Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney

Started: 2.4.26

DNF: 2.4.26

Paperback

TBR Prompt: Oldest book on my list

I got to page 104 but I wasn't enjoying it. A story about an author whose wife disappears without a trace, I found the MMC to be quite whiny and helpless. I get that he was grieving, but after the story jumped to a year later, it felt like every other sentence mentioned how much he loved his wife and couldn't write or do anything, really, without her. It was very repetitive. So I'm afraid I read some spoilers, then skipped to the end and read the last couple of chapters. There was definitely a big twist or two, but I'm not sorry that I DNF'd this. I do like books that are set in Scotland, so I presume this is why I had this book on my TBR, but even the Scottish island location wasn't enough to save it. I used to read a lot of thrillers but I definitely think my tastes are changing and these kinds of stories don't appeal to me as much as they once did.

Rainforest by Michelle Paver

Started: 31.3.26

Finished: 1.4.26

Hardcover

TBR Prompt: Animal on the cover

This book is the story of an entomologist called Simon who is travelling to the rainforest, ostensibly to study mantids. Told from his POV, it's safe to say that he's an 'unreliable narrator'. We learn that he's grieving for someone called Penelope, with whom he believed he was in love, however as he divulges more into his journal, it becomes apparent that his feelings weren't reciprocated, and also that this trip may not have been entirely his choice. Once in the jungle, amongst the natives and their spiritual beliefs, Simon finds that the line between the living and the dead is a tenuous one.

Set in the 1970s, with some 1970s attitudes towards women and indigenous people, I never warmed to the character of Simon, or any of his colleagues really, though I don't think we were meant to. To me, he seemed spoiled and petulant; there were suggestions of a difficult childhood but these were never really explored in any great depth. He just seems to have grown into an angry, self-obsessed man with poor social skills. By the end of his jungle ordeal he has perhaps had something of an awakening, but I didn't feel that he'd fully redeemed himself in any way.

I enjoyed this book but it doesn't come close to my favourite, Dark Matter, by the same author.

The Impossible Fortune by Richard Osman

Started: 29.3.26

Finished: 31.3.26

Hardcover

TBR Prompt: Orange book

Oops, I did it again! I finished one of next month's books, this month! But this was such a fun, easy read, I didn't want to slow down or wait. Great to be back with the Thursday Murder Club, and a few new characters too. I know there are some people who don't like these books, but... well, you're wrong. What's not to like? 

For what it's worth, I've always pictured Ron looking more like the ex-England footballer Jimmy Greaves:

And I can see why they chose Helen Mirren to play Elizabeth in the Netflix film, because she absolutely looks like she could be an ex-spy ("there's no such thing as an ex-spy"). But I thought it would've been a lot funnier to have someone like Anne Reid (though maybe when she was a few years younger, and sounding a bit more like her Dinnerladies character) saying things like "...I suspect my assistance was greatly appreciated when you were being throttled half to death in Odessa in 1974..."

Didn't really have any objections to Celia Imrie and Ben Kingsley though.

March Reading Wrap Up

 

16 books in total, but 5 DNFs.

1. Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

Heartwarming novel about grief and learning to move on. And a remarkably bright octopus.

2. Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree

A DNF - just a bit too cosy and twee for me.

3. Weyward by Emilia Hart

Witchy revenge!

4. Blood On Her Tongue by Johanna Van Veen

Made me feel a bit nauseous

5. A Short Stay In Hell by Steven L. Peck

Existential dread

6. Tender Is The Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica

DNF

7. The Frozen Silence by Dr James Pennington

Really interesting account of the search for the Franklin Expedition

8. Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

A story about loneliness, friendship and kindness. Bit of a slog at first, but a (mostly) happy ending.

9. Carl's Doomsday Scenario by Matt Dinniman

Reluctant DNF.

10. A Taste Of Darkness by Various

YA horror, but didn't like the first two stories, so DNF.

11. Alice by Christina Henry

Dark, twisted reimagining of Alice In Wonderland. Really good!

12. The Five People You Meet In Heaven by Mitch Albom

A reminder that we all matter to someone.

13. The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner

DNF

14. Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Mushrooms, so many mushrooms!

15. The Unexpected Joy Of The Ordinary by Catherine Gray

Non-fiction, interesting reminder that being ordinary is perfectly ok.

16. The Impossible Fortune by Richard Osman

Funny, heartwarming, clever; great to be back with the gang. [Should've been an April read].

