Biggest Book Haul Ever!

If you follow me on Instagram then you’ll know that over the last few weeks I’ve not been able to stop buying books. After reading nine in July alone and being on my fourth book for the month already, I clearly needed to add to my ever growing collection so I didn’t run out of book to read. I’m also preparing my big Autumn/Halloween bonanza and most of these books were brought in preparation for that. This is the biggest amount of books I’ve ever had to haul, the majority of them brought recently but there are also a few from March that I didn’t get to haul because with everything going on in the world, it didn’t seem right. 

First and foremost I finally got my hands on The Queen Of Nothing by Holly Black. This is last book in the Folk Of The Air series and is one I’ve been dying to get my hands on for ages for the cover alone. The Folk Of The Air series follows Jude a mortal who grew up in the land of Fae alongside her twin sister Taryn. Yet even having grown up alongside the Fae, they still look their nose down at Jude and Taryn because they’re mortal. And after a series of cruel attacks and constant taunts from the High Prince himself and his gangs of unruly friends, Jude decides enough is enough and this series follows her as she schemes, deceives and even kills to gain some power in the Fae court. Holly Black writes Fae better than any other YA author out there and I can tell you from having already this that this is a final book that doesn’t disappoint. 

A book I’d kept putting off until I said bugger it and brought it was Romanov by Nadine Brandes. I traditionally like paperbacks but will buy hardback if a) a paperback can’t be found or b) it’s a special edition. Romanov is one of those books that I can not for the life of me find in paperback. So I finally gave in and brought it in hardback. An Anastasia retelling this follows young Anastasia Romanov as she attempts to smuggle a spell book across the border to save herself and her family. It’s lot thinner than I thought it would be so I reckon  this is going to be a quick read once I get round to reading it. 

Another book I put off buying until recently is These Witches Don’t Burn by Isabel Sterling. Initially I planned on picking this up last year but I wasn’t reading as much and didn’t want it to just sit and gather dust until I decided to pick it up. This gives me major The Craft vibes following Hannah an elemental witch as she has to handle being in the same coven as her ex girlfriend Veronica whilst working out the mysteries of the blood ritual that was performed at her end of school bonfire that’s released dark magic throughout Salem. I’m holding off reading this until Halloween as it’s got the perfect Halloween vibes and I’m hoping to get its sequel sooner rather than later as well. 

A book that has been on my radar for a while but only been recently released in paperback is House Of Dragons by Jessica Cluess. At first glance you’d think this was a heavy fantasy with dragons but in fact is centred around a competition to win their place upon the Dragon Throne. And it’s not just anyone that can enter and this years participators are far from the normal participants of the competitions. A liar, a solider, a servant, a thief and a murder are the five chosen to participate instead of the eldest child of each family. And each outcast has a secret of their own that they’re willing to go to any length to keep secret. Definitely one I’ll be jumping straight into once I’ve finished my August TBR. 

Now this next book is thicc but one I’ve been wanting to read since I properly started getting back into reading in 2018. The Priory Of The Orange Tree looks like an intimidating read but in fact is a well written stand alone fantasy that builds an incredible world. I’ve never made a point of reading too deeply into the synopsis as I just want to dive headfirst into the world with no expectations. Considering how loved it is I’m sure I’m going to love it. 

This book has been sat staring at me from my TBR pile since I brought it back in March. However one look at the cover and you understand why I’ve put off reading it. Dracul is inspired by notes from Dracula’s creator himself and tells the despairing tale of Bram Stoker’s journey as he wrote Dracula. The cover was the first thing that caught my eye followed by the synopsis and I knew that this book would be perfect to read at Halloween. You never know after I’ve read this I might actually be inspired to read Dracula like I’ve been saying I want to do for the last two years. 

I said I rarely brought hardbacks but couldn’t resist when it came Chain Of Gold by Cassandra Clare. The first book in The Last Hours Trilogy, this book is set in Victorian times and follows the children of some of our favourite characters from previous series and novellas. I couldn’t resist buying this Collector’s First Edition from Waterstones and will be doing the same for Chain Of Iron when it’s released next year. 

