My Review for Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo, read by Lauren Fortgang and Michael David Axtell

“Even alligators have parents, Dawes. That doesn't stop them from biting”

Ninth House 📚 was the book of choice for November's read for #thatindiebookclub. I didn’t really know what “Dark Academia” 🏛️ was all about when the theme for that month was revealed, and that’s exactly what I love about these book club reads—they push you to try things you might not have picked up otherwise! ✨

I decided to listen to the audiobook 🎧 for this one, and I really liked it. It was slow to start as we’re dropped into Alex’s Yale world—a world she was recruited into rather than earned through school achievements, all because she can see ghosts! 👻 The story is told across two timelines: Spring 🌸 and Winter ❄️. I’m still not entirely sure when Alex arrived at Yale and which timeline features Darlington training her versus after he disappears. But honestly, it doesn’t really matter—I don’t feel the need to understand every single detail to enjoy a story, and I absolutely did. 😄

I loved Alex’s ability to adapt to any situation. She fits in surprisingly well with both ghosts 👻 and humans 🧑‍🤝‍🧑, and she sets out to help solve everyone’s mysteries 🕵️‍♀️. I mean, who wouldn’t want to befriend a dead bridegroom 💀💍, right?!

It’s dark—very dark in places 🌑. Definitely read the trigger warnings ⚠️ before diving in, as it’s not suitable for everyone. Luckily, few things trigger me, and I was happy to lose myself in the secret societies 🏰 and mysterious goings-on 🔮 for a few days!

I’ll definitely pick up the sequel at some point 📖—I’m keen to read more about Daniel Arlington! 😉

About the Book

Galaxy "Alex" Stern is the most unlikely member of Yale’s freshman class. Raised in the Los Angeles hinterlands by a hippie mom, Alex dropped out of school early and into a world of shady drug-dealer boyfriends, dead-end jobs, and much, much worse. In fact, by age 20, she is the sole survivor of a horrific, unsolved multiple homicide. Some might say she’s thrown her life away. But at her hospital bed, Alex is offered a second chance: to attend one of the world’s most prestigious universities on a full ride. What’s the catch, and why her?

Still searching for answers, Alex arrives in New Haven tasked by her mysterious benefactors with monitoring the activities of Yale’s secret societies. Their eight windowless "tombs" are the well-known haunts of the rich and powerful, from high-ranking politicos to Wall Street’s biggest players. But their occult activities are more sinister and more extraordinary than any paranoid imagination might conceive. They tamper with forbidden magic. They raise the dead. And, sometimes, they prey on the living.

About Leigh

Leigh Bardugo is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Familiar, Ninth House and the creator of the Grishaverse (now a Netflix original series) which spans the Shadow and Bone trilogy, the Six of Crows duology, the King of Scars duology—and much more. Her short fiction has appeared in multiple anthologies including The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy. She lives in Los Angeles and is an associate fellow of Pauli Murray College at Yale University.

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My Review for The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins

“No sensible man ever engages, unprepared, in a fencing match of words with a woman.”

Huge thank you to #classiclitbookclub for picking The Woman in White for October, because it has officially become my new favourite book. Rebecca has been my number one forever, but nope—it's been bumped. 😂 Clearly the gothic vibe is my thing… it’s only taken me 52 years to figure that out!

I read the gorgeous clothbound copy while also listening to the audiobook, and switching between the two was so much fun. The creepy, psychological tension totally sucked me in. 🙊 Some of the characters are seriously twisted—they start off all lovely and then bam, the masks come off. And honestly? It’s wild (and pretty scary) to think people could just be thrown into an asylum back then with hardly any assessment.

It’s told through multiple POVs, and I did get a bit lost now and then, but it didn’t ruin anything for me. The writing is gorgeous and the story is brilliant. Now I’m off to find a pretty copy of The Moonstone!

About the Book

The Woman in White famously opens with Walter Hartright’s eerie encounter on a moonlit London road. Engaged as a drawing master to the beautiful Laura Fairlie, Walter is drawn into the sinister intrigues of Sir Percival Glyde and his ‘charming’ friend Count Fosco, who has a taste for white mice, vanilla bonbons and poison. Pursuing questions of identity and insanity along the paths and corridors of English country houses and the madhouse, The Woman in White is the first and most influential of the Victorian genre that combined Gothic horror with psychological realism.

