What I've Learned Working as a Bookseller| CarenzaOnBooks

Today's post is one I've had the idea for since I started working as a temporary bookseller at my local Waterstones in November. Over three months later, it's safe to say I've learned a lot and I wanted to share some of the things I've learnt while working in a dream job for me. This is mostly going to be about me and my experience in relationship to books, rather than the demands of the job. I think this is the best way for me to talk about it. So let's get into what I've learnt about being a bookseller. 

The kid's picture book section after I spent the day tidying it

My "Speciality" Within Books

One day I was having a conversation with someone visiting our branch from a different branch and they asked, if I could become a specialist or senior bookseller, what area would I like to focus on. I genuinely didn't have an answer because I don't know. I thought maybe I could pass as a fantasy/sci-fi bookseller or teen/YA, but even then I would have felt out of my depth. Before I started this job, I would have said I knew a lot of titles in these sections. However, the ones I've been exposed to are the ones I see on Bookstagram. This actually leads me on nicely to my next point...

I Don't Know As Much As I Thought I Did

I realised pretty quickly that my knowledge of books was actually way smaller than I thought it was. I thought that being a part of the online book community meant my knowledge of books was good, but it's actually very limited. I only knew about the big titles, the ones I saw everywhere. It's made me want to make more of an effort to track down some smaller/less talked about books. I've been picking up books that I haven't seen online in order to expand my horizons. There's just so many books and I've only read a small fraction of what we sell. It's definitely something I want to work on expanding and has given me a new spark in my love for books. 

Seeing New Books

Before working at my local Waterstones, I would have only checked out the sections I already read books from, such as new fiction, fiction, YA/Teen and fantasy. Now, I have worked all over the shop. I have seen books that I would have never imagined existed. There really is a book for everyone out there. There's probably more than I can ever imagine. We get so many requests for books off the beaten track. It really has opened my eyes to books I wouldn't have had the opportunity to learn about. For example, there are some really interesting non-fiction books out there that I'd love to read. All of this has been making my TBR very long!

There's More to Bookselling Than Meets the Eye

I don't know what I imagined booksellers did all day, but there really are a lot of different roles within the shop. My main ones do seem to be working the till or shelving. But there's also pricing our non-book related products, sorting out customer orders and cleaning. There are times when there isn't much to do, but we're often always wandering around doing something. I think my favourite things to do are to shelve books and to price items. I find it very therapeutic using the pricing gun and getting the job done, but that's probably just a me thing.    

Those are just a few things that I've learned from my time as a bookseller. Yes, there are some not so great aspects about being a bookseller, but overall I love it. If you want to learn more about being a bookseller, I recently The Diary of a Bookseller by Shaun Bythell, which I enjoyed and would recommend. It had a lot of experiences in that I could relate to. 

My Reading Goals for 2022| CarenzaOnBooks

I'm aware that it's very late to be posting something like this, but I wanted to share my reading goals for 2022. Compared to previous years, I want to set some goals I can actually stick to. I've picked three goals that I want to try and complete in 2022. These are things that are important to me and will help me have a great reading year this year. 

Read More Diversely

Reading diverse has been something I've been doing since about 2017, however I've noticed I haven't been reading as diverse as I thought I had. I use CAWPILE to track my reading and one of the features is for how many POC authors you read. I was shocked that mine was only eighteen out of eighty-four. That's not even a quarter. I also read from forty-four American authors, making over half my authors from the US. This year I want to read from more POC authors and from more non-American authors. Translated fiction is going to be a way of tackling that as it's something I would like to read more of. Basically, I want to move away from white American writers and explore more varied voices in my writing. 

Tackle My TBR

As of writing this, I have 220 books on my TBR. 150 of these books are ones I own in my main collection, three are for reviews, thirty-five fall under the "odds'n'sods" category and the remaining thirty-three are ones I'm going to borrow from my parents. I roughly read 85 books a year, so it's going to take me 2.5 years to read all these books. That's without getting more books. So, I'm on a book buying ban. As I work at Waterstones, I can still receive books from publishers and if there are exclusive editions or books in series I'm already reading, I can get those. But, I'm pretty much on a book buying ban until my birthday in August. I am going to tackle this ridiculous pile of books I have to read. I have so many that I want to read and it's time that I finally get to them. 

Read at Your Own Pace

Last year, I set myself a monthly goal of reading one book a week. I didn't always meet that with how busy I was at various points in the year and it would make me sad as I wasn't reading as much as I wanted to. This year I want to read at my own pace. My average is 6 books a month, with some being a lot better and some being a lot worse. I'm going to read at my own pace so I can enjoy the books I pick. At the end of the day, that's all that matters. That I enjoy my book and not how much I'm reading.   

Those are my three reading goals for this year. What are your reading goals for 2022??

What I've Been Reading Recently- Christmas 2021 Edition| CarenzaOnBooks

I know this post is a bit late, but I wanted to share the books I read in the final months of 2021. I didn't read as much as I wanted and that was because I started my first graduate job as a Christmas Bookseller at my local Waterstones. I'm still working there, which is why I haven't been as active on here and why I wasn't able to read as much as I like. I read 6 books in November and in December, making my total read for 2021 84 books. Let's get into the books I read over Christmas last year! 

November

no one is talking about this by Patricia Lockwood

The reason I read this book is because everyone seems to be talking about it. It was nominated for the Booker and Women's Fiction prize in 2021. I can see what this book was trying to do, it just didn't quite do it for me. I do think it highlighted how we view the internet and online culture. It's been a couple of months since I read it and it didn't really leave an impact on me. I gave it 3/5 stars.

Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters

I enjoyed Detransition, Baby much more than no one it talking about this. The themes of what it means to be a woman today and how they are so varied were very powerful. The characters felt real, they were all over the place and were the type of characters I like to read about. I personally felt the ending was a bit rushed, which is why I ended up giving it 3.5/5 stars. I also have a full, spoiler filled review, which you can read here. 

