Best Books of 2019… So Far!

Best Books of 2019 So far!

By the end of June this year I’d already read 162 books so I thought it might be nice to write a post about my favourite books that I’ve read this year so far. Some were published this year and some were published a while ago but all are books that I’ve read and loved between 1st January and 30th June this year!

These books are in no particular order, I loved them all!

So without further ado…

 

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Senseless by Anna Lickley

This book had to be on my list because it has such an honest portrayal of what it is to have a disability. I could identify with a lot in this novel and it’s so rare to see myself represented in a novel in this way so I feel a real connection to this book. It’s a really good novel all-round and I recommend it. My review is here if you’d like to know more.

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Song of the Robin by R.V. Biggs

This is a book I almost didn’t pick up but I am so glad I did because it’s such a brilliant novel. There is a real mystery running through the book, which had me enthralled. I also really connected with the exploration of grief. My full review is here.

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The Space Between Time by Charlie Laidlaw

This is quite a recent read but I keep finding myself thinking about it so I had to include it in this post. This is a novel that rewards the reader taking their time with it and once you’re invested it will have you hooked all the way to the end. I loved the way it captured how life is, how grief is and how time feels during pivotal moments in life. My review is here.

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The Rumour by Lesley Kara

I read this book very early on this year and it has really stayed with me. It’s a book that really looks at what it’s like to live in a small community and what happens when idle gossip fuels a rumour. I loved this book. My review is here.

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Dead Inside by Noelle Holten

This novel is such a brilliant look at domestic violence from so many angles and I found it really got under my skin. It’s such a great debut and I can’t wait for the second book in the series to be out! My review is here.

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Amazing Grace by Kim Nash

I was so excited to read this book and it completely and utterly lived up to my expectations. It’s a gorgeous feel-good novel! My review is here.

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Baxter’s Requiem by Matthew Crow

This book is beautiful – it’s funny and moving and just such a heart-warming novel to read. It’s definitely a book that I want to re-read at some point. Here is my review.

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The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

This is a recent read but Donna Tartt is one of my favourite authors and I loved The Goldfinch so much that it had to make my list. I haven’t managed to review this one yet but I hope to soon. In the meantime, I highly recommend it!

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The Conviction of Cora Burns by Carolyn Kirby

I found this book so gripping and moving, it had me under its spell from start to finish (and beyond because I still think of it now) so I had to have this one in my list! My review is here.

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Ideal Angels by Robert Welbourn

This book is incredible! It was such an incise look at how modern life is, at our obsessions with social media and appearing like we have the most perfect lives. It is shocking and moving, and I still can’t stop thinking about this novel! My full review is here.

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Blood Orange by Harriet Tyce

This is such a brilliant thriller novel. It’s a prescient novel but also such a stunning read. My review is here.

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Death and Other Happy Endings by Melanie Cantor

I adored this book! It’s a look at what happens when someone is told they have three months to live but it’s such a life-affirming, uplifting read in spite of what has happened. It’s wonderful and I recommend it! My review is here.

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A Modern Family by Helga Flatland

This novel is the most stunning and accurate portrayal I have ever read about what it is to be a sibling. I found it breathtaking at times and I know this is a book I will be thinking about for a long time to come. My review is here.

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The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock by Imogen Hermes Gowar

I got this book for Christmas and it was the very first book I read in 2019, and what a way to start a new year! This is such a stunning novel and it felt like such a treat to read it. I’m sad I didn’t manage to review it but I highly recommend it all the same!

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The Blue Bench by Paul Marriner

I listened to this book on audio and I just got lost in it. It’s such a beautifully written novel about the aftermath of the war on four characters, and I just loved it. I want everyone to read this book! My review is here.

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The Perfect Betrayal by Lauren North

I only read this psychological thriller very recently but it couldn’t not be on my list of best books. This is one of the best books in this genre that I’ve ever read and I can’t recommend it highly enough. My review is here.

