Skulduggery Pleasant: Month 1

 Hey guys, this is Abi here, 

And right now, both my brain and body feel absolutely fried. 

But I promised myself, I would be doing a blog post tonight, and I intend to follow through with that. 

Unfortunately, that means that this Skulduggery Pleasant update will be the bare bones of what I was planning, so sorry in advance. 

Or maybe not- I'll see what I'm able to do. 

Without further ado, I hope you enjoy it. 

(I won't be doing a wrap up up at the end of the month, by the way. Just so you know.)

How things are going...

Surprisingly, not bad. I'm kind of exactly where I thought I'd be. Do I wish I'd read more this weekend? Absolutely. But missing a couple of days isn't the end of the world. 

So, the plan for this update is, I was thinking of going through each of the books I've finished so far, and give a brief description of what I thought, how many pages, and finish dates. 

So far I've finished:

1. Skulduggery Pleasant

Pages: 371

Reading dates: 1st March- 4th March 

What did I think: Book 1 will always be one of my favourites. I love that this first book has the ability to make me forget the page count and lose myself in the story. Every character I love: Stephanie, Skulduggery, Tanith, Ghastly, Mr. Bliss, China, even bloody Serpine. This was the foundation for a now, 17 book series (and extras), and I can't fault it one bit. 

2. Playing with Fire

Pages: 351

Reading dates: 5th March- 12th March 

Yeah, Playing with Fire is always a sore spot for me. It always feels like more of a slog to get through after the first book. Don't get me wrong, it introduces some characters that becoming recurring characters over the next few books, but something about defeating a villain that Skulduggery has history with, and then three, seemingly more dangerous killers show up? That seems a bit off for me. Playing with Fire is basically where the storyline for the next two and a bit books starts off, which is preventing the faceless ones from returning to that dimension. 

I can't really fault the direction that the story takes, but for some reason I've always struggled with this particular book. 

3. The Faceless Ones

Pages: 395

Reading dates: 12th March- 15th March 

If you can't tell by how quickly I finished this book, I like this one. Like, a lot. Nearly 400 pages and I finish it in three days. It all kicks off in this one. Everything that was bubbling in book 2, comes to the surface in this. The stakes are higher. The faceless ones are coming, teleporters are being killed. Necromancers start making an appearance. People get killed, and someone gets pulled into a deadly dimension where he'll likely be tortured to death. It's the first time everything isn't magically fixed, and you're left wondering what's going to happen next. These kinds of books are why I love this series so much. 

4. Dark Days 

Pages: 413

Reading days: 16th March- 19th March 

I read this so quickly because it was on my list to complete before tomorrow night. I was ready to push to finish this book as long as I could, that very first night. 

With Dark Days, we say goodbye to the faceless ones chapter (although some grudges against Valkyrie are very much active, but that's nothing new- a lot of people want her gone). We move on to a whole other threat, one that is consistent throughout the remaining 6 books in this series (phase one). 

That threat is Darquesse. A mysterious person that seemingly destroys the world. It sounds cheesy, but is anything but. Dark Days definitely isn't a filler book, it's more building things up, for something big to happen in book 5. 

Remnants arrive, you get your fair share of psychics, and some of the good guys get hurt quite a bit. The stakes are starting to bubble higher, waiting to spill over in Mortal Coil. 

I enjoyed this one immensely. 

5. Mortal Coil 

Pages: 571

Reading days: 20th March- currently

Currently on page 37. 

After reading Dark Days, I decided not to persist with this for a couple of days. It's not that I didn't want to read it- I happen to think this is the book that changes the direction of the series more than any of it's predecessors- but I didn't want to burn out, especially as I have another 12 books ahead of me before I get to the new release. I'm ready to hit the ground running with this come tomorrow, when I have more time to focus on it. 

Very much anticipating this one. 

Total page count for 1/3- 22/03: 1567

Averaging 72 pages a day. 

Pretty good going for month one, considering. 

I'm expecting next month to be bigger though- the later books in this series reach the high 600 page mark. 

I am very much enjoying this re-read. It's so nice to get re-acquainted with the series, and all of it's wonderful characters. 

Can't wait to get to the rest of them. 

Okay! That is my present Skulduggery Pleasant update! I hope you enjoyed it, I hope you're enjoying whatever book you're reading at the moment too! 

That is all that I have for you today! I will be back soon with my anticipated releases (probably Saturday- must admit, I completely forgot). 

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

Byeeeee! 

-Abi xxxxx

Watermelon (Walsh Family #1), by Marian Keyes

 Hey guys, this is Abi here, 

And I'm back with a surprise review- from a book I finished a month ago, no less. 

Don't worry, it's still fresh in my mind, and I have a lot of thoughts on it! 

So much so, that I had to share them with you! 

So without further ado, I hope you enjoy my thoughts on Watermelon, by Marian Keyes! 

Title: Watermelon 

Author: Marian Keyes

Genre: Contemporary 

Status: Book 1 in a 7 book series

Release date: 01/09/1995

Pages: 520

Blurb: "Meet Claire Walsh. 

