Literacy Lists: Historical Fiction (On My TBR)

March 25, 2020March 18, 2020 Charlotte2 Comments

As I said last month I’ve decided to make the next few of these lists focus on some of the different genres that I want to start reading more of. Historical fiction is something that I always say I want to pick up more. Why? I guess for a number of reasons really. Firstly I’ve always loved history and I find it fascinating to learn about different periods of time. I know, as this is fiction, not everything is true but it still gives you a sense of different times and places and they generally at least contain some details which are true. Secondly I’ve always loved period dramas and can get completely wrapped up in them. And thirdly… well I just adore the sound of the books that I’ve listed here and really think I’ll fall in love with them. Fingers crossed, at least.

The Lady Of The Rivers by Philippa Gregory

I’ve wanted to read The Cousins’ War series for quite some time now. I fell in love with the TV adaptations of both The White Queen and The White Princess yet haven’t had a chance to read any of the books. I love learning about history but I also find it intriguing that this series blends the historical with a little bit of witchcraft. Plus this is a period of time with a lot of drama, mysteries and unrest. So I seriously can’t wait to dive into this series; and I believe that this is the place to start if you want to read them chronologically?

The Tea Rose by Jennifer Donnelly

This book has been on my TBR for a while. I think it sounds fascinating and I can’t wait to learn more. It’s set in another intriguing period of time and mentions some rather dark aspects of history. I’m quite curious to find out how they fit into the story. I was already desperate to read this book but after falling in love with Stepsister last year I’m even more eager to get on with this series

The Boy In The Striped Pajamas by John Boyne

This is another one of those cases where I’ve seen the film but not read the book. And let’s be honest; the film devastated me. I’m pretty sure that the book will shatter my emotions too but I seriously want to get this read sometime. How have I not done so yet?

The Alice Network by Kate Quinn

This book sounds amazing. As soon as I first learnt about it I added it straight to my TBR and knew that I’d have to pick it up soon. I can’t wait to learn about the betrayal that’s mentioned in the blurb and find out exactly what these two very different women uncover once united. This is definitely one that I plan to pick up soon.

Call The Midwife by Jennifer Worth

I guess this isn’t really fiction as it tells the experiences of a real life person but I can’t help but think of it as such thanks to the show. Either way I feel like it may read like a story? Although I honestly don’t know for sure. All I know is that this is a book that I really want to read sometime and I didn’t want to pass up the chance to mention it here. Maybe it’s not really fiction but it’s definitely historical. And I love the show so it’s certainly on my list.

Victoria by Daisy Goodwin

I love the show so how could I possibly resist this book? I can’t wait to dive into the pages of this book and learn more about Queen Victoria. The Victorian Era is a period of time that fascinates me greatly and for that reason I’d love to learn more. I’m hoping this will be quite a fair account too as it’s said to have drawn from Victoria’s diaries.

The King’s Witch by Tracy Borman

How could I possibly resist a book with a title like this one? Naturally it immediately caught my eye and it’s blurb drew me in even more. I can’t wait to read this story and learn more about a period of time that I can’t remember ever hearing mentioned much of at school. I love the sound of the decadent court-life and hidden scheming. The question of trust that is raised intrigues me too. Plus the obvious danger that Frances is in is sure to leave me hooked.

Myself, My Enemy by Jean Plaidy

Originally I was going to mention Jean Plaidy’s Tudor series here but as I already have several books about the Tudors on both this list and my upcoming ‘TBR Thursday’ I’ve decided to mention a different series by the author instead. ‘Myself, My Enemy’ is the first book in the author’s ‘Queens Of England’ series. I don’t really know anything about Queen Henrietta Maria but her story from this books blurb sounds like a fascinating one so I can’t wait to discover more! Other Queens with books in this series include Queen Elizabeth I, Queen Victoria and Anne Boleyn among many others.

Katherine of Aragón: The True Queen by Alison Weir

This is one series that I plan to read very soon (I’ve checked and I can get the books from my local library). It sounds fantastic and in all honesty I absolutely adore all things Tudor. I’ve been fascinated by that period of time ever since I first heard about Henry VIII and his six wives. It’s something that I find hard not to be intrigued by. So how can I resist a series of books about each of the six women who ended up married to this famous Tudor King?

The Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory

I think I first decided that I wanted to read Philippa Gregory’s Tudor series when I was captivated by the film adaptation of The Other Boleyn Girl. I don’t think I even knew it was based on a book at first but it got added to my list as soon as I discovered that fact. This book is listed as the first so it’s the one I’ve mentioned here. Plus it sounds like a fascinating story which I can’t wait to read for myself. As I said above I find the stories of King Henry VIII and his wives fascinating. And this is another that I’ll hopefully get read soon.

So those are ten of the historical fiction books that I’d most like to read. I’ve always loved history so I definitely want to make an effort to start picking books like these up a lot more. The Tudor period is probably what fascinates me the most, closely followed by the Victorian Era but there’s a lot of history that I’d love to learn more about. There are so many stories from the past to be told and it’s just so wonderful to learn about it through fiction. Do you have any historical fiction books on your TBR? What’s your favourite? Have you read any of these before? Let me know in the comments section below (:

Literacy Lists: Contemporary Books (On My TBR)

February 12, 2020February 2, 2020 Charlotte8 Comments

Over the next few months I’ve decided to focus these lists on four different genres that I want to start reading more of. The first of those that I’d like to mention is contemporary which I used to love yet hardly seem to pick up anymore. Why? I honestly don’t know. There’s a lot of it on my TBR; I just never seem to get around to reading it. And I honestly don’t understand why as some of it sounds absolutely amazing. These aren’t necessarily the top ten contemporary novels and series that I want to read but they are all ones that are pretty high up on my TBR. So, without further ado, let’s get started.

To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Hand

Let’s start this list off with something that I not only constantly hear about but which also sounds like it has the potential to be seriously sweet! The drama of these letters getting mailed really appeals to me and I’m super excited to pick these books up soon. They sound fabulous and I seriously hope that we get to read some of these letters during the book?

Sadie by Courtney Summers

I just know that this book is going to be a harrowing read at times. Not only is it by Courtney Summers but it’s about two sisters; one of them dead, the other who seems to have disappeared whilst searching for her. I love unraveling mystery stories so I know that I’ll love getting some answers whilst reading this book. I also know that books by this author tend to pack one hell of an emotional punch. But I’m ready for it…I think

Am I Normal Yet? by Holly Bourne

I’m pretty sure that this book deals with OCD and anxiety and I’ve been kind of torn about reading it for a while as a result. On the one hand I want to read books featuring these things; on the other I’m always wary that the portrayal of them will let me down. I do seriously want to read this book though to see how Evie handles her struggles and to find out what makes this series, and author, so popular.

Monday’s Not Coming by Tiffany D. Jackson

This one sounds amazing although, again, I have the feeling that it has the potential to be another heart-breaker of a book. Still I’m desperate to get my hands on a copy of this and finally see what the stories like. The last line of the blurb, ‘ How can a teenage girl just vanish without anyone noticing that she’s gone?’ is haunting. It’s another mystery that I want to unravel and already I feel for Claudia.

