Books · Monthly Tags

October Book Haul – 2020

October Book Haul in 2020. I am so excited to share the books I have received in the month of October with you.

Hello, you beautiful people!
My October Book Haul was very interesting and rich. I am not sure what exactly happened, but many publishers suddenly started reaching out to me, and I won many giveaways as well. I am reading some of them in November, but not all of them. Without further delays, let’s get into the books I’ve received in October:

1. Pizza Girl by Jean Kyoung

Huge thanks to the team at HQ Stories, for sending me a copy of this book as part of the giveaway, as well as a pizza kit to make two mozzarella pizzas at home. This is how our pizzas turned out.

Synopsis:

Eighteen years old, pregnant, and working as a pizza delivery girl in suburban Los Angeles, our charmingly dysfunctional heroine is deeply lost and in complete denial about it all. She’s grieving the death of her father (who she has more in common with than she’d like to admit), avoiding her supportive mom and loving boyfriend, and flagrantly ignoring her future.

Her world is further upended when she becomes obsessed with Jenny, a stay-at-home mother new to the neighborhood, who comes to depend on weekly deliveries of pickled covered pizzas for her son’s happiness. As one woman looks toward motherhood and the other towards middle age, the relationship between the two begins to blur in strange, complicated, and ultimately heartbreaking ways.

Bold, tender, propulsive, and unexpected in countless ways, Jean Kyoung Frazier’s Pizza Girl is a moving and funny portrait of a flawed, unforgettable young woman as she tries to find her place in the world.

October Book Haul in 2020. I am so excited to share the books I have received in the month of October with you.

Purchase Links:
Amazon UK | Amazon US |

2. The Silent Stars Go By by Sally Nicholls

This is a book that I’ll be reading in November, because I’ll be part of the Instagram Book Tour hosted by Kaleidoscopic Tours. Huge thanks to Andersen Press for sending not only a copy of the book, but also plenty of surprise goodies, that I have to open once I reach a certain page milestone. I cannot wait to start this – look out for my Instagram Stories, where I will open the goodies as I read the book.

Synopsis:

Seventeen-year-old Margot Allan was a respectable vicar’s daughter and madly in love with her fiance Harry. But when Harry was reported Missing in Action from the Western Front, and Margot realised she was expecting his child, there was only one solution she and her family could think of in order to keep that respectability. She gave up James, her baby son, to be adopted by her parents and brought up as her younger brother.

Now two years later the whole family is gathering at the Vicarage for Christmas. It’s heartbreaking for Margot being so close to James but unable to tell him who he really is. But on top of that, Harry is also back in the village. Released from captivity in Germany and recuperated from illness, he’s come home and wants answers. Why has Margot seemingly broken off their engagement and not replied to his letters? Margot knows she owes him an explanation. But can she really tell him the truth about James?

October Book Haul in 2020. I am so excited to share the books I have received in the month of October with you.

Purchase Links:
Amazon UK |

3. Beneath Cruel Fathoms (The Bitter Sea Trilogy #1) by Anela Deen

When the author Anela Deen reached out to me to read this book, I has a quick look at the cover and I was immediately hooked. Then, the synopsis also got me. I mean, it’s about mermaids – what more can I ask for!

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Day 5 of #tandembooktober couldn't have started better. 🔮 The prompt is Black Magic, and just this morning I received an amazing parcel with Beneath Cruel Fathoms by Anela Deen. (@aneladeen) 🌊 This is book one of The Bitter Sea Trilogy and I cannot wait to start it! 🌊 🐚 Synopsis: 🐚 After a violent storm destroys her ship, Isaura Johansdottir knows better than to hope she’ll be rescued from Eisland’s vast Failock Sea. Adrift and alone, her plans to start over lost, it’s a tragic conclusion after the disastrous end of her marriage – until she’s saved by Leonel, one of the merfolk, a creature long believed extinct. In repayment for her life, Leonel enlists her help to investigate the Failock’s mysterious and deadly plague of squalls. But when Isaura discovers Eisland’s ruthless new Lord commands the storms, her life will be in more danger on land than it ever was at sea. As guardian of the Fathoms, Leonel must find the cause of unnatural storms ravaging the tidal currents and destroying the sea life. There are rumors of dark magic stirring in the Orom Abyss, the resting place of old, vanquished gods who tried to submerge the land millennia ago. Yet without proof, no one in King Ægir’s court will listen to him. And if it’s discovered he broke the Blue Laws to save a shipwrecked landweller, he might not survive the consequences. As storms spread, Leonel and Isaura uncover secrets as forbidden as the bond that grows between them. Betrayal lurks in the restless sea, and when ancient powers lay siege to Eisland’s coast, the truth may be drowned along with everything else.