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The Flight of Cornelia Blackwood by Susan Elliot Wright

I started reading this book one afternoon and I literally didn’t look up from the page until I finished reading. This is an incredible and stunning novel, one that will stay with me. My review is here.

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The Van Apfel Girls Are Gone by Felicity McLean

I read this book out in the garden over a couple of lovely sunny afternoons and I just got lost in its pages. There is a dreamlike quality to this novel and I still feel slightly under its spell now! My review is here.

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Daisy Jones and The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

I part-read and part-listened to this book and I loved every single second of it. It’s one of my all-time favourite audio books and I highly recommend it. I haven’t managed to post a review yet but I plan on doing so soon.

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The Trouble With Goats and Sheep by Joanna Cannon

This was one of my picks for my 20 Books of Summer and I completely and utterly feel in love with this novel. It’s such a gorgeous novel that is both laugh out loud funny, and heartbreakingly moving. I adored it and hope to review it soon.

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Call Me Star Girl by Louise Beech

This book is amazing. I still don’t feel like I can do justice to it, I still feel like it’s got a hold on me that I can’t explain. My review is here and I just urge you to please go read this book if you haven’t already!

 

 

What are your favourite books of 2019 so far? I’d love to know!

 

 

 

 

That Was The Month That Was… January 2019!

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January is a month that I’ve struggled with in recent years but actually this January didn’t weigh on me quite as much so I feel like I’ve made progress in coming to terms with some things. I also turned 40 this month so am determined that my 40s will be fabulous!

I always plan ahead to keep my mind occupied in January so this time my plan was simple… read lots of good books! And I definitely succeeded with this! I read more books in January then ever before (since I started keeping record of what I read) and ended up finishing 34 books over the month! I can’t pick a single favourite as pretty much every book was really good but I have to give a special mention to Ideal Angels by Robert Welbourn because that book was incredible and it won’t let go of my thoughts!

I also managed a lot more blogging in January than I’ve done for a while and I’m really enjoying it. It feels like my blogging mojo is fully back now after the wobble I had over the summer so hopefully it will stick around now!

 

Here are the books I read in January:

The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock by Imogen Hermes Gowar

This was a Christmas present from my husband. I’ve been wanting to read it for a while and it was worth the wait because I loved it. I already feel that this will make my favourite books of the year so 2019 was off to an amazing start!

Ivy and Abe by Elizabeth Enfield

I had an ARC of this book but I decided to listen to the audio book while I was feeling unwell and I very much enjoyed it. I’m fascinated by the idea of fate so this book was right up my street. I do plan on reviewing it when I get a chance.

The Liar’s Girl by Catherine Ryan Howard

This was another excellent book that I just couldn’t put down! I’ve already reviewed this so you can see my full thoughts here if you’d like to.

The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley

This book a really good way to pass a cold, wintery day when I needed some escapism! My review is here if you’d like to know more.

The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert

I’ve had this book on my TBR for ages and so I decided to part listen to the audio and part read it and I adored it. It was everything I hoped it would be and more!

The Rumour by Lesley Kara

This book was brilliant, it more than lived up to my expectations for it and is another book that I think may well be on my top books of the year! My review is here if you’d like to read it.

The Story Keeper by Anna Mazzola

This book is so atmospheric and had me gripped from start to finish. Find out more in my review here.

No More Plastic by Martin Dorey

This was an interesting introduction to reducing plastic but I was hoping to learn more. I’d definitely recommend it if you’re looking for somewhere to start though.

The Perfect Girlfriend by Karen Hamilton

I’d had an ARC of this on my TBR for quite a while and I finally picked it up in January and I ended up reading it in one sitting, it was so good! Here’s my full review!

The Second Sister by Claire Kendall

I bought this book sometime last year and I spotted it when I was tidying up my shelves last month so kept it out to read. It was a good thriller, it kept me turning the pages!

Ideal Angels by Robert Welbourn

This book is incredible. I loved it, even though it broke my heart. I know this book will be in my favourite reads of 2019, it just won’t let go of me. My full review is here if you’d like to know more.