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Yep it’s another book with the potential to break my heart. I think I’m sensing some kind of theme here? I’m not sure how I haven’t read this book yet as it’s been on my TBR for ages. I’d love to watch the show soon but I’m determined to read the book first as I’m fed up of my recent habit of seeing the film/television show before picking up the book. With thirteen reasons for her suicide I have a feeling that this book will put me through an emotional ringer. I’m still somewhat curious as to what pushes Hannah so far though.

Genuine Fraud by E. Lockhart

I’m honestly not sure what to expect from this book but I know that I desperately want to read it. The blurb is kind of vague – I imagine intentionally – but with it’s mentions of bad romances, intense friendship and murder I’m intrigued to say the least. Besides which how I resist a title like this one? Something about it just really appeals to me

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

You know how earlier on I said that I was fed up of seeing the film before reading the book? Yeah…I’ve seen the film but still need to read the book with this one. I didn’t want to miss my chance to see it in the cinema though and I honestly thought the film was amazing. So, considering the adaptation and people’s love of the book, I’m pretty sure that I’m going to adore this once I finally pick it up. Although it’s going to be another painful book at times. This is definitely an odd theme here.

When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon

I actually really like the sound of this but whilst writing this list up the Goodreads page for it worried me a little. I thought this was popular but maybe I was wrong as there seem to be a lot of low reviews there. But anyway I still want to read this book. I love the sound of these two characters with very different attitudes towards arranged marriage. I love the idea of them meeting at a summer program for aspiring web developers. And I’m hoping that the ‘opposites clash’ line means that maybe this will give me some enemies to lovers vibes?

A Semi-Definitive List Of Worst Nightmares by Krystal Sutherland

I think this is a contemporary? Or is it magical realism? Now I’m unsure but this is staying here for now. Either way I definitely want to check this one out. It sounds like it has the potential to have a sweet side but also sounds super intriguing in other ways too. I love the idea of this deeply personal list getting taken from Esther and can’t wait to see how she tackles her fears. I also love the unusual curse that her family has. This is definitely one that I hope to read soon.

The Geography Of You And Me by Jennifer E. Smith

I started this list with a sweet sounding book so why not finish it off with one too? I absolutely adore the sound of this one! It seems like it will have the perfect ‘meet cute’ moment at the start which I’m really looking forward to. Then it’s going to contain long distance contact through postcards and emails (I love it when books include these sort of things). So basically I want this now! I hope this lives up to my expectations because at the moment they’re pretty high.

So those are ten of the contemporary books that I’d most like to read. I managed to get a few sweet sounding ones in there but I somehow still managed to include quite a few that I’m sure will try and tear my heart apart too. Oops. Do you have anymore suggestions for me? I’m always open to them; no matter how long my TBR becomes there will always be room on it for more books.

What’s a genre that you’d like to read more of? Have you read any of these books? What’s your favourite contemporary novel and/or author? Let me know in the comments section below (:

Features · Literary Lists

Literacy List: Authors To Catch Up On – Part Four

January 29, 2020December 23, 2019 Charlotte8 Comments

For the whole of January I’ve decided to do something a little different with my ‘literacy list’ feature. Rather than one post a month I’ll have one per week mentioning ten of the authors who I most want to catch up on. Some of them are new to me; some I’ve read books by in the past. All have several novels or series that are pretty high priority to me. It was originally going to be a two part feature but, as you can probably tell, I got a little carried away…

Maria V. Snyder:

Read: 3

Poison Study – Fire Study

I remember loving the Poison Study series back when I first read it and I can’t wait to re-read these books and refresh my memories of the series so that I can read all of the new additions in the Soulfinders and Glass series. Another high priority series by Maria V. Snyder is the Sentinels Of The Galaxy – from the blurb alone I already know that I need to discover what the deal with these Terra Cotta Warriors on various planets is. I’ve had her Healer series on my Kindle for years now and somehow completely forgot about it! How? It sounds so good! This year I’ll make sure I finally get it done. I’ve also always been intrigued by her Insiders series. I’ve also just discovered another series of her that starts with The Eyes of Tamburah; unfortunately it’s only available in Australia right now. I believe that was also the case with Sentinels Of The Galaxy at first though and that’s available in the UK now. So fingers crossed it’ll be released elsewhere soon.

Anna-Marie McLemore:

Read: 0

First up on my TBR when it comes to Anna-Marie McLemore is definitely Blanca & Roja; not only does it sound magical but the cover is absolutely gorgeous. All of the authors books sounds mystical, unusual and unique though and they’re all books that I hope to get read soon. I think the first that I learnt about is The Weight Of Feathers which I’ve got to admit I’m incredibly intrigued by. As I said I love the sound of all of these books though so When The Moon Was Ours and Wild Beauty are definitely high priority on my TBR now.

Out This Year:

Dark And Deepest Red

Once again this sounds like a beautifully magical story and it comes with yet another gorgeous cover! I love the sound of both the past and present story and seriously need to know more! This might well end up being my first book by the author actually; I’m seriously tempted to treat myself to a copy once it’s out.

Meteor

Cover To Come

Out On: 22/09/2020

Written with Tehlor Kay Mejia this book sounds fantastic! Yet again it sounds both gorgeously magical and incredibly unique. I also can’t wait to see what the cover of this one looks like!

Claire Legrand:

Read: 0

I keep saying that I want to get Winterspell read then running out of time to do so. Hopefully this month I’ll finally get it done though. Sawkill Girls is another book by Claire Legrand that I think sounds amazing. And then there’s the Empirium series which has definitely enticed me. Hopefully by the end of the year I’ll have read both novels plus caught up on the series.

Out This Year:

Lightbringer

Cover To Come

Out On: 13/10/2020

Yet another sequel with no real details yet available. I think it’s the final one? Although I’m not entirely sure as I try to avoid looking up too much information about series that I’m yet to read. Either way hopefully it’ll release this year; and hopefully by the time that it does so I’ll be up to date with the first two.

Courtney Summers:

Read: 2

This Is Not A Test & All The Rage

I honestly don’t know which of Courtney Summers books I’ll get to next. I’ve heard so many wonderful things about Sadie so it could be that one but I’ve also had Cracked Up To Be & Some Girls Are on my TBR for quite some time now. I’ve found both of the books that I’ve read by the author amazingly powerful so I definitely plan to read the rest of her work soon.

Melissa de la Cruz:

Read: 7

Blue Bloods – Misguided Angel
(including Keys To The Repository & Bloody Valentine)

Yet another author who has a lot of series that I really want to read! I’m not entirely sure how I never finished the Blue Bloods series but I definitely want to re-read the first few (it’s been years and my memories are pretty hazy) and finish the series. Lost In Time is the first that I still need to read and I’d also like to read Wolf Pact. There’s also the Witches Of East End series that I’m desperate to pick up soon along with it’s sequel series Summer On East End. And I’d love to read the Descendants series too; it may be for a slightly younger audience but I actually love the sound of these.

Out This Year:

The Queen’s Assassin

I really need to read this book sometime! Magic and assassins; what more could you ask for?

Gotham High

I haven’t actually read a graphic novel before although I keep telling myself that I should check some out eventually. This one sounds like it could be quite intriguing but I’ll wait for more information to decide.

Jo & Laurie

Cover To Come

Out On: 02/06/2020

Written with Margaret Stohl this is a sequel to Little Women and I really hope that it works out as the pressure must be enormous. I’m definitely curious enough to check this out but I do need to hurry up and read the original first.