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Synopsis:

After a violent storm destroys her ship, Isaura Johansdottir knows better than to hope she’ll be rescued from Eisland’s vast Failock Sea. Adrift and alone, her plans to start over lost, it’s a tragic conclusion after the disastrous end of her marriage – until she’s saved by Leonel, one of the merfolk, a creature long believed extinct. In repayment for her life, Leonel enlists her help to investigate the Failock’s mysterious and deadly plague of squalls. But when Isaura discovers Eisland’s ruthless new Lord commands the storms, her life will be in more danger on land than it ever was at sea.

As guardian of the Fathoms, Leonel must find the cause of unnatural storms ravaging the tidal currents and destroying the sea life. There are rumors of dark magic stirring in the Orom Abyss, the resting place of old, vanquished gods who tried to submerge the land millennia ago. Yet without proof, no one in King Ægir’s court will listen to him. And if it’s discovered he broke the Blue Laws to save a shipwrecked landweller, he might not survive the consequences.

As storms spread, Leonel and Isaura uncover secrets as forbidden as the bond that grows between them. Betrayal lurks in the restless sea, and when ancient powers lay siege to Eisland’s coast, the truth may be drowned along with everything else.

October Book Haul in 2020. I am so excited to share the books I have received in the month of October with you.

Purchase Links:
Amazon UK | Amazon US |

4. A Cornish Betrothal by Nicola Pryce

Huge thanks to Corvus Books and ReadersFirst for this amazing copy. I cannot wait to start reading it!

Synopsis:

Cornwall, 1798.

Four years have passed since Midshipman Edmund Melville was declared missing, presumed dead, and Amelia Carew has mended her heart and fallen in love with a young physician, Luke Bohenna. But, on her twenty-fifth birthday, Amelia suddenly receives a letter from Edmund announcing his imminent return. In a state of shock, devastated that she now loves Luke so passionately, she is torn between the two.

When Edmund returns, it is clear that his time away has changed him – he wears scars both mental and physical. Amelia, however, is determined to rekindle their courtship and nurse him back to help. Luke, who has always understood that Amelia’s love for Edmund would take precedence, backs away.

But soon, Amelia begins to question what really happened to Edmund while he was missing. As the treads of truth slip through her fingers, she doesn’t know who to turn to: Edmund, or Luke?

October Book Haul in 2020. I am so excited to share the books I have received in the month of October with you.

Purchase Links:
Amazon UK | Amazon US |

5. Make It Happen: How To Be An Activist by Amika George

The amazing HQ Stories team reached out to me and sent me this book as part of the International Day of the Girl, which was on 11th October. I am so glad I was part of that initiative, and could raise awareness about the rights that girls have around the world. As a person that was born and raised in Macedonia, this is a very important topic, and one very close to my heart, and I am glad I could promote awareness. I have already read this book, but I will be re-reading it soon so I can give it a proper book review as well.

Synopsis:

GET UP. SPEAK UP. DON’T GIVE UP.

In the spring of 2017, 17-year-old Amika George founded the Free Periods movement on behalf of every schoolgirl who couldn’t afford tampons or sanitary towels.

Three years later, in January 2020, these products became freely available to every schoolgirl in England for the first time, funded by the government.

Anyone can make history, including a teenager launching a global campaign from their bedroom. And Amika will show you how, in this essential guide to being an activist.

With chapters on finding your crowd and creating allies, going public with your campaign, how to use social media effectively and how to look after your mental health while protesting, Amika will show you how you can effect real and lasting change in your community, on the streets of your city, on your social media feed, in your country and in YOUR world.

October Book Haul in 2020. I am so excited to share the books I have received in the month of October with you.

Purchase Links:
Amazon UK | Amazon US |

6. The Human Son by Adrian J. Walker

I am so glad that I won this book through a giveaway! It sounds amazing, and I cannot wait to dive in!

Synopsis:

It is 500 years in the future and Earth is no longer populated by humans.

The new guardians of Earth, the genetically engineered Erta, have reversed climate change. They are now faced with a dilemma; if they reintroduce the rebellious and violent Homo Sapiens, all of their work will be undone.

They decide to raise one final child; a sole human to help decide if humanity should again inherit the Earth.

But the quiet and clinical Ima finds that there is more to raising a human than she had expected; and there is more to humanity’s history than she has been told.

October Book Haul in 2020. I am so excited to share the books I have received in the month of October with you.

Purchase Links:
Amazon UK | Amazon US |

7. The Angel of the Crows by Katherine Addison

Again, another title I won through a giveaway, but that also sounds amazing! I was hoping to read this for October, because it gave away a spooky vibe, but my TBR was already huge, so it’ll have to wait for now.

Synopsis:

This is not the story you think it is. These are not the characters you think they are. This is not the book you are expecting.