The Party by Lisa Hall

This book was an okay read, it was one I read over the space of a couple of hours but it wasn’t as thrilling as I’d hoped.

Storyteller: The Authorised Biography of Roald Dahl by Donald Sturrock 

I’ve had the audio book of this for ages and it caught my eye when I was going through my Audible app recently. I very much enjoyed learning more about Roald Dahl, and I now want to read all my favourite of his books!

The Language of Kindness by Christie Watson

I’ve wanted to read this ever since I first heard about it so when I spotted it on an Audible deal recently I snapped it up. I listened to it over a couple of days and found it really interesting. It didn’t have the same lasting impression as Adam Kay’s book but it was a good listen.

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

I was lucky to receive an ARC of this last year and finally picked it up a couple of weeks ago and I devoured it in one sitting. It is such a brilliant novel, I loved it! My review is here if you’d like to know more.

Into the Silent Sea by Claire Stibbe

This was a really good thriller and another book that I flew through as I simply had to know how it would all end. Here’s my review!

The Suspect by Fiona Barton

I’ve read and enjoyed Fiona Barton’s previous two novels so I was delighted to receive a copy of this one. This is a brilliant novel, definitely Fiona’s best yet and I loved it. My full review is here if you’d like to know more.

Our Kind of Cruelty by Araminta Hall

This is another ARC that has been on my TBR longer than it should but when I did pick it up I devoured it. I was gripped from start to finish. I hope to get my review finished and posted soon.

Only Child by Rhiannon Navin

This was a really good read, although I struggled at times with the child narrator. Here’s my review.

Need to Know by Karen Cleveland

I read this novel in one sitting over the course of an afternoon and I loved it. I was intrigued from the opening chapter and it had me hooked right to the end. I’ll be reviewing this one soon.

Dear Mrs Bird by AJ Pearce

I had an ARC of this so I read it while also listening to the audio book and I really enjoyed it. It’s such a wonderful novel, one that I think I might re-read in the future. I hope to get my review posted soon.

Bring me Back by BA Paris

Sadly I didn’t really get on with this book, it was too far-fetched to me and it just didn’t gel at all. I have enjoyed a previous book by the author so maybe this just wasn’t the right book for me.

The Art of Asking by Amanda Palmer

This book has been on my TBR since it was first published but I’ve put off reading it because it felt like it was no longer for me. I’m so glad that I gave it a go though as I got a lot more out of it than I was expecting to so I recommend it.

Diversify by June Sarpong

This book was hit and miss for me. There were chapters that really struck a chord and others that didn’t. I’m glad I read it though, it was interesting for the most part.

The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton

I finally read this book and I can totally see why it got so much praise last year! I loved it too, it was so different to other books in this genre and I really appreciate how much work it must have taken.

Dead Girls by Graeme Cameron

This was a good read, it wasn’t as good as the previous book Normal but it was still a book that I read in just two sittings.

Notes on A Nervous Planet by Matt Haig

This was another Christmas present and I’m glad I picked it up when I did. I found it even more useful than I was expecting to and I think it is a book that I will go back to in the future.

A Very English Scandal by John Preston

This audio book was fascinating, shocking but really interesting. I already knew some things about this case but there was so much I didn’t know. I was hooked all the way through this book, it left me reeling!

Senseless by Anna Lickley

This is such a good novel. It’s got a great storyline, which I really enjoyed and it also has excellent disability representation, which I very much appreciate in a novel. I’ll be reviewing this in February for the blog tour!

Tilly and the Bookwanderers: Pages & Co. by Anna James

I got this book for Christmas and I saved it to read on the anniversary of my mum’s death when I knew I would need a comforting read. This book was everything I hope it would be and so much more besides, I adored it! I’m hoping to get a chance to re-read A Little Princess soon as it’s reminded me how much I loved that novel as a child.

The Six Loves of Billy Binns by Richard Lumsden

This book was beautiful, so much more more than I was expecting it to be and I loved it. I’ve already reviewed this so you can see that here if you’d like to know more.

