Anticipated Releases (July-September 2025)

 Hey guys, this is Abi here, 

And I'm here with my Anticipated Releases for the next three months! There aren't a huge quantity of books to talk about, but rest assured I am still very excited for them! 

I hope you enjoy reading about them. 

~July~

1. Sunburned, by Katherine Wood 

Release date: 1/7/2025

When Audrey's ex Tyson calls, after years of radio silence, threatening to expose the skeletons hiding in her closet unless she helps him figure out who is blackmailing him, Audrey wants to do nothing more than refuse. But a foot has washed up on the shore of Tyson's very succesful tech company, and if word gets out that it belongs to a person they both share a connection with, it could be- problematic, to say the least. 

But when Audrey arrives, purely to observe Tyson's household, and all the guests in it, she realises that everyone has motive to be killer. Could it be the gorgeous Belgian wife, whose wings he keeps clipped? Could it be the younger brother who has always been in Tyson's shadow? Any one of Tyson's guests would have good reason. And Audrey better figure who the culprit is- and fast- or she too, could be the next target. 

 This feels like a mix of Diana Urban's novels, the fiction genre (so not YA) and a bit of Karen McManus. I love both of those authors, so this definitely feels like a book that I'm going to enjoy. I just hope I actually pick it up. 

2. Clementine Book Three (Clementine #3), by Tillie Walden

Release date: 8/7/25

THE FINAL VOLUME IS BEING RELEASED. After an eight month delay, Clementine will finally be coming to a close. I'm not ready for this trilogy to end, but you can bet I'll be re-reading books 1 and 2 in anticipation of this release. 

I first played The Walking Dead series a decade ago, drawn in by the choices and the characters. Thoroughout, we see Clementine mature from a young girl, to an adult, trying to do her best by a child that no longer has any parents- much like herself in the early stages of the epidemic. 

When those games ended, I was overjoyed at reading more about what happens to Clementine beyond the videogames- and that's about to close. You can bet I'm going to be a blubbering mess when I reach this book's final pages. 

And then probably start the videogames all over again. 

Fairwell, Clementine. It's been nice to know you. 

3. Fast Boys and Pretty Girls, by Lo Patrick 

Release date: 8/7/25

Following a semi-successful career as a teen model, Danielle Greer has settled back home- to North Georgia, in the mountains- with her husband and four daughters. One stifling, lazy afternoon, when they are wandering the ravine behind her house, purely by chance, they come across a body. 

Well, Danielle knows who the body isn't, and that's Benji Law, the boyfriend that was killed in a motorcycle accident, on the main street off her house. 

So when a local police officer, Cady Benson, is called to investigate, Danielle's world is turned upside down, and she's thrust back into those dark, terrible days after Benji's death, and memories from that time start to resurface. 

They say you can never go home, once you leave for good. And sometimes, you shouldn't. 

Fast Boys and Pretty Girls jumps from two points in Danielle's life. Her life as a young girl, being spotted in small-town Goergia, and being catapulted in model-hood; and then when she's returned home with her husband and four daughters, in the home she grew up in, and all the events that unfold after uncovering the body. 

I like the sound of this, the style, how it jumps between time periods. I think it'll be an interesting read. I hope I enjoy it, as most of the Goodreads reviews are three stars. 

4. Codebreaker, by Jay Martel 

Release date: 22/7/25

Codebreaker stood out to me above a million other releases in July, purely because of the cover. It has that sheak late 90s- early 2000 film cover, like from Catch that Kid, or Panic Room that stands out to me above the rest. 

Aside from that, finding out that this book is basically a race to find something before the government, developed from a puzzle sent to the protagonist's (Mia's) fugitive father, has Codebreaker completely sold to me. 

Obviously, there's more to it than that. There's betrayal, from Mia's dad, after the Government officials sent to Mia's doorstep leave her without her mother, just weeks away from her seventeenth birthday. There's romance, with Logan, a charming hacker that helps Mia with outsmarting the Government, and helps her on the way to figure out the most well-kept secrets across American History. 

Basically, what else could you ask for?

5. Not Quite Dead Yet, by Holly Jackson 

Relkease date: 22/7/25

The #1 New York Times bestselling author Holly Jackson- author of A Good Girl's Guide to Murder gives you her first Adult thriller- a race against the clock to solve her own murder. 

