Sunday Salon

Welcome to my Sunday Salon post! Hosted by Readerbuzz this post is a chance to have a weekly bookish and non-bookish catch up with other bloggers.

What I have been reading this week:

Book Review – Fingersmith by Sarah Waters

Library Book Review – A Bookshop Christmas by Rachel Burton

Random Things Tours – Book Review – Dashboard Elvis Is Dead by David F Ross

When The Lights Go Out by Chris Curran (click for link to Goodreads)

Christmas at Carrington’s by Alexandra Brown (click for link to Goodreads)

Letters from Father Christmas by JRR Tolkien (click for link to Goodreads)

Whilst it looks like a lot of books this week, the first three were being finished off!

Memes that I have participated in this week:

Goodreads Monday – Hosted by me Budget Tales Book Blog

Top Ten Tuesday – Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

WWW Wednesday – Hosted by Sam @ Taking on a World of Words

Goodreads Top 5 Wednesday – Hosted by Goodreads T5W group

Time Travel Thursday – Hosted by me Budget Tales Blog

Book Blogger Hop – Hosted by Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer

The Friday 56 – Hosted by Freda’s Voice

Places my books have taken me – Hosted by me Budget Tales Blog

Stacking the Shelves – Hosted by Reading Reality

Library Loot – Hosted by The Captive Reader and Real Life Reading

Sunday Post – Hosted by Caffeinated Reviewer

What else has been happening this week:

On Tuesday I went with my parents back to the Ashford Outlet to take back some shoes that claimed to be waterproof, but after walking my son to and from school in the rain (not even hard rain) they leaked. The shop was very good about it and let us swap them for some different ones. Friday I went into school with my son to do some reading with him and then went to a Math’s drop in session where I could ask questions. The weekend came and the cold that my son was battling earlier in the week had been successfully transferred to me. I then went to London for my sister’s 30th birthday celebration feeling very sorry for myself. Today will be spent chilling.

I hope that you all had a good week.

#bookstagram #bibliophile #igreads #bookreview #instaread #lovetoread #booksarelife #readingisfundamental #whatimreading #bookreviewer #bookaddicts #bookpost #tbrpile #justread #bookishphotography #whattoreadnext #readallday #bookworms #booksofinstagram #bookwormproblems #bookaholic #bookpic #newreads #booknerd #bibliophile #sundaysalon #autumnreading #fallreading #gothicfiction #christmas

“book”, “read”, “book review”, “book blog”,”recommended”, “easy read”, “don’t miss out”, “fiction”, “entertaining”, “book meme”, “weekly wrap up”, “sunday salon”, “what books do you recommend”, “what book should I read next”, “gothic fiction”, “christmas”, “autumn reading”, “fall reading”

Sunday Post

Welcome to my Sunday post hosted by Caffeinated Reviewer. A busy week with end of the month this week! I have ended the week poorly with another cold – my son apparently is still bringing stuff home – he has a streaming nose, but seems to be handling it better than me!

Here is what I have been up to this week:

Sunday Salon (last week)

Random Things Tours – Book Review – The Cornish Cream Tea Bookshop by Cressida McLaughlin

Goodreads Monday (add your links in the comments section for all to see!) – A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro

Top Ten Tuesday – Cosy Reads

WWW Wednesday – Currently Reading, Finished Reading, Reading Next

Library Book Review – A Bookshop Christmas by Rachel Burton

Goodreads Top 5 Wednesday – Fictional Places You Want To Visit

Random Things Tours – Book Review – Dashboard Elvis Is Dead by David F Ross

What I have been reading this month – November 2022 Reading List

Book of the Month – My Favourite Book Of November 2022

New Month New Goals! Reading Goals for December

Friday 56 – Christmas at Carrington’s by Alexandra Brown

Book Blogger Hop – Do you go back and reread the previous book before starting the sequel?

Book Review – Fingersmith by Sarah Waters

Places My Books Have Taken Me This Month – November 2022 – plus a one word review for each!

