Booking Ahead/Weekly Wrap Up
I’m trying to post a wrap up for the end of each month, mainly to help me to keep track of my reading and at the same time look at what I’m intending to read during the month ahead (inspired by Books Bones and Buffy’s What’s on My Plate.
Weekly Update
Here I am again playing catch up. I’m quite pleased with progress this week. I’ve posted three individual reviews during the week and then three shorter reviews in one post on Saturday, so that’s really helped to alleviate that long list of reviews I was needing to catch up with although I still have a couple of reviews outstanding from October which I’m hoping to catch up with soon.
This week I’ve read and loved Ring the Bells by C. K. McDonnell. I’m absolutely loving the Stranger Times series, I can’t get enough of the characters and imaginative stories. It seems to go from strength to strength. And I’ve now picked up The Possession of Alba Diaz by Isabel Cañas.
Next Week’s reads
Complete The Possession of Alba Diaz by Isabel Cañas and then I’d like to pick up Murder Most Haunted by Emma Mason, I was also just approved for a copy of Ragwort by Sam K Horton which I can’t wait to start as Gorse was brilliant.
Reviews Posted:
- Shield of Sparrows by Devney Perry
- The Knight and the Moth by Rachel Gillig
- This Monster of Mine by Shalini Abeysekara
- Cinder House by Freya Marske
- The Cold House by AG Slatter
- Alchemy of Secrets by Stephanie Garber
Outstanding Reviews
- Play Nice by Rachel Harrison
- No Women Were Harmed by Heather Mottershead
- The Naked Light by Bridget Collilns
- House of Splinters by Laura Purcell
- The Last Witch by CJ Cooke
- Ring the Bells by CK McDonnell
Monthly/Weekly Wrap Up/What’s On My Plate September/October
30 September 2025
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Book Reviews, Books, Books Bones & Buffy, Fantasy, Monthly/Weekly Wrap Up, reading, September/October, What's on my Plate
I’m trying to post a wrap up for the end of each month, mainly to help me to keep track of my reading and at the same time look at what I’m intending to read during the month ahead (inspired by Books Bones and Buffy’s What’s on My Plate.
This month’s wrap up post will be a bit messy again like last month’s because I’m combining it with my weekly wrap up.
Weekly Update
I’ve been absent from the blog for the past two weeks for a couple of reasons (nothing to do with reading slumps or being stressed with blogging and reviewing). We’ve had family visiting, I’ve had an issue with my hip replacement which I won’t go into here (but has been stressful) and I’ve started some more language lessons so two of my evenings are now taken up with school and then of course homework!
I’ve been pushing on with my reading though and although I now need to post quite a few reviews in quick succession I’m pleased to be a little ahead with some of my review books.
Since my last weekly wrap up I’ve read:
- Cinder House by Freya Marske
- Alchemy of Secrets by Stephanie Garber
- House of Splinters by Laura Purcell
- The Last Witch by CJ Cooke
and I’m now reading Ring the Bells by C. K. McDonnell.
Next Week’s reads
Complete Ring the Bells and then pick up either The Possession of Alba Diaz by Isabel Cañas or Murder Most Haunted by Emma Mason.
Reviews Posted:
None in the past week.
Outstanding Reviews
- Shield of Sparrows by Devney Perry
- The Knight and the Moth by Rachel Gillig
- Play Nice by Rachel Harrison
- This Monster of Mine by Shalini Abeysekara
- No Women Were Harmed by Heather Mottershead
- The Naked Light by Bridget Collilns
- Cinder House by Freya Marske
- The Cold House by AG Slatter
- Alchemy of Secrets by Stephanie Garber
- House of Splinters by Laura Purcell
- The Last Witch by CJ Cooke
My Monthly Wrap Up:
Books read in September:
- No Women Were Harmed by Heather Mottershead
- The Faerie Morgana by Louisa Morgan
- The Naked Light by Bridget Collilns
- Cinder House by Freya Marske
- The Cold House by AG Slatter
- Alchemy of Secrets by Stephanie Garber
- House of Splinters by Laura Purcell
- The Last Witch by CJ Cooke
I’ve had a good reading month with 8 books and a good dent already in my October review books.
