Thursday, July 31, 2025

My Review for Spectacles - A Memoir by Sue Perkins, read by Sue Perkins



'The South West is like a Christmas stocking – all the nuts end up at the bottom.'

It's thanks to Sarah, @emeraldreader that I reserved myself an audiobook version of this on Libby and dived right in, as soon as it became available. If it weren't for Sarah, I wouldn't have known this book existed!

Sue is probably most famously known as the other half of Mel and Sue, from The Great British Bake-Off. But I was interested in listening to how she got to where she did and the obstacles which she overcame on her journey. Sue is a very funny, hugely popular comedian, born in London at the tail-end of the 1960s.

I adored this audiobook from beginning to end. Sue We used to go to the Gower on holiday, every, single, year and Sue talks about beaches that I visited all the time. I loved it! Sue is hilarious, with an incredibly witty, yet dry sense of humour which I guarantee will have you laughing out loud. Although there may be a moment (Pickle) when you might shed a tear. 😢 Whether you read it or listen to it, give it a try, although listening is better though, in my opinion, as you can hear Sue's tales in her very own, inimitable style. 

I've just discovered that she is on tour next year and will be in a theatre literally twenty minutes from my house - I just need to find someone to come with me! Now 'BAKE'! IYKYK ðŸ˜‰

About the Book

Touching, engaging and hilarious, this memoir crackles with Sue Perkins' wit and humour. Narrated by the author herself, the refreshingly warm style of prose is infused with a lot of heart, making for an uplifting listen.

Penguin presents the unabridged, downloadable audiobook edition of Spectacles, the hilarious, creative and incredibly moving memoir from much loved comedian, writer and presenter Sue Perkins.

When I began writing this book, I went home to see if my mum had kept some of my stuff. What I found was that she hadn't kept some of it. She had kept all of it - every bus ticket, postcard, school report - from the moment I was born to the moment I finally had the confidence to turn round and say, 'Why is our house full of this s--t?'

Sadly, a recycling incident destroyed the bulk of this archive. This has meant two things: firstly, dear listener, you will never get to see countless drawings of wizards, read a poem about corn on the cob, or marvel at the kilos of brown flowers I so lovingly pressed as a child.

Secondly, it's left me with no choice but to actually write this thing myself.

This, my first ever title, will answer questions such as: is Mary Berry real? Is it true you wear a surgical truss, and is a nonspherically symmetric gravitational pull from outside the observable universe responsible for some of the observed motion of large objects such as galactic clusters in the universe?

Most of this audiobook is true. I have, of course, amplified my more positive characteristics in an effort to make you like me. Thank you for listening.



Monday, July 28, 2025

My Review for Silver Elite by Dani Francis


'I’m the one who decides whether you walk out of here alive'

'Obsessed, cliffhanger, Team Uprising, Team Crazy Redden Brothers, Team Sane Cross' - just a few of the words and phrases that #thatindiebookclub used to describe this stunning novel by Dani Francis. Silver Elite is the first book in the dystopian romance trilogy, which has taken the fantasy book world by storm.

I'm thrilled that our book club chose Silver Elite for their July read. The world-building is light and easy to understand, the characters are a mixture of badass and kind, as well as badass and evil! I fell in love with Wren, maybe not quite from the start, but definitely as soon as she joined the training program which shapes her into the formidable warrior she is to become. 

Who knew that we needed another fantasy series in our lives! With similarities that you'll possibly notice from others such as Fourth Wing and Hunger Games, Silver Elite has enough unique aspects to make it into a series that is sure to be adored by many. 

Hopefully we won't have to wait long for the next book.

About the Book

TRUST NO ONE.

Wren Darlington has spent her whole life in hiding, honing her psychic abilities and aiding the rebel Uprising in small ways. On the Continent, being Modified means certain death—and Wren is one of the most powerful Mods in existence. When one careless mistake places her in the hands of the enemy and she’s forced to join their most elite training program, she’s finally handed the perfect opportunity to strike a devastating blow from inside their ranks.

LIE TO EVERYONE.

But training for Silver Block can be deadly, especially when you’re harboring dangerous secrets and living in close quarters with everyone who wants you dead.

AND WHATEVER YOU DO, DON’T FALL FOR YOUR GREATEST ENEMY.