Loki: Agent of Asgard by Al Ewing

I had dabbled with comics before this, but after receiving this as a birthday present, I am very interested in reading more comics. I really enjoyed the Loki TV show and I really enjoyed the source material. It was funny, and had a great story. There are so many comics that I'd love to read after reading this. I gave it 4/5 stars.  

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

This was my audiobook listen for November and I would really recommend the audiobook version of this available through Apple Books for free. It's narrated by Karen Gillan, who does an amazing job of narrating this story. For the actual story, I didn't care for it that much. Maybe I would have enjoyed it more as a child as it's a children's classic, but as an adult, I didn't connect with it as much. For the audiobook alone, I gave it 3/5 stars. 

Once Upon a Winter by H.L Macfarlane and others

Taken from Twitter

Thank you to the publisher for sending me an eARC to read before publication and to review. I enjoyed some stories a lot more than others in this collection. I think the idea was strong, but the execution didn't quite work for me. I found the collection a bit too all over the place. I have a full spoiler filled review, which you can read here. I gave it 3/5 stars. 

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

A reread for my book club. I read this book back in 2017 and adored it. However, I've changed a lot as a reader in the last four years. I did enjoy it this time, but nowhere near as much as I did in 2017. I can see why it's problematic. I think the saving grace is the relationship between Lou and Will as they have such strong chemistry. I gave it 4/5 stars. 

December

The Wolf Den by Elodie Harper

Historical, feminist fiction is very popular at the moment and with books like The Wolf Den out there, rightly so. I had been wanting to read this for a while and so I finally got around to it in December. This book is brutal, it does not shy away from how awful these women's lives were. But it also shows them coming together and supporting each other in difficult times. I cannot wait for the sequel to come out later this year. I have a full, spoiler filled review, which you can check out here. I gave it 4/5 stars. 

Letters from Father Christmas by J.R.R Tolkien

I wish I was as talented as J.R.R Tolkien as this collection was beautiful. The stories in the letters, the artwork that went alongside them. Just everything about these letters was amazing. Even if you aren't a Lord of the Rings fan, I would recommend reading this book. You get to see the letters alongside a typed out version of what was in them. I gave it 4/5 stars

The Christmas Murder Game by Alexandra Benedict

I have mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, I enjoyed it. It was fin and escapist. It was an easy read. On the other hand, it was very poorly written and crafted. There were good and bad things about it. It did hit the spot of a Christmas murder mystery I have a full, spoiler filled review of my thoughts on this book, which you can read here. I gave it 3/5 stars.  

Sex Education: The Road Trip by Katy Birchall

If you are a long time reader of my blog, then you will know I adore Sex Education on Netflix and was very happy when they announced a book to go alongside it. I finally read it in December and sadly I was disappointed. I think the story would have worked better as a one off, longer episode. I also found the writing style very inconsistent, with it randomly switching POVs for one paragraph, before returning to our main POV, which was Maeve. It was a fun and easy read, but I was expecting a bit more from this. I gave it 3/5 stars. 

The Cat Who Saved Books by Sōsuke Natsukawa

This was exactly what it said on the tin. It had a cat saving books. And I loved it. It highlighted what it meant to be a reader and the joy we get from books. It's a translated fiction that's been so popular at work. I adored every second of reading this book. The cat was a great character and I would love to read more from this author. I gave it 4/5 stars. 

The Left-Handed Booksellers of London by Garth Nix

My final book of 2021 ended up being a bit of a let down. I bought this for my birthday because it looked cool and I had seen a BookTuber I like recommend it. However, I was so confused about what was happening. There was just a bit too much world building and it went over my head a lot of the time. It might be that I picked this up at the wrong time as I wanted something easy to read to finish off my reading for the year. I might give this another chance in the future. But for now, it gets 3/5 stars from me.

What books did you read in November and December??  

My Favourite Books of 2021| CarenzaOnBooks

2021 is officially over. It was another strange, scary and unusual year. I wanted to mark my first post of 2022 by sharing the books I loved in 2021. In total, I read 84 books. I'm really happy as my reading was all over the place, with various life things. I cannot wait to see what books I'll read in 2022, but for now, it's time to share my favourites from last year. 

The Secret History by Donna Tartt

I finally read The Secret History in 2021 and I can see why it is so well loved. These characters were insufferable and awful, yet I wanted to know what happened next. I was so invested in their lives that I read this massive book in a week, with almost the final half being read in one day. This book does have it's problems in that it's very white and doesn't really feature any characters of colour. I've also heard mixed things about her other books, but The Secret History marked a good start to my reading year. You can read my full review here. 

The Poppy War by R.F Kuang

I am so annoyed at myself for not continuing this series sooner as I really enjoyed The Poppy War. Rin is one of my new favourite characters as she had a no nonsense attitude and felt very realistic. I now have the other two books in this series and I will be reading them this year. I also cannot wait for Babel by R.F Kuang to come out. This was my first time reading "adult high fantasy" rather than YA. 

If We Were Villains by M.L Rio 

This was easily my favourite book of the year. I think I've realised that I like messy characters in intense academic settings because this book blew me away. I read it in three days because I was hooked. I love the theatre backdrop and it was incredible. If M.L Rio writes another book I would run out and buy it immediately. I have two copies of this now, the normal edition and the beautiful special edition. Just fantastic. You can read my review here. 

The Familiars by Stacey Halls

Coming in close as my second favourite book of the year, The Familiars was equally impressive. I am slightly biased as this is a story close to my heart, as it tells the tale of the Pendle Witches and my family is from Lancashire. I found the issues being discussed really important, really liked the characters and the gothic backdrop was beautiful. I wasn't the biggest fan of The Foundlings, but am interested to see what I think of Mrs England, Stacey's third novel. She has become an autobuy author for me. You can read my review here. 