In an alternate 1880s London, angels inhabit every public building, and vampires and werewolves walk the streets with human beings under a well-regulated truce. A fantastic utopia, except for a few things: Angels can Fall, and that Fall is like a nuclear bomb in both the physical and metaphysical worlds. And human beings remain human, with all their kindness and greed and passions and murderous intent.

Jack the Ripper stalks the streets of this London too. But this London has an Angel. The Angel of the Crows.

October Book Haul in 2020. I am so excited to share the books I have received in the month of October with you.

Purchase Links:
Amazon UK | Amazon US |

8. The June Boys by Court Stevens

I received The June Boys thanks to the team at Harper 360. Another spooky read that I cannot wait to dive in.

Synopsis:

The Gemini Thief could be anyone. Your father, your mother, your best friend’s crazy uncle. Some country music star’s deranged sister. Anyone.

The Gemini Thief is a serial kidnapper, who takes three boys and holds them captive from June 1st to June 30th of the following year. The June Boys endure thirteen months of being stolen, hidden, observed, and fed before they are released, unharmed, by their masked captor. The Thief is a pro, having eluded authorities for nearly a decade and taken at least twelve boys.

Now Thea Delacroix has reason to believe the Gemini Thief took a thirteenth victim: her cousin, Aulus McClaghen.

But the game changes when one of the kidnapped boys turns up dead. Together with her boyfriend Nick and her best friends, Thea is determined to find the Gemini Thief and the remaining boys before it’s too late. Only she’s beginning to wonder something sinister, something repulsive, something unbelievable, and yet, not impossible:

What if her father is the Gemini Thief?

The June Boys by Court Stevens

Purchase Links:
Amazon UK | Amazon US |

9. Someone We Know by Shari Lapena

I am so excited about this one. It seems like such an intriguing thriller, and I bet it’ll have an unpredictable plot twist in the end.

Synopsis:

Maybe you don’t know your neighbors as well as you thought you did . . .

“This is a very difficult letter to write. I hope you will not hate us too much. . . My son broke into your home recently while you were out.”

In a quiet, leafy suburb in upstate New York, a teenager has been sneaking into houses–and into the owners’ computers as well–learning their secrets, and maybe sharing some of them, too.

Who is he, and what might he have uncovered? After two anonymous letters are received, whispers start to circulate, and suspicion mounts. And when a woman down the street is found murdered, the tension reaches the breaking point. Who killed her? Who knows more than they’re telling? And how far will all these very nice people go to protect their own secrets?

In this neighborhood, it’s not just the husbands and wives who play games. Here, everyone in the family has something to hide . . .

You never really know what people are capable of.

Someone We Know by Shari Lapena

Purchase Links:
Amazon UK | Amazon US |

10. Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell

Another mystery thriller that I wish I received earlier, just so I can add it to my spooky TBR for October. But it’ll have to wait.

Synopsis:

THEN
She was fifteen, her mother’s golden girl. She had her whole life ahead of her. And then, in the blink of an eye, Ellie was gone.

NOW
It’s been ten years since Ellie disappeared, but Laurel has never given up hope of finding her daughter.

And then one day a charming and charismatic stranger called Floyd walks into a café and sweeps Laurel off her feet.

Before too long she’s staying the night at this house and being introduced to his nine year old daughter.

Poppy is precocious and pretty – and meeting her completely takes Laurel’s breath away.

Because Poppy is the spitting image of Ellie when she was that age. And now all those unanswered questions that have haunted Laurel come flooding back.

What happened to Ellie? Where did she go?

Who still has secrets to hide?

Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell

Purchase Links:
Amazon UK | Amazon US |

11. One More for Christmas by Sarah Morgan

I actually won Sarah Morgan’s giveaway and won a signed copy. Can you believe that!? I already read a few books by her, a couple of them Christmas ones, and I am in love with her writing. And honestly, I cannot wait to dive into this one, right in time for Christmas. I truly hope the November TBR prompts will be kind to me and allow me to add this one on my list.

Synopsis:

Gayle is a highly successful and motivated business woman, but her success has come at a price – she hasn’t spoken to her daughters, Ella and Samantha, for years. But when Gayle has an accident at work, she realises she needs to make amends with her family.

And so she invites herself to join Ella and Samantha for their Christmas in the beautiful Scottish Highlands. The sisters are none too pleased that their mother has inserted herself into their Christmas plans. They have each other – and don’t need their mother back in their lives. Or so they think…

As they embark on their first family Christmas together in years, will the three women learn that sometimes facing up to a few home truths is all you need to heal your heart?

One More For Christmas by Sarah Morgan

Purchase Links:
Amazon UK | Amazon US |

12. Starve Acre by Andrew Michael Hurley

I am so happy to be part of a bookstagram readalong, hosted by Tandem Collective UK and John Murray Press, starting on the 1st November and finishing on the 5th November. Thanks to the above teams, I am also able to host a UK giveaway as well, where you can win a paperback edition of Starve Acre, as well as a tote bag and a pin. Just head over to my Instagram page to find out more!