5 Star Autumn Reads Part 2 (October to November)

November Monthly Wrap-Up

Stacking The Shelves/Library Loot

I hope that you have all had a good week!

#bookstagram #bibliophile #igreads #currentlyreading #bookreview #instaread #lovetoread #booksarelife #readingisfundamental #whatimreading #bookreviewer #bookaddicts #bookpost #tbrpile #justread #bookishphotography #whattoreadnext #readallday #bookworms #booksofinstagram #bookwormproblems #bookaholic #bookpic #newreads #booknerd #sundaypost #autumnreading #fallreading #popularbooks #bookmemes #bookquotes #booklists #mystery #gothicfiction #christmas

“book”, “read”, “book review”, “book blog”,”recommended”, “easy read”, “don’t miss out”, “fiction”, “entertaining”, “mystery”, “what should I read next”, “what books do you recommend”, “which books are popular at the moment”, “what is everyone reading”, “autumn reading”, “fall reading”

Book Review – Fingersmith by Sarah Waters

Book From My TBR Shelves

Genre: Gothic Fiction

Number of Pages: 592

📖PLOT SUMMARY FROM GOODREADS 📖

Sue Trinder is an orphan, left as an infant in the care of Mrs. Sucksby, a “baby farmer,” who raised her with unusual tenderness, as if Sue were her own. Mrs. Sucksby’s household, with its fussy babies calmed with doses of gin, also hosts a transient family of petty thieves—fingersmiths—for whom this house in the heart of a mean London slum is home.

One day, the most beloved thief of all arrives—Gentleman, an elegant con man, who carries with him an enticing proposition for Sue: If she wins a position as the maid to Maud Lilly, a naïve gentlewoman, and aids Gentleman in her seduction, then they will all share in Maud’s vast inheritance. Once the inheritance is secured, Maud will be disposed of—passed off as mad, and made to live out the rest of her days in a lunatic asylum.

With dreams of paying back the kindness of her adopted family, Sue agrees to the plan. Once in, however, Sue begins to pity her helpless mark and care for Maud Lilly in unexpected ways…But no one and nothing is as it seems in this Dickensian novel of thrills and reversals.

💭THOUGHTS💭

I first thought of this book when I was trying to find some Gothic Fiction for the Halloween month of October. I have had this book on my shelf for many years and thought that it was high time that I actually read it. I had no idea that it would take me this long, however I have enjoyed it and am glad that I have finally finished it – a month later! 

The writing is small and very detailed. It is a really slow paced story because of the heavy detail. Even though it is heavy on the detail, I really enjoyed it. I was able to immerse myself in the story and enjoy the journey that I was being taken on. I would read for ages and not seem to get anywhere, yet at the same time lots of things seemed to happen. The size of the font combined with the number of pages was intimidating, but once I had started I wanted to make it to the end! 

The chapters were long so you got a good chunk of the story before moving on. The book was split into 3 parts, with each one having a specific part to play. There were a few twists that I didn’t see coming! I was however, a bit disappointed by the ending. For me it didn’t give the closure I was expecting. The rest of the story was good though, so I couldn’t really give it less than 4.5 stars. 

The characters were great. The story was told from two main points of view, which I enjoyed. I loved the morally grey aspects to all of the characters and felt that these traits all added to the story in some way. I was totally invested in both characters, yet they were essentially quite heartless. 

Lastly the settings. I loved them. I loved the time period and travelling between London and the countryside. The level of detail was excellent and I really felt like I was there alongside the characters. 

Overall an excellent story, but I found it quite a lot to get through.   

