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2025 Books Ranked + 2026 Goals

Happy Friday bookish people! I hope you are all doing well. Today I will be doing a full rundown of all the books I read in 2025, starting with my least favourite book that I read and ending with my number one book of the year. What are some of your favourite and least favourite books of 2025?

The Veiled Kingdom by Holly Renee
A Novel Murder by E C Nevin
The Wolf and the Woodsman by Ava Reid
The Village Library Demon Hunting Society
The Creeping Hand Murder by Maureen Johnson
The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie
To Sway A Bard
The White Queen by Philippa Gregory
Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
A Witch’s Guide to Love and Poison
A Rivalry of Hearts by Tessonje Odette
The Ripper of Whitechapel by Yvette Fielding
The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
This is Not a Game by Kelly Mullen
Traitors Legacy by S J Parris
Graveyard Shift by M L Rio
Phantasma by Kaylie Smith
The Murder Hypothesis by Sarah Wishart
The Coven by Harper L Woods
I Hope You’re Listening by Tom Ryan
The Whispering Dark by Kelly Andrews
The Painted Dragon
The Austen Christmas Murders by Jessica Bull
Hex Appeal by Kate Johnson
Pages and Co 3 by Anna James
A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping
Library of Shadows by Rachel Moore
Us In Ruins by Rachel Moore
A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J Maas
Murder at Christmas
The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter
An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson
Grimstone
Close to Death by Antony Horowitz
Fearful by Lauren Roberts
The Agency of Scandal by Laura Wood
Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Fairies
Vera Wong’s Guide to Snooping on a Dead Man
The Guest List by Lucy Foley
Murder at the Wedding
Murder in First Class
Murder at Midwinter Farm
Murder at the Country Club
Murder on Board
Murder at the Charity Ball
Murder at the Beauty Pageant
Murder on the Marlow Belle by Robert Thorogood
Murder at the Village Fair
Murder at the Highland Castle
Murder at the Island Hotel
Murder on the French Riviera
Murder in the Countryside
Murder in New York
Murder on the Cornish Coast
Murder in Paris
Murder at the English Manor
Murder at Traitor’s Gate by Irina Shapiro
A Quiet Life in the Country by T E Kinsey
Murder at the Foundlings Hospital by Irina Shapiro
The Dog Sitter Detective Christmas Tail by Antony Johnston
The Highgate Cemetary Murder by Irina Shapiro
In Want of a Suspect by Tirzah Price
Powerful by Lauren Roberts
The Dog Sitter Detective Plays Dead by Antony Johnston
The Secret Service of Tea and Treason by India Holton
How to Seal Your Own Fate by Kristin Perrin
Reckless by Lauren Roberts
Fearless by Lauren Roberts
The Mythmakers by Tamzin Merchant
A Deadly Night at the Theatre by Katy Watson
A Corruption of Blood by Ambrose Parry
Murder at the Orpheus Theatre by Irina Shapiro
Unravel Me by Taherah Mafi
Ignite Me by Taherah Mafi
The Diabolical Bones by Bella Ellis
A Gift of Poison by Bella Ellis
Throne of Secrets by Kerri Maniscalco
The Killer Question by Janice Hallett
Miss Winter in the Library with a Knife by Martin Edwards
The Ballad of Never After by Stephanie Garber
A Curse for True Love by Stephanie Garber
Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera
Fate of the Argosi
Fall of the Argosi
Way of the Argosi by Sebastien de Castell
The Protest by Rob Rinder
Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun by Elle Cosimano
A Dangerous Train of Thought by Faith Martin
Seige and Storm by Leigh Bardugo
Crown of Midnight
Heir of Fire
Queen of Shadows by Sarah J Maas
Pandora by Susan Stokes-Chapman
Vespertine by Margaret Rogerson
The Last Word is Death by Faith Martin
Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros
Murder by Candlelight by Faith Martin
Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins
Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros
A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J Maas
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
Capturing the Devil by Kerri Maniscalco

Have you read any of these books? What did you think of them?

Book Reviews

Book Review: Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Fairies by Heather Fawcett

Happy Monday bookish people! I hope you are all doing well today.