About Wilkie

William Wilkie Collins, or Wilkie as he was known to his friends and readers, was born in London's Marylebone where he lived more or less continuously for 65 years. Today he is best known for The Moonstone (1868), often regarded as the first true detective novel, and The Woman in White (1860), the archetypal sensation novel. During his lifetime, however, he wrote over thirty major books, well over a hundred articles, short stories and essays, and a dozen or more plays.

He lived an unconventional, Bohemian lifestyle, loved good food and wine to excess, wore flamboyant clothes, travelled abroad frequently, formed long-term relationships with two women but married neither, and took vast quantities of opium over many years to relieve the symptoms of ill health. Collins's circle of friends included many pre-eminent figures of the day. He knew the major writers, particularly Charles Dickens with whom he regularly collaborated, as well as a host of minor novelists. His friends and acquaintances included some of the foremost artists, playwrights, theatrical personalities, musicians, publishers, physicians and society figures of the time. Collins's unorthodox lifestyle reveals a cynical regard for the Victorian establishment. This view is reflected in his books together with a sense of humour and a profound understanding for many of the then prevailing social injustices.

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My Review for Rewitched by Lucy Jane Wood, read by Evie Hargreaves

“You see? We don’t bite,” Bronwyn added. “Unless you’re a biscuit, then I’m afraid you are in trouble.”

Rewitched was our October pick for #ThatIndieBookClub, and I absolutely loved it! From the very first page—well, the first chapter (I listened to the audiobook, so you know what I mean!)—I was completely hooked. 🙃

Belladonna Blackthorn… honestly, what a name for a witch! But despite sounding all dangerous and spiky, Belle’s actually not like that at all. She’s just a mostly normal girl trying to get by, deal with her nightmare boss, and figure out if this is really what adult life is supposed to look like. Spoiler alert: it’s definitely not. There are ups and downs, laughter and tears, a sprinkle of magic, and maybe even a dash of romance.

Belle’s mum was adorable. She’s wild, chaotic, and hilarious—half the time I don’t think she even knows which way’s up, but she’s adorable all the same. Between her, Ariadne (Belle’s brilliant bestie), and Rune—the “hot wizard” 🧙🏻‍♂️ as our book club lovingly nicknamed him—Belle’s got a solid little team around her. Rune took a minute to grow on me, but once he did, I was sold.

I’ll 100% be picking up the next book. I think we’ve even got it lined up for our 'Sequel Shelf' early next year, and honestly, I can’t wait to dive back into this world.

About the Book

Belladonna Blackthorn hasn’t lost her magical spark . . . but she hasn’t seen it in a while, either.

Balancing work at her beloved Lunar Books with protecting it from her toxic boss, who’s running it into the ground, and all the while concealing her witchcraft from the non-wicches around her – Belle is burnt out. Perfecting the potential of her magic is the last thing on her mind.

But when her 30th birthday brings a summons from her coven, and a trial that tests her worthiness as a witch, Belle risks losing her magic forever. With the month of October to fix things, and signs that dark forces may be working against her, Belle will need all the help she can get – from the women in her life, from an unlikely mentor figure, and even an (infuriatingly handsome) watchman who’s sworn to protect her . . .

With found family, slow burn romance and an uplifting message about self-love, this is the cosy, autumnal read that you've been waiting for.

About Lucy - by Lucy

Oh, hey! I’m Lucy, author of Rewitched, Uncharmed, and perhaps some other mysterious, magical projects bubbling away in the background. I’m originally from the Wirral, UK, but these days you’ll find me living in London, giant coffee in hand, probably being headbutted by my cat.

Being a bookworm has always been a fundamental part of my personality, and I found myself falling into the world of writing almost by accident. After happily stumbling into my first paid writing position for a teen website back in 2013, I've been lucky enough to write freelance for titles like Marie Claire US, Cosmopolitan UK, MTV and Metro amongst others. Since then, I’ve also popped up online to overshare across YouTube, Instagram and TikTok, where you can expect to find me chatting about important things like books, writing, and snacks.