The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy 

I read this book in one sitting and it made me feel so happy from reading it. This was easily the most wholesome book I read this year, if not the most wholesome book I've ever read. I think it's a book for everyone and one that needs to be read more. Just so sweet. I hope Charlie Mackesy writes another book as this one had such an important message. 

The Wolf Den by Elodie Harper

My final favourite of the year is a very hard hitting book. I love historical fiction and I love feminist books. This was a combination of both. It was brutal and gripping, yet whenever I sat down to read it, I found myself flying through it. The first book in a trilogy and I don't know how I'm going to wait until the second one comes out in paperback as that's a very long time away. You can read my full review here. 

Honourable Mentions

I always like to do an honourable mentions section as these are some books I really enjoyed this year, but not quite as much as the ones above. I would recommend all the books on this list. Here are some quick reviews of my four honourable mentions: 

• Flake by Matthew Dooley- a graphic novel about an ice cream seller in the North-West of England. Heartwarming and funny, made me laugh out loud and I really liked the art style.
• Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell- very popular book about the lives of the people around William Shakespeare. Beautiful writing and I cannot wait to dive into Maggie O'Farrell's back catalogue of books. 
• Gods and Monsters by Shelby Mahurin- very satisfying conclusion to the Serpent&Dove trilogy, one of my favourite series of all time. Flew through this and can't believe their stories are over. 
• Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia- some of the most beautiful writing I have ever read. I wish I was that talented. Historical, fantasy. It ticked all the boxes for me.

Those conclude my favourite books of 2021. What books did you enjoy last year??

Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters Book Review (Contains Spoilers)| CarenzaOnBooks

Title- Detransition, Baby

Author- Torrey Peters

Series- N/A 

Published- 2021

Page Count- 340 pages

Publishing House- Serpent's Tail

Genre- feminist, LGBTQIA+, contemporary

Rating- 3.5/5 stars

About the Author

Torrey Peters is the author of the novel Detransition, Baby, published by One World/Random House, which was longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction. She is also the authors of the novellas Infect Your Friends and Loved Ones and The Masker. She has an MFA from the University of Iowa and a Masters in Comparative Literature from Dartmouth. Torrey rides a pink motorcycle and splits her time between Brooklyn and an off-grid cabin in Vermont.

Taken from Torrey's website. 

Plot

A whipsmart debut about three women—transgender and cisgender—whose lives collide after an unexpected pregnancy forces them to confront their deepest desires around gender, motherhood, and sex.

Reese almost had it all: a loving relationship with Amy, an apartment in New York City, a job she didn't hate. She had scraped together what previous generations of trans women could only dream of: a life of mundane, bourgeois comforts. The only thing missing was a child. But then her girlfriend, Amy, detransitioned and became Ames, and everything fell apart. Now Reese is caught in a self-destructive pattern: avoiding her loneliness by sleeping with married men.

Ames isn't happy either. He thought detransitioning to live as a man would make life easier, but that decision cost him his relationship with Reese—and losing her meant losing his only family. Even though their romance is over, he longs to find a way back to her. When Ames's boss and lover, Katrina, reveals that she's pregnant with his baby—and that she's not sure whether she wants to keep it—Ames wonders if this is the chance he's been waiting for. Could the three of them form some kind of unconventional family—and raise the baby together?

This provocative debut is about what happens at the emotional, messy, vulnerable corners of womanhood that platitudes and good intentions can't reach. Torrey Peters brilliantly and fearlessly navigates the most dangerous taboos around gender, sex, and relationships, gifting us a thrillingly original, witty, and deeply moving novel. 

Taken from Goodreads.

Opinions 

I borrowed this from my local library after stumbling across a copy while looking for something else. I had wanted to read this after seeing it was nominated for the Women's Fiction Prize, which some people challenged as Torrey is a trans author. Having read it, I can say that I believe it deserved to be nominated as it tackled important issues for women and was written by a woman. I felt that this had a strong start, I was immediately hooked in and wanted to find out what happened next. 

The premise was very strong. The discussions around what it is to be a mother or a parent in the modern age was interesting. I liked that we had three very different perspectives on womanhood from three people who experienced it differently. I felt that bouncing between Ames and Reese's perspectives helped with what the other was saying. I would have liked a bit more insight into Katrina's perspective as it wasn't always easy to connect or sympathise with her. We got to see what Ames and Reese were thinking, where as we didn't with Katrina. I think it would have added something to the story.

I loved the three main characters. They felt so real, raw and chaotic. Reese in particular, with some of the decisions she made, felt like someone you will probably meet at some point in your life. Her emotions and life were always all over the place. Even though we are told she had everything, we got to see that she didn't and that she was just human. I think I enjoyed reading from Ames/Amy the most. He felt grounded in reality, with all the different stages in his life. His journey from when he transitioned to Amy and then back to Ames was an interesting one. I personally like reading about flawed characters with engaging backstories and I certainly got this with this book.

I didn't like the ending. I found it too rushed and it wasn't quite what I wanted from this book. We've spent all this time reading about these people becoming ready to be parents, only for it not to happen. I would have loved to see them form a queer family and raise this child. We spent so much time reading about them wanting to be parents, all those decisions and then Katrina's choice to have an abortion, kinda came out of nowhere. I felt let down by the ending, as otherwise I would have given this 4 stars.

A small qualm I had with this book was that I found the chapters too long. I would have preferred shorter chapters, especially as they were covering quite large amounts of time. I'm someone who likes to read to the end of the chapter and then finish my reading sessions, but the longer chapters in this made it difficult. This is a personal preference, but did impact my reading experience.   

 

What did you think of Detransition, Baby??

