March TBR (2025)

 Hey guys, this is Abi here, 

And I'm back with my third post in a week (there's a part of me that worries I'm about to burn out, but right now I feel fine). If you haven't guessed from the title, it's my March TBR- and I have a whole heap of different books to talk about. 

I hope you enjoy it. 

1. The Mapmakers (Cordelia Hatmaker #2), by Tamzin Merchant

2. The Troublemakers (Cordelia Hatmaker #3), by Tamzin Merchant

I'm just over halfway through The Mapmakers, and because of how much I'm enjoying it, and not wanting a break from it, I went ahead and bought the third book this afternoon. It's been ages since I've wanted to continue a series immediately (that wasn't a re-read) but there's just something so addictive about Cordelia and her journey, refusing to accept her father's death, that I want to find out if it's true or not. 

The Cordelia Hatmaker trilogy is full of excitement, action and great characters, and I recommend it to anyone who wants a light, exciting read. 

3. The Bad Beginning (Series of Unfortunate Events #1), by Lemony Snicket 

4. The Reptile Room (Series of Unfortunate Events #2), by Lemony Snicket

5. The Wide Window (Series of Unfortunate Events #3), by Lemony Snicket 

6. The Miserable Mill (Series of Unfortunate Events #4), by Lemony Snicket 

Is this just a way to get more books under my belt so I can take my time with others? Absolutely. But I really want to re-read this series, because I've been thinking about it a lot recently. 

HOLY SHIT. 

The last time I read this series was back in 2018. 

Genuinely didn't even know that. 

For those of you that don't know this series, you really need to. It's about three siblings, the Baudelaire siblings: Violet, Klaus and Sunny that lose their parents to a terrible future. Over the next thirteen books they are shipped off from guardian to guardian, constantly pursued by the terrible Count Olaf- who is only after their fortune. 

This is a dark, entertaining series that passages a reader from middle grade to young adult novels. I love Voilet, but as a reader, I'm definitely more like Klaus. I highly recommend this series if you haven't read them yet. 

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

This is the chunker of the bunch. The Troublemakers and The Wake-Up Call are just into the 400 page count, and the Series of Unfortunate Events books range from 162- 214 pages. Rachel's Holiday comes in at a whopping 681 pages, and as such, is the book that will likley take the most amount of time. 

However, I'm not exactly worried. 

I absolutely loved Grown Ups (the only Marian Keyes book I've read) and I fully expect to love this one too. Marian Keyes writes characters, and realtionships so well, I fully expect to fall in love with them all. 

As you might have guesses, we follow Rachel, who after losing her job, her boyfriend, and most of everything she knows, she is frogmarched to Dublin's cold turkey house- thrusting her from addiction to the unfamiliar life of adulthood. But Rachel treats the whole thing as a holiday, after all, where better to get over recreational drugs than a place full of jacuzzis, gyms and rock stars going through exactly the same thing as her?

Although I didn't know that this was part of a series, it looks like each of the walsh family books has a different protagonist. They all seem to be set in Dublin, all from the same family of course, but I'm guessing it's fine to read them out of order. 

That's what I'm doing anyway. 

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

It's been the longest time since I've read a Beth O' Leary book, and I miss her storytelling. I've been thinking about how much I enjoyed The Flatshare and The Switch recently, and with two Beth O' Leary books collecting dust on my bookshelf, I think it's the perfect time to pick one up. 

The Wake-Up Call is about Izzy and Lucas, two sworn enemies that both work at Forest Manor Hotel. It's the busiest time of the season, and the hotel is basically crumbling around them. But when Izzy returns a lost wedding ring, the reward convinces management that this might be the way forward to saving the hotel. With four more rings currently in lost-and-found, Izzy and Lucas find themselves forced to work together to track down their owners. 

As Izzy and Lucas' resentment becomes something more complicated, Izzy and Lucas start to wonder if there's more at stake than just their jobs. Can Izzy and Lucas make it through the season with their hearts intact?

This is giving me Act Your Age, Eve Brown vibes, and I am here for it. I'm ready for a light-hearted funny romance, and this book could be just what I need. 

Okay! Those are all the books I'm thinking of picking up this month- they definitely seem the most appealing. It'll be interesting to see whether I stick with- or just marathon the entire Series of Unfortunate Events series- I guess we'll see. 

Let me know in the comments what you're planning in the month of March, and we can talk about it! 

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

Byeeee! 

-Abi xxxx

February Wrap Up (2025)

 Hey guys, this is Abi here, 

And I'm back with my first 2025 Wrap Up... in February. 