Today, I am sharing with you my book review for the first novel in the Emily Wilde series by Heather Fawcett.

Blurb/Synopsis:

Enter the world of the hidden folk – and discover the most whimsical, enchanting and heart-warming tale you’ll read this year, featuring the intrepid Emily Wilde. . .

Emily Wilde is good at many things: she is the foremost expert on the study of faeries; she is a genius scholar and a meticulous researcher who is writing the world’s first encylopaedia of faerie lore. But Emily Wilde is not good at people

So when she arrives in the hardscrabble village of Hrafnsvik, Emily has no intention of befriending the gruff townsfolk. Nor does she care to spend time with another new arrival: her dashing and insufferably handsome academic rival Wendell Bambleby

But as Emily gets closer to uncovering the secrets of the Hidden Ones – the most elusive of all faeries – she also finds herself on the trail of another mystery: who is Wendell Bambleby, and what does he really want? To find the answer, she’ll have to unlock the greatest mystery of all – her own heart.

My Review:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

I was unsure what I would think of this book going into it. I bought it because I love everything fairies and whimsical, I just love it. However, I then read some other cosy fantasy books and I think I have decided that cosy fantasy is not something I will usually enjoy. This book is an exception, perhaps because I read it in the car on the way to Scotland for a funeral and the light heartedness of this book was exactly what I needed at the time.

I loved the rival academics thread that underly this story, it gave their relationship an enjoyable tension which I am looking forward to seeing where it goes from here with Emily and Wendell – as you can probably guess I will definitely be continuing this series, I actually got the second book for christmas.
The isolated, wintry feeling landscape gave me the same feelings I had while reading the Bear and the Nightingale and I loved that book too.
It is hard to talk about this book without giving any spoilers but I loved its whimsical writing style and the way the plot is presented as ‘cosy’ but actually surrounds darker, higher stakes.

Have you read this book? What did you think of it?

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End of 2025 Wrap Up!

Happy Friday bookish People! I hope you are all having a wonderful day today. It is 2026 and that means I can finally do a big wrap up of 2025.

Best book of the year: Capturing the Devil by Kerri Maniscalco – the final book in the Stalking Jack the Ripper series.

Worst book of the year: The Veiled Kingdom by Holly Renee

Most Read Author: Helena Dixon (The Miss Underhay mystery series) – 16 books!

Amount read in each genre: Crime – 54/Fantasy – 45

Average star rating: 3.9 stars

How many books by male authors: 11

How many books by female authors: 88

Reading goal: originally it was 50, but I managed to pass that in July so I upped it to 75, which I also passed.

How many books did you read: 99

How many pages did you read: 33,970

Longest book: Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros

Shortest book: Graveyard Shift by M L Rio

Best book covers of 2025: Us In Ruins, An Enchantment of Ravens, In Want of A Suspect, Fate of the Argosi, The Mythmakers

New book boyfriends: Rook from an enchantment of ravens – a Fae Prince of course, Inspector Sebastien Bell from Irina Shapiro’s Tate and Bell mysteries – a man who is not cowed by a woman’s intelligence, Gluttony from Throne of Secrets, Arbuthnot Swift from Murder by Candlelight – a bit lazy and sometimes careless but excellent at solving mysteries, Duke Max from The Agency for Scandal, and of course, the one and only Xaden Riorson from Fourth Wing. He is up there with the best.

Book Reviews

Book Review: Traitors Legacy by S J Parris

Happy Monday bookish people! I hope you’re all having a good day today.

Today, I am sharing with you my thoughts on the most recent S J Parris novel – Traitors Legacy. Funny enough, my Dad wanted to read this book also and he put it on his Christmas list for my Sister and I to choose his presents from, and he had no clue I already owned it – so, after I finished reading it I gave this book over to my Dad to read also.

Blurb/Synopsis:

England, 1598. Queen Elizabeth’s successor remains unnamed. The country teeters on a knife edge.

When a young heiress is found murdered at the theatre, the Queen’s spymaster Robert Cecil calls upon former agent Sophia de Wolfe to investigate.

A cryptic note found on the dead girl’s body connects to Sophia’s previous life as a spy, and her quest soon takes her into dangerous waters. Powerful enemies emerge, among them the Earl of Essex: the Queen’s favourite courtier and a man of ruthless ambition.