TBR Picks For April

It's that time again! I now have 80 TBR prompts, and I've bought myself a nice jar and written them all out on coloured paper because it's a lot more fun than using the random number generator 😀

On my book spreadsheet, I'd selected some books that I currently own for my 'Priority TBR', the ones I really want to read asap, so I've tried to choose from that list first, with reasonable success. I've also tried to choose more physical books than digital, because the books were starting to pile up!

So without further ado, here are my chosen prompts and books for the month of April:

1. Witchy/witchcraft - The Witches At The End Of The World by Chelsea Iversen (paperback). It was between this or Hex Appeal, but this is set in Norway which is always a draw for me.

2. Five words in the title - We Used To Live Here by Marcus Kliewer (paperback). Heard a lot of good things about this (but also some not so good), but I'm excited to read it.

3. Retelling/reimagining - Red Queen by Christina Henry (paperback). Since this was the same prompt which led me to read Alice, it seemed a no-brainer to use it again to read the sequel.

4. Animal on the cover - Rainforest by Michelle Paver (hardcover). Author of my favourite book of all time (Dark Matter), so I'm always keen to read anything by her, especially if it's something creepy.

5. Body part in the title - A Head Full Of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay (paperback). I had a couple that mentioned blood, and also Yellowface, but I thought 'head' fit the description more.

6. Newest/most recently acquired book - The Sword Of Kaigen by M.L. Wang (KU). Whenever I add a book to my spreadsheet, I record the date that I've added it to the list, but then also the date that I acquire the book. I'd just added this to my KU library on the 26th March, so it was the newest book. 

[Confession: I chose my prompts and wrote this post on the 27th March, because I just couldn't wait any longer! So as long as I don't buy/download anything for the next few days, this is my most recent book!]

7. Green book - Tress Of The Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson (paperback). I almost chose this for my five word title, so I'm glad I got another chance.

8. Oldest book on my list - Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney (paperback). Again, I can filter my list to see which book I've had the longest. Technically, this is the second longest (from the 28th Sept 2025), because the first is The Silent Patient (1st Sept 2025), which I'm going to read this month for Book Club, and I didn't want to use that book for this prompt!

9. Orange book - The Impossible Fortune by Richard Osman (hardcover). I don't have many orange books so this was a fairly easy choice.

10. Free pick from the shelves - Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy (paperback). I've heard so many good things about this so I'm really excited to read it, I hope it lives up to expectations.

11. Set in the early 1900s - Dark Voyage by Helen Susan Swift (Kindle). This is the first book in a series of five, I think, and I've been wanting to read it for ages, so I'm really excited about this (set in 1914, by the way). 

12. Let Anthony choose - I've been so excited to get this prompt because I was really curious about what he'd choose, and why. I had to wait a while though, because he was doing homework, and then went out to play with a friend, but when he came in I asked if he wouldn't mind helping me with something. He was a bit overwhelmed by all the choices, so instead I asked if he wanted to choose another prompt for me, which he did, and he got Water on the cover, and he then chose Ascension by Nicholas Binge (hardcover) which I was really pleased with.

13. Book Club choice - The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides. As mentioned, this has been on my list the longest, but I've been hanging on because I knew it was an upcoming choice for the book club.

And there you have it, my April books!

The Unexpected Joy Of The Ordinary by Catherine Gray

Started: 26.3.26

Finished: 29.3.26

Hardcover

This was a bonus read in March, something I found whilst browsing Amazon and thought I might find interesting. I did; it's a really well-written and well-researched book about finding joy and acceptance in the everyday, average and normal. Bits of it weren't really relevant to me, and I did skip a few pages here and there, but I enjoyed the rest and it's given me a lot to think about. The section about phone usage has already made me make changes to my notifications and layout of app icons, and I'm going to try (again) to wean myself off Facebook and Instagram. It's interesting that I happened to read this just after the clocks have gone forward; I feel like spring-cleaning my phone and social media! I particularly liked the suggestion to make your home screen wallpaper something that you enjoy, and which you could be doing if you weren't on your phone, so mine is now a pile of books that I'd like to read!

I'm glad that I got a physical copy of this book, as it's something I think I might re-read on occasion, and maybe annotate, when I need a little reminder that I am enough.

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Started: 26.3.26

Finished: 28.3.26

Paperback

TBR Prompt: Title begins with 'M'

Hmm, this didn't quite live up to the hype for me. Described as gothic horror, I can see where the gothic comes from, but not so much the horror (I just don't find mushrooms scary!). Some of the characters were horrible in their own attitudes and opinions - Howard was particularly unpleasant, Virgil was a creep and Florence made Mrs Danvers look more like Mary Poppins.