In seven days Jet Mason will be dead. 

The doctors are convinced that the catastrophic head injury she suffered will, in the space of a week, turn into a brain aneurysm, and that means she's out of time. 

But first, she is going to solve it. She's going to find out who killed her. 

I've never read a Holly Jackson book, but I have watched A Good Girl's Guide to Murder- and that's enough to make me want to read some of her work. I can't wait for this to be released. 

~August~

1. Too Old For This, by Samantha Downing

Release date: 12/8/25

I don't really think I need to say more than this: 

• Retired serial killer Lottie, changed her identity and tucked herself away in a small-town, the smaller the better. 
• Hasn't been tempted for over 20 years. Her most exciting times are bingo nights with her friends, round the club. 
• Until investigator journalist Plum Dixon comes knocking, asking her questions about her involvement in past, unsolved cases. Lottie can't have that. 
• Murder is hard enough when you're young. But when Lottie receives another annoying knock at the door, she thinks that this might just be the death of her. 
• 
  

2. Hemlock and Silver, by T. Kingfisher

Release date: 19/8/25

From the Hugo award winner, T. Kingfisher, comes the latest dark 'Snow White' retelling, dripping in poison, treasion and intrigued. 

Healer Anja regularly drinks poison. 

Not to die- but to find cures that everyone but she has more or less given up on. 

When she's approached by none other, but the King himself. 

His daughter, Snow, is dying, and nothing seems to be able to cure her. And the King is even willing to try Anja's unorthordox methods to save her. 

Aided by a taciturn guard, a narcisstic cat, and a passion for the scientist method, Anja rushes to aid the princess, but alas, nothing seems to work. Until she comes across a hidden world, delved deep inside a magic mirror. This dark realm may hold the key to what is making Snow sick. 

Or it might contain something that could kill them all. 

T. Kingfisher's books seem to be everywhere, all at once. I could of sworn that I've seen two releases when I was looking through the endless books that are being released. I've even seen one in the Waterstones I wandered into last week. 

Also, it's been ages since I've read a retelling- and this one looks like one I can sink my teeth into- I'm excited. 

3. Katabasis, by R.F. Kuang

Release date: 26/8/25

This could be R.F. Kuang's shopping list for all I care. Her stories are always immense, and I only have one left until I've read the lot. This could not have come at a better time. 

There's no better way to explain this story, than to quote it. So here's the Goodreads blurb:

"Two graduate students must put aside their rivalry and jounrey to hell to save their professor's 

soul, perhaps at the cost of their own. 

Alice Law has only ever had one goal: to become one of the brightest minds in the field of Magick. 

She has sacrificed everything to make that a reality- her pride, her health, her love life, and most

definitely her sanity. All to work with Professor Jacob Grimes at Cambridge, the greatest magician in 

the world- that is, until he dies in a magical accident that could possibly be her fault. 

Grimes is now in Hell, and she's going in after him. Because his recommendation could hold her

very future in his now incorporeal hands, and even death is not going to stop the pursuit of her

dreams. Nor will the fact that her rival, Peter Murdock, has come to the same conclusion." 

So what I'm getting is a dark academia, rivales, and an epic journey into hell. If I'm not gifted for this book for my birthday I'm sure as hell walking into the shop the next day and purchasing it. 

4. The Secret Book Society, by Madeline Martin 

Release date: 26/8/25

Eleanor Clarke- a devoted mother, suffering under the hands of her tyranny husband. 

Rose Wharton- an american dollar princess, struggling to conform to her new life as an aristocratic wife. 

Lavinia Cavendish- an artistic young woman, haunted by a family secret. 

Under the pretence of Lady Duxbury's afternoon tea, in her home, they all find safety, and security, free to speak their long buried thoughts. As the women form deep, heart-warming friendships, they uncover secrets about their marriages, their pasts, and the risks they take. But they are all drawn to Lady Duxbury, the thrice widdowed wife, whose untimely deaths have often led to whispers of murder. 

As secrets are uncovered, within the Secret Book Society, their courage is their only weapon in the oppressive world that has kept them silent, but when the secrets turn serious, one misstep could cost them everything. 