Why I've Decided to Use a TBR Jar| CarenzaOnBooks

In October, I decided to make myself a TBR jar with almost all the books on my TBR in the jar. At the time of writing this, I have 98 books on my main TBR shelves. This does not include the books I want to borrow from my family, my miscellaneous books and releases/books for review. Basically, I have a lot of books on my TBR and I want to start to tackle them. This post is about why I've decided to use one to help me do that. 

How Did I Make My TBR Jar?

I started by writing out the almost 100 books I have on my main TBR on pieces of paper. I then cut them up and sorted them into three categories. These categories are green (books I want to read in the next month/couple of months), orange (books I want to read within the next six months) and red (books I'm not too fussy about when I get to them). Once I had them sorted into these three categories, I put them in my jar, ready to pick my November TBR.

So, Why Did I Make a TBR Jar?

The short answer was to help me get to the books I will still have on my TBR in a year or two's time. These are the ones I've had for the longest and are starting to gather dust. Most of these are classics or sci-fi/dystopian as they tend to be the books I gravitate towards the least. I want to make sure I do actually read them at some point. My plan is to pick one of each colour every month so then I can have a range of books to read.

So for November by green book was the Loki comic I got for my birthday, my orange book was The Wolf Den by Elodie Harper and my red book was The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnet. I also have some books I need to read for review and a couple of library books, which is why my use of the TBR jar was so small. 

Without a TBR jar, I would probably continue to avoid reading certain books as I have others I'd rather read. This will help me to make sure I do read them and that I can expand my reading beyond my comfort zone of fantasy and historical fiction. There's also something fun about having no idea what books I'm going to read each month. 

So this is a short post about why I'm going to be using a TBR jar to tackle my ever growing TBR pile. I'll probably do an update about it in the future.

Do you use a TBR jar??  

The Devil and the Dark Water by Stuart Turton Book Review (Contains Spoilers)| CarenzaOnBooks

 

Title- The Devil and the Dark Water

Author- Stuart Turton

Series- N/A

Published- 2020

Page Count- 548 pages (UK paperback)

Publishing House- Sourcebooks Landmark

Genre- murder mystery, supernatural, crime and detective

Rating-4/5 stars

About the Author

Stuart lives in London with his amazing wife and daughter. He drinks lots of tea. What else?

​When he left university he went travelling for three months and stayed away for five years. Every time his parents asked when he’d be back he told them next week, and meant it. Stuart is not to be trusted. In the nicest possible way. He’s got a degree in English and Philosophy, which makes him excellent at arguing and terrible at choosing degrees.

Having trained for no particular career, he has dabbled in most of them. He stocked shelves in a Darwin bookshop, taught English in Shanghai, worked for a technology magazine in London, wrote travel articles in Dubai, and now he’s a freelance journalist. None of this was planned, he just kept getting lost on his way to other places.

He likes a chat. He likes books. He likes people who write books and people who read books. He doesn’t know how to write a biography, so should probably stop before he tells you about his dreams or something. It was lovely to meet you, though. Stuart's debut novel is called The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle in the UK and The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle in the US. They're the same book. Don't fret.

Taken from Goodreads.

Plot

A murder on the high seas. A detective duo. A demon who may or may not exist.

It's 1634 and Samuel Pipps, the world's greatest detective, is being transported to Amsterdam to be executed for a crime he may, or may not, have committed. Traveling with him is his loyal bodyguard, Arent Hayes, who is determined to prove his friend innocent. But no sooner are they out to sea than devilry begins to blight the voyage. A twice-dead leper stalks the decks. Strange symbols appear on the sails. Livestock is slaughtered.

And then three passengers are marked for death, including Samuel. Could a demon be responsible for their misfortunes? With Pipps imprisoned, only Arent can solve a mystery that connects every passenger onboard. A mystery that stretches back into their past and now threatens to sink the ship, killing everybody on board.

The breathtaking new novel from Stuart Turton, author of the The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, winner of the Costa Best First Novel Award.

Also taken from Goodreads.

Opinions 

In 2018, I was trying to find a copy of the Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and I stumbled across the Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle instead. I realised it was not the same book, but the blurb intrigued me, so I bought it. I read it and I knew that this was an author I wanted to read from again. Stuart Turton is a very clever writer. He crafts these clever mysteries that feel fresh and unique. I'd highly recommend reading his first book as it's an incredibly good mystery. So when I saw he had written another book, I patiently waited for it to come out in paperback. I thought this was as good, if not better than his first book.

I just kept on wanting to read more. There were so many layers to this mystery that it kept you hooked from beginning to end. You had to know if each mystery was connected and what lay around the corner for these characters. I read it in 8 days, some days I would easily read almost 100 pages, where as others I would read a chapter or two. I think for a book of this size and complexity, I'm happy with how quick I read it. It's always a good sign to me if you want to read more and have that "one more chapter" mentality with a book. 

I adored the enclosed setting of this book. Aside from action at the very beginning and end, this mostly took place on a ship. That really added to the mystery and creepy elements of this book. The ship was the perfect location for a mystery like this as while it had limited places for the action to take place, there was also enough variation in the settings. You really felt trapped alongside those characters and that danger was lurking near by. Some of the action, such as the leper appearing outside Sara's cabin, was so good because until it was revealed how it was done, you genuinely couldn't figure it out as a reader. 

Speaking of the characters, I really liked Sara and Arent. Let's talk about Arent first. He was definitely the John Watson to Sammy Pipps' Sherlock Holmes. Yet he also felt like his own character. Like Turton's mysteries, his characters also have layers. The backstory of Arent's father and his time as a soldier really added to his character. He also felt real because he was balanced in believing in his own abilities and experiencing periods of doubt. I also really liked Sara. She was a strong, practical woman, but she was also a realist. In a time when a woman's role was to raise children and do her duties to the family, she had just enough spark to feel bright, but also knew when to be sensible and look out for herself and her daughter. She always put her daughter's interests first, even if that meant having to encourage her to hide her intelligence. Sara and Arent compliment each other nicely, making for an excellent detective duo. Their romance was a bit rushed, but as they worked well and seemed to care for each other, I didn't mind as much.     