A book I brought back in March and really should have read by now is One Dark Throne by Kendare Blake. The second book in the Three Dark Crowns series, this picks up where book one finishes and follows the three sisters as their continue their journeys in the battle for the throne. I really should have read this by now and even completed the series but lockdown wasn’t as kind to me reading to start off with and it’s only been these last two months that I really got back into the swing of it. 

Back in 2018 I read Jessie Burton’s The Miniaturist and loved it so when I saw this back in March I just had to pick it up. Whilst the synopsis aren’t the same, it just gave the same vibes as The Miniaturist and I knew I just had to read it. 

Another book that I saw and just knew I wanted to read was The Familiars by Stacey Halls. Following a young baroness who’s been unsuccessful is birthing an heir is gifted a midwife who helps her to carry and birth a healthy heir. However said midwife is soon accused of witchcraft and sent to trial. Based loosely a around the Pendle Witch Trials, this seems like the perfect atmospheric Autumn read. 

Another book I should have read by now is Holly Jackson’s sequel to the phenomenal A Good Girls Guide To Murder. Good Girl, Bad Blood follows Pip as she records her own podcast centred around the events of the first book. Yet she’s forced to put her detective hat back on when a close friend of hers goes missing. I brought this when it was released in April and have started it but just haven’t gotten round to finishing it. 

Another atmospheric Autumnal/Halloween read that I’m looking forward to diving into is The Silent Companions by Laura Purcell. Newly widowed Elsie is sent to see out her pregnancy at her late husbands country estate. But it’s far from the life of luxury she expected. With resentful servants and hostile villagers, all Elsie is left with for company is her late husbands creepy cousin. This just screams creepy ghost story and I’m looking forward to reading this closer to Halloween.

I brought this next book based entirerly on the fact that the cover caught my eye. Yet looking at the synopsis I think I'm going to love this book. The Storm Crow by Kayln Josephson is set in the kingdom of Rhodaire where magical, elemental Crows are a part of everyday life. That’s until a neighbouring empire invaded and destroys everything, leaving two sisters to mourn the death of their mother whilst trying to run their now ruined kingdom. This has a bit of everything in it, there’s a marriage betrothal, a hidden crow egg and a headstrong princess who’s determined to take back what was taken from them. Seriously I can’t wait to jump into this book, it seems like it’s going to be an engrossing read that I won’t be able to put down. 

One of my most anticpated books has finally come out in paperback and I'm just itching to dive headfirst into it. Serpent and Dove by Shelby Mahurin follows the story of Lou who's fleeing her coven and ends up entangled in a matrimony of convenience and secrecy with Reid, a witch hunter that doesn’t know Lou’s secret. The second book in the series Blood And Honey comes out in September and I’ve already got it preordered so I can binge the two in the build up to Halloween. 

This next book is part of my August TBR. Supernova is the third and final book in Marissa Meyer’s acclaimed Renegades series. The series follows Nova an Anarchist and Adrian a Renegade who are inexplicably drawn together even though they should be sworn enemies. I honestly can’t tell you much about this series as I’m only 60 pages in myself and still trying to immerse myself into the world. 

This next book I’m beyond excited to read. Olivia from Oliviareadsalatte has been raving about it on her YouTube channel and I knew I just had to pick it up. Set in the 90’s this book follows a book club who turn their hand to vampire slaying after a stranger arrives in town offsetting a series strange events that involves the towns children. It gives me major early Buffy vibes and it’s killing me having to put off reading this until Halloween. 

V.E. Schwab is an author I’ve been meaning to start reading for the longest time but just never got round to it. So when Becca from Becca and the Books read this on her channel, I just had to pick it up. Vicious follows a pair of old friends who are now enemies. Victor and Eli were once college roommates who’s senior year research takes a deadly turn leaving Victor to sit in jail for ten years. But after waiting for a decade he breaks out with the assistance of a young girl in possession of some extraordinary talents to track his old friend now for Eli. This has me intrigued and I can’t wait to finally read my first V.E. Schwab book.