This is a murder that reaches directly into the heart of the court. And Sophia is concealing a deep-buried secret of her own. She must uncover the truth before her past threatens to destroy her.

My Review:

Rating: 3 out of 5.

I often enjoy historical mysteries, and I adore anything from the period of Edward IV to the end of Elizabeth I’s reign, so I thought this book would be a good one no matter what, it had all the makings of a new favourite. However, that is not what happened.
First, the good things: I did enjoy the mystery elements – working out who could be suspects, all the normal good parts of a mystery plot. Parris did well to keep your mind always turning in new directions, honestly the ending could have said anyone was the killer – they all had their suspicious activities. This, I liked. I liked not being able to guess where the mystery would go next and, though the beginning half is slow, the mystery picks up in the second half and this is what earned this book a three star rating.

Now, the not so good bits. I found this book to be boring – as I have just said, not because of the mystery, because of the characters and the writing.
Let us talk the writing first: there was too much information given in large chunks for a start, there was no space for the reader to try and work things out themselves, it was all spelled out to them in backstory and it took a lot of the tension away which I did not enjoy. Also, there was a lot of repetition – this overlaps with character – the main character we follow, Sophia, has only one driving force it seems and this is what forms her entire personality and all her choices, but the reason was repeated so often I had to keep physically putting the book down and read something else before going back to it. So, character. I like that the lead character is female, and the novel touches on how that would have been viewed in this time period and it did not skirt around the topic. However, I needed more substance to her character to be invested and actually want her to succeed. Alongside this, there were many characters introduced in this novel but they also often lacked the page space to give them substance and to actually feel any connection to any of them.

Overall, I am glad I read this book and I did keep reading until the end to find out the answers to the mystery but I do not think I will continue the series or read any other books by this author.

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January Book Releases!

Happy Friday bookish people! I hope you are all having a wonderful day today. Today, I will be sharing some of the book releases in January. Are there any books you are excited for their release this month?

The Storm by Rachel Hawkins – 6th

St. Medard’s Bay, Alabama is famous for three things: the deadly hurricanes that regularly sweep into town, the Rosalie Inn, a century-old hotel that’s survived every one of those storms, and Lo Bailey, the local girl infamously accused of the murder of her lover, political scion Landon Fitzroy, during Hurricane Marie in 1984.

When Geneva Corliss, the current owner of the Rosalie Inn, hears a writer is coming to town to research the crime that put St. Medard’s Bay on the map, she’s less interested in solving a whodunnit than in how a successful true crime book might help the struggling inn’s bottom line. But to her surprise, August Fletcher doesn’t come to St. Medard’s Bay alone. With him is none other than Lo Bailey herself. Lo says she’s returned to her hometown to clear her name once and for all, but the closer Geneva gets to both Lo and August, the more she wonders if Lo is actually back to settle old scores.

As the summer heats up and another monster storm begins twisting its way towards St. Medard’s Bay, Geneva learns that some people can be just as destructive—and as deadly—as any hurricane, and that the truth of what happened to Landon Fitzroy may not be the only secret Lo is keeping…

The Swan’s Daughter by Roshani Chokshi – 8th

In this lush and romantic novel from New York Times bestselling author Roshani Chokshi, a prince is only as good as his beating heart and a maiden is only as good as her honest word. But when love and the truth become impossibly tangled, the two must figure out how to survive together, or fall completely apart.

To find love is a curse …

Prince Arris knows that marriage means murder. Thanks to a poorly worded wish to a sea witch, all one needs to rule the Isle of Malys is the heart and hand of the kingdom’s heir. Historically, this has been construed quite literally.

Thus, Arris expects that the day after his marriage and murder he will wake up as a sentient tree alongside the rest of his predecessors. His only chance at a long life is finding true and lasting love. When Arris’s parents announce a tournament of brides to compete for his hand and heart, a slew of eligible, lovely and (possibly murderous) bachelorettes make their way to Rathe Castle. Amidst glittering balls in ozorald caves, strolls through menageries of daydream trees and pearl crocodiles, tea time on glass boats and kisses that leave his head spinning, Arris cannot tell who is here out of love for him…or lust for power.

