Pages: 640 Format: Hardback Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Genre: Fantasy Release Date: November 28th 2023 The die is cast. The era of Spring is over. Riadne’s bloody coup on the Summer Solstice changed Arlo’s life forever. In one fell swoop and a fool’s bargain, she lost both her family and free will to the newly crowned High Queen. Now, with Arlo forced to use her powers as Luck’s Hollow Star to help summon the rest of the seven deadly sins, Riadne stands closer than ever to achieving her dark goals. And Arlo isn’t the only one trapped in a frightening new role. Her ex-Fury gir ..read more

If you know even the slightest thing about me, you’ll know that I absolutely adore Alice Oseman. I’ve been a fan of their stories for so long now, they’re practically part of me. There hasn’t been a single other author who has made me feel as seen as Alice has. There’s just so many aspects of their books and characters that I relate to on a personal level.  So when I found out they were going to be doing a book signing at my favourite bookshop, Queer Lit, I got a ticket immediately.  my copy of heartstopper volume 5 with adorable freebies from the shop As I’ve already es ..read more

Hello, my fellow book enjoyers! It’s been a while since I’ve updated the ol’ blog – life has been a bit hectic. That doesn’t mean I haven’t been reading! In fact, I’m having one of my strongest reading years in a loooong time. It’s just that I haven’t been able to sit down and properly type up my thoughts. Whilst I will, of course, get back to full reviews very soon, I thought I’d do my own take on the classic Mini Review, just so I can share some of my opinions on books that might get lost in my ‘to-review pile’. Especially because I tend to focus on YA/NA books here, this is perfect opport ..read more

Pages: 368 Format: Paperback Publisher: Scholastic Genre: Contemporary, LGBTQ+ Release Date: March 2nd 2023 TW: Homophobia It's 1994 and thanks to Section 28, there can be no mention of gay relationships in schools. When a school librarian leads Jamie to a disguised novel in the library that reflects his own confused feelings towards boys, he notices that he's not the only one who has checked the book out. In the margins of the pages, he and another student start to leave messages for each other, and Jamie starts to believe that he's not alone ... and maybe also has a shot at finding l ..read more

As a huge fan of Leigh Bardugo, I was able to meet her back in 2016 during her Worlds Collide tour with Rainbow Rowell, just after the release of Crooked Kingdom. Obviously, much has changed since then! With her first adult novel and a show adaptation for the Grishaverse, I was eager to see Leigh talk about all of the exciting things that have happened over the past few years. So when I found out she was coming to Liverpool on her tour for Hell Bent, I just had to go.  I decided to wear the Shadow and Bone jacket I painted just before the release of the show last year!  ..read more

Pages: 192 Format: Hardback Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Genre: Fantasy, Romance Release Date: January 17th 2023 Elisabeth Scrivener is finally settling into her new life with sorcerer Nathaniel Thorn. Now that their demon companion Silas has returned, so has scrutiny from nosy reporters hungry for gossip about the city’s most powerful sorcerer and the librarian who stole his heart. But something strange is afoot at Thorn Manor: the estate’s wards, which are meant to keep their home safe, are acting up and forcibly trapping the Manor’s occupants inside. Surely it must be a ..read more

Oh boy, what a year, huh? I don’t think you need me to recap how this year has been, well, a bit of a shit show for the world. So, I’m just going to focus on my little corner of the internet instead.  In terms of how my Bookish Year has gone, I’m actually really proud. I didn’t write as many blog posts as I wanted to, or film as many videos, but what I did manage to do was get back out to book-related events.  It was a huge deal for me because I haven’t attended an in-person book event since before 2020, and I’d missed them so much. But with my anxious self being out of practice ..read more

It’s no secret that I absolutely adore the work of Alice Oseman. They are easily one of my favourite authors, and I Was Born for This might just be one of the most read books on my shelf at this point. When I found out that Alice was going to do a mini-tour and Manchester was one of the stops, I just had to get a ticket!  i wore my hand-painted jacket of course Since I don’t get to visit Manchester very often, I went pretty early on in the day so I could visit some bookshops. My favourites are the Gay Pride Bookshop and Queer Lit. They have such a fantastic range of diverse bo ..read more

Pages: 416 Format: Paperback Publisher: Macmillan Genre: Fantasy, Mythology Release Date: September 6th 2022 As each new decade begins, the Sun’s power must be replenished so that Sol can keep traveling along the sky and keep the evil Obsidian gods at bay. Ten semidioses between the ages of thirteen and eighteen are selected by Sol himself as the most worthy to compete in The Sunbearer Trials. The winner carries light and life to all the temples of Reino del Sol, but the loser has the greatest honor of all―they will be sacrificed to Sol, their body used to fuel the Sun Stones that will prot ..read more

Pages: 352  Format: Hardback Publisher: Boyd Mills Press  Genre: Mystery Release Date: May 3rd 2022 TW: Homophobic Abuse Buy the Book: Book Depository In this queer contemporary YA mystery, a nonbinary teen with autism realizes they must not only solve a 30-year-old mystery but also face the demons lurking in their past in order to live a satisfying life. Sam Sylvester's not overly optimistic about their recent move to the small town of Astoria, Oregon after a traumatic experience in their last home in the rural Midwest.  Yet Sam's life seems to be on the upswi ..read more