This next book only needs to be described as library in hell to have anyone hooked. Or at least it did me. Library Of The Unwritten is set in a library in hell where all unfinished novels reside and restless characters attempt to escape. And it’s all down to Head Librarian Claire to keep everything in order. Yet when a Hero escapes his book and goes on a quest to find his author, it’s up to Claire to track and capture him. Now I don’t know about you but this book sounds like it could be a cracker that’ll have you reading until the wee hours. I for one can’t wait to crack this open when Halloween draws nearer. 

This next book wasn’t even on my radar until I saw it on Instagram and after that I just knew I had to buy it. Written In Blood is the eleventh book in the Robert Hunter series by Chris Carter. A young pick pocket steals a bag with hopes of finding an expensive laptop inside but instead what she finds puts a serial killer on her tail. I know I keep saying I don’t buy hardbacks but when I saw this signed, .Waterstones exclusive with blood drop sprayed edges I just had to buy it. Chris Carter has quickly become one of my favourite crime writers and this new release was just too stunning for me to ignore. 

Sorcery Of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson is now out in paperback so I obviously had to get myself a copy. Following a young girl who’s only dream is to guard the grimoires in her world’s library, she soon finds herself under the spotlight as a demon is released from one of these books and it’s up to her and a warlock called Nathaniel to bring it back. Yet she soon finds herself in a centuries old conspiracy that could destroy the Great Library itself. I’ve wanted to read this book for so long and now I have a copy, I can’t wait to get lost in this world. 

Back in March I brought both of Tomi Adeyemi’s books, Children Of Blood And Bone and Children Of Virtue And Vengeance. Both from the same series they follow a young girl on a quest to avenge her mother and learn to control her powers in an attempt to overthrow the monarchy. I haven’t started these yet but they’re on my list to be read (hopefully) by the end of the year. 

Back in the beginning of the year I brought the first book in the Shadow and Bone Trilogy and having been into a reading a whole series in one sitting mood lately, I picked up the following two books in the series. Alina Strakov is a refugee and considers herself to never being good at anything but what she doesn’t know is that the nation of Rakov rests on her shoulders. I’ve heard mixed reviews about this series but as I’ve never read a Leigh Bardugo book before, I’m trying not to let them cloud how I read this series. 

And the last series I want to talk about is the Stalking Jack The Ripper Series by Kerri Maniscalco. I’m not going to lie, I’ve brought this purely to read at Halloween as they seem to have a perfect creepy tone that suits so well with spooky season. Both books have different plots but follow the same main character as she attempts to solve a series of investigations that are both morbid, morose and dangerous. I’ve been dying to read this since I first started adding books to the blog but for some reason kept putting it off. Now though I have two out of the four and I can’t wait to dive into them. 

Recipe: Classic Victoria Sponge

 

 Victoria Sponges are a classic. The most basic and simple sponge to make and yet so easily adaptable and enjoyed by many. A lot of my sandwich cakes have a base of a Victoria Sponge but with other flavours added in. Yet today I’m sharing with just the classic sponge on it’s own, with a simple vanilla buttercream and blackcurrant jam sandwiching the two sponges together. 

Ingredients 

For The Sponges 

- 200g Stork 

- 200g Caster Sugar 

- 200g Self Raising Flour 

- 4 Eggs 

- 2 Tsps Vanilla Extract 

For The Buttercream 

- 100g Butter, softened 

- 160g Icing Sugar 

- 2 Tsps Vanilla Extract 

- A Splash Of Milk 

- Blackcurrant Jam 

Method

1. Pre heat oven to 180C. Line two 8inch sandwich trays with greaseproof paper.

2. In a bowl place your stork and caster sugar. Cream together until pale and fluffy. 

3. Add one egg and a tablespoon of flour. Beat until well combined, taking care to scrape the sides of the bowl so nothing is left sitting on the side. 

4. Repeat with the next three eggs, each one incorporated fully, taking care to scrape the sides and the bottom of the bowl. 

