Boston Marathon UK 2026- I MADE SUB 4!

 Hey guys, this is Abi here, 

And if you've somehow gone straight past the title onto this post- I ran Boston Marathon in Lincolnshire on Sunday, and I achieved my goal- A SUB 4 MARATHON! 

A sub 4 marathon meant a lot to me, as it was one of the goals I was hoping to achieve this year. 

I'll be displaying all the in-depth thoughts for all of you that are lucky enough to being close to running a marathon soon, and for the rest of you, so you can laugh at those of us that choose to torture ourselves for a distance! 

Not quite sure how I'm going to structure this, but I'll just see how I go. 

First off, the initial details:

Distance: 26.22 miles (watch measured as 26.30)

Location: Boston, Lincolshire UK

Average pace: 8:56 minutes

Moving time: 3:54:56 (official time was 3:54:48)

Average HR: 167bpm

~Best Efforts: (Based on Strava)~

5km/3.1 miles: 26:26 (8:30/mile)

10km/6.22 miles: 53:07 (8:33/mile)

15km/9.3 miles: 1:19:43 (8:33/mile)

10 miles: 1:25:32 (8:33/mile)

20km/12.44 miles: 1:46:40 (8:35/mile)

Half marathon/21.095km/13.1 miles: 1:52:43 (8:36/mile)

30km/18.64miles: 2:43:48 (8:47/mile)

Marathon/ 42. 195km/26.219 miles: 3:54:14 (8:56/mile)

~Goals~

Going into this, I had an A, B and C goal. As you do when attempting a new distance, or even a new route. 

Those goals were: 

A goal: Aim for a time that Runna predicted, which was 3 hours 40 minutes- 3 hours 48 minutes. Knew that was pretty unlikely, but I was planning on staying conservative, and try for 8:35/mile pace (which equates to 3:45:00 marathon time). 

B goal: Sub 4 marathon. The time everybody hopes to achieve for their first marathon if they've been training for it. I knew that, if I stuck to the plan, and stayed at 8:35/mile pace for the first half, then I was likely to achieve this (so long as nothing completely untoward threw me off). 

C goal: Just finish. That is always the C goal. Just finish. Don't give up, and don't pass out. 

~Preparation~ 

Drinking water: Making sure I was as hydrated as possible, going into race day. I had a couple of extra water bottles the day before, and one extra on the friday. Those that know me know that I'm absolutely terrible at continously drinking water throughout the day, so managing extra beforehand was frankly a miracle. 

Carb-loading. I took extra care with this- on friday, as well as my usual pot noodle, apple, twix and crisps, had a tuna pasta as well. Saturday, I had a beef stew and veg from my favourite cafe in King's Lynn, before travelling to Boston (all the veg- making sure I had all the carbs that were available to me). 

Low fiber. Aware that veggies are high in fiber, for dinner on Saturday, I deliberately went with a plain chicken wrap with lettuce, so as not to come into trouble on Sunday morning. 

Sunday morning: I woke up at 6. Race started at 8. Nutrition was apple porridge and a banana. This is what I'm used to on race day, whether it be 10 miles, a half or otherwise. 

Couple of toilet trips later, and we were off! 8am on the dot. 

~The Race~

Miles 1-10: I was feeling fresh. I was taking gels every 35 minutes, knowing full well that if I didn't, I'd regret it later. The wind was a bit of a surprise, especially the strength of it. I'd dealt with wind in training, so I wasn't too phased by it, but I knew that it might be a problem later (Boston marathon covers a lot of open fields, with no cover whatsoever). Nothing I could do about it, so I pressed on. 

Note: Started to feel an ache in my left hip. That did not go away until the end. Got gradually worse. 

Halfway: I hit halfway at 1:53:ish, and even then, I knew that the wind was going to be the BIG ISSUE for this race. Three quarters of this race is exposed to the elements, as it's all very much open fields. You turn a corner, and you're running straight into head wind. Having seen the splits I was hitting, I had made a conscious effort to slow down. That wind was sapping the strength from my legs, and every other runner I spoke to whilst on the course. I also knew at this point that I was not going to be getting my A goal, that I'd set out beforehand, so I focused all of my energy in beating the 9:09 pace I needed for Sub 4. 

Mile 14-15: Was definitely starting to feel it. My hip was starting to hurt, and I was getting frequent cramp in my right foot, from overuse, and was causing me to slow down for several minutes. The wind wasn't lessening, and was the main reason for the fatigue I was starting to feel. 

Mile 17-18: Low point. The wind wasn't showing any signs of slowing, or lessening, the cramp in my foot had come back once more, and there was still over 10K to go. Mile 18 is survival mode, the point where you hit the wall, and you have the choice of giving up on a time and just getting through it, or gritting your teeth and try to stick to something, anything, to get you through those last miles. These miles are the reason you taper, the reason you carb load, the reason you try nothing new on race day. 

