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[bookramblings]

Piranesi

Author: Susanna Clarke

Published by: Bloomsbury

Pages: 245

Format: Paperback (Proof Copy)

My Rating ★★★★

Piranesi lives in the House. Perhaps he always has. In his notebooks, day after day, he makes a clear and careful record of its wonders: the labyrinth of halls, the thousands upon thousands of statues, the tides which thunder up staircases, the clouds which move in slow procession through the upper halls.

On Tuesdays and Fridays Piranesi sees his friend, the Other. At other times he brings tributes of food and waterlilies to the Dead. But mostly, he is alone. Messages begin to appear, scratched out in chalk on the pavements. There is someone new in the House. But who are they and what do they want? Are they a friend or do they bring destruction and madness as the Other claims?

Lost texts must be found; secrets must be uncovered. The world that Piranesi thought he knew is becoming strange and dangerous. The Beauty of the House is immeasurable; its Kindness infinite.

My thoughts:

Bloomsbury were kind enough to send me out an early proof copy of Piranesi a little while ago, and I went into it knowing almost nothing about the plot. The synopsis basically just says that Piranesi has always lived in the house. In hindsight I’m actually really glad I didn’t know anything more than that before I started reading.

I’d highly recommend going into this book without any prior knowledge about the premise. Things start out a little slow, but as more and more details begin to emerge, the pace quickens and becomes so intriguing. It’s a complicated story and the plot can be quite confusing, especially early on. The story is mystery-driven, and our protagonist knows very little. This is perhaps what is so immersive about the writing. It’s kind of a guessing game and a slow careful unravelling of information in order to figure out what exactly is the truth here.

If you can avoid reading any blurbs, do. I knew nothing about it and I enjoyed it so much because of this! It made the mystery that much more satisfying and allowed me to fully connect and empathise with the protagonist throughout.

The protagonist, Piranesi, is one of a kind, unforgettable, and the sort of character you are genuinely very sad to leave behind once you finish the book.

What else can I say? The book is glorious. I read it feverishly in a few hours and was blown away by this multi-layered little novel. It turned out to be far more emotionally touching than I anticipated. It’s so beautifully written, so strange, and I was instantly transported to the incredible world Susanna Clarke has created. Utterly unputdownable.

All in all, Piranesi is an intoxicating, hypnotic new novel set in a dreamlike alternative reality. I loved every second of it.

Overall reaction:

#piranesi #piranesibook #Susanna clarke #book blogger #book reviews #bloomsbury #proof books #proof copy #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookramblingsbyolivia #book ramblings by olivia #olivialawton #bookrecs #fantasyfiction

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A Deadly Education: Lesson One of the Scholomance

Author: Naomi Novik

Published by: Del Rey Books

Pages: 320

Format: Hardback

My Rating ★★★★★

From the New York Times bestselling author of Uprooted and Spinning Silver comes the story of an unwilling dark sorceress who is destined to rewrite the rules of magic.

Enter a school of magic unlike any you have ever encountered. There are no teachers, no holidays, no teachers, friendships are purely strategic, and the odds of survival and never equal. Once you’re inside, there are only two ways out: you graduate or die.

El Higgins is uniquely prepared for the school’s many dangers. She may be without allies, but she possesses a dark power strong enough to level mountains and wipe out untold millions – never mind destroy the countless monsters that prowl the school.

Except, she might accidentally kill all the other students, too. So El is trying her hardest not to use it… that is, unless she has no other choice.

My thoughts:

“We’re not meant to all survive, anyway. The school has to be fed somehow.”

A Deadly Education is a nightmare from which I never wished to wake. Savage, inventive, and soulful, A Deadly Education is part one of the latest fantasy series from Naomi Novik.

First of all, the world building is so original and incredibly detailed. It's clear Novik put an insane amount of thought into this series, and it really shows. The setting itself is fascinating. The school is a self-regulating living organism which provides the students with a strange experience of education. It is a cross between a prison and a deadly boarding school. If you attend, your life is literally on the line.

“Most of the time less than a quarter of the class makes it all the way through graduation.”

The Scholomance is an isolated magical boarding school in the Void that you enter at fourteen and - maybe, possibly, if you are one of the very lucky ones - get to leave four years later.

There are no teachers, but the students still study hard - it’s the only thing to do when your choices are learn enough useful skills and maybe live or fall prey to the multitude of monsters living there (and occasionally to your own classmates).

It’s undoubtedly a pretty dark concept: every person inside is basically just a child trying to survive. It’s excellent at showing very plausible struggles and anxieties of a young person in a strange fictional world full of gruesome situations. It’s a magic school story with sharp menacing teeth, and I loved that. I was so fascinated by this whole concept that I absorbed all of it greedily.

In this book, Novik has created a heroin for the ages – a character so sharply realised and so richly nuanced that reading her narration is glorious. As you follow her story and hear her points of view throughout the book, you see the various ways she has to defend herself in a (most-likely) un-survivable situation.

She's ostracised for the weird vibes people get off her, and her abrasive personality, but she manages to keep a tight lid on her self-control to not use her powers.  Her personality is her armour to help her survive.  She's prickly and snarky, because she's been hurt so much, but she's also loyal, smart, and incredibly relatable. Her development over the course of the book - from furious loner to someone who lets Orion in, and realises that maybe she's garnering real friends too - is so wonderful. Oh, and also, she's genuinely very funny.

It starts very much as a YA read but throughout the story moves into more adult territory so organically that you notice it more after thinking back on the whole story. I honestly think all ages can enjoy a dark fantasy like this. It’s a beautiful blend of dark academia, magic, action and monsters. What’s not to love? I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as I did!

