August Audiobook Wrap-up 2018

I'm sadly coming to the end of my BookBeat subscription and I wanted to listen to as many short audiobooks as I could this month to boost my read books for the month and because I've had so many of these on my saved list for ages! As I was on holiday this month I was able to read and listen to a lot of books and there were quite a few car journeys in August too so I could listen to an audiobook or two in one car journey (especially travelling to and from Chatsworth for my birthday which was about a four hour round trip). I managed to listen to 15 audiobooks this month which I'm so happy with!

*The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning by Jane Magnusson via BookBeat ★★★

As my BookBeat subscription is coming to an end (cries), I am trying to listen to all of the short audiobooks I've had my eye on for a while and this was one of the newer ones. The title definitely drew me in and I thought it would be like those other minimalism, tidying up books that have been making the rounds recently but it wasn't what I fully expected sadly.

It's from the perspective of the author as an elderly woman who recounts lovely personal stories as well as tips to help you live more minimally and it introduced a concept I'd never thought of, death cleaning. Death cleaning is a Swedish concept in which you sort your belongings so they're less of a burden to your loved ones when you die - or you can do this for others rather than yourself. I found that concept very thought provoking, I liked the narrator, it was a very gentle/easy listening book and there were some useful tips but overall it was a little generic in terms of the advice and most of the tips were quite forgettable. I would recommend it as an interesting and very quick and easy listening audiobook but it was a little disappointed as it wasn't fully what I expected or wanted if I'm honest.

*Aesop's Fables by Aesop via BookBeat ★★

Another very short audiobook was one I've wanted to listen to for a while but it's an ancient classic as well as a childrens book so I didn't know if I'd like it and it turned out to be fairly disappointing, not what I expected and a little pointless, if I'm honest. It's described as enjoyable for children and adults alike but it's definitely more of a childrens book as the moral lessons for each very very short story are basic and far more suited to children than adults. The narrator was ok and I recognised some of the stories (tortoise and the hare etc) but it wasn't what I expected and the book seemed to be composed mainly of music/sound effects rather than the stories.

*The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson via BookBeat ★★ (2.5)

Yet another audiobook I've been meaning to listen to for a long time and a classic that even though I'm familiar with it, I hadn't read it before. I think we all know the story of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde from pop culture and I thought that the audiobook would be very simple and it was to an extent but the actual story is more philosophical than pop culture retellings. I did enjoy the audiobook to an extent, it was very short (I was able to listen to it fully in two sittings) and I'm glad I have now ticked it off my 'classics to read' list but it isn't something I'd ever listen to or read again.

*The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka via BookBeat ★★

First published in 1915, The Metamorphosis is Kafka's most well known works and a famous novella within literary circles. We follow the thoughts of a man who has transformed into a giant insect...it's a very unusual and melancholy audiobook. I think that perhaps some of the themes went over my head! I don't think it's something I'd ever read or listen to again to be honest but as with the previous audiobook, I'm glad it's now ticked off my list.

*History In An Hour: George Washington via BookBeat ★★

I've listened to a few of these and some of them can be a little forgettable and that's the case with this one for me, maybe these very short non-fiction audiobooks just aren't for me! I didn't know much about George Washington so it was an informative audiobook; however, it is quite forgettable.

*The Arrangements by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie via BookBeat ★★

This very short audiobook is one of the more unusual as it's Adichie's imagining of the life of Melania Trump featuring Donald Trump and his daughter Ivanka. I don't know how I feel about it, maybe some of the deeper themes went over my head but if it's something your interested in then check it out as it is an incredibly short, very quick audiobook that you could listen to in your lunch break or in the car.

*Orlando by Virginia Woolf via BookBeat ★★★

Orlando is one of the more unusual and unconventional works of Woolf, although I think it wasn't meant for readers but a friend of hers. We follow Orlando who initially is a male elizabethan noble who then transforms into a female ambassador and then a suffragette. The switching between genders is a very unique and interesting aspect of the book and I also enjoyed the historical elements. I didn't know how I'd feel about this classic but I did enjoyed it; however it was a quite forgettable for me (or maybe I lost my concentration - I usually listen to audiobooks as I'm doing other things).

*Classic American Stories via BookBeat ★★

As well as short audiobooks, I also wanted to listen to a few classics for my last month so I decided to listen to Classic American Short Stories from a variety of famous American authors such as Mark Twain. While I did like Jack London's story and how very short this audiobook was (I was able to listen to it in one sitting while in the car on the way to Chatsworth), overall it was extremely disappointing and mundane.

*The Importance Of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde via BookBeat ★★★

Another book I was able to listen to in one sitting in the car was a famous facial comedy play from Oscar Wilde. I think most people study classics within school, including this play but the only piece of classic literature we studied was Of Mice And Men! The audiobook was in the style of a dramatic radio play with sound effects etc which I loved. The narrators were all fantastic, it was an extremely short audiobook and it's the first play I've listen to - I was very surprised by how much I liked it!

We follow two friends; Algernon has discovered that his friend Ernest has created a fictional brother that he uses to escape mundane country life and Algernon poses as the fictional brother. What follows is comical confusion and lies that makes for an entertaining, very short audiobook. I'd definitely recommend it!

*Second Variety by Philip K Dick via BookBeat ★★★

I read The Man in the High Castle last year and while I didn't love it, I did want to give his writing another go so I listened to this very short audiobook on BookBeat and I definitely enjoyed this audiobook novella more. It was first published in the 1950's and it's set in a dystopian world in which technology has turned against humans, war has ravaged the world and everyone struggles to survive. It was an enjoyable and interesting audiobook, I liked the narrator and I would definitely recommend it as an interesting, very short sci-fi audiobook.

*Chilling Ghost Stories via BookBeat ★★★

Autumn is coming closer as is Halloween and I cannot contain my excitement which is why some of my reading and audiobooks have a spooky, autumnal vibe. Chilling Ghost Stories is exactly what it says, it features a range of authors including Edgar Allan Poe - his poem The Raven was definitely one of my favourites from this audiobook but sadly the others were very forgettable.

*Decline and Fall by Evelyn Waugh via BookBeat ★★★ (3.75)

I actually found a few favourite audiobooks in August and this was one of them. I only came across this audiobook as I was looking for very short audiobooks on the BookBeat website and I actually enjoyed it so much! We follow Paul Pennyfeather as he takes a teaching job at Llanabba castle and what follows is a ridiculous, comic farce. The narrator was very impressive! It has an air of Terry Pratchett's unseen university in terms of the shenanigans which I loved and it was an interesting, entertaining audiobook that I cannot recommend enough.

*The Crystal Crypt by Philip K Dick via BookBeat ★★★

I have been loving Philip K. Dick's very short sci-fi audiobooks recently as not only are they so easy to follow and finish (I finished this in one car journey) but they are more enjoyable than I thought they'd be especially as I'm not the biggest sci-fi fan. This was the shortest but it was still entertaining and interesting. However, as with some of the other audiobooks on this list, it's just a little forgettable if I'm honest, maybe because I'm reading and listening to so much this month.

*Monday or Tuesday by Virginia Woolf via BookBeat ★★

On the whole I rate most books and audiobooks three stars which is very good for me and something I'd recommend. My ratings are based in numerous factors such as the writing style, shock, entertainment etc and the narrator if it's an audiobook but my main factor is if I enjoyed the book or audiobook. Sadly with this one, apart from a couple of the short stories (the second and final stories), I didn't enjoy it at all. Perhaps I started with the wrong collection or maybe I'm not a fan of the stream of consciousness style.

*The Death of Ivan Ilyitch by Leo Tolstoy via BookBeat ★★★

Last but not least is a short classic from the famous Russian author, Leo Tolstoy. I read War and Peace last year and was surprised but how much I loved it so I wanted to read something else by Tolstoy but one that didn't have the weight of War and Peace. The Death go Ivan Illyitch is the story of a man who reaches the prominence and comfort of being a high court judge with a family and seemly everything he could want but he becomes ill with an unknown affliction. What follows is his deterioration and his contemplations of death, his life and what he has and hasn't accomplished. As with most of the audiobooks I listened to this month it was interesting, very short and fairly easy to finish but it was also a little forgettable for me and I think I'll stick to longer, richer and more in-depth audiobooks from now on.

My favourite audiobooks of the month have to include: Decline and Fall by Evelyn Waugh and The Importance Of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde with my least favourite being Monday or Tuesday by Virginia Woolf, Classic American Stories and Aesop's Fables sadly. I cannot recommend BookBeat enough for the amazing range of audiobooks they have, how easy the app is to use and how you can listen to as many audiobooks as you want in one month for a set price, rather than paying per audiobook.

Have you read or listened to any of these books?

