chroniclesofabookmum's reviews
680 reviews

It has taken me so long to write this review, I just could not put into words how much this book meant to me. Every time I tried to write something I just could not do it justice. I still don't even know what to say about this book, I am completely lost for words. Many books have made me tear up, however until reading this book I had never burst into floods of tears. My husband thought there was something seriously wrong with me. Honestly, Postscript punched at my heart several times.

I'll be honest, when I first saw that this was coming out I was very apprehensive. I loved PS I Love You as a teenager, i've read the book and watched the film so many times. I just didn't think a book could live up to that for me, I honestly thought that this was a money making scheme which would ruin the whole concept for me. Wow, I was wrong. Completely wrong. In fact I actually prefer Postscript to PS I Love You. It was my favourite read in October and I think it may end up being in my top ten books of the year, if not number one.

I loved Holly's relationship with Gabriel, I really enjoyed seeing her move on and send the message to people that it is okay. It made me laugh that they met at a chicken wing stand, why couldn't I have met my husband in that way. You definitely know you've got a keeper if you he enjoys chicken wings. Now I want chicken wings .. really want chicken wings. I also liked the way Cecelia addressed the fact that Gerry previously had "given permission" for Holly to move on when he died. Holly is such a strong and independent woman and highlights the fact she didn't need Gerry's permission and that her choice to move on was her own. This made me feel really liberated as a female.

All the characters involved in the PS, I Love You Club really pulled at my heartstrings. Especially Ginika. Oh god, her storyline broke my heart. I cried and cried, I felt so attached to her. I love how Holly taught her how to write so that she could write a final letter to her young daughter. I also love how the storyline with Denise tied in perfectly with Ginika's. It was all just so perfect considering the circumstances.

It was really strange reading this book as an adult. I felt like I had a strong emotional connection to the story. I am newly married so I think it resonated with me far more now compared to when I was 16.

THE ENDING. Two parts of this ending had me in absolute tears. Gerry's final letter to Holly was perfect, I love how we got one final instalment from Gerry which is something that I did not expect. Just when I thought I was getting over the heartbreak of reading this letter I then meet Jack. JACK. His poor new wife. Oh god. That was it, as soon as I read this I just could not pull myself together. What an absolutely brilliant book.

This book was recommended to me on bookstagram, I fell for the hype again however this time I was no disappointed. I predominantly read YA fantasy, but I am trying to move towards adult fantasy slowly but surely. I was advised that this was a good book to begin with. Adult fantasy always confuses me, there are so many ways you can read these series however I have decided to do it in chronological order, mainly because this book was the only one available at my local library.

I found this book flowed really well, I feel like it was a really easy read. It is definitely a slow burn fantasy so if you want something with constant action this is not the book for you. I loved the fact that I could get to know the characters, I really feel like I built up a connection with them. I absolutely love Hadrian he is such a wonderful caring character. I feel like he is quite unique when it comes to fantasy male characters, instead of being robust and obnoxious he is such a caring and sweet character whilst doing what he needs to do to survive. I have such a hot spot for him and I really loved his character progression I am looking forward to seeing what happens next. I also love Gwen, she is amazing. She is such a strong independent lady who has been through so much in her short life and I love seeing her become stronger and stronger as the book continues! I really can't wait to see what happens with her next. Towards the end of the book I really started to warm towards Royce, obviously I haven't read the other books so this is the first time I meet this duo. It is easy to admit that Royce is not a likeable character to begin with - as the plot progresses I really love him just as much as Hadrian and I can't wait to see how this bromance continues.

I don't think I have ever spoken about characters so much in a review however Michael's character focus an development is amazing and I just want to shout about it as much as I can.

I love the mystery and the world that Michael has created. This book had me on the edge of my seat and I just could not get enough of it. The ending came as a shock to me. Maybe it was obvious to others, but as a reader who is moving towards adult it was not so obvious to me. I did immediately put this book down wanting to read the next one. COME ON LIBRARY GET A MOVE ON. I can't wait to find out what happens next.

If you are a reader of YA fantasy and are looking to move towards adult fantasy this is probably a good series to start with in my opinion. Make sure you check out the authors website so that you can decide what order you would like to read these series' as there are two different ways.

I'm sure I will be back soon with a review for the next book in the series, once I have my hands on it I do not think I will be able to resist. Michael J Sullivan is quickly becoming my favourite adult fantasy author.