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📖 READALONG AND UK GIVEAWAY 🇬🇧🎁 I am so happy to announce that I have received a #gifted exclusive edition of Starve Acre by Andrew Michael Hurley, published by @johnmurrays, as well as a tote bag and a pin from @tandemcollectiveuk as part of their readalong from November 1st – 5th. I will tag all the participants in the comments, so don't forget to go and check them out as well 🥰 If you already own a copy, or manage to buy it or borrow it from your local library, you can join us all in reading this book! DM me if you want more info on this. ♥️ As part of this big celebration and readalong, Tandem is allowing me to host a giveaway as well. This giveaway contains a paperback copy of Starve Acre (regular, not a special edition), a tote bag and a pin. 🎁 To enter this giveaway: – Must be 🇬🇧 UK only – Follow me and @tandemcollectiveuk – Like this post – Tag a friend in the comments – Share on your story and tag me The giveaway will close on 5th November at 20:00 UK Time. 📖 Synopsis: The worst thing possible has happened. Richard and Juliette Willoughby's son, Ewan, has died suddenly at the age of five. Starve Acre, their house by the moors, was to be full of life, but is now a haunted place. Juliette, convinced Ewan still lives there in some form, seeks the help of the Beacons, a seemingly benevolent group of occultists. Richard, to try and keep the boy out of his mind, has turned his attention to the field opposite the house, where he patiently digs the barren dirt in search of a legendary oak tree. Starve Acre is a devastating new novel by the author of the prize winning bestseller The Loney.

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Synopsis:

The worst thing possible has happened. Richard and Juliette Willoughby’s son, Ewan, has died suddenly at the age of five. Starve Acre, their house by the moors, was to be full of life, but is now a haunted place.

Juliette, convinced Ewan still lives there in some form, seeks the help of the Beacons, a seemingly benevolent group of occultists. Richard, to try and keep the boy out of his mind, has turned his attention to the field opposite the house, where he patiently digs the barren dirt in search of a legendary oak tree.

Starve Acre is a devastating new novel by the author of the prize-winning bestseller The Loney. It is a novel about the way in which grief splits the world in two and how, in searching for hope, we can so easily unearth horror. 

Purchase Links:
Amazon UK | Amazon US |

And that’s a wrap up for my October Book Haul. I can’t wait to dive into all of these books! What’s your October Book Haul? I would love to know what books you acquired last month! Let me know in the comments.

Social Media:
Wishlist | Ko-fi | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Instagram | Pinterest |

Book Review · Books

Haunted: Ghost Stories To Chill Your Blood

Haunted: Ghost Stories To Chill Your Blood

★★★

Thank you the publisher, Andersen Press, for sending me a copy of Haunted: Ghost Stories to Chill Your Blood. Also thanks to Kaleidoscopic Tours and LoveReading4Kids, for the opportunity to be part of the buzz for this book. 

I am also hosting a giveaway for residents in the UK – for a chance to win a copy of this book head over to my Instagram:

Haunted is a collection of short ghost stories, written by multiple authors. The authors are the following: Joseph Delaney, Susan Cooper, Mal Peet, Jamila Gavin, Eleanor Updale, Derek Landy, Robin Jarvis, Sam Llewellyn, Matt Haig, Philip Reeve and Berlie Doherty.

It is incredible that these amazing children’s authors gathered together. They managed to create stories that kept me in a good cozy spooky mood for a while, giving me unexpected chills from time to time. It was a perfect Halloween read, and I am so glad I got the chance to read it! Even the author’s biographies in the end were a bit spooky. Below you will see a breakdown of my opinions for every story, in case you want to know more. My rating is the average rating of all stories combined. I had to hold back on some information for some, to prevent spoilers. There are no spoilers in the next section, but if you’re planning to read the book, I would suggest you dive into it blindly. That way, you’ll get the full experience!

1. The Castle Ghosts by Joseph Delaney – ★★★★

When a young man starts a night shift at a castle full of prisoners, he has no clue of what’s about to happen. The castle is scary at night, and there are stories that it’s haunted as well. Then, unexpected things begin to happen. I enjoyed this story. It was engrossing and intense, but slightly too short to my liking. I liked the haunted vibe though, as well as the incredible ending. 

2. The Caretakers by Susan Cooper – ★★★★

A beautifully written spooky story about a family that travels to Devon for a vacation. Anna doesn’t really get along with her brother James. And James has issues of his own, one of them being a complete disregard of social clues and people’s feelings. It was a bit slow at the beginning, but the amazing ending made up for it. I really enjoyed the love Anna has for her brother, even though he may not be able to see that. 