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Audiobooks: One Year In Review

For the past year I have been lucky enough to have a BookBeat subscription and within that time I listened to around 32 audiobooks so I think I can give you a well rounded opinion on not only the BookBeat audiobook service, the app and my experience of listening to audiobooks but also my picks for some of my favourite audiobooks as well. If you want to keep up to date with my reading and ratings, let's become friends on GoodReads.

BookBeat 

Let's start with the service on the whole which I'll be honest and say that I adored! When I was contacted about trialing the BookBeat services/app, I was very excited but a little apprehensive as I hadn't tried audiobooks at all before then but the app (including the layout, the style of the service etc) was fantastic.

One of the main things I love about BookBeat, as well as the easy to navigate app and range of audiobooks, is that you don't have credits or a fee per audiobook - you pay a monthly fee of £12.90 and for that price you can listen to as many audiobooks as you want which is amazing and much more freeing and flexible compared to the other audiobook services out there.

Additionally, the app is free and it's so easy to use and browse! There is a great range of audiobooks from children's books and YA to non-fiction, fantasy, classics and every other genre in between. I love how easy the listening experience is, how you can switch between audiobooks and you can rate each audiobook when you've finished - it also keeps a log of the audiobooks you've finished.

Experience of Listening To Audiobooks

As I've mentioned, this is my first ever experience of audiobooks and my thoughts on audiobooks before I started using BookBeat was that it seemed almost like cheating...I have no idea why I thought that as audiobooks still take time to listen to and they require concentration and attention. My favourite things about audiobooks have to be that they contribute to my GoodReads reading goal so it means that I far surpassed my yearly goal last year and I can listen to audiobooks in situations where I can't read a physical book, for example, when I'm cooking, baking, cleaning or taking blog photos.

Favourites Audiobooks

My audiobook experience has been amazing overall and I've listened to some fantastic audiobooks that I'd definitely recommend but there have been a few flops; however I think that is to be expected as we can't expect to like every single book and I've found that certain genres just aren't for me in audiobook form.

My favourite audiobooks from the past year have to include: Spellslinger by Sebastian de Castell, Shadow Show edited by Sam Weller, Victorians Undone by Kathryn Hughes, Ancient Wonderings by James Canton, Coraline by Neil Gaiman and Borne by Jeff Vandermeer.

Sadly, my least favourite audiobooks include the History/Philosophy In An Hour series which I think is a great idea and they're very quick reads but these very short non-fiction audiobooks just aren't for me because they seem pointless as they are too short and very forgettable.

Use the following link to get a free one month trial! 

Overall, subscribe to BookBeat, you won't regret it! I will definitely re-subscribe in the near future!

Have you tried BookBeat? Do you listen to audiobooks? 

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An Introduction To Audiobooks

Last year I set myself the goal of reading 30 books, before then I only read maybe five or so each year but I exceeded my reading goal massively by reading 79 books last year. However, while it can be great to read a physical book or an e-book, I have wondered about audiobooks for years! For some reason I felt as though audiobooks were a reading cheat or that I wouldn't be able to concentrate as much compared to reading a book.

BookBeat

When the opportunity came up to work with BookBeat, an audiobook subscription service created in Sweden in 2015, I had to apply. BookBeat offers subscribers thousands of audiobooks to choose from which vary from all kinds of fiction to non-fiction as well as classics and newer releases. As of last month they have expanded their market to the UK and I have been lucky enough to receive a free subscription. If you wanted to subscribe then it's £14.90 per month and there isn't a limited on how many audiobooks you can listen to but you can get a ONE MONTH free trial using this link (it's not an affiliate link) rather than the normal two week free trial.

Signing up to BookBeat is so easy, the website and app are so easy to navigate and it's easy to find books you want to read. On the app there a great feature where you can save certain audiobooks to a list, I do this with the audiobooks I want to read and you can also download the audiobooks too so you can listen to them when you don't have access to wifi which is amazing and perfect for travelling.

I find that of the fiction and non-fiction audiobooks I've listened to so far, I can concentrate as much as I can when reading a book but it also means that the time I spend baking, cooking, tidying up taking and editing photos can be used to listen to an audiobook around the house on my iPhone - audiobooks count towards my reading goal on GoodReads too which is great as I'm a little behind on my reading goal of 80 books this year.

Audiobooks I've Listened To So Far

So far I am on my fourth audiobook, I have finished two fiction audiobooks, one non-fiction and I'm currently listening to Victorians Undone by Kathryn Hughes which is a non-fiction audiobook (and I'm loving it). I would have finished more but we've been busy redecorating recently and getting ready for a new kitchen which should be started today. You can rate audiobooks on the app too and I've given the three I've finished all four stars out of five.

I find that so far I am liking non-fiction audiobooks more than fiction but I have just started so that might change. One series that I definitely want to read more from is the History In An Hour by Harper Collins which focuses on one historical figures or events - I've listen to the one on Stalin and I have a few more saved in my list to listen to including one about Mussolini, Charles Dickens, JFK and about the Russian Revolution.

Overall

I am loving audiobooks on BookBeat so far, especially the non-fiction I've listened to. I love how the app is laid out, it's easy to find what I want and discover audiobooks I didn't know existed and I love that I can listen to an audiobook while doing other things and it still counts towards my GoodReads reading goal! My only criticism so far is that Stephen Fry can't narrate every single audiobook...

Do you listen to audiobooks? Have you tried BookBeat? Will you be using the one month free trial? 

*gifted

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March Reading Wrap-up 2018

I have been having a great reading year so far and March was no different as I was able to read 12 physical books this month along with five audiobook which I'm very happy with and I hope that will continue into April. I read a quite very short books this month and a longer book at 600 pages with genres ranging from modern classics, YA fantasy and numerous thrillers to historical fiction, mysteries and non-fiction reads.

The Distance Of The Moon by Italo Calvino (56 pages) ★★★

Penguin recently released a range of these cute, short modern classics and I had to pick up a few from authors I've wanted to read for a while. The first is by Italo Calvino which contains four very short stories which definitely show that Calvino has an amazing, whimsical imagination and fantastic storytelling abilities but I think his stories (these four at least) were a little too abstract for me personally.

The Missing Girl by Shirley Jackson (64 pages) ★★★

I've read a couple of books by Shirley Jackson, both of which I thought I'd love but sadly they didn't live up to my expectations; however I liked this collection of three short stories! Out of the three Penguin Modern Classics I read this month, this one was my favourite of the three.

The Breakthrough by Daphne de Maurier (64 pages) ★★

In The Breakthrough we follow Stephen who has been tasked by his employer to travel and work at Saxmere for a short period of time. Saxmere is mysterious, very remote, bleak and involves some dubious, morally questionable experiments. The book, even though it's very short, has a very eerie, bleak and sinister atmosphere. I liked the atmosphere but overall, I just didn't enjoy it.

*The Devil's Dice by Roz Watkins (384 pages) ★★★ (3.5)

The book is set within the Peak District and we follow detective inspector Meg Dalton. The novel starts with a very unusual, grisly and very strange death within the local landmark of caves known as The Labyrinth and The Devil's Dice. I don't want to say much more about the plot because that's the point of a thriller/mystery novel but I feel as though I need to mention a couple of potentially triggering topics within the book such as abuse, illness, drugs, euthanasia and more. I already have a full review on my blog which you can read if you want a more detailed review.

*My Sister by Michelle Adams (384 pages) ★★★

Within this book we follow Irini who was taken away from her parents and sister when she was very young to live with her aunt. Irini has always wondered why she was sent away, what secrets do her family hold and what's the truth behind her parents decision to keep one daughter with them and send one away. I don't want to give too much of the plot away but as with the previous book I'll mention some of the potentially triggering topics within the book: death, cancer, mental illness, abuse, dysfunctional relationships and disability. This is another book that I've already reviewed on my blog but I would say that it's a great mystery thriller but not for everyone.

*Kin by Snorri Kristjansson (320 pages) ★★★

I was very kindly sent this gorgeous hardback from BookBridgr last month - how amazing is that cover! It's set in the viking age and we follow a family reunion filled with dark secrets, deadly intensions and tension. The book began quite slowly until the 20% mark when it started to pick up thankfully and it became more and more interesting as we get to know the characters, their sinister plans and when blood is shed.

I liked the writing style as it's very quick, easy to follow and adds a good amount of bleakness, tension and a sinister atmosphere to the story. I liked the murder mystery (it was definitely the most interesting and compelling part of the book) but it was a little too slow and drawn out, for me personally. It's the first in a series and due to the ending, I can't see how it will continue but I am definitely interested to find out.

*The Darkness by Ragnar Jonasson (291 pages) ★★★

We follow Hulda Hermannsdottir, a seasoned detective with the Reykjavik police department as she finishes her last case before her reluctant retirement when she starts to look into an old case file concerning a Russian immigrant who was found washed up in a cave a year ago. The old case brings up secrets as well as long buried ghosts from Hulda's past that she'd rather forget. I like the mystery, the writing was fantastic and I loved the bleak, dark atmosphere to the book - I am interested in the next book in this series. I've taken part in quite a few of blog tours this year and this is another so if you want to read a more detailed review of this book then click on the link above.

