Top Ten Tuesday: Freebie for Fall/Autumn
29 September 2026
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Fall/Autumn books, 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 prompt is:
Fall Freebie
Today is going to be a nice easy freebie that fits in with the season, the drawing in of the nights and the strange desire to read something creepy. Here are my choices for some books that give you the heebies. Plenty of choices here, (in face I had a lot of books to choose from which makes me thing I could do a few more of these posts) reviews below the covers:










The House That Eats the Dead by Max Doty
The House That Horror Built by Christina Henry
The September House by Carissa Orlando
Worry Box by Chris Panatier
The Children by Melissa Albert
The Gathering by CJ Tudor
King Sorrow by Joe Hill
A Forest Darkly by AG Slatter
Murder Road by Simone St James
Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney
Top Ten Tuesday: Books on My Fall 2026 To-Read List
22 September 2026
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Autumn 2026, book-blog, bookish, Books, Books on my Autumn 2026 to-read list, Fall books, reading, TBR, 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 prompt is:
Books on My Fall 2026 To-Read List
Okay, well, I always consider September, October, November to be the autumn months so with that in mind and given I’ve read quite a few of my September books already I’m going to keep this list to October and November – there are some cracking books to look forward to so check them out below. I have gone slightly over the allocation but I couldn’t leave one book out – it would have been so mean!
Sleepers in the Snow by Joanne Harris
I love this author so I’m absolutely bursting at the seams to pick this one up. Hopefully I can pick this up in the next few days. Excitement am I.
A Waltz of Sinister Import by Stephanie Burgis
This is the third in the Lady and Lord Riven Series and I already have a copy. I loved the first two books, the characters are simply amazing – another book that I shall be picking up with positively indecent haste.
A Scholar’s Guide to Demonology and Other Dark Arts by Genevieve Cogman
I just finished this author’s Scarlet Revolution series and loved it so can’t wait to see what she comes up with next.
The House of Cursed Daughters by C.J. Cooke
I think this author could make a shopping list compelling to read – I love her books and this sounds amazing. Happy days
The Bookshop Book by Mark Lawrence
Mark Lawrence, what can I say, I adore his writing, his books are a joy to read and on top of this he gives us a title like this! The Bookshop Book – I mean, it’s frankly impossible to even contemplate not reading this book. It might even be illegal to not read a book with such a title. And I don’t want to be arrested and thrown into an oubliette for the rest of my days so I shall be reading this.
The Porcelain Sisters by Daryl Gregory
This is a novella (I think – 200 pages maybe) so I’m going against my own golden rule here because (1) Daryl Gregory. And (2) this is a horror story and I’m already perfectly horrified by the cover alone. Of course I have to read this. It’s an absolute no-brainer.
The Wolves of War by John Gwynne
The description for this one sounds incredible. It has some of the most glowing reviews already and coupled with that is the fact that this is an author that I already thoroughly enjoy reading. This promises to be fantastic fantasy and I cannot wait. Also, please can I direct your attention to that cover – yes, I am that unashamedly fickle and I love a stunning cover – and this is certainly stunning.
Mazywood by Tananarive Due
I nearly gave myself whiplash requesting this book. I loved. Loved. The Reformatory.
The Last Star in the Void by Melissa Caruso
Ahh, the concluding episode to what has been a brilliant series packed with imagination. I’m so excited to see how this series concludes. It’s early days but it’s already gathering some very positive reviews so I’m very excited.
Pinfeathers by Christina Henry
Check out the description. This sounds super creepy and it’s the perfect season to be giving yourself the heebies. My last read by this author was brilliant so I’m hoping for another banger.
Thorns in the Hollow by Laura Purcell
The Queen of Gothic – no need to elaborate really.
Top Ten Tuesday: Bookish Places I’ve Visited
25 August 2026
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Book Review, book-blog, Bookish Places I've Visited, Books, fiction, reading, 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 prompt is:
Bookish Places I’ve Visited
I like this topic and I could have expanded but here are a few books where I’m familiar with the setting:
The Stranger Times series by CK McDonnell. This is a fantastic series that I absolutely love and have no hesitation recommending. It’s unique urban fantasy with amazing characters, great story lines and its set in Manchester – which is my home town.





The Parasol Protectorate by Gail Carriger which was set in London, mostly. This was a very witty, charming and sexy series. I am ashamed to admit that I didn’t finish the series – it’s one of my guilty confessions – but I still have the last book to look forward to.