Rewitched and Uncharmed were both written to be cosy, comforting, joyful books that envoke the 90s witches I loved so much growing up. They’re soft, kind stories (full of absolutely terrible jokes) to lead you by the hand into spooky season and rewind your mind back to a precious, nostalgic time. 

Best enjoyed with a spiced latte and a cat on your lap

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My Review for Carmilla by J.Sheridan Le Fanu, performed by a BBC Radio Full-Cast

“but curiosity is a restless and scrupulous passion, and no one girl can endure, with patience, that hers should be baffled by another.”

Carmilla was an additional read/listen for October for #classiclitbookclub, and I loved it! Admittedly, the version I listened to was abridged and performed by a BBC Radio cast, but I think the gist of the story came through really well.

Carmilla reminded me of a cross between Dracula (well, it did inspire Bram Stoker) and, for some reason, a mixture of Daphne du Maurier’s novels. I think it was the gothic vibe—the characters wandering through the darkness. I wasn’t sure whether I was going to enjoy it; female vampires just don’t have the same draw as the male ones 😂. But actually, I liked Laura and her dad, even if I really didn’t like Carmilla—she was the essence of evil and manipulation: narcissistic and just plain creepy!

I’ll read the full version at some point, but I’m really glad it’s now on my radar.

About the Book

In an isolated castle deep in the Austrian forest, Laura leads a solitary life with only her ailing father for company. Until one moonlit night, a horse-drawn carriage crashes into view, carrying an unexpected guest – the beautiful Carmilla. So begins a feverish friendship between Laura and her mysterious, entrancing companion. 

But as Carmilla becomes increasingly strange and volatile, prone to eerie nocturnal wanderings, Laura finds herself tormented by nightmares and growing weaker by the day… Pre-dating Dracula by twenty-six years, Carmilla is the original vampire story, steeped in sexual tension and gothic romance.

About J. Sheridan Le Fanu

Joseph Thomas Sheridan Le Fanu was an Irish writer of Gothic tales and mystery novels. He was the leading ghost-story writer of the nineteenth century and was central to the development of the genre in the Victorian era. M.R. James described Le Fanu as "absolutely in the first rank as a writer of ghost stories".

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My Review for The Awakening by Kate Chopin, read by Lisa Ross

“...but whatever came, she had resolved never again to belong to another than herself.”

The Awakening was another classic I listened to for #classiclitbookclub in 2024. Looking back, I think it’s one that would grow on me with rereads. Edna Pontellier was a woman way ahead of her time. She isn’t happy with her life, or with her role as a wife and a mother. Despite the expectations of society, she basically throws in the towel, sticks her fingers up to the world, and says: nope, I’m not doing this anymore. I’m going to do what I want from now on.

Some people aren’t meant to be parents, and some just don’t want to be. But in her time, Edna was married and a mother because that’s what was expected. Drop her in the twenty-first century and I don’t think she would have made the same choices. The climax of the book is heartbreaking, but I think Edna felt like she didn’t have another option.

I really enjoyed the rebellious side of The Awakening, and writing this review makes me want to read it next time instead of listening.

About the Book

First published in 1899, this revolutionary novel so disturbed critics and the public that it was banished for decades afterward. Now widely read and admired, The Awakening has been hailed as an early vision of woman's emancipation. Rooted in the romantic tradition of Melville and Dickinson, it is the story of twenty-eight-year-old Edna Pontellier, a surprisingly modern woman trapped in a dehumanizing marriage and in search of self-discovery. Turning away from convention and society toward her primal instincts for passion and freedom, Edna abandons her family to realize herself as an individual. But her quest leads to her destruction by a society that grants no place for those unfulfilled by marriage and motherhood.

About Kate

Kate Chopin (1850–1904) was an American author best known for her bold, ahead-of-its-time explorations of women’s inner lives. Writing in the late 19th century, she tackled themes like independence, desire, and identity in a society that often tried to silence women’s voices. Her novel The Awakening caused a stir when it was first published in 1899, but today it’s celebrated as an early feminist classic.