Probably the main reason I didn't give this book five stars was that I didn't really like the ending. I had personally been holding out for a big supernatural reason as to why these terrible things had been happening and in the end it came back to the people on the ship. The reveal that Sara's best friend killed her husband because she was one of the wronged people from the witch hunter past was okay. What I didn't like was that Sammy was actually her brother. He was a very interesting figure as a detective, but to learn that he had done all of that so he could get back at someone didn't sit right with me. I did like the idea of them going off and righting more wrongs as a little team. But the overall reveal as to why all these things happened and so many people died didn't blow me away. I just wanted something a bit spookier and I didn't quite get those vibes. 

I am very excited to see what Stuart Turton will write next as he just keeps on bouncing from strength to strength and having such interesting ideas. I wasn't a big murder mystery fan before this, but if there are more mysteries to read like this, then I will be reading them. He has become an auto-buy author for me.  

What did you think of The Devil and the Dark Water??

What I've Been Reading Recently- Winter Edition 2021

2021 really has flown by and suddenly we're into the final two months of the year. This means it's time for my "what I've been reading recently this autumn" post. Across September and October, I read 14 books. This was a step down from my summer reading, but I'm still happy with what I've been reading. Here's to hoping the end of 2021 will be as good as the last few months as I'm well on my way to hitting my Goodreads challenge.  

September 

In September I read 6 books, two of which were rereads. September ended up being kinda of a busy month as I went on a mini-holiday with my family, which meant I didn't have much time to read. 

The Foundling by Stacey Halls 

My first read of September was a book I was excited to read and had been leftover from my August TBR. You might have seen in my last what I've been reading recently post, that I loved The Familiars by Stacey Halls. So much so that I immediately bought her second book to read. Sadly, I didn't end up enjoying this one as much. I really didn't like one of the characters and struggled to connect with the story. I have a full spoiler filled review, which you can read here. I gave it 3/5 stars. 

Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

This book had some of the most beautiful writing I have ever written. SMG has become someone I am dying to read from again. Thoroughly enjoyed the characters, the story and the setting. My only qualm with this book is that the main character could be a bit annoying and repetitive at times. I will be making my way through her other books as that was just some of the best writing I have ever read. I gave it 4/5 stars.

  

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

The first book I reread this month. After really enjoying the TV show adaptation, I have been giving the books a second chance. I wasn't wowed by the SoC duology when I first read it in 2019, but I'm happy to say I enjoyed it a lot more this time. It still didn't quite live up to the hype for me, but you can really see the improvement in the quality of writing and characters. I cared a lot more this time, perhaps because I knew what was going to happen at certain points. I gave it 4/5 stars.

Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo

My other reread was the other half of this duology. Again, this book grew on me with this reread. I can see why it's so beloved. I am interested as to why it's getting a sequel, as I felt the ending was strong. It would take away from some of that mystery. I'm now interested in reading the Nikolai duology, which I'm finally going to read at some point. I gave it 4/5 stars.

Autumn by Ali Smith

I have wanted to read this series for a while and am so happy that I've started this. At first, I wasn't sure about it, but I ended up really enjoying it. I liked the intertwining storyline. I liked the themes being discussed and how Ali Smith approached them. It was a nice, short and easy book to read. I am looking forward to continuing this series throughout the year. I gave it 4/5 stars.

Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas

My final read of September was the prequel to The Hate U Give. I was looking forward to this as Angie Thomas is such a good writer, however this ended up being my least favourite of her books. I found Maverick a hard character to connect with and this didn't add much to what I already knew from THUG. It was an important story to tell, but just didn't have the same emotional punch as THUG. I gave it 3/5 stars. 

October

During October, I participated in Spoopathon, a month long readathon for Halloween. This really helped me stay motivated with my reading and I managed to read 8 books this month. Most of them were for Spoopathon, but I did fit in three non-Spoopathon books. 

The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery

I decided to join the new local book club in my town and the pick for October was this. It's a translated fiction book and I did not like it. I didn't like the characters, I found them too similar and whiny. I didn't like the story. I just didn't like it. I don't think I'm the target demographic for this book, especially as I'm the youngest in the club by 10-15 years. I would not recommend this book. I gave it 2/5 stars.  

The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy

On the other hand, I would highly recommend this book. I read this in one sitting and I adored it. It has such a sweet message at it's core. The artwork is beautiful. It's one of the most heartwarming books I've ever read and I wish I could read it for the first time again. I loved it. An easy 5/5 stars from me. 

The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

This book was so hyped and beloved, that I had wanted to read it for a few months. In short, this book just wasn't for me. While I liked the characters, I didn't like the story or the writing. I think this is a case of a celebrity getting to write a book. This was a murder mystery and I still don't know who committed which crimes. I won't be continuing with this series and I'm going to give my copy away. You can read my full spoiler filled review here. I gave it 3/5 stars. 

The Devil and the Dark Water by Stuart Turton

I adored Stuart's other book, the Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, so I was excited to read this as it was finally out in paperback. This did not disappoint. This was another clever murder mystery. I liked the characters and I loved the confined setting of the ship. I wasn't the biggest fan of the ending, but aside from that, I had a great time with this book. I cannot wait to see what Stuart Turton writes next. I gave it 4/5 stars.

Mina and the Undead by Amy McCaw

This book had a very rocky start, which meant I leant towards giving it 3 stars for most of my time reading it. However, it grew on me. I liked Mina as a character, she felt realistic. I wasn't convinced by the instalove storyline. Overall, this was quite a fun and easy read. I do plan on reading the sequel when it comes out next year. I gave it 3.5/5 stars.