5- Fold in the remaining flour alongside your vanilla extract. Take care when folding it through as beating the mixture unneccasarily can cause it to lose it's air and will leave you with a flat, tough, chewy cake. 

6- Spoon your prepared mixture between your two prepared tins and bake for 20-22 minutes or until a skewere comes out clean.You can also do the spring back test by gently pressing the top of the cake with your middle finger. If it springs back immediately then it's cooked, if it doesn't then it needs a few more minutes in the oven. Leave to cool in the tin for five minutes and then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely. 

7- Now it's onto the buttercream. Place your softened butter in a clean bowl and beat until smooth, soft and paler in colour. I advise using a stand mixer or a hand mixer as this can take a while and if you attempt to do this by hand you'll likely end up with cramp. 

8- Sieve in half of your icing sugar and beat until completely combined. 

9- Sieve in the rest of your icing sugar and beat until fully incorporated, taking care to scrape the sides of the bowl so there aren't pockets of icing sugar sat in your mixture. 

10- Beat in your vanilla and a splash of milk. These will help to get your buttercream to an easy spreading or piping consistency but won't make it overly runny. Mine looks a lot softer than normal because I made it during a hotter than normal day/

11- By now your cakes will have cooled. Now how you apply your buttercream is entirely up to you. I spread mine over as it was easier than piping but you can easily pipe a cute desgin with a piping nozzle of your choice. 

12- Once you've applied you buttercream, apply a generous amount of jam and sandwich the two cakes together. If when you make this it's warmer than normal, don't push them down when you sandwich the sponges. It'll cause the icing and the jam to ooze out the sides and you'll end up with a sloppy mess that you won't want to share with anyone. 

13- Then all that's left is to cut yourself a generous slice and enjoy with a cuppa or a coffee.

Recipe: Kinder Bueno Cupcakes

When me and my colleagues were deciding on what to do for our Saturday Boy’s 18th, we tossed around the idea of making him a cake or cupcakes. From there we argued what flavour would be best when I remembered that he loved Kinder Bueno’s (I mean who doesn’t?) and me being the Mary Berry of my store, was given the task of creating him something Kinder Bueno related. Of course I happily accepted it, I love any opportunity to bake and share my creations with people. I opted to make cupcakes as they were easier to transport, perfect and meant he had plenty to share with his family. 

Ingredients 

For The Cupcakes

- 150g Caster Sugar

- 150g Stork

- 150g Self Raising Flour

- 2 Eggs 

- 2 Tsps Chocolate Extract 

- 10g Cocoa Powder 

- 150g Nutella, melted 

For The Buttercream 

- 200g Butter, softened 

- 320g Icing Sugar

- 100g Dark Chocolate, melted

- Kinder Bueno Bars To Decorate 

Method 

1- Pre heat your oven to 180C. Line a twelve hole muffin tin with paper cases. 

2- Into a bowl place your caster sugar and stork. Cream together until pale and fluffy in texture. 

3- Add one egg and a tablespoon of flour. Beat until completely incorporated, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl so nothing is left sat untouched. 

4- Repeat with your remaining egg and another tablespoon of flour. Again beat until fully incorporated.

5- Fold in your remaining flour, cocoa powder and chocolate extract. Take care to be gentle at this step, if you beat this into the mixture you’ll lose all the air you’ve just built up and you’ll end up with a flat, heavy cake. 

6- Fold in your melted Nutella. Again don’t beat this wildly into your mixture or you’ll lose all the air and these when folded correctly are the lightest, fluffiest cakes ever. 

7- Spoon your mixture into you prepared cases and bake for 18-20 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Once baked, leave to cool in the tin for five minutes and then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely. 

8- Now it’s time for the buttercream. Into a clean bowl place your softened butter. Beat until it’s pale in colour and soft in texture. This could take a while so I advise using a stand mixer or a hand mixer for this part. 

9- Sieve in half of your icing sugar and beat until completely incorporated. If using a hand mixer or a stand mixer, start off on a slow speed as you don’t want to end up covering your entire kitchen in a icing sugar cloud. 

10- Sieve in the remaining icing sugar and again beat until you have buttercream. Remember to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as you go so nothing is left unmixed and lumpy in your buttercream. 

