Countdown to 2026: The Final Day – Bottle of Bubbly – your first read in the New Year
31 December 2025
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: A Box Full of Darkness, Bottle of Bubbly, Countdown to 2026, Day 31, Simone St James, The Final Day, Your First Read in the New Year
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 the final day 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: Bottle of Bubbly – your first read in the New Year:
For today’s prompt I’ve chosen A Box Full of Darkness by Simone St James. It’s one of the first books on my shelves in the new year, I really like this author and I’m very much looking forward to this.
0 Days Remaining
See you all in the new year
Countdown to 2026: Day 30 – Family and Friends – a book with great characters
30 December 2025
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: A book with great characters, Christina Henry, Countdown to 2026, Day 30, family and Friends, The Place Where They Buried Your Heart
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 30 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: Family and Friends – a book with great characters:
For today’s prompt I’ve chosen The Place Where They Buried Your Heart by Christina Henry. At first glance this may appear like an unlikely contender for today’s prompt with its creepy house vibe, not to mention the font itself screams ‘horror’, but, the characters really make this novel stand out and in fact it is my favourite by the author so far.
1 Day Remaining
Tomorrow’s prompt: Bottle of Bubbly – your first read in the New Year
Countdown to 2026: Day 29 – A roaring fire – a book that was heartwarming
29 December 2025
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: A book that was heartwarming, A Roaring Fire, Countdown to 2026, Day 29, Nita Prose, The Maid's Secret
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 29 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: A Roaring Fire – a book that was heartwarming:
For today’s prompt I’ve chosen the conclusion to a series that I really enjoyed. The Maid’s Secret by Nita Prose. I really enjoyed reading about Molly, she is such a unique character and whilst this final chapter wasn’t perhaps my favourite of her adventures it was a really great way to end her story. I cannot wait to see what this author comes up with next:
2 Days Remaining
Tomorrow’s prompt: Family and Friends – a book with great characters
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
Books and travelling with Lynn 