As the stakes grow ever higher, Wren must prove herself to Silver Block. But that’s easier said than done when your commanding officer is the ruthless and infuriatingly irresistible Cross Redden, who doesn’t miss anything when it comes to her. And as war rages between Mods like her and those who aim to destroy them, Wren must decide just how far she’s willing to go to protect herself . . . and how much of the Continent is worth saving.


About Dani

Dani Francis is the New York Times bestselling author of Silver Elite. She is an avid reader, a lover of all things breakfast, and a hopeless romantic. When she is not creating high-stakes fantasy worlds and complex characters, you can find Dani spending time with family or trying to figure out why the printer never works.





Friday, July 25, 2025

My Review for Crestwood Falls by Emma-Louise Smith



'You're part of this town now, Freya, and we protect our own.'

Crestwood Falls gave me massive Gilmore Girls vibes with a gorgeous magical twist!! I loved how everyone lived happily together, despite their ‘differences’. 😉 I’ve never read anything so unique before, where the magic is normal, useful and just surrounding everyday life. It was simply beautiful. 

As soon as Freya found herself in Crestwood Falls, she knew she was where she belonged, as the residents picked her up and wrapped her in a great big welcome. She’d found her people, and they loved her. 

I’ll be interested to see where the author takes Crestwood Falls next, with so many different characters, there is plenty of opportunity for many more books. 

Thank you to BookWolfUK, Salpe Publishing and Emma-Louise Smith for the opportunity to read and review Crestwood Falls.





About the Book

Grieving the loss of her parents and blaming their deaths on their magical obligations to their coven, Freya Lockchild packs up her life and leaves her home, vowing that she will never again use her own magical abilities.

Following her intuition, Freya makes a new home for herself in the small town of Crestwood Falls – a sanctuary of coffee shops, cakes, and a vibrant community, all surrounded by forests and overlooked by the mountains that tower above the town.

But what is Freya’s connection to Crestwood Falls? And could its mysterious inhabitants hold the key to mending her broken heart?


About Emma-Louise

Emma-Louise lives on the wonderful North-East coast. With a passion for reading and writing she can often be found sat scribbling away at her desk or curled up in her favourite reading corner. Emma-Louise re-discovered her love for writing after a diagnosis of Crohn's disease which caused severe health issues. Her hobbies include beach-combing with her children, going on walks, swimming and watercolour painting. 





Wednesday, July 23, 2025

My Review for Shield of Sparrows by Devney Perry, read by Samantha Brentmoor and Jason Clarke


“I don't like holding hands.” “How do you know? You've never held mine.”

I have a beautiful sprayed edge copy of Shield of Sparrows, but I really didn't want to read that one. So, I grabbed a copy on Libby, plugged myself in, and immersed myself in the beautiful narration, primarily from Samantha Brentmoor.

I knew I'd enjoy this. Marketed for lovers of SJM, what would there be, not to love? It turns out, nothing. I devoured every word, I was invested in Odessa's story, I was with her every step of the way, as she fought the monsters, cared for Evie and snuggled up with Faze, her cute but little scary baby monster! I adored the Guardian - should I have done? Probably not! 😉 

I really wanted to stay in that treehouse that Odessa made home for a while, it seemed so cute, and I know that here in the UK at least, you can rent out treehouses for holidays! How cool would that be?

Of course, it's similar to every other romantasy book out there, but give me any sort of romance which isn't! I found it addictive, all the way through, and I really hope we don't have to wait too long for book 2.

Thank you to all the bookstagrammers who reviewed this and therefore persuaded me to try it!

About the Book

The gods sent monsters to the five kingdoms to remind mortals they must kneel.

I’ve spent my life kneeling to their will and to my father's. As a princess, my only duty is to wear the crown and obey the king.

I was never meant to rule. Never meant to fight. And I was never supposed to be the daughter who sealed an ancient treaty with her own blood.

But that changed the fateful day I stepped into my father’s throne room. The day a legendary monster hunter sailed to our shores. The day a prince ruined my life.

Now I’m crossing treacherous lands beside a warrior who despises me as much as I despise him bound to a future I didn’t choose and a husband I barely know.

Everyone wants me to be something I’m not a queen, a spy, a sacrifice.

But what if I refused the role chosen for me? What if I made my own rules? What if there’s power in being underestimated?

And what if for the first time I reached for it?


