A photo of Lisa Gardner’s WhenYou See Me. The cover is dark blue with a shadowy figure and the title written in orange text.

The back cover of Lisa gardner’s when you see me. The blurb can be found here: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/439649/when-you-see-me-by-gardner-lisa/9781787464353

Book #8 of the #BookJourney is complete! #WhenYouSeeMe by #LisaGardner. It was a great #Thriller, though, past a certain point there are few enough named characters outside the investigation that you can narrow it down.

Photo of John Tarrow’s The Strangers Guide to Talliston. The book is hardback and the red dust jacket features the title in golden calligraphy and a stylized sketch of a bird, a labyrinth pattern contained within the bird’s chest.

The back cover of John Tarrow’s A Stranger’s Guide to Talliston. In addition to a sketch of a labyrinth it shows five rules: Rule #1 Nowhere is safe. Rule #2 Always have a way out. Rule #3 Be invisible. Rule #4 Don’t make friends. Rule #4 Do not talks to dead people.

The inside dust jacket of John Tarrow’s A Strangers Guide to Talliston. Featuring the books blurb. The blurb can be found here: https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-strangers-guide-to-talliston/john-tarrow/9781805140979

Book #7 of the #BookJourney compete with #JohnTartow’s #TheStrangersGuideToTalliston. NGL this one didn’t super sing to me, which is why it took so long, but I can see why other people would like it. #Fantasy #YA

Quinn’s journey is one of awakening and doubt. A road filled with uncertainty, but one that leads to self-discovery. 🔍💭 #ShatteredFaith

Do you feel like you’re on your own path to truth? Let’s talk.
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#TruthAndDiscovery #ShatteredFaith #SelfAwakening #BookJourney

Ngl I am not really enjoying the current #BookJourney book. IDKW there’s nothing wrong with it it’s just not really grabbing my imagination, hence the total delay with me finishing it 😅

A photo os an embroidery hoop with a light blue material. A picture of a bouquet of Lily of the valley flowers is drawn on the hoop, partially embroidered.

Have I written anything for the #WritingJourney this week? No.
Have I read anything for the #BookJourney? Also no.
But the #embroidery? The embroidery is taking off!

A dimly lit photo of Anne Bronte’s novel Agnes Grey. The title and author name are at the top of the page in a blue banner. The bottom 2/3rds of the page show an old-fashioned water colour of a brown haired woman reading.

The back cover of Anne Bronte’s Agnes Grey. Blurb can be found here: https://www.waterstones.com/book/agnes-grey/anne-bront/robert-inglesfield/9780199296989

Book #6 of the #BookJourney and I thought I’d sprinkle another classic in there as part of the attempt to expand the literary palate. #AgnesGrey by #AnneBronte. I will say that once you get used to the writing style classics are great for the reminder that people have always been people.

A photo of Sea of Tranquility by Emily St John Mandel. The cover is pale pinks and blues and purples around a white circle in which the title is written.

A photo of the inner cover of the same book showing the blurb. Blurb can be found here: https://www.waterstones.com/book/sea-of-tranquility/emily-st-john-mandel/9781529083514

Book #5 of the #BookJourney is complete! We’re doing a bit of #SciFi with #EmilyStJohnMandel’s #SeaOfTranquility. Love some time travel shenanigans and perspective jumps! #BookRecs #GreatBooks

Been making my way through book #5 of the #BookJourney and honestly, I think this author could make wet socks sound compelling. There’s just something very morish about her writing style. (Hopefully should have this one finished in the next couple of days)

A photo of the front cover of Helen Macdonald’s H is Fir Hawk a tan coloured book with a drawing of a goshawk standing on a branch.

The back cover of H is For Hawk. Blurb can be found here: https://www.waterstones.com/book/h-is-for-hawk/helen-macdonald/9780099575450

Book #5 of our 2026 #BookJourney is complete with #HelenMacdonald’s memoir, #HIsForHawk, an exploration in her journey of training a goshawk after her father’s death. #NonFiction #BookRecs. I confess I did bump this one up the old reading list after seeing the film has just come out.