*Ancient Rome On 5 Denarii A Day by Philip Matyszak (144 pages) ★★★ (3.5)

One of my favourite book genres has to include quirky short non-fiction and these three definitely fit into that category; they're all from Thames and Hudson and less than 200 pages so I think they'd be great for non-fiction lovers and people who never read non-fiction. The style of the writing is as through it's an interesting history textbook and guidebook all in one.

*Shakespeare's London On 5 Groats A Day by Richard Tames (160 pages) ★★★

Along with the previous book this one has the same illustration style, information format and layout. It is such an interesting read with more information I already knew but I think so many people would find it an entertaining, easy and quick non-fiction that you can finish in a couple of days. There were quite a few shocking facts that I didn't know!

*England's Forgotten Past by Richard Tames (192 pages) ★★★ (3.5)

This would be a fantastic book to give as a gift for book and history lovers. The only thing I didn't like about this read was the sections on sport and war as I personally don't like reading about those topics but apart from that it was a throughly interesting and quick read. If you want to follow what I'm reading then we can become friends on GoodReads.

*Children Of Blood And Bone by Tomi Adeyemi (600 pages) ★★★★ (4.5)

Children Of Blood And Bone is arguably the most anticipated YA book of the year and I think that is why I was putting off reading it for weeks. I was very kindly sent an arc by the lovely people over at Pan Macmillan and I only got round to reading it towards the middle of march but I'm so glad that I did as I loved it. It's a YA fantasy with elements of magic, folktales, rebellion and romance. The ARC edition I have is exactly 600 pages but the final edition is a little shorter.

We follow Zelie who is a strong willed diviner who is learning to protect herself and her family, a necessary skill as since magic was torn from them, they need another way to protect themselves. It's set in a world were the loss of magic is still felt as are the bloody ramifications at the hands of the royal soldiers. However, Zelie has a chance meeting with the princess who will not only change her life forever but the lives of diviners and their world forever...however, there will be consequences.

I loved the writing, the setting and the atmosphere of the book which is filled with rebellion, people power and the strength of their magic, along with the diviners willingness to die for the rights of their people and to bring back their magic. Despite being 600 pages, it was a fairy quick and easy read as I didn't want to put it down, I wanted to find out if they could bring back magic and what the consequences would be. My only negative about this book is the focus on the romance from the middle of the book towards the ending which I liked but it seemed to overshadow the more important issues. I loved the ending and I cannot wait for the second book in the series. Children Of Blood And Bone is such a striking, powerful YA read and it is definitely one of my favourite YA books ever!

*Howls Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones via BookBeat ★★★

I watched the animated movie of this book a while ago and to be honest, I liked the whimsy of it but I didn't like the Japanese/anime styling of it; however, thankfully I did like the audiobook more. It's a very unusual, magical and slightly frustrating/slow story. I would still recommend it but only if it sounds like something you'd enjoy.

*Ned's Circus Of Marvels - The Gold Thief by Justin Fisher via BookBeat ★★★

Back in February, I listened to the first audiobook in this series and within March I listened to the second via BookBeat. We follow most of the same characters from the first but with some new additions and a new storyline where all of the gold in the world has been stolen; Additionally Ned's parents have been kidnapped again. As with the first audiobook, I liked the narrator, it was an enjoyable and quick/easy audiobook and I would recommend it but I liked the first audiobook more.

*Ever The Hunted by Erin Summerill via BookBeat ★★★

Next up is a YA fantasy audiobook. We follow Britta who is a trained hunter thanks to her father but when her father is murdered, she is tasked to find his murderer with a band of the kings soldiers. Her father's murderer is supposedly Britta's best friend and love interest, Cohen. What follows is a trek through the woods, evading soldiers/guards and magic but mostly Brittas thoughts of what Cohen thinks about her. The vast majority of this book is just about Britta's thoughts about Cohen, descriptions of him and their tedious, slow romance - she seems to almost entirely forget that her father was recently murdered, it was very annoying but a quick/easy audiobook.

*The Wilful Princess & The Piebald Prince by Robin Hobb via BookBeat ★★★

Robin Hobb is an author I've wanted to read for so long but her books are a little intimidating in size so I started with this short fantasy audiobook of her which is 0.5 in her series so it can be listened to before the first book. It's a classic short fantasy audiobook of family secrets, illegitimate children, power and more. It reads like a classic fairytale, folktale or legend which I loved.

*A Beautiful Poison by Lydia Kang via Kindle Unlimited ★★★

My BookBeat subscription finished in March (I'd highly recommend it) so I listened to this audiobook on Kindle Unlimited which isn't as good as BookBeat, if I'm honest. This book is set in post-jazz age New York with Spanish flu running rampant and the draft impending. We follow a group of almost twenty something socialite friends as their family and friends start to die in unusual or suspicious ways. They start to investigate the deaths but that brings more tragedy, unfurling secrets and affairs. I wasn't a massive fan of the narrator, the book was very slow and tedious at times and overall, it felt like a bit of a slog to get through but the mystery was intriguing.

Amphigorey - 15 Stories by Edward Gorey ★★★

This book has been on my Amazon saved items list for years but I finally bought it in March and I had to read it almost straight away. It's a collection of Edward Gorey's poems and short stories along with his very macabre, dark illustrations. I absolutely adored his illustrations and his stories overall even though they are very dark with themes such as suicide, murder, mental illness and abuse among others so it might not be for everyone. My favourites include: The Doubtful Guest, The Gashlycrumb Tinies and The Wuggly Ump but sadly on the whole, I was a little disappointed. I'm glad I bought this collection rather than the little stories individually though. I think that if you're a fan of Tim Burton as I am, then you will like it but if not then don't bother.

Overall, I had a great reading month with 12 books and 5 audiobooks which I'm really happy with and hopefully it will carry on next month. I have about four hours on a train in April to London so that means lots of reading time! Before I finish this post, I just wanted to explain my rating a little because it's something I've never explained. I think for most people a three star read is disappointing but for me, most of my books a three stars (as I'm harsh with my ratings) but it doesn't mean it's an awful read - quite the opposite, a three star read is a very good book but it has a few flaws.

★ - Not worth reading, very few redeeming qualities, poorly written
★★ - Redeemable in some way, enjoyable to an extent, potentially not worth reading/buying
★★★ - A very good read, worth reading, entertaining/enjoyable, a large number of positives
★★★★ - Well worth reading, very interesting/entertaining, noteworthy
★★★★★ - A fantastic read, minimal/no negatives, would re-read, definitely worth reading

Have you read any of these books or audiobooks? Are we friends on GoodReads? 

You can win the first three books in this wrap-up along with a mystery makeup item on my twitter but be quick as it ends tomorrow (31st at midnight) - the winner will be announced on the 1st April!

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Audiobook TBR with BookBeat

Bookbeat has not only opened up a new way of consuming books to me but it has also made me choose more non-fiction and be able to get through more books as I can listen to books at times when I couldn't read them such as while cooking, baking, getting ready for the day and cleaning, so glam.

As I am writing this, probably a week or so while you're reading this, I am onto my ninth audiobook since I started the trial back in March. I have listened to five non-fiction and three fiction audiobooks on Bookbeat but there are still so many audiobooks on my audiobook equivalent of a TBR 'to be read' list.

I have quite a few non-fiction audiobooks I want to get to including: 21st Century Dodos by Steve Stack, The Invention of Murder by Judith Flanders, A Short History of the United States by Robert V. Remini and Pretty Honest by Sali Hughes; the latter I do have the physical book of but I keep putting off reading it so I think an audiobook version will be better for me!

The next section of audiobooks I want to listen to includes the 'masterpieces in miniature' range by Agatha Christie which is a new series to me. I love the Poirot TV series and believe it or not but my great great great uncle (or something like that) Sir James Watts was married to Agatha Christies sister and Agatha Christie stayed at his home, Abney Hall, a few times and wrote a couple of books there...he's literally my only interesting relative! 

I definitely want to get to these very short (sometimes less than thirty minutes) stories read by the wonderful Christopher Lee. Thankfully these audiobooks do count on GoodReads to the 2017 reading challenge and the audiobooks I've listened to so far have definitely helped bump up the number of books that I've read/listened to this year.

If you wanted to subscribe then it's £14.90 per month and there isn't a limit on how many audiobooks you can listen to! You can get a ONE MONTH free trial using this link (it's not an affiliate link) rather than the normal two week free trial!

Do you listen to audiobooks? If so, are there any you'd recommend? Will you be taking advantage of the Bookbeat free trial? 