About Devney

Devney is a #1 Amazon, Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author of over forty romance novels. After working in the technology industry for a decade, she abandoned conference calls and project schedules to pursue her passion for writing. She was born and raised in Montana and now lives in Washington with her husband and two sons.”




Sunday, July 20, 2025

My Review for Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck



'I got you to look after me, and you got me to look after you, and that's 
why.'

I first read Of Mice and Men for GCSE English, 36 years ago! I remember the basics of it, but I definitely enjoyed it more this time around, when I read it for #classiclitbookclub last year. It's funny how a book is more fun to read, if you don't have to dissect it to death in order to get a good grade!

The friendship between George and Lenny is second to none. They fell into each other's company by accident, and now, they have each other's back, no matter what. Fight one and you'll fight the other! Their comradeship is unbreakable in a difficult and cruel world. I didn't remember the ending from 36 years ago, and I'm going to try to forget it all over again. 

Reading this, you need to be aware that it was first published in 1937 and so it isn't politically correct by any means, but it's of its time, as are many classics.

About the Book

Drifters in search of work, George and his childlike friend Lennie, have nothing in the world except the clothes on their back - and a dream that one day they will have some land of their own. Eventually they find work on a ranch in California's Salinas Valley, but their hopes are dashed as Lennie - struggling against extreme cruelty, misunderstanding and feelings of jealousy - becomes a victim of his own strength.


About John

John Ernst Steinbeck was an American writer. He won the 1962 Nobel Prize in Literature "for his realistic and imaginative writings, combining as they do sympathetic humor and keen social perception". He has been called "a giant of American letters."
During his writing career, he authored 33 books, with one book coauthored alongside Edward F. Ricketts, including 16 novels, six non-fiction books, and two collections of short stories. He is widely known for the comic novels Tortilla Flat (1935) and Cannery Row (1945), the multi-generation epic East of Eden (1952), and the novellas The Red Pony (1933) and Of Mice and Men (1937). The Pulitzer Prize–winning The Grapes of Wrath (1939) is considered Steinbeck's masterpiece and part of the American literary canon. By the 75th anniversary of its publishing date, it had sold 14 million copies.
Most of Steinbeck's work is set in central California, particularly in the Salinas Valley and the California Coast Ranges region. His works frequently explored the themes of fate and injustice, especially as applied to downtrodden or everyman protagonists.

My Review for The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery


'Well, I must endure the presence of a few caterpillars if I wish to become acquainted with the butterflies.'

I can't believe I have never read this before. Thank you to #classiclitbookclub for choosing The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery  for July's read. I used to work in a library suppliers which stocked only children's books and time after time I would shelve it, or prepare it it libraries and never once did I think to even take a glance inside. I was missing out!

This book is gorgeous, and would be absorbed very differently, depending on whether you are a child or an adult as you read it.  It's full of life lessons, vanity, innocence and beautiful similes. 

If you are an adult and want to remember what it was like to be a child, then read this - it's only short - it'll only take you an hour or so to read. If you have a kids, then read it to them or buy them their own copy. I have the Penguin Clothbound edition and it's beautiful. It's a book to be treasured and I'm off to look for more special editions of it. 

About the Book

This strange and lovely parable, written as much for adults as for children, and beautifully illustrated by the author, has become a classic of our time.

The narrator, an air pilot, tells how, having made a forced landing in the Sahara Desert, he meets the little prince. The wise and enchanting stories the prince tells about the planet where he lives with three volcanoes and a haught flower, about the other planets and their rulers, and about his fight with the bad seeds, make him an entrancing, unforgettable character.

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry was a novelist and professional air pilot. He wrote The Little Prince a year before his death in 1944.


About Antoine

ANTOINE DE SAINT-EXUPÉRY, the "Winged Poet," was born in Lyon, France, in 1900. A pilot at twenty-six, he was a pioneer of commercial aviation and flew in the Spanish Civil War and World War II. His writings include The Little Prince, Wind, Sand and Stars, Night Flight, Southern Mail, and Airman's Odyssey. In 1944, while flying a reconnaissance mission for his French air squadron, he disappeared over the Mediterranean.




My Review for Carrie by Stephen King


'And then the world exploded.'