⭐Rated 4.5/5⭐

#bookstagram #instabook #bookphotography #igbooks #ilovereading #bookhaul #bookhoarder #bookaddiction #bookstoread #whattoread #fortheloveofbooks #bookblogging #bookpics #weekendreads #bookrecs #booknerdproblems #bookpictures #bookstagram #amreading #booksbooksbooks #instablog #booknerds #bookphotos #bibliophile #gothicfiction

“book”, “read”, “book blog”, “easy read”, “don’t miss out”, “fiction”, “autumn reading”, “fall reading”, “Gothic Fiction”

Friday Night Reading

A varied night tonight, with me being able to read a bit of all of my books. I started off with Fingersmith by Sarah Waters as I had neglected that for a few nights, and I really would like to finish it this month. I am so close to the end, but it is taking a while to get there!

I then went on to A Bookshop Christmas by Rachel Burton. Again I am so close to the end, but I knew that I had to get on to my Blog Tour book so decided to stop reading after a few pages and move on!

I therefore finished my evening with my Blog Tour book, Dashboard Elvis Is Dead by David F Ross. This is an interesting book and I had to take a step back and summarise what had happened in order for me to carry on moving forward.

I hope that you have had a good Friday and enjoyed my Friday 56 – Dashboard Elvis Is Dead by David F Ross post and my Book Blogger Hop – Which print size do you prefer: small, medium, or large? post.

Tomorrow on the Blog is Stacking the Shelves and my weekend reading plans.

See you then!

#classicbooks #bookstagram #bibliophile #bookworms #bookaddict #bookshelf #goodreads #reads #bookaholic #reader#bookstagram #booklover #reading #bookstagrammer #bookworm #bookish #readersofinstagram #booknerd #bookreview #bookrecommendations #booksofinstagram #booksbooksbooks #instabook #bookcommunity #bookblogger #bookphotography #bookaholic #booklove #bestseller #instabooks #bookclub #currentlyreading

“book”, “read”, “book blog”, “new”, “recommended”, “easy read”, “don’t miss out”, “fiction”, “reading slump”, “entertaining”, “what should I read next”, “what books do you recommend”

Saturday Night Reading

A fairly decent amount of reading time was had this evening. I started off with my Blog Tour book The Cornish Cream Tea Bookshop by Cressida McLaughlin, followed by Fingersmith by Sarah Waters and ended the evening on A Bookshop Christmas by Rachel Burton.

I am still trying to separate the two Christmas books so that I don’t get confused. Fingersmith is quite dark and a complete contrast to the two Christmas books so is a nice palette cleanser (ironically given what the book is about!). Whilst it is slow going and I still have about 100 pages to go, I am really enjoying it. I actually read more than my allotted time for it as I got so into it!

I hope that you had a good Saturday and enjoyed my Stacking The Shelves post and Books that I have been seeing all over Instagram this week post. Tomorrow on the Blog it’s Sunday Post and Sunday Salon.

See you then!

#classicbooks #bookstagram #bibliophile #bookworms #bookaddict #bookshelf #goodreads #reads #bookaholic #reader#bookstagram #booklover #reading #bookstagrammer #bookworm #bookish #readersofinstagram #booknerd #bookreview #bookrecommendations #booksofinstagram #booksbooksbooks #instabook #bookcommunity #bookblogger #bookphotography #bookaholic #booklove #bestseller #instabooks #bookclub #currentlyreading #christmas #chritmasbooks

“book”, “read”, “book blog”, “new”, “recommended”, “easy read”, “don’t miss out”, “fiction”, “reading slump”, “entertaining”, “what should I read next”, “what books do you recommend”, “Christmas books”, “Gothic Fiction”

Time Travel Thursday

It’s Time Travel Thursday! This is where I take a look back at what I was reading this time last year (or the year before or the year before that…) and compare it to what I am reading now.

This day in 2021 I was reading:

Book Review – Before Again by Claire S Duffy

Book Description From Goodreads:

“He’s been killing for hundreds of years.
But he reckoned without her.

Kirsty has always been alone.

It’s fine. It’s what she’s chosen. People, as a general rule, are more trouble than they’re worth. It’s why God invented batteries.

