Abigail wants to read

 It's that time of the month again, my monthly list of books that I will ignore for other books. 1) The Secret History by Donna Tartt Under the influence of their charismatic classics professor, a group of clever, eccentric misfits at an elite New England college discover a way of thinking and living that is a world away from the humdrum existence of their contemporaries. But when they go beyond the boundaries of normal morality they slip gradually from obsession to corruption and betrayal, and at last—inexorably—into evil.   2) All That's Left in the World by Erik J.Brown When Andrew stumbles upon Jamie’s house, he’s injured, starved, and has nothing left to lose. A deadly pathogen has killed off most of the world’s population, including everyone both boys have ever loved. And if this new world has taught them anything, it’s to be scared of what other desperate people will do . . . so why does it seem so easy for them to trust each other? 3) Johnathon Strange and Mr Norr...

 Thank you to net galley for the Earc in exchange for an honest review Silverthorne is a place of secrets. A forest of twisting paths and tangled thorns. A castle with locked towers and whispers of tragedy. A village trapped between terrors known and unknown. But something is stirring in the leaves . . . Saffy  is a good girl, tired of being told to stick to the forest paths, and always follow the rules. Aurelia  is a hidden girl, locked in a castle tower, dreaming of escaping the fate she's told awaits her. Wild Rose  is a fierce girl, raised by wolves, full of spells and fearlessness and cunning. This was such a fun and interesting read. The three main characters were well-rounded and well and even for children they weren't juvenile and they were easy to relate to. The fairy tales aspect was my favourite part. I loved how there were so many references to fairy tales and how even though there were so many it wasn't overpowering and didn't take over the plot and the...

 Thank you to Net galley for the Earc in exchange for an honest review. Years ago, the Emperor used dark magic to steal all the colour from the world. Now he keeps it for himself, enjoying its life-giving power while everyone else must exist in cold shades of grey. That is, until a miracle baby is born – everything she touches turns to colour. But the child’s life is in danger from her very first breath. Soon the Emperor’s murderous Ripper Dogs and Black Coats come hunting. Can the girl and her adopted father survive in the forest – and what will it take to return colour and hope to the world? This was a very fun and colourful book. Hope was the perfect main character who was full of life and just wanted to save the world. The writing was amazing and I was never drawn out of the story and I didn't want to put it down at any point. My favourite character had to be Oliver the talking dog, he was so fun and interesting to read about and was definitely something new.

 Horror is a genre that I gravitate towards a lot, it is one of my favourite genres and even though they don't always scare me they are very fun to read. Here is a list of some of my favourite horror books from over the years. 1) Say her name by Juno Dawson Roberta 'Bobbie' Rowe is not the kind of person who believes in ghosts. A Halloween dare at her ridiculously spooky boarding school is no big deal, especially when her best friend Naya and cute local boy Caine agree to join in too. They are ordered to summon the legendary ghost of 'Bloody Mary': say her name five times in front of a candlelit mirror, and she shall appear... But, surprise surprise, nothing happens. Or does it? 2) Frozen Charlotte by Alex Bell We're waiting for you to come and play. Dunvegan School for Girls has been closed for many years. Converted into a family home, the teachers and students are long gone. But they left something behind...Sophie arrives at the old schoolhouse to spend the su...

 Thank you to net galley  and BooksGoSocial  for the Earc in exchange for an honest review 4/5 Stars The Breakfast Creek five survived the attack of the Red General and their jaunt through the many worlds. Now, forever joined by magic beyond their understanding, they begin their new lives in very different magical worlds. Henry, now curse free, is starting his new life at Chrysalis School, but the memory of the Red General still burdens him. Melanie is starting her new life at the mysterious School of the White Lady. Hugh Travels around the multiverse with Amos. Aiden is terribly excited to begin at the dark school, Morktalis Academy. But now Julia is missing, taken by an old power that yearns, that seeks, that’s growing. The Power of the Allure. Enthralled by a world of wealthy, luxury and notoriety, Julia has no idea what she’s gotten herself into. This book was very adventurous and very fun and fast-paced. My favourite . part of the story was Julia's character developm...

 3.5 Stars It was always his father’s hope that Valentine would marry Miss Arabella Tarleton. But, unfortunately, too many novels at an impressionable age have caused her to grow up…romantic. So romantic that a marriage of convenience will not do and after Valentine’s proposal she flees into the night determined never to set eyes on him again. Arabella’s twin brother, Mr. Bonaventure “Bonny” Tarleton, has also grown up romantic. And fully expects Valentine to ride out after Arabella and prove to her that he’s not the cold-hearted cad he seems to be. I really didn't know what to rate this book when I finished it because every scene between Bonny and Valentine were 5 stars for me but as soon as Arabella entered the scene they became 1 star. |She completely ruined half the book for me and I would have much preferred it if she was only mentioned a few times until maybe showing up at the very end for one scene only. She frustrated me so much and treated Valentine like shit and while he ...

