HAPPY 5 YEAR BLOGAVERSARY TO ME!

HELLO my lovely friends and followers, welcome to my celebratory post! Celebratory because on this day 5 years ago (2nd May) I shared my first blog post (which you can read here) where I also thought that having 20 books on my TBR was out of control… HOW WRONG I WAS :)))))))))

Anyway, in honour of my 5th blogging birthday (is that a thing? it should be a thing) I wanted to share my favourite ARCs that I’ve been lucky enough to receive over the years of blogging. Shedding some light on some of the best books I’ve had the pleasure of getting to read as a result of this blog.

A lil explainer and disclaimer before we kick off – every one of these books was provided to me, for free, in exchange for an honest review. And, whilst I do try and make sure that my reviews are spoiler free I cannot guarantee this, so please proceed with caution.

HERE WE GOOOOO!

Unethical by Marla L Anderson – a book full of fear, suspense, and excitement that was a real page-turner and made me fearful of the world around me.

The Proctor Hall Horror by Bill Thompson – a ghost story that hooks you in from the opening pages, gives you a twist you weren’t expecting and has an ending that rounds everything off PERFECTLY.

337 by M Jonathan Lee – an easy book to get caught up in, with a high level of attention to detail and left me with goosebumps at the end.

Chopping Spree by Angela Sylvaine – a very Goosebumps style book, but with more of a teenage feel and a short enough book to hold your attention if you’re looking for a good scare.

The Woman in the Water by Kelly Heard – a twisty read that I had no idea how it would finish, full of darkness and super eerie.

The Neighbour by London Clarke – the sense of fear and unease that this book filled me with whilst reading was second to none, it was such a good thriller and I was covered in goosebumps by the end of the story.

She Kills Me by Jennifer Wright – the only non-fic book on this list, but definitely the most worthy! A book about female serial killers, showing that anything men can do, women can do and usually better too.

Silvers Hollow by Patrick Delaney – a book that gave me equal parts existential crisis and fear, this one was so incredibly thought provoking, immersive and atmospheric.

The Intergalactic Interloper by Delas Heras – quite possibly one of the best, light hearted and fun reads I’ve ever had the pleasure of receiving from NetGalley.

And there you have my all time favourite ARCs that I have ever had the pleasure of receiving from NetGalley and various publishers (all publisher details are detailed within each individual post).

I’m really fortunate to be in a position to have access to these books and that’s why I wanted to do this post, to celebrate some of the excellent works that I’ve had the opportunity to access through this blog.

ANYWAY, if you’ve read any of these books or plan on reading them – let me know!!!!! I’d love to discuss them with others.

Until next time, Em xxx

ARC REVIEW – Meet me in the margins by Melissa Ferguson.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for the advanced copy of this book to read for free in return for an honest review.

Meet Me in the Margins by Melissa Ferguson, published on 15.2.22. Read the synopsis here.

Overall rating – 3 out of 5 stars.

I’m really in two minds about this book as there was aspects I absolutely adored and parts that I just felt didn’t work so well.

The characters were a big hit for me, our story was narrated by Savannah who clearly is having a hard time feeling like she’s the least successful of the family. Savannah’s character, whilst annoying at points I will admit, was like a breath of fresh air and I found it really pleasant to read the book from her POV.

I also liked our side characters, although I do feel the author could have taken a little more time to develop them and include them in the story more, it would have added real value for me.

The writing itself was another high point, as I felt the author managed to craft this glorious setting for Meet Me in the Margins… It’s set in a publishing house!!! Our main character is an editor!!! I honestly got so excited when I started reading it and I learnt this information. It felt incredibly real as the author was writing about an ARC room and how bookfluencers can get their hands on early release copies, it just felt like I’d been transported into a magical dream.

However, I did feel that the plot let this book down. It didn’t feel to me as if this book had a purpose or an end goal. I found myself struggling at points to really get stuck into the story and hooked on it. Which I think is part of the reason why it took me quite a while to read it.

And on the same vein, the romance aspect of this story just didn’t work. It felt more like an afterthought, as other than a few comments here and there about Savannah’s crush and her love life it only really came to fruition in the epilogue. It felt very rushed to me.