The Cactus by Sarah Hayward

This book is gorgeous! I read it in one sitting and I completely and utterly fell in love with it. I’ll definitely be reviewing this one soon but in the meantime I highly recommend it!

Someone Like Me by MR Carey

I was sent an ARC of this and was told it was a thriller so I was a bit discombobulated when I started reading it. I’m still not sure what I think of it but I did read it in just a couple of sittings so it definitely gripped me!

Spare Room by Dreda Say Mitchell

I read this book in one sitting and it kept me up way past my bed time as I just couldn’t put it down! I reviewed this one yesterday so you can find that here if you’d like to know more.

 

January Blog Posts & Reviews:

My Favourite Novels Read in 2018

My Favourite Non-Fiction Read in 2018

Reading Bingo for 2018! Was it a full house for me??

2018 Reading Reflections, Statistics and Plans for Tackling the TBR

 

Stacking the Shelves (5th Jan)

Mini Crime and Thriller Book Reviews featuring A Noise Downstairs by Linwood Barclay, The Mystery of Three Quarters by Sophie Hannah, All The Hidden Truths by Claire Askew and Bluebird Bluebird by Attica Locke)

Review of The Liar’s Girl by Catherine Ryan Hyde

New Year Book Tag

This Week in Books (9 Jan)

Review of The Story Keeper by Anna Mazzola

Review of The Perfect Girlfriend by Karen Hamilton

Review of The Rumour by Lesley Kara

Stacking the Shelves (12 Jan)

Review of The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

Review of The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley

This Week in Books (16 Jan)

Review of Only Child by Rhiannon Navin

Review of Ideal Angels by Robert Welbourn

Stacking the Shelves (19 Jan)

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying up and How the #KonMari Method Changed My Life!

This was a much more personal post than I normally share on my blog but I wanted to share how following Marie Kondo’s de-cluttering methods had actually made a huge difference to my life!

Music Monday: In My Life by The Beatles

Review of Into the Silent Sea by Claire Stibbe

Review of The Suspect by Fiona Barton

This Week in Books (23 Jan)

Stacking the Shelves (26 Jan)

The Six Loves of Billy Binns by Richard Lumsden

This Week in Books (30 Jan)

Review of Spare Room by Dreda Say Mitchell

 

The state of my TBR:

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Well, in 2018 I succeeded in reducing my mammoth TBR… but 2019 has been the month with all the books. I started January with 2447 books (this is books that I own, I don’t add books to my TBR if I don’t own them) and have ended the month with 2464 books. Oops! This is in spite of me reading 34 books off my TBR this month, the fact is that I’ve acquired 51 books so overall my TBR has increased by 17 books. My plan is to reduce my TBR by 20 books every month so I need to do some serious reading and/or unhauling (unhauling keeps autocorrecting to unfailing and I was so tempted to leave it at that! Haha!) in February to get back on track! In all seriousness though I’m not worried as last year the reduction of my TBR happened over the course of the year so I feel sure I’ll be back on track come December 31st!

 


 

How was your January? I hope you all had a good month and that you read lots of good books. Did you read many books? What was your favourite book of the month? Please tell me in the comments, I’d love to know. Also, if you have a blog please feel free to leave a link to your month’s wrap-up post and I’ll be sure to read and comment back. 🙂

This Week in Books (9 Jan 2019)! What are you reading this week?

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Today I’m taking in part in This Week in Books, which was started by Lipsyy Lost and Found! If you want to join in you just need to share what you’re reading now, what you’ve read over the last week, and what you hope to read next.

Now

Only Child by Rhiannon Navin

I’ve had an unread ARC of this from NetGalley for longer than I should have but I finally picked it up this week and am finding it gripping so far.