I found it odd that Catalina had been the one to send the initial plea for help, but almost half way through the book we'd only really had a couple of small scenes with her. Her cousin Noemi proved to be a strong-willed, determined character though, and I'm glad that Francis remained her friend. I was really hoping that she was going to finally put her cigarette lighter to good use, but an oil lamp worked just as well!

Didn't enjoy it as much as I'd hoped, I'm afraid.

The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner

Started: 26.3.26

DNF: 26.3.26

Kindle

TBR Prompt: City setting

I chose this book for the city setting prompt, as it's set in London. It follows an apothecary called Nella, in 1791, who dispenses poisons to women across London for the purposes of disposing of men. This aspect of the story appealed to me, as we all like a little bit of female revenge, don't we? There was another POV from a woman named Caroline in the present-day, who was an American currently in London. I believe it was a pre-planned anniversary trip, but she was there alone after finding out her husband had been cheating on her. I'd only read up to the end of chapter three, but the story hadn't really grabbed me at this point, and then I read some online reviews, which persuaded me that I probably wasn't going to enjoy this book, so I've decided to DNF (yes, I'm easily influenced!) 

The Five People You Meet In Heaven by Mitch Albom

Started: 24.3.26

Finished: 26.3.26

Paperback

TBR Prompt: Book from the middle shelf

Thought-provoking book where a lonely war veteran dies and then learns lessons about his life from five people he meets in Heaven.

Alice by Christina Henry

Started: 22.3.26

Finished: 23.3.26

Paperback

TBR Prompt: Retelling / Reimagining

Ooh, I really enjoyed this! Loosely based on Alice In Wonderland, this is a very creepy reimagining of what happened to Alice after she met the Rabbit, though the characters of Rabbit, Caterpillar, Walrus and Cheshire are very different in this book. This was a lot darker than I was expecting, but I loved Alice and Hatcher's relationship, and their journey to track down the beast; the ending was possibly a bit of an anti-climax, though it fit into the whole magical theme of the story. There is a sequel, The Red Queen, which I'm looking forward to reading.

Bonus TBR Picks For March

Since I've finished (or DNF'd) all of my March books, and it's only the 22nd, I've chosen four bonus TBR prompts, and they are as follows:

1. Retelling / Reimagining - Alice by Christina Henry. "A dark and deeply disturbing revisit of Alice's Adventures In Wonderland"

2. Title begins with M - Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. Because my name begins with M!

3. Middle shelf - The Five People You Meet In Heaven by Mitch Albom. This was a kind of free pick from the middle shelf of my bookcase.

4. City Setting - The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner. Actually a bit tricky to choose, as I don't know where all the books are set, but I remembered that this is set in London.

A Taste Of Darkness by Various Authors

Started: 12.3.26

DNF: 22.3.26

Paperback

TBR Prompt: Short Stories

I read the first one, didn't enjoy it, and then didn't want to pick this book up again. To be honest, the reason that I have this book in the first place, is because last year, I was looking for some more grown up / young adult books that might be suitable for my son. He's read all the Wimpy Kid books (amongst others), but also some Goosebumps, which got me thinking about the Point Horror books that I used to read when I was young. And since I like the horror genre, I thought it'd be cool if I could start him off on it too! (My dad introduced me to James Herbert and Stephen King). So I found this and added it to my Amazon Wish List so that I didn't forget about it, and then ended up sharing my list with my other half so that he could buy me some books for Christmas. I didn't really have time to 'curate' it first, otherwise this book wouldn't have made the priority list.

I don't think I'm interested in reading any more, but I think I'll put it on my son's bookshelf in case he ever wants to give it a try.

I have to admit too, that I think it's suffered from being the last book from my TBR choices. There are a few days left in the month, so I could take my time reading it, but instead I'm going to pick out one or two bonus prompts for the rest of March, since I've had a couple of DNFs.

Carl's Doomsday Scenario by Matt Dinniman

Started: 14.3.26

DNF: 22.3.26

Kindle Unlimited (/Audiobook)

TBR Prompt: Continue a series

When I read Dungeon Crawler Carl I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it, although I think I said that I wasn't in a hurry to start book 2. When I pulled out the TBR prompt to 'continue a series' I had a couple of options to choose from, but I'd been hearing so many good things about this, that I decided to give it a go. I really wanted to like it, but I think the gaming aspect of it is just a bit too much for me. I coped with the novelty of it in book one, but this time I found my eyes glazing over a bit with all the AI stuff about classes and points and skills and quests etc. I did try listening to the audiobook for a bit, but I think I'm in  a minority as someone who doesn't really enjoy the narrator's voice. 