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My Review for The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake, read by Andy Ingalls, Caitlin Kelly, Damian Lynch, David Monteith, James Patrick Cronin, Munich Grace, Siho Ellesmore and Steve West

“The problem with knowledge, is it's inexhaustible craving. the more of it you have, the less you feel you know”

Chosen for September’s read for #thatindiebookclub, I’m still unsure how I feel about The Atlas Six. I listened to the audiobook, and since the story is told from multiple viewpoints, the full cast definitely helped keep track of the numerous characters.

The story was unlike anything I’ve experienced before—there was so much to take in and work out, and I got lost many, many times. Figuring out who each character was and what their magical power entailed was… complicated. I liked some characters, hated others, and felt ambivalent about the rest. I did like the plant lady—Reina, I think—but the voice of the plants was a bit sickly-sweet and weird (you wouldn’t get that if you’re reading the print version!).

There’s a lot going on, but at the same time, not much actually happens—yes, I know that sounds contradictory, but that’s exactly how I felt 😂. Will I read the next one? Probably, but I won’t be rushing. Hopefully it’ll be easier to follow now that I already have the world built in my head!

About the Book

The Alexandrian Society, caretakers of lost knowledge from the greatest civilizations of antiquity, are the foremost secret society of magical academicians in the world. Those who earn a place among the Alexandrians will secure a life of wealth, power, and prestige beyond their wildest dreams, and each decade, only the six most uniquely talented magicians are selected to be considered for initiation.

Enter the latest round of six: Libby Rhodes and Nico de Varona, unwilling halves of an unfathomable whole, who exert uncanny control over every element of physicality. Reina Mori, a naturalist, who can intuit the language of life itself. Parisa Kamali, a telepath who can traverse the depths of the subconscious, navigating worlds inside the human mind. Callum Nova, an empath easily mistaken for a manipulative illusionist, who can influence the intimate workings of a person’s inner self. Finally, there is Tristan Caine, who can see through illusions to a new structure of reality—an ability so rare that neither he nor his peers can fully grasp its implications.

When the candidates are recruited by the mysterious Atlas Blakely, they are told they will have one year to qualify for initiation, during which time they will be permitted preliminary access to the Society’s archives and judged based on their contributions to various subjects of impossibility: time and space, luck and thought, life and death. Five, they are told, will be initiated. One will be eliminated. The six potential initiates will fight to survive the next year of their lives, and if they can prove themselves to be the best among their rivals, most of them will.

Most of them.

About Olivie 

Olivie Blake, the pen name of Alexene Farol Follmuth, is the author of internationally bestselling speculative fiction for adults. She is a lover and writer of stories, many of which involve the fantastic, the paranormal, or the supernatural, but not always. More often, her works revolve around the collective experience, what it means to be human (or not), and the endlessly interesting complexities of life and love.

​Olivie tripped and fell into writing after abandoning her long-premeditated track for Optimum Life Achievement while attending law school, and now focuses primarily on the craft and occasional headache of creating fiction. Her New York Times and Sunday Times bestselling The Atlas Six released in 2022 from Tor Books, with The Atlas Paradox and The Atlas Complex rounding out the bestselling trilogy in 2024. The re-release of her viral literary romance Alone With You in the Ether was followed by backlist titles One for My Enemy and New York Times bestselling Masters of Death, with brand new titles Gifted & Talented and Girl Dinner to release in 2025. She has also been published as the writer for the graphic series Clara and the Devil and a variety of other adult SFF books. As Alexene, she is the author of young adult fiction.

Olivie lives and works in Los Angeles with her husband and son. She has trained in boxing for the last seven years and enjoys dinner conversation, art made by humans, and overindulging her sweet tooth.

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My Review for The Catcher in the Rye by J.D.Salinger

'He was a very good skater and all, but I couldn't enjoy it much because I kept picturing him practicing to be a guy on roller-skates on the stage.'