You know, every book that I add to the list, I want to read. Every single time (I mean duh, that's why it's called Anticipated Releases, Abigail), but I also have to stomach the fact that I'm probably not going to get to all of them. But at this precise moment, this is the book that I want to read the most. That might change after the next one. Or the one after that. But right now, The Secret Book Society is the most interesting one to me. 

~September~ 

1. Among the Burning Flowers (The Roots of Chaos #0.5), by Samantha Shannon 

Release date: 11/9/25 (UK)

A SHORTER PREQUEL TO PRIORY!

I've mostly forgotten Priory of the Orange Tree, but since this comes first, I won't even need to read anything in preparation for this release! 

*After research*

Okay, so maybe I should read A Day of Fallen Night first since it takes place more or less 200 years before Among the Burning Flowers begins. 

But still- time to pick up a Samantha Shannon book again! 

I couldn't be more thrilled. 

2. Slashed Beauties, by A. Rushby 

Release date: 23/9/25

This book has so many details to it, I don't think a summary will do it justice. So I'm just going to quote the blurb again. 

"A gothic feminist body horror in two timelines revolving around three Anatomical Venuses- ultrarealistic wax figures of women- that come to life at night to murder men who have wronged

them 

Souel, present day. Antiques dealer Alys's task is nearly complete. She has at last secured Elizabeth, 

the third and final Anatomical Venus. Crafted in eighteenth-century London and modeled after real-life

sex workers to entice male medical students, these eerie wax figures, known as Slashed

beauties, carry unsavory lore. Legend has it that the figures are bewitched, and come to life at night, 

to murder men who have wronged them. Now Alys embarks for England, where she knows what

she must sever her cursed connection to the Venuses once and for all. 

London, 1763. Abandoned and penniless in Covent Garden, wide-eyed Eleanor and another young woman, Emily, are taken under the wing of beautiful and beguiling Elizabeth, one of the city’s most highly desired courtesans among the rich and powerful. But as Eleanor is seduced deeper into a web of money, materialism, and men, it seems that Elizabeth may not be the savior she appears to be.

As the timelines begin to intersect, it becomes clear that the women’s stories are linked in deeper, darker ways than it initially seems. And that the only method for Alys to end the witchcraft that binds her legacy is to gather all three models in one place and destroy them."

The closest comparison I have to this book is probably The Miniaturist, by Jessie Burton. Based in Victorian times, it tells the story of a newly married bride, who is them shipped off to her wealthy merchant husband's house, and as a home-coming gift, is given an exact replica of the house, complete with furnishings and characters. 

But that in no way is a comparison to the blood thirsty telling of the sex workers in victorian times, or the wax figures coming to life and making off with the men that have done them wrong. I can honestly say that I have never come across a book such as this one. I can honestly say that I am very much looking forward to seeing this in bookstores. 

Okay! Those are all the books I am anticipating in the next three months! If you have any releases that you're looking forward to, feel free to let me know in comments (especially if it's on this list). 

I hope you all have a wonderful evening, and I'll be seeing you soon! 

Byeeee! 

-Abi xxxxxx

June TBR (2025)

 Hey guys, this is Abi here, 

And this month's TBR is going to be a little on the short side. Mainly because I have no idea what I'm going to be reading for one week in the year!

I've decided that when I get to Whitby I'm just going to go into the bookshop and pick up whatever I fancy. I have a few books I'd like to start, but we'll see if something new catches my eye. It's the point of the exercise after all. 

I will (hopefully) be finishing a couple of series this month, if all goes to plan, but they'll be a couple of other ones I'm thinking about as well. 

Without further ado, I hope you enjoy my June TBR. 

1. Mockingjay (The Hunger Games #3), by Suzanne Collins

It's weird to think I only started book 1 last wednesday, but here we are. There was no way I wasn't prioritising this with ever ambitous reading challenge gaining, especially after soaring through the first two books. I know most people don't tend to like this as much as the first two, due to the different direction it takes, but I happen to like this one almost as much as the first two. Hoping I'll be able to finish it by the end of the week, or thereabouts. 