I think that if you're not heavily into the LitRPG genre, or into gaming (I'm not), then reading the first book is probably enough to give you a taste of what it's all about, but continuing with the series is probably unnecessary. When I read all the positive reviews for the whole series so far, I do get a touch of FOMO and feel like I should push through, but I just don't think I can face another 7 books of basically the same thing (ie fighting the enemies to progress to the next level). So this is, quite reluctantly, a DNF.

Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

Started: 14.3.26

Finished: 20.3.26

Paperback

Book Club Read

It seemed to take me a while to get through this book. I didn't really know what to make of Eleanor. She seemed a bit socially awkward, a bit repressed, 'buttoned-up', a germophobe. But at the same time she seemed confident, or at least unaware of the social cues and etiquette so that she would speak and do things without a worry or awareness of what other people would think of her. It made me wonder, does she not care that she's being rude, or does she not know? Early on in the book she goes for a bikini wax which, for me, jarred with the kind of person that I thought she was. So then I thought I'd got her wrong, and spent a lot of time trying to figure her out. 

Aside from that, there was a lovely blossoming friendship with a man called Raymond, who should definitely be on the top of the 'book boyfriend' list, and a slow coming to terms with horrific events from her past. 

Overall I'd say that I enjoyed this book, though it was a bit of a slog at first, and really only picked up towards the final third.

The Frozen Silence by Dr James Pennington

Started: 13.3.26

Finished: 15.3.26

Kindle Unlimited

TBR Prompt: Non-fiction

A short but fascinating look into the Franklin expedition and the 170 year hunt to find the ships, and discover what happened to the 129 souls of HMS Erebus and HMS Terror. The epilogue (in the KU copy that I read) is dated August 2026, which I presume should be 2025, but the book does bring us right up to date with the current, ongoing scientific research. The story of the Franklin expedition is one of impressive endurance, resilience and courage, ultimately brought down by pride, hubris and systemic failure. 

Tender Is The Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica

Started: 14.3.26

DNF: 14.3.26

Paperback

TBR Prompt: Red book

I only made it to page 34 I'm afraid. I knew what the book was about, so it's not as if that was a shock, and it's not that I felt particularly squeamish reading those first few pages. But it's a pretty horrific subject matter and I just didn't think I needed that in my life! It's ok to say "this is not for me!" I did skip through the rest of the book so I got the gist of the main parts and the ending, and that didn't change my mind.

A Short Stay In Hell by Steven L. Peck

Started: 12.3.26

Finished: 13.3.36

Paperback

TBR Prompt: Five words in the title

This is a short (104 pages) novella about a man who finds himself in a version of Hell which is a library of unfathomable size. He can only escape if he finds a book of the story of his life, but the library contains every book that has ever been written, and that ever could be written, so it becomes clear that this is an impossible task. The novella certainly raises a lot of philosophical and existential questions, but the answers are probably too far beyond the reach of my little brain though.

Blood On Her Tongue by Johanna Van Veen

Started: 6.3.26

Finished: 12.3.26

Paperback

TBR Prompt: 4 word title

I can't actually remember the last time a book made me feel a little bit sick, but this one succeeded! Obsession, hunger, madness and a LOT of body horror! Coincidentally, I was reading this at the same time as reading Weyward, and although two different stories, they both featured wronged women fighting against the misogyny of the time. There was female rage and revenge (in both books), and I can't say I was sorry about it!

Weyward by Emilia Hart

Started: 7.3.26

Finished: 12.3.26

Kindle Unlimited

TBR Prompt: Pink book

Oh, I loved this! Told from the POV of 3 different Weyward women, I was rooting for them all the way through to rise up against the fear and injustice that was levelled at them.

Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree

Started: 2.3.26

DNF: 7.3.26

Kindle Unlimited

TBR Prompt: First in a series

Aww, I really wanted to like this, but I just wasn't feeling it. Viv, an Orc, wants to give up the fighting life and open a coffee shop, in a town where nobody knows what coffee is. The first dozen or so chapters are about her converting an old livery into said cafe, and then selling the coffee once her gnomish-made coffee machine arrives. She acquires an assistant, and then a baker to make some baked goods and... it was all very twee and cute and cosy and just... not for me. It felt like a DIY / makeover show in book form to begin with, and then a guide to how to run a business. I didn't dislike it, but I just didn't love it either.

