLM movement! Keep the momentum going!

Today’s Deals:

The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu, trans. Ken Liu - https://amzn.to/3ifEFj2

The Raven Tower by Ann Leckie - https://amzn.to/329q431

Pages & Co.: The Bookwanderers by Anna James - https://amzn.to/2FeunB5

A Big Ship at the Edge of the Universe by Alex White - https://amzn.to/35mWysN

Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennett - https://amzn.to/35u7BR1

Rogue Protocol by Martha Wells - https://amzn.to/2R76Wwk

The Divers' Game by Jesse Ball - https://amzn.to/3ieabxR

The Kitchen God's Wife by Amy Tan - https://amzn.to/2DIFdPu

The Last Day by Andrew Hunter Murray - https://amzn.to/32bb9Fz

The Black Swan of Paris by Karen Robards - https://amzn.to/2R48dnE

The First Girl Child by Amy Harmon - https://amzn.to/3jYIoSE

Quichotte by Salman Rushdie - https://amzn.to/33a4TNG

The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark - https://amzn.to/3i5wshj

My Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing - https://amzn.to/2GHq0iM

Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World by Jack Weatherford - https://amzn.to/35iRg1o

Date Me, Bryson Keller by Kevin van Why - https://amzn.to/2R7FApG

NOTE:  I am categorizing these book deals posts under the tag #bookdeals, so if you don’t want to see them then just block that tag and you should be good. I am an Amazon affiliate in addition to a Book Depository affiliate and will receive a small (but very much needed!)  commission on any purchase made through these links.

[ainereads]

June TBR

So, I’m not participating in any readathons this month but I did put together a bit of a TBR. I hope you enjoy. All of the book descriptions are from Goodreads. 

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

I don’t really think this needs an explanation, but this is my first time fully reading this part of the series and I’m so excited. I recently got The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes too. 

Strange Star by Emma Carroll

They were coming tonight to tell ghost stories. 'A tale to freeze the blood,' was the only rule. Switzerland, 1816. On a stormy summer night, Lord Byron and his guests are gathered round the fire. Felix, their serving boy, can't wait to hear their creepy tales. Yet real life is about to take a chilling turn - more chilling than any tale. Frantic pounding at the front door reveals a stranger, a girl covered in the most unusual scars. She claims to be looking for her sister, supposedly snatched from England by a woman called Mary Shelley. Someone else has followed her here too, she says. And the girl is terrified.

New Moon by Stephenie Meyer

I don’t think this needs an explanation either but I’m looking forward to continue on with this series. 

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

In the year 2044, reality is an ugly place. The only time teenage Wade Watts really feels alive is when he's jacked into the virtual utopia known as the OASIS. Wade's devoted his life to studying the puzzles hidden within this world's digital confines--puzzles that are based on their creator's obsession with the pop culture of decades past and that promise massive power and fortune to whoever can unlock them. But when Wade stumbles upon the first clue, he finds himself beset by players willing to kill to take this ultimate prize. The race is on, and if Wade's going to survive, he'll have to win--and confront the real world he's always been so desperate to escape.

Tilly & The Lost Fairytales by Anna James

Tilly Pages is a bookwanderer; she can travel inside books, and even talk to the characters she meets there. But Tilly’s powers are put to the test when fairytales start leaking book magic and causing havoc . . .On a wintery visit to Paris, Tilly and her best friend Oskar bravely bookwander into the land of fairytales to find that characters are getting lost, stories are all mixed-up, and mysterious plot holes are opening without warning. Can Tilly work out who, or what, is behind the chaos so everyone gets their happily-ever-after?The second enthralling tale in the bestselling PAGES CO series.

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

I don’t think I could’ve picked a better time to finally read this, due to everything that is currently going on in the world. 