But when she comes across the man being burned alive on the banks of the Clyde, she can’t just let him die. Without a second thought she batters in to save his life…

And accidentally tears the fabric of time.

Now an ancient serial killer is on the loose and only Kirsty can make him regret he was ever born.

Even if it means killing the only person who ever loved her.

Sometimes she can bloody well see all these magic destiny shenanigans far enough.”

Fast Forward To Today:

Fingersmith by Sarah Waters (click for link to Goodreads)

From my TBR shelves.

Book Description From Goodreads:

“Sue Trinder is an orphan, left as an infant in the care of Mrs. Sucksby, a “baby farmer,” who raised her with unusual tenderness, as if Sue were her own. Mrs. Sucksby’s household, with its fussy babies calmed with doses of gin, also hosts a transient family of petty thieves—fingersmiths—for whom this house in the heart of a mean London slum is home.

One day, the most beloved thief of all arrives—Gentleman, an elegant con man, who carries with him an enticing proposition for Sue: If she wins a position as the maid to Maud Lilly, a naïve gentlewoman, and aids Gentleman in her seduction, then they will all share in Maud’s vast inheritance. Once the inheritance is secured, Maud will be disposed of—passed off as mad, and made to live out the rest of her days in a lunatic asylum.

With dreams of paying back the kindness of her adopted family, Sue agrees to the plan. Once in, however, Sue begins to pity her helpless mark and care for Maud Lilly in unexpected ways…But no one and nothing is as it seems in this Dickensian novel of thrills and reversals.”

The Cornish Cream Tea Bookshop by Cressida McLaughlin (click for link to Goodreads)

I am on the Blog Tour for this book on 28 November so keep your eyes peeled for my review on here, Amazon, Goodreads, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter!

Book Description From Goodreads:

“Ollie Spencer has started a new life in the idyllic Cornish seaside town of Port Karadow. Throwing herself into her job at the town’s bookshop, A New Chapter, is one way to make friends. The shop is glitzing up for first Christmas and Ollie hopes her inspired ideas will give the shop the edge it needs to dazzle the town.

But far from being the Sugar Plum fairy the place needs, Ollie is fast becoming its Christmas pudding. With the bookshop’s success at stake, Ollie turns to twinkly-eyed café owner Max for help. Can he help Ollie to turn the page, and put the sparkle back into her Cornish dream?”

A Bookshop Christmas by Rachel Burton (click for link to Goodreads)

This is my current library book.

Book Description From Goodreads:

“A snowstorm. A stranger. A spark. And it’s Christmas!
It should be the perfect start to the perfect love story.

But real life is far messier and more complicated than in the pages of the books in Megan Taylor’s family bookshop – the last few years have left this young widow in no doubt of that. Moving back home to York should have been a fresh start, but all it did was allow her to retreat from the world.

When prize-winning author Xander Stone rams his supermarket trolley into her ankles and then trashes her taste in books, Megan is abruptly awoken from her self-imposed hibernation. It’s time to start living again, and she’s going to start by putting this arrogant, superior – admittedly sexy – stranger in his place.

Just as she is beginning to enjoy life again, the worst happens and Megan begins to wonder if she should have stayed hidden away. Because it turns out that falling in love again is about more than just meeting under the mistletoe…”

Comparison:

From Fantasy to Gothic Fiction and Christmas! Quite a difference. I am only reading Christmas books this early though due to my Blog Tour schedule and the fact that a library book became available far sooner than I had anticipated (it said that there was a 2 week wait on it, so I thought that that was a reasonable time to start reading more Christmas books, but then the library bought more electronic copies so I could start reading almost instantly!).

What were you reading this time last year or the year before (or the year before!)? Add your links in the comments below!

