Friday Face Off: Pinfeathers by Christina Henry
9 October 2026
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Book Review, book-blog, Books, Christina Henry, fiction, Friday Face off, Pinfeathers, reading

Today is another opportunity to play along at the Friday Face Off where you choose a book and compare the covers. Originally created by Books by Proxy). If youβre taking part I would love you to drop me a link so I can check out your cover choices. .
Iβve decided to make a couple of changes to my weekly Friday Face Off β nothing too drastic β at the start of the month, the first Friday Face Off of the month, Iβm aiming to take a look at joining in with the Birthstone Book Covers meme created by Leslie @ Books Are The New Black so for the first FFO every month I will search for covers that match that monthβs birthstone (from books that Iβve read) and compare them and choose a favourite. For the last Friday of every month Iβm going to look at the books Iβve read that month and do the same.
Today I’m back to my regular FaceOff and I’ve chosen a forthcoming book that I’m excited to pick up Pinfeathers by Christina Henry. I have three covers to show but I’m not sure if one of these is a finished cover so take it with a pinch of salt. Here they are:



I found it tough this week because these are all unsettling aren’t they.
My favourite:
In the end, I went for this one because I like the simplicity of it.
Which is your favourite this week?
Can’t Wait Wednesday: The Stars Look Like Home by TJ Klune
7 October 2026
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Book Reviews, Books, Can't Wait Wedesday, Fantasy, reading, The Stars Look Like Home, TJ Klune, Wishful Endings

βWaiting On Wednesdayβ is a weekly meme that was originally created byΒ Breaking the Spine.Β Unfortunately Breaking the Spine are no longer hosting so Iβm now linking my posts up toΒ Wishful EndingsΒ Canβt Wait Wednesday. Donβt forget to stop over, link up and check out what books everyone else is waiting for. Β If you want to take part, basically, every Wednesday, we highlight a book that weβre really looking forward to.Β This week my book is: The Stars Look Like Home by TJ Klune. Check out the description and cover below:
From beloved #1 New York Times bestselling author TJ Klune comes The Stars Look Like Home, a funny and moving adventure novel about finding oneβs place in the universe from the perspective of a dog.
A promise: The dog does not die in this.
As a puppy, Burkeβs mother told him that dogs’ lives are like the stars in the sky: An everlasting light in the darkness. And so, naturally, Burke believes he will live forever.
When he discovers the truthβthat he barely has any time at allβhe sets out to make the absolute most of life and all it has to offer.
Try as he might to make every day count, heβs shuffled from one place to another, from family homes to training programs.
Until, at last, he finds the man he knows he’s meant to share that life with. But when theyβre tragically separated, Burke, a shollie from the suburbs, is sent on an incredible journey through the wilderness, a journey that leads him to the very heart of what it means to have a place in the world, for what little time weβre here.
The Stars Look Like Home is a triumphant story about a good boy on a grand adventure to find a great life.
Expected publication: January 2027
Booking Ahead/Weekly Wrap Up
4 October 2026
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Book Reviews, Booking Ahead, Books, Caffeinated Book Reviewer, reading, The Weekly Wrap Up

Today Iβm posting my Weekly Wrap Up and Iβm linking up to The Sunday Post over at Kimberlyβs Caffeinated Reviewer. Without further ado:
Weekly Update
Hope youβve all had a good week. I’ve had a good week, busy with nice weather, with a slight drop in the temperature thankfully. Managed to have a good mix of socials and blogging and reading. I’ve caught up with three reviews and also managed to read three books – which probably sounds much more impressive than it really is because two were slightly shorter, probably about a couple of hundred pages each. I’ve not been able to fit in much blog hopping this week but hoping to catch up with everyone in the next couple of days. So, I finished reading A Waltz of Sinister Import by Stephanie Burgis which is the final instalment (I believe) in her Lady and Lord Riven series and was a lovely note to conclude the series on. I then decided to pick up the latest Joanne Harris book – the ghostly Sleepers in the Snow. This felt quite different somehow, it’s unsettlingly twisted. Then I decided to dive into The Porcelain Sisters by Daryl Gregory. This was very easy to read with great pacing and an absolutely crazily unique tale. My next read will be A Scholarβs Guide to Demonology & Other Dark ArtsΒ by Genevieve Cogman, I can’t wait to get started.



Next Weekβs Reads
Hopefully complete A Scholarβs Guide to Demonology & Other Dark Arts by Genevieve Cogman and then I’d like to pick up The Thrice Bound Fool by Christopher Buehlman. I loved his last two books so I’m really keen to pick this one up. If you’re interested in this series it gets off to an excellent start with The Blacktongue Thief (first in series with the main character Kinch), it then jumps back to a prequel called The Daughters’ War (No.0 in series) – which was fantastic and rated a full 5 stars from me. Now we’re set for a return to some more of Kinch’s exploits in The Thrice-Bound Fool (No.2).