Overall reaction:

#bookreviews #fantasyfiction #yafantasy #books #newbooks #bibliophilelife #bookblogger #adeadlyeducation #naominovik #delreybooks #bookstagrammer #bookstagram #bookramblingsbyolivia

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Lore

Author: Alexandra Bracken

Published by: Quercus

Pages: 550

Format: Paperback

My Rating ★★★1/2

For centuries, Zeus has punished the gods with a game called the Agon, which turns them mortal for one week, and at the mercy of being hunted by those with godly ambitions. Only a handful of the original Greek gods remain, the rest replaced by the mortals who killed them and ascended.

After her family's sadistic murder by a rival bloodline, Lore escapes and vows to repay her parents' sacrifice by doing one thing - surviving. For seven years, she has pushed back dark thoughts of revenge against the man responsible for their murder, a man by the name of Wrath who has attained unimaginable power. Except for one week, every seven years. A week that is fast approaching ...

When Lore comes home on the first night of the Agon to find Athena gravely wounded on her doorstep, the goddess offers her an alliance; they have a mutual enemy, after all. But as the world trembles under the force of Wrath - a god with the power to destroy all of humanity - will Lore's decision to bind her fate with Athena's come back to haunt her?

My thoughts:

Every seven years, the Agon begins. Essentially this is a punishment created by Zeus for past rebellions. During the Agon, nine Greek Gods are forced to walk the Earth as mortals, all the while being hunted by the descendants of ancient bloodlines. If a God is killed during the Agon, the hunter responsible for their death gets to seize their powers and immortality, thus becoming a New God.

Melora, known as Lore, is a part of the Perseous line. She is no longer participating in the Agon. Lore has left that whole world behind and kept herself hidden since the last hunt left her entire family dead in their home, including her two little sisters, murdered by a rival clan. Living in New York City, Lore has done a good job blending in and has successfully flown under the radar of anyone related to the hunt. At least that's what she thinks. Over the course of the story, you really watch her character evolve from a damaged soul to a true force to be reckoned with. I think readers will be surprised by just how brutal this story actually is. I mean, Greek gods are violent beings, and this story definitely leans into that side of them. I think it made the concept of the Agon that much more desperate and dangerous.

However, I do think the story could have benefited from dual POVs. Castor’s arc and development is too important to the story for him to just be a side character. I think if he had his own chapters, the world-building might have flowed a bit smoother, and his character would feel more real.

I was so intrigued about this whole concept and enjoyed seeing Lore emerge as a really interesting character. I think Bracken did a great job of building this out and there was always plenty of action and intrigue to keep me wanting more. It was all very fast-paced, nonstop action. And yet, there were moments when the story lulled within the action. It all started blending together. Despite that, I wish there had been slower moments to better know the characters and history of the world. The pacing didn’t quite work for me, and I think the whole thing was just too long. There is a lot of information dumped throughout the book, and at times I felt I had to forced myself to keep going.

All in all, this was still a fairly fun read, and I would recommend it to fans of YA fantasy and especially anyone who’s into Greek mythology. It did, however, fall somewhat short of my admittedly high expectations.

Overall reaction:

#Lore #lorebookreview #yafiction #yafantasy #reading #lockdownreads #bookreviews #bookrecs #whattoreadinlockdown #readinginspo #greekmythologybooks #fantasyreading #bookstagram #bibliophile #bookramblingsbyolivia

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The Kingdom of Copper

Author: S.A. Chakraborty

Published by: Harper Voyager

Pages: 620

Format: Hardback

My Rating ★★★★

In Daevabad, where djinn can summon flames with a snap of their fingers, where rivers run deep with ancient magic, and blood can be as dangerous as any spell, a clever con artist from Cairo will alter the fate of a kingdom.

Nahri’s life changed forever when she accidentally summoned Dara, a formidable, mysterious djinn, during one of her schemes. Thrust into the dazzling royal court of Daevabad, she needed all of her grifter instincts to survive. Now, as Nahri embraces her heritage and her power, she must forge a new path.

Exiled for daring to defy his father, Ali ids adrift on the unforgiving sands of his ancestral land, hunted by assassins and forced to rely on frightening new abilities that threaten to reveal a terrible family secret.

As a new century approaches and the djinn gather within Daevabad’s brass walls to celebrate, a power in the desolate north will bring a storm of fire straight to the city’s gates…

My thoughts:

The Kingdom of Copper, the sequel to S. A. Chakraborty’s magnificent The City of Brass largely takes place five years after the events of the first book.

There’s a prologue at the beginning of the book which details the immediate aftermath for each of our three main characters. However, the major bulk of the novel takes place several years after Dara’s ‘death,’ Ali al Qahtani’s possession by the marid and subsequent exile, and Nahri’s political arranged marriage to the crowned prince of Daevabad.

Without giving too much away, our three main characters: Nahri, Ali and Dara are all very separated and living completely different lives than when we last saw them in the first instalment. They have each grown tremendously during the five years, and now all have very different goals. In The Kingdom of Copper, we witness each of these characters embark on a journey quite unlike anything they’ve ever experienced before.

This was such a phenomenal instalment and such a treat to read. This is part two in the Daevabad trilogy, an own voices Muslim Fantasy series that takes place in the historical setting of the early 1800s. It is such a beautiful Middle Eastern story, and I enjoyed how the author has yet again been able to tie in so much of the culture’s folklore in an absolutely beautiful way through her storytelling.

This is a story about djinn, and magical cities, and people being able to harness powers that they don’t fully understand. This is also a story about oppression, and privilege, and the terrible things people are willing to do in the name of pure blood. The mixed bloods in this world, shafits, are treated horribly and without a second thought.

For me, The Kingdom of Copper was simply impossible to put down, because I was so enthralled on every page. This 600+ page book is completely packed with action, and I never wanted it to end. I love S.A. Chakraborty’s writing, and I think she really expertly crafts three very different characters, with three very different perspectives, all of which I completely delighted in.

The story is fantastic, the characters are wonderful, and the messages and representation within are so important in achieving such an absorbing and unique read. This book is entertaining, thrilling, heartfelt and powerful. I highly recommend this series - I found The Kingdom of Copper such an addictive and entertaining read. I loved it just as much as the first book. Now I really can’t wait to get started on the third and final part with The Empire of Gold.