Until he meets Demelza.

As a veritas swan, Demelza’s song wrings out the truth. Forced into hiding, Demelza strikes a deal. Arris will provide her with safekeeping in exchange for her truth-telling song to sort through his potential brides.

While Arris is used to dodging death threats and Demelza is accustomed to fighting for her voice to be heard, to survive the tournament of brides requires a different kind of bravery. And perhaps the bravest thing one can do is not merely protect one’s life, but find the courage to chase a life worth living.

Graceless Heart by Isabel Ibanez – 15th

In 15th-century Volterra, sculptress Ravenna Maffei enters a competition hosted by a secretive, immortal family who offer an invaluable boon to the victor. Desperate to win so she can save her brother, Ravenna reveals a rare magical talent–a dangerous act in a city where magic is forbidden. Her revelation makes her a target, and she is kidnapped by the Luni family and taken to Florence, a city of breathtaking beauty and cutthroat ambition.

There, Ravenna is forced into an impossible task where failure means certain death at the hands of Saturnino dei Luni, the family’s enigmatic and merciless heir. But under his cold reserve hides a vulnerability that draws her closer than she ever intended.

Meanwhile, Ravenna’s forbidden magic does not go unnoticed. The Pope, waging war against Florence, the Medici, and magic itself, has his own interest in her abilities, seeing her as a potential weapon in his ruthless campaign.

As alliances shift and war brews on the horizon, Ravenna must navigate the treacherous line between survival and betrayal, between love and duty. With time running out and her every move watched, the choices she makes will determine the fate of not just her own life, but the fragile balance of magic and power that could unravel Florence itself.

Anatomy of an Alibi by Ashley Elston – 20th

Everyone at Chantilly’s Bar noticed out-of-towner Camille Bayliss. Red lips, designer heels, sipping a Negroni. But that woman wasn’t Camille Bayliss. It was Aubrey Price.

Camille Bayliss appears to have the picture-perfect life; she’s married to hotshot lawyer Ben and is the daughter of a wealthy Louisiana family. Only nothing is as it seems: Camille believes Ben has been hiding dirty secrets for years, but she can’t find proof because he tracks her every move.

Aubrey Price has been haunted by the terrible night that changed her life a decade ago, and she’s convinced Benjamin Bayliss knows something about it. Living in a house full of criminals, Aubrey understands there’s more than one way to get to the truth—and she may have found the best way in.

Aubrey and Camille hatch a plan. It sounds simple: For twelve hours, Aubrey will take Camille’s place. Camille will spy on Ben, and the two women will get the answers they desperately seek.

Except the next morning, Ben is found murdered. Both women need an airtight alibi, but only one of them has it. And one false step is all it takes for everything to come undone.

Half His Age by Jeannette McCurdy – 20th

Waldo is ravenous. Horny. Blunt. Naive. Wise. Impulsive. Lonely. Angry. Forceful. Hurting. Perceptive. Endlessly wanting. And the thing she wants most of all: Mr. Korgy, her creative writing teacher with the wife and the kid and the mortgage and the bills, with the dead dreams and the atrophied looks and the growing paunch. She doesn’t know why she wants him. Is it his passion? His life experience? The fact that he knows books and films and things that she doesn’t? Or is it purer than that, rooted in their unlikely connection, their kindred spirits, the similar filter with which they each take in the world around them? Or, perhaps, it’s just enough that he sees her when no one else does.

Startlingly perceptive, mordantly funny, and keenly poignant, Half His Age is a rich character study of a yearning seventeen-year-old who disregards all obstacles—or attempts to overcome them—in her effort to be seen, to be desired, to be loved.

A Box Full of Darkness by Simone St James – 22nd

Siblings return to the house they fled eighteen years before, called back by the ghost of their long-missing brother and his haunting request to come home.

Strange things happen in Fell, New York: A mysterious drowning at the town’s roadside motel. The unexplained death of a young girl whose body is left by the railroad tracks. For Violet, Vail, and Dodie Esmie the final straw was their little brother’s shocking disappearance, which started as a normal game of hide-and-seek.

