Spiders by Tom Hoyle

Spiders by Tom Hoyle

Release Date: November 1, 2014

Pages: 304
Rating: 💜💜💜💜

Buy it: Amazon | Abe Books
Adam may have survived once, but a cult still has him in its sight. And this time he may not escape with his life...
Abbie's dad is an agent, tasked with exposing cults. He's normally able to keep his distance, But this time he may be in too deep.
Megan was sure they were safe, but now Adam's missing in Scotland with no one but Megan to help.

This book is so disturbing. Seriously. This book has affected me, and not entirely in a good way. It was so messed up, with so many psychological impacts on the reader. Tom Hoyle can write an impressive horror if he wants, and he definitely wanted to in this book.

The main characters are the same as in his last book, Thirteen, with the addition of one new girl, Abbie. I loved that you could see the character development from the first book to the second book; a factor the first book was lacking. It was strange watching such young children be put in such unusual positions, but it added to the story. We see them battle with the fear of breaking rules, and the trust teenagers have in their friends. The friend group that was established in the first book seems to have become a thriving family, with each character bringing their own special something to the table.

Honestly, there isn't much more to say. It was a disturbing, yet enjoyable book with plenty of strong characters. I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a younger thriller to read. The recommended age is 7 years plus but I wouldn't want my younger brother reading this. Therefore I would say that the book would be better for people 10 years and above, depending on reading maturity.

May Book Haul!

This month I managed to collect a surprising amount of books. Living in Belgium but only reading English means I've learned to grab every single opportunity I have to buy more English books. So when a book fair comes to town you know I'm going to be at the front of the queue buying all the books. In total this month I gathered 21 books (I know, I'm awful) but I don't regret anything.

Cogheart by Peter Bunzl

Lily’s life is in mortal peril. Her father is missing and now silver-eyed men stalk her through the shadows. What could they want from her?

With her friends—Robert, the clock maker's son, and Malkin, her mechanical fox—Lily is plunged into a murky and menacing world. Too soon Lily realises that those she holds dear may be the very ones to break her heart.

I'm a sucker for books set in Victorian England, so I just had to pick this up. Also the inside is beautiful, with  drawings and sketches all over the pages.

Always and Forever, Lara Jean by Jenny Han

Lara Jean is having the best senior year a girl could ever hope for. She is head over heels in love with her boyfriend, Peter; her dad’s finally getting remarried to their next door neighbour, Ms. Rothschild; and Margot’s coming home for the summer just in time for the wedding. But change is looming on the horizon. When your heart and your head are saying two different things, which one should you listen to?

Obviously I had to get this book. If you saw my last book haul you'll see I'm a little bit obsessed with Jenny Han at the moment, so I needed to get her new release. I'm so excited to read this, but because I'm so backed up with required reading and things like that I probably won't get to it for a while.

Little Bones by Janette Jenkins

It's 1899. London. A young girl is abandoned by her feckless family and finds lodging and work assisting a doctor. But Jane Stretch is no ordinary girl, and Mr. Swift is no ordinary doctor.

I told you I'm a sucker for Victorian England. And blue books. And pretty covers.

The Night Rainbow by Claire King

During one hot summer, five-year-old Pea and her sister Margot play alone in the meadow behind their house, in Southern France. Her mother is too sad to take care of them; she left her happiness in the hospital, along with the baby. Pea's father has died in an accident and Maman, burdened by her double grief, has retreated to a place where Pea cannot reach her - although she tries desperately to do so.

Then Pea meets Claude, a man who loves the meadow as she does and who always has time to play. Pea believes that she and Margot have found a friend, and maybe even a new papa. But why do the villagers view Claude with suspicion? And what secret is he keeping in his strange, empty house?

This book sounds creepy and exciting and I love it!

One of us by Jeannie Waudby

When K narrowly survives a bomb attack, she agrees to go undercover to spy on the Brotherhood, the radical young group held responsible, and whom she’s determined to bring to justice. But whilst living among them, soon even enemies become real people. And when she falls in love, K discovers that some things are not black and white ...
What's right – and who's wrong? Someone's always to blame.