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Top Five Audiobooks Of 2017 with BookBeat

Last year I was very kindly given a one year subscription to BookBeat and I've been using it over the past year (and loving it). It's the first time I've ever listened to audiobooks and if I'm honest, it did take me a while to get into them; however now I'm obsessed and it means that I can listen to books whenever I want and they contribute to my reading goal on GoodReads.

BookBeat is such an amazing audiobook service as unlike others, you don't have credits, you just pay £14.90 per month and you can listen to as many audiobooks as you want which is amazing value for money compared to other audiobook services out there. I also love their app as it's so easy to use. There have been some boring, slow or tedious audiobooks but there have also been some wonderful ones and today's post is all about my top five audiobooks of 2017 (although I only started the service in March/April).

Borne by Jeff Vandermeer ★★★★★

In 2017 I discovered my love for Jeff Vandermeer's books as I read the first book in this southern reach series and then the other two books on BookBeat. I really liked the trilogy so I had to listen to Borne as well which is a newer release. All of his books are very unusual so I think they will be something you either love or hate!

Borne isn't set in the same world as the southern reach trilogy but the world is just as weird...wait, weirder. I'm not going to say anything else about the audiobook as it's best to be surprised, intrigued and grossed out as you listen to it. I did like the narrator and it is one of the best fiction audiobooks I've listen to so far.

House Of Furies by Madeleine Roux ★★★★

Next up is a YA paranormal audiobook from an author that seems to be fairly prolific in that genre so it definitely shows. I loved the narrator for this audiobook (no matter how good the book is, it can definitely be ruined by an awful narrator) and I loved the spooky, atmospheric setting as well as the sweet romance. It's the perfect audiobook for dark winter nights or around halloween!

Victorians Undone by Kathryn Hughes ★★★★

I've listened to more non-fiction audiobooks in 2017 than fiction but there are actually only two on my list as the others have just been a little forgettable or boring, if I'm completely honest! This book was the first audiobook I ever listened to and I definitely chose well as this audiobook was interesting, intriguing and definitely gave me an intimate insight into the numerous historical figures it features. If you are looking for an informative non-fiction with an unusual twist and intimate details then check this one out!

Ancient Wonderings By James Canton ★★★★

The final non-fiction audiobook on this list is more like a walk with a friend or listening to someones thoughts rather than a list of facts. It mentions various ancient monuments, sites and objects but in a more relaxed, easy listening kind of way which I loved and it was such a nice change compared to the dull, information heavy audiobooks I was listening to at the time.

The Strain by Guillermo Del Toro ★★★ (3.5)

Lastly we have an audiobook that links with the TV show of the same name - I love the TV show (I've only watched the first season so far) so I wanted to listen to the audiobook. From my memory, the TV show and the audiobook aren't massively different so you can just watched/listen to one or the other. I like the narrator (not so much the sound effects), the story on the whole and the creepy mystery.

Honorary Mentions

I'd like to mention a couple of fantastic audiobooks that I loved but that didn't quite make the top five including Coraline by Neil Gaiman and it's narrated by Neil Gaiman too (★★★) and We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie which was a great lesson on the basics of feminism (★★★★★).

Have you listened to any of these audiobooks?

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July Reading Wrap-up 2018

July was a month in which I was unusually busy with birthdays, planning holidays, my dads retirement, a wedding rehearsal and bridesmaid duties as well as trying to not melt in the heatwave we had at the end of June and beginning of July (I managed to burn my arms and shoulder awfully so that was fun). Due to all of that and because of a couple of books I'll talk about in this post, it has been a very slow and disappointing reading month for me. It hasn't all been awful though as I loved being a bridesmaid, planning holidays is always exciting, I passed my photography course and July was my highest paid blogging month ever!

I managed to read nine books in July which doesn't sound too bad but most of the books were quite average for me and a couple of anticipated books actually put me into a reading slump which I haven't experienced for quite a while - I'd forgot how awful reading slumps can make your feel, especially as I had so many books on my TBR from publishers that I needed to get to but couldn't. I also listened to four audiobooks this month on BookBeat, three of which I loved!

*The Angel's Mark by S.W Perry (352 pages) ★★★

As we all know, I love historical fiction and if there's a historical fiction read that has medical elements then I'll want to read it and that's the case with The Angel's Mark. I was very kindly sent an arc from the publisher, thank you! Within the book we follow Nicholas Shelby (that name just makes me think of Peaky Blinders) as he experiences a tragedy that causes him to spiral into drunkenness and degradation which is a vast change from the bright, young physician he was.

Thankfully, he's saved from his degraded state by Bianca, an Italian tavern mistress and together they investigate the mystery of the bodies that have washed up from the Thames, all of which have a mysterious mark on them. What follows is an exploration of potential suspects and a race to find the killer among the espionage, superstition and heretical fervor of the time.

I absolutely adored the setting, the darker themes and the time in which the novel was set. I liked the writing style and the mystery kept me reading but I found it a little too slow paced which really didn't help my reading slump and the ending, in my opinion, was a little anticlimactic - I think the identity of the killer was revealed a little too soon and it didn't seem too shocking. However, despite the slow pace, it was interesting and I wanted to find out what was going to happen so if you like darker historical fiction then check out The Angel's Mark.

*An Unwanted Guest by Shari Lapena (304 pages) ★★★ (3.75)

One of my goals for the year was to read longer books, over 500 pages, which I've completed each month but I do love books that you can consume within one day and the latest Shari Lapena read fit the bill perfectly! We follow a group of strangers as they all travel to a remote hotel during snow storm, the following events are very reminiscent of And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie. Fun fact: my great, great, great step uncle (something like that) James Watts was married to Agatha Christie's sister, a very tenuous connection I know but it's interesting to me!

This is my first experience of Shari Lapena's writing and I loved the quick, easy but tension filled style. I adored the classic murder mystery feel in a modern New York setting with a host of unreliable, secretive characters. I finished this book in one day as I couldn't put it down, I wanted to find out how it would end and it was a genuinely entertaining, tension filled and compelling. However while reading I couldn't stop thinking about how similar it was to And Then There Were None in terms of some of the events, eerie tone and feel of the book so for me it lost some of it's uniqueness and shock. Despite the similarities, I thoroughly enjoyed this read - it's the perfect summer murder mystery read for fans of Agatha christie!

*From The Earth To The Shadows by Amanda Hocking (533 pages) ★★★

I read the first book in the series, Between The Blade And The Heart, earlier this year and liked it so I was excited when the second book arrived! As it's the second book in a series I can't say too much because I don't want to spoilt the first book for anyone but we follow on from the events of the first book. Both books are heavily inspired by norse mythology which I loved and even though there are a plethora of characters and creatures, it isn't too much overall. I liked the very quick and easy style, the super short chapters and the strange creatures, immortals and more magical, mystical elements. I rated the first book three stars and this second book received exactly the same rating, it did have a couple of negatives and the first was how cheesy it was at times, the romance didn't feel very genuine to me and it was a little too long on the whole. If you like YA fantasy and books inspired by norse mythology or mythology in general then definitely pick up these books. The arc edition I have is over 500 pages so it counts as my 'longer' book of the month.

*Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik (480 pages) ★★★

Last year I read and loved Uprooted by Naomi Novak so I was incredibly excited when a copy of her latest book arrived as I couldn't wait to read it and it's so gorgeous designed, thanks Pan Macmillan! The edition of Uprooted that I have has a similar cover style so I'm glad they match as they're so gorgeous.

The story is inspired by Rumpelstiltskin and as with Uprooted it has such a magical, atmospheric tone. We follow Miryem who faces a life of poverty until she takes over her father's job as a moneylender resulting in rumours that she can turn silver into gold which naturally draws the attentions of the fairy king of winter, the Staryk king. Faries are notorious tricksters and he challenges Miryem to an impossible task but succeeding could lead to an even worse fate.

The writing style has the same tone and atmosphere as Uprooted which I liked but I did find it a so much slower to get into and it's definitely longer than Uprooted. I really struggled to get into this book, I don't know why (maybe because it's very slow paced). Also another negative is the first part of the book in particular is just so bleak and depressing, it was constant! It was just bleak scenes, beatings, domestic violence and poverty over and over again which doesn't make for enjoyable reading, especially as I felt like we were being hit over the head with it by the author.

Thankfully, it did get so much better by the 30% mark and I started to really enjoy it! I loved latter 70% of the book as it was filled with magic, mystery and a demon. I liked the main characters, the wintery kingdom setting and the action scenes towards the end of the book. I'll be honest and say that this book, in my opinion, is just too slow, too long and there were quite a few character perspectives in this book so I think it would have been useful to have one character perceptive per chapter with the characters name next to the chapter number to make it a little clearer.