#bibliophile #igreads #currentlyreading #bookreview #instaread #lovetoread #booksarelife #readingisfundamental #whatimreading #bookreviewer #bookaddicts #bookpost #tbrpile #justread #bookishphotography #whattoreadnext #readallday #bookworms #booksofinstagram #bookwormproblems #bookaholic #bookpic #newreads #booknerd #timetravelthursday #pastreads #autumnreading #fallreading #gothicfiction

“book”, “read”, “book blog”, “recommended”, “easy read”, “don’t miss out”, “fiction”, “past reads”,”entertaining”, “what should I read next”,”gothic fiction”

Time Travel Thursday

It’s Time Travel Thursday! This is where I take a look back at what I was reading this time last year (or the year before or the year before that…) and compare it to what I am reading now.

This day in 2021 I was reading:

Book Review – The Threat Below by J S Latshaw

Book Description From Goodreads:

“Three hundred years ago, something terrifying arose and pushed humanity to the brink of extinction. Now, a small remnant – the descendants of the few survivors who were able to escape the massacre below – lives above the clouds, on the top of a Mountain.

When they discover that their water supply is being poisoned Down Below, an expedition, including seventeen year-old girl Icelyn Brathius, must descend and face the monsters, the Threat Below, that wiped out civilization centuries ago.

Icelyn quickly learns that all is not what it seems as she uncovers secrets hundreds of years old and struggles to stay alive in a world where no human is fit to survive.”

Fast Forward To Today:

Fingersmith by Sarah Waters (click for link to Goodreads)

Book Description From Goodreads:

“Sue Trinder is an orphan, left as an infant in the care of Mrs. Sucksby, a “baby farmer,” who raised her with unusual tenderness, as if Sue were her own. Mrs. Sucksby’s household, with its fussy babies calmed with doses of gin, also hosts a transient family of petty thieves—fingersmiths—for whom this house in the heart of a mean London slum is home.

One day, the most beloved thief of all arrives—Gentleman, an elegant con man, who carries with him an enticing proposition for Sue: If she wins a position as the maid to Maud Lilly, a naïve gentlewoman, and aids Gentleman in her seduction, then they will all share in Maud’s vast inheritance. Once the inheritance is secured, Maud will be disposed of—passed off as mad, and made to live out the rest of her days in a lunatic asylum.

With dreams of paying back the kindness of her adopted family, Sue agrees to the plan. Once in, however, Sue begins to pity her helpless mark and care for Maud Lilly in unexpected ways…But no one and nothing is as it seems in this Dickensian novel of thrills and reversals.”

The People Before by Charlotte Northedge (click for link to Goodreads)

I am on the Blog Tour for this book on 18 November so keep your eyes peeled for my reviews on here, Amazon, Goodreads, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter!

Book Description From Goodreads:

“What if your dream house became your worst nightmare?

Jess and her husband need a new start. So when the chance to buy a rambling old house in the Suffolk countryside comes up, they leap at it.

But not everyone in Suffolk is welcoming. The locals know a secret about the Maple House, and soon, Jess realises they’ve made a huge mistake.

Something bad happened in that house. Something nobody wants to talk about.”

Comparison:

From Fantasy to Gothic Fiction and Thriller. It couldn’t be more different!

What were you reading this time last year or the year before (or the year before!)? Add your links in the comments below!

#bibliophile #igreads #currentlyreading #bookreview #instaread #lovetoread #booksarelife #readingisfundamental #whatimreading #bookreviewer #bookaddicts #bookpost #tbrpile #justread #bookishphotography #whattoreadnext #readallday #bookworms #booksofinstagram #bookwormproblems #bookaholic #bookpic #newreads #booknerd #timetravelthursday #pastreads #autumnreading #fallreading #gothicfiction

“book”, “read”, “book blog”, “recommended”, “easy read”, “don’t miss out”, “fiction”, “past reads”,”entertaining”, “what should I read next”,”gothic fiction”,

Weekend Reading – What I am planning on reading this weekend

It’s the weekend again! This weekend I am planning on reading just a couple of books. The main reason for this is that I really want to get Fingersmith by Sarah Waters (click for link to Goodreads) read this month as I failed to do so last month! So it will be Fingersmith and The Will by Rebecca Reid (click for link to Goodreads).

