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There is just something so captivating about the faerie world! A few others that I have my eye on are The Dark Crystal Bestiary by Adam Cesare & Iris Compiet, Mythical Creatures and Magical Beasts by Zayden Stone and A Natural History of Fairies by Emily Hawkins & Jessica Roux. Pirasesi was the first book I've read by her and I will definitely be looking out for more of her work. Are there any that you would recommend?

Piranesi – Susanna Clarke (dream-like, literary, mysterious) 4.75/5 Piranesi lives in an endlessly large house full of huge halls and vestibules, some containing oceans and waters subject to tides whilst others contain skies, clouds and birds. Piranesi has only ever known this world and believes that he and only one other person inhabit it, however, gradually Piranesi begins to learn things that make him question his sanity as well as the truth of the house he lives in. I was gripped by this book, which surprised me. I sometimes struggle with this sort of book; I often feel they take themselves too seriously and find the characters unrelatable, however I really felt I connected with Piranesi and found his situation and understanding of his world to be believable. The story was fairly fast paced and therefore the reader doesn’t have to wait too long before things become interesting. Quite early on we are given a sense that something isn’t quit right. This is done in such a way at first that its obvious that these unusual things don’t mean anything to Piranesi however to the reader flag as being odd. I would say that I perhaps would have preferred the cause of Piranesi’s belief of his world to have been caused by a slightly different reason, however overall, this didn’t ruin the book for me, it’s just more of a preference. I would highly recommend it, I thought it was fantastic. Opening line: When the Moon rose in the Third Northan Hall I went to the Ninth Vestibule to witness the joining of three Tides. Format: ebook 272 pages Published in 2020

Faeries of the Faultlines – Iris Compiet (illustrated, fae, enchanting) 5/5 Faeries of the Faultlines is an illustration book containing artwork of many different magical creatures, along with pieces of information and stories about them. The artwork in this book is absolutely stunning and captures exactly how I imagine creatures from the magical world to look. I often find that creatures like faeries and elves are made to look cute and beautiful which, although I appreciate is most likely because these characters are often found in children’s stories etc, I prefer it when they are depicted less this way. Its hard to explain without pictures but the creatures have a sharpness to them, are very connected to nature and not all of them are kind. I like to collect magical creature encyclopaedia/bestiary books that have illustrations and information about the creatures and this is one of my favourites I have so far. I don’t think I will ever grow out of faeries and magical creatures and reading and learning about them! Opening line: Within the pages of this book, you will find paintings, sketches, and short stories that I, Iris Compiet, collected on my travels through a place I’ve come to know as the Faultlines. Format: print 184 pages Published in 2018

The Time Machine – H. G. Wells (sci-fi, classic, speculative) 3.5/5 An unnamed time traveller tells the story of his recent journey 800,000 years into the future to a group of sceptical listeners. While in the future the time traveller meets two new races of humanity, both that are now far removed from what we would recognise as human. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book, particularly as it was published in 1895. There is absolutely nothing wrong with older books, some of my favourites are fairly old, however from experience I know I often find the way books were written back then not as appealing to me as more modern writing. However, I was really captivated and finished the book almost in one sitting. The time traveller meets two races who are very different from current humans and also very different from each other, even though they share ancestry. The book very clearly gives commentary, through these races, on the divide between the classes in our own society. The rich and well-off live lives of luxury and rely on the workers to provide all they need. I found this an intriguing way of exploring this theme. I am aware that Wells is often considered as the father of science fiction and that this book has become a classic within the genre and after reading it I can definitely see why. Opening line: The Time Traveller (for so it will be convenient to speak of him) was expounding a recondite matter to us. Format: ebook 121 pages Published in 1895

The Tea Dragon Society – Kay O'Neill (graphic novel, cosy, heart-warming) 3.75/5 The Tea Dragon Society is a cute little graphic novel about Greta who learns the ancient practice of caring for tea dragons and using their leaves and flowers to make tea with magical properties. There's not an awful lot to say about this book really, its just sweet and cosy, with beautiful artwork. I especially liked that at the end there is a little care guide for the different tea dragons e.g. the ginger tea dragon, the camomile tea dragon and the rooibos tea dragon. Opening line: Once upon a time, blacksmiths were as important as magicians. Format: ebook 71 pages Published in 2017