On the day she gives birth to her first child, 

Claire's husband James tells her he's been having an 

affair, and that now's the right time to leave her. 

Right for who exactly?

Exhausted, tearful and a little bit furious, Claire

doesn't know what to do. So she decides to go back to 

basics... and runs home to Mum and Dad. 

But it's not the sanctuary she'd been hoping for. 

Juggling her sister's drama, her parents' pity and the 

demands of a baby, Claire desperately misses the way 

things were. So when James gets back in touch, eager 

to put things right, Claire faces a choice. 

Will she forgive and forget? Or can she find the courage 

to take a chance on herself, and start a life of her own?"

My Thoughts

Even if I hadn't read Rachel's Holiday before this, I still think I would have fallen in love with this series from this. 

There are a number of reasons why I loved this book as much as I did. 

1. Marian Keyes knows how to write a story that is engaging, realistic, empowering, gripping and overall, emotional. 

I laughed, I cried, I blushed,  I clenched my teeth in frustration at some points in this story- sometimes in the same chapter. 

2. Watermelon is a situation that could happen to anyone- which made it easier to relate to Claire. 

3. The story is spun together perfectly. There was always something going on, something that made it hard to put the book down. 

The whole dynamic of Watermelon, truly, is amazing. The series is called Walsh Family, and that's exactly what you get with this. Her whole world turned upside down, Claire escapes her desperate situation, returning home- to Dublin. Once there, she realises that her family home isn't the secluded place she thought it would be. She has to deal with crazy sister energy, pitying parents, whilst figuring out her next move. You get an insight into the younger Walsh sisters' characters, Helen and Anna, at this point in the series. 

Honestly, I quite liked getting to meet some other characters. In Rachel's Holiday, it's just her, the odd friend at the start, and then everyone else in the rehab centre. There wasn't a huge cast of characters in Watermelon, but everyone played their part, and I knew the majority of them I'd be meeting again at some other point in the series. 

The best part by far was Claire's character arc. Desperate, alone, and completely heartbroken, she has no clue what to do at the start of the book. I mean, what are you meant to do, when the love of your life, husband, and father of newborn daughter, up and walks out, saying he has been having an affair, and no longer loves you? Get through it in any way you can. 

I'll tell you, my heart really wept for Claire at that point, about 100 pages in, when she's at her family home in Dublin, and she's completely lost. She's drinking more and more, missing James, despite his betrayal, and she doesn't know what way's up. 

But somehow, little by little, she picks herself up, she begins to meet more people (hint hint), she begins to see that there's more to live for than her crappy ex, and looks towards the future. Then what happens? Her stupid ex-husband shows up! 

I don't want to spoil what happens next, because I want you all to read the book yourself, honestly, the range of emotions I felt from that point onwards was so varied, from one chapter to the next, it's a wonder I didn't pass out exhausted. 

Now, what would you do if the love of your life comes back, tries to cancel divorse, tells you about the problems they had, were mostly because of you, but wants to try again? If you truly loved them before all of this happened? If it was for the sake of the daughter you shared? Would it still be easy to stick to your morals? 

Anyway, you can understand why I was clenching my teeth in frustration at some points in this book. 

But anyway, after that, you can't help but feel genuine pride for the character that had her head lower than her heels, but in the end, picked herself up, and took her life in her own hands. Truly empowering. 

Just read the book, then you'll know what I'm talking about, if you haven't figured it out already. 

Overall, an absolute gem. I know I'm not alone in loving this series, because they recently released a tv series based off of these books. (I really want to read them, but I think I'm going to read the books first- best get a move on.) But honestly, Watermelon is a serious contendor for my Favourite Books of 2026 at the moment. 

The third book, Angels, gives us a new protagonist- Margaret, or 'Maggie'. I haven't met her yet, but I know that she leaves everything behind for sunny LA, so I'm intrigued to see what she's like. I'm thinking I'll look for a second-hand copy on Ebay at some point- don't want to wait for too long before continuing on with this series. 

Okay! Those are all of my thoughts on Watermelon! I know it's a lot, but please comment down below if you've read the book, enjoyed it, hated it, and why! 

Also, should I watch the show now, instead of reading the books first? Let me know in the comments! 

I hope you have a wonderful afternoon, or morning, wherever you are, and I'll see you all soon! 

Byeeeee! 

-Abi xxxxxx

March TBR (2026)

 Hey guys, this is Abi here, 

Back with my March TBR. Except, it's not really a TBR. It's more of a head's up. 

So, I've mentioned this a couple of times on here, briefly, about where my reading is headed, in anticipation for a release at the end of the month. 

But I wanted to take the time to let you all know how I'm going to do it. 

If you didn't know, I'm talking about the release of the final Skulduggery Pleasant book- which is out 26th March. 

~The epic Skulduggery Pleasant re-read~

Since it is the final release for the Skulduggery Pleasant series (I seriously doubt they'll be any more main stories after a nine book series, then a six book series, and now finally the trilogy), I have mentioned that I will, from now, be re-reading the entire series, and then get to the final book afterwards. 