High School Musical

Cover To Come

Out On: 06/10/2020

Okay unless I get super into Melissa de la Cruz’s books (I did used to love Blue Bloods) I doubt I’ll read this one. But, as I’ve listed all the 2020 releases by the authors I’ve included in this series so far I’ll add this one in too in case anyone else is interested.

Maggie Stiefvater:

Read: 1

Shiver

What I most want to read by this author absolutely has to be The Raven Cycle; everybody loves that series so much and I definitely need to get it read this year. It’s been on my TBR for a long time after all and the plot sounds super interesting. If I enjoy it then I’ll hopefully dive straight in to Call Down The Hawk. And from there.. I’m not sure? I’d like to re-read Shiver and finish The Wolves Of Mercy Falls series although I’m not sure if I was that into it? It’s been so long since I read it that I don’t really remember much of anything now. I definitely want to check out All The Crooked Saints as it sounds pretty unique. And then there’s the ever popular The Scorpio Races which I didn’t think I was that desperate to read…until I read the blurb. Plus would I even be me if I didn’t include her faerie series – Books Of Faerie – on this list?

Out This Year:

Dreamer Trilogy #2

Cover To Come

Out On: 10/11/2020

According to Goodreads this is out in 2020 but it has no cover or title yet so hopefully I can get up to date with this series before it’s release.

Swamp Thing

Cover To Come

Out In 2020

I honestly don’t know anywhere near enough about this to have an opinion about it. I’m guessing it’s linked to the Batman book that I mentioned above? But I don’t have a clue who Swamp Thing is.

Alexandra Bracken:

Read: 0

First up is definitely The Darkest Minds because, seriously, how have I not read this yet? The series sounds absolutely phenomenal and is exactly the sort of story that I love! Then it’s Passenger & Prosper Redding in no particular order as I adore the sound of both of them for different reasons.

Kasie West:

Read: 0

Topping my ‘need to read’ list when it comes to Kasie West are By Your Side (how can I not want to read a story where the main character gets trapped in the library?) and Love, Life And The List (which also sounds incredible). All of her books sound amazing to be honest and I have no idea how I haven’t picked any up before now. As I’m trying to limit how many books I include by each author I’ll mention just a few others that I think I’ll get to first which are: Listen To Your Heart, The Distance Between Us and Pivot Point (as that one sounds completely unlike the rest). Believe me though, all of her books are already on my TBR.

Out This Year:

Moment Of Truth

Like the rest of Kasie West’s books this one sounds incredibly interesting and I can’t wait to check it out. Apparently it’s a standalone but with crossover characters from two other novels, the first of which is actually one of the two that I’m most desperate to read.

Kiersten White:

Read: 3

Paranormalcy
And I Darken and Slayer

Up first is definitely The Conqueror’s Saga as I seriously can not believe that I haven’t finished it yet. I loved book one! Why on earth have I not read books two and three yet? This year I’m definitely going to try and catch up on some of the series that I started and loved. Then I’ll probably start The Guinevere Deception as I absolutely adore the sound of it and I’m pretty tempted to buy this one in print because the cover is gorgeous. And then it’s on to The Dark Descent Of Elizabeth Frankenstein which also sounds like my kind of book; maybe I just have a thing for dark retellings? I expect that I will finish Paranormalcy one day too but these three are my priority for now.

Out This Year:

Chosen

I didn’t love Slayer as much as I hoped I would; I thought the tone of Buffy had been captured incredibly well but something was missing for me. I think I expected it to be a bit grittier? I still want to read this too though and hope that I’ll love it as much as I thought I would the first one.

Camelot Rising #2

Cover To Come

Out In: 2020

As I said above I adore the sound of the first book in this series so fingers crossed that I’ll have read book one before book two’s release.

Julie Kagawa:

Read: 8

The Iron Fey
(Including Call Of The Forgotten & The Iron Legends)

Firstly whilst researching this list I found out that there’s a new Iron Fey book coming out!!! It’s not due until 2021 but I literally can not wait!

I honestly don’t know how I haven’t read the Blood Of Eden series yet; its got vampires and it’s dystopian … that’s me all over. I’ve gone through phases of reading lots of both so how have I not read this one? It’s definitely on my TBR for the year. I also absolutely adore the sound of the Shadow Of The Fox series! Talon is also one that I hope to pick up soon. So fingers crossed that I get all three series read this year.

Out This Year:

Night Of The Dragon

This isn’t out until the end of March so fingers crossed, if I stay as motivated as I am now and don’t get too many headaches and slumps, I can get up to date with this series in time for the finale.

I was only going to include new releases – not releases in new formats – but I saw the cover of the Iron Fey Special Editions and couldn’t resist sharing the series here.

The Iron King: 05/05/2020
The Iron Daughter: 14/07/2020
The Iron Queen: 13/10/2020
The Iron Knight:

Goodreads has them all listed as the 05/05/2020 but Amazon has different dates listed so I’m not entirely sure which is correct.

So there you have it; the fourth and final part of this series. Are these all the authors that I want to catch up on? No. But they’re definietely some fo the main ones. I hope you’ve enjoyed this series that I thought up to kick start the year, hopefully push myself to start reading some of these series and also give a shout out to any upcoming books by all the authors that I’ve mentioned here.

Are you looking forward to any of the books mentioned here? Do you love any of the authors? Has anything new caught your eye? Please do let me know in the comments as I’d love to hear from you.

Please note I’m currently on a semi-hiatus but I’ll be back sometime in January. After doing a lot of blog post planning I needed a bit of a break. But I’ll try to check in with comments a couple of times a week (probably after the first week in January as I would like a total blogging break over Christmas) and try to read other people’s posts fairly regularly so that I don’t totally fall behind.

Features · Literary Lists

Literacy Lists: Authors To Catch Up On – Part Three

January 22, 2020December 23, 2019 Charlotte10 Comments

Taylor Jenkins Reid:

Read: 0

I think it goes without saying that the first two books which I plan to read by Taylor Jenkins Reid are The Seven Husbands Of Evelyn Hugo and Daisy Jones & The Six. I’m also really intrigued by a book that I learnt about from this fantastic post by Sofii @ A Book A Thought called Evidence Of The Affair. It’s a short story about an affair that’s told through letters and the concept and idea really intrigues me. To be honest if I end up enjoying these books as much as everybody else does then I’ll definitely be checking out all of this authors work over time. I’ll just mention one more for now though and that’s Maybe In Another Life as I adore the sound of the two alternative storylines that come from such a simple choice.

C.L. Taylor:

Read: 0

Once again I think I want to read everything by this author but I’ll just mention the few that I’m most interested in for now. The Missing is the first book that I heard of by C.L. Taylor and it’s also probably the one that intrigues me most. What really happened in this book? I definitely need to pick it up and find out soon! Sleep is another that I’m desperate to get on with. Then there’s The Treatment which sounds like it could make a pretty twisty, compelling and chilling read. Two other books that are high on my TBR are The Fear and The Escape.

Out This Year:

Strangers

I’m pretty intrigued to find out all of the secrets involved in this one and see exactly what brings these three strangers together.

Veronica Roth:

I’m ashamed to say that I’ve seen the Divergent movies but not read the books yet. I’m determined to pick them up and read them all this year although I’ll admit I’m pretty worried about the finale after how many negative reviews I’ve seen. Still I want to check out these books as I loved the films. I also adore the sound of Carve The Mark! The gifts are something that I’m super interested in and I’m pretty curious about the world too. I own both of these and, once again, fully intend to get them read this year!

