• I read 9 books this month
• I DNFd 1 book this month
• Genre: 3 horror, 2 non-fiction, 2 fantasy, 1 historical fiction and 1 sci-fi
• Gender of authors: 5 women and 4 men
• Race of authors: 6 white authors, 1 asian author, 1 Latina author and 1 black author
• Age range: 6 adult and 3 YA
• Format: 6 paperback, 2 hardback, 1 eBook
• 3.9 stars average rating for the month

Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent – Judi Dench (3 stars)

This was interesting but not exactly what I expected. It felt more of a beat for beat analysis of the characters Dench played and her thoughts on each scene. I expected more of a memoir with Dench reflecting on her time in the theatre, funny moments, things she had learnt, wisdom to pass on but I think all of that got lost by Dench just walking you through every single scene which got super repetitive. Which was a shame as she is so funny and incredibly smart and I wanted more personal anecdotes.

Dearest – Jacquie Walters (3.75 stars)

Now I have written a whole blog post towards this book so please check it out >>>

I rarely post full book reviews so please give it some love! x

The Lie of the Land – Guy Shrubsole (4 stars)

I have never read a nature writing book in my life and I have only read a small amount of current affairs books. I am frankly very new to reading non-fiction but this book was incredibly accessible, engaging, and emotive. I learned so much from these pages and it makes me want to go out and pick litter and go out and take in the countryside. I loved as well the action plan at the end of the book which left you feeling more hopeful than you probably felt when first reading the book as you realise how depleted and destroyed our countryside truly is.

Hell Followed With Us – Andrew Joseph White (4 stars)

I read this as per request by my friend Morgan and for the second month of my brand new SFF book group at work. This was such a visceral and vulnerable read with great characters, a juicy plot and an ending that just was the cherry on top of a very gory book. I love a book that tackles cult elements of christianity and I dare say this is one of the best post-apocalyptic YA books in the last 5 years!

Harrow the Ninth – Tamsyn Muir (4 stars)

Now if I wasn’t told ahead of reading this that the book actively lies and gaslights you I would have DNFd. While I enjoyed the book 100%, and I loved what it was doing, the first 2 thirds were a slog to get through. I keep having to remind myself that this was all on purpose but my god. I really like Harrow but she is character that needs a more charismatic side character to bounce off of. Watching Harrow walk around for like 300 pages was a bit of a drag. The last third though made it all worth it. I am never the kind of person to suggest sticking a book out and waiting for it to get better but this one is an exception.

The Hacienda – Isabel Cañas (4.5 stars)

To whoever comped this book as Mexican Gothic meets Rebecca I hope both sides of your pillow are cold at night. While definitely leaning more into the Rebecca side this beautiful and haunting tale set in rural Mexico took my breath away. Great atmosphere, intriguing plot and great chemistry between our two main characters. I will always recommend this book.

Escaping Mr. Rochester – L.L. McKinney (5 stars)

I have personally never read Jane Eyre but knew enough about the story to understand what was going on though I don’t feel that you need to know the story to enjoy this book. The stand-out elements from this novel are the two main characters, Jane and Bertha, and the way McKinney creates such a tense and unsettling atmosphere. Jane and Bertha are such realised and thought-out characters with multiple layers. They were kind-hearted, they STRESSED ME OUT, – specifically Jane and they had determination which I loved. The tension and atmosphere around Thornfield Hall were expected. Upon reading the blurb I knew what I was getting myself into… or so I thought. At times I found my heart racing, like I was watching a horror movie waiting for the killer to jump out, and I literally couldn’t take my eyes of the page. I felt the cold seeping in and I felt as a reader I was constantly ‘reading’ on eggshells. Perfect for this time of the year!