I've been really into researching cults recently (I know, strange hobby), and this book sounds like it has a freaky cult in it. I've loved other books I've read about cults, so maybe this one will be just as good...

The Bloodline Cipher by Stephen Cole

Jonah and the rest of the elite team of teenage thieves have been sent on a mission by Coldhardt to retrieve an ancient grimoire. He believes it to be a magical book of the law of the dead. But when they go in to get it, they discover another team of thieves has beaten them to it.

Okay, confession. This is the third book in the Thieves Like Us trilogy. I've owned the first book for two years, but have never started reading. I don't even own the second book. But I guess it's good to be prepared... Right?

Plague by Michael Grant 

It's been eight months since all the adults disappeared. GONE.

Despite the simmering unrest left behind by so many battles, power struggles, and angry divides, there is a momentary calm in Perdido Beach.

But enemies in the FAYZ don't just fade away and a highly contagious, fatal illness spreads at an alarming rate. Sinister, predatory insects terrorise Perdido Beach. And Sam, Astrid, Diana, and Caine are plagued by a growing doubt that they'll escape - or even survive - life in the FAYZ. With so much turmoil surrounding them, what desperate choices will they make when it comes to saving themselves and those they love?

I love the gone series, and am desperately trying to collect all the books. So voila!

Knightley and Sons by Rohan Gavin

The once highly in-demand detective Alan Knightley has just woken up after an unexplained incident kept him asleep for four years. While he was out cold, his son, Darkus, took it upon himself to read of all his dad's old cases, and he's learned a lot about the art of detection. It's a good thing too—because suddenly the duo find themselves caught up in a crazy conspiracy that involves a group of villainous masterminds (who keep appearing and then vanishing).

There seems to be a black and red theme in this book haul, which I didn't mean to happen. I was attracted to this book because it had the same feeling as Confessions of a Murder Suspect which I loved.

The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare

Honestly, if  you're a book lover you already know all about the Mortal Instruments series. I actually already have a set of these books, but I when I found the books with the pretty spines I had to buy them (especially as they weren't full price!)



The Plantagenet and Tudor series by Philippa Gregory

Jacquetta, daughter of the Count of Luxembourg and kinswoman to half the royalty of Europe, was married to the great Englishman John, Duke of Bedford, uncle to Henry VI. Widowed at the age of 19, she took the extraordinary risk of marrying a gentleman of her household for love, and then carved out a new life for herself.

The synopsis is for The Lady of Rivers, the first book in the series, although I'm not sure if it matters what order you read it in. I brought books 1,2 and 4 this month when I went on a bit of a historical fiction frenzy.

Angels at the Table by Debbie Macomber

Shirley, Goodness, and Mercy know that an angel’s work is never done, especially during a time as wondrous as New Year’s Eve. With an apprentice angel, Will, under their wings, they descend upon Times Square in New York City eager to join in the festivities. And when Will spies two lonely strangers in the crowd, he decides midnight is the perfect time to lend a heavenly helping hand.    

Although it's quite some time until Christmas comes around you need to have a couple of cosy books on your bookshelf for when you are missing the holiday season. This book sounds like the perfect cosy book for a rainy day!

Fire Spell by Laura Amy Schlitz

Clara disappears on her birthday. Exceptionally wealthy and exceptionally lonely, she requested that a puppeteer and his two orphan helpers stage a spellbinding show for her in the vast empty house. But then the curtains close and darkness falls...

This was definitely a cover buy. If the cover was anything else I wouldn't have picked up this. However I did then read the synopsis, and I was intrigued. It sounds like an interesting premise, and although it sounds like a middle-grad it doesn't have the usual feel of a middle-grad.

The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon

The year is 2059. Nineteen-year-old Paige Mahoney is working in the criminal underworld of Scion London, based at Seven Dials, employed by a man named Jaxon Hall. Her job: to scout for information by breaking into people's minds. For Paige is a dreamwalker, a clairvoyant and, in the world of Scion, she commits treason simply by breathing.