The Will is my next Blog Tour book to be read so that I can get the review ready for 15 November.

Fingersmith by Sarah Waters (click for link to Goodreads)

Book Description From Goodreads:

“Sue Trinder is an orphan, left as an infant in the care of Mrs. Sucksby, a “baby farmer,” who raised her with unusual tenderness, as if Sue were her own. Mrs. Sucksby’s household, with its fussy babies calmed with doses of gin, also hosts a transient family of petty thieves—fingersmiths—for whom this house in the heart of a mean London slum is home.

One day, the most beloved thief of all arrives—Gentleman, an elegant con man, who carries with him an enticing proposition for Sue: If she wins a position as the maid to Maud Lilly, a naïve gentlewoman, and aids Gentleman in her seduction, then they will all share in Maud’s vast inheritance. Once the inheritance is secured, Maud will be disposed of—passed off as mad, and made to live out the rest of her days in a lunatic asylum.

With dreams of paying back the kindness of her adopted family, Sue agrees to the plan. Once in, however, Sue begins to pity her helpless mark and care for Maud Lilly in unexpected ways…But no one and nothing is as it seems in this Dickensian novel of thrills and reversals.”

The Will by Rebecca Reid (click for link to Goodreads)

Book Description From Goodreads:

“The Mordaunts aren’t like most families . . .

For one, their family home is Roxborough Hall – a magnificent, centuries-old mansion in the Norfolk countryside. For another, the house isn’t passed down from parent to child – but rather to the family member deemed most worthy.

Cecily Mordaunt is dead. On the evening of her funeral, her family will gather for dinner and each will be given a letter, revealing who is the next custodian of Roxborough Hall.

The house is a burden, a millstone, a full-time job . . . but they all want it. And some are willing do anything to get it.

One family. Eight letters. Who will get what they deserve?“

What are you reading this weekend?

#bookstagram #bibliophile #igreads #currentlyreading #bookreview #instaread #lovetoread #booksarelife #readingisfundamental #whatimreading #bookreviewer #bookaddicts #bookpost #tbrpile #justread #bookishphotography #whattoreadnext #readallday #bookworms #booksofinstagram #bookwormproblems #bookaholic #bookpic #newreads #booknerd #autumnreading #fallreading

“book”, “read”, “book blog”, “new”, “recommended”, “easy read”, “don’t miss out”, “fiction”, “reading slump”, “entertaining”, “what should I read next”, “what books do you recommend”

Time Travel Thursday

It’s Time Travel Thursday! This is where I take a look back at what I was reading this time last year (or the year before or the year before that…) and compare it to what I am reading now.

Book Review – Chasing the Darkness by Cassie Sanchez

Book Description From Goodreads:

“Pain is inescapable. Suffering is a choice.

Azrael, the Angel of Death, knows pain. The deaths of his mother and sister, as well as his harsh experiences in the Watch Guard at age twelve, have brutally shaped him into the most feared assassin in all of Pandaren. Azrael’s role as a Hunter requires him to search for those with magic, called Spectrals, which he is happy to do. Hunting allows him to pursue his true goal—exacting revenge on the Fire Spectral who altered the course of his life. 

Azrael’s obsession with revenge and power leads him to undergo an experimental procedure that gives him magic, but when this procedure has unexpected and dangerous side effects, he becomes a liability to the Hunters and the Watch Guard. Rescued by the people he has sworn to eliminate, Azrael finds himself questioning everything he once believed as years of secrets and lies are exposed. His very nature is challenged as he battles unfamiliar emotions and navigates relationships that contradict the heart of a killer.

Can the Angel of Death have a conscience? Can Azrael?

Chasing the Darkness is an escape to a land of magic, sword fights, and love, with memorable characters who must face the darkness within and journey down a path of destruction or redemption.”