Obviously, I'm not going to finish 17 books in March, (some of these novels are in the 700 page count) which means that this re-read will be longer than a month. 

However, I won't just be going radio silent on my progress with this series. I plan to document, monthly, perhaps fortnightly, if I'm able to, what my progress is. Maybe I'll do individual posts, dating through the calender, or maybe it'll just be a paragraph at the end of my other blog posts. I haven't really decided yet. 

I have an idea of how far I'd like to be by the end of this month, but we'll see. I'd like to at least start Death Bringer, which means I'll be finishing:

1. Skulduggery Pleasant

2. Playing with Fire

3. The Faceless Ones 

4. Dark Days

5. Mortal Coil 

Skulduggery Pleasant has always been a constant in my life. It doesn't matter what was happening, where I was at, the Skulduggery Pleasant series has always been something to go back to, a new book to look forward to, or a re-read I knew I could always pick up when in danger of falling into a reading slump. 

I don't want to say that I took it for granted, that it would always be continuing, but it was always nice to know it was there. A home in reading. 

I have been following this series since I was twelve years old. I have loved each and every book, getting to see Valkyrie Cain grow as I did, and now, as an adult, having suffered loss of friends, and being faced with the final battle, I'm nowhere near ready for it all to end. Which is why I thought this was a good idea. A send off, for an old friend, if you will. 

It feels right. 

Okay! I hope you enjoyed reading about that little reveal (though not really, if you've read some of my other posts). Oops. 

So, that is all I have for you guys tonight. This was always going to be a short post, I just wanted to let you all know what I was planning on reading for the next couple of months. 

With that, I'm going to leave it there. I hope you have a wonderful evening and I'll see you all soon! 

Byeeeeee!

Abi xxxxxxx

February Wrap Up (2026)

 Hey guys, this is Abi here, 

And I'm here with my Febraury Wrap Up (trying to salvage a horrendous posting month by ending it on a high note). 

As it was the month of love, I planned a romance/ love TBR specifically. That all went tits up when I didn't bring enough reading material for my holiday in Blackpool- ended up reading a very Halloween-ish vampire story that I still haven't finished! 

Regardless, I did manage to finish some books, but it was definitely a struggle! 

Without further ado, I hope you enjoy reading about what I did manage to finish. 

1. Watermelon (The Walsh Family #1), by Marian Keyes

It was hard to believe, after enjoying Rachel's Holiday so immensely, that this would come close to being as good. However, I was pleasantly surprised. Maybe it was because I felt more similar to Claire than to Rachel, and therefore more able to sympathise, (mainly because her situation is more likely to happen than Rachel's). But all the same, Marian Keyes' ability to spin a story is what kept me engaged from start to finish. 

As anyone would be, Claire is absolutely devastated when, on the day of her daughter's birth, is told by her husband, that he no longer loves her, and is leaving her for another woman. That's the starting point for Claire, when she decides that she's going to pack up, and move back home to her parents' house, to Dublin, with her newborn daughter. 

As any new mother does, she gets by- in any means necessary. 

And as time passes, she finds herself again. 

Until her ex-husband comes knocking. 

Watermelon is poignant and honest, a story about a woman who has no choice but to be strong, and pick up the pieces after her life comes apart at the seams. 

It's a story that shows you what it means to build yourself up from nothing, to stand up for yourself when the past comes back to haunt you. 

I genuinely think I enjoyed this more, because I read this after Rachel's Holiday, by the way, because I was able to see the reason behind her behaviour in the second book. Trust me, you'll get it if you read the series. 

2. The No-Show, by Beth O' Leary 

I reached for this because I wanted a light, maybe funny, romcom, and because this starts on Valentine's Day, this seemed like the perfect choice. Trying to ignore the many negative reviews I had seen on Goodreads, I started it on the train journey to Blackpool (two and a half hours is definitely enough time to get started at least). 

If you didn't know, The No-Show is a story about three different women that all get stood up on Valentine's Day- by the same guy. From there, I thought the book would be the three women tracking him down, teaming up, etc. Instead, the book pans out over the next year, following each women on their own timelines, and how their relationship developes with the ditcher. It starts off slow at first, I was very aware of the negative comments, and how true they were at the start. 

And then, all of a sudden, I finished the novel- three days before I was meant to. 

I basically got swept up into the story. We had a lot of train journeys, to Preston, Liverpool and Kendal, which made up for a lot of reading time. 

I'm not going to say it's my favourite Beth O' Leary novel, but it holds it's own against some of my most loved. 

3. Monstress, Volume 1: The Awakening (Monstress #1), by Marjorie M. Liu (Writer), Sana Takeda (Illustrator)

I read this graphic novel at the end of 2024, and hadn't thought about it since, other than a series that I knew I would get back to eventually, just wasn't sure when. Lord knows why I started thinking about it, but after failing to come across it in any Waterstones over the past year, I took to Ebay to find out the price, and before I knew it, Volume 2 was on it's way to me. 

Coupled with the want to finish more novels before the month was out, I decided to pick both Volume 1 (as a refresher) and Volume 2 straight away. 