As their parents grew increasingly distant, the sisters were each haunted by visions and frightening events, leading them to leave town and never look back. Violet still sees dead people—spirits who remind her of Sister, the menacing presence that terrorized her for years. Now after nearly two decades it’s time for a homecoming—because Ben is back, and he’s ready to lead them to the answers they’ve longed for and long feared.

Dear Debbie by Frieda McFadden -27th

Sometimes, enough is enough…

Debbie Mullen is losing it. For years, she has compiled all of her best advice into her column, Dear Debbie, where the wives of New England come for sympathy and neighborly advice. Through her work, Debbie has heard from countless women who are ignored, belittled, or even abused by their husbands. And Debbie does her best to guide them in the right direction.

Or at least, she did.

These days, Debbie’s life seems to be spiraling out of control. She just lost her job. Something strange is happening with her teenage daughters. And her husband is keeping secrets, according to the tracking app she installed on his phone. Now, Debbie’s done being the bigger person. She’s done being reasonable and practical. It’s time to take her own advice.

And now it’s time for payback against all the people in her life who deserve it the most.

My Husband’s Wife by Alice Feeney – 27th

Eden Fox, an artist on the brink of her big break, sets off for a run before her first exhibition. When she returns to the home she recently moved into, Spyglass, an enchanting old house in Hope Falls, nothing is as it should be. Her key doesn’t fit. A woman, eerily similar to her, answers the door. And her husband insists that the stranger is his wife.

One house. One husband. Two women. Someone is lying.

Six months earlier, a reclusive Londoner called Birdy, reeling from a life-changing diagnosis, inherits Spyglass. This unexpected gift from a long-lost grandmother brings her to the pretty seaside village of Hope Falls. But then Birdy stumbles upon a shadowy London clinic that claims to be able to predict a person’s date of death, including her own. Secrets start to unravel, and as the line between truth and lies blurs, Birdy feels compelled to right some old wrongs.

My Husband’s Wife is a tangled web of deception, obsession, and mystery that will keep you guessing until the last page. Prepare yourself for the ultimate mind-bending marriage thriller and step inside Spyglass – if you dare – to experience a story where nothing is as it seems.

Dragon Cursed by Elise Kova – 29th

The moment you see a dragon is usually your last…

Since the dragons emerged–along with the scourge that ravaged our lands and people–there’s only one human city that remains standing: Vingard.

But the hellfire from above is nothing compared to the threat from within. For there is no worse fate than being dragon cursed. Slowly and excruciatingly, you’ll be transformed into a mindless beast who destroys everything–and everyone–you love.

Any of us could be tainted. Any of us could be lying. Any of us could be caught and killed by the authorities.

And I’m terrified that I might be next.

There’s only one other person who might suspect my secret. He’s like my shadow, following me wherever I go. Part protector, part tormentor, fully annoying. Sometimes I think I am just one of the million unfathomable secrets he keeps hidden.

Because Lucan definitely knows something.

And if I’m dragon cursed, death might be the only mercy I get.

Monthly TBRs

January TBR!

Happy Monday bookish people! I hope you are all having a wonderful day today. Can you believe it is already time to be sharing my TBR for January 2026?! This year, in my reading journal, I have a 100 book challenge so I tried to fill it with books I am really excited to read and I will be trying to choose from that sheet when I am building my monthly TBR’s.

What I will be reading in January:

Alchemy of Secrets by Stephanie Garber

A Season of Scandal by Laura Wood

Book of Night by Holly Black

A Disaster in Three Acts by Kelsey Rodkey

Restore Me by Taherah Mafi

Bloodlines by Richelle Mead

A Matter of Murder by Tirzah Price

The Mysterious Affair of Judith Potts by Robert Thorogood

What’s on your January TBR? What are you excited about reading?

Monthly Wrap Ups

December Wrap Up!

Happy Friday bookish people! I hope you are all having a good day today, and Happy New Year! For this, my first post of 2026, I am bringing you the usual monthly wrap up for December, but later in the month I will be sharing an all-encompassing 2025 Wrap Up that covers genres, favourite books etc. Check back later for that if you are interested.