Overall, I was initially very disappointed by this read as the first 30% or so was very slow, tedious and repetitive in my opinion but thankfully it did pick up and started to become mysterious, magical and entertaining. I can't help but compare Uprooted with Spinning Silver and while they both had a wonderful, magical and fairytale tone, I massively preferred Uprooted which I cannot recommend enough. I think I'm in the minority of readers who rated this a little average as most people seem to absolutely adore Spinning Silver but sadly I'm not one of them which I feel awful about especially as I was very kindly sent this stunningly designed book from the publisher. Don't get me wrong, most of my ratings are three stars (for me that's a very good and enjoyable book) but Spinning Silver just didn't live up to the massive hype for me.

*The King's Exile by Andrew Swanston (480 pages) ★★★ (3.75)

I read the first book, The King's Spy, in June so I had to read the rest of the trilogy straight away as I like the first! I can't say too much about this read as I don't want to spoil the first book for anyone but I will say that if you love historical fiction books then you'll love this series.

We carry on from the events of the first book but this second book contains a dramatic change of scenery, peril and a stifling atmosphere. I loved the setting of the first book and this one made a nice change. I really like Thomas Hill as a character, he feels quite genuine and vivid to me and I love the quick, easy writing style of these books. The second book received a slightly higher rating for me compared to the first but I loved both and I'd definitely recommend them!

*The King's Return by Andrew Swanston (448 pages) ★★★ (3.75)

After enjoying the second book, I moved onto the third and final book immediately which follows on from the rather dramatic events of the second book, The King's Exile. Our beloved main character, Thomas Hill, is now a little older and is enjoying a quiet life until a threat to the country, murder and a charming woman brings him back to the dangerous, grimy city of London.

All three books within this trilogy have a good pace, I never felt bored or that the pace was too slow and especially with the second and third books, there are lots of mysteries and action scenes to keep you turning the page of this interesting, easy and quick historical fiction series. I loved the character of Thomas Hill as well as Mary and Charles, I wanted to find out how the trilogy would conclude and I wasn't let down in the slightest. I never write about the books I've read in chronological order but this book was my final book of the month and it was my 100th book of the year!

*The Con Artist: A Novel by Fred Van Lente (288 pages) ★★★

I'm always very happy to receive unsolicited books from wonderful publishers so I was excited when this book arrived at the beginning of July as not only does it sound very unique but the cover is also so cute! The book follows a cartoonist/comic book artist as he is travelling from convention to convention which is how he makes a living after the breakdown of his marriage. When he arrives at San Diago Comic-Con he finds out that one of his friends, who he was there to present an award to, has died. What follows is a exploration into the freelance/creative lifestyle, the main characters relationships and a murder mystery...it's unlike anything else I've read.

Firstly, some of the comic-con, fandom and comic book references went straight over my head but apart from that it was definitely a quick, easy, fun and entertaining read. I liked the quick writing style, the murder mystery and some of the mentions to how difficult a freelance/creative lifestyle can be at the beginning of the book (eg: "jealousy is the creative professional's constant companion" and "social media provides a steady stream of nourishment to the envy demon" which I can relate to).

It is interspersed with pages of illustrations which I really liked; I also liked the dry, dark humour of the main character and it was quick and entertaining but as I'm not a huge fan of comic books and that genre, some of the references and topics within the book didn't fully interested me and went over my head. However if you are a comic book fan then definitely check out this book!

*The Reckoning by Yrsa Sigurdardottir (416 pages) ★★★

Next up is a chilling crime thriller from a huge figure in the nordic noir genre! Some of my favourite genres include mystery, crime and thrillers and this one has all three while being set in the eeriely beautiful country of Iceland. It's the second book in the series but as with most crime series, you don't necessarily have to read the first book to continue.

In The Reckoning we follow a criminal investigation with detective Huldar and psychologist Freyja as numerous crimes and mysteries come together from the past 20 or so years within Iceland involving a child rapist/murderer, his victims, the fall out for the families involved and the secrets, hidden records and damaging psychological effects on the way.

I have read a couple of books from this author previously and sadly I think this one is my least favourite but don't get me wrong I still found it interesting and I wanted to find out how the mysteries would tie up; however I found it such a slow read so much so that it almost put me into a slump. It was definitely an interesting series of mysteries, I liked the writing style and characters, it was a dark read and I think so many people would find it compelling but it wasn't fully for me. It wasn't the dark themes (it does get very dark, especially towards the end of the book and it has so many triggering topics such as rape, murder, abuse, grief, loss and more), it was just the pace of the book and it made a relatively straight forward mystery/connections seem more convoluted than they were which left me feeling frustrated and very 'meh' about this read sadly. However, if it sounds like something you'd want to read, or if you liked the first book, then definitely check it out.

*Wrecker by Noel O'Reilly (384 pages) ★★★ (3.5)

I received this book from the wonderful people at HQ at Harper Collins and it has to be one of the most beautiful books I own as not only it is gorgeously designed but it's a naked hardback! I absolutely adore the cover, it's stunning! Set in the wonderful, atmospheric and beautiful setting of Cornwall we follow Mary Blight who rescues a man from a shipwreck after a storm. Shipwrecks are a very common occurrence as is the practice of looting the washed up cargo and personal affects of the dead.

The story unfolds as the identity of the rescued man is unveiled as a minister and what follows is a look into the impoverished lives of the community, how religion plays a part in their lives and the intertwining lives of Mary and the rescued minister, Gideon, as they struggle with their feelings for each other, the judgement of the community and religious beliefs.

I loved the writing style which was quick and easy but had an eerie and darkly descriptive tone. It was a very quick read, I wanted to find out what would happen and I think the ending was as hopeful as it could have been given the events! I found Mary annoying at times but I also liked how she subverted the typical expectations and actions of women. There are some scenes of domestic violence in this book which made for slightly uncomfortable reading but thankfully it is viewed as negative in the book rather than normal part of life, however I think it could have been dealt with even better. I found some of the characters and their views frustrating at times and I'm not religious at all so some sections of the book were a little tedious but overall I really loved this novel! I'd definitely recommend it for fans of dark, bleak historical fiction.

*Awakened by James Murray via BookBeat ★★★ (3.5)

I was very kindly sent a physical copy of this book from the amazing people over at Harper Collins and I did read it a little but I listened to most of it as an audiobook. It's categorised as sci-fi, action and horror and I'd definitely agree!

The book opened with the unveiling and first journey on New York's new state of the art subway line which has been highly anticipated by New Yorkers, the mayor and the president, all of which are there for the maiden voyage. However when the train pulls into the station, something is wrong, the once bustling train is now empty and drenched in blood...

This audiobook reminded me so much of the first couple of episodes of The Strain TV show, adapted from a book of the same name from Guillermo del Torro which I loved. It has the same eerie feeling, a similar mystery and strange creatures so I think if you liked The Strain (the book, audiobook or TV show) then you'll love this book too. The audiobook narrator, the author James Murray was pretty good, although he's unable to speak in a French accent.

I definitely enjoyed this audiobook, it was easy to follow along to while cooking and take blog photos, it was fast paced and mysterious. It was a quick, easy audiobook and I'd definitely recommend it as a fast, eerie summer read with thriller, sci-fi and somewhat horror elements. My only negative was that it's nothing new, it reminded me so much of The Strain and for me, it didn't bring anything new to the table.

*Witchsign by Den Patrick via BookBeat ★★★★

Fantasy is one of my favourite genres so I'm always happy to check out a new fantasy series especially when it contains dragons, magic, secrets and mysteries along the way so I had to check out the audiobook on BookBeat of Witchsign. In Witchsign we are thrown into a world where magic and the rule of dragons has been extinguished but children are sometimes still born with marks of magic called witchsign. Children who are born with the witchsign are taken to taken away to an unknown place and that's where one of the main characters, Steiner, finds himself. What follows is an exploration of the old magic, dragons, magical abilities and rebellion.

I really liked this audiobook, the narrator was great and I adored the magic and dragons included in the book. I also loved the main characters, the world felt very vivid and I cared about the fate of the main characters which is something I haven't felt about an audiobook for a while so I'd definitely recommend it! I definitely want to carry on with the series and it's one of the highest rated audiobooks I've listened to for a long time.

*The Fire Court by Andrew Taylor via BookBeat ★★★ 

I listened to the first book in this series, The Ashes of London, in June and loved it so I had to move onto the second book. We follow on from the events of the first book with some of the same characters including the vivid James Marwood and the ever so slightly annoying Cat Lovett as well as some new and reprehensible characters. As with any second or third book, I can't say too much about this one as I don't want to spoil the first for anyone so I'll say that it has a similar tone to the first, I liked the narrator and the main characters. The story was a little forgettable in parts compared to the first but I still enjoyed it so I'd definitely recommend both.