Reviews Posted:
- Our Noble Selves by Kate Atkinson.
- Carry Me To My Grave by Christopher Golden
- The Faerie Handmaid by Louisa Morgan



Outstanding Reviews
- The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson
- This Blade of Ours by Shalini Abeysekara
- A Waltz of Sinister Import by Stephanie Burgis
- Sleepers in the Snow by Joanne Harris
- The Porcelain Sisters by Daryl Gregory.
Hoping to see you round the blogosphere this forthcoming week
Monthly Round Up/Whatβs on My Plate:Β September/October
3 October 2026
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Book Reviews, Booking Ahead/Weekly Wrap Up, Books, fiction, reading, Reviewing, September/October
Hereβs my round up post for September combined with my βwhatβs on my plateβ books for October. My reading has really picked up this month and whilst I didn’t manage to read everything on my shelves I feel like I made good progress. I can’t believe we’re into October already, for a strange moment I felt like I’d made a mistake and I really had to think about it – and yes, we really are in October already – spooky season is officially upon us. Without further ado lets take a look at what I read last month and what I’m planning on reading this one:
These were the books I read in September:
- Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel by Lucy Foley
- Our Noble SelvesΒ by Kate Atkinson
- Serenity FallsΒ by C. J. Tudor
- Exit Party by Emily St John Mandel
- Pride, Prejudice and Peril by Jessica Bull
- Worry Box by Chris Panatier
- Carry Me to My Grave by Christopher Golden
- Bodies of Magic by Freya Marske β DNF
- The Faerie Handmaid by Louisa Morgan
- A Waltz of Sinister Import by Stephanie Burgis – review yet to be posted










I had 14 books on my line up for September so realistically I didn’t think I’d be able to read them all. But, I’m quite happy with the progress made and hoping to return to pick up some of the others in the last two months of the year when my shelves are looking quite achievable at the moment. I do also have some outstanding books for August that I’m also looking to try and cram in if possible. My real aim is to read as many of the review books I’ve been given this year as possible so lets see how that goes. The best laid plans, etc, etc.
Whatβs On My Plate: October
- Sleepers in the Snow by Joanne Harris – read
- A Scholar’s Guide to Demonology & Other Dark Arts by Genevieve Cogman – currently reading
- The Thrice Bound Fool by Christopher Buehlman
- Royal Witch by Philippa Gregory
- The House of Cursed Daughters by C.J. Cooke
- The Bookshop Book by Mark Lawrence
- The Porcelain Sisters by Daryl Gregory







I’m hoping that I can settle down again to some solid reading like I managed to do last month. It would be great if I could squeeze in all 7 and maybe even a couple of extra books. One can but hope.
Backlist Book
For the moment Iβm not tackling the list I created at the start of the year as Iβd like to catch up with my review books from the last few months to get back on track.
Bookforagerβs Picture Prompt Book Bingo
And the βwordyβ version:
Picture Prompt Book Bingo 2026 (text version)
| 1. | 2. A set of weighing scales | 3. | 4. |
| 5. | 7. | 8. A cooking pot hanging over a campfire | |
| 9. | 10. | 11. | 12. An octopus |
| 13. | 15. A decorative water fountain | 16. |
This month I’m crossing off No.16 a pinch-clip purse which I actually have two perfect books for. Both Pride, Prejudice and Peril by Jessica Bull and A Waltz of Sinister Import by Stephanie Burgis would fit this given they’re both period pieces. I’ve gone with A Waltz of Sinister Import as it has such a lovely cover. I’m also crossing off No.5 A Hot Air Balloon using a very cheeky book to fit the theme. Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel by Lucy Foley – my thoughts are that this is a story based up in the Alps where people come to ski and use a gondola lift to take them up to the best spots to ski downhill – a gondola lift is a means of travelling through the air so I think it loosely fits. At least that’s my logic, take a look at the cover – there is my evidence! Now, what can I possibly read before the end of the year that has an octopus!


Friday Face Off: Birthstone Book Covers: Opal/Tourmaline
2 October 2026
Filed under Uncategorized
Tags: Birthstone Book Covers, Book Review, book-blog, Books, Opal and Tourmaline, reading, The Friday Face Off

Today is another opportunity to play along at the Friday Face Off where you choose a book and compare the covers. Originally created by Β Books by Proxy). If you’re taking part I would love you to drop me a link so I can check out your cover choices. .
Iβve decided to make a couple of changes to my weekly Friday Face Off β nothing too drastic β at the start of the month, the first Friday Face Off of the month, Iβm aiming to take a look at joining in with the Birthstone Book Covers meme created by Leslie @Β Books Are The New BlackΒ so for the first FFO every month I will search for covers that match that monthβs birthstone (from books that Iβve read) and compare them and choose a favourite. For the last Friday of every month Iβm going to look at the books Iβve read that month and do the same.
Today I’m taking part in the birthstone meme as mentioned above. The rules and everything you need to know are at the bottom of the post. Now, take a look at my covers to match this month’s birthstones. I’ve chosen three for Tourmaline/Opal.
Not sure how well I’ve chosen here – this was far more difficult than I expected! So, no pressure – here they are:






My favourites: Well I found choosing a favourite for each really tough too – what is wrong with me? I closed one eye and squinted at these sideways and I’ve chosen:


Which is your favourite this week?
Rules
- Mention the creator (Leslie @Β Books Are The New BlackΒ ) and link back to Books Are The New Black.
- Pick 5+ book covers that match the current monthβs Birthstone.
- HAVE FUN!
- Nominate people if you want!