The Luminaries – Susan Dennard (YA, urban-fantasy, monsters) 3.25/5 The Luminaries is set in a town that is haunted by Nightmares that appear in the forest each night. The people of the town are protected by an order called the Luminaries, people who enter the forest each night to hunt and kill Nightmares. Winne has just turned sixteen which now means she can enter the trials to become a luminary and at the same time hopefully win back her family’s place in the town after they were shunned for her father’s betrayal. I didn’t realise how disappointed I was in this book until after I had finished it. The idea really intrigued me as I love books that contain lots of different magical creatures/monsters, however the writing and characters ruined it for me. Winne’s character was pretty flat, there was nothing about her that was interesting or engaging and this extended to most of the other characters too. Another aspect that frustrated me was that there is a new, unknown Nightmare that, even though other hunters go into the forest all the time and Winne has only been about three times, Winne sees multiple times. Also, no one (except two people) believe her that the Nightmare exists and this just feels very lazy writing. I don’t understand why someone wouldn’t at least listen to Winne rather than just completely shutting her down. I appreciate this is a series however none of the main plot points come to any resolution, or even that Winne has made any progress with regards to them (other than maybe the mystery surrounding her dad, but this is literally just a something we are told in one of the last lines of the book). I don’t know, maybe I need to read the next book to understand better but unfortunately, I don’t think I could make it through another book with those characters. The premise had a lot of potential but I just don’t feel it was executed well, I appreciate it’s a YA but this doesn’t mean writing needs to be bad. Opening line: They say that spring never comes to Hemlock Falls. Format: audio book 294 pages Published in 2022

Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries – Heather Fawcett (fantasy, fae, whimsical) 4.5/5 Emily is a dryadologist – someone who studies faeries – and has travelled to a village in Norway in order to study the local fae, and to continue working on her encyclopaedia of them. Emily has no interest in getting to know the locals and is focussed on her studies, however she finds her nose is put out of joint when her fellow academic, the charming Wendell Bambleby, arrives to assist her with her research. I really enjoyed this book. It took me a couple of attempts to read it (which I think is more so because I had other books I was also reading) but when I finally decided to focus on getting it read, I loved it. The main thing I liked was how the fae were presented, they are very connected to the landscape in both their magic and their form, and they are often wicked and untrustworthy. I liked both the characters of Emily and Wendell and really enjoyed reading their interactions. The blurb of the book alludes to a romance which initially put me off a bit however this is really not a focus of the story, not until very close to the end and it’s not how I imagine a typical romance is written. I was hoping that the book would include a few more different species of fae however I wasn’t disappointed overall. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who has a love for faeries. Opening line: Shadow is not at all happy with me. Format: ebook 344 pages Published in 2023

The Luna Chronicles – (#1 Cinder, #2 Scarlet, #3 Cress, #4 Winter & #4.5 Stars Above) - Marissa Meyer (YA, re-telling, sci-fi) Book 1 3.75/5 Book 2 3.5/5 Book 3 3.75/5 Book 4 3.75/5 Book 4.5 3.25/5 The main character Cinder is a cyborg who unwillingly gets mixed up in the dangerous politics between earth and the moon. The people who live on the moon - now renamed as Luna – have developed the ability to manipulate the thoughts, actions and visions of those around them, and their queen wants to use this ability to help her take over planet earth. I really enjoyed this series, each book is a loose retelling of a well-known fairy tale, Cinder is Cinderella, Scarlet is Little Red Riding Hood, Cress is Rapunzel and Winter is Snow White. Each book introduces a few new characters, mainly the one the book is named after, but they all follow the same storyline. I liked this way of doing a series as it kept it feeling fresh with each new book, I can sometimes get a bit bored by the end of a series but I couldn’t put this one down! It also has my favourite trope of found family so it was always going to be a winner! The only element that I wasn’t so keen on at first was the ability that the Luna people had developed. One of my biggest pet peeves is when writers include a magical element in a setting that is being presented as real world. Now, this Luna ability is not presented as a magical ability, instead that the Luna’s are able to manipulate people’s bioelectricity, however I think Meyer just didn’t manage to convince me on its legitimacy. As the series progressed it bothered me less, most likely because I had accepted it as a part of the story but over all I just think it wasn’t explained enough and I felt it just gave the Luna’s too much of an advantage over others for it to seem plausible. Over all I would recommend this series. I really like re-tellings anyway but I think even if you are usually put off by this, I would still give it a go. The stories have enough substance themselves that you forget it’s a re-telling, it’s not until something happens that’s a key part of the original fairy tale that you remember what it is based on. Book #4.5 is not technically a part of the series, it’s a collection of 9 short stories which are a mixture of prequels to Cinder, different perspectives, a completely new character and one which is an epilogue to Winter. You don’t need to read Stars Above, I just felt like I wasn’t quite ready to stop reading and these short stories finished it off nicely for me. Opening line: The screw through Cinder’s ankle had rusted, the engraved cross marks worn to a mangled circle. Format: audio book Book 1 – 400 pages Book 2 – 454 pages Book 3 – 566 pages Book 4 – 832 pages Book 4.5 – 400 pages Published in 2012 – 2016