I had such high hopes for this book, I have recently read Letters for the Lost and before finishing I had already ordered this book so that I could read it almost straight after. It is stated that you can read this book as a stand alone, I agree that it can however there are some of the same characters within it from Letters of the Lost and I feel like I had a far better connection to them which had a positive impact on my reading experience due to reading it as a sequel. 

Brigid did not disappoint me, she definitely knows how to write a contemporary that pulls at your heart strings. I could not put this book down to the point that I actually read it in one sitting, a couple of hours worth of reading. I love Brigid's writing style and I find it so easy to devour her books very quickly. 

More Than We Can Tell, does explore quite sensitive subjects including violence, child abuse and kidnap. It may not be for people who are triggered by these subjects but I can assure you that they are dealt with delicately and Brigid handles these subjects with so much care. I love that at the back of the book the trigger warnings are listed which I feel needs to be more common in books especially those aimed at a YA audience. 

I think my favourite part of this book was the fact that it was centred around Rev, I think Rev may have been my favourite character in Letters to the Lost despite him not being in the limelight. I wanted so much more from him and this is exactly what this book gave me. I loved seeing his character develop, learning his previous experiences and also learning how far he has come. It actually made me love him even more which I didn't think that was possible. I also liked Emma, at first she irritated me and I wasn't sure about her however as she progressed I really enjoyed to read about her and get to know her. I love how she's a gaming girl, we don't get many characters like her that are female so this was really refreshing to read. 

I really loved Matt, he needs a new paragraph of his own. He is such a mysterious character which you begin not to like. Well I didn't like him to start with anyway. But as you see his character grow, you realise what he has been through and the reason he is the way that he is. I was left wanting more of Matt and I would love another sequel that focuses on him **AHEM BRIGID**. I am keeping my fingers crossed for a book 3. 

I would 100% that you pick up this book, if you can read Letters to the Lost first however it isn't a problem if you can't, you will easily be able to pick this up. I can't wait for more from Brigid.

Firstly I just want to say thank you so much to Orbit for sending me a free copy of this book. Due to getting married it took me a while to get round to but I am so grateful that you sent me a copy of this book.

This is such a wonderful debut novel, there are so many complexities that you see in experienced fantasy authors. Evan really has given some of my favourite authors a run for their money and this is his first novel.

This book begins with a prologue, a prologue that is in the midst of a great battle. You are literally thrown into the action from the first sentence of this book and I instantly knew that I would love this story so much. There is no time to ease yourself in, Evan throws you straight into the action. You may as well begin this book on the edge of your seat, don’t both sitting back and getting comfortable because this action filled book will not allow you to do so.

I absolutely love the world that Evan has created. The magic system may be one of my favourites. The idea that the “gifted” can use their special powers in order to feed the strength and agility of warriors in battle. I’m not sure I’ve read any fantasy with this kind of magic system so to me it felt unique. I really enjoyed getting to know the system, how it worked and I absolutely loved seeing it being used in battle. I love seeing the success and victory as a result of the two being used in conjunction with each other. Also, DRAGONS. I don’t really need to say much more, we all know that any book including dragons will always win my heart. I also loved the draconic and demonistic dark side of this magic system, I loved when characters tapped into it during a battle scene and seeing the aftermath of them doing so.

Tau is the main character in this book, at the beginning he irritated me but he quickly grew on me. The book begins with Tau not wanting to become a warrior, he wants to settle down with the girl he loves and have a family. However the death of his father (this scene killed me) leads him to a change of mind .. he wants revenge and wanting revenge is dangerous. Tau, trains day in and day out in order to become a Ihashe – a warrior of the lesser caste. I loved seeing his character develop and him becoming the man that he did. I ended up loving him and routing for his every move, even if I didn’t agree with some of the choices that he made. There is a slow-burn romance in this book that isn’t really the centre of the plot however it is in the background. I absolutely loved Zuri as a character and together I think they made a great team. Obviously, it couldn’t be long lived and I hated seeing what happened to Zuri and the affect that it had on Tau. Yes, Evan definitely has a habit of pulling on my heartstring already.