11- Fold in your melted dark chocolate, leaving no bit of buttercream unmixed. You could easily use milk chocolate or even just cocoa powder for this part but I wanted the icing to be really rich to blend nicely with the Nutella cupcakes. 

12- Spoon your buttercream into a piping bag fitted with a piping nozzle of your choice and pipe onto your now cooled cupcakes. Once you’ve piped your icing onto your cupcakes, place either a chunk or two chunks (your choice) on top of your cakes. Once the entire batch is iced and decorated, leave to set before sharing with whoever you decide to share them with. 

What I Read: July

July, oh July what a reading month you were for me. I read a whopping nine books in July, the most I’ve ever read in a single month. And apart from two, I thoroughly enjoyed reading every book I picked up.

First in July I picked up and reread A Place Called Perfect by Helena Duggan. I originally read it last year but wanted to refresh my mind on what happened in the first book before I continued on with the series. Following a young girl called Violet who moves to a small town called Perfect, this trilogy follows Violet as she realises Perfect may not be as perfect as she believed it was and the adventures her and friend Boy go on to save their beloved town. After reading Book One again, I quickly found myself lost in Book Two, then Book Three and before I knew it the series was over and I found myself wanting to read it all over again. Helena Duggan creates an amazing setting even though the story never strays from the town of Perfect. Violet, Boy and the whole host of colourful character this series has are well written, humorous and you find by the end of Book One you’re already attached to them. Such a well written middle grade that you wouldn’t believe is middle grade that is addicting, quick to read and will leave you wanting more whilst simultaneously wanting to reread them straight away. 

  After bingeing the Perfect series I was a little unsure of what I wanted to read next and decided to dip my toe back into contemporary, a genre I haven’t read in a long time. And I must have enjoyed it as I read not one but two adult contemporaries in July. The first was Welcome To Rosie Hopkin’s Sweet Shop Of Dreams by Jenny Colgan. Following Rosie, an auxiliary nurse who’s given the job of going to a sleepy country village to help her great aunt Lillian pack up her beloved home and sweet shop, this delightful novel has two timelines that intertwine beautifully. One timeline is set in present day and follows Rosie as she’s getting to know her great aunt and what it’s like to live in the countryside whilst the second one follows Lillian back in the 1940’s admits the war and the heartbreaking story of her finding her one and only love. There were parts where this book was a little slow but it was still highly enjoyable, the intertwining plotlines giving a wonderful look at how different life was back in the 40’s. I fully intend to read more of Jenny Colgan‘s books now I know I can still enjoy a good contemporary or two. 

And the second contemporary I read this month is one I originally tried to read back in March but had no luck getting into. Second time round though, I was hooked from beginning to end. The Flat Share is a split POV contemporary that switches between Tiffy and Leon who share a flat, a bed in fact but have never met. Following a bad break up, Tiffy is in need of a new home and when she sees Leon’s advert which whilst unconventional is the best of a bad bunch, she jumps at it. The split POV of this books follows Tiffy as she becomes accustomed to her new living arrangements whilst also trying to move on from her creepy ex who just happens to keep popping up wherever she is. And then you have Leon who’s a nurse who works with terminally ill patients and is trying to help prove his younger brothers innocence for a crime he’s been convicted of committing. This book had every emotion. There was anger, sadness, happiness, a good deal of humour and it really hit home as a more realistic contemporary which can sometimes get lost in romance or contemporary novels. If you’re looking for a way to ease yourself into the contemporary genre then this book is definitely a good way of doing so. 

After reading The Flat Share I still wasn’t feeling like jumping right back into my usual YA reading so I picked up the highly raved Daisy Jones And The Six. Told in the style of an interview, DJATS follows the exploits of a hit fictional band in the 70’s and what lead to their explosive split. I did not enjoy this book. I finished it but I did not enjoy it. It was very long winded, taking almost twice as long as necessary to get to points and important events throughout the book because it had to be told from multiple POV’s. It was obvious where a lot of the plotlines were going and whilst I enjoyed the setting and the premise, reading it was almost a chore and I think it would be best to listen to the audiobook than read the physical book if you’re planning on reading this. 