Wakenhyrst by Michelle Paver

This was probably one of the most disappointing books I have read. I went in expecting spookiness and witches and I did not get that. I didn't like the characters or the story. This reminded me of Where the Crawdads Sing, which was another book I didn't like. I will not be keeping my copy as I was just so disappointed by it. I gave it 3/5 stars.

Mouseguard: Autumn 1152 by David Petersen

If you are looking for a fun, fantasy graphic novel with mice in it, then I'd recommend this. I liked the world building and the premise of this. I also really enjoyed the artwork. I struggled with working out which character was which at times as some of the mice looked similar and you could only tell by the colour of their cloak, which they wouldn't always wear. I am interested in continuing this series as it was entertaining. Kinda like a mice version of Lord of the Rings or Game of Thrones. I gave it 3/5 stars.

The Places in Between by Rory Stewart

The final book I read in October was the November book club book. This was a non-fiction book about a guy walking across Afghanistan in 2002. I don't read much travel writing, it isn't a genre I naturally gravitate towards. I found Rory a difficult narrator to connect to. A lot of what happened became quite repetitive. The only thing I really liked about this book was the parts featuring the dog he adopted along the way as I wanted to know if it was okay. I gave it 3/5 stars. 

So those conclude my reads for autumn 2021. What books did you manage to read this autumn??

Bookshops I'd Like to Visit| CarenzaOnBooks

I love a good bookshop. I often have to be dragged away from bookshops by friends and family because I could easily spend hours in them. This post is inspired by my bookshop trip to Oxford, which you can read about here. There are so many bookshops I want to visit so I have compiled a list of some of my top destinations!

A bookshop from my Oxford trip 

Daunt Books, Oxford

This was one of the places on my list when we went to Oxford, but unfortunately it was too far out of the city centre for us to visit. I know that this is a beloved bookshop to those based in Oxford and from the photos I've seen, it's very pretty. I really like how they organise their books by author nationality, so you can read outside of the usual UK-USA authors, which is something I'd like to do.

Daunt Books, London

Yes, another branch of Daunt Books is making an appearance on this list. This is the one I see on my Instagram feed frequently and it is stunning. By far, one of the prettiest bookshops I've ever seen. Do I partly want to go so I have an Instagram worthy photo? Yes. But like it's Oxford counterpart, I am excited to try and find some authors from outside my usual reading taste. 

Topping&Company Booksellers, Edinburgh

Again, this may be another one I want to visit because of its Instagram worthy status, but it also just looks like a stunning bookshop. The one in Edinburgh has sliding ladders! A bookworms dream. I know they also have a large selection of signed and first editions of books. My only experience of Edinburgh bookshops is Blackwell's, where I would get a book after every time I went to the Fringe Festival. Edinburgh is a place I adore and can't wait to go back. 

Shakespeare&Company, Paris

The fact that I have been to Paris twice and not visited this shop is just a tragedy. It's a well known spot for book lovers and writers. I believe when it first opened, writers would stay to work on their novels and help out at the bookshop. This is now known as being a "tumbleweed" and one day, it is a goal of mine to do this. They have a selection of English and French books too.

The Strand, New York

The Strand feels like one of those bookshops you have to go to as some rite of passage as a bookworm. The tall shelves filled with books. A selection of bookish themed merch. It just looks like you'd have a great time wandering around. If I ever get to New York, this is on the top of my list of things to do. 

Gay's The Word, London

This is the UKs only, exclusive gay and lesbian bookshop, so naturally I want to go there. I actually ordered some books from them during the Pandemic, so I know they have a great selection of LGBT books. I think it's great that there are bookshops like this, with a focus on a specific type of writer/subject. When I next go to London, whenever that is, it's on my to visit list. 

The Tree House Second-Hand Bookshop, Kenilworth

The final entry on this list and this one is the closest to me. The reason I want to go here? They do Christmas Book Advents. 24 books hand picked and wrapped for you to open throughout December. It is literally my dream advent calendar. I also love a good second-hand bookshop. This one is part bookshop, part local arts centre. Another cosy place to browse books.   

So those are some bookshops I'd like to visit. I'm sure I'll add more to my list, so at some point in the future, I may do a part two. What are some bookshops you'd like to visit?

The Foundling by Stacey Halls Book Review (Contains Spoilers)| CarenzaOnBooks

Title- The Foundling

Author- Stacey Halls

Series- N/A

Published- 2020

Page Count- 383 pages 
Publishing House- Manilla Press

Genre- historical fiction, feminist  

Rating- 3/5 stars 

To read my review of Stacey's other book, The Familiars, click here.  

About the Author 

Stacey Halls was born in 1989 and grew up in Rossendale, Lancashire. She studied journalism at the University of Central Lancashire and has written for publications including the Guardian, Stylist, Psychologies, The Independent, The Sun and Fabulous. 

Her first book The Familiars was the bestselling debut novel of 2019. The Foundling is her second novel.

Taken from Stacey's website.

Plot

A mother's love knows no bounds. . .

London, 1754. Six years after leaving her newborn, Clara, at London't Foundling Hospital, young Bess Bright returns to reclaim the illegitimate daughter she has never really known. Dreading the worst - that Clara has died in care - the last thing she expects to hear is that her daughter has already been reclaimed. Her life is turned upside down as she tries to find out who has taken her little girl - and why.

Les than a mile from Bess' lodgings in a quiet town house, a wealthy widow barely ventures outside. When her close friend - an ambitious doctor at the Foundling Hospital - persuades her to hire a nursemaid for her young daughter, she is hesitant to welcome someone new into her home and her life. But her past is threatening to catch up with her - and will soon tear her carefully constructed world apart.

Set against the vibrant backdrop of Georgian London, 'THE LOST ORPHAN' explores families and secrets, class and power, and how the pull of motherhood cuts across them all. 

