My year in books on Goodreads.

https://www.goodreads.com/user/year_in_books/2025/1471902

My first book of 2026 is an ARC. #TBConFacebook

I enjoyed this gothic, dark and imaginative retelling of a famous fairytale. Be careful what you wish for! I was gripped from beginning to the end and found myself fully immersed in the murky worlds of Clara and Natasha. I had to keep on my toes as the plot is quite complicated and shifts about. Well written and engaging, this is a fantastical and magical tale with a message for us all. The grass is not always greener.

My last Christmas themed book before the New Year. A dark retelling of The Nutcracker.

I enjoyed this Christmas murder mystery, I found it intriguing. It was a fun read with quite a complex plot line and an interesting mix of unlikeable characters. I liked the setting, very atmospheric with its creepy house and snow storm preventing anyone from leaving. I loved the idea of a secret room. It‘s all very Agatha Christie-esque and definitely cleverly written. Just right for this time of year.

I read this like an advent calendar, one chapter a day during December. It might have been better in my case to have read it as a normal book to keep the momentum going as I found it quite underwhelming. It started off well but then went into the land of cuckoo. I didn‘t like the gratuitous violence, either. There were a few grey areas and although I don‘t mind an ambiguous ending or a ‘Carrie‘ style ending, this one didn‘t work for me.

An online book club read.

This is an enjoyable Christmas tale with a large cast of eclectic and fun characters. The plot revolves around a skeleton in the cupboard and the question of who should be a beneficiary of a Will. There is a smattering of romance to warm the cockles of your heart. A delightful dog called Plum completes the picture as only a dog can. It‘s just a jolly story, just right for this time of year. A heartwarming and feel good read.

This is an enjoyable Christmas story with some engaging characters. I particularly liked Hattie and Delphi. The setting sounds wonderful, I wouldn‘t mind staying there myself! And the book shop in the local town is to die for. 📚 It‘s a little predictable in parts as most Christmas books are, but there‘s enough of interest in it to keep the reader turning the pages. A lovely, heartwarming festive tale.

Another Christmassy themed read.

A Christmassy read to try to get in the mood! 🎄

An enjoyable cosy mystery set in a beautiful part of the world, although I do say so myself being a Yorkshire lass! The descriptions of the countryside are vivid and give a good sense of place. I like the cast of eclectic characters. The murder mystery itself held my attention and I thought I‘d guessed the culprit but how wrong I was! The plot is well put together and it made me chuckle in a few places. A series to continue!

I‘ve started this today. It‘s an advent calendar type of mystery where you read one chapter a day for 25 days.

What a fantastic debut! I thoroughly enjoyed it. I loved Miv, she‘s a great character and seems very realistic. The fear which was endured during the Yorkshire Ripper era and the relief felt when he was finally caught are portrayed beautifully. It‘s not all about the murders, though, as it touches on other important issues, such as domestic violence, racial prejudice, bullying and depression. An insightful, engaging and moving read. Loved it!

The first in the Dales Detective series. I‘m reading this with my local book group.

An enjoyable, creepy and ghostly tale with some surprising twists and turns. It‘s suspenseful and it kept me turning the pages. The companions are quite sinister and unnerving - you wouldn‘t want to find yourself face to face with one let me tell you!😱 I loved both the setting and the house - very atmospheric and eerie. A gripping, well written gothic mystery with some intriguing characters which should send shivers down your spine. 🧟

I really enjoyed this mystery. I liked the character of Flavia, she‘s unique and quirky. There‘s a sense of humour running through this story and it‘s all jolly good fun! There‘s a good sense of time and place, a great feel for the 1950s. I found the mystery itself quite gripping and the whole book a page turner. I can‘t wait to join the delightful and daring Flavia again in book two, The Weed That Strings the Hangman‘s Bag. Love the titles!

An enjoyable cosy mystery with plenty of suspects to keep the reader engaged. A mystery set Yorkshire was the theme for my local reading group‘s choice this month and this is the one which was chosen! There are some interesting historic facts included in the story at certain points which added to my enjoyment. It‘s an easy read with a satisfying conclusion, although I found the dialogue a little stilted at times. 3.5⭐️

A book set in Yorkshire, a place close to my heart as it is my home. I was a teenager when the Yorkshire Ripper was about so remember this era well.

