(This photo is dedicated to my mum who on a day out to Kirkcudbright (‘kirk-coo-bree’) asked me why I had a big camera instead of just using my phone and then ten minutes later told me to take-a-photo-of-this-butterfly-quickly. Mum, this is why.)

It’s high time I accounted for all the books I have acquired since I made my initial journey to Scotland because it’s been a relatively long while and there are lots of books. I’m making this a trilogy because while I expect readers to scroll by many or all of the blurbs (I’m going to include them from now on just in case anyone wants details), it’s a lot of text for one post.

It turns out that giving away about 20 books (this is the first time I’ve ever given away books that aren’t duplicates) on account of downsizing works very well until you find out that the new person in your life seems to like going to charity shops and the charity shops in your vicinity offer their second-hand books not only often in very good condition but also for a very cheap price… and that the new person in your life is supportive of your interests, and you yourself knowing already as you did that he didn’t blink at the number you gave him in the beginning that constituted your book collection… and suddenly you’ve the same number of books you had before you downsized.

(I do want to note that I actually gave away many more books, probably about 150, but, beyond the 20 mentioned above, they were all books from my childhood. I am incredibly proud of myself for having given away books and also other possessions I had had since I was a baby as it was a very difficult thing to do. Also, I’ll call my boyfriend Lewis from now on partly because that’s his name and partly because I should probably provide a differentiator from the boyfriend mentioned in times past.)

Publisher blurbs are taken from GoodReads and Amazon and I have edited some of them for length. And the nice thing about all these books being physical copies is that I can photograph them.

Beth O’Leary: The Flatshare (2019)

A pretty battered copy from a charity shop, I had no qualms taking it about with me and for once put a book in my handbag. I kind of regret that because it’s a bit of a symbol of me moving to Scotland, the first book I finished here, and now it’s even more battered, but I’ll be keeping it nonetheless.

Tiffy Moore needs a cheap flat, and fast. Leon Twomey works nights and needs cash. Their friends think they’re crazy, but it’s the perfect solution: Leon occupies the one-bed flat while Tiffy’s at work in the day, and she has the run of the place the rest of the time.

But with obsessive ex-boyfriends, demanding clients at work, wrongly imprisoned brothers and, of course, the fact that they still haven’t met yet, they’re about to discover that if you want the perfect home you need to throw the rulebook out the window…’

Curtis Sittenfeld: Romantic Comedy (2023)

I wanted to buy this when it was first released and never got round to it; I had rather enjoyed Sittenfeld’s debut, Prep, and for whatever reason this latest book caught my eye where her previous novels hadn’t. I found a good hardback copy in a charity shop. It’s one of my current reads and I’m loving it – I didn’t know exactly what it was about besides what the title infers but it’s fun and a bit different.

After a series of heartbreaks, Sally Milz – successful script writer for a legendary late-night TV comedy show – has long abandoned the search for love. But when her friend and fellow writer begins to date a glamorous actress, he joins the growing club of interesting but average-looking men who get romantically involved with accomplished, beautiful women. Sally channels her annoyance into a sketch, poking fun at this ‘social rule’. The reverse never happens for a woman.

Then Sally meets Noah, a pop idol with a reputation for dating models. But this isn’t a romantic comedy – it’s real life. Would someone like him ever date someone like her?

Erin Green: Retreat To The Lakeside Cottage (2024)

Charity shop find on a stopover back home. I was drawn in by the cover and the fact it was obviously about an author retreat. (We went to Germany for two nights by train, a two-day trip each way from Scotland. I do not recommend doing anything like this – it took us both a week to properly recover.)

Five authors have gathered at the idyllic Lakeside Cottage for a retreat, with the promise of peace and dedicated writing time.