Trauma: From Lockerbie to 7/7: How Trauma Affects Our Minds And How We Fight Back by Gordon Turnbull

I’ve been reading this one on and off for a week or so now and am finding it utterly fascinating. I’m always interested in reading about trauma having suffered from PTSD myself and this book is particularly good. This book looks at Turnbull’s career but also how he, and others in psychiatry, came to understand trauma and how best to treat it.

 

Then

No More Plastic by Martin Dorey

I bought this in the kindle sale this week and it was an okay read. I was a little disappointed because I didn’t really learn anything that I didn’t know before but it is a good book to get you motivated to think more about how much plastic we use and to start doing something about it.

The Story Keeper by Anna Mazzola

This is such a fantastic novel – really atmospheric and gripping. I’ve posted my review of this on my blog today so please check that out if you’d like to know more.

The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert

I half read and half listened to this book and I very much enjoyed it. It worked really well as an audio book and I think listening to it heightened my enjoyment.

The Rumour by Lesley Kara

This book was so good! I found it near impossible to put down and loved every minute that I spent reading it. I hope to have my review posted in the next few days so please look out for that.

The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley

This was an enjoyable read, and is a perfect book for this time of year. I would’ve liked a bit more depth to the characters but none-the-less this is a page turner.

The Liar’s Girl by Catherine Ryan Howard

I loved this novel – it was thrilling and gripping and I couldn’t put it down. I’ve already reviewed this one so if you’d like to read my thoughts on it please click here.

The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock by Imogen Hermes Gowar

I got this book for Christmas and it was my first read of 2019 and what a read it was! I absolutely adored this novel and feel sure that it will make my top books of this year. I already want to read it again!

 

Next

Ideal Angels by Robert Welbourn

This is a bit different to my usual reads so I’m really looking forward to reading it in the coming days, I think it’s going to be a good one!

Into the Silent Sea by Claire Stibbe

I’m on the blog tour for this one in a couple of weeks so am hoping to read it this week. I did read the opening chapter when the book arrived and I feel sure that I’m going to really enjoy this one.

Dirty Little Secrets by Jo Spain

I really enjoyed The Confession by Jo Spain so when I spotted her new one on NetGalley just before Christmas I couldn’t resist requesting it. It’s been calling to me ever since and I can’t resist any longer!


 

 

What have you been reading this week? I’d love to hear. And if you take part in This Week in Books or WWW Wednesday please feel free to leave your link below and I’ll make sure to visit and comment on your post. 🙂

My Christmas Book Haul! Stacking the Shelves (29 Dec 2018)! #Christmas #bookhaul

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Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga’s Reviews and Reading Reality, which is all about sharing the books that you’ve acquired in the past week!

 

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I haven’t done a Stacking the Shelves post for a little while now but I was super spoilt by my husband who gave me a mountain(!) of books for Christmas and I wanted to share my lovely book haul!

 

First up the novels:

 

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The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock by Imogen Hermes Gowar

I’ve been wanting to read this book ever since it was first published so I was hoping to get a copy for Christmas. It was the last gift I opened and it rounded off such a perfect day.

 

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The Burning Chambers by Kate Mosse

This is another book that I’ve had my eye on but it’s a bit intimidating seeing just how big it is! I’m looking forward to getting completely swept up in this novel.

 

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A Keeper by Graham Norton

I hadn’t seen this book in real life until I opened it on Christmas day and it really is a gorgeous looking book. I have high hopes for the story inside, fingers crossed it’s as good as the cover!

 

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A Fireproof Home for the Bride by Amy Scheibe

This is a novel that I knew nothing about but reading the blurb it sounds like a really good read.

 

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The Year We Fell Apart by Emily Martin

I’ve had this on my wishlist for a while so I was delighted to open this parcel on Christmas day. I think this will be a quick read so I plan on reading it very soon.

 

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After the Crash by Michel Bussi

Black Water Lilies by Michel Bussi

Don’t Let Go by Michel Bussi

I’ve never read any Michel Bussi but his books sound like my kind of reads so I was happy to open three of his novels and hope to read them soon.