Hey, it's okay! I was reading Harry Potter for the entirety of January- it's fine. 

I read a total of 6 books in February, and considering it's only 28 days, I'm happy with that. 

I was hoping it would be 7, but I will hopefully be finishing my CR by the end of the week. 

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this. 

1. Friday Black, by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

I haven't thought about this book since, maybe a few days after finishing it at the srtart of the month, but seeing the cover has brought it all back. Friday Black is only a series of short stories, but they sure do pack a punch. In only a few pages, each story makes you feel something. With some, it's anger. With others, you feel sorrow. With a couple, you feel fear. They each hold their own, none is better than the other. 

Based off of the title, I'm hoping you'll be able to tell what some (not all) are about. It's true, some of them raise the issue of racism, which is present, even decades after people started standing up for people of colour. Other stories are about greed, about violence, about most of the injustices that are present in society today. 

This book is extremely short, but if you care about anything I have said about this book today, do yourself a favour and read it. You won't regret it. 

2. Malibu Rising (Reidverse), by Taylor Jenkins-Reid

I don't know how I did this, but I read this in three days. There was something just so readable about this that made me not want to put it down, or at least, pick it up whenever I had a spare moment. Malibu Rising is very much a family orientated book, focusing on each of the children of world-famous single Mick Riva. They each have their own lives, their own journeys that their on- and their own secrets. Secrets that will bubble to the surface at their annual end of summer party- a party that's very much in the public eye, as anybody whose everybody will be there. 

Drinks will be poured, secrets will be washed up, and before dawn, the house will go up in smoke. But it's what happens before that, that changes everything. 

With this book, we follow the Riva family, from when the Riva children's parents fall in love, when each of them is born, all the struggles and hardships they go through, all the way to the legendary party, as grownups. Maybe it was the urge to find out what happens next, what it was that contributed to all of these dark secrets. But whatever it was, I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the Riva children, and their missing father. 

3. What Does it Feel Like? by Sophie Kinsella

If you didn't know, What Does it Feel Like was one of the books on my Anticipated Releases post for October-December for last year. It's based on Sophie Kinsella's own diagnosis and recovery of her malignant brain tumour, back in 2022. It's told in a series of anecdotes and conversations, starting right when she's writing the first draft of a new book, when the book is released, when it becomes a film, and then after surgery, and her recovery. It's so simply written, so matter of fact, that it almost feels blunt when you realise what's happening. 

The word for this book, like Psycho, is concise. What Does it Feel Like does not tread lightly. But hope is threaded into the story as well, as the story goes on, that Eve will grow stronger, get her memory back, beat the odds. It's such a simple story, but it's powerful. I hope this isn't my last Sophie Kinsella book. 

4. The Pieces of Ourselves, by Maggie Harcourt

I must have really been in the mood for emotional books this month, this is the fourth one on the bounce! I ordered this immediately after finishing my re-read of Theatrical, and finding out that I wanted more of Maggie Harcourt's writing. It didn't matter to me that it wasn't about theatre, and backstage, I just wanted more. That's when I came across this. 

The Pieces of Ourselves is about a girl called Flora, who is trying to piece her life back together after a devastating 'incident' that apart her life as she knew it. It's a year later, and Flora is struggling to come to terms with her diagnosis, and trying to establish what's usual for her. She's working at a hotel, just trying to get through the day, when she's tasked with helping a young man, trying to find out more about a couple he know had something to do with the hotel. That's the starting point. 

What happens next is a story about Flora's own self discovery, as she delves deeper and deeper into this mysterious couple's lives, along with Hal, and their journey as they become closer. It's a truly beautiful story, that deals with sensitive subjects, and has a small amount of romance in it, but it's not the main focus. 

This is only my second Maggie Harcourt book, and I have no doubt that I will be reading the others soon. 

5. Psycho (Psycho #1), by Robert Bloch

Hey guys, I have a review for this. It's linked into the title. 

You don't need to read the same words twice- go and read the review if you're interested in this. All my thoughts are there. 

6. The Hatmakers (Cordelia Hatmaker #1), by Tamzin Merchant

If I'm honest, it was the second book that caught my attention. I thought it was a standalone, it looked like a standalone. 

Then I read the blurb and realised that 1)it was in fact a series, and 2) The Mapmakers was actually book 2. So what did I do? Naturally, I bought book 1. 

I've completely forgotten about how excited I was for book 2, because I was so invested in this. 