Overall reaction:

#book reviews #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #elsa #daevabad #the daevabad trilogy #the kingdom of copper #nahri #city of brass #kingdomofcopper #bookramblingsbyolivia

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Spontaneous

Author: Aaron Starmer

Published by: Canongate

Pages: 356

Format: Paperback

My Rating ★★

Mara Carlyle’s senior year is going as normally as could be expected, until— KABAM! —fellow senior Katelyn Ogden explodes during third period. Katelyn is the first, but she won’t be the last teenager to blow up without warning or explanation. The body count grows, and the search is on for a reason, while the students continue to pop like balloons. But if bombs or terrorists or a government conspiracy aren’t to blame, what is?

With the help of her oldest friend, her new boyfriend, a power ballad and a homemade disco ball, will Mara make it to graduation in one piece? It’s going to be one hell of a year, where the only test is how to stay alive and where falling in love might be the worst thing you can do…

My thoughts:

Mara's senior year is proving to be a lot less exciting than she'd hoped, until the day Katelyn Ogden explodes during third period. Katelyn is the first, but she won't be the last senior to explode without warning or explanation. The body count grows, and the search is on for a reason. As the seniors continue to pop like balloons and the national eye turns to Mara’s suburban New Jersey hometown, the FBI rolls in and the search for a reason is on.

The author picked an unusual premise and a unique situation. There were some points where it felt dystopian and some points where it felt like an FBI story, but mainly was rooted in realistic fiction. Which was interesting for this scenario.

This book was original, and it was addicting, but it had the potential to be so much better. It felt a bit like watching a bad or trashy tv show, when you catch yourself thinking "This is bad," and as you consider flipping the channel there's something that hooks you in again.

As more and more seniors die, it soon becomes clear that these students don't have anything in common except being part of the same class and that even the teens who transferred or tried to leave town are at risk. The FBI quickly arrives to investigate and quarantine the students, while the remaining classmates try to cope any way they can - sex and drugs and rock and roll, drinking, parties, distracting themselves with projects, or investigating the situation on their own.

I enjoyed the shift in the reactions to the explosions, which continue throughout the book. After they've gone on for a while, people shruggingly adapt to the combustions as though this is just something that happens sometimes.

After a little while though, the book kind of falls apart, particularly in terms of the characters. For starters, Mara was supposed to be this relatable teenager going through all kinds of heightened emotions, but she was just awful. She knows she's awful and discusses it throughout. But she also has the worst narrative style. Those looking for forward-telling stories can expect to be annoyed on multiple occasions.  She didn’t exactly have the voice of a teenage girl, and sadly it felt all too obvious that this was written by a male author.

It also seemed like the author was relying too heavily upon the concept of spontaneous combustion, instead of focusing on developing more realistic and compelling characters and making sure the plot actually made sense. Even the supporting characters seemed poorly developed. One example is Special agent Carla Rosetti, who does not act like an FBI agent any more that Mara acts like a real world girl.

All in all, this book was... very strange. Despite the interesting premise and my initial hopes for a funny and exciting plot, this ultimately turned out to be another book in which a male author depicts a terrible version of how a girl thinks and behaves. And while the ending was oddly satisfying, readers are still only left with a general idea of what happened. I wish the conclusion hadn’t been so vague.

If you enjoy reading humorous books with a snarky attitude, you may want to read Spontaneous, although if you also want a plot that makes sense or at least an ending that explains what on earth you just read, maybe skip this one.

Overall reaction:

#bookreviews #book review #spontaneous #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookramblingsbyolivia #spontaneousbook #lockdownreading #kabam

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The Empire of Gold

Author: S.A. Chakraborty

Published by: Harper Voyager

Pages: 766

Format: Hardback

My Rating ★★★★★

Daevabad has fallen.

After a brutal conquest stripped the City of its magic, Nahid leader Banu Manizheh and her resurrected commander, Dara, must try to repair their fraying alliance and stabilize a fractious, warring people.

But the death of his people and loss of his beloved Nahri have unleashed the worst demons of Dara’s past. To vanquish them, he must face some ugly truths about his history and put himself at the mercy of those he once considered enemies.

Having narrowly escaped their murderous families and Daevabad’s deadly politics, Nahri and Ali, now safe in Cairo face difficult choices of their own. Though Nahri is find peace in the rhythms of her old home, she is haunted by the knowledge that the loved ones she left behind and the people who considered her a saviour are at the mercy of a new tyrant.

Ali, too, cannot help but look back, and is determined to return to rescue his city and the family that remains.

As peace grows more elusive and old players return, Nahri, Ali, and Dara come to understand that in order to remake the world, they may need to fight those they once loved… and take a stand for those they once hurt.

My thoughts:

It is no secret that I am a big fan of The Daevabad trilogy, so I of course went in with very high expectations. This was the perfect ending to the series. S.A. Chakraborty has succeeded in creating a concluding novel that brings so much new adventure, history and lore to her world.

The Empire of Gold begins immediately after the second book ends: Daevabad has fallen, with Manizheh at its head and Dara standing squarely by her side. Nahri and Alizayd have fled the city with Suleiman’s seal in tow, resulting in a sudden extinguishing of magic. Now, they find themselves attempting to come up with a plan that will save their city, all while preventing more bloodshed.

The strongest thing about the book is its unique, impeccably detailed, layered, well-crafted characterization. S.A. Chakraborty is a master at writing political intrigue as the members of the different djinn and Daeva quarters interact, and the book is divided up into chapters focusing on different key characters.

There are two very different tones to the book: Nahri and Alizayd’s chapters are adventurous, feeling almost Disney-esque at times. In contrast, Dara’s chapters are pretty much entirely grim.