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

Started: 28.2.26

Finished: 6.3.26

Paperback

TBR Prompt: Yellow book

I feel like this has taken me a long time to get through. I wasn't really feeling a strong urge to pick it up, and yet when I did, I really enjoyed it. The plot was fairly obvious early on, but this was always more of a character-driven story. Who couldn't love Marcellus?! I definitely shed a few tears at the end. Apparently the film version is being released on Netflix on May 8th 2026.

February Reading Wrap-Up

                              

14 books read, 2 DNFs

1. Bitter Passage by Colin Mills. 

Loved this! Another book about the Franklin expedition to navigate the NorthWest Passage, or rather, the recovery service which sets out to find Erebus and Terror, 4 years after they left. There was no supernatural element to this book, instead it focused on Lieutenant Robinson and Assistant Surgeon Adams, and their very different motives for trying to find Franklin and his men. This was an Amazon First Reads that I've had on my Kindle since 2024, I don't know why it's taken me so long to read it.

2. When The Wolf Comes Home by Nat Cassidy

Was very excited to read this. Thought it was going to be a straightforward werewolf type of story - wasn't. At all. Gripping and fast-paced with some pretty horrific outcomes for several characters.

3. Bloom by Delilah S Dawson

A sapphic romance which takes a very dark turn! 

4. The Hollow Places by T. Kingfisher

Very creepy story about a wormhole opening up between worlds, good characters, lots of humour too.

5. The Apparition Phase by Will Maclean

Not quite the ghost story I was expecting

6. The Hunger by Alma Katsu

Fictionalised retelling of The Donner Party's failed attempt to cross an inhospitable mountain range, with a bit of a supernatural twist.

7. Hungerstone by Kat Dunn

Hunger! So much hunger!

8. The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie

Grimdark fantasy, but actually really good fun! Looking forwards to reading the rest of the trilogy, but just feel like I need breaks in between.

9. Night Watching by Tracy Sierra

This was a DNF.

10. The Storytellers by Sue Heath

Another DNF

11. The Other People by C. B. Everett

'Locked room'(/house) mystery with a twist that I didn't particularly enjoy

12. The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones

Elk revenge.

13. What Moves The Dead by T. Kingfisher

Botanical horror!

14. The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

A descent into madness

15. Ledge by Stacey McEwan

Icy fantasy with a cliffhanger ending!

16. Penpal by Dathan Auerbach

Random childhood memories recalled in later life, which, with hindsight, lead to a terrifying conclusion.

Penpal by Dathan Auerbach

Started: 27.2.26

Finished: 28.2.26

Paperback

TBR Prompt: Free pick from bookshelves

I've been wanting to read this book for a long time as I've heard such good things about it. It was meant to be one of my March reads, but I started it yesterday and finished it today, oops!

The narrator is an un-named person, recounting a series of random occurrences from his childhood; at the start of the novel he talks about memories and how they become distorted over time. The chapters do flit forwards and backwards in a non-linear way, which makes it a bit hard to follow. As he reconstructs his past, he realises with hindsight that all the odd things that happened to him were linked, and that they all culminated in a horrific event. 

I'm not really sure how I feel about this book. I don't think it lived up to the hype for me. One of the things I struggled with is that a lot of the actions and dialogue felt too mature for the age that he claimed to be in that particular memory - running around in the woods with his friend when they were five and six years old, for example. And although the ending, and the way he finds out about everything that happened, was certainly horrific, I would put this book in the thriller genre rather than horror. 

TBR Picks For March

I've just used a random number generator to pick out 10 TBR prompts from my list, to choose my March reads. Below are the books I've chosen, in the order that the prompts came out:

1. Pink Book - Weyward by Emilia Hart (KU) 

2. First In A Series - Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree (KU)

3. Short stories - A Taste Of Darkness by Amy McCaw / Various (paperback)

4. Free pick from my shelves - Penpal by Dathan Auerbach (paperback)

5. Five word title - A Short Stay In Hell by Steven L. Peck (paperback)

6. Four word title - Blood On Her Tongue by Johanna Van Veen (paperback)

7. Red book - Tender Is The Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica (paperback)

8. Continue a series - Carl's Doomsday Scenario by Matt Dinniman (KU)

9. Non-fiction - The Frozen Silence by Dr James Pennington (KU)

10. Yellow book - Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt (paperback)

I did manage to read the 14 books I chose for February (well, 12 with 2 DNFs, and then I snuck an extra one in), but this time I decided to just choose ten. This leaves a bit of wiggle room should I want to read anything else, and in March I'm also planning to read Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine as part of a Facebook book group.