Cordelia Hatmakers is from the Hatmakers family (of course, it's literally in her surname), and is one of the five exclusive maker families in England. She is desperate to show how good she is, by finally making her own hat, until all her hopes are washed away- word is sent that the boat her family owns, currently out at sea, collecting a feather for the King's Royal hat has sunk, with everyone, including her father, on it. Aside from this devastating loss, someone is robbing all the Maker families, and trying to start a war between France and England. 

Cordelia is convinced her father is still alive somewhere- but how can she convince her family of that when she has no way to prove it? Especially as these weird robbings keep happening...

The Hatmakers is a fun, fast paced story, full of magic, interesting characters and well thought out plot. I kept wanting to get to my next available moment so I could see what happens next. 

On to book two... 

And those are all of the books I read in February! I'm sure you can guess what the next one would have been if I had finished seven, but you won't have to wait long, because my TBR should be out within a couple of days! 

As always, feel free to comment what books, or even videogames/tv shows/ films you watched in February! 

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

Byeeee! 

-Abi xxxxx

Psycho (Psycho #1), by Robert Bloch

 Hey guys, this is Abi here, 

And I'm coming at you today with a review- very much a surprise review, one even I wasn't expecting to write. But, nevertheless, here I am. 

Psycho! One of the ultimate horror book/film duo! 

This might not be everyone's cup of tea, but I'm writing this anyway- because I have a fair few thoughts on it- which is surprising for a 185 page book. 

I hope you enjoy it. 

Title: Psycho 

Author: Rober Bloch

Genre: Horror

Release date: 10/4/1959

Status: Book in the Psycho series

Pages: 185

Blurb: "She was a fuguive, lost in a storm. That was when she saw the

sigh: MOTEL-VACANCY. The sign was unlit, the motel dark. She

switched off the engine and sat thinking, alone and frightened. 

She had nobody. The stolen money wouldn't help her, and Sam 

couldn't either, because she had taken the wrong turning; she

was on a strange road. There was nothing she could do now- she

had made her grave and she'd have to lie in it. 

She froze. Where had that come from? Grave. It was bed, not

grave. She shivered in the cold car, surrounded by shadows. Then, 

without a sound, a dark shape emerged from the blackness and

the car door opened..." 

My Thoughts

I picked this up because even though it's only February, I'm already sick of deciding what it is that I want to read next. Not a good feeling when my Goodreads goal is 80 books for the year. 

My partner was actually the one that suggested I read it. When I said that I didn't think I owned it, he said that he did. Upon striking a deal with him that if he found the book by the end of the day, I'd read it, I was not-so-surprised when he found it five minutes later. 

So that's how I found myself picking this up. 

Now, anyone who has a slight horror interest will have seen this, me included. I was familiar enough with the film to feel a sort of melancholy, as I tried hard to forget the sorts of events that would be occuring within the pages. Please tell me I'm not alone in feeling like this with certain books, feeling an emotion immediatly upon starting?

Another thought that struck me at the very start, was how similar the book, and then the film, was. That might have been why I felt the way I did, right at the start to be honest. 

Anyway, Psycho follows Mary (Marion in the film) as she's forced to stop at Bates Motel in Fairvale, California, because of the horrendous storm that's descending around her. From there we meet Norman, find out why Mary is where she is, and the story goes on from. 

One thing I loved about this story, was that each character was introduced at exactly the right time. They all fit right into the story, and nobody felt like I was reading them for too long, or was unclear as for why they were being introduced. I admired Lila for her fearlessness when taking steps to find out what happened to her sister, especially when nobody else seemed to be. 

 I will also point out, one thing this book does well is GETTING TO THE POINT. So few words, so few pages, just 185, and I knew exactly what part each character was there to play, what kind of person they were, why they did what they did (Mary especially), and what they were going to use next. The word for this book is concise- and to finish- none of it felt rushed. 

My only critique was that I wish I'd had more on Norman and his mother- their relationship when Norman was growing up, and what led to the character we meet at Bates Motel, on that fateful night when Mary shows up. Of course the film more than fills in the gaps, I think having a bit more background in the book would have been a lot more detailed. 

Overall, I'm so glad I picked this one up- I haven't read a whole lot of classic horror, unless you're counting Stephen King and The Midwich Cuckoos, but I think this book might just have sparked a lot more interest in the genre. 

Okay! Those are all the thoughts and feelings I have on Psycho! If you've read it, or seen the film, or just have an opinion on Psycho, let me know in the comments! 

I hope you have a wonderful day, and I'll see you all soon with my Wrap Up! 

Byeeee! 

-Abi xxxx

Harry Potter Ideas

 Hey guys, this is Abi here, 

And I'm guessing if you've been on this blog at all, you might know that in the month of January, I endeavored to read the entire HP series- which I did- for the record. 