2. The Earthsea Quartet (Earthsea Cycle #1-4), by Ursula K. Le Guin 

Originally, the plan was to try and finish Mockingjay before leaving for Whitby, but given how I've been flying through the series, I'm going to risk adding this into the mix. Earthsea is one of those classic fantasy series' that everybody seems to have heard of, but I actually know nobody that has read it. If I'm not able to finish this before the 16th, which is likely, because it has a page count in the high 600s, then I'm hoping I'll be able to get to the end of one of short stories, to continue at the end of the holiday. 

Earthsea follows a character called Ged, right from when he is a young boy, being shipped to the island of Roke to learn the true nature of magic, to when he is a man, when true magic and ancient ways are forced to submit to the powers of evil and death. 

I'm eager to follow young Ged's story, and read the quartet that rivals Tolkien's work (it's on the blurb).

WHITBY PLACE HOLDER

Top considerations:

1. The Nightingale, by Kristin Hannah 

2. Beartown (Beartown #1), by Fredrik Backman 

3. Wolf Hall (Thomas Cromwell #1), by Hilary Mantel 

4. Strangers in Time, by David Baldacci 

3. The Grim Grotto (A Series of Unfortunate Events #11), by Lemony Snicket 

4. The Penultimate Peril (A Series of Unfortunate Events #12), by Lemony Snicket 

5. The End (A Series of Unfortunate Events #13), by Lemony Snicket 

The final three books of A Series of Unfortunate Events. Of course, all good things much come to an end, but I doubt I'd ever get tired of reading about the Baudelaire children. These last three books are full of surprises, but I can safely say that Count Olaf chasing the Baudelaire's fortune will come to an end. It's been great getting to re-emerge myself back into the story of these incredible children, and I know I will be thinking about them, long after I close the last page. 

6. Fight Club, by Chuck Palahniuk

Okay, never seen the film, didn't even realise there was a book until I was given a Book Bucket List poster for my birthday a couple of years ago. Now, I'm determined for it to be the next book I tick off on that poster. I mean to watch the film at some points, but because old habits die hard, I'm reading the book first. I have no idea of what this is about, other than fight club and absent fathers, but I'm excited to finally commit to this iconic book. 

Okay! Turns out this TBR didn't turn out that short after all! I'm cutting it at 6 books because I have no idea how much reading I'll get done in Whitby, but these are the books I'll be prioritising for the rest of the month. 

I hope you have a wonderful evening, and I'll be back soon with my Anticipated Releases post for the next three months! 

Byeeeee! 

-Abi xxxxx

May Wrap Up (2025)

 Hey guys, this is Abi here, 

And since it's the end of the month, it's time for the May Wrap Up! 

I haven't read a whole lot this month, but I definitely feel I finished the month strong, after reading my final read in just 4 days. Hopefully I can carry this through into June, and pick up some nice books on holiday too! (Whitby bookshop is absolutely stunning and I can't wait to see what I'm in the mood for.)

I read a total of five books, and although four of them were re-reads, they were all well loved. 

Without further ado, I hope you enjoy my wrap-up! 

1. The Wake-Up Call, by Beth O' Leary 

I finally finished this! I've actually lost count how many times I've tacked this book on at the end of a monthly TBR, knowing full well, I probably won't get to it. So this month, I prioritised it more than anything else. To nobody's surprise, I absolutely loved it. I flew through it in 5 days, and it easily could have been four. It's been such a long time since I read a Beth O' Leary book, and it was fantastic to be able to get sucked straight back in. 

The Wake-Up Call is about Izzy and Lucas, who love their jobs at Forest Manor Hall- the hotel that's crumbling around them. It won't stay open past christmas without some sort of miracle- but they may have just stumbled across one. After Izzy manages to locate the owner of a lost engagement ring, an idea sparks- if they can relocate the owner of the four engagement rings that currently reside in their lost and found, they might just save the hotel. 

There's only one issue- to achieve this, Izzy and Lucas will have to work together. And that is something they don't want. Especially when there are unwanted feelings bubbling underneath the surface. 