*The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher by Hilary Mantel via BookBeat ★★★

Hilary Mantel is an author that I've wanted to read/listen to for a while so when I saw this short audiobook on BookBeat, I had to give it a go, especially as it sounded so unusual. I really like the narrator, it was a very quick audiobook and I loved the first and last stories, especially the last which is The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher but to be honest, I think the rest just went over my head. I found the ten or so short stories to be interesting and explored the darker side of human nature which I enjoyed to a degree; however I just didn't seem to get on with them, if that makes sense.

Have you read or listen to any of these books? What are you currently reading? 

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March Reading Roundup ft. BookBeat

Last months reading was amazing as I read nine books/novellas/short story collections and I started a couple of my March books last month too so it was fantastic considering that before February I did have quite a few reading slumps. Sadly reading slumps have been affecting my reading in March and I think it's mainly because of The Spy Of Venice which has taken me all month to get through 47% of when it would usually only take me two weeks at the very most. Anyway, let's get on with my reading wrap-up for March:

*The Spy Of Venice by Benet Brandreth - DNF

This book looked and sounded like something I'd adore as it's historical fiction involving Shakespeare on an adventure in Europe which is why I requested it and I was lucky enough to receive a physical copy but sadly it wasn't for me. I found the writing easy to read and follow on the whole but I just didn't want to pick it up, it was taking me so long to make any kind of progress and to be honest it was quite boring, in my opinion. I gave it the best chance I could as I've been trying to read it and finish it ALL month but I just can't so I'm not going to finish it and I can't really rate it but from reading half of the book I wouldn't recommend it.

Tales of Beedle and The Bard by J.K Rowling - ★★★★★, 5/5

To get out of my reading slump there have been two things that have helped, the first are shorter books. If you've watched the Harry Potter films or read the books then you will know about the tale of the three brothers and the elder wand, invisibility cloak and resurrection stone that make up the Deathly Hallows which is just one of the stories in this book, which in the Harry Potter world is told to young wizard children. I adore the cover and the small illustrations; I also loved Albus Dumbledore's notes and thoughts on each story at the end of each short story in the book. They obviously aren't the Harry Potter stories, they are still magical and wonderful. As with our traditional fairytales and folk tales, they try to teach you a lesson about good and evil for example. I definitely recommend reading the short collection especially if you're trying to get out of a reading slump as I read this book in an evening.

The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury - ★★★★★, 5/5

I'd heard of this book awhile ago as a classic American childrens story and as I love anything to do with Halloween I knew I had to read it! The book follows a group of friends as they go trick-or-treating and they meet an unusual…thing, they have many adventures on Halloween night and learn a thing or two about the origins of Halloween around the world and themselves. I adored the writing style which is so poetic, lyrical and enchanting so much so that I've now bought two more of his books as I just love his writing and I think he'll become one of my favourite authors. I also love the illustrations in this book! I knew I should've left it until Halloween as it would be amazingly atmospheric and nostalgic to read then but I just couldn't wait as I needed a short book to get me out of this reading slump and it definitely did! READ IT NOW!

The Worrier's Guide To Life by Gemma Correll - ★★★☆☆, 3/5

I come across Gemma's illustrations everywhere as they are so relatable and funny so when I saw this e-book a while ago, I had to buy it and I've only just got round to reading it...well looking through it as it's an illustrated book. I adore the illustrations, they're so relatable and I think it would make a great book to gift to people who love her illustrations or illustrated books. However, it was shorter than I thought it would be and just a little meh, if I'm completely honest but I did still enjoy it.

Now, audiobooks, they have been on my bookish radar for a year or so and I have wanted to try them out but I didn't know if I'd get on with them, if I would be able to concentrate as much as if I was actually reading and to be honest it seemed a little like cheating. However, I kindly given a free subscription to a new audiobook service, BookBeat. You can get a FREE one month trial using the following link.

I was a little apprehensive at first but the app was quick and easy to download and it's easy to navigate. I found a lot of books, mostly non-fiction that I wanted to listen to so I started with a series called History in an Hour. 

*Stalin by Rupert Colley - Narrated by Jonathan Keeble - ★★★★☆, 4/5

As I love Russian history I chose to listen to this audiobook first which is created by HarperCollins. I like the narrator, he seemed like a generic documentary narrator and I liked the audiobook as a whole as it was very easy to get through, entertaining and interesting although to be honest it didn't really tell me much more than that I already knew about Stalin. However as my first ever audiobook I was impressed with how much I could focus and listen to it while also taking photographs and editing them.

*Stephen Fry Presents A Selection of Anton Chekhov's Short Stories - ★★★★☆, 4/5

The second audiobook I tried had to be narrated by Stephen Fry as I adore him and his voice! I chose a short story collection he narrates by Anton Chekhov, sticking with the Russian theme. There were about six or seven short stories on the audiobook all of which were entertaining, interesting and with Stephen Fry's voice they were pleasure to listen to. There are set in Russia and involve relationships, poverty and unrequited love which isn't usually my thing but I did enjoy listening to the short stories; however they were quite melancholy and not very uplifting or enjoyable in the sense that they were light entertainment, if that makes sense! I now want every audiobook to be narrated by Stephen Fry.

*Sherlock Holmes - The Adventure Of The Lions Mane and Other Stories - Narrated by Christopher Lee - ★★★★☆, 4/5

I have read two of the full Sherlock Holmes books, including A Study In Scarlet and The Sign of the Four both of which I loved so I wanted to carry on with the series. There are only four full length Sherlock Holmes books but there are many short stories including these which I hadn't heard of until I saw the audiobook on BookBeat. I loved Christopher Lee as the narrator although as I'm used to Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock, Christopher Lee's Sherlock Holmes did take a little getting used to. For all of the audiobooks so far I have been able to listen to them fully within a day while I'm baking, cooking, tidying, dying my hair, taking photographs or editing them and this one was the same. 

The audiobook contains four short stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and they all had the same Sherlock Holmes feel to them although not as much as the more well known stories. My favourite was either The Adventure of the Three Garridebs or The Problem of Thor Bridge. I think Christopher Lee does an amazing job of giving the characters personality and individual voices and I definitely enjoyed this audiobook. 

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Currently Reading: I am currently trying to make my way through Earth by Jeffrey Jerome Cohen and Linda Elkins-Tanton but it's a bit disappointing and not what I was expecting. I was expecting a factual but interesting book about the earth but all it seems to be are conversations between the two authors and a more philosophical look at the earth which I'm not really enjoying; hence why I have picked it up for weeks. 

Currently Listening: I am now onto my fourth audiobook of the month which is amazing and it is bumping up the number of read books for the GoodReads reading challenge - thankfully audiobooks count as otherwise I'd be very behind. I am loving Victorians Undone by Kathryn Hughes, narrated by Jenny Funnel. I adore non-fiction books about history, particularly when they are unusual and this one is. It looks at the physical appearance of famous people and their contemporaries in the Victorian era including Queen Victoria and Charles Darwin. I will have a full review at the end of April but so far I adore it! 

Have you read any of these books? Do you listen to audiobooks? Will you be using the one month free BookBeat trial? 

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October Reading Wrap-up 2018

October is my favourite month of the year as it signifies the start of autumn, the lead up to Christmas and all the halloween readathons. I wanted to take part in a few readathons this month so I challenged myself to read much more to complete more of the challenges. I tried to take part in Victober but I wasn't able to finish Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte which did fit all of the challenges; however, I will finish it in November.

There was also the Hallowreadathon by Imogen and I finished two of the three challenges including read two books and to read a book set in a magical world which I read Eric by Terry Pratchett for. There was also Strangeathon and I read a couple of books for the challenges of: read a book you've been saving for autumn (Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman), read a book you've heard no-one talk about (Slothilda) and read a book from another TBR you didn't get to (The Bloody Chamber). The final readathon was Spookathon and I read two books for the challenges of read a book with pictures (The House With Chicken Legs) and read a book with a spooky word in the title (A Discovery Of Witches).

Within October I managed to listen to four audiobooks, read four e-books from Netgalley and nine physical books, one of which I was kindly sent by the publisher Walker YA so thank you! I'm so happy with the number of books I read which was definitely helped by the readathons I took part in as I wanted to complete as many challenges as possible and six of the books I read in October were less than 200 pages which makes them very quick reads.

A Discovery Of Witches by Deborah Harkness (610 pages) ★★★ (3.75)

If you've followed my blog or social media for a while, especially at this time of the year then you'll know that I adore halloween and I also adore halloween or witch themed books so this was the obvious pick for my big book of the month. In January I challenged myself to read at least one 'big book' each month which is over 500 pages and so far I'm on track for 12/12! This book has recently been made into a TV show and now I cannot wait to watch it as I throughly enjoyed this book. I have the second book thanks to Netgalley which I'm going to read but I think after that I'll just watch the TV show.

