Book reviews and recommendations
As a bit of a history-lover, I’ve been really enjoying Jessticulates series of royal queen based book tags. Since my degree was in Scottish History, this one, featuring the Stewarts, is even more up my alley.
Check out Jess’ original post here.
Continue reading “Stewart Queens Tag”
Today I’m filling out the Seven Books for Seven Days tag that was created by Daryan reads on YouTube. I spotted it over on Shelves of Starlight.
Continue reading “Seven Books for Seven Days tag”
This is an old tag, one I spotted on Dreamland Book Blog, but since I really love fantasy and sci-fi creatures, I couldn’t pass it up.
This gave me a bit of thought, because I’d expected it to be much easier to fill out than it was. For some, it was a hard job of narrowing down lots of brilliant options — vampires, superpowers — while for others I struggled to remember if I’d ever read anything where the creature featured heavily. I definitely need to pick up more books with zombies and ghosts in future.
Continue reading “Creatures of the Night Book Tag”Another tag I’ve spotted over at Alice in Bookland. This time we’re looking at reading habits instead of specific books.
New releases I’m excited about and ARCs that are due usually come first since they’re fresh in my mind.
Other than that, I love readathons for the community and gameplay feel of them. As a nice bonus, matching up my enormous Goodreads TBR and the books I already own to the prompt is both fun and a great way to prioritise a months reading, often reminding my of books I’d forgotten about.
Continue reading “Reader Problems Tag”I spotted this one over on Alice in Bookland and, since Beauty and the Beast one of my all time favourite fairy tales, decided this would be a fun substitute for todays Top Ten Tuesday.
The plucky upstart (and Chosen One) sets of on a dangerous quest to save the kingdom and/or world.
Continue reading “Beauty and the Beast Book Tag”
This tag was created by Re-enchantment Of The World and I spotted it over on Hardcover Haven.
Continue reading “The Bookish Heavenly Virtue Tag”I’ve been catching up on some of the book and blogger tags I’ve fell behind on last year. I always really appriciate the nominations or being tagged, but last year there were times when I just wasn’t in the right mind for blogging.
Anna from Anna’s Book Nook nominated me for this one in August. I’m sorry its taken so long to fill out, but I hope you enjoy reading her questions and my answers. There are some questions from me at the end, if you’d like to answer them and take a shot at this post yourself.
This award was originally created by Okoto @ Okoto Enigma’s Blog.
Continue reading “The Mystery Blogger Award”Thank you again to Laura over at The Corner of Laura for nominating me. I’m not quite as far behind on this one as I was with the last, but it’s still been a while coming and I apologise.
Check out her questions and answers, and if you fancy it, answer the 11 questions I’ve posed at the end of the post.
Bringing a bit of Disney sparkle to a dreary January, this tag was created by Alexandra @ Reading by Starlight.
Jump in with your own answers.
RIVERS OF LONDON and the rest of the Peter Grant series by Ben Aaronovich. I really like the unique, magic take this series puts on the London rivers.
THE FOREVER SEA by Joshua Phillip Johnson is another really unique one. With this take on pirates, you get both the standard ruthless plunderers, but also a complex city of rules and traditions. The book itself is unlike any pirate story I’ve ever read, with a whole new take on the sea itself.
Like Alexandra says in her post, I actually prefer the eerie aesthetic of Phantom Manor in Disneyland Paris. If you want creepy, dark and atmospheric, MEXICAN GOTHIC by Silvia Moreno-Garcia is the perfect spooky, disturbing read.
Thunder Mountain and Frontierland’s Western aesthetic makes me think of UPRIGHT WOMEN WANTED by Sarah Gailey. It’s a great story about librarians and censorship in a near-future dystopian world. You get a real sense of living on the road, travelling in an unforgiving landscape.
Splash Mountain is my favourite ride at Disney World. For that lazy, slow-paced Southern feeling, you can’t beat GHOST WOOD SONG by Erica Waters. The music the band play and the humid Florida setting really add to the oppressive feeling woven throughout the story.
UNDER THE PEDULUM SUN by Jeanette Ng is one of my all time favourites. Technically, it’s set in a house not a castle, but the sprawling, labyrinthine location and the fact that a queen comes to visit justifies my cheating.
You thought I’d stop hyping this book now it’s been out a while? Nope! I’m not a big fan of whimsy to be honest, most of the time I find authors tend to overshoot to nonsense instead. THE HOUSE IN CERULEAN SEA by T J Klune hits a perfect balance. It’s whimsical but with a sharp, bittersweet melancholy that makes it a brilliant book.
BLOOD HEIR by Amelie Wen Zhao was a real surprise for me last year and I really enjoyed it. The fantasy-Russian setting was really vivid and it has a great Winter festival to really sell the cold atmosphere. There’s no actual trek through the mountains, but escapes from a fortress-like prison, leaps into icy rivers, and stomping through the woods, will definitely give you that feeling.
I loved the world-building in EMPRESS OF ALL SEASONS by Emiko Jean. Royal palaces, life-or-death contests, magical, season-themed rooms and a yōkai rebellion. It has a lot going on and totally sucks you in.
I wasn’t sure about THE FIRST SISTER by Linen A Lewis at first, but it unravels slowly, so you’re completely wrapped up in it before you really notice. It really goes all in on the spaceships and sci-fi themes. You get the claustrophobic, untrusting world aboard the Juno, the aftermath of a destructive conflict and worlds creeping towards a new one, places and people of privileges vs those without, body augmentation and loads of intergalactic political manoeuvring.
If you want to give this a go and enjoy a bit of Disney magic, consider yourself tagged.
Laura over at The Corner of Laura nominated me to fill out this tag a long time ago, but I’ve finally gotten around to it!
Check out her questions and answers, and if you fancy it, answer the 11 questions I’ve posed at the end of the post.