Out This Year

Chosen Ones

Last time that I looked this up I knew I wanted to read it based on the few details that it had. Now it has a blurb and OMG! I. NEED. THIS! It truly sounds amazing and I’m incredibly curious about the villain. Plus I didn’t realize it was an adult book. I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for this.

Lauren Oliver:

Read: 1

Before I Fall

How have I not read Delirium yet? I honestly don’t even know the answer to that question. This year I’m definitely going to get this series read. Series wise I also really want to get Replica read as well. And then there are several novels by Lauren Oliver that I’d love to get read too; the main ones are Broken Things and Vanishing Girls but I’m also pretty curious about Panic and Rooms.

Out This Year:

The Magnificent Monsters Of Cedar Street

If I end up enjoying some of the authors other books I may well check this out. I always say that I want to read more middle grade fiction and this one sounds like it could be an interesting mixture of cute, adventurous and mysterious. Plus the ‘monsters’ make me pretty curious.

Stephen King:

Read: 1

Misery

How on earth do you even decide where to start with Stephen King’s books? There are just so many of them! As I’ve mentioned once before I’d love to see his take on vampires so I’d really like to pick up Salem’s Lot sometime soon. It’s also now possible that I’ll read the Bill Hodge trilogy and The Outsider first though as I’ve learnt about the upcoming adaptation and I’d seriously like to read the books before watching the TV series, if I decide to do so. Other books that are high on my TBR are Carrie, Christine, It, Sleeping Beauties (written with Owen King) and The Institute. That is by no means a complete list however. There are a lot of Stephen King books that I hope to one day read.

Out This Year

If It Bleeds

This is a collection of four new stories, one of which is the sequel to The Outsider. I may well check this out as I’d like to find out what one of Stephen King’s story collections are like.

Brandon Sanderson:

Read: 0

This is another one of those authors that I can’t believe I’ve read nothing by yet! I actually was pretty intrigued by the sound of Mistborn and almost brought it once but, as I have so many books and I hadn’t heard of the author at that time, I was good and resisted the temptation to do so. Now I’m kicking myself for missing out on that ridiculously cheap Kindle edition. But oh well. I’ll probably still start with the Mistborn series. Then I have no idea what I’ll read next. Any recommendations? I think I’ll probably go for The Reckoners first then either Skyward or The Stormlight Archive.

Out This Year

Elantris #2

Cover To Come

Out In: 2020

According to Goodreads this will be out sometime in 2020 but I know sometimes dates change so I’m not certain of this. If I enjoy the first few series that I read by Brandon Sanderson then I’ll definitely have to try and get the first of these ready before this comes out too. I’m really starting to get the impression that I’ll be busy this year.

John Green:

Read: 0

I know, I know… how is it even possible that I haven’t read one of John Green’s books yet? I’ve seen two of the film adaptations and loved them so this year I seriously want to start playing catch up with these books. I don’t know if I’ll start with one of the stories that I’ve enjoyed as films – The Fault In Our Stars & Paper Towns – or one that’s new to me such as Looking For Alaska or Turtles All The Way down. Ideally I’d like to get all four read this year though.

Rachel Vincent:

Read: 9

Menagerie (just book #1)
Shifters & Stars Never Rise

First up I’m definitely either re-reading and finishing the Menagerie series as I absolutely adored book one or starting with 100 Hours as I also love the sound of that one. Once I’ve read both of those series I’d also like to read the Soul Screamer series, Unbound, Wildcats (although I’ll probably re-read Shifters first as it’s been a few years since I read that) and Brave New Girl.

Liane Moriarty:

Read: 0

I expect I’ll probably make Liane Moriarty’s latest book the first that I read and pick up Nine Perfect Strangers first. I do love the sound of The Hypnotist’s Love Story though and What Alice Forgot; both of those are high up on my TBR too! Then I also want to check out the two that I hear the most about: Big Little Lies and The Husband’s Secret.

Gena Showalter:

Read: 3

Alice In Zombieland – The Queen Of Zombie Hearts

First up on my TBR when it comes to Gena Showalter is The Evil Queen which I actually plan to read as soon as possible. I love the sound of this series and can’t wait to sink my teeth into book one. Then I’ll probably read Firstlife which honestly sounds like nothing else that I’ve ever came across. I’ve wanted to read the Otherworld Assassin series for quite a while but I’ve realized I’m probably best off reading the Alien Huntress series first. So, let’s be fair, I’ll probably check out the Young Adult Alien Huntress series at some point too. As I never read it back when I read the first three, I’d also like to read A Mad Zombie Party. And, of course, I’d like to check out what appear to be her most popular series – Lords Of The Underworld.

Out This Year

The Darkest King

As this is book fifteen in the series and I have other books that I want to pick up first I definitely won’t be up to date by the time that this releases. Still I’m sure I’ll get start on this series and catch up eventually.

The Glass Queen

Cover To Come

Out On: 28/07/2020

As book one in the series is one on my immediate TBR I’m pretty confident that I should be up to date with this series before the sequel comes out.

So there you have it; the third part of this series. Whilst writing these posts I was surprised by how long they took but then, whilst typing this paragraph, I’ve realized that there’s forty different authors that I’ve written about in this series (counting part four). It’s kind of daunting when I look at it that way; even if that was one book each it’s a lot. Instead most have numerous series for me to read. Oh well. I shall catch up with my TBR one day!

Are you looking forward to any of the books mentioned here? Do you love any of the authors? Has anything new caught your eye? Please do let me know in the comments as I’d love to hear from you.

Features · Literary Lists

Literacy List: Authors To Catch Up On – Part Two

January 15, 2020December 23, 2019 Charlotte14 Comments

Kelley Armstrong:

Read: 6

Darkest Powers & Darkness Rising

Kelley Armstrong has written a lot of books and I honestly think that I want to read all of them… I’m pretty sure that’ll take quite some time. As I already have the first books in the Rockton & Cainsville series I’ll probably start by reading one of those two. Also high on my TBR list when it comes to this author though is the Nadia Stafford series and The Women Of The Underworld. There are also a couple of her novels that I’m desperate to get read but, as I’ve already got 4 different series listed here I’ll pick just one to mention now and that’s her latest: Wherever She Goes.

Out This Year:

Alone In The Wild

As I said above Rockton is one of the series that I’m hoping to read first so this one’s definitely on my TBR. This is one series that I’m adamant to catch up on this year!

Wolf’s Curse

I’m pretty sure this is a spin off/sequel series to The Women Of The Otherworld. So hopefully I’ll enjoy that series and start on this one sometime too BUT it will probably take quite some time to get that far.

The Gryphon’s Lair

Cover To Come

Out On: 02/06/2020

This is book two in a Middle Grade series that I only learnt about whilst writing this list. It sounds like it could be interesting though so if I love the rest, I’ll probably check this out eventually too.

Libba Bray:

Read: 0

I’ve wanted to read the Gemma Doyle series and The Diviners for years. I even brought some secondhand copies of the former a few years back to push me to read them yet they’re still unread. This year I fully intend to get both read. They both sound so, so amazing after all. I do hope to check out some of her novels too but it’s these two series that are easily my highest priority right now.