The Catcher in the Rye was chosen for September's #classiclitbookclub. This is my first time reading it, and I’m still not entirely sure how I feel about it. At first, I found Holden to be annoying, the story depressing, and there was a lot of overthinking. But as the book progressed and drew to a close, I started to understand why Holden narrates the way he does. 

Holden seemed like a troubled teen still grappling with the death of his brother. His parents appeared more concerned about his academic failures than his emotional state. I suppose this is reflective of the time in which the book was written—mental health awareness was not as prevalent back then. Today, there are more resources available for teens going through similar struggles. 

What really stood out to me was Holden's internal conflict—he’s trying to act like an adult when he clearly isn’t ready to let go of his childhood. He has no true friends; instead, he’s surrounded by acquaintances who tolerate him but don’t really understand him. 

After reading a few other reviews, it’s clear that people either love or hate this book. As for me, I’m still on the fence, but I think if I read it again, I’d lean more toward ‘love’ than ‘hate.’

About the Book

It's Christmas time and Holden Caulfield has just been expelled from yet another school...

Fleeing the crooks at Pencey Prep, he pinballs around New York City seeking solace in fleeting encounters—shooting the bull with strangers in dive hotels, wandering alone round Central Park, getting beaten up by pimps and cut down by erstwhile girlfriends. The city is beautiful and terrible, in all its neon loneliness and seedy glamour, its mingled sense of possibility and emptiness. Holden passes through it like a ghost, thinking always of his kid sister Phoebe, the only person who really understands him, and his determination to escape the phonies and find a life of true meaning.

The Catcher in the Rye is an all-time classic in coming-of-age literature- an elegy to teenage alienation, capturing the deeply human need for connection and the bewildering sense of loss as we leave childhood behind.

About J.D. Salinger

People well know this author for his reclusive nature. He published his last original work in 1965 and gave his last interview in 1980. Reared in city of New York, Salinger began short stories in secondary school and published several stories in the early 1940s before serving in World War II. In 1948, he published the critically acclaimed story "A Perfect Day for Bananafish" in The New Yorker, his subsequent home magazine. He released an immediate popular success. His depiction of adolescent alienation and loss of innocence in the protagonist Holden Caulfield especially influenced adolescent readers. Widely read and controversial, sells a quarter-million copies a year.

The success led to public attention and scrutiny: reclusive, he published new work less frequently. He followed with a short story collection, Nine Stories (1953), of a novella and a short story, Franny and Zooey (1961), and a collection of two novellas, Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters and Seymour: An Introduction (1963). His last published work, a novella entitled "Hapworth 16, 1924", appeared in The New Yorker on June 19, 1965.

Afterward, Salinger struggled with unwanted attention, including a legal battle in the 1980s with biographer Ian Hamilton. In the late 1990s, Joyce Maynard, a close ex-lover, and Margaret Salinger, his daughter, wrote and released his memoirs. In 1996, a small publisher announced a deal with Salinger to publish "Hapworth 16, 1924" in book form, but the ensuing publicity indefinitely delayed the release. 

Another writer used one of his characters, resulting in copyright infringement; he filed a lawsuit against this writer and afterward made headlines around the globe in June 2009. Salinger died of natural causes at his home in Cornish, New Hampshire.

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My Review for Shaedes of Beasts by Jenny Grimes

'Watch where you are going, you glorified pincushion!'

I'm finding it difficult to begin this review. Not because I hated the book (absolutely not!) but more because I can’t quite pin down how I feel about it yet.

For a change, let's work backwards.The last chapter was so good. I’m already itching for the next book just to see how this new character is going to shake things up (don’t worry—no spoilers). The final battle was less fighting and more of an intense rescue mission. It was heart-wrenching and scary, whilst being fully immersive, as we trudge through the forest in the rain, and the mud, with an incredibly novel way to stop the storm from raging and the rain from pouring down. 😉

Shaedes of Beasts was slow to begin with, as Jenny takes her time reintroducing old faces and bringing in new ones, whilst slowly recapping earlier battles. However, once it gets moving you are once again thrown into the magical lives of the members of the Shaede Court, as they attempt to save their worlds and their friends. 