December was a month that felt insanely busy and yet, I couldn’t tell you what I spent the month doing, it is all just a blur. Plus, I was sick for the whole month with different things. Hopefully January will be better.

From my December TBR:

  • Murder at the Orpheus Theatre by Irina Shapiro – I did read this.
  • Pages and Co: Tilly and the Lost Fairytales by Anna James – I did read this.
  • The Dog Sitter Detective: Christmas Tails by Antony Johnston – I read this too.
  • Miss Beeton’s Murder Agency by Josie Lloyd – I did start to read this but unfortunately, I ended up DNF’ing it quite early on. I did not enjoy the writing style of this book and I struggled to be able to tell which time period it was set in.
  • Traitor’s Legacy by S J Parris – I did read this.
  • Fearful by Lauren Roberts – I did read this.
  • Death and the Harlot by Georgina Clarke – I did not read this.
  • Miss Winter in the Library with a Knife by Martin Edwards – I did read this.
  • A Quiet Life in the Country by T E Kinsey – I did read this.

So, from my TBR I read 7 books from my TBR, DNF’d 1 and I did not manage to read 1. Overall, that’s pretty good, even though I did not complete my TBR. Outside my TBR, I read The Austen Christmas Murders, The Mythmakers by Tamzin Merchant, Murder at Christmas, A Dangerous Train of Thought by Faith Martin and, I FINALLY read Queen of Shadows by Sarah J Maas.

That means, in December, I read a total of 12 books and I DNF’d 1.

What did you read in December? What did you think of the books you read?

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My Favourite Books of 2025

Happy Friday bookish people! I hope you’re all having a lovely day today. As you will have seen last week I shared my least favourite books of the year so far, excluding December as that month has not finished yet, and now I am sharing my favourite books of each month so far this year.

January – Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

This year started off with a bang. I had been putting this book off since it came out, I wasn’t sure I was going to like it and now, I think about it every day. It also started a dragon obsession, I now own over ten dragon teddies.

February – Murder by Candlelight by Faith Martin

I read this book one night while I was in the hospital as it was a deal on my kindle and I ended up absolutely loving it. I can’t wait for the third book to be released in January.

March – Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun by Elle Cosimano

Another book I had been putting off, I liked the first two but I didn’t love them but this one I must have read it at just the right time because I loved this one. It was fun and action packed.

April – Capturing the Devil by Kerri Maniscalco

This year is definitely the time for reading the books I have been putting off, this is another one. It is the final one in the Stalking Jack the Ripper series. I loved getting to see the end of this story though I love the characters and would want to spend every day with them, currently this is up there as my favourite book of the year.

May – In Want of a Suspect by Tirzah Price

This book follows Lizzie and Darcy as they solve mysteries together, I adore this series and while there are some things I would change about the two characters I will read any book by this author.

June – The Protest by Rob Rinder

The third in his series, following a lawyer who gets more involved in solving cases than a usual lawyer. I love this series, I have so far read every book the day it came out. The mysteries are great but I just love Adam and can’t wait to see what happens to him next.

July – A Deadly Night at the Theatre by Katy Watson

The fifth? I think, in the three dahlias series. Even though this was my favourite read this month, this was my least favourite of this series so far. I felt that the relationship between the three lead characters was different and not as good as usual. But I still loved it.

August – Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins

Oh the nostalgia. The emotion. This book has my heart definitely. It was beautifully told and made me understand Hyamitch’s character a lot better.

September – The Killer Question by Janice Hallett

A great mystery, as usual from Janice Hallett. I love the way these stories are told through mixed media, it makes it much more interesting.

October – Pandora by Susan Stokes-Chapman

I loved this book. It had both a gothic and a historical feel about it. It was much darker than I expected it to be but I really enjoyed it, I loved the character of Dora.

November – Fate of the Argosi by Sebastien de Castell

The third in the Way of the Argosi series, a spin off of the Spellslinger series. I have loved following Ferrius Parfax and seeing how her character became what it is in the Spellslinger series. This series is all about adventure and the unlikely hero. I love it.

What are some of your favourite books of this year?

