Top Ten Tuesday is featured by That Artsy Reader Girl. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

Topic: Books I Read On Vacation

So I was lucky enough to have 2 holidays away this year but only read 3 books on them so I have also added the books I wanted to read but just didn’t have the time!

Which leads me on to a question – do you guys actually read much on holiday? I really don’t.

If we’re on the beach or by the pool, I’m in the water or we’re exploring the new place taking in the sights or we are off out in the evening doing stuff so I don’t really have the time!

Paignton, Devon, England
A Restless Truth by Freya Marske (arc)

Weymouth, Dorset, England
Golden Dynasty by Kristen Ashley (reread)
Zodiac Academy 4 by Caroline Peckham (reread)

Books I wanted to read but didn’t get to:

~ Beach Read by Emily Henry
~ You and Me on Vacation by Emily Henry
~ Book Lovers by Emily Henry (reread)
~ It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey (I have read now!!!!)

What books did you read on holiday?

Title: Heartless

Author: Marissa Meyer

Long before she was the terror of Wonderland—the infamous Queen of Hearts—she was just a girl who wanted to fall in love.

Catherine may be one of the most desired girls in Wonderland, and a favorite of the unmarried King of Hearts, but her interests lie elsewhere. A talented baker, all she wants is to open a shop with her best friend. But according to her mother, such a goal is unthinkable for the young woman who could be the next queen.

Then Cath meets Jest, the handsome and mysterious court joker. For the first time, she feels the pull of true attraction. At the risk of offending the king and infuriating her parents, she and Jest enter into an intense, secret courtship. Cath is determined to define her own destiny and fall in love on her terms. But in a land thriving with magic, madness, and monsters, fate has other plans.

I absolutely love a Marissa Meyer retelling so couldn’t wait to read the origin story of the Queen of Hearts!

The King loves Catherine……
Catherine loves the Court Joker
And Jest loves Catherine…….

Catherine Pinkerton is a normal girl who wants normal things, she wants to bake, she wants to fall in love and she wants to open a bakery with her friend, Mary Ann and she does not want to marry the King! And then she meets Jest. Aaaah Jest. He was the best!

But this was the downfall of Catherine Pinkerton…….this was dark, sad and tragic and, although I knew how this had to end, I didn’t want it to happen that way! My heart is broken!!!

I did find it a bit strung out but was an enjoyable read.

The Sunday Post is a blog news meme hosted by Caffeinated Reviewer It’s a chance to share news, a post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received.

Hi everyone, hope you’ve had a good week?

We had a busy week of doctors appointments, hair cuts and office visits so I was so glad to see the weekend arrive!

I also started a readalong with Tandem Collective UK of The Cruel Prince but we haven’t finished yet but nearly there!

I decided not to set any reading goals this week as I knew it would be a busy week but I actually did really well!

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What I’ve Read

🎧 Fire Falling by Elisa Kova
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
See my review here

🎧 The Theft of Sunlight by Intisar Khanani
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
See my review here

🎧 The Book of Legends by Lenny Henry
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
See my review here

Zodiac Academy #6 by Caroline Peckham
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Reread – see my original review here

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New arrivals

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

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You might have missed…..

Review – Frost by CN Crawford
Review – Babel by RF Kuang
Feature – New-to-me authors
Review – City of Thorns by CN Crawford
Feature – Book I want in November

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What have you read lately?

Back to the roulette game of can I only pick 3 books to buy this month……and I’m happy to say I’ve passed!!! Let’s not mention that it was 4 but the date got pushed to 2023 for one!!!!

I also have preordered them all already 🤣

Bloodmarked by Tracy Deonn
Cursed by Marissa Meyer
A Light in the Flame by Jennifer L Armentrout

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What books are you looking forward to?

Title: City of Thorns

Series: The Demon Queen Trials #1

Author: CN Crawford

I never thought I’d be singing happy birthday to myself in a dungeon. And yet when a sinfully sexy demon crashes happy hour, that’s exactly what happens. He’s known as the Lord of Chaos, he’s mistaken me for my succubus doppelgänger.

Happy birthday to me.

When he tastes my blood, he finally understands I’m mortal. And I realize we have something in common: we both crave revenge. So we make a deal: I can stay in the forbidden city to hunt for my mom’s killer. In return, I’ll help him get the vengeance he craves. I just have to pose as a sexy succubus. One problem–he’s my number one suspect.

And that’s increasingly hard to remember as he teaches me my role: seduction. With each heated touch I drift further into peril. And if I fall under his seductive spell, death awaits me.

After reading Frost I decided I needed to read more books from this author and I can confirm that I’m now hooked!

This was delish and I read it so quick, just gobbled down those words!

Rowan is struggling in life to get herself where she wants to be. Behind the gates of the demon city, City of Thorns, so she can get revenge on the demon who murdered her Mum. Then she meets Orion, Lord of Chaos and it all goes off!!!!!

Rowan was so amazing, she was actually so relatable. ‘Well, you have magic, and I have my own superpower. It’s called anxiety.’

Orion….I’ve read his story and seen some character art and I am SOLD!