My God, was this a ball ache to get through. It never seemed to end. 

I was expecting to fly through it, like I do with the Saga series. 

It couldn't have been more different. I was losing concentration every couple of pages. I had to really persist, and keep trying, throughout most of it. 

Don't get me wrong, it's a dark, twisted, violent and gripping story, with a detailed history of the world, of the war that's raged for years between every breed in existence, but I definitely struggled with the re-read a lot. 

4. Monstress, Volume 2: The Blood (Monstress #2), by Marjorie M. Liu (Writer), Sana Takeda (Illustrator)

This was much better. Less long, less info dumpy, and the plot started to take place a bit more. After finishing Volume 1, I was questioning whether I actually wanted to continue on with the story, after struggling so much with re-reading Volume 1. Thankfully, Volume 2 restored my faith in the series, and I started to wonder where the story was going to go as we're led onto a boat with Maika, Master Ren and Kippa, to an island of lost souls, in the hope of answers. 

I really hope I don't leave much time before picking up Volume 3. I don't think I have the bottle to re-read that first volume again. 

Okay! Those are all the books I read in the month of February! Four books in four weeks, right on par for my 52 book target.

I'm right on target. 

Now, for the next couple of months at least, I'll be re-reading one of my all time favourite series'- because the 18th book is being released at the end of the month. Somehow I don't think I'll be reading 17 books in one month. Most of you will know what it is, but I won't spoil it now, for those of you that don't. 

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

Byeeee! 

-Abi xxxxx

February TBR (2026)

 Hey guys, this is Abi here, 

And I'm back with my February TBR- suited for the month of love and romance! 

For real though, I love seeing it get brighter earlier (probably the only benefit of getting the bus to be honest). 

So far it hasn't chucked it down either, which is always a bonus. 

Anyway, without further ado, here's what I plan to read in the month of February. 

I hope you enjoy it. 

1. Watermelon (The Walsh Family #1), by Marian Keyes

This was never going to sit on my unread shelf for long. After reading (and loving) Rachel's Holiday back in April, I was always going to pick up the first book as soon as I had my hands on a copy. 

The Walsh Family series is a ten book series, from the point of view of five sisters: Claire, Rachel, Margaret, Anna and Helen; all of which have their individual stories, and then maybe a second?

Watermelon is Claire's story, and starts the day her first child is born. It also happens to be the day that her husband, James, informs her that he has fallen in love with someone and is leaving her, and their newborn child. 

Bastard. 

Out of options, she returns home to Dublin, to her parents. There, sheltered by her loving family, she begins to move past the whole mess. So much so, that when her ex-husband shows up again, he's in for quite a surprise. 

I'm not at that second part yet. At the moment Claire is just trying to get through the day in the best way she can, by trying not to drink everything in sight, but from what I've read of this, I know it'll likely make my favourites list for the year (unless I read a Marian Keyes book I like more). 

Not likely though. 

2. The Survivor Wants to Die at the End (They Both Die at the End #2), by Adam Silvera 

Another book I'm carrying on with from January. This was one I bought myself, with an old voucher. 

I chose this because, despite the heavy subject matter, I know that Silvera will handle it sensitively and compassionately. 

The Survivor Wants to Die at the End follows two people, who each have their problems with Death Cast (the app that calls people at midnight to prepare them of their death in the next twenty-four hours). 

Paz Darlo stays up every night, waiting for the call to confirm that this will be the day where his suffering ends. Well he's had enough. If Death-Cast won't call him, he'll just have to do it himself. 

Thanks to his father, heir-of-Dream-Cast Alano Rosa doesn't feel in control in his life. And with a violent organisation called the Death Guard threatening Alano, his End Day might be closer than he thinks. It's time to live. 

When a twist of fate causes the two boys to meet, they must learn to make the most out of the day, to escape the trials that both of them face, so that nobody dies in the end. 

3. How to Fall in Love, by Cecelia Ahern 

I found this gem in a market place in Stamford for £3. I was already halfway to buying it after seeing Cecelia Ahern's name on the cover, but the premise was enough to secure it as a purchase within minutes. 

It's a pretty simple premise to be honest. I'm going to quote it, because I feel like I shouldn't try and summarise it. I'll just butcher it. 

"Christine Rose is crossing the Ha'penny Bridge in 

Dublin late one night when she sees a stranger, Adam, 

poised to jump. Desperate to help, she talks him into 

a reckless deal: if he gives her two weeks- till his 

35th birthday- she'll prove life is worth living. 

But as the clock ticks and the two of them embark on 

late-night escapades and romantic adventures, what 

Christine has really promised seems impossible..."

This feels very similar to Me Before You, by JoJo Moyes. I suppose, it may have posed as an inspiration for it, but I'll decide whether that's the case after I've read it. 

For me, Cecelia Ahern has also served as one of the top-tier fiction/ romance authors, author of the book that then became P.S. I Love You, and then author of Flawed and Perfect, a much loved YA duology about what it means to stand against a society of people deemed perfect. 

It'll be nice to read one of her less popular, earlier reads. 