Anna K by Jenny Lee

Meet Anna K. At seventeen, she is at the top of Manhattan and Greenwich society (even if she prefers the company of her horses and Newfoundland dogs); she has the perfect (if perfectly boring) boyfriend, Alexander W.; and she has always made her Korean-American father proud (even if he can be a little controlling). Meanwhile, Anna's brother, Steven, and his girlfriend, Lolly, are trying to weather an sexting scandal; Lolly’s little sister, Kimmie, is struggling to recalibrate to normal life after an injury derails her ice dancing career; and Steven’s best friend, Dustin, is madly (and one-sidedly) in love with Kimmie. As her friends struggle with the pitfalls of ordinary teenage life, Anna always seems to be able to sail gracefully above it all. That is…until the night she meets Alexia “Count” Vronsky at Grand Central. A notorious playboy who has bounced around boarding schools and who lives for his own pleasure, Alexia is everything Anna is not. But he has never been in love until he meets Anna, and maybe she hasn’t, either. As Alexia and Anna are pulled irresistibly together, she has to decide how much of her life she is willing to let go for the chance to be with him. And when a shocking revelation threatens to shatter their relationship, she is forced to question if she has ever known herself at all.

Clueless: One Last Summer by Amber Benson

Cher, Dionne, and Tai set off for one last summer of footloose and fancy-free fashion and fun before college starts! The class of 1997 has left Bronson Alcott High School for good, and as the weather heats up, Cher and besties Dionne and Tai head off for their last summer vacation adventure together before, ugh, REAL LIFE!

Those are all the books I plan on reading in June! 

[missbookiverse]

Herbstempfehlungen via Flow Chart

Heute darf ich euch ein kleines Experiment meinerseits vorstellen. Ich habe mich mal an ein Flussdiagramm Flow Chart gewagt, mit dessen Hilfe ihr euch eine Lektüreempfehlung für herbstliche (oder auch winterliche) Tage abholen könnt. Los geht es in der Mitte (wenn ihr auf die Lupe oben links auf der Grafik klickt, gelangt ihr zu einer vergrößerten Version), wo ihr euch als Erstes entscheiden müsst, ob ihr es lieber gemütlich oder schaurig angehen wollt. Dann einfach den Antworten und Strichen folgen. Unten habe ich die Ergebnistitel noch mal alphabetisch sortiert aufgelistet mit weiterführenden Links zu meiner Meinung.

Und jetzt viel Spaß beim Empfehlung suchen und lasst mich gern wissen, welches Buch bei euch herausgekommen ist und ob ihr es tatsächlich lesen werdet oder gelesen habt.

The Accident Season

Ashes (der Beitrag ist uralt, seid gnädig)

Assassin’s Apprentice

Bird Box

Dark Tales

Dear Reader

The Death of Jane Lawrence

Drachenreiter

The Hobbit

I Am Not a Serial Killer

I’m Thinking of Ending Things

Jane Eyre

Julia and the Shark

The Last House on Needless Street

The Madman’s Daughter

Malamander

Rebecca

Reckless

The Scorpio Races

The Sisters of the Winter Wood

Tales from the Hinterland

Tender is the Flesh

Tender Morsels

Tilly and the Bookwanderers

Tinder

Vita Nostra

[raychesshittyart]

Artist Statement

Rayche Nolier

Alteregos

I have had what can only be described as a rollercoaster of mental health starting from the age of thirteen. With different life experiences, physical health issues, and events thrown at me, I have been challenged on how I have been able to cope mentally. In past works I have managed to work with an abstraction of natural and man-made artefacts that I felt were personally linked to my mental wellbeing. In this practice, however, I have started working with the self, making various amounts of self-portraits using bodily positions, colours, and paint that conveys my current and past mental health state. I also use the practice of arts therapy when painting these self-portraits, by producing up to three or four pieces daily, an amount that I am mentally and physically able to cope in making. This strategy helps me learn more about my own emotions, how they are triggered, and how I was once coping with these emotions, compared to how I am coping with them now.

Through most of these miniature artworks I am discussing how my physical and mental health is invisible, by obscuring artist figures, almost blending them in the background, the way health can be easily blended in the person, unable to be seen at first. However, once able to spot the figure it is hard to unsee it, exactly the way mental and physical health is easily noticeable once it is pointed out or shared. In other pieces I bring the figure to the forefront of the piece, describing that because I live with mental or physical health issues I am almost always noticing the dark cloud that has taken a hold of me. It is always in the back of my mind, no matter how hard I try to hide it, it is the usually first thing I think of when I wake up and the last thing on my mind when I fall asleep. It is constantly just there. Doing these pieces in an art therapy practice also shows how I have been and currently am able to cope and live with my mental and physical health issues, expressing how some days it feels impossible to deal with, while most days I use the skills I have learnt in therapy, or through friends and family to get through it.