2. The Vile Village (A Series of Unfortunate Events #7), by Lemony Snicket 

3. The Hostile Hospital (A Series of Unfortunate Events #8), by Lemony Snicket 

4. The Carnivorous Carnival (A Series of Unfortunate Events #9), by Lemony Snicket 

 

Surprisingly, enjoyed these three more and more the further I got. 

I will always enjoy The Hostile Hospital because it was the first of this series that I picked up, before I started right from the very beginning. It's definitely not the book that moves the story the most, plot wise, but it will always hold a special place for me. 

The Carnivorous Carnival surprised me the most. Before this read through, I always remembered this one as the book I needed to get through, to get to The Slippery Slope, because I knew about a plot twist. But with this read through, I found it drew me in the most out of the three books read this month. 

What can I say about The Slippery Slope? I loved the focus on Sunny, and reading about her as a capable girl, rather than an infant. We get more answers in this one as well, but also more questions. From The Slippery Slope onwards, things get real. I can immediately tell that the next three books are gearing up for an amazing finale-book 13 (because there's a jump between consistent 250 page book, all the way up to 330-ish pages). Excited to continue reading for The Slippery Slope. 

5. The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games #1), by Suzanne Collins

Before I decided to pick this up, the plan was to continue on with A Series of Unfortunate Events (the next book is The Grim Grotto), and carry on until I finished. However, I found that I wasn't interested, when I tried to start it. So, making a split decision, I decided to pick this up, in the hope that I could finish it before the month is out. At 454 pages, that's no small feat. 

But somehow I managed it! I read every spare moment I had, I made it a priority, and what's more, I'm eager to pick up Catching Fire as soon as I can. 

I always knew I would be picking this up at some point, because of SOTR, and all the film casting reveals, but reading it was so much better/ worse (because of the connections between the two books) but I'm so glad I delved back into this again, and read Katniss' story with fresh eyes. 

Okay! Those are all of the books I read in May! I will be back with my June TBR soon, though it definitely won't hold as many as this month (I'm going to Whitby blind as for what I'll be in the mood for.) 

Feel free to comment down below what books/films/tv shows you picked up this month, and we can chat about it! 

I hope you have a wonderful afternoon and I'll see you all soon! 

Byeeee! 

-Abi xxxxxx

Emerging Fiction Authors

 Hey guys, this is Abi here, 

And I'm back with something I haven't done in a really long time- a book list! 

I want to start bringing more of these back, as a way to start motivated to post. 

I thought I'd start with something easy- I've read a ton of fiction authors recently, and this is the list of authors, whose books I can't seem to forget about. 

I hope you enjoy it. 

Now, fiction is, admittedly, quite a varied genre. There's romance and historical fiction thrown into this genre, which is why I'm starting with it. 

This list is in no particular order by the way. 

1. Lucinda Riley 

If you're new to this blog, you might not be aware that for the best part of two years, I was up to my eyeballs in Lucinda Riley's books: first her seven sisters series, then her many standalones- 18 books in total. My work colleague was nice enough to lend them all to me. Although it's pretty unlikely, since Lucinda Riley passed away four years ago, and for her past two released novels, her son Harry edited and released them. 

Every book made me that much more obsessed with Lucinda Riley's story-telling, her romance, how accurate the time and place was like, since most of Lucinda Riley's novels had some degree of historical fiction to them. 

I thoroughly enjoyed all of her novels, and I know that the world has lost a great talent. 

Published novels: 

The Seven Sisters series':

2. Beth O' Leary 

As soon as I hear about a new Beth O' Leary book, I immediately add it to my mental TBR list. There have been some points where I've had a couple of her books ready, for when I feel in the mood to read them. Because I know that time will come, and that I will definitely love them. I currently have The No-Show on standby, for when I want to pick it up, and Swept Away will be out at some point between now and the end of June. 

Published books:

1. The FlatShare (read)

2. The Switch (read)

3. The No-Show (on standby)

4. The Road Trip (read)

5. The Wake-Up Call (read)

6. Swept Away (to be released soon)

3. Taylor Jenkins-Reid 

Although it's very discreet, because all of Taylor Jenkins-Reid's books are complete opposite in story, part of what keeps me intrigued in her books, is that they all take place in the same universe, and one character from each book will inevitably make a cameo in another of her novels. Her next novel, Atmosphere follows an all female team, making their way into space, and I have no clue with character is going to show up in this one. 