Here’s what I’m hoping to read in October:
- Cinder House by Freya Marske (already read)
- Alchemy of Secrets by Stephanie Garber (already read)
- The Cold House by A.G. Slatter (already read)
- House of Splinters by Laura Purcell (already read)
- Ring the Bells by CK McDonnell (currently reading)
- The Last Witch by C.J. Cooke (already read)
- The Possession of Alba Dias by Isabel Cañas
- Murder Most Haunted by Emma Mason
- King Sorrow by Joe Hill
- The Last Death of the Year by Sophie Hannah
- The Everlasting by Alix E Harrow
Lets just be honest – I’m not doing well so far – I need to give my head a big wobble.
Bookforager‘s Picture Prompt book bingo.
and the text version:
PICTURE PROMPT BOOK BINGO 2025 (TEXT VERSION)
| 1. A prehistoric flint knapped stone knife | 2. A lighthouse | 4. An archery target with three arrows in it | |
| 5. A very large mechanical telescope | 7. A stag | ||
| 9 |
|||
| 15. A stylized sun with a human face |
Today, I’m not ticking off a prompt.
The prompts I’ve crossed off so far:
No. 16 – A Roman helmet – and I’m using This Monster of Mine by Shalini Abeysekara.
No. 3 – an apple on a leafy branch – Hemlock and Silver by T Kingfisther
No.10 – A Sheaf of Wheat – The Enchanted Greenhouse by Sarah Beth Durst –
No. 11 – An Old Mechanical Typewriter – The Bewitching by Silvia Moreno Garcia
No.8 – The ruins of a temple-like structure – I’m using Daughter of Chaos by A S Webb
No. 12 – A cluster of four mushrooms – I’m using Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales by Heather Fawcett
No. 13 – A fringed umbrella/parasol – I’m using A Fortune Most Fatal by Jessica Bull
No.14 – A chemistry set-up of bottles and tubes – I’m using Wooing the Witch Queen by Stephanie Burgis
No.9 – A Crab – I’m using The Devils by Joe Abercrombie – if you’ve read this already you’ll be able to guess why. There are some very unusual creatures in this story.
No.6 – A Human Skull – I’m using The Man Made of Smoke by Alex North – because this is about a serial killer and there are definite human remains included in this one.
Number of books read this year: 71
Booking Ahead/Weekly Wrap Up
7 September 2025
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Book Reviews, Booking Ahead, Books, fiction, reading, Weekly wrap up, What's on my Plate
Books read this week:
I’ve had a lovely week this week seeing friends and doing a bit more socialising – I was going stir crazy. And my reading is going very well too. I do need to catch up with blog hopping but I’ve made a start and as I can’t bear to think I might miss out on reading about another great book I will be visiting everyone in the next few days. As planned I carried on with my September books and managed to read The Faerie Morgana by Louisa Morgan – which I loved and also No Women Were Harmed by Heather Mottershead which had me totally gripped. I have one further review book for September which I’m about to pick up – The Naked Light by Bridget Collins.
Next Week’s Reads:
Complete The Naked Light by Bridget Collilns and then I can start on some of my October books.
Reviews Posted:
- The Ghosts of Merry Hall by Heather Davey
- No Friend to This House by Natalie Haynes
- A Honeymoon of Grave Consequence by Stephanie Burgis (The Unexpected Adventures of Lady and Lord Riven #2)
Outstanding Reviews
- Shield of Sparrows by Devney Perry
- The Knight and the Moth by Rachel Gillig
- The Library at Hellebore by Cassandra Khaw – DNF
- Play Nice by Rachel Harrison
- This Monster of Mine by Shalini Abeysekara
- The Faerie Morgana by Louisa Morgan
- No Women Were Harmed by Heather Mottershead
That’s it for me this week, what have you been up to? Any good books to shout out about. Let me know.