I loved the final battle, I feel like it was done so maturely and in a way that I just couldn’t get enough. It happened so quickly that I didn’t have time to think about my theories and therefore didn’t see it coming. I feel like this book was left on such a cliffhanger and I need to know what happens next now. I’m not sure how I am going to be able to wait until July 2020 for the next instalment.

I would definitely recommend that people pick up this book and give it a go. It took me around 100 pages to get into it and around 400/500 pages to realise that there was a glossary at the back that could have helped me throughout. Forever observant. Never mind!

And on that note I’ll leave it here with:

“Blood. Will. Show.”

3.5 stars

"Time will be carried in strange hands, across the realms and through stranger lands. What is done will be undone, a battle lost is a battle won. When midnight rings on a child's betrayal, your every success is doomed to fail."

Firstly, I want to thank Readers First and Hot Key Books for giving me an early review copy of this book. I absolutely love To Kill a Kingdom so when I found out that Alexandra Christo  had a new book including crooks and magic coming out I knew that I had to get my hands on it!

I am so sad to say that this book disappointed me. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed it. However I didn't love it like I expected. Maybe I set my expectations far too high due to my love of her debut novel, but I hate to say I didn't love her second book. 

Firstly, I would like to say that Alexandra Christo's writing style is one of the best that I have ever read. She definitely has a way of being able to describe magic to its readers and immersing them in so much that they believe they are magic. I was so absorbed that there were moments I believed I was a crook with magic. Unfortunately I am not, however on a serious note I love her writing style. I would 100% read an instruction manual written by Alexandra Christo. 

I really struggled to connect to the characters in this book. I didn't really like any of them and I definitely didn't care for them. This lack of care really made me struggle to want to pick the book up because I didn't really mind what happened to the characters that much and therefore the different plot twists just did not have an affect on me like I feel they probably should have. I also feel that the magic system was a bit too complex and I found myself having to reread parts of the book to get my head round it. I think that there was maybe a little bit too much magic going on and if Christo focused on one area the systems would have been a lot easier to get on with. 

From reading To Kill a Kingdom, yes I know I keep mentioning this book but I loved it so much I cannot help to compare them), I was aware that Christo can write brutal, "no fucks given" scenes. I don't want this review to have spoilers so I am trying to work this in a way that does do that. I was really disappointed in the characters that died and the way that they did. I feel that more brutal choices could have been made in relation to both the actual character and the way that they died. This would have redeemed the book for me but it just did not. 

I did like the ending, whilst I probably did predict it, it did leave me wanting more so I will be buying the next book. Hopefully Into the Crooked Place is a warm up for what Alexandra has in store for us in the sequel. Please read this book, it is a good book, it just didn't compare to her debut for me. 

Would love it if you would visit my blog to look at other reviews that I have written:
www.theanxiousbookworm.video.blog

“Life isn’t meant to be lived alone. Neither are End Days.”

I picked this book up quite a while ago as part of the bookstagram hype. Obviously, it took me around a year to actually read this so by that time I had completely forgot what it was about. I should have just left it there and not read further.

I really did not enjoy this book at all. I was so disappointed by it. As I went on goodreads and set this up as my "currently reading" book I became excited as I saw the average rating was above 4 stars. Surely this was going to be a good book? Surely I was going to love it? Unfortunately not.

I really liked the idea of the book, I enjoyed the idea that you get a phone call within 24 hours of your death so that you can spend your time saying goodbye to people and doing what you want.

However, I did not enjoy the characters in the slightest. I couldn't relate to either of them and I do not believe that they were likeable. I did not like the romantic interest and I really do feel like it was forced and added in for the sake of it. In fact I didn't realise what was happening until it had been mentioned a few times. Its almost as if the romance took over the plot and the initial plot was forgotten about it.

I thought this book would make me cry. Unfortunately it did not, I just did not feel an emotional connection to it. I am so sad that I didn't like this book, I found myself skim reading it just to see whether it got any better. I think I need to stop reading books by authors like this because they are definitely not aimed at my reading style.

“It’s unbelievable really, the reviving power of a hot bath, a cup of tea and a roaring fire.”

Firstly, I want to say thank you to Hot Key Books, Dark Room Tours and M.A. Bennett for sending me a copy of this book for free. 

If you want to read a book that you are unable to put down, please read this book. I picked it up and finished it in a single afternoon. I did not move I needed to know what happened next. I really enjoy M.A.Bennett's writing style, this is the first book that I have read from her and it definitely will not be the last. The author has such an amazing, immersive way of writing that instantly draws its reader in and does not let them go until they have finished.

