This list is missing only Amy Jordan’s The Dark Hours as I included it in my January round up.

Carmel Harrington: The Stolen Child – From the publisher for interview which has since gone ahead. (It was one of the most comprehensive interviews I’ve had!) The book is out on 27th February and its core strength, I’d argue, lies in two places – firstly the fact that Harrington provides answers up front so that you know a lot of the book will be about character development and the ‘how’ (though it’s not quite that simple), and, secondly, the twist is phenomenal.

Jennifer L Armentrout: From Blood And Ash – I’ve seen this book in various places, of course I have, but it was the twin recommendation from a close friend and Booktok that made me take the leap.

Kate Packman: You Can See The End Of The World From Here – From the author for review/coverage. I met Kate at a book launch and she reached out to me about a month ago in regards to her debut novel. I’ve recently finished it – it’s literary, has The Bell Jar vibes, and a moody atmosphere but very welcome ending.

Molly X Chang: To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods – I’d seen this but then saw the ‘middle grade’ target audience. I later found out that the book has been continually wrongly categorised – it’s actually for adults, very much so. This is a book that has become controversial for what some reviewers deem a colonial romance however it has a blurb, in pride of place, by Xiran Jay Zhao that suggests it may be a case of things not being that straight forward. Having wanted to read it before finding out about the controversy I have got a copy – the author has a new book coming out, she hasn’t been cancelled, so I do wonder what’s going on here.

Naomi Novik: Spinning Silver – This came as a pair with the next book which is the one I was wanting. This said, I’m not against retellings, far from it!

Naomi Novik: Uprooted – I should’ve read this years ago, it’s been on my list for ages, so when a Booktoker recommended it to me when I asked about fairytale retellings, I bought it.

Rebecca Yarros: Onyx Storm – I haven’t read Iron Flame yet, but Fourth Wing was brilliant.

Samantha Sotto Yambao: Water Moon – An author I’ve been reading since her debut, I’m thrilled to see Samantha Sotto publishing in the UK for the first time. This is her fifth book and it’s a bit different – she’s added ‘Yambao’ to her pen name to show the genre difference from sci-fi/magical realism to straight out fantasy – but very good.

Sarah Brooks: The Cautious Traveller’s Guide To The Wastelands – That story about me wanting to buy Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀’s Stay With Me in hardback and then having to track down a used copy later? I didn’t want to do it again. Having walked around Waterstones Chelsea (it’s lovely) with this book but ultimately putting it back on the table because of cost, I bought a copy some months later.

What books have you acquired recently?

The bonkers thing about this post is that I’m already working on the next – I got gift cards for Christmas, still had birthday money left over, and I’m interviewing again. This list is all gifts and gift cards.

Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀: Stay With Me – I have wanted this (hardback) book since the early days of its publication. I very much remember being in the formally older of my city’s two Waterstones (Waterstones Above Bar, sadly suffered an arson attack and didn’t return), looking at this book, Polly Clark’s Larchfield, and Arundhati Roy’s The Ministry Of Utmost Happiness, wanting all three, but I ended up only buying the latter two. I later regretted not buying all three but put off buying the Adébáyọ̀ because I thought there would be time still to purchase it. Reader, there wasn’t. And so I’ve made some time the past couple of years to look for one. This copy I’ve bought isn’t quite in perfect nick as described, but it was £5 so that’s fine. I made a very brief TikTok to celebrate. (It didn’t do very well – BookTok isn’t reading literary fiction from 2017 at the moment…)

Alex Hay’s Housekeepers – Yes, I have already got a copy of this book and have reviewed it and interviewed the author twice. But I have the ARC and, as much as I love it (thank you, Caitlin), I re-read it enough (AnAn enjoyed it), and the hardback is different enough, that I wanted the published copy. It’s got a Cluedo-esque blueprint of the fictional house in bright neon pink and white and it’s fantastic.

Flora Carr: The Tower – I think I first found out about Carr on Instagram and was instantly taken by her book because it’s part of my most favourite period to study. I expect much from the contents. And look at that gorgeous colour!

Hannah Kaner: Godkiller – This is a continuation of my making a firm effort to get back into fantasy because I don’t read enough of it. Also, it’s very popular and everything I’ve heard about it sounds like there’s good reason it’s popular.

Jennifer Saint: Hera – I’ve read two out of Saint’s prior three and have the third on my shelves ready. She’s an exceptional writer.

Travis Baldree: Bookshops and Bonedust – My friend introduced me to this book; she hadn’t read it, but as the person who got me into TikTok, she knows a lot about what’s hot over there (way more than me).

If it’s not obvious already, I can’t wait to read all five of these new books and am happy to have the Hay in hardback.

A few more books here since the last, recent, post – it’s my birthday month.

Aliya Ali-Afzal: The Big Day – Tasneem Abdur-Rashid featured this book on her Instagram and the premise was it; I put it on my list.

Ashley Poston: The Seven Year Slip – When I was more active on TikTok earlier this year, this book was doing the rounds and the time travel aspect and nod to Marilyn Monroe’s film were enough for me.

Christina Courtenay: The Runes Of Destiny – The second book in Courtnay’s series of Viking time travels, I read this book a few years ago in ebook and very much wanted the series in hard copy. I’m yet to read books 3-5, I hope to do so soon.

Natalie Jenner: Austen At Sea – From the author for review; the book is out in May. This book sees a cast of characters including Louisa May Alcott travelling across the Pond and discussing Austen; the two main characters, who, if I recall correctly, are fictional, are travelling to meet Sir Francis Austen for a purpose they do not yet know. I have high hopes for this book and I have a feeling Jenner will meet them. This book is the exact sort of thing she does very well.

