Sam's Fireside - Cosy Book Reviews & Recommendations

'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. ...

'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...

'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...

“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 ...

'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...

'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...

'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 ...

'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 s...

“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...

'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, absol...

'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, whe...

'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...

'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 ...