Depressed - that's how I felt when I was reading this. Not because I wasn't enjoying it (I was), but because it basically never stopped raining, inside the book and outside my window. Zero sunshine. But hey, not all battles can be fought under a blazing sun! 🤣 

Thank you so much to Jenny Grimes for including me on her ARC team for Shaedes of Beasts.

About the Book

One love will make her. One spell will break her. One choice will save her.

The consequences of everything that happened in Corynthia haunt the High Shaedes as they attempt to savor the peace their sacrifices purchased on behalf of the Seam. While everyone seems to be moving on, Opal remains shattered—broken in ways that no one else can even begin to understand.

Edmyn and Farris are more than willing to distract her battered heart, but soon are faced with more troubles of their own. The Moon King must continue to rebuild what the dragons destroyed, while Farris must deal with the return of an unwanted figure from his past, come to wound him anew.

What will happen when a mysterious and alluring purple Shaede appears at court and offers Opal a taste of something she’s never had before?

And will the Shaedes be able to maintain the frail peace they’ve secured even when faced with suspicious talking beasts from Jovii’s Isle invading their lands and making soul magic demands?

About Jenny

Jenny Grimes writes fantasy romance novels that focus on the blurred lines between worlds, the darkness you’ll find in all of them, and the love that resides there too. She creates her characters and spins her stories from her home in the human realm, where she raises her three little book dragons with her husband, and spends a healthy amount of time reading, travelling, and creating art.

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My Review for Tess of the D'urbervilles by Thomas Hardy

“I think of people more kindly when I am away from them.”

I picked up the gorgeous Penguin Clothbound copy of this one, and I adored Tess of the D'urbervilles. Yes it's disturbing, yes it's sad, and tragic, and it focuses very much on the class system in England in the nineteenth century, of which Tess is nearer the bottom than the top. It's brilliantly and beautifully written, and Mr Hardy captures the essence of the English countryside in great detail throughout. 

Poor Tess, thrown out into the world without any real life skills, and susceptible to the predatory nature of the men she comes across. Wasn't it a thing to talk to your daughter about s*x in the nineteenth century? Surely they had some sort of conversation!🤷

Tess is a true victim throughout this book, society treats her shoddily, and she deserves so much more. A tragic end for such an aspiring young woman, who could have done so much better with her life if given half a chance.

I had to read Far From the Madding Crowd for school, and I need to read it again, without the hassle of looking for symbolism, and meaning and all that guff. I'm sure I'll enjoy it, just as much as this one. 

It's a while ago now, but thank you to #classiclitbookclub for choosing to read Tess of the D'urbervilles by Thomas Hardy. 

About the Book

When Tess Durbeyfield is driven by family poverty to claim kinship with the wealthy D'Urbervilles and seek a portion of their family fortune, meeting her 'cousin' Alec proves to be her downfall. A very different man, Angel Clare, seems to offer her love and salvation, but Tess must choose whether to reveal her past or remain silent in the hope of a peaceful future. With its sensitive depiction of the wronged Tess and powerful criticism of social convention, Tess of the D'Urbervilles is one of the most moving and poetic of Hardy's novels.

About Thomas

Thomas Hardy (1840–1928) was born in Higher Bockhampton, Dorset, into a close-knit rural family whose characters and landscape shaped his imagination. His father, a builder and musician, passed down a love of music, while his mother encouraged his education. After schooling in Dorchester, Hardy apprenticed as an architect before moving to London in 1862, where he worked as a Gothic draughtsman and wrote poetry. Poor health brought him back to Dorset in 1867, where he turned to fiction. His first published novel, Desperate Remedies (1871), was followed by Under the Greenwood Tree (1872) and Far from the Madding Crowd (1874), which made his reputation and allowed him to marry Emma Gifford. Their unhappy marriage ended with Emma’s death in 1912, inspiring some of Hardy’s most powerful poetry.

Over the next two decades Hardy produced major novels including The Return of the Native (1878), The Mayor of Casterbridge (1886), Tess of the d’Urbervilles (1891) and Jude the Obscure (1895). Outrage at Jude led him to abandon fiction and devote himself to poetry, publishing eight volumes and the vast verse-drama The Dynasts. He lived from 1885 at Max Gate, his Dorchester home, where he wrote until his death. Celebrated as the “Grand Old Man of English Letters,” Hardy was admired by younger writers such as Sassoon, Graves, Woolf and Lawrence.