I have chosen to produce my works in novels, turning these story books into my own version of a diary, a visual journal. Only a couple of the books, “All The Bright Places” and “Tilly and the Bookwanderers”, link to what negative and positive emotions, struggles, achievements, pain, and joy are being portrayed in the works making the books more personal. The other four books have no relations to the works inside, giving off a more neutral effect. Choosing the setting of beanbags and pillows on the floor for viewers to sit down and read my works was done so for a therapeutic and relaxing environment that is similar to a person reading a book, matching the intimacy of the works inside my visual diaries.

[xunluckycloverx]

Answering in an ask.

It's alright! I hope you enjoy your break!

I did get Flashpoint to work eventually! I got a cute black sweater with a daisy pattern! Can send a photo if you want!

The books I got are The Bookwanderers, The Last Fallen Star, and The Ogress and the Orphans!

sorry again haha- i’ll try! moving house and stuff though hsjsb

ayy! that’s good. ooh, can i see?? :D!

ooh, never heard of them but they sound good! <3

[lunarchar]

Does anyone else find they just want to read books all day everyday at the end of the year? There’s so much to read and so little time! 📚📚 My currently reading list is rather long consisting of: The Mage & the Magpie by Austin J. Bailey, What if it’s Us (pictured) by Becky Albertalli & Adam Silvera, Tilly & the Bookwanderers by Anna James, The Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkien, Harry Potter: The Artifact Vault by Jody Revenson, Goodbye ED, Hello Me by Jenni Schaefer, The Suffragettes (penguin mini black collection) & last but not least Fantastic Beasts: Crimes of Grindelwald - Makers, Mysteries & Magic by Mark Salisbury. What’re you currently reading? 📙 - (ID: a photo taken of the book ‘What if it’s Us’ being opened on a background of black, white and grey striped bedding) - - - - - #blogger #bookstagram #bookish #bookworm #bookaddict #lifeblogger #books #book #booknerd #bookaholic #reader #ilovereading #bibliophile #booklover #booktag #bookilove #currentlyreading #currentread #reading #bookblogger #livefolk #visualsoflife #livedarling #theartofslowliving #bookloversofinstagram #seekthesimplicity #readingafter10 #discoverunder10k #discoverunder5k https://www.instagram.com/p/BqhY43DBFHw/?igshid=1pw0w3o82hm4u

[rathertoofondofbooks]

January is a month that I’ve struggled with in recent years but actually this January didn’t weigh on me quite as much so I feel like I’ve made progress in coming to terms with some things. I also turned 40 this month so am determined that my 40s will be fabulous!

I always plan ahead to keep my mind occupied in January so this time my plan was simple… read lots of good books! And I definitely succeeded with this! I read more books in January then ever before (since I started keeping record of what I read) and ended up finishing 34 books over the month! I can’t pick a single favourite as pretty much every book was really good but I have to give a special mention to Ideal Angels by Robert Welbourn because that book was incredible and it won’t let go of my thoughts!

I also managed a lot more blogging in January than I’ve done for a while and I’m really enjoying it. It feels like my blogging mojo is fully back now after the wobble I had over the summer so hopefully it will stick around now!

  Here are the books I read in January:

The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock by Imogen Hermes Gowar

This was a Christmas present from my husband. I’ve been wanting to read it for a while and it was worth the wait because I loved it. I already feel that this will make my favourite books of the year so 2019 was off to an amazing start!

Ivy and Abe by Elizabeth Enfield

I had an ARC of this book but I decided to listen to the audio book while I was feeling unwell and I very much enjoyed it. I’m fascinated by the idea of fate so this book was right up my street. I do plan on reviewing it when I get a chance.

The Liar’s Girl by Catherine Ryan Howard

This was another excellent book that I just couldn’t put down! I’ve already reviewed this so you can see my full thoughts here if you’d like to.

The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley

This book a really good way to pass a cold, wintery day when I needed some escapism! My review is here if you’d like to know more.

The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert

I’ve had this book on my TBR for ages and so I decided to part listen to the audio and part read it and I adored it. It was everything I hoped it would be and more!

The Rumour by Lesley Kara

This book was brilliant, it more than lived up to my expectations for it and is another book that I think may well be on my top books of the year! My review is here if you’d like to read it.

The Story Keeper by Anna Mazzola

This book is so atmospheric and had me gripped from start to finish. Find out more in my review here.