Due to the gels I'd been having every 35 minutes, I hadn't hit the wall. For those that don't know, the wall is that time between 18-21 miles when you run out of glucogen stores in the liver and muscles (which you get from carbohydrates). I don't believe I did hit the wall at any point, due to good preparation and tapering. But of course, there was a lot of wear and tear at this point, because I'd ran so many miles. 

20 miles landmark: 2:56 and some seconds. By this point, I was feeling the second wind I'd been promised I would feel (this was fleeting, by the way- the second wind left and returned over time). At this point, I knew that, unless something absolutely fucking horrible happened (like twisting my ankle) that I was going to get Sub 4. I was checking my watch every five minutes at this point, to see what I could achieve. From this point until the finish, I was just telling myself, just get to 22 milles. Now, just get to 22.22. 4 miles left. 

22 miles- At this point, it was helpful to know how much time I had left, if I wanted to get Sub 4. Now, this was just an assurance for me personally, to know, but I was still trying to get as close as I could to 9:09 average. Looking at my mile splits afterwards, I was definitely slower than 9:09 pace, but thankfully, that first half had given me some wiggle room for those horrendous final miles, out in the cold, engulfed in the relentless wind. (Please do think that this is a sensible thing to do, it's probably the least sensible thing you can do in a marathon, trying to bank time.) 

I had an extra gel in my pocket, for if I needed it. One rule I stuck to, when on my long runs for this marathon, was to always have an extra gel if I needed it. So with 5 miles to go, I took my second to last gel, with the promise that, after I had ran 5K, I would have the final gel, with 2 miles to go. It was that, along with the time that I was making up. I think I had about 42 minutes left, with 4 miles to go, and thinking, how many times have I ran 4 miles in 42 minutes, and the ending of the wind, that was enough encouragement for me. 

Finishing: Reaching the town, getting away from all of the open fields, and the gusts of wind that came with it was the biggest relief I'd felt in ages. With less than 2 miles to go, last gel taken, with more than 20 minutes to go for Sub 4, I knew I just had to get there. More spectators, more encouragement, more noise, was almost overwhelming. I didn't need any of it though, surprisingly. I was focused though, I was calm. I was ready to be done. The only question left though, would I manage the distance with more than 5 minutes to go? You can imagine what I was feeling when my watch buzzed at marathon distance before I crossed the finish line, by quite a bit. 

I forgot about that when I saw Jordan, at the finish line, looking proud and emotional. Then my Mum and brother as well. 

Did I manage sub 3:55:00? You can bet your ass I did. Official time: 3:54:48. 

I've never felt so elated after a race than when that time came through. 

So, what's next, you ask? My next race isn't until September, in a similar place to this one. I'll be doing the Mablethorpe 10K on 13th September. But until that, I want to help Jordan get back up to scratch with his running. I'm determined to get him back to doing sub 24 at the 5K before September, and maybe a halfway decent time at the 10K as well. 

So, if you're a runner, taking on a marathon soon, or even a half, here's my advice: 

1. Take more gels than you think you need, just in case. 

2. Same goes for water. I had water at every station. You're going to feel crap enough as it is, without a headache and stomach ache on top of it. 

3. Talk to people. The race you're doing is the victory lap for all of the training you've just put yourself through, when you were tired and run down, and wanted to quit. Talking to people, admitting you're both hurting, helps. I've never got through a race longer than a 10K without talking to someone during it. 

4. Be proud. How many people do what you're doing, how many people can tackle 26.2 miles, or even 13.1 miles? Less than 1% in the entire human population have completed a marathon. Take pride in your achievement, and shout about it, as hard as you can. Because it's bloody difficult. 

5. NOTHING NEW ON RACE DAY.

Okay! That is my account of Boston Marathon, in Lincolnshire, which I completed last Sunday. I'm sure I'll think of more to say once I've posted this, but for now, I think that's it. I know it's a fair bit different from what I usually post on here, but since it's all I can think about at the moment, I thought it might be beneficial for myself, and anybody else that's considering a half, or marathon in the near future. 

Right! That is all I have for you all today, but I will see you all soon! (Feel free to comment). 

Byeeeee! 

-Abi xxxx

Anticipated Releases (April-June 2026)

 Hey guys, this is Abi here, 

And I'm back with my annual Anticipated Releases post, this time, for April through to June. 

I have a fair few more than I did for the last Anticipated Releases post, so I hope at least one of them catches your eye! 

Without further ado, I hope you enjoy! 