The cover was the initial factor that drew me into this book, it is so beautiful and so intriguing. The back of the book doesn't offer anything but a lot of mystery to its reader and this made me want to pick it up. It did not disappoint and it did exactly what I expected. 

I enjoyed the fact that from immediately reading the first chapter you knew that somebody had died and who had died. Yes this took away from the suspense but I felt like because I knew what was going to happen I went on a journey with the characters. I feel like this way of writing is unique and helped me to build a connection with them throughout. Obviously, I knew what was going to happen but I didn't know  who, what how, why and when and this really added to the suspense and my enjoyment of reading it. 

I also liked the ending. The author sends you into a false sense of security thinking that everything will tie up nicely at the end. Bennett then throws you a curve ball and leaves you wanting to read the next book immediately. Luckily, I am on the blog tour for the sequel, D.O.G.S., and therefore I am able to move straight onto the next book. Amazing! Thank you so much Hot Key Books, Dark Room Tours and M.A.Bennett. I can't wait to read the sequel.

"Wouldst thou keep a dog that turned and bit thee?"

Firstly I want to say thank you so much to Hot Key Books, Dark Room Tours and M.A.Bennett for sending me a copy of this book. 

I was so excited to pick this book up, I really enjoyed S.T.A.G.S. and immediately picked it up once I had finished. This book did not disappoint me, it was everything I loved from the first book in this series and so much more. I really did enjoy it. 

There was so much suspense in this book and the writing style just really drew me in from start to finish. It took me two sittings to finish this book and the only reason for this was because my husband made me socialise with other humans, this did not impress me, However I picked the book up at my next opportunity and devoured it from 50 pages to the very end. 

This book I feel could be read as a stand-alone so please do not hesitate to pick it up if you haven't read the first book but have the opportunity to do so. Obviously you'll have a stronger connection with the characters if you have read the first book but that will not take away from your overall reading experience of reading this book. 

The characters in this book really stood out for me. I really loved the new characters that were introduced into this book especially Ty. She is such a mysterious character, I knew there was more to her and the ending helped to prove my point, this part of the book made me so happy. I want to read more about Ty and build up a further connection with her. I love her so much!

I think the added bonus to this book for me is it is focused around English Literature. I really like Literature. MY FAVOURITE BOOK WAS MENTIONED. I LOVE TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD SO MUCH! Anyway, if you love Literature like I do this will add to your enjoyment of this book.  Talking about references, did anybody notice the Stranger Things reference? I also loved this!

M.A.Bennett did the same thing to me as she did in her last book. As I was approaching the end I found the book was being tied up nicely and then all of a sudden I am thrown a curve ball and now I need the next book immediately. I NEED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED!

"Do you solemnly swear to uphold the ideals of the Impossible Postal Express, risking life, limb and sanity in the execution of your duty?"

I love a middle-grade book to build up a heavy based run of fantasy books. The Train to Impossible Places was definitely exactly what I needed.

Firstly, I want to say the illustrations in this book are wonderful. I love them so much! I found myself looking at the edge of the pages to see where the next illustration was going to be. With each one I came across I feel like it just got better and better, honestly they were so good and definitely added to my reading experience.

I love reading middle grade books as an adult but can't help but feel disappointed when there is not a lot of adult humour within it. This book did not disappoint me. There was so much adult humour within it that really had me laughing at points. I loved the idle chat about retirement, taxes and staff cuts within the workplace. This is something I could 100% relate to and it definitely helped me build more of a connection with the book because of this. I feel like the author has to have a special talent to appeal and cater for its intended child audience and then the adult audience also, whether the adult is reading it for fun in their own time or reading it to their child. This was all audiences can thrive on and enjoy the story.

I also really enjoyed all of the characters and following their journey throughout the story. P.G.Bell really has a way of developing his characters in a way that the reader can build up a connection. Leaving them wanting more and more. There is normally a character in a book, especially a middle-grade that tends to irritate me. Not in this book. Obviously I didn't like the bad guys but the other characters I really enjoyed.

The snippet for the next book in the series made me want to read more. This is such a fun and light-hearted book which I think is aimed at an audience of all ages for different reasons. I definitely recommend that you pick up this book.