My first of her books I had the pleasure of picking up was Daisy Jones and the Six, which is a book comprised of a multitude of interviews and articles from the band, as well as their staff, friends and family. I listened to the audiobook, and I can confidently say that it was probably the best audiobook I have listened to, to date. 

Published books:

1. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo (read)

2. Evidence of the Affair

3. Daisy Jones and the Six (read)

4. Malibu Rising (read)

5. Carrie Soto is Back (read)

4. Marian Keyes

I'm extrmely late to the Marian Keyes, given I've read a total of 2 of her books. But, despite reading Grown Ups over two years ago, it's still a book that has stuck with me, and every once in a while, I get the urge to go back and read it over again. 

Since then I've only picked up Rachel's Holiday, the second book in The Walsh Family series, and now I'm on the hunt to read yet more, from this amazing author. Her complete publicated works are:

The Walsh Family series':

1. Watermelon

2. Rachel's Holiday (read)

3. Angels

4. Anybody Out There? 

5. The Mystery of Mercy Close

6. Mammy Walsh's A-Z of the Walsh Family 

7. Again, Rachel 

8. My Favourite Mistake

9. Sushi for Beginners

10. Grown Ups (read)

11. Lucy Sullivan is Getting Married

12. The Other Side of the Story 

13. Last Chance Saloon 

14. This Charming Man 

15. The Break 

16. The Brightest Star in the Sky 

17. The Woman Who Stole my Life

18. Under the Duvet 

19. Cracks in my Foundation 

20. Further Under the Duvet 

21. Making it up as I Go Along 

22. No Dress Rehearsal 

23. Saved by Cake

24. Nothing Bad Ever Happens in Tiffany's 

Clearly, I have some catching up to do. 

5. Kristin Hannah 

Another author that I've always wanted to read more of- that solidified when I got stuck in with her latest release: The Women, which is about the nurses of the Vietnam War. Partly during the war, experiencing the horrors the nurses faced on a daily basis, then partly afterwards, coming home and realising that people think what she set out to do was embarrasing and hidden, or even worse, being denied the acknowledgment that she was even there at all. 

I've only read the one book by Kristin Hannah, but there's no doubt in my mind, it won't be long until I'm packing up The Nightingale and Firefly Lane. 

Published works:

1. The Nightingale

2. Firefly Lane

3. Fly Away 

4. The Women (read)

5. The Great Alone

6. The Four Winds

7. Winter Garden 

8. Night Road

9. Home Front

10. Magic Hour

11. True Colours 

12. Between Sisters

13. Summer Island

14. The Things We Do For Love

15. On Mystic Lake

16. Angel Falls

17. Comfort & Joy 

18. Distant Shores 

19. Home Again 

20. If You Believe

21. Waiting for the Moon 

22. Once in Every Life 

23. The Glass Case

24. When Lightning Strikes

25. The Enchantment

26. A Handful of Heaven 

6. Fredrik Backman 

Again, I've only read two books of his, and probably the shortest two, as one was only about 75 pages, but much like the rest of the world, I fell in love after reading A Man Called Ove. He has a new book out in the next couple of months, it's on my Anticipated Releases post, and honestly, I can't stop thinking about his work. If you're interested, you can read all of my in-depth thoughts for A Man Called Ove, the link for my review is in the title. But let it be known that it's been two years since I read it, and I find I'm thinking about it most day, still. 

His published work includes:

Beartown trilogy:

1. Beartown 

2. Us Against You 

3. The Winners

4. A Man Called Ove (read)

5. Anxious People 

6. My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry 

7. Britt-Marie Was Here

8. And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer

9. The Answer is No 

10. The Deal of A Lifetime (read)

11. Things My Son Needs to Know About the World 

12. My Friends

13. Sebastian and the Troll 

Okay! That completes the list of emerging fiction authors thst currently reside in my brain :-) . I know you all have your personal list in your brain, so pleasure share them with me in the comments. 

That concludes today's post, but I'll be seeing you all soon with my Monthly Wrap Up. I hope you have a wonderful day and I'll see you all soon! 

Byeeeee! 