Out This Year:

The King Of Crows

As the finale is out in February I’m now very tempted to pick up The Diviners first and try to get it read by then. I’m very much a mood reader so I’ll see what happens though. Either way I’m definitely planning to have read both by the end of the year.

Rachel Caine:

Read: 28

Stillhouse Lake (just book #1)
The Morganville Vampires & Weather Warden
Red Letter Days & Prince Of Shadows

Wow have I really read that many books by Rachel Caine? Lately I constantly feel so far behind that I don’t even feel like a reader but here’s the proof that at one point I definitely have been! This year I seriously want to stop falling into slumps and get my reading back up to what it used to be. But anyway onto my list:

My main priorities are to carry on the Stillhouse Lake series as I really enjoyed the first one and am pretty curious to see where the rest will take me. I’d also love to read Midnight Bites as I’ve never read that short story collection linked to the Morganville series although I may have read some of the content as I have read short stories linked to the series elsewhere, including on the author’s website.. And I really want to start The Great Library series. There are definitely other books by Rachel Caine on my TBR though.

Out This Year:

Bitter Falls

As stated above this is one series that I really want to catch up & carry on with. I love the different point of view that this novel was written from and honestly it was just fascinating.

Honor Lost

This series is written along with Ann Aguirre and although I didn’t mention it above it’s definitely still on my TBR and I’d love to get the series read this year if possible. A petty criminal gets recruited into the Honors – a race of sentient alien ships – and discovers a dark, ominous truth. Doesn’t that sound intriguing?

Red Hot Rain

According to Goodreads this is out this year but I’m not entirely certain. At some point I’ll have to refresh my memory of the series with a re-read in preparation for this. I’m certainly curious about it though.

Tricia Levenseller:

Read: 0

I basically want to read everything that this author has written. I’m not entirely sure what book I’ll start with – although it may even be her new one as it’s out fairly early in the year. Her books so far are the Daughter Of The Pirate King series and Warrior Of The Wild; both of which sound amazing.

Out This Year:

The Shadows Between Us

OMG, this one sounds absolutely amazing and I can not wait for it to come out! I’ll definitely have to treat myself to this one. It’s about Alessandra’s plan to gain power by wooing the Shadow King so that, once he marries her, she can kill him and take the kingdom for herself. If that doesn’t sound amazing enough she then finds herself having to fight both to keep him alive, long enough for him to marry her, and her own growing feelings for him… I NEED THIS!!

Sarah Dessen:

Read: 2

This Lullaby & Along For The Ride

I’ve been meaning to read some of these forever! Top of my TBR, when it comes to Sarah Dessen, is Once And For All which I absolutely adore the sound of. Then it’s kind of a tie between The Rest Of The Story, Saint Anything & Dreamland. As the pictures shows I also really want to get on with Just Listen and Lock & Key. But I think I probably have all of her books on my TBR. It’s definitely time that I got picking up more contemporary novels.

Sarra Manning:

Read: 13

Diary Of A Crush and Fashionistas
Guitar Girl and Pretty Things
Let’s Get Lost and Nobody’s Girl
Unsticky and The House Of Secrets

When I was younger I fell in love with Sarra Manning’s books and would always be on the lookout for them. Over the years, after first reading them from the library, I built up quite a collection of her books but then I fell behind and I now majorly need to catch up. I wouldn’t be surprised if I read The Rise & Fall Of Becky Sharp first as I couldn’t resist buying it when I found it in the supermarket when it first came out and I’d love to get it read. Then it’ll probably be Nine Uses For An Ex Boyfriend and You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me as I have copies of those as well. From there it’ll probably be either It Felt Like A Kiss or After The Last Dance as I adore the sounds of each for different reasons. Then it’s back to a YA book by her as I’m pretty tempted by the blurb of The Worst Girlfriend In The World. I do, yet again, have other books by her on my TBR but there are the ones I’m most desperate to get on with.

Susan Dennard:

Read: 0

The Witchlands series and Something Strange And Deadly have both been on my TBR for quite some time. One sounds like it’s set in a fascinating fantasy world with some rather interesting witches. And the other I think is a steampunk zombie novel that, from the few pages that I’ve looked at, sounds amazing. So I’m definitely hoping to read these two series this year.

Out This Year:

The Witchlands #4

Cover To Come.

Out In: 2020

As I said above I definitely want to get reading this series soon. Maybe, as there’s no name or date for this one yet, I’ll even get it done before the next in the series comes out. Fingers crossed anyway.

Sally Green:

Read: 0

The Half Bad trilogy has been on my TBR for ages now; I can’t remember if I saw it compared to Harry Potter or if the blurb just gave me similar vibes but it’s definitely one series that I’m desperate to check out. And then The Smoke Thieves sounds like it could be a pretty epic fantasy series to me. I already love the sound of the characters from the blurb and need to know more!

Out This Year:

The Burning Kingdom

Cover To Come.

Out On: 27/08/2020

Once again this book doesn’t have a title or definite date yet so hopefully I can catch up on this series before the next book comes out. It’s definitely one that I’m itching to sink my teeth into.

Maureen Johnson:

Read: 3

Devilish
Truly Devious & The Name Of The Star

The main series that I want to finish by Maureen Johnson is the Truly Devious one; I loved book one and seriously can not believe that I haven’t picked up book two yet! I didn’t get quite as hooked by the Shades Of London series as I expected to but I do want to re-read the first book some time and finish the series. I’m kind of hoping that, at the time of reading, I just wasn’t in the mood for the book. Or that I’m mis-remembering my enjoyment level as it sounds like the sort of story that I’d generally love. And then I just adore the sound of Little Blue Envelopes; I always say that I need to read more contemporary and this sounds like a pretty awesome one to get stuck into.

Out This Year:

The Hand On The Wall

As I said above I seriously can not believe that I haven’t read book two of this series yet! Hopefully the release of the new one will push me to get on with it.

Rick Riordan:

Read: 0

I’m pretty sure that people will look at the number of books that I’ve read by this author and think to themselves ‘What? How is that even possible?’ and the truth is I honestly don’t know. I’ve seen the first Percy Jackson movie and owned the book for years but never got around to picking it up. This year I definitely want to do so. I think most of these series are linked in some way but I’ve still listed them all as Rick Riordan is certainly one author that I want to get up to date with. So I’m starting with the Percy Jackson And The Olympian series. I don’t actually know where to go from there though; there are so many books! I might go for The Heroes Of Olympus series and The Trials Of Apollo first as they’re listed as all being part of the ‘Camp Half-Blood Chronicles’ or I may mix it up with The Kane Chronicles And Magnus Chase And The Gods Of Asgard in-between. Does anyone know what the best reading order is? All advice is greatly appreciated.

Out This Year:

Camp Jupiter Classified

This is a Trials Of Apollo companion book. That’s literally all I know as I avoided the blurb in case of spoilers.

The Tower Of Nero

Cover To Come

Out On: 29/09/2020

I believe this is the last book in the Trials Of Apollo series? Maybe by some miracle I’ll be up to date by then?

So that’s it for part two of this series and I hope you’re all enjoying it. I love that this series is giving me a chance to mention some of the authors whose books most frequently appear on my TBR. Although it is pretty scary considering how many unread books I seem to be mentioning.

Are you looking forward to any of the books mentioned here? Do you love any of the authors? Has anything new caught your eye? Please do let me know in the comments as I’d love to hear from you.