Legends & Lattes – Travis Baldree (fantasy, cosy, slice of life) 3.75/5 Viv is an orc who no longer wants a life of battles and bloodshed and so she decides to retire from that life and open up a coffee shop. The only problem is, that no one in the city has ever heard of coffee and therefore Viv needs to convince the locals that its worth trying. This book just felt like a warm hug. Its very low stakes, not at all action packed and is just a nice easy, read. There are antagonists and a low level of threat at times but overall, the main premise of the book is Viv trying to live the quiet life. I loved the group of friends she makes and there is a nice sense of found family, a trope that I absolutely love. I would definitely recommend this book if you are looking for something easy going, but certainly not if you want something gripping and adventurous! Opening line: Viv buried her great sword in the Scalvert’s skull with a meaty crunch. Format: audio book 296 pages Published in 2022

You’d Be Home Now – Kathleen Glasgow (YA, mental health, emotional) 3.75/5 You’d Be Home Now follows Emory, a teenage girl who is struggling to know what her place is in the world. She and her brother were in a car crash that killed another student and also revealed the seriousness of her brother’s drug addiction. Her brother is now home from rehab and Emory is trying to balance looking out for him, as well as trying to figure out who she is. To me this book seems to tackle the topic of addiction in a sensitive and raw way, demonstrating how it impacts loved ones in different ways and how the person struggling can often feel that they are worthless. However, I am lucky enough to have not had my life affected by addiction and therefore cannot say whether this is an authentic representation or not, only that it allowed me to be able to be more understanding and thoughtful with regards to the topic. I liked that Glasgow chose to tell the story from Emory’s point of view as opposed to her brothers. I also liked that having a brother battling addiction was not Emory’s whole character, she had her own issues she was dealing with, as well as struggling with feeling anger and frustration towards her brother. The only thing that I didn’t like was that it seemed that Glasgow maybe tried to include too many elements, meaning that some things felt a little random. For example, Emory has a habit of stealing and collecting objects and items but it is never really explored as to why Emory feels the need to do this and therefore it just kind of felt a little random. Overall though I really like the book, it has made me want to read other books by this author. Some trigger warnings including drug misuse and addiction. Opening line: We are flying in the black-blue night, rain slashing the car. Format: ebook 387 pages Published in 2021

Old Man’s War – John Scalzi (sci-fi, space opera, military) 3/5 The book is set in a time where when you reach seventy-five you can sign up to join the army and go to space to fight. Without knowing where he will go, or what will happen to him, John signs up. He changes, and learns how to become a soldier, one who has to adapt to hostile planets and fight alien species far more advanced than humans. I enjoyed the first half of this book very much. It was very informative with regards to the science behind what is happening and explaining the reasons that have led to the world being the way it is. John becomes part of a small group of friends and I really enjoyed the times when the group were together. Unfortunately, once the story got to the part where John was now a solider and fighting I lost interest a bit. I am not a huge fan of war books and therefore I found the second half not my cup of tea. Its not the fact that I don’t like reading about fighting, or that I find it gruesome or upsetting, I just get bored reading about battle and fight scenes. To be fair though this is more an error on my part, the title of the book very clearly indicates that the book involves war, I guess I just hadn’t really considered how much of it would be actual fighting. Having said this I did enjoy the book over all, it felt very classic sci-fi which I was really in the mood for. Would recommend. Opening line: I did two things on my seventy-fifth birthday. Format: ebook 318 pages Published in 2005

The Graveyard Book – Neil Gaiman (middle-grade, creepy, magical-realism) 3.25/5 The Graveyard Book is a story of a very young boy whose family are murdered. The boy manages to evade the same fate and ends up in the local graveyard where the ghosts that live there decide to take him in and raise him. We follow the boy who is named Bod (short for Nobody) as he grows up, having adventures and discovering the dangers that wait for him in the real world. I have read a couple Neil Gaiman books now and although this isn’t my favourite, I still enjoyed it. I liked the different people and creatures that Bod comes across, and as with all the Gaiman books I have read so far, the creatures are not fully explained, leaving a feeling of uncertainty and mystery. Overall, not a huge amount happens with regards to a story line until towards the end, but I still found it a very interesting read. I would recommend, particularly if you are already a fan of Gaiman. Opening line: There was a hand in the darkness, and it held a knife. Format: ebook 312 pages Published in 2008