Review: A Honeymoon of Grave Consequence by Stephanie Burgis (The Unexpected Adventures of Lady and Lord Riven #2)
1 September 2025
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: A Honeymoon of Grave Consequence, Book Reviews, Books, fiction, reading, Review, Stephanie Burgis, The Unexpected Adventures of Lady and Lord Riven #2
My Five Word TL:DR Review: Deliciously, Outrageously Cosy and Romantic
I enjoyed the first book in this winning series (A Marriage of Undead Inconvenience) and couldn’t wait to tuck into this second instalment and, to be absolutely brutally honest, this was even better – possibly because I enjoy something a little more meaty and this story is longer than the first – still totally manageable in one delicious bite – but, definitely more to sink your teeth into (I did that on purpose of course).
Now, if you’re planning on reading this, yes, you should read the first instalment, it’s such a beautiful opener and a very quick read so, not only would it be utterly pointless to miss it but also unnecessary – so read it already and do yourself a favour. Oh, also, there may be spoilers in this review so you have been warned – leave now if you haven’t read the first yet.
Margaret and Lord Riven are now happily married, they may not have started out ‘happily’ but their relationship is blooming and, following a slight delay to accommodate Margaret’s (Lady Riven if you will) new found academic acclaim, the two are about to embark on a honeymoon. They’re staying in a remote inn deep in the Black Forest – of course, Margaret shall be using the time, far away from high society, to study and she’s hoping to locate an ancient relic. Imagine the surprise when, upon arrival at the inn, it appears that all the other guests are supernatural creatures – of the lethal variety – and Margaret is only being tolerated because of her equally lethal vampire husband. Perhaps not the most fortuitous of starts, but there is at least good tea.
I shall not elaborate further on the story other than to say it really is a delight of a story with all manner of supernaturals, a baddie on a mission and the very real danger that Lady Riven is in real danger – she’s in much deeper than she thought possible and a broken heart is a real possibility.
What I loved.
This is romantic, and cosy, well written and has great, and realistic, dialogue. Burgis exceeds in all these areas with panache. On top of this there’s an intriguing storyline and an ending that promises more goodness in the future and the whole ensemble has a fairytale feel with castles and glass coffins (but with teeth).
Margaret is a great character to read and her husband is the perfect partner. I love the dynamic between these two and I’m excited to read more. Margaret is the prickly, anti social academic who hates small talk to Lord Riven’s sociable butterfly who loves nothing more than meeting new people. They have a balance that really strikes a chord.
In terms of new characters – well, the other guests at the inn are a feisty bunch – and, I don’t really want to give away spoilers but their eventual acceptance of Margaret as part of their community is positively joyous.
In conclusion this was a little belter and frankly I’m hoping for (and in fact I’m more or less positive that we will have) more adventures with Lady and Lord Riven.
I received a copy courtesy of the author, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
My rating 4.5 of 5 stars
Monthly/Weekly Wrap Up/What’s On My Plate August/September
31 August 2025
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: August/September, Booking Ahead/Weekly Wrap Up, Books, Fantasy, Monthly Wrap Up, reading, What's on my Plate
I’m trying to post a wrap up for the end of each month, mainly to help me to keep track of my reading and at the same time look at what I’m intending to read during the month ahead (inspired by Books Bones and Buffy’s What’s on My Plate.
This month’s wrap up post will be a bit messy again like last month’s because I’m combining it with my weekly wrap up.
Weekly Update
Well, I’ve had my six week check up and my hip is progressing well. I’ve not been using any walking aids for about three weeks and I’ve been keeping up with the exercises and so far so good. In the past week I continued with some of my September reads and completed No Friend to This House by Natalie Haynes which started a little slow and then won me over, The Ghosts of Merry Hall by Heather Davey which I did have a few issues with and I also read A Honeymoon of Grave Consequence by Stephanie Burgis – which I really enjoyed and crammed into one delicious sitting.