Dracula by Bram Stoker. Whitby comes into focus in this novel with it’s gothic abbey and small seaside village.
The Outlander by Diana Gabaldon, set in Scotland (and other locations along the way). I visited the Highlands for a couple of months and it is simply the most stunningly breathtaking place. Seriously stunning.
The Unicorn Hunters by Katherine Arden is set in France, Brittany I believe. A really beautifully written book (and I might also mention that I’ve visited so many places in France and love it).
The Labyrinth by Kate Mosse, it’s a long time since I read this but this was also based in France, Carcassonne. I enjoyed this very much. Carcassonne is a beautiful walled/fortified city, stunning to walk around and full of history.
The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco, another book that I read a long time ago, certainly pre-blog. Set in an Italian monastery – okay, I may not have visited a monastery per se but Italy is so beautiful. So much history, architecture and fantastic food and drink.
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón. A great book from a very long time ago (I seem to be on a roll). Set in Barcelona which I’ve only briefly passed through and intend to return.
Captain Corelli’s Mandolin by Louis de Bernieres. Again, I’ve travelled back in time for this one. This is set on the Greek Island of Cephallonia – I haven’t visited this particular island but Greece is Greece – am I wrong and I’ve been to Crete? Anyway, gorgeous place, people and food. I can’t wait to go back – and visit some more islands.
The Island by Victoria Hislop. Again, a throwback. An intriguing book that takes us to the Island of Spinalonga – an island I visited whilst on holiday in Crete. Strangely enough I’d read the book fairly recently and so to be able to visit the island was really intriguing. This is a place with a rich history concluding with its time as a leper colony (as described in the book).
Top Ten Tuesday: Book Series I Want to Catch Up On
18 August 2026
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Book Review, book-blog, Books, Fantasy, reading, Series I Want to Catch Up On, 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 prompt is:
Book Series I Want to Catch Up On
A few years ago I actually went through my book lists and discovered that I had an embarrassing number of series to catch up with. I think I’m doing a little better these days. Here are ten series that I’d like to catch up with/finish.
1. The October Daye series by Seanan McGuire
I was loving reading this series but I think a combination of binge reading a lot of the books at once and having maybe too many series on the go at once meant this one got left behind. I read the first 8 – the series is now up to 20 so I really do have some catching up to do, but this is a fun series and I really would like to pick it back up again, time permitting. Here is the first book in the series. If you like urban fantasy I really do encourage you to give this a try:
Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff
I’ve read the first two, Empire of the Vampire and Empire of the Damned and just need to give my head a wobble and pick up the third.
The Fell, New York series by Simone St James
There are two books in this series so far and although I haven’t read them in publication order I loved A Box Full of Darkness and would love to revisit this particular town again. I already have a copy of the Sun Down Motel waiting to be picked up and would love to get to it before the year is out.


Court of Shadows series by Sebastien de Castell
I’ve read and really enjoyed Crucible of Chaos and Play of Shadows and have Our Lady of Blades waiting to be read.



The Spellshop series by Sarah Beth Durst
I loved The Spellshop, which was the first in the series and The Enchanted Greenhouse was another really lovely cosy instalment. I have Sea of Charms already on my shelf and I understand that the fourth book is also in the offing, The Magical Cheese Emporium – which, to be blunt, I can’t resist with that title!. Cosy fantasy lovers keep your eyes peeled.




The Echo Archives by Melissa Caruso
I’ve read the first two books, The Last Hour Between Worlds and The Last Soul Among Wolves and the third is expected to be released in November this year. Can’t wait, I love the world that the author has created, it’s absolutely fascinating and the characters are very easy to like too.
Amina-al-Sirafi series by SA Chakraborty
I loved the first book, adored it in fact and although I’ve fallen behind a little with some of my review books I’m hoping to pick up The Tapestry of Fate very soon, I was so excited to have a copy of this and really can’t wait to pick it up. Seriously, do yourself a favour and pick up The Adventures of Amina-al-Sirafi if you love fantasy adventure with winning characters.


The Bloodsworn Saga by John Gwynne
Such an amazing author and a great series. I loved The Shadow of the Gods and The Hunger of the Gods and have the third, The Fury of the Gods lined up and waiting both in written and audio format – so double the excitement.
Talon by Jen Williams
This is a duology so I don’t know why I haven’t managed to complete it yet, I read and thoroughly enjoyed Talonsister and couldn’t wait to pick up Titanchild but this seems to have corresponded to one of my times away and so I fell behind. I will definitely be completing this. I love Jen Williams and highly recommend the first fantasy series I read of hers that started with The Copper Promise.


The Emily Wilde series by Heather Fawcett
I love this series and I thought the third was the concluding episode. I’ve never been happier to be wrong. The fourth book is due out early in the new year and I can’t wait. Check out Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries, Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands and Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales. The next in the series is called Emily Wilde’s History of Dark Faerie and is due out in 2027. Exciting times.
Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Was Reading On This Day Over the Last Ten Years
11 August 2026
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Books I read on this day xx number of years ago, 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 prompt is:
Books I Was Reading On This Day Over the Last Ten Years
I usually post a weekly wrap up every Sunday so it was fairly easy to check out what I’d been reading on this day over the past 10 years, with the odd exception where I’ve opted for the nearest review posted just after the 11th. I really enjoyed this theme and putting the post together, looking back at the books I was reading was fun even though it doesn’t feel like five minutes ago since I read some of these books. There are some little belters in this list. I particularly have to give a shout out to both Alice Feeney books. Here’s my list:
August 2025 Damned by Genevieve Cogman
August 2024 The Seventh Veil of Salome by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
August 2023 Good Bad Girl by Alice Feeney
August 2022 Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney
August 2021 Mrs Rochester’s Ghost by Lindsay Marcott
August 2020 The Shadow Friend by Alex North
August 2019 The Truants by Kate Weinberg
August 2018 Bitter Orange by Claire Fuller
August 2017 Snowspelled by Stephanie Burgis
August 2016 Nevernight by Jay Kristoff






