I loved reading about Nahri and Ali as they travel across human lands, meeting magical creatures and getting themselves into dangerous situations. Their chapters have a very clear sense of adventure to them. Despite what they have gone through, I felt their moments were a great deal lighter than Dara’s chapters of the book. I did enjoy these two differing tones of the story though, and the complex world-building is undeniably fantastic throughout all three books.

This is a fairly long read at just under 800 pages, but I really never noticed a dull moment. I was intrigued, gripped and completely entertained by everything happening right from the start. There was so much happening, so much being revealed, so many plans and schemes involved, and they flow seamlessly in a way that makes every single one of those 800 pages fly by. As the story builds, Chakraborty manages to perfectly wrap up the story she had first begun to tell in The City of Brass. And the balance between action and politics is just perfect.

Having loved the first two instalments in this trilogy, it would be an understatement to say I was looking forward to this third and final novel in the series. It certainly didn’t disappoint. I am so happy to have seen this trilogy get such a wonderful conclusion. I recommend this series to anyone who likes a good political heavy fantasy with interesting characters and creative worldbuilding. It is always a bittersweet feeling when you reach the last sentence of one of your favourite series, but The Empire of Gold really is the perfect ending to this epic historical fantasy trilogy. I am highly looking forward to whatever S.A. Chakraborty writes next!

Overall reaction:

#hamilton #theempireofgold #The Daevabad Trilogy #daevabad #sachakraborty #reading #bookreviews #bookrecs #bookramblingsbyolivia #bookstagram #bookstagrammer

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The Deathless Girls

Author: Kiran Millwood Hargrave

Published by: Bellatrix books

Pages: 320

Format: Paperback

My Rating ★★

They say the thirst for blood is like a madness.

On the eve of her divining, the day she'll discover her fate, seventeen-year-old Lil and her twin sister Kizzy are captured and enslaved by the cruel Boyar Valcar. Forced to work as slaves, they are stripped of hope, power, and everything they’ve ever known. Until Mira, a fellow captive, gives Lil someone to live for – and someone to love.

But when the sisters hear of the mythical Dragon, more monster than man, who accepts girls as gifts, their desperate existence is threatened once more. In this brutal world of dark desire and destiny, the girls must fight to save their own flesh and blood – even if that means accepting a fate beyond death…

My thoughts:

The Deathless Girls was recently released as part of a series from Bellatrix books, pulling new focus on the girls forgotten to literature. This is an origin story of the brides of Dracula, from the award-winning, bestselling author Kiran Millwood Hargrave. I read the author’s debut adult novel The Mercies early on in 2020 and enjoyed it, so went into this one with high hopes.

The writing style was good - and yet nothing excitingly special. The worldbuilding worked okay for me, just like the characters did (eventually) come to life in a nice way. And yet, it felt as if the landscape stayed pale for much of the book. It took a frustratingly long time for the plot to get going. Things became exciting and dark in the last third. The whole first half of the book seemed to lack menace and pace, but the whole thing was pretty well-written and intriguing enough to keep me reading.

My main issue is that vampires weren’t even mentioned until page 189 - that's over 50% of the book done before we even get a glimpse of fangs! I mean… really? Don't promise me Dracula's brides and then give me nothing to do with Dracula for 70% of the book.

The Deathless Girls explores the origin of Dracula's Dark Sisters with menace and malevolence. It was a quick read but ultimately a disappointment. What Hargrave ultimately delivered was a very lacklustre piece of gothic style fiction. This book just wasn't for me. Gorgeous cover, but The Deathless Girls doesn’t deliver until it’s final pages.

It’s a dark YA tale very much in the vein of other modern fairy tale reimagining’s. This is a book that aims to give agency to the story of the brides of Dracula from the original Dracula novel.

The premise is great, and I was really looking forward to reading this. But all in all, I feel that this didn’t quite fulfil its brief. Despite a few really enjoyable moments in its final pages, The Deathless Girls is pretty much as lifeless as all those bodies Dracula keeps impaled on his castle gates.

Overall reaction:

#bookreviews #book review #the deathless girls #bookreviewer #thedeathlessgirls #yafiction #YA novels #lgbtq ya #bookstagrammer #bookstagram #bookramblingsbyolivia #schittscreek #davidrose #davidrosereaction #danlevy

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The Great Godden

Author: Meg Rosoff

Published by: Bloomsbury

Pages: 245

Format: Hardback

My Rating ★★★★

A plague of Goddens.

A murder of Goddens.

A conundrum of Goddens.

A siege of Goddens.

A pounce of Goddens.

A chaos of Goddens.

The Great Godden.

This is the story of one family.

One dreamy summer.

The summer when everything changes.

In a sun-drenched house by the sea, a family of teenage brothers and sisters and older cousins fill the golden days with wine and games and planning a wedding.

Enter the Goddens: irresistible, charming Kit and surly, silent Hugo.

Suddenly there’s a serpent in paradise – and the consequences will be devastating.

My thoughts:

The Great Godden is a quintessential coming of age tale. Despite being a short read, this story is magical, atmospheric and very powerful. It has a timeless quality to it which I especially enjoyed. The writing is faultless throughout, and I was instantly gripped. I found the atmosphere and sense of nostalgic longing enticing from the very first page.

The story begins as a family set off to their beach house. Every year they carry out the same joyful ritual of spending the summer holidays in their home on the beach, and the narrator is clearly excited about what this summer will bring.

Shortly after arriving, unpacking their bags and getting settled in, they are joined by two American teen brothers from LA. Kit and Hugo are sons of a minor actress whose life has no room for her offspring. The brothers are opposites, Kit is the beautiful, golden, good looking brother, around whom others swarm like bees to honey, whilst Hugo is surly, silent, resisting all social interactions with an unusual talent for selective invisibility.  I couldn’t help but be enchanted by the Godden’s as much as everyone else was, and admittedly the intrigue into their personalities and behaviour had me hooked until the last page.