But now, I want to write a post for it. 

Not specifically about the story, but more, about the aspects I want to know more about, within the Harry Potter series. 

I know I won't be alone in thinking some of these things, so I encourage you all to write something in the comments: what would you like to know more about, what character origin stories, what concepts? Let me know. 

I hope you enjoy this post, as it's a little different to my usual ones (I need ideas for extra posts somewhere.)

1. Marauders Adventures

The legendary four. How these tremendous wizards met, and bonded, creating the Marauder's Map, sticking with Lupin upon finding out he was a werwolf, figuring out how to become animagi, and then running riot in the grounds afterwards. 

How could I not want to know more about this unique group of wizards? 

2. The Creation of Hogwarts

I want to know what led to the creation of hogwarts, right up until Slytherin leaves the school. I want to know how the decision to create a wzarding school was made, how the four founders worked in harmony to educate the next generation, even enchanting the Sorting Hat. 

Having done some research on time frames, it is unclear as for whether the Bloody Baron/ Helena Ravenclaw/ Rowena Ravenclaw story is in this time frame, but I would think not. 

Honestly, that doesn't matter (though it would be nice if it was within that time frame). It sure would be interesting to find out more about the people the houses are named after. 

3. Professor McGonagall origin story

I'm sure I'm not alone in wanting to know more about Professor. McGonagall growing up, as the sorting hat takes 5 and a half minutes (making her one of the few Hatstalls in Hogwarts' history) deciding whether to place her in Ravenclaw or Gryffindor; seeing her rise through the school, being especially talented at Transfiguration, and then her career after leaving. 

Although it might be a long story, I think the ideal time to finish might when Harry Potter joins the school. 

4. DUMBLEDORE ORIGIN STORY

Do I really need to explain this one?

Any part of Dumbledore's origin story would be fine:

-Student at hogwarts

-Time with Grindelwald

-What he did before finishing Hogwarts, but before teaching

-Family life

-Maybe even his interactions with Tom Riddle 

Literally any part. 

5. Concepts:

There are certain concepts, certain pieces of magic that are fascinating to me, which I just want more information on: These are:

1. The Mirror of Erised

2. The Philosopher's Stone

3. Wand lore- everything to do with making them, maybe with a focus on Ollivander

4. Floo powder

5. Brooms 

6. How Quidditch was established

I'm sure I'm not alone in wanting to know more about the wizarding world, and if I thought about it all for longer, I'm sure I could come up with half a dozen more aspects I would like to know more about. 

But don't let it be just me coming up with ideas, let me know what you want to know more about, in the comments below! 

That's going to be it for the post today, but hopefully I'll see you all soon, maybe even with a review, or a tag! 

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

Byeeeee! 

-Abi xxxxx

 

February TBR (2025)

 Hey guys, this is Abi here, 

If you're wondering why my usual January TBR post never appeared on here, it's because I was challenged to read the entire Harry Potter series in January, and there just didn't seem any point in posting about it. 

But I'm pleased to report that I finished it this morning, which means a new TBR for February is due! 

I'll be choosing my February TBR by feel mostly, so these are just vague outlines of what I feel like reading now. 

Nevertheless, I hope you enjoy reading about my February picks. 

1. Friday Black, by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

Friday Black is a series of short stories- it's ordinary characters in extroadinary situations. I started it this morning, I'm 52 pages in, have read 3/12 of the stories so far, and have already been overcome by the bias and injustice directed at these characters. 

Going into this, I wasn't sure what to expect, or whether I'd be in the mood to pick something of this subject matter up, given what I'd just finished. I shouldn't have been so apprehensive. 

First new book of the year, I'm 52 pages in, and I already can't wait to see what happens in the next short story. 

If you have no idea what the subject matter is for Friday Black, then I believe this quote from the blurb will make it clear: "The short stories in Friday Black tackle urgent instances of racism and culteral unrest, and explore the many ways we fight for humanity in an unforgiving world." 

I thank my colleague Ben for lending me this book, and being extremely patient in my slowness to pick it up. 

2. Malibu Rising, by Taylor Jenkins-Reid

If there was one book I was focusing on reading, through all of the Harry Potter readings in January, it was this one. 

In a nutshell, Malibu Rising is about a party at the infamous Riva household, hosted by the children of legendary singer Mick Riva- it's the ultimate end to summer party. 

Except there are secrets, lies and half truths at every turn. 

By midnight, the party will rage completely out of control- and by morning the house will have gone up in flames. But before that first spark, in the early hours before dawn, alcohol will be drunk, music will be played, and secrets that have long been hidden will come bubbling to the surface. 