Hmmm...... #thatindiebookclub decided to do an about-turn and read a Stephen King book, alongside July's book of choice (Silver Elite), and, being up for anything, I thought I'd give it a try. Now I don't particularly do horror, but as I've been discovering, horror in books doesn't have the same effect as horror on the screen, so why not give Carrie, Stephen King's first ever published novel, a try.

I had no idea what this was going to be about. I don't think I've ever read the synopsis, and I certainly haven't seen the movie. While I enjoyed the story, and was fully invested in the destruction of everyone and everything which surrounds our protagonist, I'm afraid I didn't enjoy the writing. 

I described it, to a friend, as - the bits where it says what she's thinking - but after clarification, she kindly explained to me that what I actually meant was 'that stream of consciousness method in the brackets'. She also informed me that it is called 'ergodic' style, which apparently means that the author is making the reading process more challenging for the reader, on purpose. No thank you, I don't want my reading to be challenging, I want it to be fun. 😜

However, I'm not basing my Stephen King experience on just this one book. The next one we are reading is IT, followed by Pet Sematary so I can make a more balanced decision after that!

About the Book

Carrie White is no ordinary girl.

Carrie White has the gift of telekinesis.

To be invited to Prom Night by Tommy Ross is a dream come true for Carrie - the first
step towards social acceptance by her high school colleagues.

But events will take a decidedly macabre turn on that horrifying and endless night as she
is forced to exercise her terrible gift on the town that mocks and loathes her . . .


About Stephen

Stephen King was born in Portland, Maine in 1947, the second son of Donald and Nellie Ruth Pillsbury King. He made his first professional short story sale in 1967 to Startling Mystery Stories. In the fall of 1971, he began teaching high school English classes at Hampden Academy, the public high school in Hampden, Maine. Writing in the evenings and on the weekends, he continued to produce short stories and to work on novels. In the spring of 1973, Doubleday & Co., accepted the novel Carrie for publication, providing him the means to leave teaching and write full-time. He has since published over 50 books and has become one of the world's most successful writers. King is the recipient of the 2003 National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to the American Letters and the 2014 National Medal of Arts.

Stephen lives in Maine and Florida with his wife, novelist Tabitha King. They are regular contributors to a number of charities including many libraries and have been honored locally for their philanthropic activities.


Thursday, July 17, 2025

My Review for A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas

'To the stars who listen—and the dreams that are answered'.

An incredible second book in the series. Once again, it's been an entire year since I read it and yes, I know I need to get my act together. I think I might listen to one and two again before I read three. What do you think?

A bit of a spoiler here, Feyre leaves the Spring Court behind and joins Rhysand in the Night Court, and what a court it is! Honestly, everything about this book is addictive. The characters, the magic, the love, the drama.....I adored it!

There are a lot of WTF moments in this one, and I promise you, your heart will be in your mouth and will probably have stopped beating! I was literally speaking aloud and saying 'no, this can't be happening, you have got to be kidding me'!

Read it if you haven't already, come along and join in the ACOTAR fun! Now to find time to read the next one!

About the Book

Feyre survived Amarantha's clutches to return to the Spring Court - but at a steep cost. Though she now possesses the powers of the High Fae, her heart remains human, and it can't forget the terrible deeds she performed to save Tamlin's people.

Nor has Feyre forgotten her bargain with Rhysand, the mesmerising High Lord of the feared Night Court. As Feyre navigates his dark web of political games and tantalising promises, a greater evil looms - and she might be key to stopping it.

But only if she can step into her growing power, heal her fractured soul and have the courage to shape her own future - and the future of a world cloven in two...


About Sarah

Sarah J. Maas is the #1 New York Times and internationally bestselling author of the Crescent City, A Court of Thorns and Roses, and the Throne of Glass series. Her books have sold more than twelve million copies and are published in thirty-seven languages. A New York native, Sarah lives in Philadelphia with her husband, son, and dog. 





Tuesday, July 15, 2025

My Review for A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas


“I was as unburdened as a piece of dandelion fluff, and he was the wind that stirred me about the world.”

I finally dipped my toe into the ACOTAR water in June 2024, and it's taken me this long to write my review. I don't even have the excuse that I wanted to finish the series first, because I've still only read the first two books. 🙉

As with the first book in any complicated fantasy series, it focuses a lot on the world-building. In A Court of Thorns and Roses, we spend the majority of our time in the Spring Court with Feyre, Tamlin, and Lucien. If you take away the fantasy, Tamlin and Lucien are basically a couple of psychopaths! 😂 I hated Feyre's sisters, I wasn't a fan of Lucien, and Tamlin, in my opinion, is just weird!