Nydia Hetherington: Sycorax – From the publisher for podcasting purposes, this is a retelling/expansion on the story of Sycorax from Shakespeare. The Tempest is probably my favourite of the Shakespeare plays I have studied or seen so I’m very much looking forward to reading it and also talking to the author about it.

Phoebe McIntosh: Dominoes – I originally put this book on my TBR after reading Andrew Blackman’s review. Then I got the ebook on Netgalley, but couldn’t read the format. This hard copy was a surprise to me – I had forgotten I had added it to a wishlist but I’m very glad to have it now.

I’m looking forward to working some of these into my reading list soon; the Hetherington has a time set, effectively, but the others don’t. That said, I’m very likely to re-read the Courtenay because I enjoyed it so much – it has time travel one way and then both characters go to the future which I absolutely love.

I believe the existence and make-up of this list says three true things: I’m reading more; I spend a bit of time on TikTok (and I’m putting more priority on fantasy which has been a long time coming); I’m blogging again.

Alex Hay: The Queen Of Fives – Out on 30th January, thus from the publisher, this is Hay’s second novel. The first, last year’s The Housekeepers, was a perfectly-paced Edwardian heist taking place over 24 hours, this second is a Victorian con taking place over five days. At the time of writing this I am a few chapters in and it’s not going to disappoint.

Lee Seong-bok: Indeterminate Inflorescence – For review, out on 14th of this month, this small book is ‘a collection of meditations on poetry, art and life, taken from the creative writing lectures of one of South Korea’s most prominent living poets’. I reckon I’ll be taking a lot of notes.

Orlando Ortega-Medina: Emerald Road – From the author for review (out 14th January), this is a follow up slash prequel to Ortega-Medina’s previous novel, The Fitful Sleep Of Immigrants, which was a slightly/semi autobiographical novel. I noted at the time that the winning character of the book was Issac, loosely based on the author’s partner and was delighted to find out that Orlando was writing a prequel about Issac. This looks at Issac’s journey as an El Salvadorian during war and the events that led to his immigration to the US.

Rebecca Yarros: Iron Flame – If you told me last year, after I was struggling through my first TikTok-famed romantasy, that I was going to adore my second one, I may not have believed you – I try my best not to go along with hype. Well, Fourth Wing may not be the most amazing novel ever written but it’s pretty darn marvellous regardless. I need the second book in my life and don’t be surprised if I’ve book three in January when it is published!

Saara El-Arifi: Faebound – I’ve been kind of circling around El-Arifi’s work ever since she debuted and in my quest to read more of one of my favourite genres, I’ve gone and got this book.

Sue Lynn Tan: Heart Of The Sun Warrior – I’ve Daughter Of The Moon Goddess soon to be put on my new non-podcast reading list once I’ve finished the first ten books. I was also very aware that it was becoming difficult to get the hardback of book two to match the first, so I went for it.

It goes without saying, really, but I’m excited about the above very much.

This list isn’t exhausted; I’ve chosen to exclude books that I’ve reviewed and some I’ve posted about on Instagram – this post is an edited version of the books that have entered my life since April.

Chloe C Peñaranda: The Stars Are Dying – From the publisher for interview. This has a The Hunger Games-esque aspect to it with vampires, a romantasy with darkness. I’m very much looking forward to giving it a read.

Edward Carey: Edith Holler – From the publisher for interview. I’ve previously read Carey’s B: A Year In Plagues And Pencils and enjoyed his style (I’ve also a copy of his Madame Tussaud novel, Little, I really should read some time…)

Gill Paul: Scandalous Women – This is with much thanks to Gill Paul who gave me a copy of her book. It’s out in the UK now and looks at the work and rivalry of Jackie Collins and Jacqueline Susann. I have high hopes for this book.

Kaliane Bradley: The Ministry Of Time – I saw this book in a bookshop. No idea what it was about. I definitely have a thing for very plain covers with fonts that have been jazzed up. I now know that it’s about Arctic exploration and potentially some time travel.

Kristin Harmel: The Paris Daughter – Harmel’s latest book has been much lauded and I did love The Forest Of Vanishing Stars.

Kristy Woodson Harvey: A Happier Life – Woodson Harvey’s latest; I said in a TikTok video, and probably also on this blog, that since reading The Summer Of Songbirds I would be reading more Woodson Harvey. My second read, The Wedding Veil, confirmed it.

Sue Lynn Tan: Daughter Of The Moon Goddess – I first saw Tan’s book on Amazon and didn’t realise she was big on BookTok, at least it sounds like she was before I saw any videos.

Susan Stokes Chapman: The Shadow Key – I wanted to read Pandora back when it was released and never got around to it (and don’t have a copy either). I thought I’d get ahead of my inevitable desire for her second novel and buy a copy early.

Tan Twan Eng: The House Of Doors – Years ago I stayed at a monastery for a week (they had a guest house) and the bookshelf in the common room had a copy of The Garden Of Evening Mists. I kept meaning to pick it up and see what it was about, but didn’t. And then every now and then I’d remember it and knew I had too many books to read to consider it. Like with Susan Stokes Chapman, when this newer book was released I made a decision.

Toshikazu Kawaguchi: Before We Say Goodbye – My friend bought a copy of Before The Coffee Gets Cold a while back, and told me of Kawaguchi’s fame. I’ve suggested we read each of our books at the same time and compare as much as is possible.

Zadie Smith: The Fraud – I don’t believe this requires a comment!

I’m currently reading both Edith Holler and Scandalous Women, and The Stars Are Dying will follow as soon as one of those ‘slots’ is up for grabs. I’ve currently a podcast TBR and a not-podcast TBR to work with and that’s proving fairly manageable so far; I’ve been actively using the idea for a month or so after a few months of thinking about it.

Tell me about your latest books!