 

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A Table Near the Band by A. A. Milne

Chloe Marr by A. A. Milne

Mr Pim Passes By by A. A. Milne

Two People by A. A. Milne

Four Days’ Wonder by A. A. Milne

It was not long before Christmas when these books were recommended to me and they sounds like just the kind of books I like to read when I’m not feeling well. It was fab to open these gorgeous new editions and I’m keen to read these!

 

A poetry collection:

 

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The Latest Winter by Maggie Nelson

I adore Maggie Nelson’s writing so was delighted to open this poetry collection on Christmas morning. This book has such a gorgeous cover I want to have it on show on my bookcase!

 

Some new non-fiction:

 

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Missions to the Moon by Rod Pyle

Ever since I was a young child I’ve been fascinated by space travel and the moon landings. Opening this book on Christmas day took me right back to the excitement I had as a child! This book has stunning photos and is also full of augmented reality so when it mentions a speech or a take off you can scan it on your phone or iPad and watch it there and then. I’ve been reading this book on and off ever since Christmas and I love it!

 

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Notes on a Nervous Planet by Matt Haig

I’ve done a lot of work on both my physical and mental health this year and am keen to do more next year so this book feels like it’ll be a perfect read for the start of the year to help me focus on keeping my life as stress-free as possible.

 

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Dear Mr Murray by David McClay

This is a beautiful book of letters sent to the publisher Mr Murray. I’ve only flicked through it so far but I can already see that this is going to be an utter delight to dip in and out of.

 

Some gorgeous childrens’/middle grade fiction:

 

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The Worst Witch by Jill Murphy

The Worst Witch Strikes Again by Jill Murphy

A Bad Spell for the Worst Witch by Jill Murphy

The Worst Witch All At Sea by Jill Murphy

The Worst Witch Saves the Day by Jill Murphy

The Worst Witch to the Rescue by Jill Murphy

The Worst Witch and the Wishing Star by Jill Murphy

I completely and utterly adored the worst witch books as a child but my copies sadly got lost a long time ago. Recently I’ve been longing to read these books again so it made me so happy to open this lovely boxset of the first seven books in the series!

 

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The Trials of Morrigan Crow: Nevermoor #1 by Jessica Townsend

I’ve heard so much about this middle grade book and have been so keen to read it so it was wonderful to find a copy of it under the Christmas tree this year. I can’t wait to read this in January when I know I’ll need the boost.

 

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Tilly and the Bookwanderers: Pages and Co. #1 by Anna James

This is another middle grade book that I’ve been wanting to read. This is such a beautiful book and I’m so happy to have this in hardback. I really want to read this book right now but I’m going to save it for next month when I know it will be a soothing book to get completely lost in.

 

Two gift books from a friend and my mum-in-law:

 

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Grumbles, Grizzles and Gripes: A Little Book of Grumpy Moments

My very good friend and I always seem to be putting the world to rights every time we talk so this gift from her gave me a giggle when I opened it. It’s a fun book to dip in and out of, I love it!

 

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The Story of Brexit: A Ladybird Book

This was a stocking filler for me and my husband from my mum-in-law and gave us such a wry laugh when we opened it. It’s actually an amusing book, and it also reminded me of all the ladybird books I used to read as a child.

 

So that’s my amazing Christmas book haul. I still can’t believe how many books I got this year, it’s a real book mountain! My husband really spoilt me as he also got me two records (Green by REM, which is one of the first albums I ever bought when I was a child but I’ve never owned it on vinyl! And Everyone Else Is Doing it, so Why Can’t We? by The Cranberries. I adored this album, and still love it to this day but again have never owned it on vinyl so it’s fab to have a copy of it now). He also bought me a Dyson Supersonic hairdryer! That was a total surprise and utterly perfect timing as my old hairdryer literally stopped working the day before Christmas Eve!

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I hope you all had a lovely Christmas and that you got some lovely new books to read. I’d love to see the books you were gifted or have bought for yourself recently so please either tell me about them in the comments or leave a link to your blog if you have a book haul post up.