I discovered a few of us who hadn't read this, and so we created a Bookstagram chat and called ourselves the ACOTAR virgins. 😂😂😂 

Is the hype worth it? Absolutely. Would I recommend it? 100% - obviously if you're a fantasy lover of course!

Watch this space for my review of A Court of Mist and Fury - coming sooner than you might think!

About the Book

When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a terrifying creature arrives to demand retribution. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she knows about only from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not truly a beast, but one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled her world.

At least, he’s not a beast all the time.

As she adapts to her new home, her feelings for the faerie, Tamlin, transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie she’s been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But something is not right in the faerie lands. An ancient, wicked shadow is growing, and Feyre must find a way to stop it, or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever.


About Sarah

Sarah J. Maas is the #1 New York Times and internationally bestselling author of the Crescent City, A Court of Thorns and Roses, and the Throne of Glass series. Her books have sold more than twelve million copies and are published in thirty-seven languages. A New York native, Sarah lives in Philadelphia with her husband, son, and dog. 




Monday, July 14, 2025

My Review for She Started It by Sian Gilbert


'One thing’s for sure: not everyone is going to be leaving this island alive'

Firstly, my apologies to the publisher, who gifted me a copy of She Started It, back in the middle of 2024. I did read it in July 2024, but I have only just got around to writing my review - yes I know, I'm rubbish!

Five women, a beautiful Caribbean island, first-class treatment all the way, and three days of pure relaxation. How idyllic does this sound? Well it might sound blissful and to begin with it was, but this is a thriller and idyllic is far from how it ended!

Told from multiple points of view, from each of the women, it took me a short while to identify each one, but once I had, I found it to be uniquely and cleverly done. I didn't particularly like any of them, but of course this is how we were supposed to feel. They were spiteful, and Poppy in particular was incredibly vindictive. Would I have been like that, if I'd been bullied, and I had the opportunity for revenge? Yes, absolutely! (That's a story for another day). 🙈

This was a top read for me, and I'd recommend it to anyone who loves a good thriller, with sunshine, cocktails and sandy beaches. 

Thank you to Viking Books for the gifted copy of She Started It by Sian Gilbert.


About the Book

The party of a lifetime is nothing like what they expected...

Annabel, Esther, Tanya, and Chloe are best friends—or were, as children. Despite drifting apart in adulthood, shared secrets have kept them bonded for better or worse, even as their childhood dreams haven’t quite turned out as they’d hoped. Then one day they receive a wholly unexpected—but not entirely unwelcome—invitation from another old friend. Poppy Greer has invited them all to her extravagant bachelorette party: a first-class plane ticket to three days of white sand, cocktails, and relaxation on a luxe private island in the Bahamas.

None of them has spoken to Poppy in years. But Poppy’s Instagram pics shows that the girl they used to consider the weakest link in their group has definitely made good—and made money. Curiosity gets the better of them. Besides, who can turn down a posh all-expenses-paid vacation on a Caribbean island?

The first-class flight and the island’s accommodations are just as opulent as expected...even if the scenic island proves more remote than they’d anticipated. Quite remote, in fact, with no cell service, and no other guests. The women quickly discover they’ve underestimated Poppy, and each other. As their darkest secrets are revealed, the tropical adventure morphs into a terrifying nightmare.

Endlessly twisty, sharply observant, and deliciously catty, She Started It is sure to shock readers until the very end.


About Sian

Sian Gilbert is the author of She Started It. She was born in Bristol, UK, and studied history at the University of Warwick, before teaching at a comprehensive school in Birmingham for almost five years. She now lives in Cambridge with her partner.








Sunday, July 13, 2025

My Review for Welcome to Glorious Tuga by Francesa Segal read by Kristin Atherton

'Charlotte was alone in the jungle with a creep in Speedos'!

I switched between reading and listening to this one, simply because I had so much stuff to do in the garden and I really wanted to finish it. It was gorgeous, in fact no, it was 'glorious'! Charlotte takes up the position of tortoise researcher on the remote island of Tuga, where you can only come and go when the island is 'open'. Even then, only if there is a boat with enough berths to take you. For half the year, the island is 'closed'. The storms are too frequent for it to be safe for any ship to dock safely in Tuga. So if you're there, you're stuck - no matter what happens!

