Much like Nevermoor, this book took me longer to read than it should have done. I also actually now have two copies - I initially decided to wait for the paperback release because my copy of book one is a paperback proof, but as I adored this so much, I ordered the hardback copy of book three, and that's when I discovered the hardbacks for this series are works of ART. Beautiful bright endpapers, printed and foiled cover under the dustjacket... So I will be keeping the hardbacks in future.
Category: Book Reviews
BOOK REC: The Dress Shop of Dreams – Menna Van Praag
I'll be honest, I was intially drawn to this book because it was on a shelf with a full collection of other titles from the same author and publisher, all in the same style but in a rainbow of colours, and I had to be talked down from clearing the shelf because they looked so beautiful together. This is the second Allison and Busby book I've bought, and the other - Unmarriageable - is also stunning, so mad props to their cover designers. They're smashing it out of the park.
REVISITED: Friday’s Child – Georgette Heyer
This is the Heyer that I've been trying to find for ages, and every time I end up picking up Charity Girl instead and get frustrated. It's a similar set up of sorts, a young country gentleman in an impulsive mood stumbles across the poor cousin of a local family, and offers her shelter. Except in Friday's Child, the gentleman in question is in a bad mood because his childhood friend just turned down his proposal, so he decides to elope with the young waif he has acquired.
BOOK REC: The Burning God (Poppy War #3) – R.F. Kuang
I've been extremely excited about this book basically since finishing the last one. It's been a while since I've stumbled across a series as it was publishing where I had to literally wait a year between each book.
BOOK REC: Think of England – KJ Charles
Hello, can I interest you in some delightful gay romance, as a period novella, with some snappy dialogue, a mystery, and a bit of smut? Of course I can, the world is pretty miserable and you want nice things. You deserve it.
REVIEW: Foundation – Isaac Asimov
Asimov has become known as one of the greats of science fiction literature for decades. His catalogue is vast, and his awards collection equally so. He had a reputation for writing "hard" SFF, which always made me feel a little uneasy about starting his books, as someone who is not always super comfortable with hard SFF.
REVIEW: The Silent Patient – Alex Michaelides
The premise of this book fascinated me when I heard about it - a murderer who was unquestionably guilty, but who has been completely silent since the murder.
REVIEW: The Time Machine – H.G. Wells
I stumbled across The Island of Dr Moreau by H.G. Wells and thought it was wonderfully chilling. I never got around to reading The Time Machine, however, and given as lockdown has presented me with a lot more reading time than anticipated, I thought I'd seize the opportunity.
REVISITED: Lord of Light – Roger Zelazny
My dad and I didn't generally overlap on our reading tastes very often. He was always disappointed I couldn't get through Lord of the Rings, while I was shocked at his distaste for "that Pratchett man". There were a handful that we shared. The Incredible Journey was one, and Lord of Light was another.
REVIEW: Something Wicked This Way Comes – Ray Bradbury
Shamefully, I hadn't actually read any Ray Bradbury before picking up this book. In fact, while I knew the titles of some of his works, unlike Stephen King I didn't have any real knowledge of the content of any of his book either.