Features · Literary Lists

Literacy Lists – Authors To Catch Up On – Part One

January 8, 2020December 23, 2019 Charlotte12 Comments

I’ve decided to start off the year with something a little bit different than my usual ‘literacy list’ feature. It’ll still be a top ten on a certain topic but rather than one post a month I’m going to post one per week. And rather than mentioning just one book or series as I generally do I’m going to mention ten of the authors who I most want to catch up on, sharing some of their books on my TBR and also mentioning any releases that they have due this year. Some of the authors are new to me; some I’ve read books by in the past. All have several novels or series that are pretty high priority to me. It was originally going to be a two part feature but, as you can probably tell, I got a little carried away… All of the pictures are of the books by each author that are topping my TBR right now.

Cassandra Clare:

Read: 11
The Moral Instruments
The Infernal Devices
Lady Midnight & Lord Of Shadows

Right now I honestly want to re-read and finish everything by Cassandra Clare and I do hope to do so by the end of the year. The books by her that I most want to read though are Queen Of Air And Darkness (how have I not done so yet when I was so, so desperate to read this?), The Red Scrolls Of Magic & Ghosts Of The Shadow Market. Ideally I also want to re-read The Infernal Devices as soon as possible in preparation for Chain Of Gold.

Out This Year:

Chain Of Gold

This sounds amazing! And the cover is absolutely gorgeous! I’ve loved what I’ve read by Cassandra Clare so far and with yet another historic setting I’m so, so intrigued!!

The Lost Book Of The White

Cover To Come

Out On: 01/09/2020

I’ve got nine months so in theory I should have plenty of time to get book one read before then!

I also really want to read the Magisterium series (the blurb gives me major Harry Potter vibes) but as it’s by both Cassandra Clare & Holly Black I’ve listed it here, between both of them.

Holly Black:

Read: 5 (& one novella)

The Cruel Prince & The Wicked King
Modern Faerie Tales

Naturally the major book that I need to read (and can’t believe that I haven’t yet!) is The Queen Of Nothing. After that the main two books that I want to read by Holly Black are The Coldest Girl In Coldtown & The Darkest Part Of The Forest although I’m pretty sure that I have all of her books on my TBR and I would ideally like to re-read the Modern Tale Of Faerie series soon as my memories of it are pretty hazy.

Richelle Mead:

Read: 13 (& one novella)

Vampire Academy
Georgina Kincaid
The Glittering Court

Let’s be honest here – I desperately want to read ALL of Richelle Mead’s books and honestly do hope to catch up on them by the end of the year. I guess if I had to pick the ones I’m most desperate to read though they would be Bloodlines (how have I still not read this series?), Age Of X and the last two books in The Glittering Court series.

Sarah J. Maas:

Read: 5

The Assassin’s Blade,
Throne Of Glass to Queen Of Shadows

Yet another author who I want to somehow read everything by this year. I desperately want to re-read and finish Throne Of Glass (I got up to Empire Of Storms) and finally start A Court Of Thorns And Roses. I also really would like to get Catwoman read. I always loved her in the movies so I definitely need to see what Sarah J. Maas has done with her story!

Out This Year:

House Of Earth And Blood

Yet again it’s an amazing sounding book with a truly stunning cover! The mix of characters sounds amazing and I just can NOT wait!

Marie Lu:

Read: 0

How have I not read a book by Marie Lu yet? I literally have everything by her on my TBR and own two of her books. So I seriously need to get reading some of her marvelous sounding books. I’ll probably end up reading The Young Elites first as I actually own the first book in the series as an ebook. Then either Batman (as I have that series) or Legend (as it’s so well loved). So Warcross will probably be last but it’s basically by default?

Out This Year:

The Kingdom Of Back

This sounds amazing and you will never convince me differently!

Skyhunter

Cover To Come

Out On: 06/10/2020

I don’t know what this is – I don’t even know if it’s real – but as I love the sound of every other book by Marie Lu it’s staying on this list!

As it’s by both Marie Lu & Jay Kristoff I’m placing the The Illuminae Files in-between their two listings. I’ve heard such fantastic things about this series and I’m seriously intrigued. Plus I’m kind of curious about the unusual way that it’s written? Fingers crossed I’ll get it read soon.

Jay Kristoff:

Read: 0

So once again I want to read everything that this author has written. I think I’ll probably start with Nevernight or possibly LIFE1K3. Both of them sound absolutely amazing! And then it’ll probably be Aurora Rising as I’ve heard good things about that book too.

Out This Year:

Empire Of The Vampire

Cover To Come

Out On: 10/09/2020

Omg this sounds amazing! Not only is it a vampire book but it’s set in a rather bleak sounding future and I just can’t wait to pick this one up!

Aurora Burning

Out On: 05/05/2020

Another sequel that I’ll hopefully manage to get the first book of read this year.

V. E. Schwab:

Read: 0

Yet another author that I can’t believe I still need to read something by. Everything by Victoria Schwab is on my TBR and all of it sounds absolutely amazing. The first series that I’ll probably read is Shades Of Magic because I’ve heard it described as an adult Harry Potter and I just adore the sound of the four different Londons involved. Then it’s most likely to be either the Cassidy Blake or Monsters Of Verity.

Out This Year:

The Invisible Life Of Addie La Rue

Cover To Come

Out In: 2020

This book sounds AMAZING! I can’t think of any way in which this won’t be an incredible read. Please, please, please come out already!!!

Everyday Angel

This is a bind up of some of Victoria’s Schwab’s previous books and I’m pretty sure that it’s a younger series than most but I’ll probably still check this out if I enjoy her other books. Why? Because all of her ideas sound fantastic.

Bridge Of Souls

Cover To Come

Out On: 01/09/2020

I’m going to really make an effort to get the first two of these read before this one comes out…whenever that is.

Leigh Bardugo:

Read: 2

Wonder Woman: Warbringer & Ninth House

Basically I need to read all of Leigh Bardugo’s connected series and I seriously can not believe that I haven’t started any of them yet! This year I will definitely get up to date with her books though. And hopefully fall in love with the adaptation. I’ll probably start with The Shadow And Bone Trilogy, then read Six Of Crows & then King Of Scars.

Charlaine Harris:

Read: 15

A Touch Of Dead
Dead Until Dark to Dead In The Family
Harper Connelly

Mostly I need to re-read and finish the Sookie Stackhouse series as I adored it the first time around yet never read the final three books. What is wrong with me? I seriously want to start reading the Gunnie Rose series too though. And from there… I’m not entirely sure. It’ll either be Midnight Texas or Aurora Teagarden though. I guess it’ll come down to my mood at the time.

Out This Year:

A Longer Fall

The first of these may well be one of my first reads of the year in an effort to catch up. I’m a total mood reader though, and recently purchased other books, so I’ll just have to wait and see. This year I’ll definitely get up to date on the series though.

Laini Taylor:

Read: 3

Daughter Of Smoke And Bone

So the main series that I need to read is Strange The Dreamer as everybody loves it, and it sounds so, so amazing. I’d also love to re-read the Daughter Of Smoke And Bone trilogy though and finally read Night Of Cakes & Puppets at the same time. Then there’s Lips Touch which sounds absolutely amazing. And, of course, in my efforts to read all things Laini Taylor I also want to read Blackbringer. Let’s be fair I’d read it whatever; I have a thing about the fae.