~April~

1. Maybe Tomorrow I'll Know, by Alex Ritany

Release date: 7/4/26

"Laurie wakes up in a girl's body with no memories, driving down an unknown highway, and promptly crashes the car. Thankfully, a handsome named Gideon comes to his rescue. It's awkward for Laurie to pretend he's a girl, but at least this is the scariest thing he'll ever have to deal with. 

Except the next morning- and every morning after- Laurie wakes up battling down that same highway. He re-meets Gideon every day, with no idea who this girl whose body he's inhabiting even is. Only one thing is clear: he's on a countdown. Laurie has been given only one hundred days to get back in the right body, break the time loop, and not fall for Gideon while he does it." 

This sounds like a unique, fun and light-hearted story with a twist, and the fact that it comes out in just over a week is very exciting. If I have some spare cash in a couple of weeks, I may order it, or get it from my local Waterstones (if it's stocked there). It sounds like the perfect read for Spring, when the weather is just that little bit warmer. I can't wait for this release. 

2. The Escape Game, by Marissa Meyer and Tamara Moss

Release date: 7/4/26

A MARISSA MEYER MURDER MYSTERY! 

I was totally sold, straight away. 

Basically, The Escape Game is a tv show, that just wrapped up it's fourth season. The ending- Alicia Angelos, contestant- is found murder on set. 

And now, Season Five is underway, and the new contestants are ready to put their skills to the test- figuring out the clues in order to solve the show's trickiest escape rooms. Contestants that include Season Four's murder victim's sister, Sierra Angelos. 

But Sierra's not just there to win. She's here for justice. 

When the contestants start to uncover the clues for the actual murderer's identity, they realise the stakes aren't just high this year- they're deadly. If the teens want to win- and survive- The Escape Game- they must solve the biggest mystery of all- who killed Alicia Angelos?

(Pretending I'll be getting to all of these anticipated releases) this feels very much like a September/October read, but who knows? Maybe I'll be in the mood for it sooner? 

It sounds crazy good. 

3. Until We Meet Again, by Lily Kim Qian 

Release date: 7/4/26

Goodreads describes this as "poignant and vivdly illustrated graphic memoir", and honestly, that is all I needed, when I read what it was about. 

Until We Meet Again is about Lily, who, upon entering her college years, has never felt like she's in control of where she belongs. Her family is contantly on the move, from different towns scattered across Canada and, eventually, to Shanghai, China. Her father plays the role of prime caregiver, while her mother is absent for extended periods of time. 

Now, growing into an adult, all Lily wants is to better understand her family, and her place within it. But can she escape the inherited trauma passed down by her immigrant parents?

Now, clearly, I'm not the target audience for this. But I do understand the feeling of knowing how you fit within your family, even if this family is vastly different to my own. 

And I'm always a sucker for a self discovery graphic novel. 

~May~

1. In the Blood, by April Henry

Release date: 12/5/26

"Adopted as a newborn, Tessa has always wondered who her biological parents are. After turning 18, she takes a DNA test in hopes of finding the answers. With best friend El and lab partner Victor, Tessa uses the results to start building her family tree. But they find more dead ends than answers. Her biological mother, who was raised in a religious cult, has cut all ties with her controlling family. And her biological father remains a complete mystery, at least until the police show up. For fifteen years, they've been trying to identify a serial killer known as the Portland Phantom. Tessa is the link they've been waiting for." 

From what I've seen on Goodreads, this book isn't wildly known. There aren't a huge amount of reviews from ARC reviewers, but what is, shows that it's a well liked books. The majority are 4 and 5 star reviews, and if you add that with the simple, yet unique premise, you have quite the show-stopper here. 

I really hope they stock this in my local Waterstones, because I would quite like to read this one. 

2. Force of Nature, by Melissa Clark 

Release date: 19/5/26

Obviously, a book is so much more than what the blurb describes it to be. We force feelings, thoughts, romances, plotlines, passions and all of the above into a couple of short paragraphs, and hope that articulates what's in a story. 

What I got from this blurb- it's a whirlwind of everything. 

(See what I did there? Hehe.)

Anyway. Here's the Goodreads blurb. I am definitely excited for this one. 

"Who is Chloe Lovejoy, really? A straight C- student, a girl with a crush on the cutie from chorus, an all-powerful being responsible for taking care of the planet... or perhaps all three. That's what Chloe finds out on her sixteenth birthday, when she unexpectantly inherits the role of Mother Nature from her grandmother. Chloe is overwhelmed, to say the least. Then, when the unthinkable happens, and grandma is no longer around to guide her, Chloe is left to oversee the natural laws of the world all by herself. 

Between managing earthquakes and hurricanes, rivals at school, and her not-very-helpful-mother, Chloe tries to maintain balance and harmony on Earth and in her everyday life. But someone in the community has an eye towards harnessing her powers for nefarious purposes, which means Chloe needs to dig deep and get her act together before her secret is found out. After all, the universe is depending on her." 