• Retreat organiser Rula is there to edit. An interloper, especially one with whom she has a past, was certainly not part of her plan.
• Eve has a bad case of writer’s block. Can she find new inspiration? Or will she get drawn into the dramas that unfold around her?
• Alice has a deadline looming but is seemingly more interested in anything but writing. And where does she keep disappearing to?
• Daphne is an experienced self-published author, but might she be more unconventional in other ways too?
• And then there’s Brontë, the complete novice. She’s a mere scribbler, not a ‘proper writer’ like these other women, and she feels totally out of her depth.

As the collective word count grows, and their personal stories interweave, each woman finds herself drawn in unexpected and life-changing directions.

Evie Woods: The Lost Bookshop (2023)

Passed on from my mum who has been going through Woods’ backlist (and I think it was in turn passed to her by my sister).

On a quiet street in Dublin, a lost bookshop is waiting to be found…

For too long, Opaline, Martha and Henry have been the side characters in their own lives.

But when a vanishing bookshop casts its spell, these three unsuspecting strangers will discover that their own stories are every bit as extraordinary as the ones found in the pages of their beloved books. And by unlocking the secrets of the shelves, they find themselves transported to a world of wonder… where nothing is as it seems.

Hannah Bonam-Young: Out On A Limb (2023)

Charity shop find. I’ve never been into the style of cover these Booktok books are using but I’ll give one a go. If it bears any disability-related resemblance to Linda Corbett’s wonderfully representative Love You From A To Z which I waxed lyrical about in this video, I’ll be very happy.

Independent, confident, and not held back by her disability, Winnifred McNulty has been determined to prove to herself and others that she can do anything without needing anyone.

That all changes when Win meets Bo at a Halloween party, a charming boy in a pirate costume who has more in common with her than she realises. Bonding over the fact that they both have a visible disability, Win and Bo develop an electrifying connection with each other that they just can’t ignore.

After a one-night stand leaves Win with the biggest decision of her life, Bo is more than happy to join her in sharing this new experience – on the condition that they remain strictly friends. Win and Bo embark on a journey together, discovering more about themselves than they thought they knew. But the chemistry between them is unavoidable, and the plan they put in place soon gets thrown into question as feelings begin to surface.

Hilary Mantel: Bring Up The Bodies (2012)

I bought a secondhand hardback of Wolf Hall years ago at Hay. Finding a secondhand hardback of book two was fab. No, I still haven’t read the first and I know I need to.

By 1535 Thomas Cromwell, the blacksmith’s son, is far from his humble origins. Chief Minister to Henry VIII, his fortunes have risen with those of Anne Boleyn, Henry’s second wife. But Anne has failed to bear a son to secure the Tudor line. At Wolf Hall, Cromwell watches Henry fall in love with plain Jane Seymour. The minister sees what is at stake: not just the king’s pleasure, but the safety of the nation. As he eases a way through the sexual politics of the court, he must negotiate a ‘truth’ that will satisfy Henry and secure his own career. But neither minister nor king will emerge undamaged from the bloody theatre of Anne’s final days.

Holly Bourne: Pretending (2020)

I first heard of Holly Bourne in 2016 so it’s taken me a while to get one of her books; I think I was so used to her being a YA author at a time I wasn’t reading YA that I passed over her for a while. This was a charity shop hardback find and it sounds great.

April is kind, pretty, and relatively normal – yet she can’t seem to get past date five. Every time she thinks she’s found someone to trust, they reveal themselves to be awful, leaving her heartbroken. And angry.

If only April could be more like Gretel. Gretel is exactly what men want – she’s a Regular Everyday Manic Pixie Dream Girl Next Door With No Problems. The problem is, Gretel isn’t real. And April is now claiming to be her.

As soon as April starts ‘being’ Gretel, dating becomes much more fun – especially once she reels in the unsuspecting Joshua. Finally, April is the one in control, but can she control her own feelings? And as she and Joshua grow closer, how long will she be able to keep pretending?

I’ll leave concluding all this for the last post. What I will say now is that I’m enjoying making these new posts despite how long they take.

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.