I used to care about how many likes and comments I got - the engagement on my posts, the quality of my photos but then the world starting dying! That’s my 2 cents on the latest drama I’ve seen on bookstagram!
More importantly, thank you to everyone following social distancing guidelines and staying at home where possible. As a mental health nurse working in children and adolescent services, my role is part of a home treatment team - so I’m going into homes (covering 4 london boroughs) delivering treatment, pandemic or not. I was scared at first, so I can only imagine how terrifying it is for ITU nurses/staff.
I’m not on Instagram too much at the moment because most of my shifts are 2pm-10pm or 8am-10pm, it’s hard to bookstagram with those unsocialable hours! And when I’m not working, I’m with my son, helping him stay on top of his school work and stay mentally and physically well.
I don’t really know where I’m going with this post, but I’m sharing this because, now more than ever, it’s important to build each other up, not tear each other down! People all over the world are struggling right now, whether it’s with health or finance or whatever, and that’s put a lot of things in perspective for me. I think I’m on one right now and will probably wake up tomorrow wondering why I posted this 🙈🤣.
I want to thank @candice_reads for her love and support, and many others who’ve messaged me. And so much love to all my front-line workers ❤️
Also, audiobooks are giving me life right now 🙌🏾 #bookstagram #stayhomesavelives #stayhomestaysafe #kindnessmatters #nhs #nhsheroes #purplebooks
#CoverReveal
Tactics. Trust. Truth. Terror.
#PlayingNice by JP Delaney
‘They’ve got your child. You’ve got theirs’
Coming August 2020, published by @quercusbooks, and available for for preorder now!! Having read all Delaney’s books, I am so excited for this one!!!
#BookBloggers it’ll be available to request on Netgalley!!
Synopsis: Pete Riley answers the door one morning to a parent’s worst nightmare. On his doorstep is Miles Lambert, who breaks the devastating news that Pete’s two-year-old, Theo, isn’t Pete’s real son – their babies got mixed up at birth.
The two families – Pete, his partner Maddie, and Miles and his wife Lucy – agree that, rather than swap the boys back, they’ll try to find a more flexible way to share their children’s lives. But a plan to sue the hospital triggers an investigation that unearths disturbing questions about just what happened the day the babies were switched.
And when Theo is thrown out of nursery for hitting other children, Maddie and Pete have to ask themselves: how far do they want this arrangement to go? What secrets lie hidden behind the Lamberts’ smart front door? How much can they trust the real parents of their child – or even each other?
April Reading
I read, and really enjoyed, the following:
•A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder (Holly Jackson)
•The Everlasting Rose (Dhonielle Clayton)
•Throne of Glass (Sarah J. Maas)
•Once Upon a River (Diane Setterfield)
•You Are Not Alone (Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekannen)
Only one book was “just okay” for me - The Recovery of Rose Gold (Stephanie Wrobel) - that may be because I watched the tv series, The Act, so this retelling didn’t really work for me.
I also revisited some favourites via audio:
•Harry Potter & the Philosopher’s Stone 🎧
•Children of Blood and Bone 🎧
•The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo 🎧
•The Girl who Played with Fire 🎧
•The Girl who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest 🎧
(Wrapping up early because, I’m in the middle of reorganising my shelves so I want to put these books away lol)
{#gifted @gollancz}
Getting lost in fantasy and murder mysteries is how I’m spending my reading month! What’re you hoping to read this month?
My reading came to an abrupt stop toward the end of March, as I saw was the case for many others. But like Stella, I got my groove back and I kicked off April with an awesome YA murder mystery - A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson. Now, I’m getting lost in the second book in the Belles series - The Everlasting Rose by Dhonielle Clayton. Also, currently listening to Harry Potter & the Chamber of Secrets, Stephen Fry’s narration is great!
Yep, definitely got my groove back. I hope you’re all keeping safe & well!
GIVEAWAY
Is chilling, literary folk-horror your kinda read!? If so, then this giveaway is tailor made for you! For my stop on #thetwistedones Instagram Tour, I’m giving away one copy of THE TWISTED ONES by T. Kingfisher.
To be in with a chance of winning:
•Follow @titanbooks
•Follow @keeperofpages
•Leave me a comment letting me know your following both accounts
•Share to your IG story for an extra entry
That’s it! Open to U.K. & Europe. Giveaway closes on 24th March @ midnight. Good luck!
Blurb: When Mouse’s dad asks her to clean out her dead grandmother's house, she says yes. After all, how bad could it be? Answer: pretty bad. Grandma was a hoarder, and her house is stuffed with useless rubbish. Mouse stumbles across her step-grandfather’s journal, which seems like nonsense until Mouse encounters some of the terrifying things he described. Alone in the woods with her dog, Mouse finds herself face to face with impossible terrors and, worst of all, finds she cannot look away…
*If you can’t wait, The Twisted Ones is available to buy now! Thank you to @titanbooks for my free copy and partnering up for this giveaway*
#RulesForPerfectMurders
8 classic murders. A series of unsolved murders with one thing in common - an eerie resemblance to crimes depicted in classic mystery novels. Can the killer be stopped before all 8 of these murders have been re-enacted.
#BookReview: Most of Swanson’s novels can be described as psychological thrillers, but this latest novel is best described as a mystery novel. It has an old-school feel to it, and it’s just so damn readable! With each page, you’ll see how clever Swanson is with his plotting.
We have a great main character in Malcom. At first he seems your basic narrator, but he’s so much more complex than he first appears, as you learn more about him, the book only gets better. Is he a reliable narrator, he did write the list of perfect murders after all, or is he going to become the victim of a perfect murder?
You may have heard chatter that this novel spoils other novels, and that’s true. If you ask Google, I’m sure you’ll easily find a list of novels mentioned in this one, but I won’t list them because I think part of the fun is seeing a novel you’ve read mentioned, and then your brain processes the information the same way Malcom’s does because you’re both familiar with how a ‘perfect murder’ was carried out. *If you really wanna know the main books spoiled, DM*
It is fair to be wary when you start this novel, but it will draw you in, it’s dark, it’s layered, and once the plot begins to unravel, you’ll be hooked! The fluid writing, the clever plotting, an expertly told tale, one that will appeal to crime fiction fans and those who enjoy books about books. Swanson is a fantastic author, his books are a joy to read – I absolutely recommend Rules for Perfect Murders!
*Thank you @faberbooks for providing me with a free copy of this book*