He died in 1928. In a compromise between family and state, his ashes were interred in Westminster Abbey, while his heart was buried in Stinsford beside Emma.

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My Review for IT by Stephen King, read by Steven Weber

“What can be done when you’re eleven can often never be done again.”

I enjoyed IT a whole lot more than Carrie. Even though it was a stonker of a listen at 45 hours, I was invested in the story, the kids, as they navigated their way through their traumatic teenage years in Derry. Twenty-eight years later, when they returned to their hometown to fight whatever the monster is, all over again. 

Occasionally I got lost in the narration as the story skipped from the past to the present and occasionally somewhere in-between, but aside from that, I did actually like it. I definitely wouldn't like the movie version, but I treated the monster as some sort of paranormal fantasy creature that I've encountered in numerous other books, and it was all good.

I'm sure I'm not the first person who's thought this, but whether intentional or not, I think some of J.K. Rowling's ideas came from this book. The monster is eerily reminiscent of Aragog, and, she moves around in the pipes, just as the monster does in Chamber of Secrets. Anyone else??

Thank you to #thatindiebookclub for the decision to try a Stephen King club for people who were maybe a little sceptical!

About the Book

Stephen King's terrifying, classic #1 New York Times bestseller, "a landmark in American literature" (Chicago Sun-Times)—about seven adults who return to their hometown to confront a nightmare they had first stumbled on as teenagers…an evil without a name: It.

Welcome to Derry, Maine. It's a small city, a place as hauntingly familiar as your own hometown. Only in Derry the haunting is real.

They were seven teenagers when they first stumbled upon the horror. Now they are grown-up men and women who have gone out into the big world to gain success and happiness. But the promise they made twenty-eight years ago calls them reunite in the same place where, as teenagers, they battled an evil creature that preyed on the city's children. Now, children are being murdered again and their repressed memories of that terrifying summer return as they prepare to once again battle the monster lurking in Derry's sewers.

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.

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My Review for Nineteen Steps by Millie Bobby Brown, read by Millie Bobby Brown

“I couldn’t, I won’t take this second chance from you. … Just go! Be happy!”

It's been a while since I listened to Nineteen Steps by Millie Bobby Brown, but I'm finally catching up with my reviews. This was one we chose for one of my Instagram book clubs and, as always, I went into it completely blind. I had no idea what it was about, or that it was based on true events, but I'm oh so glad I listened to it. It was so, so good. 

I adore historical fiction, set in and around World War II. Nellie Morris was so lovely, as our protagonist, but she had to deal with so much, as the bombs rained down around her. My emotions ranged from happy to sad, to happy again and then to devastated as the love with her American airman looks so idyllic and positive, until the world caves in around them both. 

There are hundreds of thousands of stories which could be told about people's experiences during WWII. I'm so pleased that Millie Bobby Brown decided to tell the world about this one, which has been passed down to her from her family.

If you have even an ounce of interest in this time period, give this a read. I hope you love it as much as I did.

About the Book

It’s 1942, and London remains under constant threat of enemy attack as the second world war rages on. In the Bethnal Green neighborhood, Nellie Morris counts every day lucky that she emerges from the underground shelters unharmed, her loving family still surrounding her.

Three years into the war, she’s grateful to hold onto remnants of normalcy—her job as assisting the mayor and nights spent at the local pub with her best friend. But after a chance encounter with Ray, an American airman stationed nearby, Nellie becomes enchanted with the idea of a broader world.

Just when Nellie begins to embrace an exciting new life with Ray, a terrible incident occurs during an air raid one evening, and the consequences are catastrophic. As the truth about that night is revealed, Nellie’s world is torn apart. When it seems all hope is lost, Nellie finds that, against all odds, love and happiness can triumph.

Nineteen Steps is a deeply affecting, mesmerizing page-turner inspired by the author’s family history. An epic story of longing, loss, and secrets, Millie Bobby Brown’s propulsive debut introduces an unforgettable, brave young woman and boldly portrays the strength in the power of love.