4. The No-Show, by Beth O' Leary 

I had to put this on my TBR for the month. Beth O'Leary's romances are always on point, and I expect this to be no different. It even takes place on Valentine's Day. 

To put it simply, The No-Show is basically three women, Siobhan, Miranda and Jane, chasing after one guy- Joseph Carter- after he stands them all up in one day. 

Beth O' Leary has been an auto-buy author for me ever since I read her debut novel, The Flatshare, back in 2021. I have enjoyed three of her novels so far, so I have little doubt that this will be any different. 

5. The Jane Austin Book Club, by Karen Joy Fowler

What is it with me and the want to read books that are to-do with Jane Austen? First Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, and now this. 

Now, this is a totally different book, as you can see. 

But why I don't just read a damn Jane Austen book, I'll never know. 

The Jane Austen Book Club is just that. A group of women getting together every so often to discuss Jane Austen's books. They are all ordinary, neither-happy-nor-unhappy people, living their daily lives. Over the course of several months, they are met with a series of obstacles: marriages are tested, affairs begin, unsuitable arrangements become suitable, and, under the ever guiding eye of Jane Austen, some of them even fall in love... 

This feels like a very character driven book, which I'm very for. I love reading about characters bonding over a shared subject, and then helping them to overcome personal obstacles. I'm here for all of it. 

This may well become a favourite of the year if I'm in the right mood for it. 

Okay! Those are all of the books I plan to read in February! With it being a shorter month than usual, I'll really have to dig in deep with some of these (particular the first two) but thankfully I have a 2.5 train journey to get stuck in next week! 

That is all that I have for you all tonight, but feel free to comment down below what you plan on reading this month, and we can talk about it in the comments! 

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

Byeeee! 

-Abi xxxxxx

January Wrap Up (2026)

 Hey guys, this is Abi here, 

And somehow, we're at the end of January- what a relief! I'm genuinely so happy to see this month come to an end.  

But, with the end of a month comes the usual wrap up- the first one of 2026! 

I didn't get to as many books as I wanted to this month- I started off really well, finishing three books in sixteen days, and after that, I really struggled to keep up momentum. 

But I was determined, and I managed a fourth (finished literally last night). 

Without further ado, I hope you enjoy my wrap up. 

1. Eclipse (The Twilight Saga #3), by Stephenie Meyer

If I told you that I read this entire book in three days, would you consider Eclipse to be my favourite in the series? Because you would be bang on. 

There's nothing I love more in a series than a backstory of a side character, and Eclipse is full of them. 

Aside from that, it feels like things finally start changing in Eclipse, going from the full story being Bella's relationship with Edward, like in Twilight, or Jacob in New Moon, into something that's bigger than just them. 

It doesn't matter that this book isn't perfect. God knows, if The Twilight Saga was being published today, I doubt it would even get a look in against some of the other published works that we're reading today. But The Twilight Saga represents more than just a romance between a vampire and a human- it's a whole generation of readers, from my age to adults in their mid-to-late 30s. 

It represents a time in your life that is impossible to get back- except through books like this. 

It was such a pleasure to get to re-read this again. 

2. Breaking Dawn (The Twilight Saga #4), by Stephenie Meyer

So, I read this series for the first time maybe late 2010, early 2011, when I was twelve years old. So it's safe to say that, out of all of the film releases, I was most present for Breaking Dawn part 1& 2. So of course, this was the book I obsessed over the most. 

It's not my favourite of the series, mostly because of the switching different POV's, so it feels like it's moves a lot faster, but it definitely feels the most intense of all the books (of course it does Abi, the stakes are bloody higher- why am I wording it like this)?

Okay, I love this book so much, how about that? I can quote most of it by heart, I've read and re-read it that many times. Even the final battle is amazing in the books- despite it being less catastrophic than the film (I can still remember the synchronised gasp after Carlisle started running at Aro at the cinema- if you know, you know).

3. The Anansi Boys (American Gods #2), by Neil Gaiman 

I thought this was going to be a sequel to American Gods. I through the new protagonist was going to be related to Shadow of some sort. Boy, was I wrong. 

I thought Fat Charlie and his brother Spider would be making a jounrey to meet up with Shadow at some point, that Fat Charlie would develop something unexpected, and they'd all meet up, in one way or another. But there was no journey, just Spider turning everything on it's head for our protagonist. 

As always, Neil Gaiman's book was nothing like what I was expecting. Right now, that's what I love most about his works. 

I have no idea what I'm going to read of his next. 

4. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies #1), by Seth Grahame-Smith

THIS. 

I've been intrigued by this since a work colleague (who may or may not be reading this now) told me about it. 

Actually, even more so, since I found out it's a FILM as well. 

In theory, this book is right up my alley. 

I have always been into classic tales, especially those with a twist to them. So of course, as soon as I received it as a Christmas present, BOOM! On to my January TBR it goes. 

And then I realised that I couldn't read it for more than twenty pages at a time. 

The audiobook helped a great deal, and it was quite possibly the reason I managed to finish it before the month ended. 

