Weekly Wrap Up : 9th February 2020
Is it just me or are the weeks flying by at breakneck speed. I cannot believe it’s the 9th February and I feel so busy at the moment that instead of doing a few things very well, I’m doing a lot of things very badly! So, I’ve only read one book this week, but it was quite slow going for some reason. I’m doing all sorts of projects but I’m stuck in that trap where you start one thing, then realise you have another couple of things and you keep going from one to the other. Consequently everywhere is a bit of a pigsty, there are incomplete gardening projects, unfinished house projects and unread books, plus my blog hopping has been dire. I can do better, lol. At least I’m still trying to eat healthy and exercise a little more each day. So, here’s my reading this week:
- The Sisters Grimm by Menna van Praag

What I’m reading next week:
- Crownbreaker by Sebastien deCastell
- The Wolf of Oren- Yaro by K. S. Villoso
- Starsight by Brandon Sanderson (audio)
Upcoming Reviews:
- King of the Road by RS Belcher
- Queenlayer by Sebastien DeCastell
- The Absinthe Earl by Sharon Lynn Fisher
- Deeplight by Frances Hardinge
- King of Assassins by RJ Barker
- The Sisters Grimm by Menna van Praag
I’d love to know what you’re reading this week.
Friday Face Off : “Is that a lion with horns and a pitchfork?”
7 February 2020
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: A Brightness Long Ago, Books by Proxy, Friday Face off, Guy Gavriel Kay

Here we are again with the Friday Face Off meme created by Books by Proxy . This is a great opportunity to feature some of your favourite book covers. The rules are fairly simple each week, following a predetermined theme (list below) choose a book (this doesn’t have to be a book that you’ve read), compare a couple of the different covers available for that particular book and choose your favourite. Future week’s themes are listed below – if you have a cover in mind that you’re really wanting to share then feel free to leave a comment about a future suggested theme. I’ve also listed events that take place during the year, that I’m aware of, so you can link up your covers – if you’re aware of any events that you think I should include then give me a shout. This week’s theme:
Lion- “Is that a lion with horns and a pitchfork?”
A lot of the new themes are open to interpretation which might make choosing the covers and seeing other’s choices very interesting. I can’t stress enough that this is all about your own interpretation and hopefully this new open feel to the meme will bring a larger selection of books and covers. It’s not supposed to be hard work, there are no rules, just enjoy yourself.
I’m not entirely sure what I had in mind for this week’s themes but as it happens I had a few more possibilities for this than I first suspected would be the case. I’ve gone for another fairly recent read which only has a couple of covers. A Brightness Long Ago by Guy Gavriel Kay. This was the first book I’ve read by this author and I really enjoyed it. Here are the covers:
There’s only one favourite for me:

Is this even a lion? I’m not sure but I’m having it for this week’s theme.
Which is your favourite?
I’ll be updating the list in order to include forthcoming events that I’m aware of so that you can perhaps link your themes up where possible (if you know of an event you’d like to share then let me know in the comments). As always, if you wish to submit an idea then leave me a comment – or if you’d like to host a week then simply let me know 😀
Next week –romantic – “thus with a kiss I die”
Future themes: (if you’re struggling with any of these themes then use a ‘freebie’ or one of your favourite covers) (I’ve added some new themes – some of these are slightly different, in order to avoid too much repetition I’m trying to make the themes more of a suggestion that everyone can interpret how they like.
2019
14th February – romantic – “thus with a kiss I die”
21st February – meringue – the puffy dress? – Lots of covers with ‘big’ dresses
28th February – Leap Year – One Ring to rule them all – A cover with a ring
6th March – Skeleton – them bones, them bones, them dry bones…
13th March – Exotic – ‘That which yields, is not always weak”– anything that represents something from distant lands.
20th March – Brown – a cover or covers that are brown
27th March – Freebie – choose one of your favourite covers
3rd April Fools – a trick of the eye – a cover that is more than meets the eye.
10th April – Moody – a cover that is atmospheric,
17th April – out of focus – double vision or all a blur
24th April – Armour – ‘“Pretty armour doesn’t make a warrior.”
1st May – Canine – “And then there were cats, thought Dog.:
8th May – graphic novel cover – “Love belongs to Desire, and Desire is always cruel”
15th May – pink – as pink as cotton candy – any cover that is pink
22nd May – Sorrow – a cover that makes you feel sad
29th May – Silhouette – an island, a person, anything you like
5th June – Flight – any type of flight – to flee, to fly
12th June – The bodice ripper – exactly as it seems
19th June – Time – time waits for no one
26th June – Windows – windows to the soul?
Moontangled (The Harwood Spellbook #2.5) by Stephanie Burgis
6 February 2020
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Moontangled, Stephanie Burgis, The Harwood spellbook #2.5
Moontangled is a delightful spin off story that primarily focuses on a couple of characters introduced during Thornbound, the second of the Harwood Spellbook series.
We first met Juliana Banks and Caroline Fennell during the fae shenanigans that took place in Thornbound which threatened to upturn all of Cassandra Harwood’s hard work and plans to open a magical school for young women. The two of them made for interesting reading and so I was really happy that the author took the decision to create a story that revolved purely around the two and their secret engagement.
I’m not going to elaborate greatly on the plot as this is a fairly short story that centres around the romance between the two and highlights how easy it is to misread motives and jump to wrong conclusions all in an attempt to do the right thing.
The setting for this world is an alternative England – known as Angland where magic and fae exist and conventions have been turned on their head a little. Here, women rule the world of politics and men rule the world of magic – although these long held roles are starting to become more fluid with women finding they can also wield magic – what next? I suppose men will be wanting to become politicians! In the previous instalment our central character, Cassandra (herself a rather brilliant wielder of magic until an unfortunate episode left her unable to practice) has shaken up the stiff-upper-lipped nobility with her decision to run a magical school for women – it’s not an entirely popular decision with the upper crust of society being set vehemently against such change but as the young women who can wield magic start to increase in numbers it becomes impossible to ignore the demand for such a school. Cassandra had her work cut out trying to convince the right people to give her school the stamp of approval and it was during this process that our two characters met and also when we felt the influence of the fae that inhabit the nearby wood.
I don’t typically read romance (or short stories) but this is a series that I will make an exception for because the stories all involve magical and fantastical elements combined with a period feel and a lightheartedness that makes them a joy to read. Plus, I love stories that involve the fae, they’re my catnip and I simply can’t resist.
Burgis has a lovely writing style and manages to infuse her stories with the sort of well developed characters and strong relationships that I love and even though this is a fairly short story the author manages to help both characters achieve that development in themselves that is really positive to read about.
In terms of criticisms – the only thing I have is a feeling of this being over too quickly and wanting more.
A sweet and charming regency style series that has flavours of The Importance of Being Ernest (in terms of problems with misunderstandings) and Pride and Prejudice (lots of young ladies, excitement over the next ball and folderol about dresses) – but with fantasy and the fae thrown in for good measure.
I would suggest reading the previous books before reading this – because they’re very worthy reads – but, I think you could probably read this as a standalone if you wanted to get a flavour for the place and the writing (although I am of course saying that whilst having the benefit of having read the previous instalments – so I’m not entirely sure I’m the best judge – just read the other books is my advice :D)
I received a copy courtesy of the author. The above is my own opinion.
My rating 4 out of 5 stars
Can’t Wait Wednesday : The Doors of Eden by Adrian Tchaikovsky