-Abi xxxxx

April Wrap Up & May TBR (2025)

 Hey guys, this is Abi here, 

And since most of my month has mostly been re-reads, I will be including my TBR for May as well- which means I'm in this for the long haul! 

I don't really have anything else to say so, without further ado, I hope you enjoy. 

~April Wrap Up~

I read a total of 7 books in April, and frankly, I needed a good reading month, since I was struggling to keep up with my Goodreads goal- thankfully I'm now a book ahead and plan to keep it that way. 

1. Rachel's Holiday (Walsh Family #2), by Marian Keyes

What do I say about this book? Fantastic. Gripping. Emotional. It may have taken me over a fortnight to finish, but I felt so satisfied when I did. Rachel's Holiday tells her story of being admitted into a Rehab centre, in denial that her drug habit is completely normal. When she's dropped off, she plans to treat it all as some big holiday- just a break, in a centre that has a Spa, Gym, and celebrities in every room. She's in for quite a shock. Instead, she finds herself in a facility that has no secrets, no spa, no pool, and worse of all, not a single celebrity.  As she's forced to endure the public humiliation of forms, filled out by the people that have seen her drug problem first hand read out in front of the entire group, interviews in Group from her family and loved ones, she finally see for herself through the eyes of others. 

I asked for this book as a present about a year ago, unaware that it was the second book in a series. I've since found out, after starting Rachel's holiday, that she has two sisters, and each book in the series centres around a different sisters, so they can really be read in any order. 

Marian Keyes is an excellent writer, and one I always knew I wanted to continue reading after I finished Grown Ups- I've already seen Watermelon, the first book in the Walsh Family trilogy, in Asda, and I intend to read it before too long. 

2. Slated (Slated #1), by Teri Terry 

3. Fractured (Slated #2), by Teri Terry 

4. Shattered (Slated #3), by Teri Terry 

On my TBR, I hadn't decided between re-reading Slated, or The Hunger Games. Honestly, when I finished Rachel's Holiday, there was only one book I wanted to read. 

I finished Slated in 2 days, I was that invested in it. 

Slated is, and probably always will be, one of my favourite series' of all time. I read it for the first time when I was 15, and still to this day, I have never read a book like it. Slated is from the POV of Kyla- who has no idea who she is. The Government claim she was a terrorist. Because of this, she has been slated- given a second chance- all of her memories have been wiped away, and she's been given a new life, with a new family. 

But Kyla remembers things- memories that don't make sense, from her past life. She knows someone- someone close to her- is lying to her. Who can she trust in her search for the truth?

Such a fantastic trilogy- I was so happy to read them all again, straight through. I finished them all in 9 days. 

5. The Austere Academy (A Series of Unfortunate Events #5), by Lemony Snicket 

6. The Ersatz Elevator (A Series of Unfortunate Events #6), by Lemony Snicket 

7. The Vile Village (A Series of Unfortunate Events #7), by Lemony Snicket

 

It was such a joy to get to these three books- The Austere Academy in particular introduces the reader to three very important characters- 2/3 of the Quagmire triplets. The triplets serve as a source of comfort for the Baudelaires, that have had nothing but misery since the death of their parents. The Quagmires are like them- orphans, with a large inheritence, and just longing for some comfort. From The Austere Academy onwards, the story changes from the somewhat repetitive storyline of the first four books, as the Baudelaires try to uncover the secret of V.F.D, outsmart Count Olaf, and get their new found friends to safety. But the more information the Baudelaires uncover, the more questions arise. The next book in the series is called The Hostile Hospital, and it also happens to be the first book I read in the series. I'm so excited to get to it. 

Okay! Those are all the books I read in the month of April! Like I said, mostly re-reads, but they needed to be if I'm ever going to be successful in my reading goal for the year. Now that I'm a book ahead, I'm going to try and fit more new reads into my TBR- even though I'll still be continuing on with A Series of Unfortunate Events for the next couple of months. 

~May TBR~

1. Howl's Moving Castle, by Diana Wynne Jones

My colleague Kia lent this to me- which was so nice since she received it as a birthday present. I started it on tuesday, and I'm 16 pages in due to work and having no free time. 