Ultimately, I think your liking of the book will hinge on whether or not you connect with the narrator. They are never named, nor is their gender specified, which adds to the mysterious nature of the tale. I went back and forth in my views of which gender I visualised the narrator as. I loved the mysterious nature of this and found the whole plot both strangely alluring and quietly unsettling. The writing is beautiful, the characters rich and the story sharp and twisting.

I think the mystery around the narrator only highlights the sophistication of Rosoff’s writing. The language is expertly crafted in order to keep readers guessing and there is always a sense of far more secrecy lurking under the surface.

For a story about love, it was refreshing to have a new take on it. Not only is this a coming of age story, but it’s also one of heartbreak, betrayal, and disappointment. I wasn’t sure where it would go, but there wasn’t a single moment when I wasn’t totally gripped.  

The narrator recalls details of their summer years ago, before they and their family encounter the Godden siblings, especially the enigmatic Kit, whose presence is enough to unsettle the peaceful stability of their lazy summer.

The ending felt perhaps the weakest area for me, purely because it seemed a little hurried, but I did feel the story concluded fairly well. I only wish all the moments that happened in the final few chapters had been fleshed out more gradually. The book could have easily been another hundred pages or so without seeming to drag.

Overall, I’d describe The Great Godden as a brilliantly entertaining, insightful and memorable read that I will certainly remember. Highly recommended. Many thanks to Bloomsbury for gifting me with my advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

Overall reaction:

#thegreatgodden #the great godden #megrosoff #meg rosoff #bookreviews #lgbtbooks #lgbtq #lgbtq+ #lgbtfiction #yafiction #callmebyyournamevibes #genderless #fictionreads #yafiction2020 #bookramblingsbyolivia #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #call me by your name

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The Midnight Library

Author: Matt Haig

Published by: Canongate

Pages: 288

Format: Hardback (Independent Bookshop Edition)

My Rating ★★★★★

Between life and death there is a library.

When Nora Seed finds herself in the Midnight Library, she has a chance to make things right. Up until now, her life has been full of misery and regret. She feels she has let everyone down, including herself. But things are about to change.

The books in the midnight library enable Nora to live as if she had done things differently. With the help of an old friend, she can now undo every one of her regrets as she tries to work out her perfect life. But things aren’t always what she imagined they’d be, and soon her choices place her in extreme danger.

My thoughts:

From the author of How to Stop Time and The Humans comes this poignant, unique novel about hope, regret and forgiveness - and a library that houses second chances.

This is a captivating and warm story of a young woman who is just done with living. She sees no place for her in the world. And so, she ends up in the secret library...a place where she has an opportunity to take a different path, lead an infinite number of different lives, and try and find what it is that makes her truly happy.

I love Matt Haig’s message throughout his books of gentleness and kindness. And this may well be my favourite so far.

Of course, the library consists of books, all green in colour. The library also exists between life and death. Firstly, Nora has to look at the huge tome of the Book of Regrets. In it are all the times where she regretted a particular decision at a turning point in her life or other small different possible turns. The library has a limitless number of books, and these books are far from ordinary.

Haig sprinkles gold dust in each book, offering Nora the opportunity to see how her life would have turned out if each and every decision at every point in her life had been different. The various books illustrate the endless possibilities that life holds for Nora and all of us. Nora explores each book, with inquisitiveness and curiosity, the widely different lives that could have been hers, no easy task as she has to slip into each new life with the complications of being unfamiliar with it and do so without alerting the other people close to her.

Nora is allowed the opportunity to become a "slider", to go and try out the lives she might have had. She starts with the bigger decisions like what would have happened if she had continued with a particular relationship, or a particular career path etc. If she is content enough, she will stay in the other life, if not she will return to the library, but time in her "root life" is running out. It is certainly one to get you thinking. I was thinking about major turning points in my own life when I may have chosen differently, and I would have had a totally different life. As always, the author makes you think about what really matters and it is done with great humour and real heart. There's something cosy and safe about this book, despite there being many occasions when Nora Seed is in peril. I’m so glad I was able to read it in just a couple of sittings from home as the rain poured outside. It felt perfect for this time of year as we approach the final few days of October.

Imagine It's a Wonderful Life of our times. A beautiful, heart-warming hug of a book. Matt Haig knows how to pull on your heartstrings and he does it oh so well. It’s been snapped up for a film adaptation by Studio Canal, and I’m really intrigued to see it the story told on screen next!

The Midnight Library is quietly profound and deeply meaningful. It’s one I know I’ll remember for a long time. What a beautiful book, as expected.

Overall reaction:

#reaction #bookrecs #bookreviews #themidnightlibrary #bookreviewer #bookstagram #booksoftumblr #bookstagrammer #bookish #bibliophilelife #bibliophiles #bibliophilesunite #fantasyfiction #newbooks #bookstoreadin2020 #readmorebooks #bookramblings #bookramblingsbyolivia #igreads #alwaysreading

[bookramblings]

Throne of Glass

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Published by: Bloomsbury

Pages: 421

Format: Hardback Collector’s Edition

My Rating ★★★★

Meet the Assassin.

The #1 New York Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas started a worldwide phenomenon when she published her debut novel, Throne of Glass.

To date, Sarah's books have spent more than 92 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, and she has hit #1 on charts around the world. Her books have sold more than seven million copies worldwide and have been translated into 36 languages.

My thoughts:

Celaena Sardothien has spent the past year in the slave mines of Endovier. She's the world's best assassin, but she was betrayed…

The Crown Prince offers her a deal; Celaena represents him in a tournament to find the king a champion to use as his personal assassin, and after four years, she can finally reclaim her freedom. Celaena is all at once provoked by the prince, protected by the captain of the guard and befriended by a foreign princess… and someone starts picking off the contestants.

Basically, Throne of Glass appeals to everything I like; a strong female lead; a fantasy world; and a deep and gripping storyline.

I really did enjoy it, especially when the story really picked up in the second half. It is light-hearted, has a gripping plot and is suitable reading for adults as well as a great read for young adults. I would highly recommend it to anyone who is looking for a good fantasy book for all ages.