Book Reviews

Book Review: The Agency for Scandal by Laura Wood

Happy Monday bookish people! I hope you’re all having a lovely day today. Today I am bringing you my review for the first book in Laura Wood’s series, The Agency for Scandal.

An all-female detective agency righting wrongs at the
end of the nineteenth century; infiltrating a scandalous upper class
world straight out of Bridgerton and using their wit and bravery
to unmask a villain
.

Eighteen-year-old Isobel Stanhope is keeping a lot of secrets.
There’s the fact that she’s head over heels in
love with a Duke who doesn’t know she exists; there’s
the fact that her family is penniless but nobody in society
knows about it; and then there’s her job at the Aviary, an investigative
agency run by women that specializes in digging up scandal
on powerful men.

When Izzy finds herself
pulled into a case that involves gaslighting, blackmail, and
missing jewels, as well as the Duke who holds
her heart, can she and her friends untangle the web of secrets
and lies
 to uncover the truth and protect the innocent?
And when the stakes are so high, what happens when the crush
she’s been hiding begins to turn into so much more?

‘Incredibly charming’ Sophie Irwin, author of A Lady’s
Guide to Fortune Hunting

  • Bridgerton meets Charlie’s Angels – the most
    romantic, exciting, empowering YA of the year.
  • A smart, charming, brilliantly plotted and swooningly romantic
    story about a collective of bold women changing their world.

My Review:

First, I have to say that what I liked most about this book was its characters. A headstrong, fiercely independent female lead and a gentleman who is actually a bit of a rogue male lead. That is my kind of team. It gave great banter and chance for tension built in different encounters, I don’t want to say too much and spoilt it but there’s the only one bed trope in this and that gets so many of us every time. The plot was also interesting and full of high stakes. I loved that throughout the novel I was not sure who I could trust at any given time, it made the solving of the mystery more interesting. It looks like a long book but it flew by while reading it, so fast paced and full of adventure.

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My Least Favourite Books of 2025

Happy Friday bookish people! I hope you’re all having a good day today. I have been doing something a bit different this year. In my reading journal there is a space to put your favourite and least favourite read of each month and I thought today I would share my least favourite reads this year.

January – An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson

This book had a stronger romantic element rather than plot element, compared to margaret rogerson’s other books – both Vespertine and Sorcery of Thorns are some of my favourite books. I enjoyed Isobel, the main character and I liked how the story and the romance progressed but as I say, compared to the author’s other books I went into it with higher expectations.

February – This Is Not A Game by Kelly Mullen

I used this book for a chapter in my PhD, however I did not enjoy it. I felt it was trying to take elements of the cosy and the traditional mysteries but did not mesh them well.

March – The Village Library Demon Hunting Society

This book has to be one of my least favoruite of the year, even now in November of the same year I read it I can’t remember much of it, all I remember is how much I disliked reading it, I remember being both frustrated and confused and thinking there was no plot.

April – The White Queen by Philippa Gregory

Having seen the TV show for this book and loving it, I had high expectations for this book and this author who I have read and enjoyed previously. However, I did not love it, I thought it was okay but a little but clumpy and dragged put in places.

May – The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie

This is probably my least favourite Agatha Christie book, there’s not much I can say other than I found it a little bit boring.

June – How to Sway A Bard

This book was too short. The premise was excellent, but it wasn’t given enough time and attention to make it amazing.

July – The Mystery of the Painted Dragon

This is a young, middle grade mystery series and it is the third book in that series. I enjoyed the series but I decided to not continue with the fourth book after this one.

August – A Novel Murder

Honestly, I didn’t even reach 100 pages into this book, I did not like the self-pitying main character and I couldn’t imagine growing to like them so this was easily one of my least favourite books of the year.

September – I Hope You’re Listening by Tom Ryan

I finished more than half of this book but I struggled with getting into the story, it just didn’t hold my interest.

October – The Coven by Harper L Woods

This book had a very intriguing premise, it lacked substance for me and felt very rushed but it was still quite enjoyable.

November – The Ripper of Whitechapel by Yvette Fielding

This was a short, engaging, middle grade book which I found good but maybe only a three star read while everything else I read in November was a four or above.

I do not have an answer for December yet as I am still reading for this month, but this is the least favourite books for each month so far this year.