About Millie Bobby Brown

Millie Bobby Brown is a British Emmy Award–winning actress. She has been featured in the TIME 100 list of the world’s most influential people and is a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. Nineteen Steps is her first book. 

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My Review for Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell, read by Andrew Wincott

'If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face—for ever.'

Although I have a beautiful, Penguin clothbound copy of Nineteen Eighty-Four, I chose to listen to it, and I'm so glad I did! As soon as the narrator spoke the first words, I knew that I knew him, and it took me all of five minutes to realise that it was Adam from the Archers. He was phenomenal, and made Winston come to life!

I read this book many, many years ago, and I couldn't remember a thing about it. I found it terrifying that the authoritarian state in which he's living, could be said to resemble what's happening in certain parts of the world right now. Let's rewrite history, and make it the way we want it!😲

I enjoyed the beginning and the end, but now and then, Orwell goes off on a tangent and I became bored quite quickly.

Nineteen Eighty-Four is definitely worth a read, just because it's a classic. Oh, and I love that he lived about thirty minutes from me, in a town on the east coast of England called Southwold. There is a huge mural of him on the pier there. 

Thank you to #classiclitbookclub for choosing this one for August's read.

About the Book

Hidden away in the Record Department of the sprawling Ministry of Truth, Winston Smith skilfully rewrites the past to suit the needs of the Party. Yet he inwardly rebels against the totalitarian world he lives in, which demands absolute obedience and controls him through the all-seeing telescreens and the watchful eye of Big Brother, symbolic head of the Party. In his longing for truth and liberty, Smith begins a secret love affair with a fellow-worker Julia, but soon discovers the true price of freedom is betrayal.

About George

As both pioneering political journalist and sage-like novelist George Orwell shaped how many of us interpreted the 20th century. His pre-war reportage highlighted inequality and poverty in Britain’s provinces, as well as bearing witness to pivotal political developments in Civil War Spain. His earlier fiction drew on his own experiences in imperial India and the English suburbs but broadened out to envision dystopian worlds rich in political allegory. His masterwork, Nineteen Eighty-Four, is one of the most significant novels of the 20th century.

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My Review for The No-Show by Beth O'Leary, read by Evanna Lynch, Heather Long, Kathryn Drysdale and Luke Thompson

'As a rule, she prefers plants and cats to humans these days. They’re both species with a much better track record.'

This was so far from what I was expecting, I had to take a step back and think - wow! Did I really just listen to that! I thought the No-Show would be a rom-com all the way, but it was that and so, so much more. It took me until at least halfway through the audiobook, if not further, to realise what I was listening to. I can't say much more because I don't want to spoil it for those of you who may read it. Essentially, it's about the same man, standing up three women on Valentine's Day - that's all I'm going to say!

It's heartwarming, heart-wrenching, and completely original. Beth O'Leary is adept at putting these thoughts in your head, making you believe the story is going in one direction. In fact, she gives you whiplash as she throws you in the completely opposite direction and breaks your heart. 

If you're a crier, then you'll sob at this book. If you're more hardhearted, then I'm sure you will have at least a tear somewhere at the back of your eyes!

About the Book

Siobhan is a quick-tempered life coach with way too much on her plate. Miranda is a tree surgeon used to being treated as just one of the guys on the job. Jane is a soft-spoken volunteer for the local charity shop with zero sense of self-worth.

These three women are strangers who have only one thing in common: They've all been stood up on the same day, the very worst day to be stood up--Valentine's Day. And, unbeknownst to them, they've all been stood up by the same man.

Once they've each forgiven him for standing them up, they let him back into their lives and are in serious danger of falling in love with a man who seems to have not just one or two but three women on the go....

Is there more to him than meets the eye? And will they each untangle the truth before they all get their hearts broken?

About Beth

Beth O’Leary is a Sunday Times bestselling author whose books have been translated into more than 30 languages. 

She wrote her debut novel, The Flatshare, on her train journey to and from her job at a children’s publisher. 

She now lives in the Hampshire countryside and writes full time.

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