Young adult fantasy often comes in a number of styles – some are enjoyable to read for everyone, while others are specifically written for the hormonally-charged 16-year old. I would say Throne of Glass holds a good balance, doesn’t take itself too seriously but is also an interesting and complex enough plot to keep readers of all ages engaged and entertained.

Often in young adult novels, the dreaded love triangle occurs, driving a rift between characters and starting an endless mix of opinions online, but Throne of Glass in my opinion doesn't really have one. The friendship is more of a Harry-Potter-golden-trio kind of relationship. That doesn't mean there aren't some hints at a possible love storyhowever, and I’m sure this will most likely be explored further in the following books. No sending me spoilers please – I haven’t read the rest of the series yet!

At times the style feels a little young, but mostly I enjoyed the writing very much. The short chapters seem to fly by, and there is a good balance between action, adventure and drama throughout. Maas manages to easily blend heart-breaking drama, which allows you to see right to the heart of the characters and connect with them, alongside moments of humour that keep the mood light and allow the characters to poke fun at one another. I also enjoyed the fight scenes more than usual for a fantasy novel. The fights and various tests that Celaena competes in add greatly to the plot and don’t linger too much or become tedious.

The book offers a captivating storyline full of political intrigue and betrayal, all with a dash of humour and a little romance.

It might not be the height of literary achievement, but if you’re looking for a fun and quick read to provide a little escapism at this odd time, then I’d really recommend reading Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas. I look forward to reading more of her books in future! Thanks to the lovely bookseller in my local Waterstones who recommended this one as my first glimpse into the world of Sarah J. Mass.

Overall reaction:

#throneofglass #sarahjmaas #fantasyfiction #yafantasy #reading #biblio #bibliophile #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookramblingsbyolivia #bookreviews #book reviews

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The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

Author: Suzanne Collins

Published by: Scholastic

Pages: 520

Format: Hardback

My Rating ★★★★

Ambition will fuel him.

Competition will drive him.

But power has its price.

It is the morning of the reaping that will kick off the tenth annual Hunger Games. In the Capitol, eighteen-year-old Coriolanus Snow is preparing for his one shot at glory as a mentor in the Games. The once mighty house of Snow has fallen on hard times, its fate hanging on the slender chance that Coriolanus will be able to outcharm, outwit, and outmanoeuvre his fellow students to mentor the winning tribute.

The odds are against him. He’s been given the humiliating assignment of mentoring the female tribute from District twelve, the lowest of the low. Their fates are now completely intertwined – every choice Coriolanus makes could lead to favour or failure, triumph or ruin. Inside the arena, it will be a fight to the death. Outside the arena, Coriolanus starts to feel for his doomed tribute… and must weigh his need to follow the rules against his desire to survive no matter what it takes.

My thoughts

It turns out I was so ready to return to the world of Panem again. I loved the Hunger Games series when I first read them in my teens and was so excited to get my hands on this new addition to the series as soon as it was released here in the UK.

Suzanne Collins’s bestselling dystopian Hunger Games trilogy is set in a future America, Panem, whose capital city Capitol hosts a terrible annual tribute from the twelve Districts it rules. Teenagers are chosen to fight each other to the death in a televised competition. Only one survives.

In this new prequel, readers are invited to delve into the early years of the grim contest. The novel is set in the world of Panem 64 years before the events of the original Hunger Games trilogy on the morning of the reaping of the 10th Hunger Games—well before the lifetime of the story’s protagonist Katniss Everdeen. Whereas it was easy to root for Katniss, the heroine of the trilogy, as she battled her way through the Games, it’s harder to do the same for Coriolanus, watching safely from the sidelines. Just as you would imagine, he is ruthless and political throughout.

Initially I wasn't overly thrilled about the prequel being based around President Snow, but I decided to remain open-minded. This was a bold decision by the author. Exploring a villain’s origin story is far less common in young adult fiction than it is in other areas of pop culture, and Snow has no fanbase. Readers will remember Coriolanus Snow as the ruthless and psychotic President of Panem. Here we discover his intriguing backstory. 

Overall, I thought as a character study, this was really great. It’s also much more philosophical than the Hunger Games series.

But as a big fan of the original series, I was also desperate to know more about the Dark Days that followed Panem’s failed rebellion. This entry does give some background to the dystopian world as well as Coriolanus Snow. I only wish there had been more history on Panem and how it came to be. There are some really wonderful little details included that readers will instantly recognise from the other books, though the prequel primarily focuses on adding greater depth to President Snow. Ultimately, Snow decides to remain a predator so that he wouldn’t become prey. 

The story’s themes of friendship, betrayal, authority and oppression make for a thrilling read. I loved the extra details about mockingjays and the origin of the hanging tree song, which existing fans will instantly recognise. I couldn’t believe how quickly I was transported once again to Panem and the incredible world created by Suzanne Collins back in 2008. I felt like a young teen again.

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes provides a completely gripping prelude to the well-known Hunger Games novels. It's definitely a book worth reading, especially if you're a big fan of the trilogy.

Collins has created a dark prequel unlike any villain origin story you’ve watched or read before. And it is such a gripping read. It is in no way a fast-paced thrill ride like the original trilogy, and that's fine because it works anyway. Just be prepared for most of the real drama to unfold in the final twenty pages or so.

It won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but for me it certainly was. If you’re someone who knows the original books very well, then I think you’ll get the most enjoyment out of it. There are so many references and nods to the original books that made this such a fun and intense read. I enjoyed the story, but it didn’t blow me away. 

Overall reaction:

#thehungergames #the ballad of songbirds and snakes #book reviews #bookreviews #hungergames #catxhingfire #mockingjay #bookramblingsbyolivia

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The Devil’s Due: A Sherlock Holmes Adventure

Author: Bonnie Macbird

Published by: Collins Crime Club, Harper Collins

Pages: 365

Format: Paperback

My Rating ★★★★★

London, 1890. A freezing November.