I know, I'm super late on this band wagon. I have wanted to read this book for ages, but whenever I have a chance to read it there is always a new shiny book. When I saw this book for cheap I decided to pick it up so I have to read it.

The Sirens of Surrentum by Caroline Lawrence 

It's June A.D. 80. Everyone is thinking about love at the lavish Villa Limona, where friends Flavia, Jonathan, Lupus, and Nubia have come to visit for the summer. But their host suspects that there's a poisoner among the house guests, and the friends are asked to investigate. Faced with many distractions, including the arrival of Flavia's betrothed, can they set a trap to catch the culprit?

Who else remembers this book series from their childhood? This was probably the first major book series that I read, spending hours and hours reading all 17 books. Being a sentimental person I decided to start collecting the series...

The Charioteer of Delphi by Caroline Lawrence 

September AD 80. Flavia and her friends go to Rome to celebrate the Festival of Jupiter at Senator Cornix's town house. They befriend the young charioteer Scopas and quickly find themselves embroiled in a campaign to sabotage one of the rival racing factions.

I also bought this book to add to my growing collection. The only problem is this one is hardback and my other ones are paperback.

The Shopkeeper's Daughter by Lily Baxter

June 1944. Eighteen-year-old Ginnie Travis works in her father's furniture shop in the suburbs of East London when the continued bombing raids and her sister Shirley's untimely pregnancy force the two girls to go and stay with their aunt in Shropshire. With the family left almost penniless and Shirley and her child to provide for, Ginnie is responsible for them all. And when the shop comes under threat, she is even more determined to make it succeed and build a life for herself and her family.

A World War Two story that will be both uplifting and harrowing? Yes please!

If you've read any of these books please let me know your opinions in the comments! Also I'd love to know which books you are interested in from this list.

And until next time, keep reading!

Scarlett by Cathy Cassidy

Scarlett by Cathy Cassidy
Release Date: January 1, 2006
Pages: 222
Rating: 💜💜💜💜
Buy it: Amazon | Book Depository
Scarlett spells trouble! 
It's not her fault that she always attracts the wrong kind of attention at school, but no one seems to understand that. And Mum's had enough. Sent off to stay with Dad, the message is behave or else! Can Scarlett mend her ways or will she die of boredom? Perhaps gorgeous and mysterious local boy Kian can supply some answers...

I read this book for the 24 hour reading challenge because of how short and simple it is. However don't let the fact that this book is a middle-grad fool you. This book is more complex than it lets on.

The main character, Scarlett, is a rebellious girl who is the result of an ugly divorce. She obviously hasn't dealt with her emotions successfully, so usually explodes when she gets angry. Cathy Cassidy shows this character type in a successful manner and I felt like Scarlett was really realistic. I also liked that the character development was immediate, and that Scarlett wasn't perfect at the end. She was still the same child as the start of the book and didn't seem to have lost any of her old personality.

The writing in this book was beautiful; you could really tell that Cathy Cassidy loves Ireland. The descriptions of the lakes and the mountains was so beautiful and poetic. After reading this book I had an extreme case of wanderlust and have been dreaming of travelling the world since then.

This book is a beautiful coming of age story which can teach anyone an lesson. It will also give you a case of wanderlust and dreams of travelling the world on a black horse...

June TBR!

Another month rolls around and my TBR has gone through the roof since last month. I'll have more spare time because finals are almost over (only six this month) and then I'm on summer holiday until September.

This month I'm taking part in three reading challenges; the Harry Potter Readathon, Emmie's B-day Readathon and the Emojiathon. I've managed to connect a couple of the challenges together, so I have more spare time for other things (like watching booktube videos!)

Here are all the books that I'll be attempting to read this month:

1. Monkeys on the mountains by Lucy Daniels
2. Cell 7 by Kerry Drewery
3. The Merlin Conspiracy by Diana Wynne Jones (emojiathon, ✌)
4. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins (emojiathon,💓)
5. Throne of Glass by Sarah J Mass (emojiathon, 👀)
6. The Sirens of Surrentum by Caroline Lawrence (emojiathon, 😊)
7. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
8. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix 

I honestly didn't realise how many fantasy books I was going to read this month. When I sat down to write this post I thought there would be a few on my list, but the books kind of just piled up (a problem we all know too well!). Luckily the summer holidays are starting, so I may be able to get through this list... Maybe.