Book Description From Goodreads:

“The Lottery, one of the most terrifying stories written in this century, created a sensation when it was first published in The New Yorker. “Power and haunting,” and “nights of unrest” were typical reader responses. This collection, the only one to appear during Shirley Jackson’s lifetime, unites “The Lottery:” with twenty-four equally unusual stories. Together they demonstrate Jackson’s remarkable range–from the hilarious to the truly horrible–and power as a storyteller.”

Book Review – The Lottery by Shirley Jackson – DID NOT FINISH

Fast Forward To Today:

Fingersmith by Sarah Waters (click for link to Goodreads)

Book Description From Goodreads:

“Sue Trinder is an orphan, left as an infant in the care of Mrs. Sucksby, a “baby farmer,” who raised her with unusual tenderness, as if Sue were her own. Mrs. Sucksby’s household, with its fussy babies calmed with doses of gin, also hosts a transient family of petty thieves—fingersmiths—for whom this house in the heart of a mean London slum is home.

One day, the most beloved thief of all arrives—Gentleman, an elegant con man, who carries with him an enticing proposition for Sue: If she wins a position as the maid to Maud Lilly, a naïve gentlewoman, and aids Gentleman in her seduction, then they will all share in Maud’s vast inheritance. Once the inheritance is secured, Maud will be disposed of—passed off as mad, and made to live out the rest of her days in a lunatic asylum.

With dreams of paying back the kindness of her adopted family, Sue agrees to the plan. Once in, however, Sue begins to pity her helpless mark and care for Maud Lilly in unexpected ways…But no one and nothing is as it seems in this Dickensian novel of thrills and reversals.”

A Moment On The Lips At Christmas by J Taylor (click for link to Goodreads)

Book Description From Goodreads:

“A Moment on the Lips Christmas may not be a perfect Christmas, but it’s definitely one you do not want to miss.
From: Pamela Wilson

Date: 20 Dec 2021 04:43

Subject: Very exciting news! Prompt response required!

Dear Family and Friends,

You are cordially invited to join us at Midwinter Cottage from 30 December to 2 January, situated in the glorious wilderness of the Scottish Highlands, for a Christmas and New Year break to remember.

Midwinter is an extremely luxurious thatched cottage that sleeps 18 comfortably and was featured in 2020 Your Home magazine. Facilities include gym, cinema, indoor heated pool, sauna, Aga and manicured grounds with fire pit. Small dogs are allowed in the house. Outdoor shoes are not. This break is a gift from us to you. NO financial contribution is required. RSVP WITHIN 24 HOURS as we need the final numbers for the Ocado shop. Transport via executive coach is included. We look forward to hosting you! Let’s make some memories!

Festive love and peace

Pamela and Gillian”

Havana Fever by Leonardo Padura (click for link to Goodreads)

Book Description From Goodreads:

“Mario Conde has retired from the police force and makes a living trading in antique books. Havana is now flooded with dollars, populated by pimps, prostitutes, drug dealers, and other hunters of the night. In the book collection of a rich Cuban who fled after the fall of Batista, Conde discovers an article about Violeta del Rio, a beautiful bolero singer of the 1950s who disappeared mysteriously. A murder soon follows. This is a crime story set in today’s darker Cuba, but it is also an evocation of the Havana of Batista, the city of a hundred night clubs where the paths of Marlon Brando and Meyer Lansky crossed.”

Comparison:

From Fantasy/Romance and Dark short stories to Gothic Fiction, Christmas and Mystery. I am still keeping to the darker themes as with last year, but with the addition of a lighter Christmas themed book this year!

What were you reading this time last year or the year before (or the year before!)? Add your links in the comments below!