It was a fast paced story, thrills in every chapter plus the chemistry, banter and the tension was so good!

Next book please!!!!

I grabbed this idea from Lucy (with permission!) from Bookworm Blogger! Go check out her blog!

I always hope that I read new-to-me authors every month and getting book box subscriptions, access to library borrows, Netgalley and also KU really helps with that so thought it would be nice to look back and see what new authors I’d read this month.

By the end of August I’d read 34 new-to-me authors and now I’ve read 38 so far this year!

Garth Nix
Intisar Khanani
CN Crawford
Danielle Jensen

Have you read any new to you authors this month?

Title: Babel

Author: RF Kuang

Traduttore, traditore: An act of translation is always an act of betrayal.

1828. Robin Swift, orphaned by cholera in Canton, is brought to London by the mysterious Professor Lovell. There, he trains for years in Latin, Ancient Greek, and Chinese, all in preparation for the day he’ll enroll in Oxford University’s prestigious Royal Institute of Translation — also known as Babel.

Babel is the world’s center of translation and, more importantly, of silver-working: the art of manifesting the meaning lost in translation through enchanted silver bars, to magical effect. Silver-working has made the British Empire unparalleled in power, and Babel’s research in foreign languages serves the Empire’s quest to colonize everything it encounters.

Oxford, the city of dreaming spires, is a fairytale for Robin; a utopia dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge. But knowledge serves power, and for Robin, a Chinese boy raised in Britain, serving Babel inevitably means betraying his motherland. As his studies progress Robin finds himself caught between Babel and the shadowy Hermes Society, an organization dedicated to sabotaging the silver-working that supports imperial expansion. When Britain pursues an unjust war with China over silver and opium, Robin must decide: Can powerful institutions be changed from within, or does revolution always require violence? What is he willing to sacrifice to bring Babel down?

Babel — a thematic response to The Secret History and a tonal response to Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell — grapples with student revolutions, colonial resistance, and the use of translation as a tool of empire.

Beautiful, heartbreaking, impressive and a totally amazing storyline. This book was so unique like nothing I’ve ever read and I really enjoyed it!

I really don’t know if I can do this masterpiece of a story justice so I’ll keep this simple and short!

The world that was built here was so utterly magnificent that you can lose yourself in it. The magic system simple yet effective.

The main character, Robin was so innocent, so eager to learn and what happened to him in each stage of this book broke my heart.

One thing that healed my heart a tad was the wonderful friendship between outsiders, Robin, Ramy, Victorie and even Letty.

I’m not going to say anything more about the plot because this historical fantasy mixed with dark academia read needs to experienced. Because it is an experience.

Top Ten Tuesday is featured by That Artsy Reader Girl. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

Topic – Favorite Bookstores OR Bookstores I’d Love to Visit

Waterstones (local)
I love browsing in my local Waterstones and also having a nice latte in their cafe whilst watching people selecting books!

Waterstones Piccadilly
Only because it has these great displays like Charlie’s bedroom from Heartstopper!

Blackwells
This is quite a small local bookshop and I haven’t been there in a while (I order online) but it’s so quaint, love it.

Oxfam Bookshop
Another local shop to me. I do love browsing their shelves for secondhand bargains!

Barnes and Noble
There aren’t any of these in the UK (as far as I know) but, from what I’ve seen, the insides look like what dreams are made of!

Chapters Indigo (Canada)
I’ve never seen inside one of these stores but have seen some lovely stuff bought in them and I have fomo!

The Travel Bookshop (Notting Hill)
This Portobello Road, London bookshop was taken over for the film (it wasn’t a bookshop!) but now is called the Notting Hill Giftshop!

Flourish and Blotts (Harry Potter)
Who wouldnt want to visit this bookshop in Diagon Alley?!

What shops would you choose?

Title: Frost

Series: Frost and Nectar #1

Author: CN Crawford

On the worst birthday of my life, I come home to find my boyfriend in bed with another woman. Within hours, I’m drunk, homeless, and pledging to stay single forever. And that is when the dangerously sexy Seelie King rolls through town, looking for fae like me.

Every generation, the king holds a competition for Seelie queen. But for reasons he won’t explain, Torin is looking for a charade, not a real marriage. So when I drunkenly sling insults his way, I have his attention.

When Torin offers me fifty million to participate, I think, “What have I got to lose?” The answer turns out to be “my life,” because my competition will literally kill for the crown.

And the more time I spend with the seductive king, the harder it becomes to remember it’s all supposed to be fake. Now, my life—and my heart—are one the line.

This book is just what I needed! So much so I read it in one sitting!

Ava, a fae raised in the human world, gets embroiled in a plan to be the next Queen of the Fae in a marriage of convenience deal…..but first she has to survive the competition!

This was a brilliant fantasy romance with beautiful, descriptive writing of the world and I almost felt like I was there!

The chemistry! The tension! Torvin was absolutely delish!

I loved Ava, her character growth, how she came into herself. Her bestie, Shalini, was a breath of fresh air!

A new-to-me author that I will 100% be reading again. Off to look at her back catalogue after that cliffhanger!