Booking Ahead/Weekly Wrap Up
28 December 2025
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Agatha Christie, Book Reviews, Booking Ahead, Books, Caffeinated Book Reviewer, fiction, reading, Sunday Post, T Kingfisher, The Last Death of the Year, Weekly wrap up, What Stalks the Deep
Weekly Update
To those of you who celebrate Christmas I hope you’ve had a lovely time and happy holidays to those who don’t I hope you’ve enjoyed the past few days. I’ve definitely eaten too many naughty treats and not been terribly good at exercising so that’s something I need to work on. In bookish news I completed The Last Death of the Year by Sophie Hannah, this was okay but not quite as gripping as I’d hoped. I also picked up and completed What Stalks the Deep by T Kingfisher. This was also okay, I enjoyed the writing but didn’t think it quite captured the atmosphere I was hoping for. I’ve now picked up and am hoping to complete before the year concludes The Possession of Alba Diaz by Isabel Cañas – at the moment its slow going so we’ll see.
Next Week’s reads
Hopefully complete The Possession of Alba Diaz by Isabel Cañas and I’m thinking that will be it for my reading for 2025.
Reviews Posted:
- Ragwort by Sam K Horton
Outstanding Reviews
- Play Nice by Rachel Harrison
- Outlaw Planet by MR Carey
- The Last Death of the Year by Sophie Hannah
- What Stalks the Deep by T Kingfisher
Countdown to 2026: Day 28 – Candlelight – a book that kept you up into the early hours
28 December 2025
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: A Book that Kept you up Late, A Tangle of Time, Candlelight, Countdown to 2026, Day 28, Josiah Bancroft, The Hexologists
Once again I am counting down to the New Year, as with the previous years I shall be highlighting at least one book per day to fit the prompt on that given day. The main aim for this countdown is to highlight some of my reads during the past year and to shine the spotlight on them once again (although some of the prompts relate to forthcoming reads).
Today is Day 28 of the countdown to 2026 and a list of prompts can be found here if you wish to join me in counting down to 2026 and casting a spotlight on some of your favourite books.
Today’s Prompt: Candlelight – a book that kept you up into the early hours:
For today’s prompt I’ve chosen The Hexologists: A Tangle of Time by Josiah Bancroft. This is the second book in the series and I am loving it. This particular instalment definitely kept me up late eager to finish. The writing is superb, the imagination is amazing, I love the two main characters and quite frankly, I just want more.
3 Days Remaining
Tomorrow’s prompt: A roaring fire – a book that was heartwarming
Countdown to 2026: Day 27 – Christmas Crackers – Ended with a bang
27 December 2025
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Christmas Crackers, Countdown to 2026, Day 27, Ended with a bang, Victorian Psycho, Virginia Feito
Once again I am counting down to the New Year, as with the previous years I shall be highlighting at least one book per day to fit the prompt on that given day. The main aim for this countdown is to highlight some of my reads during the past year and to shine the spotlight on them once again (although some of the prompts relate to forthcoming reads).
Today is Day 27 of the countdown to 2026 and a list of prompts can be found here if you wish to join me in counting down to 2026 and casting a spotlight on some of your favourite books.
Today’s Prompt: Christmas Crackers – Ended with a bang:
I’ve chosen a book that really does have a chaotic ending, not exactly a ‘bang’ but definitely a bit out there. Victorian Psycho by Virginia Feito.
4 Days Remaining
Tomorrow’s prompt: Candlelight – a book that kept you up into the early hours
Countdown to 2026: Day 26 – Boxing Day – feeling bloated, a palate cleanser
26 December 2025
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: A Palate Cleanser, Boxing Day, Countdown to 2026, Danielle Valentine, Day 26, Feeling Bloated, The Dead Husband Cookbook
Once again I am counting down to the New Year, as with the previous years I shall be highlighting at least one book per day to fit the prompt on that given day. The main aim for this countdown is to highlight some of my reads during the past year and to shine the spotlight on them once again (although some of the prompts relate to forthcoming reads).
Today is Day 26 of the countdown to 2026 and a list of prompts can be found here if you wish to join me in counting down to 2026 and casting a spotlight on some of your favourite books.
Today’s Prompt: Boxing Day – feeling bloated, a palate cleanser :
I’ve chosen a book today that was definitely a step change. The Dead Husband Cookbook by Danielle Valentine. This was a really intriguing read that kept me guessing to the end and unlike many of my usual reads this contained no magical realism or fantasy elements. Instead this is a story with a mystery.
5 Days Remaining
Tomorrow’s prompt: Christmas Crackers – Ended with a bang
Countdown to 2026: Day 25 – Christmas Day – A book you received as a gift
25 December 2025
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: A Book You Received as a Gift, Christmas Day, Countdown to 2026, Day 25, Emily St John Mandel, Sea of Tranquility, Station Eleven, The Glass Hotel
Once again I am counting down to the New Year, as with the previous years I shall be highlighting at least one book per day to fit the prompt on that given day. The main aim for this countdown is to highlight some of my reads during the past year and to shine the spotlight on them once again (although some of the prompts relate to forthcoming reads).
Today is Day 25 of the countdown to 2026 and a list of prompts can be found here if you wish to join me in counting down to 2026 and casting a spotlight on some of your favourite books.
Today’s Prompt: Christmas Day – a book you received as a gift:
I’ve chosen a book that I loved and read quite some time ago but recently received a copy from a friend – because its impossible to know which books I have and haven’t read after all! And I was so happy to receive this physical copy because I read the book on Kindle (always nice to own your own hard copy). On the face of it I could have chosen a gift that I haven’t already read to highlight today but I love this author’s work so much that I couldn’t resist using it here. Station Eleven by Emily St John Mandell. I highly recommend this – not to mention her other work, in particular Sea of Tranquility and The Glass Hotel.
6 Days Remaining
Tomorrow’s prompt: Boxing Day – feeling bloated, a palate cleanser
Books and travelling with Lynn 