Sam's Fireside - Cosy Book Reviews & Recommendations

"The house sighs, and eases, an overwhelming emptiness subsiding into a quiet melancholy." This quote! It instantly made me feel like I was the house and a great weight had been lifted from my shoulders. I loved it. And houses are alive, aren't they? You can just tell whether someone or something belongs there or not — or perhaps that's just my airy-fairy brain talking! ✨🏡 Such a gorgeous idea, that Nicole, our protagonist, is 'told' when to move an object and, equally as lovely, that she knows where it's meant to be 'relocated' to when the time is right. I wonder if there are people out there who are really like this? I'd like to think so. 🥰 With a large dose of magical realism, Other People's Things made my heart soften and my tummy flutter, and I really want to be able to have the ability to 'relocate' items! ✨📚 I chose this one for July's read for #kindlecrushchallenge. A very belated thank you to Lake Union Publishing an...

“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...