I‘m reading this one with my local book group. The theme is a mystery set in Yorkshire. It‘s the tenth book in a series. I haven‘t read the previous nine books. I do hate reading out of order! Why couldn‘t they pick the first book, Body in the Dales!?😬😬😄. Oh, well…

What a tome this is - a thoroughly enjoyable one, though. I always love finding out what these characters have been up to. Some time travel plus lots of things going on which are too numerous to mention. There is a very sad moment so don‘t forget your hankie!😢. I can‘t wait to read book nine and then I would imagine there‘ll be a quite a wait until book ten is finished, the final instalment. I shall be so sorry to say goodbye to Jamie & Claire.

A library book. If I‘m reading a library book, I always have an ebook on the go as well for ease of carrying around with me - I can always read it on my Kindle app on my phone!

The first in the Flavia de Luce Mysteries, it‘s a book I‘m reading with my online reading group, https://thereadingloft.groups.io/g/main/topics. The theme is a children‘s or YA book. This one is a YA book, I believe.

What a fun read! I very much enjoyed this book. It‘s quirky and entertaining with some fascinating characters. I could just imagine all the bickering taking pace between and within the quiz teams. There are a few twists, turns and surprises along the way. It‘s very much a page turner with some laugh out loud moments. It‘s another winner from Janice Hallett for me.

I enjoyed this spooky tale, it‘s full of mysteriousness and suspense. It‘s really quite sinister and chilling and deals with quite a serious subject matter. It‘s well written and quite a page turner. It kept me on the edge of my seat until the last page. There are fairy rings, witches and things that go bump in the night which all added to the sense of fearfulness and eeriness beautifully. A great supernatural tale.

Finally got round to reading this, the eighth book in the Outlander series.

A library book to read. I Iove Janice Hallett‘s books.

An unusual and surreal story. At times it reads a little like a dream sequence as one scene blends into another. However, I think this is due to the narrator‘s unreliable memory as it‘s really a tale about what we can remember of our pasts. It touches on a variety of quite serious themes. It‘s well written and evocative of the time periods it is set in. Although I didn‘t quite enjoy it as much as I thought I would, it did give food for thought.

I‘m reading this with my online book club. The theme is a spooky story.

This is an enjoyable, cosy mystery. It‘s a good start to the series. Entertaining and lively with some interesting characters. A little predictable at times and on occasions I thought the plot was a little forced. But it rolls along nicely at a steady pace and kept me turning the pages. If you enjoy the Agatha Raisin books, you‘re sure to like this series. 3.5⭐️

I‘m reading this with my local book group. The theme was a book by Kazuo Ishiguro - we voted on his list of books and this one got the most votes. Going by reviews it could be a ‘Marmite‘ type of book, you either hate it or you love it.

There are a few twists and turns in this story and even a trip on the Titanic, not an ideal ship to sail on. It doesn‘t end well. 😱 Anyway, this book kept me avidly turning its pages, I so wanted to know what was going to happen next. There is a smidgeon of romance in the form of a face from the previous book. An engaging and fascinating read. I can‘t wait for the final book in the trilogy where, hopefully, all loose ends will be tied up!

I really enjoyed this story. It‘s written in a lighthearted way but don‘t be lured into a false sense of security - it definitely covers some serious subjects. It also emphasises the importance of books and how we can learn from them. The characters are larger than life and the story itself just rolls along at a steady pace. It‘s quite a page turner, it‘s thought provoking and well written with some humorous moments. I found it hard to put down.

I‘m reading this to discuss with some other avid readers when we have a week‘s holiday together in the Peak District at the end of this month. It‘s set in the Peak District so very apt!

I found this a very engaging and enjoyable take. I liked the combination of fact with fiction. There‘s a smattering of romance and a soupçon of the supernatural. I enjoyed reading about Moroccan culture, it‘s very colourful and descriptive. It‘s beautifully written and very evocative of the time periods. The characters are well drawn. The ending maybe a little rushed but that‘s nitpicking. All in all a wonderful read.