#bibliophile #igreads #currentlyreading #bookreview #instaread #lovetoread #booksarelife #readingisfundamental #whatimreading #bookreviewer #bookaddicts #bookpost #tbrpile #justread #bookishphotography #whattoreadnext #readallday #bookworms #booksofinstagram #bookwormproblems #bookaholic #bookpic #newreads #booknerd #timetravelthursday #pastreads #autumnreading #fallreading #gothicfiction #halloween #christmas

“book”, “read”, “book blog”, “recommended”, “easy read”, “don’t miss out”, “fiction”, “past reads”,”entertaining”, “what should I read next”,”gothic fiction”, “halloween”, “halloween books”, “christmas”

WWW Wednesday – Currently Reading, Finished Reading, Reading Next

It’s W W W Wednesday! Hosted by Sam @ Taking on a World of Words, here are my 3 Ws (Currently Reading, Just Finished Reading and Future Reading):

What I am currently reading:

Fingersmith by Sarah Waters (click for link to Goodreads)

This is my current Gothic Fiction read from my own TBR shelf.

Book Description From Goodreads:

“Sue Trinder is an orphan, left as an infant in the care of Mrs. Sucksby, a “baby farmer,” who raised her with unusual tenderness, as if Sue were her own. Mrs. Sucksby’s household, with its fussy babies calmed with doses of gin, also hosts a transient family of petty thieves—fingersmiths—for whom this house in the heart of a mean London slum is home.

One day, the most beloved thief of all arrives—Gentleman, an elegant con man, who carries with him an enticing proposition for Sue: If she wins a position as the maid to Maud Lilly, a naïve gentlewoman, and aids Gentleman in her seduction, then they will all share in Maud’s vast inheritance. Once the inheritance is secured, Maud will be disposed of—passed off as mad, and made to live out the rest of her days in a lunatic asylum.

With dreams of paying back the kindness of her adopted family, Sue agrees to the plan. Once in, however, Sue begins to pity her helpless mark and care for Maud Lilly in unexpected ways…But no one and nothing is as it seems in this Dickensian novel of thrills and reversals.”

The Moose Paradox by Annti Tuomainen (click for link to Goodreads)

I am on the Blog Tour for this book on 31 October so keep your eyes peeled for my review on here, Amazon, Goodreads, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter!

Book Description From Goodreads:

“Insurance mathematician Henri Koskinen has finally restored order both to his life and to YouMeFun, the adventure park he now owns, when a man from the past appears – and turns everything upside down again. More problems arise when the park’s equipment supplier is taken over by a shady trio, with confusing demands. Why won’t Toy of Finland Ltd sell the new Moose Chute to Henri when he needs it as the park’s main attraction?

Meanwhile, Henri’s relationship with artist Laura has reached breaking point, and, in order to survive this new chaotic world, he must push every calculation to its limits, before it’s too late…

Absurdly funny, heart-stoppingly poignant and full of nail-biting suspense, The Moose Paradox is the second instalment in the critically acclaimed, pitch-perfect Rabbit Factor Trilogy and things are messier than ever…”

What I have finished reading:

Random Things Tours – Book Review – Good Taste by Caroline Scott

Mini Book, Mini Review – Witch Happens by AM King

Book Review – Witch Way To Murder And Mayhem by Jane Hinchey

What I am reading next:

Havana Fever by Leonardo Padura (click for link to Goodreads)

I am on the Blog Tour for this book on 9 November so keep your eyes peeled for my review on here, Amazon, Goodreads, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter!

Book Description From Goodreads:

“Mario Conde has retired from the police force and makes a living trading in antique books. Havana is now flooded with dollars, populated by pimps, prostitutes, drug dealers, and other hunters of the night. In the book collection of a rich Cuban who fled after the fall of Batista, Conde discovers an article about Violeta del Rio, a beautiful bolero singer of the 1950s who disappeared mysteriously. A murder soon follows. This is a crime story set in today’s darker Cuba, but it is also an evocation of the Havana of Batista, the city of a hundred night clubs where the paths of Marlon Brando and Meyer Lansky crossed.”

What are your 3 Ws?

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