3. Good Boy by Mal Peet – ★★★

Katie Callan has a recurring nightmare of a dog walking towards her. She has had this dream since she was a child. When she grows up and moves into another city, a dangerous situation will finally reveal why she has had this dream all along. I liked the story, but it didn’t intrigue me or spook me like the others did. 

4. The Blood Line by Jamila Gavin – ★★★★★

This was so far my favorite story. It is longer than the others and it contains family drama with a spooky element of ghosts having unfinished business. I liked Freddie a lot as well. 

5. The Ghost in the Machine by Eleanor Updale – ★★★★

This story was cool and unexpected. It was also a modern day one, where the ghost is in electronic form. I really liked that idea. The creativity and the way how it worked were put together very nicely. I just didn’t feel the spookiness. 

6. Songs the Dead Sing by Derek Landy – ★★★★

A ghost story that was also heartwarming. Well, that’s a first. I enjoyed this one a lot. Maybe because it had a detective vibe, as well as intensity throughout the way. The ending made me smile. 

7. The Beach Hut by Robin Jarvis – ★★★★★

Bram is staying at his aunt Pat’s cabins during the summer with his mum and his older sister. He doesn’t have any friends and his sister ignores him. Then one day, he decides to spend the night in the beach hut. But little does he know – the hut is already occupied. But a girl who is a ghost. This story is another favorite of mine. I loved that it was set in the summer. We usually associate scary stories with autumn, or cold weather, and this was a nice change to remind us that ghosts can appear in any season. I loved Bram and could relate to him a lot. He was a brave soul, who loved adventure and didn’t have many friends. I also loved the ghost story and how it ended. The plot twist was very unpredictable and I loved it so much!

8. The Praying Down of Vaughan Darkness by Sam llewellyn – ★★★★★

Another great story, this one written in the form of a diary. Connecting events of the past and the present – I really enjoyed the ending. It was very intriguing, and the story telling was spot on. I wanted to know a bit more about the ghost in the end. 

9. The Ghost Walk by Matt Haig – ★★★★★

The Ghost Walk is my ultimate favorite. It is also the one story that I can’t say what it’s about without spoiling anything. But it was wonderful and it was intriguing. It kept me glued to the pages until the very end. It also gave me shivers a couple of times!. If you’re only going to read one story from this book, it should be this one. 

10. The Ghost Wood by Philip Reeve – ★★★★

So adorable and sad. Especially the ending. And another story that I won’t reveal the synopsis of. It was a bit slow at the beginning and too descriptive for my taste. But the ending made up for it. 

11. The Little Ship’s Boy by Berlie Doherty – ★★★★

Jez stays in Cornwall with his uncle and aunt. And there’s a story about a haunted ship that appears during big storms. But when Jez also sees a child, asking to be saved, he needs to do something. Filled with intensity and singing sailors, this story gave me the chills. There’s also a music sheet for the song as well, and I wish I was musically educated to be able to play it. 

Purchase Links:
Amazon UK
| Amazon US

Social Media:
| WishlistKo-fi | FacebookTwitterGoodreadsInstagramPinterest |

Book Review · Books

After (After #1) by Anna Todd [BOOK REVIEW]

After by Anna Todd [BOOK REVIEW]

After by Anna Todd is the perfect teenage romance book.

★★★★

I know I’m late to the After party. But hey, better late than never! I started After by Anna Todd in the evening, then stayed up all night because I had to finish it. And then, I begged my teen sister for the second book. She kindly agreed to give the book to me. I hope she doesn’t change her mind just to torture me. We’ll have to see how this unravels. 

Synopsis:

Tessa is just starting college, and she’s got everything planned. In one year, her boyfriend Noah will join her as well. But then she meets her wild roommate Steph as well as the incredibly rude guy with a British accent, Hardin. And everything changes!

My Thoughts:

Tessa is a good girl and she doesn’t do parties and short dresses. And she goes to a party with Steph and something changes. She can’t look away. Harding is doing something to her and she can barely resist. But she has a boyfriend. And also, everything she has a good moment with Hardin, two bad ones follow. Hardin is toxic, and Tessa hurts him in return as well. Also, their communication has to improve. Not the mention how the whole boyfriend situation was handled. 

Honestly, I thought my opinions would be conflicting. But they’re not. I really enjoyed the book and I’m looking forward to the second one. Also, I know Hardin is based on Harry Styles, but while I was reading the book, he didn’t once cross my mind. I also often have fantasies about celebrities, I just don’t happen to write them. Honestly, it’s not a big deal. 