So that’s it for part one; look out for part two next week. Also keep an eye out for my ‘TBR Thursday’ post tomorrow; it’ll feature some of the lesser mentioned books and series by five of the authors on this list. Are you looking forward to any of the books mentioned here? Do you love any of the authors? Has anything new caught your eye? Please do let me know in the comments as I’d love to hear from you.

My Favourite Covers Of 2020 (So Far)

December 29, 2019December 23, 2019 Charlotte6 Comments

As I’ve been looking up a lot of books for my 2020 anticipated release posts I’ve seen a lot of lovely covers, many of which I’ve fallen in love with. So I’ve decided to do another top ten cover list, this time featuring the ones that I adore the most so far. I think, if I do another top ten at the end of the year, that it’ll be interesting to see which ones change and which stay the same as more and more covers are revealed. Once again I’ve also tried to put them in order but it’s so, so hard!

In Tenth Place:
The Midnight Lie by Marie Rutkoski

In Ninth Place:
All Stars And Teeth by Adalyn Grace

In Eighth Place:
The King Of Crows by Libba Bray

In Seventh Place:
The Kingdom Of Back by Marie Lu

In Sixth Place:
Star Daughter by Shveta Thakra

In Fifth Place:
The Faithless Hawk by Margaret Owen

In Fourth Place:
House Of Earth And Blood by Sarah J. Maas

In Third Place:
Chain Of Gold by Cassandra Clare

In Second Place:
The Vanishing Deep by Astrid Scholte

In First Place:
The Foundling by Stacey Halls

So those are my ten favourite covers of 2020 that I’ve seen so far. What are yours? Are there any major ones that you think I’ve missed? Please do let me know in the comments section below.

My Favourite Covers Of 2019

December 28, 2019December 23, 2019 Charlotte12 Comments

There have been a lot of wonderful book covers this year and I just wanted to take the chance to share some of my favourites with you. I decided, as it’s not really a post that involves much writing (how many different ways can I put ‘it’s gorgeous’ in one top ten?) to try and put them in order instead…which was definitely challenging. Even now I’m not entirely convinced of my order and leaving some books out was incredibly hard. I also still need to read all of these but hope to get to them all in 2020, some of them fairly early in the year too. But anyway here’s my best attempt at picking my top ten covers of the year.

In Tenth Place:
Wilder Girls by Rory Power

In Ninth Place:
A Dress For The Wicked by Autumn Krause

In Eighth Place:
Enchantée by Gita Trelease

In Seventh Place:
The Candle And The Flame by Nafiza Azad

In Sixth Place:
The Ten Thousand Doors Of January by Alix E. Harrow

In Fifth Place:
The Guinevere Deception by Kiersten White

In Fourth Place:
Sorcery Of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson

In Third Place:
Spin The Dawn by Elizabeth Lim

In Second Place:
Descendant Of The Crane By Joan He

In First Place:
The Deathless Girls by Kiran Millwood Hargrave

So those are my ten favourite covers of 2019. What are yours? Are there any major ones that you think I’ve missed? Please do let me know in the comments section below.

Features · Literary Lists

Literacy Lists: Christmas

December 18, 2019December 18, 2019 Charlotte8 Comments

Hello and welcome to another ‘Literacy List’. Firstly sorry for disappearing lately; I’ve been planning out a lot of posts so I have been around behind the scenes but got behind on actually responding to comments and posting. So I’m really sorry about that and I’m trying to catch up with everything now. Secondly I have a feeling that this month’s list is going to be a hard one to come up with as I know very few Christmas books.I always want to read festive books but never get around to it. And I have very few on my TBR but I think I can still come up with ten for this list. Fingers crossed at least! Either way it’s going to be fun discovering some more festive reads; hopefully at least one of them will appeal to you too.

The Afterlife Of Holly Chase by Cynthia Hand

I’ve wanted to read this book for quite some time so hopefully I’ll get a chance to this winter! I love the twist on the classic tale and that in this case the individual visited by three ghosts didn’t change their way. It sounds so interesting and original! Especially as it’s the story of them now stuck as one of those very ghosts themselves, working their way to redemption.

Christmas Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella

I’ve been meaning to read this series forever! I really enjoyed the movie and think that the books would appeal to me too. Plus I just feel like this would make the perfect sort of read for the holidays somehow. Although please note that this is book nine in the series.

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Another book that’s been on my TBR for ages. Somehow I’ve never even seen the film of this! Although I have watched a TV adaptation and plan to see the new movie. I don’t read many classics – although I do want to try and pick some up soon – but I do think that this one could really work for me somehow. I just feel like it will be warm and wonderful. Plus Jo is a character that I can totally see myself rooting for!

Meg And Jo by Virginia Kantra

I only recently learnt about this but I definitely hope to check it out once I’ve had a chance to read the original. Even though I haven’t seen the movie yet I feel like it’s made me want to check out all things Little Women. Fingers crossed this retelling is a good one!

My True Love Gave To Me by Various Authors

As I’ve said before I tend to like anthologies and I do think that this one will make the perfect holiday read. What could be better than a collection of short stories of holiday romances to pick up right now? I also feel that, with how hectic this time of year can be, short stories are a good option to go for; they’re quick to read and easy to pick up and put down again. Plus I love some of these authors!

The Gift by Cecelia Ahern

I’m not entirely sure what to expect from this book but it does sound quite interesting. Plus it’s by an author who has some pretty popular book. The cover is just adorable for a Christmas novel too!

Dash & Lily’s Book Of Dares by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan

Aww, this book sounds so sweet! I love the idea of meeting someone through a notebook where you share dares, dreams and desires. It just sounds so adorable! But also like it could be pretty compelling too. And really, what’s better than a rom-com at Christmas? Assuming it does contain comedy. Even if it doesn’t though a Christmas romance still sounds pretty good.

10 Blind Dates by Ashley Elston

Like the above book this one sounds like it could be the perfect blend of romance and comedy to read over Christmas. I love the premise of the main character being set up on a blind date a day by her family members. Plus I keep seeing this book mentioned lately.

Bridget Jones’s Diary by Helen Fielding

I have this on my movie list so why not include the book on this one too? I’ve never read it but hopefully I’ll end up loving it as I absolutely adore the film. And even if, somehow, it doesn’t work out for me I’ll forever be grateful to this novel for creating a series of films that I adore! Judging by the movie I do feel as if I should like the narrative style though.

Let It Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson & Lauren Myracle

There’s an adaptation of this now and the trailer for it is super intriguing. Plus I seriously need to read some books by John Green! And I get the impression that this will be a really sweet, warm and welcoming collection of stories. So fingers crossed that I get this read… otherwise it’s going to be yet another instance where I see the movie first.

So those are ten Christmas books that I have on my TBR. I’d love to get a few of them read but I honestly don’t know whether or not I’ll manage to this year. If I don’t then they’ll definitely be on my TBR for next December. And if I end up loving them then I wouldn’t be surprised if a few turn into Christmas staples because I seriously do love the idea of reading Christmas books and watching Christmas movies.

What are your favourite Christmas books? Do you know many or not? Do you have any recommendations for me? If so please do share them as my TBR, despite being massive, is fairly short on festive reads.