“Waiting On Wednesday” is a weekly meme that was originally created by Breaking the Spine. Unfortunately Breaking the Spine are no longer hosting so I’m now linking my posts up to Wishful Endings Can’t Wait Wednesday. Don’t forget to stop over, link up and check out what books everyone else is waiting for. If you want to take part, basically, every Wednesday, we highlight a book that we’re really looking forward to. This week my book is : The Doors of Eden by Adrian Tchaikovsky – and here’s why:
Lee’s best friend went missing on Bodmin Moor, four years ago. She and Mal were chasing rumours of monsters when they found something all too real. Now Mal is back, but where has she been, and who is she working for?
When government physicist Kay Amal Khan is attacked, the security services investigate. This leads MI5’s Julian Sabreur deep into terrifying new territory, where he clashes with mysterious agents of an unknown power who may or may not be human. And Julian’s only clue is some grainy footage – showing a woman who supposedly died on Bodmin Moor.
Khan’s extradimensional research was purely theoretical, until she found cracks between our world and countless others. Parallel Earths where monsters live. These cracks are getting wider every day, so who knows what might creep through? Or what will happen when those walls finally come crashing down…
Expected publication: May 2020
Top Ten Tuesday : High Expectations
4 February 2020
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: High Expectations, That Artsy Reader Girl, Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme where every Tuesday we look at a particular topic for discussion and use various (or more to the point ten) bookish examples to demonstrate that particular topic. Top Ten Tuesday (created and hosted by The Broke and Bookish) is now being hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl and future week’s topics can be found here. This week’s topic is:
Books On My TBR I Predict Will Be 5-Star Reads
I think I pick up every book hoping for a 5* read – I imagine that’s the hope for most readers isn’t it, finding that special book? But, with certain books and authors I definitely pick the book up with high expectations – maybe that’s wrong but it’s difficult not to do so. With that in mind, here are 10 books that I’m greatly looking forward to and strongly expecting to be excellent:
Dead to Her by Sarah Pinborough because, basically, I have loved everything I’ve read by this author and so I’m always excited when she releases a new book.

A Time of Courage by John Gwynne the first two books in this series have been brilliant, they make me regret not having picked up his previous series because I know I probably won’t at this stage go back to pick them up. I have very high hopes for the final book in the series.

The Wolf’s Call by Anthony Ryan – I loved the Raven’s Shadow series and so the idea of a return to this world and more than that, to read more of Vaelin Al Sorna’s adventures, well, colour me happy.

The Guest List by Lucy Foley. This is definitely an author that made it onto my ‘keep my eye on this author’ list (yes, I do have such a list). I really enjoyed the Hunting Party, it was such a good murder mystery and this promises another engrossing read. Fingers crossed for much love for this book.

The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel – this ia an author that I’ve been patiently (not really patiently at all) waiting for more from. I loved Station Eleven. It was such a great book that I highly recommend.

The Deep by Alma Katsu. Another author on my list (see above). I love the style of writing and the concept for this novel sounds absolutely absorbing. I can’t wait to pick it up.

Survivors by G X Todd. I’m a little late for this one but that is certainly no indication of my desire to get started. Just simply not enough hours in the day. This is the final instalment of a series that has had me positively gripped.

The Girl with No Face M.H. Boroson. The Girl with Ghost Eyes was totally kick ass. Again, lack of time has stopped me picking this up in a timely fashion but I’m still excited to get started and I definitely have very high expectations given the reviews I’ve seen from some of my fellow bloggers.

The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison. I know. I’m probably the only person on the planet that hasn’t picked this up yet. It enjoys such glowing reviews and comes highly recommend by a blogger who has very similar tastes to mine. Excitement am I.

The Girl and the Stars by Mark Lawrence. I’m almost 100% certain that this author writes his books simply with me in mind. Joking aside – I’ve been completely won over by everything he’s written so far so you could say my expectations with this book are a little bit ridiculous – they’re not just high, they’re astronomical. No pressure at all then.