I mean, I'm not gonna lie, the cat on the cover was what drew me in. But the premise is what held my attention. 

And hey, I've been throwing the world unique around a lot in this- but that's what this book is. It doesn't have the best reviews on Goodreads, but then, there's only five of them. 5 reviews doesn't mean a thing. 

I'm willing to give this book a chance. It might even be a favourite of the year. You never know. 

~June~

1. The League of Dangerous Young Ladies, by J.A. Morgenstein

Release date: 2/6/26

    Now, I have no idea how J.A. Morgenstein came up with something this genius, but that's precisely what it is. Famous villains' offspring, running round, solving mysteries, and killing monsters? That's a story I can get behind.

Reading from the POV of Rose Moriarty- daughter of Sherlock Holmes' arch nemesis, has made a name for herself by fighting off monsters and solving crimes. But that was before she was faced with a mystery she couldn't work out- her Headmistress' murder. Now, she's out of school, without a purpose, or a friend and completely alone. 

"On the very day Rose receives word that an old friend is drying, the shadowy Count Christoph and his ward Clara show up at her door. Rose has already figured out why they're here (to hire her) and what's in their bag (an ancient orb with incredible powers), but questions remain: Can Rose convince these strangers to help save her friend's life? What are the grotesque, bug-shaped stalkers that plague their every step? And how can Rose pursue this adventure while avoiding a certain boy from her childhood? The only thing certain is that Rose is no longer alone, because danger forges strange alliances... 

... and Professor Moriarty wasn't the only famous villain to have a daughter." 

I love the idea of this. It has a Girl in Red (Christina Henry)/ Pride and Prejudice and Zombies vibe to it. Not to mention this is a debut novel. 

I'm expecting this to be a huge hit, to be honest with you. 

2. How to Lose Yourself Completely, by Peter Bognanni

Release date: 2/6/26

An extremely emotion novel, about Case, that goes to 'adventure therapy' to try and start coming to terms with his brother's death. Sean, Case's brother was basically the only person to truly understand him. 

Who else is there? Brother's girlfriend, Diana, trying to do exactly the same thing. 

Sorry, this adventure therapy sounds like a horrific idea. But, thinking that maybe, just maybe, roughing it out in the woods with a group of strangers, might actually help, he agrees. 

And what happens? In between the horrific bonding over shared pain, the counselor mysteriously disappears, turning a cheesy camp into a night of survival. This leaves Case, Case's brother's girlfriend, and the rest of the kids to go out and look for him, with the only thing in common being their prescriptions, and lack of social skills. 

In order to survive, they must find their own way back home, lost and alone. In the process, they will change each other's lives forever.

 

3. The Music of Us, by Emereld Alexandrea

Release date: 2/6/26

This was all I needed, in order to get on board with this book:

-Set in cat cafe. 

-Student, instead of enjoying her summer before college like her friends, is struggling to make enough to pay the rent in her mother's cat cafe. 

-Emails old school friend, now part of a band, with past romance history- can he do a live performance to raise Cat Cafe money? 

-Old flame romance & raising money for Cat Cafe plot

-Did I mention it's set in a Cat Cafe? 

-Also romance, which is very cute and fluffy. 

That's literally all I needed to know. Should be enough to get you to read this too, if you like cats and romance. 

4. Finish Lines, by Sarah Broyles & Hannah Schroy

Release date: 16/6/26

This is more or less a bullet point book as well to be honest. Pretty simple in it's premise, but straight and to the point. Also a graphic novel, so I expect to get sucked into this in the first page when I get to it eventually.

"Miranda has a plan: ace her junior year, get into an Ivy League school, and skip anything that doesn't look good on a college application. But the pressure is getting to her, and now her parents have cut her off from every club, competition and committee she's a part of. 

Desperate to get back on track, Miranda sets her sights on the Texas Water Safari- a 260-mile canoe race her mom was set to do with her grandad. With her mom sidelined with an injury, Miranda joins her grandfather. It's grueling, messy, and scorching hot. 

Can a perfectionist survive the wild long enough to find out who she is outside of a college checklist?"

I've been dying to get my hands on another fast-paced, standalone graphic novel for the longest time, and this seems like the perfect choice. I personally love a physical challenge, but I can understand the feeling of falling behind on the future you've set your heart on, so I think this will be the perfect fit for me on a personal level. I genuinely can't wait for this release. 

Okay! Those are all of my anticipated releases for April- June! I may already have a list started for July onwards, but that doesn't mean I'll be skipping these releases! 

As always, if you have an interest in these or any other releases, let me know in the comments, and we can chat about them! 

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

Byeeee! 

-Abi xxxxx

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