 Middle Grade is a genre that I really got into during 2021 and fell in love with it. Here is a list of my top 5 middle grades. 1) Scarlet and Ivy series by Sophie Cleverly When shy Ivy's troublemaking twin Scarlet vanishes from Rookwood boarding school, Ivy is invited to "take her place." But when Ivy arrives, she discovers the school's true intention; she has to pretend to be Scarlet. 2) Me, My Dad and the End of the Rainbow by Benjamin Dean Things aren't going great for Archie Albright. His dad's acting weird, his mum too, and all he wants is for everything to go back to normal, to three months before when his parents were happy and still lived together. When Archie sees a colourful, crumpled flyer fall out of Dad's pocket, he thinks he may have found the answer. Only problem? The answer might just lie at the end of the rainbow, an adventure away. 3) King and the Dragonflies by Kacen Callender Twelve-year-old Kingston James is sure his brother Khalid ha...

 5/5 Stars *Spoilers* Before the spoilers I'm going to say that if you haven't read this series yet, definitely pick it up.  The third and final book in The Poppy War series. This book picks up after the ending of The Dragon Republic which left off with Rin saving her people but then being betrayed and left for dead by people she called allies.  This book was definitely the explosive ending that I needed with this series, full of betrayal and war and heartbreak. Nothing was expected and everything was a surprise and bowled me over as I had no idea what was happening at times or who to trust. I still don't know who I should have trusted and who I shouldn't have. In the end I didn't even know if I could trust Rin. Rin was an amazing and complicated character she did what she thought was best at every turn but didn't always think of the consequences and this was very prevalent at the end of the book when Rin wins the war but is still determined that the war should ...

 4/5 Stars Present day London, Caroline is celebrating her tenth anniversary alone after catching her husband cheating. While in London to clear her head she stumbles upon an old apothecary vial that changes her path. 1791, Nella is working in her apothecary shop where she sells potions and poisons to women in need and when one Eliza stubbles upon her shop everything changes. This book follows two time lines that are interconnected in a very interesting way.  In timeline one we see Caroline in Present day London. This was my least favourite timeline out of the two as even though seeing her solve the mystery was interesting I didn't care much about the rest of her story. I really enjoyed the friendship that Caroline makes while in London and loved them solving the mystery of the vial together. I did think it was leading up to Caroline poisoning her husband and was slightly disappointed when he ended up poisoning himself rather than her doing it, as it felt like a big build up t...

 My most read genre has to be fantasy and with this means that I read a lot of it. So here is part 1 of my all time favourite fantasy books. 1) Heartless by Marissa Meyer Catherine may be one of the most desired girls in Wonderland, and a favorite of the unmarried King of Hearts, but her interests lie elsewhere. A talented baker, all she wants is to open a shop with her best friend. But according to her mother, such a goal is unthinkable for the young woman who could be the next queen. 2) Afterlove by Tanya Byrne A fairly new one to this list. I read this one last year and fell head over heals for it.  This New Year's Eve, Ash is gets an RSVP from the afterlife she can't decline: to join a clan of fierce girl reapers who take the souls of the city's dead to await their fate.  But Ash can't forget her first love, Poppy, and she will do anything to see her again... even if it means they only get a few more days together. Dead or alive. 3) The Red Scrolls of magic by Cassa...

 4/5 Stars Shiori’anma, the only princess of Kiata, has a secret. Forbidden magic runs through her veins. Normally she conceals it well, but on the morning of her betrothal ceremony, Shiori loses control. At first, her mistake seems like a stroke of luck, forestalling the wedding she never wanted, but it also catches the attention of Raikama, her  stepmother. A  sorceress in her own right, Raikama banishes the young princess, turning her brothers into cranes, and warning Shiori that she must speak of it to no one: for with every word that escapes her lips, one of her brothers will die. This was a wonderfully vibrant fantasy full of magic and dragons, and who doesn't love dragons? Shiori was a brilliant main character who was relatable and amazingly written as with every word you can see the love she has for her brothers and her home without having it be told to you. The magic system was fun and interesting (although the bowl on her head did confuse me and slightly pulled ...

 5/5 Stars For years the witches have waited for their salvation, a way to return the magic that was sacrificed when the curse was first cast. Jak, a boy born with power that the witches have not seen in a century, is their prophesied saviour. The one who is to kill the creature, break the curse and restore magic to his coven. This book was so hot. It had everything that I wanted from a paranormal romance and more that i didn't even know that I wanted. It was the perfect amount  of smut, fluff and angst and I didn't want to stop reading. The ending was absolutely  perfect and broke my heart (at least for a little bit).  If you love gay paranormal romances with a good amount of smut and angst - and don't mind occasional   grammar  mistakes - then this is perfect for you.

 Got to be honest, I have no idea why I keep making these I never seem to stick to them. But here we go again for yet another monthly TBR. 1) Dead Famous by Greg Jenner Celebrity, with its neon glow and selfie pout, strikes us as hypermodern. But the famous and infamous have been thrilling, titillating, and outraging us for much longer than we might realise. Whether it was the scandalous Lord Byron, whose poetry sent female fans into an erotic frenzy; or the cheetah-owning, coffin-sleeping, one-legged French actress Sarah Bernhardt, who launched a violent feud with her former best friend; or Edmund Kean, the dazzling Shakespearean actor whose monstrous ego and terrible alcoholism saw him nearly murdered by his own audience - the list of stars whose careers burned bright before the Age of Television is extensive and thrillingly varied. 2) If this gets out by Cale  Dietrich  and Sophie Gonzales Eighteen-year-olds Ruben Montez and Zach Knight are two members of the boy-band ...