Features · Literary Lists

Literacy Lists: Fairies

November 13, 2019November 9, 2019 Charlotte13 Comments

With the release of ‘The Queen Of Nothing’ this month I immediately knew that my topic had to be fairies this time around. It was a list that I found easy enough to make – I have a few fairy books that I treasure and quite a few more on my TBR. In fact I actually think that I’ll probably revisit this topic in the future as there are still so many fantastic sounding books about the fae out there! And, thanks to my addiction to them, I feel as if I want to read them all.

Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr

Most people tend to instantly think of Holly Black when they hear the word ‘fairy’ but for me there are two queens of the fae & Melissa Marr is the other one. Wicked Lovely is the book that got me into fairy in the first place; the mixture of beauty and danger, desire and fear within these books is spot on for it’s subject matter. This is also one series that I definitely plan on re-reading soon; firstly because I love it and it’s way overdue a re-read and secondly because… a new prequel novel is in the works!!!

The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

This is another series that I’ve read, adored and hope to re-read soon. I love the mix of characters involved in this story; some of them so easily stole my heart and made me smile. Another factor that I adore with these books is the way that technology infects the magical world; it’s ingenious and I love it!

Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer

Yes another series that I’ve read (when it comes to the fae I feel that maybe I’m more up to date than usual?) besides the very last book which I plan to get to, after yet another re-read, soon. I adore these books for so many reasons. The main one I suppose is the central character because who doesn’t love reading about Artemis Fowl and his somewhat villainous exploits? A criminal mastermind makes a superb central character. And the fairies in this series are quite unique once again. There’s also a spin off series that released earlier this month and a movie coming next year. So if you haven’t already read this sadly overlooked series I suggest you give it a go now!

The Field Guide by Tony DiTerlizzi & Holly Black

The first book on this list that I still need to read (to save me repeating this fact I’ll point out now that all the remaining books, other than the last one are on my TBR still) but I definitely plan to soon. It’s written for a younger audience than most on here but I just know that I need to read everything that Holly Black has written about fairies at least once. Plus I’ve seen the movie and, from what I remember, I actually quite enjoyed it.

The Various by Steve Augarde

I brought this book when I found it in a charity shop for two simple reasons; number one) it’s about the fae & number two) it had received a Smarties award which immediately made me think of Harry Potter. So yes I definitely need to get on with this book soon and I’m really looking forward to seeing exactly what it turns out like.

An Enchantment Of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson

Firstly the cover for this book is absolutely stunning! Secondly the story within it sounds amazing. The fairies within it sound like exactly the sort that I get intoxicated by and I just adore the reasons for them coveting creative individuals. I need to read this one ASAP too! I think at this rate I should just have a fairy inspired reading month?

The Falconer by Elizabeth May

Earlier this year I brought all three books in this series so I really hope that I enjoy them as much as I expect to. The setting -Edinburgh 1844 in high society is enough to entice me on it’s own. Throw in fairies – who are murderous to boot – and I’m 100% sold. This book sounds amazing and I can not wait to read it.

The Perilous Gard by Elizabeth Marie Pope

I first learnt about this book when reading a Goodreads interview with Holly Black (if you’re interested the link is here). When she described it as having ‘one of the best faerie queens I’ve ever read’ I just knew that I had to read it. This book also gets bonus points for being set during Tudor times and mentioning Mary Tudor. I love that time period after all so combine that with fairies and I am naturally going to be excited.

A Court Of Thorns And Roses by Sarah J. Maas

I NEED to read these books ASAP; Sarah J. Maas and the world of the fae sounds like a match made in heaven. I honestly feel like these books are made for me so how on earth have I not picked them up yet? I fully intend to by the end of the year – fingers crossed – as I love, love, LOVE, the sound of these and have heard some fantastic things about them.

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

So obviously this book was going to be on this list somewhere, the subject matter is in honor of the third one’s release after all. I guess it then goes without saying that I adore this book. The characters, the take on the fae and the world are all phenomenal. I love Jude and Cardan so, so much. There are others in this series that have gotten under my skin so badly thanks to their actions and just… honestly this is a perfect take on the fae. It blends beauty and brutality so brilliantly and just… I CAN NOT WAIT TO GET ON WITH BOOK THREE!!!

So there you have it, ten fae books that I’ve either read already and loved or am desperate to read. I’m definitely revisiting this topic in the future as there are some other truly amazing sounding ones that I haven’t had a chance to mention yet.

What are you favourite books about the fae? Do you love them as much as me? Are they a favourite supernatural being of yours or is something else? As always let me know in the comments as I’d love the chance to chat with you. And please do share any fae recommendations that you have; my TBR may be massive but it will always have more space for fairies.

Maria V. Snyder:

Anna-Marie McLemore:

Out This Year:

Claire Legrand:

Out This Year:

Courtney Summers:

Melissa de la Cruz:

Out This Year:

Maggie Stiefvater:

Out This Year:

Alexandra Bracken:

Kasie West:

Out This Year:

Kiersten White:

Out This Year:

Julie Kagawa:

Out This Year:

Taylor Jenkins Reid:

C.L. Taylor:

Out This Year:

Veronica Roth:

Out This Year

Lauren Oliver:

Out This Year:

Stephen King:

Out This Year

Brandon Sanderson:

Out This Year

John Green:

Rachel Vincent:

Liane Moriarty:

Gena Showalter:

Out This Year

Kelley Armstrong:

Out This Year:

Libba Bray:

Out This Year:

Rachel Caine:

Out This Year:

Tricia Levenseller:

Out This Year:

Sarah Dessen:

Sarra Manning:

Susan Dennard:

Out This Year:

Sally Green:

Out This Year:

Maureen Johnson:

Out This Year:

Rick Riordan:

Out This Year:

Cassandra Clare:

Out This Year:

Holly Black:

Richelle Mead:

Sarah J. Maas:

Out This Year:

Marie Lu:

Out This Year:

Jay Kristoff:

Out This Year:

V. E. Schwab:

Out This Year:

Leigh Bardugo:

Charlaine Harris:

Out This Year:

Laini Taylor:

In Tenth Place: The Midnight Lie by Marie Rutkoski

In Ninth Place: All Stars And Teeth by Adalyn Grace

In Eighth Place: The King Of Crows by Libba Bray

In Seventh Place: The Kingdom Of Back by Marie Lu

In Sixth Place: Star Daughter by Shveta Thakra

In Fifth Place: The Faithless Hawk by Margaret Owen

In Fourth Place: House Of Earth And Blood by Sarah J. Maas

In Third Place:Chain Of Gold by Cassandra Clare

In Second Place:The Vanishing Deep by Astrid Scholte

In First Place:The Foundling by Stacey Halls

In Tenth Place:Wilder Girls by Rory Power

In Ninth Place:A Dress For The Wicked by Autumn Krause

In Tenth Place:
The Midnight Lie by Marie Rutkoski

In Ninth Place:
All Stars And Teeth by Adalyn Grace

In Eighth Place:
The King Of Crows by Libba Bray

In Seventh Place:
The Kingdom Of Back by Marie Lu

In Sixth Place:
Star Daughter by Shveta Thakra

In Fifth Place:
The Faithless Hawk by Margaret Owen

In Fourth Place:
House Of Earth And Blood by Sarah J. Maas

In Third Place:
Chain Of Gold by Cassandra Clare

In Second Place:
The Vanishing Deep by Astrid Scholte

In First Place:
The Foundling by Stacey Halls

In Tenth Place:
Wilder Girls by Rory Power

In Ninth Place:
A Dress For The Wicked by Autumn Krause