My only worry was that teens might see Hardin’s toxic side and think that’s how a girl should be treated. But that would mean underestimating the girls out there. Even in the book, Tessa was aware Hardin’s behaviour was not okay, which is why she reacted the way she did. The facts she would return only meant that she had feelings for him. Their relationship has more issues than good parts, but in all honesty, when I think about my high school days, it was that way for me too. I didn’t handle things well. Sometimes I didn’t communicate well. I trusted people I shouldn’t have trusted. And that’s the beauty of this book. 

After by Anna Todd is the perfect teenage book.

It reminded me of my days of high school and uni. Attending parties I shouldn’t have and trusting people that didn’t deserve my trust. Handling relationships badly and having terrible ability to communicate. And this book brought all the excitement back and more. Fond and not so fond memories that reminded me that I have lived at the fullest. 

In the next book, I do hope that their relationship improves. I hope Hardin grows up and Tessa communicates to him, instead of hurting him back. Also, I hope Tessa fixes her relationship with her mother as well, even though her mother needs to work on her own biases as well. I also hope that the dramas continue as well – I really love them. 

After by Anna Todd was a very refreshing read for me, because I don’t usually read teen romance anymore. I really hope I read it sooner, and I think I should get back to this genre as well. It kept me intrigued and hooked all the way through, and I certainly recommend it. 

P.S. If you want a good boy Hardin, watch the movie instead of reading the book. But don’t expect too much. It could’ve used a more “”bad boy” looking actor as well. Sorry, Hero, it’s nothing personal. You’re just not the Hardin I imagined. 

Purchase Links:
Amazon UK
| Amazon US

Social Media:
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Books · Monthly Tags

November 2020 Book Releases I’m Excited About

Hello, lovely people!
This November Book Releases post is the first post of its kind, but it was requested by so many of you.

November seems the perfect month to start this. It’s my birthday month, and usually a month where I’m excited about many things. Mostly, my birthday presents. But also winter. Usually it snows in November in Macedonia, and I am hoping it might snow in the UK as well. And also – November is just one month away from Christmas, so that makes me excited too!

But this time, we’ll talk about books. Books that are going to be published in November that I am personally excited about. I will be reading a few of these in November, so stay tuned for my updates. Let’s get to the list, shall we?

1. The Searcher by Tana French

Publishing Date: 05th November 2020
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
Why I’m Excited: I haven’t read a Tana French book before, but I already have two on my shelves, and this book has been receiving a lot of hype, and it makes me wonder why people love Tana’s mysteries so much. Also, the setting of a remote Irish house in the mountains seems like a perfect setting to start a cold day wrapped it a blanket.

Synopsis:

Cal Hooper thought a fixer-upper in a remote Irish village would be the perfect escape. After twenty-five years in the Chicago police force, and a bruising divorce, he just wants to build a new life in a pretty spot with a good pub where nothing much happens.

But then a local kid comes looking for his help. His brother has gone missing, and no one, least of all the police, seems to care. Cal wants nothing to do with any kind of investigation, but somehow he can’t make himself walk away.

Soon Cal will discover that even in the most idyllic small town, secrets lie hidden, people aren’t always what they seem, and trouble can come calling at his door.

Our greatest living mystery writer weaves a masterful tale of breath-taking beauty and suspense, asking how we decide what’s right and wrong in a world where neither is simple, and what we risk if we fail.

Purchase Links:
Amazon UK |Amazon US |

2. The Silent Stars Go By by Sally Nicholls

Publishing Date: 5th November 2020
Genre: Historical Fiction
Why I’m Excited: I don’t always read historical fiction, but this synopsis captured my heart. I love emotional stories and they are my way of escapism. The cover is also beautiful, and I think this will be a truly lovely read, full with emotions!

Synopsis:

Seventeen-year-old Margot Allan was a respectable vicar’s daughter and madly in love with her fiance Harry. But when Harry was reported Missing in Action from the Western Front, and Margot realised she was expecting his child, there was only one solution she and her family could think of in order to keep that respectability. She gave up James, her baby son, to be adopted by her parents and brought up as her younger brother.

Now two years later the whole family is gathering at the Vicarage for Christmas. It’s heartbreaking for Margot being so close to James but unable to tell him who he really is. But on top of that, Harry is also back in the village. Released from captivity in Germany and recuperated from illness, he’s come home and wants answers. Why has Margot seemingly broken off their engagement and not replied to his letters? Margot knows she owes him an explanation. But can she really tell him the truth about James?

Purchase Links:
Amazon UK |

3. Ready Player Two (Ready Player One #2) by Ernest Cline

Publishing Date: 24th November 2020
Genre: Science fiction, Young-Adult, Fantasy
Why I’m Excited: I loved Ready Player One and at first I was surprised there was a second book coming. Read my review of Ready Player One HERE. The first book could easily go as a standalone. But this also means there’s another opportunity to five into the virtual world Ernest Cline made, and the gamer in me screams YES!

