Review: In Case You Missed It by Lindsey Kelk

This is the first time I've read anything by Lindsey Kelk and I was really pleasantly surprised. The story was quick and interesting, the characters weren't blasé or annoying - they were fun, well-rounded and didn't just talk about men. And the male interests weren't just one sided (oh what a monster, oh what a heart throb). Even better, it was genuinely funny and quirky. In all a really fun read!

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Review: Summer at Rachel’s Pudding Pantry by Caroline Roberts

There's something about the lovely Pudding Pantry series that I just really enjoy. It's warm, cosy and as saccharine as all the cakes and sweet treats everyone is constantly making. But it's also wholesome, and the combination of farming community and baking business is just one that really appeals to me.

Review: A Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes

We know the tales of The Iliad, of the thousand Greek ships that landed on the Trojan plain to wage war for ten long years because a prince of Troy had seduced the King of Mycenae's wife. But this is not a book about Helen. This is a book about all the other major women, from Trojans to Greeks, goddesses to nymphs, who were caught up in their own war as Troy fell.

Review: The Ship of Shadows by Maria Kuzniar

It is such a delight to read a book that completely captures the child-like desire to see the world, to travel, to experience things for the first time and to run away with female pirates who eat cake. This whole story was such a pleasure to read from start to finish.

Review: Cinderella is Dead by Kalynn Bayron

First off, amazing, striking cover (both of them). Fantastic, attention-grabbing title. And I loved the overarching story. But just because a tale is more diverse and queer doesn't mean I can forgive it when the execution isn't quite right ...

Review: Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust

There's nothing inherently wrong with this book - which isn't a great start to any book review - it's a solid fairy tale and Persian mythology-inspired fantasy book. I think my issue is that I've just a couple of books this year that take similar source material or characters and just run with the story better.

Review: The Constant Rabbit by Jasper Fforde

With somewhat impeccable timing, this book could potentially be a seen as an ally to the current rising awareness of institutional (and apparent) racism. However, it is also a white man's guilt about things in which he has been complicit, if not directly involved. But above all, it is satire - whether its satire of a situation that is too fresh to be appropriate remains to be seen - and the book is fully aware that it is satirising the British phobia of all things 'other'.

Review: Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

But this book. I loved reading Gods of Jade and Shadow last year and Moreno-Garcia's writing is just getting better and better. This book is dark and creepy. It's got intense characters. It has all the gothic tropes told in the best best ways. And then a completely different setting. It was SO GOOD.