The Bell Jar – Sylvia Plath (classic, reflective, mental health) 3.25/5 The Bell Jar follows a young woman called Esther who is living in New York as part of a fashion internship of sorts. Esther is very talented and clever however her mental health is slowly deteriorating. The book follows her as she slowly spirals out of control. This is a very raw story. I knew the basic premise of the book before reading but was still surprised by how open and honest it was with regards to mental health, particularly for a book written when it was. I found it a little slow in the beginning however I understand during this portion we are learning about Esther and who she is. The second half where she begins to deteriorate really intrigued me and I found it much more engaging. I would recommend this book (with content warnings for self-harm and suicide attempts), it touches on many thought-provoking topics including the struggle to find one’s place in the world and feel as though your life has importance and meaning. Esther looks to the future a lot and almost plans her life out based on small interactions and factors, something I felt I could relate to. Being stuck in your head, always worrying about and contemplating what the future holds rather than living in the now. Opening line: It was a queer, sultry summer, the summer they electrocuted the Rosenbergs, and I didn’t know what I was doing in New York. Format: ebook 294 pages Published in 1963

The Ocean at the End of the Lane – Neil Gaiman (creepy, surreal, middle-grade) 4.25/5 I haven’t read a book in a long time that I could not put down. It was interesting because The Ocean at the End of the Lane isn’t exactly a hugely gripping book, but there was just something about it that meant I devoured it in a day. The story follows an unnamed boy who gets a new nanny, but there is clearly something very wrong with her. The boy befriends the unusual girl who lives next door and together they try to put right all that is wrong. I believe there a many different take-aways from this story but for me the main ones were about how as we become adults and the stresses of daily life take over, we lose our childhood wonder and imagination. I loved how things weren’t fully explained which added to the creepiness of the story. Just like in Coraline I think Gaiman has done a fantastic job of writing in a way that talks to your inner child. Gaiman has quickly become a favourite author of mine. Opening line: I wore a black suit and a white shirt, a black tie and black shoes, all polished and shiny: clothes that normally would make me feel uncomfortable, as if I were in a stolen uniform, or pretending to be an adult. Format: print 235 pages Published in 2013

This sounds interesting. I've never really been drawn to mystery books but this sounds like an intriguing take. Is this the sort of book that needs to be read printed or do you think it would work just as well on kindle?

Yes absolutely right! I just remember smiling the whole time I was reading Wyrd Sisters! I have Darwin's Watch and The Wee Free Men on my shelf so my next Disc World will most likely be one of them.

We did Lord of the Flies at school which I found shocking but fairly boring. Overall I liked 1984 but do remember also finding it a bit boring when I read it a few years ago, and I can imagine I would have found it ten times as boring if I had read it at school! I really don't think they choose the right books to get kids interested in reading, books like these require thought and reflection that most teenagers just aren't interested in (no shade intended, I certainly didn't appreciate these things when I was that age!)

I struggled a bit with Brave New World. I loved the concept but just didn't enjoy the characters.

1984 is so well done in the way it builds hope and then sucker-punches you back to reality when you realise the truth. I have Fahrenheit 451 on my book shelf, will get round to reading it at some point. Have you read it? If so did you enjoy it?

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest – Ken Kesey (mental health, emotional, thought-provoking) 3.25/5 One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is set in a psychiatric hospital ward in the 1950s and is told from the perspective of ‘Chief’ Bromden, a supposedly deaf and mute patient. Through Bromden’s eyes we see the arrival of a charismatic new patient, R. P. McMurphy, who is determined not to bend to the ways of the ‘Big Nurse’. I really liked the way the book is told from the point of view of a character who initially plays no real participation in the story. Bromden clearly experiences hallucinations and these visions are portrayed as what is actually happening, which I liked. Although it is clear these events aren’t happening, to me they really help the reader to gain an understanding of Bromden’s experience on the ward. I feel the hallucinations help Bromden to rationalise the things that are happening around him. The character of McMurphy is portrayed as both a good and bad person. You want to like him however know that he is not all good. He greatly helps the existing patients to stand up for themselves on the ward however he is intrinsically an immoral individual, oftentimes manipulating the others for his own gain. The main theme of the book is to discuss the idea of individuality and how humans, particularly those that are vulnerable, can be manipulated in to certain actions and mindsets. I would recommend this book with some content warnings of suicide, abuse, mental illness as well as there being elements that have really not aged well, most noticeably the casual racism, misogyny and depictions of those suffering with mental illness. Opening line: They’re out there. Format: print 325 pages Published in 1962