Taken from Goodreads. 

Opinions

I read and adored The Familiars by Stacey Halls in July, flying through it in about four days. It had a compelling plot, an interesting main character and historical period/setting I was very interested in. I read it while on holiday in Devon and was so in love with it that I immediately bought her second book in paperback in Devon. I was sure that this was going to be a book I loved. Sadly, I was wrong.

I think having the dual perspectives after only having one in her previous books didn't work for me. I didn't mind Bess' POV. It was similar to Fleetwood from The Familiars and I liked her. I felt that she was an interesting main character, with the mystery surrounding how she became pregnant and her lower class background. If the book had been entirely from Bess' POV, I think this would have been just as interesting as The Familiars. Bess was fierce, she had great friends and other characters to interact with. She felt down to earth and real. I'll now explain the other POV and why it didn't work for me.

Alexandra was the other POV. She was Charlotte's adopted mother and to put it bluntly, I didn't like her. I found her POV confusing, at times I thought her parents were alive, others it was clear they were dead. It was very clear she didn't want a child and spent a long time talking about how she wasn't fit to be a mother. I felt no sympathy for her. I was just irritated by her and wanted to get back to Bess' POV. Her ending with giving Charlotte back to Bess and somehow ending up in a relationship with the doctor felt off. We just didn't click and that's part of the reason why I gave this book a lower rating than The Familiars.

Asides from the characters, I didn't connect with the plot as much. For one thing, the big reveal of how Alexandra came to have adopted Charlotte was fairly weak. Alexandra's sister just happened to be there when Bess was dropping Charlotte off. It felt a bit too convenient. Just like Alexandra's sister having to leave for the country as soon as Bess was hired. The romance between Bess and Lyle felt a bit out of the blue, but it was nice to see her have a happy ending.

I did like that it highlighted to conditions of Foundlings in the 1700, many of whom were left by their mothers for better lives. I think Stacey Halls is great at highlighting important issues to women. This book was about motherhood and what it meant to be a good mother. I just struggled to connect with it as much as I did her previous book. I did find it easy to read and flew through it again. I'm now unsure if I want to read her third book. I may give it some time and then pick it up, but before this I would have said Stacey was one of my auto-buy authors. This book has made me unsure how I feel and I might need a third book to determine my thoughts.    

What did you think of The Foundling??

Lord of the Rings Tag| CarenzaOnBooks

Having recently rewatch the Lord of the Rings films for the first time in quite some time, it's gotten me in a very Lord of the Rings mood. I adored these films as a kid and I used to listen to the 1960s/70s BBC audio production on repeat. I have only read The Fellowship of the Ring, but am planning on getting to the series soon. I stumbled across this tag on Mary and the Words' blog, which you can read here, and knew I had to do it. 

Taken from Google Images

Middle Earth: The Hobbit or Lord of the Rings

I'm going to have to go with Lord of the Rings. As I've already said, I grew up watching these films, so they mean a lot to me. This was a very tough one as I prefer the story of Lord of the Rings, but I have the attachment to the Hobbit as I actually saw those films in the cinema. But Lord of the Rings is what started me on this journey.

Fellowship: Favourite Hobbit Movie

I love the Desolation of Smaug. We get introduced to Laketown and of course, we get to meet Smaug. The new cast members in this film are excellent. I always enjoy watching this film. 

The One Ring: Favourite LOTR Movie/Book

I'll go with the one I have both watched and read, which is the Fellowship of the Ring. It's what started this quest. It has one of my favourite pieces of music, Concerning Hobbits. It's much lighter in tone compared to the other two in this series and it's where you get to meet the Fellowship for the first time. It has a soft spot in my heart. 

Bilbo Baggins: Favourite Character

Without a shadow of a doubt, my favourite character is Pippin. I have always had a soft spot for Pippin. He's the baby of the group. Gandalf can be very mean to him at times. He has quite a subtle story arc compared to Frodo and Sam. He's cheeky and sweet. He's just the best. 

Dor Guldur: Least Favourite Character

Denethor. I have never liked that character. He was nothing but cruel to Faramir and was easily corrupted by Sauron. I do pity him a bit with some of his decisions in The Return of the King, but asides from that, I cannot stand that character.  

Gundabad: Favourite "Evil" Character

It has to go to Gollum. You can debate that he isn't an evil character, but I would say he is one of the primary antagonists of the series. He presents some interesting dilemmas for our main characters and you're unsure if you should pity or hate him. He also used to terrify me as a kid, so I have to give it to him.  

The Shire: Favourite Place

I'm going to steal the prompt from this question and go with the Shire. It just seems like a really nice place to live, with gorgeous Hobbit holes and those rolling fields. I would very much like to visit the set in New Zealand one day and see them in person, especially as two of my friends have been.  

Rivendell: Favourite Species

I really like the Elves, especially the Rivendell Elves. They are so eloquent, yet kind to others. They welcome in the Fellowship and seek to protect them. Plus that elf hearing and agility sounds quite nice. 

Misty Mountains: Do You Have a Favourite Quote from the Movies/Books?

It's probably a bit of a rouge answer, but I really like and frequently quote Pippin from The Fellowship of the Ring with this line- "Anways, you need people of intelligence on this sort of mission...quest...thing". It is of course then followed up by Merry saying "Well, that rules you out, Pip". I love this scene a lot. It's one of my favourites. 

Mirkwood: Would you rather be an elf, hobbit, mankind, dwarf or wizard?

100% without a shadow of a doubt, I'd be a Hobbit. I want to live in a Hobbit hole and enjoy my days with nice food and pretty surroundings. In the evenings, there would be trips to the pub before curling up with a good book. Maybe a bit more like Frodo and Bilbo, and go on adventures before coming back. But a Hobbit nonetheless.  