When I was given it, I knew the name sounded familiar, maybe it was the name of an anime- I wasn't sure though. Turns out, I was bang on. (Though most of you might not recognise the book cover, but this is the anime cover:)

To be honest, I knew squat about what this book was about, all I even know now is that Sophie, the protagonist, is cursed by a witch and must travel to the legendary Howl Castle, which can change location in the blink of an eye, and contains the wizard, who devoures the hearts of young girls. 

It's the first book in a trilogy, and hopefully I enjoy this as much as I think I'm going to, and continue on with the series at a later date. 

2. The Hostile Hospital (A Series of Unfortunate Events #8), by Lemony Snicket 

3. The Carnivorous Carnival (A Series of Unfortunate Events #9), by Lemony Snicket

4. The Slippery Slope (A Series of Unfortunate Events #10), by Lemony Snicket

In truth, I don't remember a whole lot about book 9 onwards for this series, so it'll be nice to have a refresher. What I do remember is that these three books are some of the most dramatic of the series, complete with head surgery, arson, murder, kidnapping and a lion pit! 

We're slowly getting closer to the end of the series, with just three books remaining after I tackle these three, and I'm half/half on wanting to find out what happens next, but also never wanting it to end! 

It's been great to see the Baudelaire orphan's daunting journey turn them into the daring, capable children I'm reading about in book 8- but I do wish them some happiness soon. 

5. American Gods (American Gods #1), by Neil Gaiman

I'm adding this onto my TBR because I'm determined to read all the birthday/christmas presents I've received in the last year or so. As I said before, I am aware of the allegiations directed at Neil Gaiman, but that doesn't mean I can't still enjoy his work. 

American Gods is about Shadow, a prisoner, who on the verge of being released from prison, receives the news that his wife Laura has passed away. Numbly, he boards a plane home, where he meets an eccentric character called Mr. Wednesday, who just happens to be a refugee from a distant war, a former God, and the King of America. 

With little direction, the two men set out on a road trip across America, whilst all around them, a storm- an unnatural, and of epic proportions- threatens to break around them. 

There are extremely mixed reviews on this book, all one and 4/5 stars, so I'm not sure what I'll make of it. But I'm determined to give it a try. 

6. The Earthsea Quartet (Earthsea Cycle #1-4), by Ursula Le Guin

One of my work colleagues (a different one to the colleague that lent me Howl's Moving Castle) had a second copy of this- I am now the proud owner of said second copy (couldn't be happier as Earthsea is one of the most classic fantasy series of all time). 

It definitely isn't a small book, given it's just shy of 700 pages, but as the name suggests, it's four short stories, rolled into one. 

Like with Howl's Moving Castle, I have no idea of what this book contains, but it's never a bad thing to be compared with Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, so I'm ready to commit to what could be considered one of the best novels released in the twentieth century. 

7. The Wake-Up Call, by Beth O' Leary 

I think this is the third time I've added this book, most likely on the end, each time. But it doesn't matter, because I will be picking it up as soon as I finish my CR. 

If you didn't know what this book is about, allow me to express it in bullet points:

• Hotel is threatening to close. 
• Two members of staff, who hate eachother, find a ring and return it to the missing couple. She's gives them an extremely large reward. 
• There are several other rings in the lost and found. Izzy and Lucas hatch a plan- if they locate the owners of these rings- they might just save the hotel. 
• Also, they can't seem to stop flling in love with one another. 

That's basically the bare bones of the story, I'm sure there's a lot more to it, but that's basically the premise. I really need to get to this soon, because I know I'm going to love it. 

Okay! That's me done! I was always considering posting these two together, as most of the books I finished in April were re-reads, but I definitely wasn't banking on the second part taken the best part of three days to complete! 

Nevertheless, it's finally done, and I can get started on my review for Rachel's Holiday, which will be coming to you soon! 

As always, feel free to comment what you all got up to last month, I'll start: 

I FINALLY RAN BOSTON MARATHON (Lincolnshire) AND HAVE SIGNED UP FOR LONDON NEXT YEAR (99% sure I won't get in as over 1 million people signed up, but I can dream). 

Okay! That is all I have for you today! I hope you have a wonderful evening, and I'll see you all soon! 

Byeeeee! 

-Abi xxxx