Though if there's one thing you should take from this very long winded paragraph, is that you should not discourage yourself from reading this if you think you might enjoy it. 

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is 80% of the original book, with some kick-ass zombie killing scenes, and conversations about said zombies. I did enjoy this book, it just didn't flow as much as I thought it was going to. Still a solid read, and I'm considering reading the conclusion, Dreadfully Ever After pretty soon (completely different author, takes nothing from the classic Pride and Prejudice, just finishes what the first book starts. 

Final thought: A very unique and imaginative novel. Glad I took the time to finish it. 

Okay! Those are all the books I finished in January! The books I included in my TBR that I didn't start/ finish will be rolling over to February, so keep an eye out for that TBR! 

As always, feel free to comment what you finished in January, and we can talk about it in the comments! 

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

Byeeee! 

-Abi xxxxxx

Really, I'm even more confused now than I was before!

 Hey guys, this is Abi here, 

And I'm back with another installment of my, flying by the seat of my pants story! 

I bet you all thought I'd forgotten about it, didn't you? 

I admit, all the Christmas/ end of year posts did put this on a bit of a back burner, but I always had the intention to go back and well, see where the story takes me. 

I hope to continue to expand the story, do some world-building, and eventually introduce some new characters (even though I don't even know their names yet). 

So, without further ado, I hope you enjoy (whatever ramblings inside my head make it onto the page). 

~Really, I'm even more confused now than I was before!~

What I walk into... goes straight past surreal to nearly impossible. 

I'm surrounded by blue. That's my first thought. The second is that I'm IMPOSSIBLY HIGH. 

If there's a God up here, please don't let me throw up. 

Before I can procress anything, I automatically reach for Gus' hand. Mine's dripping with sweat. 

He pulls away immediately. 

"What the? Oh Kid, stop that, your palm's all sweaty!" A deep, belly laugh escapes out of him. He's amused at my horror! 

"What do you mean, stop that?! There's no FLOOR!" I try to run, to move in any which way, just away, so I can make sense of what's happening and how we're somehow in the fucking AIR! 

Gus sighs, scratches his neck. "Look kid, or... look Charlie. You're safe, I promise. Nothing is going to happen to you. Look down." 

"That's the last thing I want to do, thank you very much!" Just keep looking at Gus, Charlie. Don't look down.

"Look Charlie. Just look. I've got you." He reaches for my hand. "Sweaty or not. I promise, we're not going to fall. Just look." 

And somehow, as quick as a chiming of a clock, I believe him. 

Taking one quick breath in preparation, I extend my neck outwards. 

What I see, it looks... magical. 

We're in the middle of a boundless sky, seemingly floating in space, but I also know for sure that it isn't, because I can see movement, when random gusts of wind appear. They come and go. I guess you could describe it as an invisible cloud. 

Below us, there are a number of similar invisible clouds, all criss-crossing in multiple directions. Very much like cars, but less noice, with the drivers swearing less. If I look close enough, they actually look like they're behaving pleasantly towards their peers. 

There's no way I'm anywhere near home. 

"You see? You're fine. There's no way we'll be falling." I'd almost forgotten Gus at this point. 

And then I remember why I'm here. 

"Gus, what is all of this? What am I doing here?" 

He taps my hand gently. "All in good time, my young chap. All in good time." Confident now, that I'm not going to pass out, he releases my hand. "Now. Do you want to hang round here a moment longer, or do you want to get where we're going?" 

I take one last glance at wonderous sky, the circular edges, the topsy-turvy vehicles and it's inhabitants, and turn back to Gus. "I'm ready." 

A slight smile plays on the corner of his lips. "Good. I hope you're not against a little bit of SPEED." Before I have a chance to react, we're going at a nosedrive- break point speed! 

Suddenly, we're running at the speed of light, so fast I can't even tell what's around me! We could be about to crash into a tree or a road, or even another cloud! 

"DON'T THINK! DON'T THINK ANYTHING- JUST SEE." I hear in the corner of my ear, so quick, and so quiet, I'm sure I imagined it. 

The blood is pounding in my ears, blocking everything else out, even my terrified screams. 

"DON'T THINK. DON'T THINK. DON'T THINK." 

I close my eyes, trying to block out everything: the urge to throw up, the urge to embarrass myself, sure that this will be the time that I piss everywhere- 

And then, something changes- the feel of it all. Instead of a mad sprint, the whole thing starts to... glide. 

We're light as air. No! Light as a feather. Suddenly, the speed doesn't seem so much anymore. 

"There you go my boy... nice and easy." 

The grim, chomping down on my teeth expression relaxes, just a little. 

"Open your eyes..." Quiet as a whisper I hear it. 

We're flying through a meadow. It's a meadow of these vivacious, bright yellow flowers that give off a particular scent... honey and ginger? I must be going out of my mind... 

"The flowers change. Right now, they're showing you plumeria, but in yellow, based off your essence and energy, and what they think will calm you. I find them most intriguing." 

"You're telling me," a chuckle escapes my throat, "can I touch them? I feel like I should..." I reach down, before Gus can say anything. 

"No, don't!" Gus shouts, way too late. 