Synopsis:

An unexpected quest. Two worlds at stake. Are you ready?

Days after Oasis founder James Halliday’s contest, Wade Watts makes a discovery that changes everything. Hidden within Halliday’s vault, waiting for his heir to find, lies a technological advancement that will once again change the world and make the Oasis a thousand times more wondrous, and addictive, than even Wade dreamed possible. With it comes a new riddle and a new quest. A last Easter egg from Halliday, hinting at a mysterious prize. And an unexpected, impossibly powerful, and dangerous new rival awaits, one who will kill millions to get what he wants. Wade’s life and the future of the Oasis are again at stake, but this time the fate of humanity also hangs in the balance.

Lovingly nostalgic and wildly original as only Ernest Cline could conceive it, Ready Player Two takes us on another imaginative, fun, action packed adventure through his beloved virtual universe, and jolts us thrillingly into the future once again.

Purchase Links:
Amazon UK |Amazon US |

4. How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories (The Folk of the Air #3.5) by Holly Black

Publishing Date: 24th November 2020
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Why I’m Excited: This book is a spin-off from the Folk of the Air series. I loved the Cruel Prince so much – read my review HERE! And this is a book that features our loved/hated character Cardan, and I just cannot miss this one.

Synopsis:

Once upon a time, there was a boy with a wicked tongue.

Before he was a cruel prince or a wicked king, he was a faerie child with a heart of stone . #1 New York Times bestselling author, Holly Black reveals a deeper look into the dramatic life of Elfhame’s enigmatic high king, Cardan. This tale includes delicious details of life before The Cruel Prince, an adventure beyond The Queen of Nothing, and familiar moments from The Folk of the Air trilogy, told wholly from Cardan’s perspective.

This new installment in the Folk of the Air series is a return to the heart-racing romance, danger, humor, and drama that enchanted readers everywhere. Each chapter is paired with lavish and luminous full-color art, making this the perfect collector’s item to be enjoyed by both new audiences and old.

Purchase Links:
Amazon UK |Amazon US |

5. The Awakening (The Dragon Heart Legacy #1) by Nora Roberts

Publishing Date: 24th November 2020
Genre: Fantasy, Fiction, Romance
Why I’m Excited: I have read a couple of books from Nora Roberts, and she never fails to impress me. I don’t recall reading fantasy books by her before, but the synopsis looks promising, and I already know I love her writing style. I am extremely excited about this one!

Synopsis:

In the realm of Talamh, a teenage warrior named Keegan emerges from a lake holding a sword—representing both power and the terrifying responsibility to protect the Fey. In another realm known as Philadelphia, a young woman has just discovered she possesses a treasure of her own…

When Breen Kelly was a girl, her father would tell her stories of magical places. Now she’s an anxious twentysomething mired in student debt and working a job she hates. But one day she stumbles upon a shocking discovery: her mother has been hiding an investment account in her name. It has been funded by her long-lost father—and it’s worth nearly four million dollars.

This newfound fortune would be life-changing for anyone. But little does Breen know that when she uses some of the money to journey to Ireland, it will unlock mysteries she couldn’t have imagined. Here, she will begin to understand why she kept seeing that silver-haired, elusive man, why she imagined his voice in her head saying Come home, Breen Siobhan. It’s time you came home. Why she dreamed of dragons. And where her true destiny lies—through a portal in Galway that takes her to a land of faeries and mermaids, to a man named Keegan, and to the courage in her own heart that will guide her through a powerful, dangerous destiny…

Purchase Links:
Amazon UK |Amazon US |

6. These Violent Delights (These Violent Delights #1) by Chloe Gong

Publishing Date: 17th November
Genre: Historical Fiction, Young Adult Fantasy
Why I’m Excited: This is a Romeo and Juliet re-telling set in Shanghai, and something about this makes me eager to read it. Also – the cover is beautiful!

Synopsis:

The year is 1926, and Shanghai hums to the tune of debauchery.

A blood feud between two gangs runs the streets red, leaving the city helpless in the grip of chaos. At the heart of it all is eighteen-year-old Juliette Cai, a former flapper who has returned to assume her role as the proud heir of the Scarlet Gang—a network of criminals far above the law. Their only rivals in power are the White Flowers, who have fought the Scarlets for generations. And behind every move is their heir, Roma Montagov, Juliette’s first love…and first betrayal.

But when gangsters on both sides show signs of instability culminating in clawing their own throats out, the people start to whisper. Of a contagion, a madness. Of a monster in the shadows. As the deaths stack up, Juliette and Roma must set their guns—and grudges—aside and work together, for if they can’t stop this mayhem, then there will be no city left for either to rule. 

Purchase Links:
Amazon UK |Amazon US |

7. One by One by Ruth Ware

Publishing Date: 12th November 2020
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
Why I’m Excited: The setting of a rustic mountain chalet – we already established how much I love this. And then, on top of it, we have a corporate mystery – and I am so intrigued.