Payback’s a Witch – Lana Harper (autumnal, witchy, LGBT) 2.5/5 Payback’s a Witch follows the main character Emmy who, after moving away from her magical childhood town is returning for a month to play her ancestral role in a historical tournament. When Emmy finds out that the guy she left town because of has also broken the hearts of two of her friends she decides to team up with them to get revenge on him. Overall, this book fell pretty flat for me. I appreciate it is supposed to be both a fantasy and a romance however I found the two genres weren’t melded together well enough, the two sides felt too separate. One big thing that bugged me was that it was like it was trying to be deep but it just wasn’t. The reason Emmy ends up leaving town is because the boy she was dating decided she wasn’t good enough for him. Now, yes okay, this is a pretty rubbish thing to happen to someone but this happened nearly ten years ago when she was a teenager and she is still hung up on it now. There are parts where she is talking to people about what happened to her as if it were something as serious as SA/R*pe and made me think that okay maybe there is a bit more to this, but no, it was just all a bit cringy. The revenge plot was also a bit pathetic, one for the reason behind it, but also that once they get revenge nothing really happens. It all seemed a bit pointless in the end, especially as the whole book (including its title) is based on the revenge element! The other main aspect that I didn’t like was that I didn’t believe Emmy when she said she didn’t like the town and that she didn’t want to be there. She spent the whole time describing how great the town was and how much she missed it, therefore every time she mentioned she would be returning to Chicago after the tournament it just wasn’t believable. I wouldn’t really recommend this book, it was a YA that tried and failed to be adult. Opening line: As soon as I crossed the town line, I could feel Thistle Grove on my skin. Format: print 340 pages Published in 2021

Wyrd Sisters – Terry Pratchett (fantasy, humorous, witchy) 3.75/5 I really loved this book. I loved the witches; I thought them as individuals were great but I mostly liked the way they all interacted together. The story follows these three witches who end up getting involved in the fate of a kingdom after a stranger leaves a baby in their possession. Thinking back on this book not an awful lot really happens, but I just love the feel the story gives. We follow a variety of different characters and see how each of their storylines eventually join together. This is the second book I have read of Terry Pratchett’s Discworld and am really looking forward to my next one! Opening line: The wind howled. Format: print 265 pages Published in 1988

Yes it does. The tin man, scarecrow and the witches feature also, most of them as villians. I actually found it worked really well, Dorothy is portrayed as very vain and a bit of a bimbo which somehow I found fitted really well haha! I guess it might depend on how attached you are to the original story and its characters. I havent read the original book and have only seen the film once or twice so I found it fairly easy to re-imagine them.

How to Buy a Planet – D. A. Holdsworth (sci-fi, humorous, adventurous) 3.75/5 This book follows a group of people who, after an announcement from the Prime Minister informing the world that planet Earth has been sold to aliens, realise that this is not good news and go about trying to stop it. This book was fab! I found it took me a little while to get in to it but once I did, I really enjoyed it. It reminded me very much of Douglas Adams’ The Hitch-Hikers Guide to the Galaxy as it has the same sort of light-hearted humour. I really liked it once the group had travelled to another planet and seeing through their eyes as they comprehended that there was life outside of planet Earth. I would highly recommend this book, particularly if you prefer your sci-fi to be more on the funny, light-hearted side. Opening line: The world’s press were wriggling with excitement. Format: ebook 441 pages Published in 2020

Dorothy Must Die – Danielle Paige (re-telling, fantasy, YA) 3.75/5 Dorothy Must Die is a sort of sequel re-telling of The Wizard of Oz. Amy is swept up by a tornado and taken to the land of Oz where she finds that Dorothy has returned and is not the sweet girl she is thought to be. Dorothy has enslaved the people of Oz and is working with her evil army to harvest all the magic for herself. Amy is recruited by a rebellion group whose aim is to kill Dorothy. I really enjoyed this book. It was wonderfully creepy but at the same time sort of whimsical. I liked to the descriptions of Oz and how it has changed since Dorothy has come back and taken over. The only thing I would have preferred would be for Amy to be a native to Oz rather than her being a normal human. Or perhaps a normal human who has lived in Oz for many years. I appreciate that the way she gets to Oz is a nod to the original story however I think I would have found Amy’s dedication to overthrowing Dorothy as well as her ability to use magic more believable this way. Overall however I loved the book and will at some point be reading the rest of the series. Opening line: I first discovered I was trash three days before my ninth birthday. Format: audiobook 452 pages Published in 2014