Accurate representation of me this summer:

What books are on your June TBR? What are your opinions on the books I've chosen? Please let me know in the comments down below.

And until next time, keep reading!

Four by Veronica Roth

Four by Veronica Roth

Release Date: July 8, 2014
Pages: 285

Rating:💜💜💜💜

Buy it: Amazon | Book Depository

Two years before Beatrice Prior makes her choice, the 16-year-old son of Abnegation's faction leader does the same. Tobias's transfer to Dauntless is his chance to begin again. Newly renamed 'Four' he discovers that initiation is only the beginning...


When I was reading the Divergent series, especially Allegiant, I thought Four was a little whiny and 2-D. I still loved him (so no hate comments!), but I was really disappointed with how Veronica Roth portrayed him in the final book.

However this book turned things around! Four was no longer a whining child who wasn't getting his way, but a kick-ass character with plenty of potential. We get to see him go behind the scenes in Dauntless to try and figure out what is going on, whilst slowly building his way up the social ladder. Four suddenly has different levels of personality and I am so grateful. Honestly this book is the only thing that has redeemed Four from a terrible fate!

I loved that we get to see Four before he even became Four in The Transfer. We get to have a short sneak peek into his life in Abnegation, even if it is just for his Choosing Ceremony. I also loved that we get to see Tobias interact with his father, and we finally get to learn why he hates his father so much. It was a beautiful backstory to such a messed up character!

In the other three stories we get to see Four climb his way up the social ladder in Dauntless, whilst keeping his identity a secret. The best thing about this collection of novellas is that we get to see how Dauntless works and how they keep control over everything. We get to see the other side of Dauntless, the side that uses computers and coding and cameras, which was absolutely awesome.

Honestly, this book could be 5/5; it was a fun, fast, world-building collection of novellas and was highly enjoyable. The only reason I marked it down is because I don't like Four as a character. If this book had come out earlier, between Insurgent and Allegiant, I may have enjoyed it more. Unfortunately Allegiant spoilt Four for me, and I ended up finding him a whiny little brat. Therefore my enjoyment of this book was massively affected, but I still like it in the end.

This book is perfect for readers who are missing the Divergent universe, and need to get immersed in it again. Like most novellas you don't need to have read the Divergent series to understand this book, but there is one major spoiler that you may want to avoid. No matter what, it is the perfect book for Divergent lovers and I enjoyed it!

Top Five Most Anticipated Books For 2017

I can't believe almost half of 2017 has just...vanished. It feels like just yesterday that I was standing in my garden yelling Happy New Year and making all sorts of crazy resolutions! One of the good things about the year going so fast is that we are closer to all the  awesome new releases that are happening at the end of the year. So here are my most anticipated books for June to December 2017.

The D.B. List by Rebekah L. Purdy. 

Release Date: June 13

Seventeen-year-old Ellie Gebhardt has spent the last three years of high school in psychotherapy, trying to fix a very broken her. And her shrink (or therapist as she likes to be called) seems to think that in order to totally heal, she needs to recognise all the good and bad things that have led her to this point. As if a trip down memory lane will suddenly make her better.  So begins Ellie’s Douche Bag list (or D.B. List for short). And once she gets started, it’s hard to stop remembering all the jerks, the petty crap, the times she’d been bullied or the main focus of the rumour mill. 

The Grave Keepers by Elizabeth Byrne
Release Date: September 12

Lately, Athena Windham has been spending all her spare time in her grave.
Her parents—owners of a cemetery in Upstate New York—are proud of her devoutness, but her younger sister, Laurel, would rather spend her time exploring the forest that surrounds the Windham’s’ property than in her own grave.  As the new school year begins, the outside world comes creeping in through encounters with mean girls, a new friend, and a runaway boy hiding out in the cemetery. Meanwhile, a ghost hangs around the Windham property—the only grave keeper never to cross over—plotting how to keep the sisters close to home and close to her . . . forever.