A library book to read. I enjoyed the first in the series, Shadows in the Moonlight.

I‘m going away for a week with some book loving friends at the end of October to the Peak District (UK). This is one of the books we‘ll be discussing.

This book has some rave reviews but I didn‘t enjoy it as much as some readers. I found it a bit meandering which is probably what it‘s supposed to be. It‘s a sort of travelogue as well as a story of two lonely people. I loved the descriptions of the countryside and the places they visited. It‘s well written and thoughtful. The interactions between the characters are insightful and realistic. It just dragged a little for me unfortunately.

I have an ARC of The Tenth Gift from when the title was ‘Crossed Bones‘. I‘ve had it on my TBR for quite a few years and the title has now changed, I don‘t know why, probably to do with reading trends at the time it was published. I‘m reading it with my online book group, https://thereadingloft.groups.io/g/main. The theme is ‘pirates‘ as it‘s ‘Talk Like a Pirate Day‘ on 19 September! 🏴‍☠️

I enjoyed this book. It‘s well written and gives a great insight into society during the 1940s/50s and what it was like being a woman trying to follow a career at that time. There are some lovely descriptions of the Norfolk Broads and the characters are well drawn. An engaging and absorbing tale, probably not my favourite book by Rachel Hore but certainly a worthwhile read.

I very much enjoyed this compelling tale. It‘s an easy and gripping read, a page turner. The parts touching on the Greenham Common protests are fascinating. I can remember the women‘s peace camp happening but some details are hazy. What brave and resilient ladies they were! The story itself is well put together and the characters are well drawn. It really drew me in, I found it hard to put down and was sad to turn the last page. #TBC

A library book to read.

I found this book weirdly compelling to start with and then it started to drag a little. I‘m not a sci fi fan so that may have affected my opinion. It began to get somewhat repetitive and I found it just an odd story. Thought provoking at times, though, with an interesting ending which redeemed it a little for me. “One day all humans will be made this way!” (car advert) 😆 Oh, I do hope not. 😯. F2f book group read. 3⭐️

A book to review. Emily Gunnis is the daughter of the late author, Penny Vincenzi. I‘ve always enjoyed Penny‘s books, especially the ‘Spoils of Time‘ trilogy, so am looking to reading Emily‘s. #TBC on Facebook.

This is the third selection I‘ve chosen to read for my locally book group. We had each to choose two favourite books and then pick one or more of the ones we hadn‘t read chosen by other members of the group. We will discuss how we liked them or not next time we meet up.

A dark tale full of atmosphere and creepy goings on. It‘s fast paced and takes the reader on very much of an adventure, very like being on a rollercoaster - I‘d definitely have my eyes closed on this white knuckle ride! I was gripped from the beginning, keeping my attention throughout until the exciting ending. A wolfishly good read! Just keep those mobile phones and tablets switched off as you never know who might be looking for you! 👀 #TBC

A farmer‘s wife living in England begins a relationship with a museum curator in Denmark by way of exchanging letters and emails. I thought this was a charming and thoughtful little tale. It‘s well written and very engaging. I enjoy epistolary type of books and this one fitted the bill exactly. I read this for my local book group where we all chose two of our favourites and then picked one or more of the ones we hadn‘t read. An enjoyable read.

A library book to read.

I very much enjoyed this magical and enchanting tale. I loved the combination of fact with fiction. The author did a fantastic job of bringing the characters alive and telling the story of the ‘fairy‘ photos. It‘s amazing to think that people actually thought they were real. Beautifully written and thoroughly entertaining, I can highly recommend it.

https://www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/The-Fairies-of-Cottingley/

I enjoyed this thoughtful story about families and finding your place in the world. It‘s an emotional tale at times and it takes the reader on quite a rollercoaster of a journey. Life isn‘t always easy as Jane finds out. It‘s easy to empathise with Jane as she deals with her pre-teen daughter and her father. Her relationship with Claire is particularly well observed and very perceptive. An engaging, well paced and engrossing page turner. #TBC