A photo of an open book with a travel Costa cup beside it.

H is for Hot chocolate and H is for Hawk! (Cafe-book time!)

Funnily enough someone two tables over was reading exactly the same book.

#BookJourney #Nonfiction #HIsForHawk

A photo of Robert Jackson Bennett’s novel The Tainted Cup. The cover shows a jungle scene, dark green and blue plants and flowers taking much of the page, lit by the occasional paper lantern. A large circle of deep red sky takes up the upper half of the page, a red moon visible within it.

A photo of the back cover of Robert Jackson Bennett’s The Tainted Cup. You can find the blurb here: https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-tainted-cup/robert-jackson-bennett/9781399725392

Book #4 of the #BookJourney we’ve got a #Sci-Fi #MurderMystery. #TheTaintedCup Is basically if Sherlock and Watson had to solve a crime before a Kaiju crushes the city. (the Kaiju is unrelated to the murder). #BookRecs #RobertJacksonBennett

Book #4 of the #BookJourney is complete (no one look at the time and judge me it was another couldn’t put it downer) I’ll be back tomorrow with the proper post. So far this year we’ve done #mystery, (recent) #historicalfantasy, #modernfantasy and #sci-fi so I might jump in with a non-fiction next.

A photo of a map in a book. The map shows a jagged, coastal country, parts of the land split up by dark semi-circular lines separating the country into sections.

A photo of the page of a book detailing the “military ranks of the great and holy empire of Khanum. The ranks (highest to lowest) Conzulate, Prificto, Commander-Prificto, Commander, Immunis, Captain, Signum, Princeps, Militis.

New day, new book! When they’re dropping maps and cheat sheets on the first page you know the Lore is gonna be HEAVY (to be clear this is a good thing!)

#Fantasy #BookJourney #Maps

On a personal level, while my own work doesn’t have the same Korean influence, some of the themes of grief and selfishness (and death-powers) are similar enough to my own WIP that I’m considering keeping this one as a comp book. #BookJourney #MyWriting

A photo of Jihyun Yin’s novel and the river drags her down. The cover shows part or a woman’s face staring ominously at the reader the other half a rotting skull, concealed beneath swirling black hair. Rotting fish, fish bones and teeth float around the figure as if suspended in a current.

The back cover of Jihyun Yin’s novel And The River Drags Her Down. Blurb can be found here: https://www.waterstones.com/book/and-the-river-drags-her-down/jihyun-yun/9781836430520

Managed to get through #AndTheRiverDragsHerDown #3 of the #BookJourney super quickly because I just couldn’t put it down! Sisters, grief and ominous deathly powers? How could I resist! #JihyunYun #BookRecs #Fantasy

I’ve never been super good at formulating my thoughts into a coherent review - I’m a stream of consciousness / random observation girlie - so instead I think I might start adding my favourite / most interesting quote from each book in my #BookJourney

A photo of an open book, a train table and seats just visible behind it.

Long train rides once again proving useful 😂. Literal #BookJourney

A photo of the front cover of Alan Moore’s The Great When. The title is written in gold and takes up half the page. Beneath a shadowy figure walks along the banks of the Thames, a swirling grey sky above cut through with yellow search lights. London bridge is behind the figure, the bridge transforming into books that fly away into the sky.

The back cover of Alan Moore’s The Great When. The blurb can be found here: https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-great-when/alan-moore/9781526643247

Book #2 of this year’s #BookJourney is complete with #AlanMoore’s #TheGreatWhen a magical realism novel set in a post-war London and following 18 year-old Dennis as he attempts to return a magical book that found its way into his possession. #Books #Fantasy

"Books are the plane, and the train..." — Anna Quindlen
They move you—even if you never leave your room.
#BookJourney #BookTravel

A photo of the contents page from Alan Moore’s The Great When. Chapter titles include ‘Catshit Manor’, ‘Of Popes and Pot-Pourri’ and ‘Self as Hitler’.