"Ah! What was that?!" I gasp, holding my eye. 

"That is what happens when you don't wait until I answer! You just got blasted with seed water, you idiot!" At this point, he's struggling not to laugh, and not succeeding. 

"YOU!" I'm more annoyed than wounded now, and right when I'm thinking of pushing him off this godforsaken cloud- 

"We're here!" He stops dead. 

It's a building, is where we're at. Like a call centre, or a spa. It's light, like everything around her, but dome shaped, very circular. Glass windows, so I can see inside. I have no idea what we're here for. 

"Careful now. You might be a bit dizzy getting off. You have just flown for the first time, after all. 

Sighing, I stretch my leg out, feeling for the ground. "What a load of-" 

I'm on the floor. 

And somehow Gus is helping me up. 

A low chuckle in the back of his throat. "I told you!" He's full on laughing at me now. 

"Stop that!" I shout- but now I'm laughing too. 

This whole thing... I'm really going to miss this, whatever it is. 

"I can't believe this place! The clouds, the flying, how everything is so bright- this isn't heaven is it?" The thought occurs to me so suddenly, I know, straight away, that I'm right. 

Gus' expression changes from laughter to deep worry in seconds. "No, no, no it's not! Listen to me kid, it is not Heaven! You're not dead, neither am I- this is the Cloudlands! The place above Earth. There isn't God! 

"GUS! What are you doing clowning around! You deliberately disobeyed orders, and protocool! Get inside this instant!" Although I know nobody is with us, it sounds like there is, the voice is that loud. It's coming from Gus' headset. 

"Who was that?!" I say, louder than I should. Doesn't matter though, Gus is talking to mystery voice. 

"Yes sir, right away sir." Gus presses a button and turns to me. 

"Sorry about that. That was my Boss, Mr. Budgeswop. He's mad that I disobeyed him, and wants us inside the dome now." 

"Yeah I heard. What kind of a name is Budgeswop?" Smiles playing at the corner of my lips again. 

"Don't ask. But remember when I said that this place isn't Heaven?" 

"Yeah, course. Like two seconds ago." 

"Well, we might be dead after this. Let's go in." Gus leads the way. 

Oh, Joy. 

Okay, that's me done. I'm leaving it there or I'll be writing all night, with no end in sight. 

As always, I hope you enjoyed reading about the ramblings going on inside my head. I have no idea how I started up with this idea, if it's any good or where it's going, but for me at least, it's a nice little project to get my ideas out on paper. 

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

Byeeeee! 

-Abi xxxxx

Christmas Book Haul

 Hey guys, this is Abi here, 

And since I got/purchased quite a few books in the Christmas period, I thought it would be fun to share them! 

Some of these are in my January TBR, so they won't be a surprise, but other than that, I bet they'll be a few that you won't expect! 

Without further ado, I hope you enjoy!

~Gifted~

As the title suggests, these are the books I was gifted by friends and Jordan. For 4/5 of these I gave them choices (three friends- one of them just went ahead and got me both options- you can decide how I feel about that)). 

1. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, by Seth Grahame-Smith

Is it bad that I've never actually read the original Pride and Prejudice? Never even watched the film. Yet when I heard about this, I knew it was the book for me. 

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies opens with a plague sweeping the nation- and the dead are returning to life! Elizabeth Bennett is our fiesty heroine- determined to wipe out the walking dead- but she soon becomes distracted by the witty Mr. Darcy. Cue a number of funny, witty, romantic, badass scenes that deals with heartbreak, love, and of course, zombies, and we have our book. 

2. Watermelon (Walsh Family #1), by Marian Keyes

I've already talked about this one in depth on my January TBR, so I won't be going too much into it here. Instead, I'll bullet point it:

• Claire has everything she wants. Good job, wonderful husband, house, and a new baby. Then, hours after she gives birth, her husband tells her he no longer loves her and leaves, leaving a newborn daughter, a broken heart, and a postpartum body she can't bare to look at in the morror. 
• Trying to pick up the pieces that is her life, she decides to move back to Dublin, back to her childhood home. 
• Claire is forced to move on, to stand on her own two feet. 
• And that's when her ex-husband walks back into her life. 

Not complicated at all, eh?

I can't wait to delve back into this series (and hopefully continue with book 3 afterwards, haha). 

From here on out, you'll be seeing a lot of anticipated released from the last year. This is a first for me, because, for many years now, although I haven't deliberately gone against the curve of 'popular reading', I haven't really cared at all, when it was published. Whether it was 1950s, or 2000s, I've just read what I've fancied. So it's kind of nice to know that, in this instance at least, that my 'reading taste' is a bit more current. 

3. Strangers in Time, by David Baldacci

And yet, the first book on the list is a historical fiction, taking place in the blitz! Hor ironic! 

I've already described this book in my anticipated releases post last year (link is here) but I'll go through it once more, in case you don't fancy clicking. 

Strangers in Time follows Charlie; a walkabout orphan, killing time, avoiding bombs until he can go up against the Germans- not knowing if the next blitz might be his last; and Molly, once a young girl, having returned home from the country to a London she no longer recognises. 