As anarchists terrorize the city, a series of gruesome murders strikes deeper into its heart. Leading philanthropists are being slaughtered in alphabetical order, all members of a secret club, the Luminarians. And with each victim, a loved one mysteriously dies as well.

Hampered by a new head of Scotland Yard, a vengeful journalist and a beautiful socialite with her own agenda, Sherlock Holmes and John Watson attempt to close in on the killer.

As the murders continue, the letter “H” climbs closer to the top of the list – and then Mycroft Holmes disappears. Must Sherlock Holmes himself cross to the dark side to take down this devil? Even John Watson, the man who knows him best, can only watch and wonder…

My thoughts:

Thank you to Tandem Collective who sent me out a copy of the book and invited me to take part in the online readalong in exchange for an honest review.

After Art in the Blood and Unquiet Spirits, Holmes and Watson are back in the third of Bonnie MacBird’s critically acclaimed Sherlock Holmes Adventures, written in the tradition of Conan Doyle himself. It’s 1890 and the newly famous Sherlock Holmes faces his worst enemy to date – a terrible villain bent on destroying some of London’s most admired public figures in particularly gruesome ways.

As he tracks the killer through a particularly busy and cold, rainy London, Holmes finds himself battling both an envious Scotland Yard and a critical press as he follows a complicated trail of crime scenes. But when his brother Mycroft disappears, apparently the victim of murder, even those close to Holmes begin to wonder how close to the flames he has travelled.

Despite this being the third book in MacBird’s series, the story works perfectly as a standalone. The author  does a remarkable job in resurrecting Sherlock, this is a great mystery with Sherlock facing a worthy adversary in this complex story of secrets, corruption and murder.

The narrative is delivered by Watson, a man who has greatly missed being in the thick of city life and the range of London's social circles, from the elite to the poorest. The author does a great job with her characterisation of Watson. Finally, we see an intelligent physician with a deep and loyal affection for his friend, a love of adventure, and someone who is physically and intellectually strong. Holmes and Watson are in perfect form and a new character, Heffie O’Malley, makes a wonderful addition.

The novel races along at a thrilling pace, and while her writing style is her own, the voices of all the characters naturally ring true to Victorian London and the world of Conan-Doyle. It’s clear MacBird has done her research. I haven't read the first two books in this series but I can't wait to buy them now.

The Devil's Due is one of those rare books that I simply couldn’t put down. As a result, I ended up speeding through it at a quicker rate than planned for the readalong. Sorry, not sorry Harper Collins!

I haven't read a story this rich in texture and detail in a long time, yet it moved with great speed. Never a dull moment; there were so many fun elements that made this stand out from the classic series of mysteries. The mystery was complex and clever, which I appreciated, and the ending was great. If you are looking for a Holmes adventure that pays a fitting tribute to Arthur Conan Doyle then Bonnie MacBird is the only author you need to read.

Overall reaction:

#thedevilsduereadalong #thedevilsdue #sherlock #sherlockholmes #sherlockholmesbooks #cosycrime #bookreviews #crimefiction #bookrecs #fivestars #bibliophile #bookramblingsbyolivia

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Queenie

Author: Candice Carty-Willians

Published by: Trapeze

Pages: 392

Format: Paperback

My Rating ★★★★★

Meet Queenie.

Journalist. Catastrophist.

Expressive. Aggrressive.

Loved. Lonely.

Enough?

A darkly comic and bitingly subversive take on life, love, race and family. Queenie will have you nodding in recognition, crying in solidarity and rooting for this unforgettable character every step of the way.

My thoughts:

Hailed as the black Bridget Jones, Queenie is an extremely moving and entertaining portrait of love and race in today’s world.

In regard to the Bridget Jones comparisons, it does bear some loose similarities in its story of the ‘conventional female quest for the love of a good man’, as well as the eventual realisation that self-acceptance and self-love are ultimately much more important.

However, Carty-Williams goes much deeper than that in her debut novel, exploring black womanhood and black British life in such a unique way. The politics of blackness pass through the pages and the writing is disarmingly honest throughout.

I loved the complexity of the main character. At first, she seems like just a young woman making the kind of bad choices that many women make during their early twenties and you’re kind of waiting for her to turn things around. But as you slowly begin to learn more about her past, her struggles and her relationships with others, you understand her real strength and start to see her grow.

Queenie is a funny and complex character, with what I think of as a very British sense of humour. Queenie is a hot mess. She's a 26 year old Jamaican woman, living in London, and just a complete mess. We first meet her as she is taking a 'break' from her live-in boyfriend – a break which he wants, not her. He asks her to move out and by this point, she's already on a downward spiral. She can't face reality. She's out of control. She puts herself in a few dangerous situations, and things basically go from bad to worse. I sympathised with her and her struggles, and there are some really heart wrenching moments in the story.

The author has tackled a lot of complex issues in this debut. dealing with anxiety, depression, self-loathing and complicated family dynamics. But I think the really key theme of the book is the process of learning to let go of things. We witness Queenie tackle this challenge as she starts going to therapy, and that’s when all the secrets of her past are revealed to us. We see how dramatically her life has been affected by her love life and consistent struggles with anxiety. Knowing her backstory adds so much depth to the character and it becomes easier to understand why she is the way she is. Things do get better.

But I promise it really isn’t as depressing as it sounds. In fact, this really is a highly entertaining story about one young woman’s life. We see Queen develop so much throughout the book. Her story is extremely moving, sharp, funny, heart breaking and relatable.  

It’s not always an easy read, but Queenie is a timely, emotional and meaningful book. I really loved this one!

