Magic Kingdom for Sale/Sold by Terry Brooks | book review

Magic Kingdom for Sale Sold by Terry Brooks book review
~ Kirstie Ellen ~ Leave a comment

Shame on me for not reading this sooner. And shame on you for not having this on your radar if you don't. This was both hilarious and a masterpiece, and not at all what I expected. I had originally picked this up on a bit of a whim; I trust that Brooks will write a great fantasy novel, but that title? Surely, this is not taking itself seriously and is going to be a bit silly. I was not expecting this to be anything to write home about. But reader, fetch me my parchment!

The Red Winter by Cameron Sullivan | book review

The Red Winter by Cameron Sullivan book review
~ Kirstie Ellen ~ Leave a comment

This was a very interesting book to read and I've had to have a long think after finishing it to work out how to sum up my thoughts. The short of it, is that this is extremely talented writing and very captivating tale, but one that has quite a soft ending.

The Impossible Fortune by Richard Osman | book review

The Impossible Fortune by Richard Osman book review
~ Kirstie Ellen ~ Leave a comment

Richard Osman does it again in this final instalment of the Thursday Murder Club. I was somewhat nervous going into this, because a final book means he could kill off whoever he wanted - and I was still feeling emotionally scarred from the rollercoaster that was book four.

Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V.E. Schwab | book review

Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V.E. Schwab book review
~ Kirstie Ellen ~ Leave a comment

This was in some ways everything that I expected, and in other ways, something of a let down. I was really excited for some dark and mysterious vampires written by Schwab. She certainly delivered on the vampire front and with some exceptional writing that lifted the characters off the page. But this book had a meandering plot, that was hardcore on the "meh" side of things.

The Seaside Murders by Helena Dixon | book review

The Seaside Murders by Helena Dixon book review
~ Kirstie Ellen ~ Leave a comment

The sweet and simple nature of this series is what makes it so enjoyable to read. After finishing book one, I was ready to tuck into some more cosy crime adventures with the same characters, but the unexpected added bonus is the character development that occurs along the way. This is a series that is absolutely worth reading in chronological order because of this reason.

Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke | book review

Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke book review
~ Kirstie Ellen ~ Leave a comment

This was certainly an interesting read, and a great one for provoking some good discussions. It's also a hard one to review while keeping spoiler free, so I'm going to be somewhat vague. Ultimately, this was a gripping read – almost like a mystery – that had you hating the protagonist in a good way, and feeling desperate to understand what is going on. This book really keeps you in the dark, even when you think you might have figured out what's what.

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle | book review

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle book review
~ Kirstie Ellen ~ Leave a comment

Is there anything not to love about this? There's nothing better than a healthy dose of Sherlock Holmes bundled up together. I really enjoyed this collection of short stories - it was so much fun, despite every case being so short!

The Sign of Four by Arthur Conan Doyle | book review

The Sign of Four by Arthur Conan Doyle book review
~ Kirstie Ellen ~ Leave a comment

This little mystery has stuck with me since I turned the final page. I thought I liked it – thought it was fine – but the more I thought on it, the more I realised that this was a damn good read and very unique. I didn't just like it, I loved it.

The Faraway Inn by Sarah Beth Durst | book review

The Faraway Inn by Sarah Beth Durst book review
~ Kirstie Ellen ~ Leave a comment

This was very sweet and everything I've come to expect from Sarah Beth Durst. Having read The Spellshop, I picked this up in the expectation that this would be a great cosy read – something to really sink into and enjoy the magical atmosphere of; and I wasn't wrong.

A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle | book review

A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle book review
~ Kirstie Ellen ~ Leave a comment

I've decided to start a read through of the Sherlock Holmes books in chronological order - and this was delightful to start at the very beginning of Holmes and Watson's relationship. I loved the way this book began by introducing the circumstances in which the two meet, followed by an excellent mystery of course.