No More Plastic by Martin Dorey

This was an interesting introduction to reducing plastic but I was hoping to learn more. I’d definitely recommend it if you’re looking for somewhere to start though.

The Perfect Girlfriend by Karen Hamilton

I’d had an ARC of this on my TBR for quite a while and I finally picked it up in January and I ended up reading it in one sitting, it was so good! Here’s my full review!

The Second Sister by Claire Kendall

I bought this book sometime last year and I spotted it when I was tidying up my shelves last month so kept it out to read. It was a good thriller, it kept me turning the pages!

Ideal Angels by Robert Welbourn

This book is incredible. I loved it, even though it broke my heart. I know this book will be in my favourite reads of 2019, it just won’t let go of me. My full review is here if you’d like to know more.

The Party by Lisa Hall

This book was an okay read, it was one I read over the space of a couple of hours but it wasn’t as thrilling as I’d hoped.

Storyteller: The Authorised Biography of Roald Dahl by Donald Sturrock 

I’ve had the audio book of this for ages and it caught my eye when I was going through my Audible app recently. I very much enjoyed learning more about Roald Dahl, and I now want to read all my favourite of his books!

The Language of Kindness by Christie Watson

I’ve wanted to read this ever since I first heard about it so when I spotted it on an Audible deal recently I snapped it up. I listened to it over a couple of days and found it really interesting. It didn’t have the same lasting impression as Adam Kay’s book but it was a good listen.

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

I was lucky to receive an ARC of this last year and finally picked it up a couple of weeks ago and I devoured it in one sitting. It is such a brilliant novel, I loved it! My review is here if you’d like to know more.

Into the Silent Sea by Claire Stibbe

This was a really good thriller and another book that I flew through as I simply had to know how it would all end. Here’s my review!

The Suspect by Fiona Barton

I’ve read and enjoyed Fiona Barton’s previous two novels so I was delighted to receive a copy of this one. This is a brilliant novel, definitely Fiona’s best yet and I loved it. My full review is here if you’d like to know more.

Our Kind of Cruelty by Araminta Hall

This is another ARC that has been on my TBR longer than it should but when I did pick it up I devoured it. I was gripped from start to finish. I hope to get my review finished and posted soon.

Only Child by Rhiannon Navin

This was a really good read, although I struggled at times with the child narrator. Here’s my review.

Need to Know by Karen Cleveland

I read this novel in one sitting over the course of an afternoon and I loved it. I was intrigued from the opening chapter and it had me hooked right to the end. I’ll be reviewing this one soon.

Dear Mrs Bird by AJ Pearce

I had an ARC of this so I read it while also listening to the audio book and I really enjoyed it. It’s such a wonderful novel, one that I think I might re-read in the future. I hope to get my review posted soon.

Bring me Back by BA Paris

Sadly I didn’t really get on with this book, it was too far-fetched to me and it just didn’t gel at all. I have enjoyed a previous book by the author so maybe this just wasn’t the right book for me.

The Art of Asking by Amanda Palmer

This book has been on my TBR since it was first published but I’ve put off reading it because it felt like it was no longer for me. I’m so glad that I gave it a go though as I got a lot more out of it than I was expecting to so I recommend it.

Diversify by June Sarpong

This book was hit and miss for me. There were chapters that really struck a chord and others that didn’t. I’m glad I read it though, it was interesting for the most part.

The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hugo by Stuart Turton

I finally read this book and I can totally see why it got so much praise last year! I loved it too, it was so different to other books in this genre and I really appreciate how much work it must have taken.

Dead Girls by Graeme Cameron

This was a good read, it wasn’t as good as the previous book Normal but it was still a book that I read in just two sittings.

Notes on A Nervous Planet by Matt Haig

This was another Christmas present and I’m glad I picked it up when I did. I found it even more useful than I was expecting to and I think it is a book that I will go back to in the future.

A Very English Scandal by John Preston

This audio book was fascinating, shocking but really interesting. I already knew some things about this case but there was so much I didn’t know. I was hooked all the way through this book, it left me reeling!

Senseless by Anna Lickley

This is such a good novel. It’s got a great storyline, which I really enjoyed and it also has excellent disability representation, which I very much appreciate in a novel. I’ll be reviewing this in February for the blog tour!