Gondolin: Favourite Durin's son

I am going to choose Kili, and that's partly because he's played by Aidan Turner in the films. There seems to be a theme to my favourite characters in that they're cheeky and sweet. I'm excited to see what he's like in the book when I get around to reading them. 

The Nine: Favourite fellowship member

My most recent rewatch has convinced me that Aragorn is my favourite Fellowship member. Throughout the films, we see him being nothing but kind to those around him. He always takes the time to talk to others and make them feel welcomed. He's heroic and goes on an epic development journey. He stands out as the best member of the Fellowship of the Ring. 

Sindarin: favourite weapon

My favourite is Sting. It's small, it's practical and it's Hobbit sized. One day I'd love to own a replica from the Noble Collection as it just looks amazing. 

Minas Tirith: Do you own any LOTR/Hobbit merch?

I own two Pop Funkos, one of Frodo and one of Pippin. I have a small figurine of Gandalf from when the Hobbit movies where coming out and they started selling magazines with figurines. I have a poster that my best friend got me and a postcard from Hobbiton as she's been. I'm not sure if this counts but I collected a lot of the Lego sets as a child and had a lot of fun building them. I'd say it's quite a small collection. 

Gig-Galad: Would you have changed something from the movie?

Honestly, I wouldn't change anything. I know that a lot of people don't like the Hobbit movies, but I adore them. I am a big fan of the extended editions and believe they have everything in a person could want. 

Minas Morgul: Gandalf or Saruman? 

It has to be Gandalf! Not just because he's a great character, but because I met Ian McKellen in passing in 2019. He was doing a series of shows for his 80th birthday and I got to say thank you to him at the end. I did miss out on a selfie opportunity, but I'm just happy I got to see him in person. 

So that concludes my answers to the Lord of the Rings tag. If you are a LOTR fan, please do this tag and let me know! 

Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid Book Review (Contains Spoilers)| Carenza Bramwell

Title- Malibu Rising

Author- Taylor Jenkins Reid 

Series- N/A 

Published- 2021

Page Count- 365 pages

Publishing House- Penguin Random House 

Genre- Modern Literature 

Rating- 4.5/5 stars

About the Author

Taylor Jenkins Reid is the author of the New York Times Bestselling novels Malibu Rising, Daisy Jones and the Six and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, as well as One True Loves, Maybe in Another Life, After I Do, and Forever, Interrupted. Her books have been chosen by Reese’s Book Club, Read with Jenna, Indie Next, Best of Amazon, and Book of the Month. Her novel, Daisy Jones and the Six, is currently being adapted by Hello Sunshine into a limited series for Amazon. She lives in Los Angeles.

Taken from Taylor's website.

Plot

From the Sunday Times bestselling author of Daisy Jones & The Six.

A lifetime holding it together.

One party will bring it crashing down.

Malibu: August, 1983. It's the day of Nina Riva's annual end-of-summer party, and anticipation is at a fever pitch. Everyone wants to be around the famous Rivas: Nina, the talented surfer and supermodel; brothers Jay and Hud, one a championship surfer, the other a renowned photographer; and their adored baby sister, Kit. Together, the siblings are a source of fascination in Malibu and the world over-especially as the offspring of the legendary singer, Mick Riva.

The only person not looking forward to the party of the year is Nina herself, who never wanted to be the center of attention, and who has also just been very publicly abandoned by her pro tennis player husband. Oh, and maybe Hud-because it is long past time to confess something to the brother from whom he's been inseparable since birth.

Jay, on the other hand, is counting the minutes until nightfall, when the girl he can't stop thinking about promised she'll be there. And Kit has a couple secrets of her own-including a guest she invited without consulting anyone. By midnight the party will be completely out of control. By morning, the Riva mansion will have gone up in flames. But before that first spark in the early hours before dawn, the alcohol will flow, the music will play, and the loves and secrets that shaped this family's generations will all come bubbling to the surface.

Malibu Rising is a story about one unforgettable night in the life of a family: the night they each have to choose what they will keep from the people who made them . . . and what they will leave behind.

Taken from Goodreads.

Opinions 

Like almost everyone in the book community, I have been swept away by the sheer talent that is Taylor Jenkins Reid. I adored The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, which I consider to be one of my favourite books of all time, and I enjoyed Daisy Jones and the Six. So, it goes without saying that I was incredibly excited for this book. It actually came out in May but I decided to hold off reading it until August as I wanted to read it in the month it was set. I'm actually really glad I did this as it add a bit of a special twist to my reading experience.

I could not stop reading this book. I read it in 2 days because I was just hooked from beginning to end. At no point was I bored or wanting to read something else. This story had it's claws in me and held me the whole way. I think aside from Daisy Jones, I have flown through all of Taylor's books (well the three I've read). There's something in her writing, which I'll go into more detail about later in this post, that makes it impossible to put down. 

The Riva family were a very compelling cast of characters. They were all very flawed, yet they were likeable. I loved that we got all of their perspectives and we saw how events from their past impacted at them during the party. I'm not sure I could even pick a favourite because they all had different interesting aspects. I even liked Mick because you got to see into his perspective and that he wasn't a truly terrible character. They might be some of my new favourite cast of characters.

I only have one complaint about this book and that is that I didn't care for the non-family perspectives scattered throughout the book. Yes they did add flavours to the book, but I just wanted to get back to the central characters and plot while I was reading them. I also felt that some of the secrets that we learnt along the way would have had a stronger impact if the whole Riva family had learnt them. I have a feeling that this will make it onto my favourites list at the end of the year as I just adored this book.

Taylor Jenkins Reid has cemented herself as one of the most talented writers around at the moment. She just keeps on improving with each book she writes. Her characters are flawed and real, her stories have mysteries that you just need to know how they end. I need to catch up on her backlog of books because I don't know what I'm going to do until her next book is out. I cannot wait for the TV shows of her books as I know they'll be epic.