Happy Halloween!
‘When black cats prowl and pumpkins gleam, may luck be yours on Halloween.’
‘When witches go riding, and black cats are seen, the moon laughs and whispers, ‘tis near Halloween.’
— Unknown
Happy Halloween 🎃 👻🧙♀️
Halloween funnies! 🎃 👻
What are your plans for Halloween?
Decorating your house? 👻
Halloween party? 🎃
Going trick or treating? 🍬
TTT – Halloween Freebie!! 🎃
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: Halloween Freebie!
I didn’t really know what to do so what you’ve got is…….
What’s Your Ghost Name?!
1st letter of your forename
A to I = Raven
J to R = Gloomy
S to Z = Twilight
Birth month
Jan to April = the Dark
May to August = the Whispering
Sept to Dec = the Cruel
1st letter of your surname
A to I = of Gloomy Grove
J to R = of Chillington
S to Z = of Spirit Swamp
Mine is Raven, the Whispering, of Chillington!
Let me know in the comments what yours is!
👻
🧙♀️
🧛♂️
🦇
🔮
Review: A Steeping of Blood by Hafsah Faizal
Title: A Steeping of Blood
Series: Blood and Tea #2
Author: Hafsah Faizal
BOOKS IN THE SERIES
A Tempest of Tea review
BLURB
She’s had her tea, now she’s out for blood.
White Roaring is sharpening its fangs after the deadly night that left the city in shambles. The press are dead, the public calls for justice, vampires are in danger, and amid the turmoil, the Ram announces a celebration.
Still reeling from the bloodshed, Arthie Casimir has no time to mourn the death of anyone, let alone her own. She has no time for love, either, but it had saved her life. As Arthie navigates new emotions and new allies, she must reassemble her scrambled crew and scrape what little they have left to fight one last time – and she will need to face the ghosts of her past to do it.
In Ceylan.
What a fabulous duology this was!
We’re back with the gang, Arthie, Jin, Matteo and Flick, and start right where we left off in A Tempest of Tea.
I want to be really careful of spoilers so I am going to keep this vague (and I want to slap myself because I want to do this book justice but alas I cannot write what I want to write as the unread will want to slap me for revealing stuffs!!!)
So….there was action, drama, heartache, twists and turns…..and I was so drawn in with the romances, like completely, utterly hooked!
I can honestly say my heart is a bit broken. I am not ok…..but I do want to visit the tea shop!
Sound like something you’d like?
Mini Review: Nettle and Bone by T Kingfisher
Title: Nettle and Bone
Author: T Kingfisher
BLURB
After years of seeing her sisters suffer at the hands of an abusive prince, Marra—the shy, convent-raised, third-born daughter—has finally realized that no one is coming to their rescue. No one, except for Marra herself.
Seeking help from a powerful gravewitch, Marra is offered the tools to kill a prince—if she can complete three impossible tasks. But, as is the way in tales of princes, witches, and daughters, the impossible is only the beginning.
On her quest, Marra is joined by the gravewitch, a reluctant fairy godmother, a strapping former knight, and a chicken possessed by a demon. Together, the five of them intend to be the hand that closes around the throat of the prince and frees Marra’s family and their kingdom from its tyrannous ruler at last.
A Nun, a dust wife, a Knight and a demon chicken go on a quest….
No, it’s not the start of a joke, but a really good read! I listened to the audiobook and it was such a good narration!
Anyway, Mara needs to save her sister from a Prince and death is the answer, so the band goes to dole out vengeance!
There was banter, some darker elements, friendships, family, blossoming love and a bone dog! (And, just to add, I love Fenrys, he’s so honourable!)
The ending was so sweet!
Sound like something you’d like?
TTT – Atmospheric Reads
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: Atmospheric Books
Spells for Forgetting by Adrienne Young
The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden
The Invisible Life of Addie Larue by VE Schwab
Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
The Thorns Remain JJA Harwood
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
Sabriel by Garth Nix
The Luminaries by Susan Dennard
A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
Belladonna by Adalyn Grace
What’s on your list?
Review: Broken Souls and Bones by LJ Andrews
Title: Broken Souls and Bones
Series: Stonehaven #1
Author: LJ Andrews
BLURB
Lyra Bien intended to live a quiet life to avoid the attention of the magic-obsessed king in the fortress of Stonegate. Until Roark Ashwood—the prince’s silent guard and rumored killer for the crown—invades her village and uncovers the truth behind the silver scars in her eyes. To save her best friend from death, she’s forced to reveal her abilities, and is immediately claimed by the crown as the next melder.
To be the King’s melder is to be revered and feared in equal measures, but above all it is a slow death sentence. Lyra is determined to find a way to free herself and her friends from bondage. But first she must get more information from the silent, brooding sentry who first took her captive: Roark.
As Lyra gets closer to Roark, she soon learns he’s nothing like she assumed—and in fact everything she needs. The more they work as allies, the harder it becomes to ignore the growing passion between them. After a sinister truth is revealed, Roark and Lyra must choose to stand against all they know, or accept their dark destiny.
Lyra, a melder, is caught after hiding for her entire life because of her power. But who she is caught by catches her interest more than it should!
Roark Ashwood, guard to Prince Thane, finds himself drawn to Lyra more than he should…….
I did find it a bit fantastical that Lyra picked up Roark’s sign language that quick, however, the romance was so well written that I forgot all about that!!!!!
~ Enemies to lovers
~ Slow burn
~ Found family
~ Secrets and twists
~ Power hungry Royals
~ Fabulous magic system
Wow! That ending was something I didn’t see coming! I thought I had guessed what was going to happen, but I was SO wrong! Amazing! Roll on March 2026 so I can see what happens – I need it!
Sound like something you’d like?
November releases I’ve got my eye on!
Here’s what’s tantalising me that’s releasing in November…
It’s going to be a bad month for my bank account as I’ve preordered them all!!!!!
The House Saphir by Marissa Meyer
Silver and Smoke by Helen Scheuerer Fallen City by Adrienne Young
Brigands and Breadknives by Travis Baldree
Hollow by Caroline Peckham
Will you be getting these?
TTT – Non-book Freebie: something close to my heart…..(and stomach!)
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: Gluten free cooking/celiac awareness
I did think hard about what to do and decided to do my favourite gluten free bakes…..but then I wanted to add in some awareness of why I (and my son) have to eat gluten free….so here we are!
My son and I have celiac disease. It’s a serious illness where the body’s immune system attacks its own tissues when you eat gluten.
Five facts:
~ It’s not an allergy or food intolerance, it’s an auto immune disease.
~ BROWS (barley, rye, oats, wheat, spelt) – we cannot eat these!
~ Cross contamination is a big problem.
~ Coeliac disease affects 1 in 100 people.
~ But only 36% who have the condition have been diagnosed.
Five gluten free bake recipes I’ve found, tried and loved!
CJRTB Books 