The latest in the #BookJourney has such a fun collection of chapter names. Big fan of chapter one aka ‘The Best Way To Start a Book’. Would that we all had that self confidence #TheGreatWhen #Bookshelfpics

A photo of Claire Douglas’ novel The Girls Who Disappeared. The cover is shades of green and shows a single house surrounded by snowy woodlands. The lights on the house are on and there is smoke coming from the chimney. Above the title is the line “Twenty years ago they went missing. How long will the truth stay buried”.

The back cover of Claire Douglas’ The Girls who Disappeared. The blurb can be found here: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/446655/the-girls-who-disappeared-by-douglas-claire/9781405951180.

Book #1 of my 2026 #BookJourney is complete! Thought I’d start with my secret Santa gift - #TheGirlsWhoDisappeared by #ClaireDouglas. I do love a good mystery to start off the year.

Book #24 of the #BookJourney (and last of the year) is Hallie Rubenhold’s #StoryOfAMurderer the true story of the murder of Belle Elmore. #BookRecs #NonFiction.

Book #24 of the #BookJourney is complete! This’ll be the last book of the year and the journey will reset in 2026, happy I could get it up to 2 books a month - even if that number would make 14 yr old me cry in shame. I’ll be back tomorrow with the proper update on book #24.

A photo of the front cover of Alice Loxton’s non-fiction novel 18. The cover is dark blue with a white numeric 18 covered in decreased gold animals - similar to medieval lettering.

A photo of the back cover of Alice Loxton’s Eighteen. Blurb can be found here: https://www.waterstones.com/book/eighteen/alice-loxton/9781035031290

Book #22 of the #BookJourney is complete with #AliceLoxton’s #Eighteen (I probably could have timed that better)…no I’m not trying to speed through as many books as I can before the New Year so the round up looks better. Why would you think that 😅

A photo of Naomi Novik’s a Sunmer War. The cover is pale green with the title written in embossed dark metallic green. There is an images of a lute merged with a sword - the body and strings of the lute with the neck turning into the decorative handle of a sword.

I win! Omg #NaomiNovik’s #TheSummerWar was incredible, a proper fairytale full of curses, love, family and four clever foxes! Book #21 of the #BookJourney is complete!

A photo of Naomi Novik’s novella The Summer War. The cover is pale green with a sketch of a lute merged with a sword (the neck of the lute has been replaced with the handle of a sword) the title is an embossed metallic green.

2 hour train journey vs new novella. Let’s see who wins! #BookJourney (literally) #NaomiNovik #TheSummerWar

A photo of the front cover of Mary Beard’s non fiction book SPQR. The cover is faded white and the title circled by a gilded laurel leaf crown. Above the title is written ‘international bestseller’ and below is ‘A history of Ancient Rome’.

A photo of the blurb of Mary Beard’s SPQR. The blurb can be found here: https://www.waterstones.com/book/spqr/mary-beard/9781846683817

Book #20 of the #BookJourney completed just in time for bed (nobody look at the clock, the clock is lying to you). #MaryBeard’s best selling #SPQR a #NonFiction history of Ancient Rome with a focus on the political structure of the city. Good read but definitely a slow one.

We are finally over halfway with book #20 of the #BookJourney. It’s good it’s just a fairly dense non-fiction so it’s taking a while. I’m determined to get this
And at least one more ticked off the list before New Year though, cause we’ll be restarting the count for 2026!

A photo of two tote bags, one pink with the logo of ‘the locked library’ and one black with ‘30 years of voyager’. In-between the bags are eight books - Sky in the Deep, Moon Stone, The Last Tiger, Summer Wars, The River Drags her Down, The Book That Wouldn’t Burn, Morgan is my Name and To Steal a Throne. There are also four bookmarks and a number of stickers scattered between the books.

So here’s the final haul from #Yalc. I managed to restrain myself to just 8 (😅) incredible looking books, so expect to see them cropping up in the #bookjourney from now on (though I will try to mix it up with some tougher genres / non-fiction) #BookHaul #BookWorm

So the next chapter of the #BookJourney is around 550 pages of fairly small writing so we may be in the long haul for this one 😂