This was my first Beth O'Leary, and it was very much so as pacy and page-turning as I had anticipated. I read this while on a little holiday and I have to say, she makes for excellent vacation reading.
Swept Away by Beth O’Leary | book review
Book Reviews
The Astral Library by Kate Quinn | book review
It's no secret that I'm a great admirer of anything that Kate Quinn writes – and this is certainly no exception. This book was everything I wanted The Midnight Library to be. A magical library set in another realm (an in-between sort of realm) where you can live in your favourite novel and escape reality.
The Blacktongue Thief by Christopher Buehlman | book review
This was genuinely awesome. I loved every minute and I really loved the full-blown Irish sass of the main character, Kinch.
The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow | book review
This is a hard book to describe in detail – it's sat with me for some time since I finished it, and I thoroughly enjoyed the reading experience. But to put my finger on what exactly made this so good, is difficult. The book has a quiet, complex atmosphere – it's a sophisticated novel of family ties, the plight of women and the scandalousness of witchcraft.
Katabasis by R.F. Kuang | book reivew
I think I need to officially take a break (give up on?) reading Kuang books. Everything sounds so promising, and yet everything is overcomplicated and underdone. I am disappointed.
Alchemy of Secrets by Stephanie Garber | book review
This was super duper fabulous right up until the ending, and then things were a little too open-ended for my liking. Which is where the stars have been knocked off – we were full-steam ahead to the five-star rating up until that point.
The Dressmakers of Auschwitz by Lucy Adlington | book review
I loved Lucy Adlington's writing in The Red Ribbon, and while this is non-fiction rather than historical fiction, I loved her writing in this just as much. This is a very poignant and well-researched novel on a group of women who survived Auschwitz in part thanks to their sewing abilities.
The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs by Steve Brusatte | book review
I really am a big fan of Brusatte at this point. Having read The Rise and Reign of the Mammals: A New History, from the Shadow of the Dinosaurs to Us before this one, I knew I would be in for a good time and it didn't disappoint.
Bear Head by Adrian Tchaikovsky | book review
This is turning into a super interesting series, and I'm actually really excited to find out where it goes with book 3. I think I preferred book 2 to the first instalment, though they are really quite different to each other. I found the first book (Dogs of War) to be fascinating and unique, but the structure jumped forward in time rapidly and relentlessly. Whereas this book felt more stable and continuous.
A Storm of Swords: Blood and Gold by George R.R. Martin | book review
This is clearly the book where everything gets real. Being part 2 of book 3, things went up a gear in terms of battles, character deaths and general plot progression. I lost count of the number of times I was shocked in this book!
Upside-Down Books 