Tilly and the Bookwanderers: Pages & Co. by Anna James

I got this book for Christmas and I saved it to read on the anniversary of my mum’s death when I knew I would need a comforting read. This book was everything I hope it would be and so much more besides, I adored it! I’m hoping to get a chance to re-read A Little Princess soon as it’s reminded me how much I loved that novel as a child.

Woman wearing a red hoodie by a river

The Six Loves of Billy Binns by Richard Lumsden

This book was beautiful, so much more more than I was expecting it to be and I loved it. I’ve already reviewed this so you can see that here if you’d like to know more.

The Cactus by Sarah Hayward

This book is gorgeous! I read it in one sitting and I completely and utterly fell in love with it. I’ll definitely be reviewing this one soon but in the meantime I highly recommend it!

Someone Like Me by MR Carey

I was sent an ARC of this and was told it was a thriller so I was a bit discombobulated when I started reading it. I’m still not sure what I think of it but I did read it in just a couple of sittings so it definitely gripped me!

Spare Room by Dreda Say Mitchell

I read this book in one sitting and it kept me up way past my bed time as I just couldn’t put it down! I reviewed this one yesterday so you can find that here if you’d like to know more.

  January Blog Posts & Reviews:

My Favourite Novels Read in 2018

My Favourite Non-Fiction Read in 2018

Reading Bingo for 2018! Was it a full house for me??

2018 Reading Reflections, Statistics and Plans for Tackling the TBR

  Stacking the Shelves (5th Jan)

Mini Crime and Thriller Book Reviews featuring A Noise Downstairs by Linwood Barclay, The Mystery of Three Quarters by Sophie Hannah, All The Hidden Truths by Claire Askew and Bluebird Bluebird by Attica Locke)

Review of The Liar’s Girl by Catherine Ryan Hyde

New Year Book Tag

This Week in Books (9 Jan)

Review of The Story Keeper by Anna Mazzola

Review of The Perfect Girlfriend by Karen Hamilton

Review of The Rumour by Lesley Kara

Stacking the Shelves (12 Jan)

Review of The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

Review of The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley

This Week in Books (16 Jan)

Review of Only Child by Rhiannon Navin

Review of Ideal Angels by Robert Welbourn

Stacking the Shelves (19 Jan)

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying up and How the #KonMari Method Changed My Life!

This was a much more personal post than I normally share on my blog but I wanted to share how following Marie Kondo’s de-cluttering methods had actually made a huge difference to my life!

Music Monday: In My Life by The Beatles

Review of Into the Silent Sea by Claire Stibbe

Review of The Suspect by Fiona Barton

This Week in Books (23 Jan)

Stacking the Shelves (26 Jan)

The Six Loves of Billy Binns by Richard Lumsden

This Week in Books (30 Jan)

Review of Spare Room by Dreda Say Mitchell

  The state of my TBR:

Well, in 2018 I succeeded in reducing my mammoth TBR… but 2019 has been the month with all the books. I started January with 2447 books (this is books that I own, I don’t add books to my TBR if I don’t own them) and have ended the month with 2464 books. Oops! This is in spite of me reading 34 books off my TBR this month, the fact is that I’ve acquired 51 books so overall my TBR has increased by 17 books. My plan is to reduce my TBR by 20 books every month so I need to do some serious reading and/or unhauling (unhauling keeps autocorrecting to unfailing and I was so tempted to leave it at that! Haha!) in February to get back on track! In all seriousness though I’m not worried as last year the reduction of my TBR happened over the course of the year so I feel sure I’ll be back on track come December 31st!

    How was your January? I hope you all had a good month and that you read lots of good books. Did you read many books? What was your favourite book of the month? Please tell me in the comments, I’d love to know. Also, if you have a blog please feel free to leave a link to your month’s wrap-up post and I’ll be sure to read and comment back. 🙂

That Was The Month That Was… January 2019! January is a month that I've struggled with in recent years but actually this January didn't weigh on me quite as much so I feel like I've made progress in coming to terms with some things.