There are a lot of stories, interwoven into this book, each one unique in its own way, and I loved this. I enjoyed hearing about all the different characters and how they were surviving, living on such a small island, where everyone knows everyone else's business. I'm not sure if I'd like that, where do you go to escape?!

If you fancy a mash-up of The Durrells, James Herriott and a gorgeous sun-soaked island, then I'd recommend reading this, the first in a new series.  

Thank you to Vintage Books for the gifted copy of Welcome to Glorious Tuga by Francesca Segal.

About the Book

Passionate about conservation and fleeing an argument with her mother, newly qualified London vet Charlotte Walker has taken up a fellowship on the tiny South Atlantic island of Tuga de Oro to study the endangered gold coin tortoises in the jungle interior. She can claim the best of reasons for this year in paradise—What better motivation than to save a species?—but the reality is more complex. For Charlotte has secretly come to believe that she has her own connection to this remote and eccentric community, and she is finally determined to solve the mystery that has dominated her life.

But she will have little time for any of her declared or covert investigations. She is inconveniently attracted to the new island doctor. And not only do Tuga’s tortoises need attention but so too do the island’s dogs, goats, and donkeys—not to mention the islanders themselves, determined to win Charlotte over with cake and homemade jam until she relents and becomes vet to all their animals.

A complete, vivid world unto itself, Welcome to Glorious Tuga is a bewitching combination of warmth and humor. Immersive and uplifting, it transports the reader to an island that time forgot, bringing to life a cast of flawed, loveable people, like a contemporary James Herriot beneath the coconut palms.


About Francesa

Francesca Segal is an award-winning writer and journalist. She is the author of two critically acclaimed novels, The Innocents (2012) and The Awkward Age (2017), and a memoir of NICU motherhood, Mother Ship (2019). Her writing has won the 2012 Costa First Novel Award, a Betty Trask Award, and been longlisted for the Women's Prize.





Thursday, July 10, 2025

My Review for Luminiferous: The Omen of Light by Yana Metro


'The first thing a gargoyle eats after coming alive becomes its sole diet'. "What exactly did she eat?' 'Erm...strawberry cookies.'

Omen of Light is the first book, in a planned seven-part series and I really enjoyed it. Think ACOTAR crossed with Harry Potter quests and battles. There was a sort of resemblance to dementors in the story and Hairito reminded me a little bit of Dobby - although I only just thought of that!

Lilly is our protagonist, and she's only eighteen. I forgot that as I disappeared into the forests with the adventurers on their quest for Luminiferous. For such a young girl, she has a good head on her shoulders, she doesn't panic - much, and is determined to rid the worlds of the dark creatures known as noxes. 

I enjoyed the world building, which wasn't too complicated, and sets the scene for the following books to come. I have the second one, sitting on my bookshelf and I really hope there are more to come.

Thank you to Yana Metro for the gifted copy of Luminiferous: The Omen of Light.


About the book

PARALLEL WORLDS. FORBIDDEN LOVE. A DEADLY QUEST THAT COULD DESTROY THEM ALL

At just eighteen, Lilly White has lived multiple lives. She endured the harsh reality of growing up in an English orphanage, isolated and unwanted. But paradoxically, visions and dreams of lush forests, mystical creatures and most troubling of all – a warm, loving family. Lilly doesn’t know if these are the delusions of a lonely mind, or something more.

When a man with a raven reveals a portal to a lost world, she finally gets proof she is not insane. But for all the ethereal beauty of this impossible place, a toxic darkness creeps closer, consuming everything in its path.

Caught between the desire to belong and the need to fight an evil that threatens all of existence, Lilly uncovers gifts within herself she never imagined.

But some truths are hidden for your own good…

Now she is thrust into a mission to save two worlds with non-existent odds of survival. Yet it’s either that or a fate worse than death.

About Yana

A PhD in Physics, Yana spent years as a nano-researcher before diving into exploration of existential mysteries through fictional characters and magical worlds. Her debut series LUMINIFEROS unites contemporary fantasy and romance in a thrilling seven-part journey of self-discovery. She lives in the urban jungles of London but dreams of lush coniferous forests stretching beneath leaden clouds that almost constantly curtain the sky.