We follow Diana, a witch and gifted academic as she is studying the history of science and alchemy at Oxford university when she meets the handsome, enigmatic Matthew who happens to be a vampire. Witches, vampires and daemons aren't supposed to mix but Matthew becomes a more persistent presence in her life because Diana has discovered and unlocked a magical historical text that all of the witches, vampires and daemons want to obtain. What follows is an exploration into Diana's repressed powers, the mysteries surrounding her parents death and her family, an investigation into ancient manuscripts, the conflict between daemons/witches/vampires, Dianas DNA and the budding, dangerous relationship between Diana and Matthew.

I loved the incredibly quick, easy and engaging writing style of this book, it hooked me instantly and I didn't want to stop reading, despite it being over 600 pages. I loved the settings (especially Oxford and France), I liked the supernatural and almost folktale elements and the relationship between all of the supernatural creatures as well as the frowned upon relationship between Diana and Matthew. It was much more about their relationship that I thought it would be and there were elements of cheesiness and eye rolling at times but overall, I did like reading about their relationship and their journey.

I can see why some people utterly adore this book as it has a very mysterious, magical and engaging style that makes you want to keep reading but I can also see how it would appear as very cheesy, slightly Twilightesque and too long for others. I fall in the middle as there were definitely some cringey, cheesy lines and scenes through the book and it was a bit laggy towards the end but I throughly enjoyed the process of reading it, it was entertaining and I would recommend it as a great supernatural read (although it wasn't as amazing as I thought it would be).

Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman (448 pages) ★★★★

There are a few authors that are always associated with halloween, including Ray Bradbury and Neil Gaiman. I've had this gorgeous illustrated edition of Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman on my shelves for a while waiting for October to roll around. The edition I have also includes the novella 'How The Marquis Got His Coat Back' which I read too.

We follow Richard Mayhew who has had a bit of a rocky life until he moves to London, meets the girl of his dreams and is doing very well career wise until a chance encounter with an injured girl changes his life forever. The girl he helps, Door, brings him into the world of London Below which is filled with people who can speak to rats, bristly beasts, not so angelic angels, mushroom people and a whole host of eccentric, weird and wacky characters that are a wonder to meet.

Every writer has a certain style and one of the most whimsical, magical and eccentric as well as witty and intelligent is that of Neil Gaiman. His books have a particular feel to them and this one is no different. I've read The Ocean At The End Of The Lane, The Graveyard Book, The Sleeper and the Spindle and Coraline previously, all of which I liked but this one is definitely my favourite! The writing is instantly engaging, the story ticks along at a great pace and the tone, atmosphere and setting are ideal for halloween. The incredible illustrations definitely added to the story and I cannot recommend this specific edition enough - I also liked the extra novella at the end of the book! Out of all the books, e-books and audiobooks I've read this month, Neverwhere was definitely my favourite, closely followed by A Discovery Of Witches, Between Worlds and Carrie!

Eric by Terry Pratchett (155 pages) ★★★

Terry Pratchett is one of my favourite authors as the unusual world he has created is just incredible and gives me the same feelings I get when I read Harry Potter - it feels very special and cosy to me, although the Discworld is much more unusual, quirky and darkly humorous than the Harry Potter series. I've now read seven of Pratchett's books and I loved each one and this seventh book is no different. I'm reading the series in the mini series order but I think this one is a companion to the series, rather than being part of it.

We follow Eric, a demonology hacker and an acne prone teenager as well as the apparent demon he has summoned, Rincewind, who is actually a quirky wizard from the Unseen University. What follows is a tale of being careful of what you wish for, a historic adventure and some demons, naturally. It has the usual Terry Pratchett intelligent and dark humour, sarcasm and wit that I utterly adore! Eric was a very quick read and I really enjoyed it, as I do with every Pratchett book. I'd definitely recommend it but I don't think you should start with it - maybe start with Mort.

*Carrie by Stephen King (242 pages) ★★★ (3.75)

I have wanted to read some Stephen King for so long but his books are quite intimidating as not only are most of them very long but they are such popular books so they seem a little daunting to me. However, Carrie is one of his shorter books at less than 250 pages and it was a fantastic introduction to his writing.

Believe it or not but I only knew two things about Carrie before going into it: firstly, it's about a teenage girl at her prom and secondly, blood. That's it. I haven't watched any film adaptation and this is was my first read of the book and it was definitely eye opening, shocking at times and pretty fantastic. Although it has some definite flaws, mainly in terms of racial slurs, fat shaming and focusing on the more negative aspects of women bodies which I didn't appreciate but it does fit the story at times in terms of the awful bullying Carrie experiences which moves the plot along.

As I said, I knew nothing (pretty much) before going into it so I was a little shocked at the frankness of the realities of growing up, bullying, puberty and menstruation. I also didn't expect the religion obsessed mother which definitely made for a terrifying character! I really liked the intermittent newspaper articles, biography snippets and studies throughout the story about an event you don't know about fully until the end and about telekinesis.

Overall, I loved the story, the writing and the pace of the book as well as the snippets of articles etc, the frankness of it and the terrifying mother! The gore and more horror elements were fantastic and it was such an incredibly quick read for me - I finished it in a couple of days as I didn't want to put it down. If you haven't read Carrie then definitely do so this Halloween!

The House With Chicken Legs by Sophie Anderson (336 pages) ★★★

I bought this book a while ago as it had the most beautiful cover with it's rose gold foiling and stunning illustrations and I also purchased it because it's a middlegrade story which relies heavily on Russian folktales, particularly of Baba Yaga. We follow Marinka and her beloved grandmother as Marinka is being taught the ways of Yaga and how to guide the dead but Markina has other ideas for her future.

I utterly adored the illustrations and blacked out pages of this book along with the quirky settings and magical elements as well as the darker topics of death. I found the character of Marinka very annoying at times but overall I loved this whimsical and unique story with my favourite characters being Jack and the house itself. It's a lovely, magical read that I would recommend - now I want to learn more about the original tale of Baba Yaga.

*Between Worlds: Folktales Of Britain and Ireland by Crossley-Holland (326 pages) ★★★

The award for the most beautifully designed book of the month goes to Between Worlds as it has the most gorgeous cover and the naked hardback is stunning too - also I was sent a signed copy! As the title would suggest it's a collection of folktales from the UK and Ireland separated into various categories such as adventure and legends, love, magic and wonder, ghosts and many others. There are fifty stories in total which vary in length but they all feature wonderful illustrations from Frances Castle which suit the book perfectly.

I loved the tone of most of these stories as they had a very classic adventure or fairytale tone to them which is ideal for this time of the year. Some of my favourite stories include: Three Heads of the Well, The Dead Moon, Fairy Ointment, Yellow Lily and Samuels Ghost. All of the stories, and others of a similar nature, have a moral theme behind them. I liked some more than others but overall, it's a lovely collection of beautifully illustrated classic stories.

The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter (214 pages) ★★★ (3.5)

Last year I tried to read The Magic Toyshop by Angela Carter but couldn't get into it; however I wanted to try something else as her books seem like something I'd love! The Bloody Chamber is a collection of short stories which are reimaginings of classic fairytales but with a darker, gothic twist. The gorgeous edition I have was released on the 75th anniversary of her birth.

The first of the ten stories is the title story, The Bloody Chamber which definitely has an eerie, classically dark fairytale feel to it with some lines that definitely resonated with me. The second is a beauty and the beast retelling (which I loved) but the others were a little too long and I just didn't click with them, apart from a few of stories towards the end of the book, including the last one. However, despite not loving all of the short stories, I did utterly adore the eerie, creepy and classic tale feel of the stories. I don't have the words to describe how incredible Angela Carter is with words and descriptions of nature, women, intimate details and more as she's just wonderful in a deeply delicious way. This book is perfect for halloween as it features dark fairytale ideas, monstrous creatures, vampires and more. I will be picking up something from Angela Carter again, however just not her short stories as it's become clear that short story collections just aren't for me; although I do have her gorgeous collection of fairytales which I will be reading sometime soon.

Dolly by Susan Hill (153 pages) ★★★

Last halloween, or around that time, I read The Woman in Black and Printer's Devil Court both by Susan Hill so I had to read another couple this year. I have some of the gorgeously designed hardback editions of the books mentioned by Susan Hill and if you're going to get any of them, buy the hardback editions.

In Dolly we follow two cousins as they return to the grand but decaying home of their recently deceased aunt and we are told the story of the summer they both spent there which is filled with childhood impetuousness, storms and a rather creepy doll. Most of the book had an eerie feel, it is a ghost story after all, but it wasn't scary to me and it was quite mundane sadly; however the last third or so of the book was definitely creepy! Susan Hill is incredible when it comes to creating an eerie, tense and disturbing atmosphere, it's what she does best. Her books are very quick reads and eerily atmospheric so I think they'd be ideal for halloween night as I read this one in a couple of hours.