How much can a surfer, photographer, supermodel, and baby sister keep hidden? 

I really hope you guys can tell how excited I am to pick up the final full-length novel by Taylor Jenkins-Reid (I say full-length because there's still a novella for me to get to). 

Genuinely can't wait. 

3. The Hatmakers (Cordelia Hatmaker #1), by Tamzin Merchant

4. The Mapmakers (Cordelia Hatmakers #2), by Tamzin Merchant

 

It's been so long since I've read a middlegrade book, much less a middlegrade series, so even though it may not be wise to stick this on the TBR (there are so a few series' I've had for longer than this *cough* Cytonic), but this is what I'm in the mood for at the moment, so why not?

The Hatmakers follows Cordelia, who comes from a long line of magical milliners, who weave alchemy and enchantment into every hat they make. This type of magic belongs to very few, only a select number of families exist that possess this type of magic. 

When Cordelia's father Prospero and his ship, the Jolly Bonnet, are lost at sea whilst on a mission collecting materials, Corderlia sets off on a quest to discover where her father might be, and what happened. She leaves alone though, for her Uncle Tiberius and Aunt Ariadne are busy with an ancient rivalry between the other milliners, which is threatening to surface. Not to mention, someone is attempting to start a war with Maker magic... 

This series sounds fun, light-hearted and exciting, and I am eager to start it. 

I've added the second book on there as well, because, if I like the first one, I may as well jump straight into book two, if I feel like it. 

5. What Does It Feel Like, by Sophie Kinsella

Told in brief anecdotes, What Does It Feel Like is basically Sophie Kinsella's journey, made into a story, a different character as she starts to claw together the pieces of her life back together, after an operation to remove the malignant tumour growing in her brain. 

There is a brief part of Eve Monroe before the operation, but the majority of the book oversees her learning to walk, talk and write again- and learn what's the most important to her. 

I originally found this book online, and having never read a Sophie Kinsella book before (Following Audrey did appear on my radar upon it's release, but I just never picked it up), added it to my Anticipated Releases post (linked in the title). 

Well, when I saw it on sale in the King's Lynn Waterstones last month, I just couldn't resist. 

I added this to my TBR for the month because I want to try and get ahead of my Goodreads Reading Goal of 80 books, and because this is so short, it went top of the list. 

Everyone who has blurbed this book is shouting out about how fantastic it is, so I'm excited to pick it up. 

I'm aware that, in order to reach this year's Goodreads Goal, I'll need to read more than five books a month, but right now, those are the books that pyke my interest for the month of February. Given it's shorter than the other months, I'll see how much time I have left after I finish all of these. 

So, that is everything that I have for you all tonight! Feel free to comment what your reading plans are for the next, in the usual place- the comments! 

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

Byeeeee! 

-Abi xxxxxxx

2025 Goals

 Hey guys, this is Abi here, 

And it's officially 2025! 

I was going to wait and do a tag or something, but I want to start this year off well- so I'm drawing out a list of my 2025 goals- both with reading and everyday. (Though maybe waiting til the 12th to finally finish one is a bad start.)

I hope you enjoy it. 

1. Post more reviews. 

I've read over 100 books in the past two years. Admiteddly, some of those were re-reads, or part of a series, but in total, I posted ten reviews. 

I definitely want to make the effort to note down more of my thoughts with the books I read this year. 

2. Get a cat 

I've lived in my house with my boyfriend for the best part of a year, and sometime soon, we'll be getting a cat! Maybe from Cat Protection, maybe from a house nearby. But it's definitely something we're considering soon! 

3. Post more in general, to be honest. 

Even if only slightly, my number of posts per year have gradually been decreasing. I want to post three times a month (at least)- though, as I'm writing this on the 12th, nearly halfway through the month, I'm very much hoping that I get better as I go along. 

4. STOP BEING SUCH A PEOPLE PLEASER.

I need to stop trying to bend over backwards for people, and try and fit everything in. If it's impossible, I need to learn to just tell people that, instead of giving people falsh expectations. 

If you can't tell, that's a main one. 

5. Read all of my unread books- and achieve my 80 book Goodreads Reading Challenge. 

This one is basically a given by now. I always want to achieve that, and last year it didn't (the unread books goal). Let's change that. 

Okay! Those are all my main goals for the year- I would of course like to travel more, but for that I need money. 

As always, feel free to post any new years' resolutions- bookish or otherwise, in the comments below, so we can support eachother! 

I hope you have a lovely eveming, and I will see you all soon! 

Byeeee! 

-Abi xxxxx