July was the month for rereads as I finally got around to rereading Clockwork Angel by Cassie Clare. I originally read this in 2018 and definitely needed a reread before I could finish the trilogy. Clockwork Angel follows young Tessa Gray who comes to London in hopes of reuniting with her brother. But she’s wickedly kidnapped by a pair calling themselves the Dark Sisters and tortured until she allows them to manipulate and use her unknown powers. From there she’s thrust into the world of Shadowhunters and Downworlders, meeting the dashing Will Herondale and Jem Carstaiers along the way. I adored this book when I originally read it but rereading it made me realise just how much I love this book, this series in general. 

And as soon as I finished reading Clockwork Angel, I just had to pick up Clockwork Prince. Following the events of the first book, the plot quickly thickens with deception aplenty, a love triangle and a shock ending. I seriously can’t get enough of this series, as I write this I’m currently halfway through the third book in the series and I’m still hooked. There is something so addictive about this trilogy that The Mortal Instruments is lacking but for the life of me I can’t put my finger on it. Whilst Cassie Clare writes a brilliant love triangle in this series, it won’t be the only thing that keeps you turning those pages and by the end you’ll have forgotten mostly about it when the other plot lines come to fruition. 

And the last book I read in July was actually an e-arc provided to me by NetGalley. The Witching 

Stone follows Alfie who joins his dad on a trip to a sleepy village to forget about his ex girlfriend. Yet after being left alone for five minutes, not only does Alfie make a friend in Mia, a girl he meets in the graveyard but he also manages to summon and link himself to the villages infamous witch Meg who was killed over three hundred years ago. This book had/s a great premise and gives me slight Hocus Pocus vibes but unfortunately fell a little short for me. It came across a little rushed, some of the scenes could have easily been drawn out, there was little against Alfie and Mia as they worked to deal with the newly risen witch and for me it just let what could have been a fantastic book down. I will probably buy this when it’s released in October but I won’t be a in a rush to reread it anytime soon 

Recipe: Simple Nutella Cupcakes

First of all please excuse the less than professional picture, the idea to post these as a separate recipe before decoration only came to me as I took them out of the oven. These simple Nutella cupcakes are the base for a Kinder Bueno cupcake that I’m baking for my colleagues 18th birthday. However seeing how well this quickly put together, hastily judged recipe turned out, I thought I’d share it with you all. Shall we get into it. 

Ingredients 

- 120g Stork

- 120g Caster Sugar 

- 120g Self Raising Flour 

- 120g Nutella, melted 

- 2 Tsps Cocoa Powder 

- 2 Tsps Chocolate Extract 

- 2 Eggs 

Method 

1- Pre heat your oven to 180C. Line a twelve hole with paper cases. 

2- In a bowl place your stork and caster sugar. Cream together until pale and fluffy, easily achieved with a stand mixer or by hand. 

3- Add one egg and a tablespoon of flour. Beat thoroughly until combined, taking time to scrape the sides of the bowl. 

4-Repeat with the second egg and a second tablespoon of flour. Beat again until combined, making sure everything is incorporated and not left sitting on the sides of bottom of the bowl. 

5- Fold in your remaining flour, cocoa powder and chocolate extract. Folding these ingredients helps to keep the air in your mixture, creating a light, melt in the mouth cake that you won’t be able to get enough of. 

6- Fold in your melted Nutella, you’ll notice that the mixture will darken and become looser in consistency but that’s totally fine. You don’t have to melt your Nutella before you add it to the mixture but  melted it does help with its incorporation. 

7- Spoon your mixture into your prepared paper cases and cook for 20-22 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. You can also do the press test and if the top springs back then their ready to come out. Due to the cocoa powder and Nutella in the mixture, these don’t take as long to cook as other cake mixture do. 

8- Leave to cool in the tin for five minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. 

9- All that’s left then is to enjoy them. And what may be one could easily turn into two or three as these are deliciously moreish.