Next Week’s reads
I shall be continuing with my September review books so will be picking up The Faerie Morgana by Louisa Morgan, No Women Were Harmed by Heather Mottershead and maybe I’ll have time for a third and check out The Naked Light by Bridget Collins.
Reviews Posted:
- Victorian Psycho by Virginia Feito
- A Tangle of Time (The Hexologists #2) by Josiah Bancroft
Outstanding Reviews
- Shield of Sparrows by Devney Perry
- The Knight and the Moth by Rachel Gillig
- The Library at Hellebore by Cassandra Khaw – DNF
- Play Nice by Rachel Harrison
- This Monster of Mine by Shalini Abeysekara
- The Ghosts of Merry Hall by Heather Davey
- No Friend to This House by Natalie Haynes
- A Honeymoon of Grave Consequence by Stephanie Burgis
My Monthly Wrap Up:
Books read in August:
- The Dead Husband Cookbook by Danielle Valentine
- Hemlock and Silver by T Kingfisher
- Forget Me Not by Stacy Willingham
- Damned by Genevieve Cogman
- This Vicious Hunger by Francesca May
- Play Nice by Rachel Harrison
- The Hexologists: A Tangle of Time by Josiah Bancroft
- This Monster of Mine by Shalini Abeysekara
- No Friend to This House by Natalie Haynes
- The Ghosts of Merry Hall by Heather Davey
- A Honeymoon of Grave Consequence by Stephanie Burgis
I’ve had a very good reading month reading 11 books, I completed all my August review books and even made a dent in some of my September reads. No DNFs this month fortunately.
Here’s what I’m hoping to read in September (and I’ve already read three so should be able to tuck into my October books all going well – good thing too as I have quite a few books that month):
- No Friend to this House by Natalie Haynes – read rtf
- The Ghosts of Merry Hall by Heather Davey – read rtf
- The Faerie Morgana by Louisa Morgan
- No Women Were Harmed by Heather Mottershead
- The Naked Light by Bridget Collins
- A Honeymoon of Grave Consequence by Stephanie Burgis – read rtf
Lets just be honest – I’m not doing well so far – I need to give my head a big 0wobble.
Bookforager‘s Picture Prompt book bingo.
and the text version:
PICTURE PROMPT BOOK BINGO 2025 (TEXT VERSION)
| 1. A prehistoric flint knapped stone knife | 2. A lighthouse | 4. An archery target with three arrows in it | |
| 5. A very large mechanical telescope | 7. A stag | ||
| 9 |
|||
| 15. A stylized sun with a human face |
Today, I’m ticking off another prompt. No. 16 – A Roman helmet – and I’m using This Monster of Mine by Shalini Abeysekara.
The prompts I’ve crossed off so far:
No. 3 – an apple on a leafy branch – Hemlock and Silver by T Kingfisther
No.10 – A Sheaf of Wheat – The Enchanted Greenhouse by Sarah Beth Durst –
No. 11 – An Old Mechanical Typewriter – The Bewitching by Silvia Moreno Garcia
No.8 – The ruins of a temple-like structure – I’m using Daughter of Chaos by A S Webb
No. 12 – A cluster of four mushrooms – I’m using Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales by Heather Fawcett
No. 13 – A fringed umbrella/parasol – I’m using A Fortune Most Fatal by Jessica Bull
No.14 – A chemistry set-up of bottles and tubes – I’m using Wooing the Witch Queen by Stephanie Burgis
No.9 – A Crab – I’m using The Devils by Joe Abercrombie – if you’ve read this already you’ll be able to guess why. There are some very unusual creatures in this story.
No.6 – A Human Skull – I’m using The Man Made of Smoke by Alex North – because this is about a serial killer and there are definite human remains included in this one.
Number of books read this year: 63
Books and travelling with Lynn 