Overall reaction:

#queenie #queeniebook #bookrecs #candice carty-williams #book reviews #bookreviews #bookstagram #book blogger #bookblog #book blog #bookramblingsbyolivia #bibliophile #bookstagramphotos

[bookramblings]

A collection of ramblings, photographs and thoughts on books I have read or am currently reading. All images and text by Olivia Lawton. 

https://www.instagram.com/bookramblingsbyolivia/ 

Check out my main website at www.bookramblingsbyolivia.com

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[bookramblings]

They Wish They Were Us

AMAZAuthor: Jessica Goodman

Published by: Razorbill, Penguin Random House

Pages: 330

Format: Paperback

My Rating ★★★★

In Gold Coast, Long Island, everything from the expensive downtown shops to the manicured beaches, to the pressed uniforms of Jill Newman and her friends, looks perfect. But as Jill found out three years ago, nothing is as it seems.

Freshman year Jill’s best friend, the brilliant, dazzling Shaila Arnold, was killed by her boyfriend. After that dark night on the beach, Graham confessed, the case was closed, and Jill tried to move on.

Now its Jill’s senior year and she’s determined to make it her best. After all, she’s a senior and a Player – a member of the Gold Coast Prep’s exclusive, not-so-secret secret society. Senior Players have the best parties, the highest grades and the admiration of the entire school. This is going to be Jill’s year. She’s sure of it.

But when Jill starts getting texts proclaiming Graham’s innocence, her dreams of the perfect senior year start to crumble. If Graham didn’t kill Shaila, who did?

Jill vows to find out, but digging deeper means putting her friendships, and her future. In jeopardy.

My thoughts:

They Wish They Were Us is a murder mystery set against the backdrop of an exclusive prep school on Long Island.

Throughout the novel you learn about The Players and their backstories, how they became the cliquey seniors they are. Jill, the main protagonist, receives a text message with information about Shaila's death three years ago. From there, the story flows and I was captivated pretty quickly.

Having said that, it did take time to understand Jill’s motivations in this story. It takes a little while to explore the prep school experience from the perspective of someone who knows the cost of fitting in and introduces you to The Players and other morally grey characters in Gold Coast. I enjoyed how Goodman set the scene for us early on, with lots of detail and a fair amount of backstory for the main key characters. Debut writer Jessica Goodman has created an interesting cast of characters here.

This is a book that you will devour for its secret society, hazing rituals, exclusivity, popularity and power of the privileged few.  Jumping from the past and present POV of Jill, subtle clues to the mystery are dropped and layers are built up to show us who Jill truly is. Jill is a great narrator. Though her moral compass is compromised by being a Player, deep down she cares about right and wrong.

I expected more mystery and investigation, which only got started around half-way through the book. I liked that the writing delved a bit deeper beyond the prep-school murder-mystery trope and also explores female friendships, loyalty and grief. Goodman explores the harrowing consequences of belonging and keeping up the façade in a pressured environment.

The book has already been labelled as Gossip Girl meets Pretty Little Liars, but I’d also probably throw in a similarity to Veronica Mars due to the second part of the story which follows Jill in her efforts to uncover the truth and solve the case for good.

I was quite intrigued by the whole story. I’m not entirely sure about They Wish They Were Us being labelled as a thriller though. It's more of a light mystery in my eyes. All that being said, I thought that this was a really entertaining and gripping read.

Overall reaction:

#theywishtheywereus #books #bookreviews #bookblogger #bookstagram #bookramblingsbyolivia #book reviews

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Pine

Author: Patrick Ness

Published by: Walker Books

Pages: 325

Format: Hardback

My Rating ★★★★★

‘ They are driving home from the search party when they see her.

The trees are coarse and tall in the winter light, standing like men.’

Lauren and her father Niall live alone in the Highlands, in a small village surrounded by pine forest. When a woman stumbles out on to the road one Halloween night, Niall drives her back to their house in his pickup. In the morning, she’s gone.

In a community where daughters rebel, men quietly rage, and drinking is a means of forgetting, mysteries like this are not out of the ordinary. The trapper found hanging with the dead animals for two weeks. Locked doors and stone circles. The disappearance of Lauren’s mother a decade ago.

Lauren looks for answers in her tarot cards, hoping she might one day be able to read her father’s turbulent mind. Neighbours know more than they let on, but when a local teenager goes missing it’s no longer clear who she can trust.

My thoughts

This novel is really something else. An engrossing story set in the Scottish Highlands; it is wonderfully atmospheric. The plot is tightly woven and superbly written. There are elements of Mystery, Horror, Literary Fiction, Folklore, but at its heart lies a very real, very deep story of a family that has lost its way and a local community that is divided between pity and cruelty.

At the heart of the story is Lauren, aged 10 and a half, living with her father, Niall, in a tiny village near the Moray Firth. Her mother disappeared shortly after she was born, leaving Niall with a painful weight of betrayal that can only be eased with whisky.

It isn’t long before Lauren starts catching sight of a gaunt, bruised woman wearing just a white dressing gown against the cold. Others see her too but forget her the instant she’s gone. This leaves Lauren feeling extremely isolated and scared.

The author builds on this setup slowly for about two thirds of the novel, and then accelerates into thriller territory. But there is undoubtedly a strong sense of unease to the entire novel. The deliberate, mounting dread as the story reaches its conclusion is handled really well and I loved the final pages. 

Throughout the book, the imagery is very intense in conveying the feeling of claustrophobia. The reader is instantly pulled into that atmosphere of a small town and the forest that surrounds it. These intricate details added to the dread that's felt throughout the story. It helped with the character development too, and I enjoyed getting to know each of the characters in such depth, right down to their very specific mannerisms. I really loved the eerie setting of the Scottish Highlands, which brought so much more intensity to the story.

Francine Toon has created an unshakeable atmosphere of solitude and dread. In a place that feels like the end of the world, she brings together the gloom of a modern gothic with the pulse of a thriller. This eerie tale with a supernatural edge is a haunting read. I love unsettling stories and this novel is beautifully unsettling.

Overall reaction:

#pine #pinebook #francinetoon #bookreviews #bookramblingsbyolivia #books to read during lockdown #horror books #book reviews #book blog #book blogger #bookblogger #pennywise