Sunday, July 6, 2025

My Review for Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling, read by Stephen Fry


'It does not do to dwell on dreams, and forget to live'.

The Harry Potter books are one of my most favourite series and whenever I need a pick-me-up, this is something which I always turn to. The audiobooks, read by Stephen Fry are particularly addictive, and I'm using my Audible credits to get them all.

I love the incredibly dry sense of humour that adorns Dumbledore, I relish in Professor McGonagall's strength of character and no-nonsense attitude. To say she reminds me of my most favourite boss is an understatement. 

Hogwarts and everything about it is magical, enchanting, and captivating. Everyone who loves Harry Potter wants to visit Hogwarts, even if just for a few days, to see everything, from the talking portraits to the moving staircases and the delicious food that appears from nowhere. 

Stephen Fry is one of my most favourite people to narrate an audiobook. The easy way in which he falls into character, time, and time again is beguiling, and I will never tire of listening.

I am excited to watch the new series when it comes out. I am going to try not to go in with any expectations, but with an open mind to embrace new actors. 

If you have never read the Harry Potter books, and you like a bit of witchcraft and wizardry - then what are you waiting for?!!!

About the Book

Harry Potter has never even heard of Hogwarts when the letters start dropping on the doormat at number four, Privet Drive. Addressed in green ink on yellowish parchment with a purple seal, they are swiftly confiscated by his grisly aunt and uncle. Then, on Harry's eleventh birthday, a great beetle-eyed giant of a man called Rubeus Hagrid bursts in with some astonishing news: Harry Potter is a wizard, and he has a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. An incredible adventure is about to begin!


About Joanne

Joanne Rowling was born on 31st July 1965 at Yate General Hospital near Bristol, and grew up in Gloucestershire in England and in Chepstow, Gwent, in south-east Wales.

Her father, Peter, was an aircraft engineer at the Rolls Royce factory in Bristol and her mother, Anne, was a science technician in the Chemistry department at Wyedean Comprehensive, where Jo herself went to school. Anne was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis when Jo was a teenager and died in 1990, before the Harry Potter books were published. Jo also has a younger sister, Di.

The young Jo grew up surrounded by books. “I lived for books,’’ she has said. “I was your basic common-or-garden bookworm, complete with freckles and National Health spectacles.”

Jo wanted to be a writer from an early age. She wrote her first book at the age of six – a story about a rabbit, called ‘Rabbit’. At just eleven, she wrote her first novel – about seven cursed diamonds and the people who owned them.

Jo studied at Exeter University, where she read so widely outside her French and Classics syllabus that she clocked up a fine of £50 for overdue books at the University library. Her knowledge of Classics would one day come in handy for creating the spells in the Harry Potter series, some of which are based on Latin.

Her course included a year in Paris. “I lived in Paris for a year as a student,” Jo tweeted after the 2015 terrorist attacks there. “It’s one of my favourite places on earth.”

After her degree, she moved to London and worked in a series of jobs, including one as a researcher at Amnesty International. “There in my little office I read hastily scribbled letters smuggled out of totalitarian regimes by men and women who were risking imprisonment to inform the outside world of what was happening to them.” She said later. “My small participation in that process was one of the most humbling and inspiring experiences of my life.”

Jo conceived the idea of Harry Potter in 1990 while sitting on a delayed train from Manchester to London King’s Cross. Over the next five years, she began to map out all seven books of the series. She wrote mostly in longhand and gradually built up a mass of notes, many of which were scribbled on odd scraps of paper.

Taking her notes with her, she moved to northern Portugal to teach English as a foreign language, married Jorge Arantes in 1992 and had a daughter, Jessica, in 1993. When the marriage ended later that year, she returned to the UK to live in Edinburgh, with Jessica and a suitcase containing the first three chapters of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.

In Edinburgh, Jo trained as a teacher and began teaching in the city’s schools, but she continued to write in every spare moment.

Having completed the full manuscript, she sent the first three chapters to a number of literary agents, one of whom wrote back asking to see the rest of it. She says it was “the best letter I had ever received in my life.”

The book was first published by Bloomsbury Children’s Books in June 1997, under the name J.K. Rowling.

The “K” stands for Kathleen, her paternal grandmother’s name. It was added at her publisher’s request, who thought a book by an obviously female author might not appeal to the target audience of young boys.