The Small Hand by Susan Hill (176 pages) ★★★

My second and final Susan Hill read for the month of October was The Small Hand which as with all of the other books I have by Susan Hill, it has such an amazing and creepy cover. In The Small Hand we follow an antiquarian bookseller as he discovers a decrepit house which he explores despite the unnerving feeling of a small hand within his own as he enters the house but that's just the start of the story and his ties to the house.

As with all of the other Susan Hill novels, it has the classic ghost tale feel to it with a rich and vivid setting which I loved but I had the same slight disappointment with this book as I had with Dolly - it wasn't creepy or eerie really until the last third of so of the book. Just a note, there are mentions of mental illness and suicide in this one. While I did enjoy the tone and atmosphere of the book, overall I was just a little disappointed. I don't know if any of her other books will live up to The Woman In Black for me.

*The Dreadful Tale Of Prosper Redding by Alexandra Bracken (362 pages) ★★★ 

The first e-book I started in October was one that I have heard nothing but great things about and it has been heavily associated with halloween reads so I had to read it in the month of October. The Dreadful Tale of Prosper Redding follows, Prosper Redding naturally, a teenage boy who discovers that his family holds far more secrets than he ever knew and there's a curse that was put onto the family hundreds of years ago which has grave consequences for him in the present day.

There are a few main points that I adored about this book, the first is the setting as it is partly set in Salem and there are so many mentions of halloween, pumpkins and autumn so it is definitely the one to read for the halloween period. Secondly, I loved the dry and sarcastic sense of humour from some of the main characters, especially Prosper which made for a fun read. I also loved the fiends point of view!

The story as a whole was interesting, entertaining and halloween filled but it was just too slow for me! The story ticks along at a leisurely pace and I just wanted to have some answers and a conclusion without the slow section in-between.  Overall, I did enjoy it and if it sounds interesting to you then you must read it for halloween (I loved the halloween vibes and I think it would make a perfect halloween film) but I think I had listened to too much of the hype and this book didn't fully live up to it for me sadly.

*The Twisted Tree by Rachel Burge (180 pages) ★★★ - publication date: 10th Jan 2019

As October is the spookiest month of the year, I wanted to read all *almost* spooky, gothic or halloween related books this month and this cover naturally made me want to pick it up for October. It's described as 'part ghost story, part nordic thriller' which definitely drew me in but since reading it I only really agree with the first part of the description as it is very creepy, eerie and ghost tale-like in parts but it is not really a thriller, in my opinion.

We follow Martha who has travelled from London to a remote Norwegian island to visit her grandmother but she discovers that something is wrong, there are creatures in the forrest and her long deceased ancestors are more than she bargained for. The main things I loved about this book was the cold, remote setting which is perfect for autumn/winter, I loved the countless references to norse gods/myths and I really enjoyed some of the very creepy and eerie sections of the book! The strength of this book for me is definitely the setting, atmosphere and the spookier elements.

However, I found the romance quite cliche and it was predictable from the beginning, I didn't really like the insta-love and I found some of the action or supposedly quite scary scenes towards the end of the book to be cheesy and completely unbelievable. I'm the kind of reader that when something doesn't feel believable to me, I find it cheesy or ridiculous and then I can't connect to the story anymore. It's not the magic, supernatural or mythology elements that I have a problem with, it's how it is told, in an unbelievable way - if that makes any sense at all. I did enjoy it overall, it was an extremely quick read and great for the halloween season but I don't know if I'd whole heartedly recommend it to everyone, if I'm honest.

*Slothilda by Dante Fabiero (128 pages) ★★★

I noticed this adorable and very short picture book/illustrated book on Netgalley and I had to request it as it looked so cute and fun...and it was. Slothilda is just the cutest thing ever and her dog is too. I have seen this character on instagram but I didn't know there was a book until I saw it on Negalley. I have to admit that I really relate to Slothilda and I definitely recommend this cute book as a stocking filler for christmas.

*The Monsters We Deserve by Marcus Sedgwick (152 pages) ★★★ 

I know that I shouldn't but I definitely judge books by their covers and this one instantly intrigued me; additionally, it sounded perfect for the month of October. I'm not quite sure how to explain this book as it is fairly unusual in it's timeline and structure but in essence we follow tormented author as he isolates himself in order to write; however, the ghost of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein haunts him.

I don't like to know too much about the book I go into beforehand and that was the case with this one - I had no idea that it was related to Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, her life and her writing process so that's something to take into account before picking this up. The day I finished the YA version of Frankenstein as an audiobook was the same day I started this book, without knowing the two are connected and I think the audiobook was a perfect choice to listen to beforehand.

The Monsters We Deserve is written in a stream of consciousness style which I'm not a fan of at all and I found it to be too abstract for my personal reading tastes. As with most books, they say more about the author than was intended and that's definitely the case with this as I presumed the writer within the book as Marcus Sedgwick which I found a little self-aggrandising, if I'm honest. I wasn't a fan of his blunt critiques of one of the most influential and famous books ever (I'm not denying it has some flaws though)! While I LOVED the eerie elements and some of the sentences throughout the book really resonated with me, overall I was left feeling a little 'meh' sadly.

*The Ravenmaster by Christopher Skaife via BookBeat ★★★ (3.5)

I'm always looking for fairly short but interesting audiobooks and this one instantly caught my eye on BookBeat because of the title and also because I've visited the Tower of London and I've seen the ravens up close! We are told snippets of the authors time in the military, his life and how he became the ravenmaster at the Tower of London as well as the myths and stories associated with ravens, the ravens themselves, their antics and his relationship with them - I enjoyed these elements much more than the military side of the audiobook. It was fairly quick, very easy to listened to and follow and it was very interesting. I knew some of the information as I have visited the Tower of London and went on a guided tour with one of the yeoman of the guard so this audiobook had a sense of 'ooh I've been there' to it but it was still interesting and entertaining. I'd definitely recommend it, it's one of the best non-fiction audiobooks I've listened to recently!

*Frankenstein by Mary Shelley via BookBeat ★★★ 

I studied Frakenstein very briefly in school but as it's the month for all things spooky and monstrous, I thought I'd listen to an abridged young adult version of Frakenstein to refresh my memory and to see if the original differs from the pop culture versions. We all know the story of Frankenstein so I'm not going to go into the plot but I will say that it's definitely a little different and more philosophical than I remember. The ending was a surprise to me as I had apparently completely forgotten how it concluded and overall, I liked it! If you want to listen to an 'easy' or quick version of Frakenstein then check out this edition on BookBeat.

*A House of Ghosts by W.C Ryan via Bookbeat ★★★ 

This book sounded perfect for October and while I was sent the e-book on Netgalley, I actually listened to it on BookBeat instead and I'm so glad I did as it was a much quicker read and the narrator made it even eerier. Set in a remote and eerie grand house with the backdrop of the devastation of the first world war we follow two British secret intelligence operatives who are invited to a spiritualist gathering by Lord and Lady Highmount. What follows is the uncovering of secrets which all of the guests seem to hold, an exploration of the spirit world, the aftermath of war, family ties, grief and a classic mystery in the style of Agatha Christie.

I'll admit that it did take a few chapters, at least, for me to get into this read so I'm thankful for the audiobook as otherwise I might have given up on the e-book before it started to get interesting. I liked the narrator of the audiobook as he definitely made it very eerie and it's already quite eerie in terms of the setting, mysteries and paranormal elements. I definitely enjoyed the paranormal elements, setting and atmosphere the most as well as the main characters of Kate and Donovan but as I've said it is a little slow to start. I can definitely see this is an Agatha Christie style TV mini series!

*Challenge Accepted by Celeste Barber via BookBeat ★★★ 

You may know Celeste Barber from Instagram and that's how I discovered her incredibly funny re-creation photos and videos but if you're from Australia then you might know her as an actor and comedian. I picked up her biography on BookBeat as I hoped it would be as funny as her instagram and while for me it wasn't laugh out loud funny, it was definitely interesting to learn more about the woman behind her hilarious instagram! It goes through the hard times in her life from the loss of friends, struggles as an actor, motherhood, growing up/school and her heart condition then subsequent surgery.

She's led such an interesting and somewhat difficult life at times which was humbling to listen to and she's very candid in her book which I loved! She also talks about her instagram, her husband and her experiences related to the #MeToo movement (I don't want to call it a movement but I'm not sure how else to describe it). I find it so difficult to rate biographies as it's someones life! I definitely enjoyed this audiobook (and I'd highly recommend it); however my only negatives were to the constant 'god damn it', 'hashtag sad face emoji' etc that was scattered throughout the audiobook but other than that it's a entertaining and interesting audiobook narrated by Celeste herself.

Have you read or listened to any of these books? Did you read anything spooky in the month of October?

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