Novels & Tea

The Girl Before by JP Delaney REVIEW | Hiatus over

October 5, 2018

Hi everyone. My first post back after a bigger than expected hiatus from my blog…but something I felt like I needed. I felt unhappy with my content and how I was organizing my reviewing. But now I’m back, hopefully for good!

Today I’m going to be talking about The Girl Before by JP Delaney and the turning point which lead to me getting more into the thriller genre.

This is one of those books that I’d seen on display in various bookshops for quite some time. So a couple of months back I decided to pick it up on a whim. Previous to this I’d only read maybe 5 thrillers? I’m someone who gets scared quite easily, so based off that in the past I think I’d just written off thrillers as a genre that maybe wasn’t for me. But maybe it’s about finding that perfect sub-genre, where it doesn’t get too full on ‘scary’…

Enter the world of One Folgate Street and discover perfection . . . but can you pay the price?

Jane stumbles on the rental opportunity of a lifetime: the chance to live in a beautiful ultra-minimalist house designed by an enigmatic architect, on condition she abides by a long list of exacting rules. After moving in, she discovers that a previous tenant, Emma, met a mysterious death there – and starts to wonder if her own story will be a re-run of the girl before

As twist after twist catches the reader off guard, Emma’s past and Jane’s present become inexorably entwined in this tense, page-turning portrayal of psychological obsession.

GAVE: 4/5 stars

BACK SOON!

September 14, 2018

– SITE CURRENTLY UNDER MAINTENANCE –

July 2018 Releases I’m excited for!

July 3, 2018

JULY?! how is it July. MADNESS. Anywho – Here are the books I’m most looking forward to that release this month!

Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli Review

May 14, 2018

My review & thoughts on Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli (contains minor spoilers from Simon vs)

Description:

When it comes to drumming, Leah Burke is usually on beat– but real life isn’t always so rhythmic. The only child of a single mum, and her life is less privileged than her friends.

Her mum knows she’s bisexual, but Leah hasn’t mustered the courage to tell her friends. Not even her openly gay BFF, Simon. Prom and college are on the horizon, and tensions are running high. Can Leah still strike the right note, when the people she loves are fighting? And how can she cope knowing that she might love one of her friends more than she ever intended?

My thoughts:

Blog Tour: Dear Martin by Nic Stone – Review

May 5, 2018

Dear Martin by Nic Stone

Published by: Simon & Schuster (UK)

Out now

Amazon | Waterstones | Goodreads

Justyce McAllister is top of his class and set for the Ivy League – but none of that matters to the police officer who just put him in handcuffs. And despite leaving his rough neighbourhood behind, he can’t escape the scorn of his former peers or the ridicule of his new classmates.

Justyce looks to the teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for answers. But do they hold up anymore? He starts a journal to Dr. King to find out.

Then comes the day Justyce goes driving with his best friend, Manny, windows rolled down, music turned up – way up, sparking the fury of a white off-duty police officer beside them. Words fly. Shots are fired. Justyce and Manny are caught in the crosshairs. In the media fallout, it’s Justyce who is under attack.

My thoughts:

Starfish by Akemi Dawn Bowman (Non Spoiler Review)

April 10, 2018

Amazon Description:

Kiko Himura has always had a hard time saying exactly what she s thinking. With a mother who makes her feel unremarkable and a half-Japanese heritage she doesn t quite understand, Kiko prefers to keep her head down, certain that once she makes it into her dream art school, Prism, her real life will begin.

But then Kiko doesn t get into Prism, at the same time as her abusive uncle moves back in with her family. So when she receives an invitation from her childhood friend to leave her small town and tour art schools on the West Coast, Kiko jumps at the opportunity in spite of the anxieties and fears that attempt to hold her back. And now that she is finally free to be her own person outside the constricting walls of her home life, Kiko learns transformative truths about herself, her past, and how to be brave.

A luminous, heartbreaking story of identity, family, and the beauty that emerges when we embrace our true selves.

My thoughts:

Throwback Thursday Reading #TBT

March 22, 2018

Welcome back to #TBT reading, I thought I would bring this post back, as I haven’t done it in quite some time, Talking about books that I was reading this time last year, and reflecting on my thoughts on them since then.

I think it’s interesting, the way we review books, often (at least I do) write my review for a book within a short time-frame. My brain still in the story. But sometimes I find, once I step away from a book for a few days or even months, my view on them can change.

The Hating Game by Sally Thorne

March 8, 2018

Amazon Description:

Lucy Hutton and Joshua Templeman sit across from each other every day . . . and they hate each other. Not dislike. Not begrudgingly tolerate. HATE. Lucy can’t understand Joshua’s joyless, uptight approach to his job and refusal to smile. Joshua is clearly baffled by Lucy’s overly bright clothes, quirkiness, and desire to be liked.

Now they’re up for the same promotion and Lucy, usually, a determined people-pleaser has had enough: it’s time to take him down. But as the tension between Lucy and Joshua reaches its boiling point, it’s clear that the real battle has only just begun.

Hyped up books I haven’t read yet?!

February 26, 2018

Ah, that reoccurring problem, that’s part of being a book blogger. Those books that you see everyone raving about, that you can’t even refresh your Instagram feed without seeing. That feeling of ‘Has everyone read this book but me?!’ But that kind of exposure somehow ends up with you putting off starting the book for one reason or another. What if the hype was too much and the book lets you down? Here are just 5 examples of those for me.

Top 5 Favourite Bookish Pairings

February 14, 2018

Trying to narrow this down to top 5 honestly made me want to pull my hair out, could have easily picked more than one ship from some of these books too, These are in no particular order!