[manuscripts-dontburn]

Bookhaul November 2023

New Books:

Starling House

The Winter Spirits: Ghostly Tales for Frosty Nights

The Toll House

The League of Lady Poisoners: Illustrated True Stories of Dangerous Women

Let the Dead Bury the Dead

The Last Bookwanderer

Weird Medieval Guys: How to Live, Laugh, Love (and Die) in Dark Times

Seasparrow

The Beautiful Mrs. Seidenman

The Goodbye Cat: Seven Cat Stories

Love; A Curious History

What the River Knows

Secondhand Books:

Kings of the Wyld

The Bluest Eye

The Swan Thieves

Spark of Life

The Cellist of Sarajevo

Seven Or Eight Deaths Of Stella Fortuna

The Ladies of Llangollen

The Space Between Us

Travels in Blood and Honey

1493: Uncovering the New World Columbus Created

A Renaissance Christmas

Jane, the Fox & Me

Firekeeper's Daughter

The Sister Queens

The Maias

Dearly Beloved

In a Dark Wood Wandering

Lovely Green Eyes

Waiting for Leah

Dita Saxova

Anežka Přemyslovna

Clash of Steel

Chudé aristokratky? Strategie šlechtičen k uchování společenského postavení v "dlouhém" 19. století

Big Sister, Little Sister, Red Sister: Three Women at the Heart of Twentieth-Century China

Evropské Vánoce v tradicích lidové kultury

[manuscripts-dontburn]

Mid-year book freak out

Best book you have read so far in 2019: The Winter of the Witch by Katherine Arden

Best sequel you have read so far in 2019: same as above, but for the sake of a change I really really enjoyed The Lair of Dreams and Before the Devil Breaks you by Libba Bray.

New release I want to read: Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield, and from non-fiction there is The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper

Most anticipated in 2019: 

The Secret Commonwealth: The Book of Dust Volume Two

Charlotte Brontë Before Jane Eyre

Maria Romanov : Daughter of the Last Tsar, Diaries and Letters, 1913-1918

The Starless Sea

The biggest disappointment: The Museum of Extraordinary Things by Alice Hoffman. After last year, when Hoffman´s “The Dovekeepres” was my absolute favourite book, I had hopes which proved to be too high. This is a decent book. Just not great.

The biggest surprise: La Belle Sauvage by Philip Pullman. Although I did like His Dark Materials a lot, I feel a certain reservation towards Pullman and his hate towards anything religious. I was not even sure if I wanted more of his world. But La Belle Sauvage was a wonderful adventure and now I cannot wait for more. Though I admit the reservation is still there.

New favourite authors: Even though I technically "met” her last year this year solidified Katherine Arden as somebody I will read practically anything written by. 

Newest fictional crush: I do not crush on book characters.... often.

Newest favourite character: Look, I bloody LOVED Vasya from the Winternight trilogy so much that I am bending the rules here and choose HER, though I have known her since last year. She is AWESOME.

Book that made you cry: The Poet X and Undying: A Love Story (poetry got to me this year)

Book that made you happy: Tilly and the Bookwanderers was just too darn cute.

The most beautiful book I have acquired this year: Aesthetically it has to be The Travelling Cat Chronicles. And you need to hold it and look through it to truly understand.

Books I want to read before the end of the year: 

Nonfiction:

Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West  

Just Send Me Word: A True Story of Love and Survival in the Gulag

Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed 

The Diary of a Bookseller

House of Dreams: The Life of L. M. Montgomery

Fiction:

Tess of the D'Urbervilles

The Ocean at the End of the Lane

The Sorrows of Young Werther

The Silence of the Girls

The Dark Descent Of Elizabeth Frankenstein

[manuscripts-dontburn]

Beren and Lúthien

Author: J.R.R. Tolkien (and Christopher Tolkien)

First published: 2017

Pages: 288

Rating: ★★★★★

How long did it take: 6 days

First of all: do not go into this book thinking it is a single narrative in a form of a novel. Instead be prepared for both poetry and prose, two or more verions of certain events and Christopher Tolkien´s explanations. A much more conscise and easier to read version of the story is to be found in the Silmarillion. But if you are a big Tolkien buff like me and every word he has ever written simply brings you joy and comfort, and if you are invested in the Middle-Earth lore, than this one should make it to your shelf. I enjoyed it immensely, reading the poetry parts our loud to fully appreciate them.