On the whole, Meet Me in the Margins was definitely a book I enjoyed reading! I just felt it needed a bit more on the romance side to really help this story elevate itself.

Happy reading bookworms! Until next time, Em xxx

2021 Favourite ARCs!

Hello fellow book lovers, bloggers and friends! I’ve finally gotten around to creating my favourite ARCs of the year post (hooray!!!) All of the books on this list are ones I’ve read this year and that have been published this year and that I will continue shouting about until the day I die.

You can see below the name of the book, a click through link to Goodreads and the date it was published. Followed by a small review from me – I have reviewed all of these books on my blog, so if you fancy a more in depth review you can find them all on my page!

Happy reading 🙂

Haunt and Seek by Thomas Kingsley Troupe – see the synopsis here. Published 1/1/2021.

This was the perfect introduction for middle graders to ghosts and different family dynamics and the history wove itself perfectly into the book too. Even for an adult reading this book it truly was a joy to read.

A Conventicle of Magpies by LMR Clarke – see the synopsis here. Published 6/1/2021.

The cover of this book alone was enough to pull me in and make me want to read this book, but it was even better once I opened it up and started reading. The Victorian/Jack The Ripper vibes shone through this book and made it was what it was.

Unethical by Marla L Anderson – see the synopsis here. Published 28/1/2021.

I enjoyed Unethical SO MUCH. It was like nothing I had read before and it kept me on edge for the entire book, I didn’t see anything coming, it was perfectly executed.

Chopping Spree by Angela Sylvaine – see the synopsis here. Published 1/4/2021.

My only criticism of this book is that it wasn’t longer. It had a real adult Goosebumps vibe and it featured some classic 80s tunes, I literally couldn’t have asked for anything else!

The Neighbour by London Clarke – see the synopsis here. Published 10/3/2021.

I would scream about this book from the rooftops if I could, it was EXCELLENT. Please, I implore you to just go read it.

Level Zero by Dan McDowell – see the synopsis here. Published 13/5/2021.

I can’t lie, I wasn’t expecting to enjoy this book as much as I did, but something about it just worked it’s way into my head and it quickly became one of my favourites of the year.

Silvers Hollow by Patrick Delaney – see the synopsis here. Published 1/6/2021.

Silvers Hollow was a complete and utter mind fuck of a book. And I loved it. It was perfectly executed throughout and even though you’re left with that little feeling of “what have I just read” it certainty is worth the read.

The Happy Family by Jackie Kabler – see the synopsis here. Published 4/6/2021.

A real rollercoaster from start to finish, there isn’t too much to say about this book without giving everything away. But I really do recommend you go and read it if you haven’t already!

Ariadne, I Love You by J Ashley Smith – see the synopsis here. Published 20/6/2021.

The story of your descent into madness will start here. I found this book to be so immersive that I did feel like I was falling into the rabbit hole and experiencing everything that our main character felt.

Silent Pretty Things by O J Lovaz – see the synopsis here. Published 17/8/2021.

A really interesting read that you will not expect to have the ending that it does! I went into this one pretty blind and with no expectations, but somehow it managed to surpass anything I may have thought of it. It had everything you could want from a mystery, all those twists and turns were perfectly executed.

Behind The Veil by E J Dawson – see the synopsis here. Published 1/10/2021.

This is the perfect October read, it had everything a good story needed to keep you on the edge of your seat and looking over your shoulder, all at the same time. I don’t want to give too much away, but it’s another one I really recommend you go and give a read!

An Elderly Lady Must Not Be Crossed by Helene Tursten – see the synopsis here. Published 5/10/2021.

I have no words to adequately explain how much I loved reading this one. I honestly got SO much enjoyment from reading it. It’s one of those you just have to read, it will bring you so much joy.

She Kills Me by Jennifer Wright – see the synopsis here. Published 26/10/2021.

The only non-fic book on this list, or in fact any of my lists this year, but was well worth the inclusion. I’ve read a lot of books about serial killers, but She Kills Me just goes to show that anything men can do, so can women. And sometimes even better. If you’re interested in true crime and want a cheeky non-fic book to read, this is the one for you.

Please let me know if you’ve read any of these books and what you thought, I’d love to hear about your views! And, if you’ve added any of these to your TBR, let me know!

Until next time, Em xxx