Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
Alex Stern is a high school dropout, trauma survivor and, for reasons unknown, has been able to see ghosts her whole life. When she survives an attempted murder, she is mysteriously offered a place at Yale University and tasked with monitoring the eight houses of the Veil, secret societies that harbour dark magic and power. Anti-hero, dark academia, fantasy-horror – this book pulled me out of a reading rut, and I would highly recommend. 4/5
Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo
The second in the series and just as good as – if not better than – the first. Hard to give a blurb without giving away spoilers from both books but involves a pretty epic quest to rescue someone from hell. Hope it’s not too long before the next in the series is out. 4/5
Mrs Quinn’s Rise To Fame by Olivia Ford
A woman in her seventies enters what is supposed to be The Great British Bake Off and her life is turned upside down as she becomes a star, threatening to reveal a secret she has kept hidden for over fifty years. This was a sweet read (in more ways than one – if you like baking, you will enjoy all the food descriptions) but I did find that the writing lacked depth in places (it was much stronger in the flashbacks than it was in the scenes set on the show) which meant it didn’t always engage me as much as I wanted it to. 3/5
The Break by Marian Keyes
Seemingly happily married couple Amy and Hugh are thrown into disarray when Hugh announces he wants to take a six-month break from their marriage and go travelling around south-east Asia, leaving Amy to deal with everything back home, including their teenage daughters, her dysfunctional extended family and the gossipers in town. This was my first Marian Keyes book and it’s clear she does characters really well. When I first started reading, I wasn’t entirely convinced the story was going to be entertaining enough to keep me going for the 600+ pages, but it was a bit like watching a dysfunctional family sitcom and was very funny in places. 3.5/5
A Year of Nothing by Emma Gannon
A very small (both in length and physical size) memoir of the author’s year of burnout. This is a wholesome reminder of what is important in life, and to appreciate the little things. I think I was expecting more depth, but it was a pleasant read all the same. 3/5
The Wedding People by Alison Espach
When Phoebe arrives at the Cornwall Inn dressed in a silk green dress, gold heels and without any luggage, she is easily mistaken for one of the wedding people when in fact, she is the only person not here for the lavish week-long event. At rock bottom, she intends to have one final night of luxury. Meanwhile, the high-maintenance bride has accounted for every disaster that could derail her wedding apart from, well, Phoebe. So, it is all the more surprising when the two form an unlikely friendship. One of those novels where the blurb does not do it justice in the slightest. Nuanced, funny, life-affirming, I really loved this. 4.5/5
Orbital by Samantha Harvey
Last year’s Booker Prize winner follows a day in the life of the astronauts living on the international space station. Very little happens but that’s not really the point. With stunning descriptions of the planet below, this small novel contemplates big themes such as what home means, climate change and what humans are without Earth. I think if it was any longer, the lack of plot would lose its charm but at 137 pages, it is a beautiful novel. 4/5
Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros
I think if this series gets you, there is no escaping it which means one minute you’re reading the latest Booker Prize winner and the next you’re reading dragon fantasies with a good dose of pure smut. The third instalment of The Empyrean series and I have no idea if it’s actually good, but it is extremely enjoyable. I know a lot of people are here for the romance (and I’m not saying I’m not) but honestly, I mostly just want my own grumpy dragon at this point. 4/5 (for pure entertainment).
Happy reading folks x
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