Sam's Fireside - Cosy Book Reviews & Recommendations

“Leonardo hid so many of his secrets in his artwork. My very last hope is that he hid the secret to setting me free…” ✨ I really liked the first quarter of this book—but the rest of it? I absolutely loved it. 💛 It completely blew me away. Magical realism, living forever—quite literally—not what I was expecting at all. 🤯 I don’t want to say too much because that would spoil it… just trust me and read it. 📖 Don’t be fooled—there are some truly heartbreaking moments here. 💔 It isn’t all sunshine and roses. But there are also some beautiful family connections, especially towards the end, and it all balances out so well 🫶 Helen McAlpine and Nathaniel Priestly were brilliant as narrators, 🎧, bringing warmth, love, and sadness to their characters. I was completely invested in their voices from the start. Honestly—read it, listen to it, I don’t mind—just get your hands on this book NOW! 🔥 A very belated thank you to Hodder & Stoughton Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to liste...

“I think all worlds are magic. We just get used to it.” ✨🌍 #thatbonkersbookclub chose Fairy Tale as the read for The Chiller Shelf for March (it may even have been my suggestion—I can’t remember! 🤔📚). Either way, it’s definitely my favourite of the three Stephen King novels I’ve read so far. 🙌 In my mind, it leans far more toward fantasy than horror, which is probably why I enjoyed it so much. 🐉✨ I both read and listened to this one, but definitely leaned more towards the audiobook. 🎧📖 The first half of the book follows a normal kid who’s had a pretty tough childhood 💔 and has had to grow up fast. He then takes it one step further by agreeing to look after an older man who needs extra care after an accident. 🏡🩹 The second half is where the fantasy world kicks in—and wow, does it kick in. 😳⚡ We go from a normal world with a normal kid to a portal into another world where everything is very much not normal. 🌌🚪✨ Slight spoiler (but necessary!): Radar is one of the main charac...

“Sometimes bridges aren’t meant to be rebuilt.” Good Spirits was December's pick for #thatindiebookclub, and since I already had it on my Libro FM shelf, I decided to listen 🎧. I loved it! Going in with zero expectations, I was completely blown away 😍. It's cute, ghostly 👻, magical ✨, and fun 🎄. I was so proud of Harriet as she finally stands up to her family. Nolan gives her the confidence to do so, and in return, she has a huge, positive effect on him 💛. The narrators were fantastic—especially Nolan! I’m a sucker for an Irish accent 🇮🇪, and it made his character even more charming and enjoyable to listen to. December seems to be my month for reading books featuring the undead 🧟‍♂️—but in a cutesy, romantic way 💕. Listening to Good Spirits gave me cosy, “relaxing by the fire under a warm blanket” vibes 🔥🛋️, especially with the rain 🌧️ (yes, more likely in the UK than snow ❄️) falling outside. If you’re into fun, romantic Christmas stories with lots of ghostly magic...