Speak Easy, Speak Love by McKelle George
Release Date: September 17

Six teenagers’ lives intertwine during one thrilling summer full of romantic misunderstandings and dangerous deals in this sparkling retelling of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing. 
(That's all you need to know really. If you do want to know more, you can look for it on Goodreads.)


It Only Happens in the Movies by Holly Bourne. 

Release Date: October 1

Audrey is over romance. Since her parents' relationship imploded her mother's been catatonic, so she takes a cinema job to get out of the house. But there she meets wannabe film-maker Harry. Nobody expects Audrey and Harry to fall in love as hard and fast as they do. But that doesn't mean things are easy. Because real love isn't like the movies...


Sparrow by Sarah Moon
Release Date: October 10

Sparrow has always had a difficult time making friends. She would always rather have stayed home on the weekends with her mother, an affluent IT Executive at a Brooklyn bank, reading, or watching the birds, than playing with other kids. And that's made school a lonely experience for her. It's made LIFE a lonely experience. But when Mrs. Wexler, the school librarian, a woman who let her eat her lunch in the library office rather than hide in a bathroom stall, who shared her passion for novels and knew just the ones she'd love -- is killed in a freak car accident, Sparrow's world unravels and she's found on the roof of her school in an apparent suicide attempt.
With the help of an insightful therapist, Sparrow finally reveals the truth of her inner life. And it's here that she discovers an outlet in Rock & Roll music..


As you can see my list is full of young adult books, but there is no specific genre. At the moment all my excitement for new releases is spread across a multitude of genres, although I am more interested in shrinking my TBR, not growing it! Are any of your most anticipated books on this list? Are there any other books you think I should know about? Please let me know in the comments!

And until next time, keep reading!

Buying Books

I buy a lot of books. When I say this I don't mean 5 or 6 a month, I mean 10-20 books a month. Obviously buying all these books full price would lead to me being broke very quickly, so I have come up with strategies to buy all the books I want for a cheap price. Of course living in Belgium, but only reading English books, comes with added difficulties but I think I manage pretty well. So here is the list of places where I buy books!

1. Charity shops: All the charity shops that I've been to sell books for a ridiculously cheap price. At least half of the books on my bookshelf are charity shop books, and all of them are sold for below £2 ( €2.32 | $2.60). Of course prices vary depending on the charity that is selling the books, but you will never have to buy a book full price.
2. Second Hand Bookshop: These shops are basically exactly the same as charity shops, but they make a living off of selling books. I rarely go into second-hand bookshops and when I do it tends to be looking for old annuals. They can sometimes charge more than the original price, especially if the book is a collectable, but the prices are very reasonable for a normal book.
3. Supermarkets: Okay, this may sound strange but supermarkets are great places to go and get cheap, hardback, new-releases. Living in England my go to shop for this was Tesco because they always seemed to have hard-covers for £5 (€5.80 |$6.50), even new-releases! I am yet to find a similar shop in Belgium, but I know that Target or Walmart is a good place to head to in America.
4. Online Websites: The most obvious website, and the one everyone knows, is Amazon. However most of their books are full price and you have to pay the cost of shipping, which can end up costing much more than you're willing to pay. Two great alternatives are Wordery and Book Depository as they ship worldwide for free, and they usually have discounts on a large selection of books. I used both websites multiple times, and have literally nothing bad to say about them.
5. And of course, Bookshops: Some of my fondest memories are sitting in bookshops, stroking the spines, and picking out a brand new book. Of all the places I go this is the most expensive (obviously!), but they usually have great deals going on where you can get several books for a cheaper price. In England my favourite places to go were Waterstones and WHSmith and in Belgium I tend to go to Fnac (because they have quite a big English section!). I'm not sure where to go in America, but from what I've heard Barnes & Nobles is a good place to pick up books. 

So there you are; all the places I go and shop for books. Of course I am always looking for new and exciting places to buy books, so if you have any suggestions please leave them down below! Also I would love to know where you buy the majority of your books! For me I think it is a tie between Wordery and various charity shops.

And until next time, keep reading!