Girl Made of Stars

Author: Ashley Herring Blake

First published: 2018

Pages: 295

Rating: ★★★☆☆

How long did it take: 2 days

I feel rather conflicted about this book. On one hand the message, the representation and the issues explored are all extremely NEEDED. On the other hand for most part I fel strangely detached from everything. Part of it has to do with the setting. There is something about US high schools which is just plain boring to me (I actually had to DNF Becky Albertalli´s books because the school routine was just killing me), not to mention the book itself is just too short to truly go deep into the psyche of the characters. I would absolutely recommend "Girl Made of Stars" to all kids around 17 years of age, however it failed to work it´s charm on me.

Deníky Mistra a Markétky (The Diaries of the Master and Margarita)

Author: Mikhail Bulgakov, Elena Bulgakova

First published: 2013

Pages: 588

Rating: no rating

How long did it take: 18 days

It is impossible to rate somebody´s life, especially if it is presented through diary entries never meant for the public eye. This book offers one a deeply intimate look into the carefully controlled destruction of a phenomenally talented individual by the Soviet state, and also uncovers the many inspirations which eventually crystalized within the story of The Master and Margarita - my most beloved book.

The Last Diary of Tsaritsa Alexandra

Author: Alexandra Fyodorovna of Russia

First published: 1997

Pages: 326

Rating: no rating

How long did it take: 1 day

Same reason for the lack of rating as above. Invaluable historical resource for any serious Romanov researcher. But not something you want to read as an introduction to the subject.

Tilly and the Bookwanderers

Author: Alice Hoffman

First published: 2014

Pages: 400

Rating: ★★★★★

How long did it take: 2 days

I can´t believe that a book for children had me so enthralled and left wanting MORE!!!! Brilliant!

Lolita

Author: Vladimir Nabokov

First published: 1955

Pages: 361

Rating: ★★★★★

How long did it take: 9 days

I am kinda on a fence with this one. The real reason why I read this book is that it just felt like something I should do because of how influential and famous it is. And while I fully appreciate Nabokov the artist, the topic is simply disturbing and makes for a headache of a read. I suppose this is one of those books I understand being a classic, and at the same time wish it was not.

[raychesshittyart]

Since there's collaging involved in some of the pieces, I thought I'd glue in some previous pieces I'd done in the first book I started working with.

"Great Expectations"

"Tilly and the Bookwanderers"

"All The Bright Places"

In the last two books the pieces are larger than the pages of the book. Do I leave them as is? Do they look tacky as is? Do I cut all three sides down to the size of the page? Do I leave one side of the piece sticking out to show a moment that should be seen?

Those are the questions asked when I met with Jill.

More questions and things to think about from the 1:1 meeting;

Beanbags; Domestic personal setting, layering of personal things. Take longer

Plinth: objective, art viewing setting, personal content less expected, add contrast

How are art books displayed in galleries?

How exhibition ideas is done in gallery?

Where to get plinths?

How it will be navigated in the space?

Is there a logic?

[lunarchar]

I finished this stunning book last night. This is the hard cover underneath the dust jacket and I absolutely adore it! The book itself is ‘Pages & Co.: Tilly & the Bookwanderers’ by @acaseforbooks and I loved it more than I ever could have expected. This book also marked my 50th book read this year, meeting my goal and I am so bloody happy. It’s such a passion of mine and one that got knocked during my severe years of depression but I’ve got my love back. I’m so excited to read even more in this final month of the year 📚📚📚 - - (ID: A book (Pages & Co) on a grey blanket) - - - - - #blogger #bookstagram #bookish #bookworm #bookaddict #lifeblogger #books #book #booknerd #bookaholic #reader #ilovereading #bibliophile #booklover #booktag #bookilove #currentlyreading #currentread #reading #bookblogger #livefolk #visualsoflife #livedarling #theartofslowliving #bookloversofinstagram #seekthesimplicity #readingafter10 #discoverunder10k #discoverunder5k https://www.instagram.com/p/Bqs-Y39BFLS/?igshid=q5x60gd6vps4

[karolinaofbookland]

At work I’ve been spending a lot of time in the children’s and teen’s section and I want to read all the middle-grade books now! I picked up Tilly and the Bookwanderers last week and I am so looking forward to finally knowing why it’s so hyped up on bookstagram and booktube ☺️ I love books about books! 😍📖 Have you read it? What did you think of it? ☺️ #bookstagram #books #tillyandthebookwanderers #annajames #pagesandco https://www.instagram.com/p/B6LYtk-Afti/?igshid=1n0vap0268e2q