The two orphans find eachother in chaos, and seek asylum in a lowly bookshop. The owner, widower, Ignatius Oliver, graciously allows them entry. 

But, aside from Charlie and Molly's individual troubles, Ignatius is harbouring a secret- a secret that led to the death of his wife. As the three become their own version of a family, the main question is this- will their problems tear them apart from the only family they have left?

4. Piranesi, by Susanna Clarke

I've had so many people recommend this book to me. Even Jordan's Mum mentioned it to me at one point. 

Piranesi is a fantasy, nominated for Readers' Favourite Fantasy in 2020. It really doesn't feel like this book has been out for five years. It really doesn't feel like a fantasy. 

But it is. And that's really the only concrete thing I know about this book. 

It sure sounds intriguing though. 

"Piranesi lives in the House. Perhaps he always has. 

Then messages begin to appear, scratched out in chalk

on the pavements. There is someone new in the House. 

But who are they and what do they want?

Lost texts must be found; secrets must be uncovered. 

The world that Piranesi thought he knew is becoming

strange and dangerous. 

The Beauty of the House is immeasurable;

its Kindness infinite."

Confused yet? Yeah, so am I. 

5. Katabasis, by R.F. Kuang

This screams acadamia, because it's Grad student Alice Law, endevouring to be the best- in the field of analytic magick, of course (couldn't be an R.F. Kuang fantasy without magic). 

But to be the absolute best, she has to find a particular person. That person happens to be (rather inconveniently) in Hell. 

What's worse is, her arch rival Peter Murdock is going after him as well. 

Hell is nothing like what the Philosophers say- it's topsy-turvy, it's dangerous, it's sadistic- and like it or not, if Alice wants to achieve her dream, her and Peter are going to have to work together if they want to survive. 

But will they survive without riping eachother to pieces first?

This has a feel of The Nevernight Chronicles to it, and as tough as I found the ending to that trilogy, I have a feeling that I'm going to like this a heck of a lot more. 

Anybody else read this? Want to share your thoughts? My comment bar is below. 

~Christmas Purchases~

1. Not Quite Dead Yet, by Holly Jackson

Holly Jackson's first adult murder mystery. 

Loved A Good Girl's Guide to Murder TV show- and was eager to start something of Holly Jackson's published works. 

This seemed perfect. 

We follows Jet, who is the daughter of one of the wealthiest families in Woodstock, Vermont. At twenty-seven years old, it seems she is just waiting for life to start. 

I'll do it later, she thinks. She has plenty of time. 

Until she's violently attacked, on Halloween. 

The doctors say she has at best a week, until her head injuries turn into a deadly anneurism. 

Jet has never thought she has any enermies, but the violent attack is enough to open her eyes to who it just might be: her family, her ex-best friend turned sister in law, her ex-boyfriend. Her Childhood friend is the only one she can count on. 

She has one week to achieve maybe the most important goal in her entire life. 

Solving her own murder. 

2. Among the Burning Flowers (The Roots of Chaos #0.2), by Samantha Shannon

I'm so behind on this whole saga, I have no idea where this book takes place. 

All I know is I have to keep getting them. 

I will pick up A Day of Fallen Night and read this, and then re-read The Priory of the Orange Tree, because I loved the first release, enough to purchase the other two without knowing much about them. 

Samantha Shannon is one of the top fantasy authors in this day and age, and I feel so priviliged to be able to read about her vast worlds, her extensive characters, the heartbreak, the adventure, the romance, and most of all, DRAGON RIDING.

Dragon Riding. Should have led with that from the start. 

3. The Survivor Wants to Die at the End (They Both Die at the End #2), by Adam Silvera

I have no idea why I'm so excited by this book. It's an irrational want at this point to read any NEW Adam Silvera book- even one that promises to be as emotional as this one. 

I mean, the title pretty much speaks for itself. 

It feels pretty insensitive to give a description of my interpretation of the novel for this one. To be fair, it may not be. But I still don't want to risk offending anyone with the language I use (I'm just going to quote my blurb):

"What happens when you want Death-Cast to call?

Paz Darlo stays up every night, waiting for

the Death-Cast call that would mean he

doesn't have to keep faking his way through 

this lonely life. After a devastating day, Paz

decides he's done waiting around for Death-

Cast. If they say he's not dying, he'll just have

to prove them wrong. But right before Paz

can die, a boy saves his life. 

Alano Rosa is heir to the Death-Cast empire 

that encourages everyone to live their best 

lives, but he doesn't feel in control of his

own existence thanks to his father. And

with a violent organisation called the Death 

Guard threatening Alano, his End Day might

be closer than he thinks. It's time to live. 

Fate brings Paz and Alano together. 

But they must survive the tragic trials

ahead so no one dies at the end." 

I love Adam Silvera books, and I hope to love this too. 

Okay! Those are all the books I was gixted/ purchased over Christmas! If you got any too, please comment down below! I love to read your comments! 

Okay! That's everything I have for you all today! 

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

Byeeee! 

-Abi xxxxxx