Synopsis:

Getting snowed in at a beautiful, rustic mountain chalet doesn’t sound like the worst problem in the world, especially when there’s a breathtaking vista, a cozy fire, and company to keep you warm. But what happens when that company is eight of your coworkers…and you can’t trust any of them?

When an off-site company retreat meant to promote mindfulness and collaboration goes utterly wrong when an avalanche hits, the corporate food chain becomes irrelevant and survival trumps togetherness. Come Monday morning, how many members short will the team be?

Purchase Links:
Amazon UK |Amazon US |

8. Spellbreaker (Spellbreaker Duology #1)  by Charlie N. Holmberg  

Publishing Date: 1st November 2020
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Magic
Why I’m Excited: I don’t know why, but this book gives me The Night Circus vibes. There’s magic, two sides of the story, good versus evil and a possible romance. And I’m all here for it.

Synopsis:

A world of enchanted injustice needs a disenchanting woman in the newest fantasy series by the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Paper Magician.

The orphaned Elsie Camden learned as a girl that there were two kinds of wizards in the world: those who pay for the power to cast spells and those, like her, born with the ability to break them. But as an unlicensed magic user, her gift is a crime. Commissioned by an underground group known as the Cowls, Elsie uses her spellbreaking to push back against the aristocrats and help the common man. She always did love the tale of Robin Hood.

Elite magic user Bacchus Kelsey is one elusive spell away from his mastership when he catches Elsie breaking an enchantment. To protect her secret, Elsie strikes a bargain. She’ll help Bacchus fix unruly spells around his estate if he doesn’t turn her in. Working together, Elsie’s trust in—and fondness for—the handsome stranger grows. So does her trepidation about the rise in the murders of wizards and the theft of the spellbooks their bodies leave behind.

For a rogue spellbreaker like Elsie, there’s so much to learn about her powers, her family, the intriguing Bacchus, and the untold dangers shadowing every step of a journey she’s destined to complete. But will she uncover the mystery before it’s too late to save everything she loves?

Purchase Links:
Amazon UK |Amazon US |

And there we have them – books coming out in November 2020 that I am excited about! Please note that these are my thoughts, and among these titles there are also many others coming out next month as well. These are just a few that I’m excited about, based on my preferences.

What books are you excited about? And also – what other details would you like included in the next month’s edition? Let me know in the comments. 🙂

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Book Review · Books

Devil’s Mist by Liam Moiser [BOOK REVIEW]

★★

After reading Moore Field School and the Mystery by Liam Moiser, and not liking it very much, I was a bit wary about reading this book. But this book promised a campfire and a spooky story. And with Halloween season approaching, it was the perfect time to read it. It was short and enjoyable, and it’s a great book to read during this time. Even though it contained spooky elements, Devil’s Mist wasn’t spooky and intense enough for me.

Thank you to the author, Liam Moiser and LibraryThing, for sending a copy of this book my way, in exchange for my honest review.

Synopsis:

Rosie, Rosie’s father and Rosie’s friend Jenny go on a camping trip. When the dad tells the girls a spooky story about a missing girl, they don’t believe it too much. But their curiosity gets the better of them, and they head towards the lake to find the old house and the lake surrounded by mist. And then they realise – this story is probably true.

My Thoughts of Devil’s Mist:

Devil’s Mist started really good. It had a very spooky atmosphere, where the campfire and the telling of a scary story sets the pace. The mystery behind this missing girl in the story and the two curious friends looking for answers. But this is where the spooky atmosphere stops.

They come back to the city and a very intriguing plot twist takes place that puts Rosie in danger, as she uncovers more secrets that are connecting the past with the present. After this, the delivery and execution of this book was poor.

It was really intriguing to learn more about the mystery of the disappearance of Lucy. And to my disappointment, this was revealed early in the book, and we continued with Rosie’s storyline instead. I really enjoyed the camping trip setting. The lake, the mist and the abandoned house. But this setting only featured at the beginning, while the rest of the action mostly happens in the city.

I also feel like James’s character was not needed at all in this book.

I couldn’t care less about what happens to him. It seemed like his role was added more out of convenience than anything else. Jenny could have been a way more suitable alternative, and I would have actually cared about that part of the book then.

The curse and its story was intriguing, and I liked that part. It was introduced to us in a very peculiar way though. It was still intriguing, nevertheless.

Even though it contains spooky elements, Devil’s Mist wasn’t spooky and intense enough for me. However, I do think that younger audiences might enjoy it more, as I assume this is who it was written for in the first place. It is, however, an entertaining short story with mysterious and fantastical elements, and can be a good Halloween choice.

Purchase Links:
Amazon UK

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