So we have just started July how have 6 months flown past this quickly?! I know as you get older time passes so much more quickly but honestly this year seems to have disappeared in the blink of an eye!!
This year seems to have been spent reading, working and chasing my pre schooler around! As we move slowly out of lockdown I have started doing a few more things lately so my reading time seems to be diminishing a little. Although that doesn't mean I'm not still reading as much as I can!
To mark the mid way point of 2021 I wanted to share my reads so far. I have read some absolute beauts this year so far and will share them with you below. There have been a range of books in this quarters reportoire, from dystopian YA, to murder mystery, psychological thrillers, romance, feel good romps, children's books and even a cookbook! Not everything has been reviewed on my blog but that does not mean they were not enjoyable. Where I have not reviewed on my blog I have included the link to my Goodreads review page.
Read to the end to discover my top picks from the year so far.....
So April was filled with some fabulous books, and some not so fabulous. All have earned their space in my April wrap up though! Click on the links below to see my reviews of them.
Greenwich Park by Katherine Faulkner - This was my first book read in April and wow did it start my month off with a bang!! All books that followed this month had a tough act to follow! Highly recommended. Hit the link and read my review to find out why.
Death by Diploma by Kelley Kaye - I read this book courtesy of Book Sirens. It was a cute, murder mystery, funny characters, clever protagonists and women doing it for themselves Nancy Drew style! Read my review on Goodreads to find out more.
You Love me by Caroline Kepnes - Not my favourite read of the month, having seen the first two series on Netflix of 'You' I was really looking forward to this book but sadly it didn't quite live up to the hype. You can click to see my Goodreads review.
Exile and Rebel by S.M Wilson - I inhaled the second two books in this YA trilogy. The first being The Extinction trials. Such a great trio of books, a cross between Jurassic Park and Hunger Games I thoroughly enjoyed them all! Hit the links to read my reviews.
The Whole Brain Child by Daniel J Siegal - I originally read this book for work purposes but actually found some very useful insights as a parent as well. It certainly gave me some food for thought and new strategies to try out both at school and home. Click to read my Goodreads review.
Only You by Cathryn Grant - This was a very clever psychological thriller, intertwined with a fantastical storyline element it really kept me guessing! Click to read my full review.
Jaipur Journals by Namita Gokhale - This vivd colourful story highlighted the Literary festival in Jaipur, a character driven story which made me want to go and visit the festival to see it for myself!
Living off the Land by Lorraine Turnbull - This was such a lovely true story of how one woman followed her dream of creating a smallholding in Cornwall. This is not normally a book I would probably have chosen myself as I don't tend to read non-fiction much however I'm glad I did! Click to read my full review.
The Perfect Lie by Jo Spain - I absolutely loved this story. Such a clever thriller with a fabulous twist. I can't wait to add more of Jo Spains books to my TBR! You absolutely must click my review link to find out more!!
Just being Ted by Lisa Sheehan - I am expanding my review reportoire to include children's books more this year and have signed up for a few book tours - this being my first one. Such a lovely tale, click the link to find out why me and my son loved it.
Perfect on Paper by Gillian Harvey - This one was such a great feel good romp, I love a book with a character you can relate to and this had just that. Humour, cheekiness and rapping - a great overall story. Click to read my full review.
The summer seekers by Sarah Morgan - Sarah has been on my radar for some time so when. I was given the chance to review her latest book I couldn't resist! I loved this book, full of cheeky, sassy ladies over three generations who helped each other find their place in the world. Just a fantastic feel good read. Click for the review!
Stolen by K.A Woodford - This book was a great thriller, had a good build up of tension, a bad guy you could really dislike and a nice climax. All in all a fabulous debut novel.
HOB by Amy Sheppard - This book popped into my inbox via Netgalley, I had never thought to read an ARC of a cookbook so thought I would give this a go. It has some fabulous recipes, all cooked in one pan on the HOB as the title would suggest. If you want some simple recipe ideas that are very tasty (I have tried a few so far) then check out this book.
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig - Read for my book club this month, this was a book I had wanted to read for a while. I loved the premise of the story and thoroughly enjoyed the book. It had great characters and made me think about life and regrets. A recommended read.
Summer in the City by Fiona Collins - This was such a lovely read, about a woman living with her blind father and their exploration of the city of London. It was such a heart warming tale of someone who felt a little broken and began to find their way out of their self made constraints and gained confidence. Read my full review by clicking the link.
Lets Fly by Giles Fraser - This was a great book set in the 1970s and the present day in Notting Hill. It showed the stark difference between the area then and now, along with the stark difference in the life of the main character a wannabe musician chasing the limelight. Highly recommend this one.
Aziza's secret fairy door by Lola Morayo, Corey Reid - This is such a lovely children's book all about fairies, filled with fun talking animals, magical antics and a world filled with fairy dust it will delight children all over the world!
Not a fox by Arthur Strangekin - A cute picture book all about a cheeky fox trying his best to steal chickens from the local farmer. His plans get more outlandish as the book progresses, a great story for pre schoolers.
The Darlings by Angela Jackson - This was an interesting book, not one I may have read myself had it not been for the book tour but I am glad I did as I found it very intriguing despite thinking I wouldn't! Read my review to find out why!
Dances and Dreams in Diamond Street by Craig Revel Horwood - Well lets just say that this one was FAB-U-LOUS daaaahlig! Read my review to find out more!
Wow 22 books in three months! This has been a great quarter for me, so many great books found and enjoyed - I just hope that this post encourages you all to read some them yourself. Did any of these inspire you? Let me know in the comments!
As promised I want to share my top picks from the 22 above so..... Drum Roll please.....
Here are my absolute favourites from this quarter, these 4 books have stayed with me and I constantly rave about them to everyone I meet. So please if nothing else, read my reviews for these 4 and add them to your TBR, you won't regret it!
Happy reading!
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