This book I actually found when I was reorganising my books. I originally brought it late last year but completely forgot to haul it or post a picture of it on social media. The Familiars is a historical fiction that follows young noblewoman Fleetwood Shuttleworth as she is once again with child. None of her previous pregnancies bore them a child and after discovering a hidden note, Fleetwood isn't sure she's going to survive this one. That's until she meets Alice Grey who promises to deliever her a healthy baby. That's until Alice is accused of witchcraft. This historical novel follows the true events of King James I and his obssession with hunting down dark magic and the witches who practice it. Following the events of the Pendle Hill Witch Trials, this book promises to have a series of dark twists that are sure to keep readers on the edge of their seat.
Next is a book that I've already read in the time it's taken me to write this post. The Song Of Achilles is Madeline Miller's first novel and follows the story of the ill fated Greek hero Achilles. Told from the perspective of his lover Patroclus, it follows both boys as they grow from young boys who are both learning their place in the world to grown men, one of whom is a hero among men and the other who's counting down the days until the inevitable. If you loved Circe by Madeline Miller then I recommend you pick this up, I don't want to give too much away but this book was one of my favourites that I've read so far this month.
Last year I recieved my first Leigh Bardugo book and even though I haven't read that one, I've gone and brought another of her books. Shadow and Bone is the first book in the Grishaverse trilogy and follows Alina and Mal who fight in their army to protect their land but when Mal is brutally injured, Alina unleashes a dormant power that she didn't even know she possessed. That catches the attention of the Grisha who whisk her away to be trained under the mysterious Darkling. Yet all is not what it seems and if Alina wants to save her kingdom, she's going to have to not only master her power but confront the dark secrets the Grisha holds. I'm looking forward to reading this book, it has a great premise and is well acclaimed, like Leigh Bardugo herself. Fingers crossed it's a good read.
Last year I read The Dreadful Tale Of Propser Reading by Alexandra Bracken and this month I've finally gotten around to picking up it's sequel. The Last Life Of Prince Alastor is told from Alastor's perspective as they travel to his home realm to save Proper's sister and face off against Alastor's not so innocent sister. This is an amazing middle grade duology that doesn't get enough credit. I thoroughly enjoyed the first book and can't wait to dive back into the Salem Witch Trial-esque world that Bracken created. If you want something quick yet entertaining to read, I highly recommend you pick this series up.
I picked this next book up because PeruseProject on YouTube raves about it. The first in a trilogy, The Bear And The Nightingale follows a young girl called Vasilisa who's family has always honoured and respected their town's folklore. But when her father remarries and her step mother forbids them from honouring the household spirits, things take a dark turn. It's then up to Vasilisa to tap into a dormant power she's hidden from her family to save them and protect the town whilst also dodging the treachorous schemes of her stepmother. I love the premise of this book, it promises to be atmospheric and dark with just the right amount of creepy. And if Reagan loves it then I'm sure to love it as well as everything she recommends on BookTube has been something I've loved when I've read it.
Another sequel I've finally gotten round to picking up is The Last Of August by Brittany Cavallaro. This is the second book in the Charlotte Holmes quartet and picks up right after the first book ends. It follows Holmes and Watson as they try and enjoy a bleak Winter break with Charlotte's family but when her Uncle Leander goes missing, they soon find themselves thrown into the dark world of art forgery that sees them travel from the underground scenes in Berlin to glittering art houses in Prague. And to August Moriarty. I love this genderbent reimagination of Holmes and Watson. It's wit sharp, keeps you thinking but also manages to deal with very tough, very real situations that gives this Holmes and Watson a little more vunerability than other reincarnations.
A finale that I picked up is The Battle For Perfect by Helena Duggan. This is the third and final book in the Perfect Trilogy. I don't know much about the synopsis for this particular book because I haven't read the second book in this series and don't want to spoil it by looking it up. I will say that this is another great middle grade series that you can easily marathon in a few days, a week maximum. I read the first book in a day last year and thoroughly enjoyed it. It's definitely one I recommend when people as for new books to read.
A book that's peaked my interest for a while but has been elusive to find in my local Waterstones is Four Dead Queens by Astrid Scholte. This has an amazing world that follows four smaller kingdoms that are all joined together by their ruling queens. Each queen overseas a quadrant but all hell breaks loose one day when all four queens are killed. It's then up to light fingered thief Keralie and upstanding citizen Varin to work together to not only discover who killed the queens but also to save their own lives. This book is guranteed to be full of twists and turns and it's got the potential to be one that'll keep me reading well until the early hours.
The penultimate book in this haul is one that I actually read as a child but lost it and wanted to read it once again. Tales Of The Greek Heroes is a compliation of the tales of Ancient Greece's greatest God's and Heroes. It starts from the very beginning and takes you through the tales of Zeus, Prometheus, Apollo, Heracles, Jason and Theseus. And having read The Story of Achilles already this month, I'm dying to get dive into a little more Greek mythology.
And the last book I'm hauling this month is actually a non fiction that caught my eye as soon as I saw it in Sainsburys. This prize winning book looks into the untold lives of the victims of Jack The Ripper. Hallie Rubenhold strips away the fact that they were all prostitutes and looks deeper into their lives as individuals until their untimely deaths at the hands of Jack The Ripper. The subject matter was what intially drew me to this book, it's a time in history that I'm thoroughly fascinated by, as gruesome as it is and I'm intrigued to learn more about the victims as seperate individuals than as a collective of women who were killed by history's most infamous serial killer.
Now I know I said The Five was the last book but I may have slipped and brought another whilst out and about this week. I had seen this reguarly in shops when I was shopping but it was only when I read the synopsis that I wanted to actually pick it up and read it. This follows a world where people can place their memories, fears, secrets into books, where they are kept safely underground. The main character; Emmett, is a Binder, someone who's job it is to store peoples stories in the pages of their book. But his world is thrown into turmoil when he discovers a book with his name on it, a book he doesn't remember adding to the collection. This gives me The Starless Sea vibes and I have to admit, I'm excited to read it. Worlds like this where books are more than just a literay escape is something I think is underated and under used in literature.
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