A new month means…new books. If you think that a flimsy excuse at best, then please consider the following. It’s been over a year since the UK first entered Lockdown, it’s been months since I set foot in a restaurant, store, gym or climbing centre. Not to mention how long it has been since I last travelled. SO, I don’t need any more cause to buy books, because dammit it’s about all we have at the moment!

Now excuse me while I go and lose myself in some fantasy worlds, pretend to be overthrowing oppressive patriarchal societies, rescue the peculiar children from certain doom or fight alongside the Witches of Woodville.

The Gilded Ones

By Namina Forna - Published by Usborne Publishing Ltd - First Published on the 9th of February 2021

Synopsis: Sixteen-year-old Deka lives in Otera, a deeply patriarchal ancient kingdom, where a woman's worth is tied to her purity, and she must bleed to prove it. But when Deka bleeds gold - the colour of impurity, of a demon - she faces a consequence worse than death. She is saved by a mysterious woman who tells Deka of her true nature: she is an Alaki, a near-immortal with exceptional gifts. The stranger offers her a choice: fight for the Emperor, with others just like her, or be destroyed...’

My thoughts: So I’ve had my sights set on this book for a little while now, ever since I came across the title during my research on Books to read for Black History Month. In no small part due to the cover - high praise for whoever designed this - Deka has been staring into my soul from her paper confines, refusing to leave me be. The letter from the author further encouraged me to pull the trigger: ‘ to every person reading this book, know that you are the hero of your own story. You can make things happen, and you can change the world.’ In times like these, we can all stand to feel like a hero, even if it’s only for as long as it takes us to finish this magnificent book.

The Crow Folk

By Mark Stay - Published by Simon and Schuster UK - First Published on the 4th of February 2021

Synopsis: As Spitfires roar overhead and a dark figure stalks the village of Woodville, a young woman will discover her destiny…

Faye Bright always felt a little bit different. And today she’s found out why. She’s just stumbled across her late mother’s diary which includes not only a spiffing recipe for jam roly-poly, but spells, incantations, runes and recitations… a witch's notebook.

And Faye has inherited her mother’s abilities.

Just in time, too. The Crow Folk are coming. Led by the charismatic Pumpkinhead, their strange magic threatens Faye and the villagers. Armed with little more than her mum's words, her trusty bicycle, the grudging help of two bickering old ladies, and some aggressive church bellringing, Faye will find herself on the front lines of a war nobody expected.’

My thoughts: Confession time, technically I received this book as part of my Chocolate and Book subscription towards the end of March,*insert shocked Pikachu meme* but I am going to count it towards my Book Haul for April. I have to admit this is one of those rare books I had not heard anything about prior to receiving it. It seems to have flown relatively under the radar so far on Goodreads as well. I am curious to see if this will one of those rare diamond in the rough. Perhaps I can discover it ‘before it becomes popular’ and be one of those obnoxious people!

Circe

By Madeline Miller - Published by Bloomsbury Publishing - First Published on the 10th of April 2018

Synopsis: ‘In the house of Helios, god of the sun and mightiest of the Titans, a daughter is born. But Circe has neither the look nor the voice of divinity and is scorned and rejected by her kin. Increasingly isolated, she turns to mortals for companionship, leading her to discover a power forbidden to the gods: witchcraft.

When love drives Circe to cast a dark spell, wrathful Zeus banishes her to the remote island of Aiaia. There she learns to harness her occult craft, drawing strength from nature. But she will not always be alone; many are destined to pass through Circe's place of exile, entwining their fates with hers. The messenger god, Hermes. The craftsman, Daedalus. A ship bearing a golden fleece. And wily Odysseus, on his epic voyage home.

There is danger for a solitary woman in this world, and Circe's independence draws the wrath of men and gods alike. To protect what she holds dear, Circe must decide whether she belongs with the deities she is born from or the mortals she has come to love.’

My thoughts: So this book has been doing the rounds in the Book Blog sphere for god knows how long now. I’ve noticed, I mean you would have to be blind not to. It’s just that I was hesitant to get the book. After reading A Thousand Ships by Nathalie Haynes, which I absolutely adored, I was afraid this was going to be a bit of a letdown. It’s set in the same sort of atmosphere, battling with similar themes, and if it didn’t live up to Haynes works I would ultimately be disappointed. So what changed my mind? In truth reading a brief review by one of my dear friends. She seemed enamoured with the book and I trust her opinion without reserve. So I guess it’s time to see for myself - finally.

Hollow City

By Ransom Riggs - Published by Quirk Books - First Published on the 14th of January 2014

Synopsis: ‘This second novel begins in 1940, immediately after the first book ended. Having escaped Miss Peregrine’s island by the skin of their teeth, Jacob and his new friends must journey to London, the peculiar capital of the world. Along the way, they encounter new allies, a menagerie of peculiar animals, and other unexpected surprises.’

My thoughts: This is one of the ‘older’ books in my recent haul if you can consider a book that has been published in 2014 as ‘older’. Now I did originally read the first book in this series, Miss Peregrine’s home for Peculiar Children when it was published in 2011, and I adored it. The problem is - I completely forgot about it because we had to wait three years for the sequel. I know it’s not exactly good record-keeping on my part, but it honestly completely slipped my attention until last weekend. I read an article about book series that got increasingly better, as the series progressed and this was amongst the highest ranking. I remembered how fond I had been of the first book and wasted no time ordering the 2nd and 3rd instalment in this series.

Library of Souls

By Ransom Riggs - Published by Quirk books - First Published on the 22nd of September 2015

Synopsis:'The adventure that began with Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children and continued in Hollow City comes to a thrilling conclusion with Library of Souls. As the story opens, sixteen-year-old Jacob discovers a powerful new ability, and soon he’s diving through history to rescue his peculiar companions from a heavily guarded fortress. Accompanying Jacob on his journey are Emma Bloom, a girl with fire at her fingertips, and Addison MacHenry, a dog with a nose for sniffing out lost children.

They’ll travel from modern-day London to the labyrinthine alleys of Devil’s Acre, the most wretched slum in all of Victorian England. It’s a place where the fate of peculiar children everywhere will be decided once and for all.’

My thoughts: So after order Hollow City and Library of Souls, I casually asked my partner if he had ever seen the Tim Burton rendition of Miss Peregrine’s home for Peculiar Children. Which he had not - so of course, I forced him to sit through it. Yes, there are significant issues with that film - don’t even get me started. Save to say he was thoroughly unimpressed by the end, but he was curious as well. See my partner loves stories, adores them, but finds it exceptionally difficult to concentrate on a book long enough to get through it. He frequently calls me a witch for reading 300+ pages in a single day. So we made a compromise - I’d read him the books, starting with the first one, so he could see how good they actually are. Plus it gives me a great excuse to re-read Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children before I dive into this one.

Have you been buying (a lot of) books lately? Which ones are still shamefully missing from my collection? Please let me know your recommendations in the comment section below and, until then - just one more page!