ARC REVIEW: BAT EATER | KYLIE LEE BAKER

Bat Eater by Kylie Lee Baker
My rating: ✨✨✨✨✨

I'm going to begin this write-up by saying something decidedly controversial: Bat Eater might just be my top book of 2024.

As is expected of me, this one was chosen based on its cover and a small blurb on NetGalley, and I was rewarded with an incredibly vivid tale that had tension, horror, and plenty of disturbing scenes. But Bat Eater is also incredibly poignant, emotional, and beautifully melancholic. 

We all remember life in 2020, when COVID was fresh and the world stood still. For me it feels like a distant memory and yesterday all at once. Sure I didn't experience it in New York like Cora does in the book, but the descriptions of deserted streets, unattainable toilet paper, and the downright mindfuck of a time it was to live through brought it all right back.

ARC REVIEW: I BET YOU'D LOOK GOOD IN A COFFIN | KATY BRENT

I Bet You’d Look Good in a Coffin by Katy Brent
My rating: ✨✨✨✨✨

Kitty Collins is back! What better way to celebrate spooky season than with a bad bitch who completely justifiably murders awful men? This highly anticipated sequel sees the return of my favourite antiheroine, and this time she's gone international.

I accidentally stumbled upon Kitty's first outing in How to Kill Men and Get Away With It last spring and have been wanting more from her ever since. Katy Brent's second novel - The Murder After the Night Before - was my first review of this year, and she's quickly become an author that I will jump at when news comes of further releases. If there was a Guinness Record for fastest NetGalley request I would be the holder purely for the speed with which I submitted my request for this one.

ARC REVIEW: WITCHCRAFT FOR WAYWARD GIRLS | GRADY HENDRIX

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When it comes to modern horror writers, Grady Hendrix is pretty high up there on my list of go-to authors and every book I've read by him so far has been thoroughly enjoyable. Seeing that Witchcraft For Wayward Girls had become available had me smashing the request button like an impatient boomer on a hotel reception bell.

I went in completely blind to this book with absolutely zero clue about what the plot might be, where it'd be set, or what kind of characters I'd meet along the way. In my mind I had a vague inkling that it might be centred around a school for witches, so I guess I was just a little off on that score.

BOOK CLUB 10: HAS ANYONE SEEN CHARLOTTE SALTER? | NICCI FRENCH 🎧

Has Anyone Seen Charlotte Salter? by Nicci French
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

October's pick of Has Anyone Seen Charlotte Salter? piqued my interest immediately. Instead of reading I plumped for the option of listening along on Spotify, and I finished it within two days!

Laid out in a Then and Now setting, the book happens across three parts, and I couldn't help but imagine each one as a standalone TV episode. I'm unsure if this notion was enhanced with it being listened to rather than read, but it was a book that was brilliantly brought to life full of genuine intrigue. The scenery was beautifully descriptive, the characters were well fleshed-out, and the air of mystery ran along a strong undercurrent throughout.

ARC REVIEW: COSTANZA | RACHEL BLACKMORE

Costanza by Rachel Blackmore
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Continuing on with my current obsession with historical fiction, I saw the cover for Costanza and was immediately drawn to it. Then I read the blurb and I was enthralled. What's one more ARC review to add to the already-massive pile?!

Set in 17th century Rome, Costanza is based on the real story of Costanza Piccolomini, who's been long-forgotten by history. She was a strong-willed feminist icon, a sinner, a temptress, and Costanza tells her story...

ARC REVIEW: A GOOD PLACE TO HIDE A BODY | LAURA MARSHALL

A Good Place to Hide a Body by Laura Marshall
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I wasn't looking for tips or anything, but I did do a bombastic side-eye when A Good Place to Hide a Body cropped up in my NetGalley recommendations. Unfortunately, far from being a manual it's actually Laura Marshall's fifth novel. Less-unfortunately it's a brilliant thriller that I finished within six hours. 

A Good Place to Hide a Body follows Penny and her family as they navigate their way through a life-altering, infuriating scenario at the hands of a stranger named Cooper who'll remind absolutely all of you of your very worst ex.

ARC REVIEW: TEDDY | EMILY DUNLAY

Teddy by Emily Dunlay
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

The premise of Teddy drew me in, then the cover sealed the deal. A book that promised 1960s glamour, travel, and a peek into the rich world of an American girl in decadent Europe was not one I wanted to miss.

ARC REVIEW: THE SUSPECT | ROB RINDER

The Suspect by Rob Rinder
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

The Suspect is the second novel from Rob Rinder - yes, Judge Rinder - and seeing as I love that man I was thrilled when I was approved to read ahead of publication.

Last year’s The Trial introduced us to junior barrister Adam Green, and The Suspect follows him as he realises the case before him is not as straightforward as it seems; the nation’s sweetheart morning TV presenter dies live on screen, a celebrity chef is the prime suspect for her murder, and a web of deceit and lies is uncovered in the quest for the truth.

ARC REVIEW: ONLY HERE, ONLY NOW | TOM NEWLANDS

Only Here, Only Now by Tom Newlands
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Cora Mowat is a 14-year-old girl growing up in Fife, dreaming of making something of her life in the hustle and bustle of Glasgow. Living with her disabled mum, navigating her way with boys, and battling with undiagnosed ADHD, Cora is the epicentre of a novel that I dare say has all the makings of becoming a modern classic.

BOOK CLUB 4: WEYWARD | EMILIA HART 🎧

This month I decided to try something new for the book club book; listening to the monthly pick. Spotify have recently started to include 15 free audiobook hours per month for subscribers, so I thought why not? Weyward was the pick of the month for April, and I think I'm onto something...

ARC REVIEW: FRUIT OF THE DEAD | RACHEL LYON

You had me at Persephone and Demeter! Ancient mythology is my jam, so Fruit of the Dead sparked my interest immediately and I requested the ARC to see a new spin on the classic tale.

BOOK CLUB 2: PRELOVED | LAUREN BRAVO

February's book club pick was one I'd not heard of, but it won the vote so it's what we went with! I guess the fun of a book club is getting to read books you wouldn't choose usually, and for me Preloved fit that criteria. Following my New Year's resolution of not buying books new in 2024, I once more headed to eBay, and ordered my copy of Preloved.

BOOK REVIEW: GIRL IN PIECES | KATHLEEN GLASGOW

Prior to reading Girl in Pieces I did question whether I’d be left a little unfulfilled due to it being classed as a young adult novel, but it resonated with me in ways that I wasn’t expecting. I actually finished this book a few weeks ago, and it’s taken a lot of to-ing and fro-ing over what to include in this write up. I’ve eventually decided to be honest about why it affected me so much…

ARC REVIEW: I SEE BUILDINGS FALL LIKE LIGHTNING | KEIRAN GODDARD

I've read a lot of good reviews for I See Buildings Fall Like Lightning from the book-based accounts I follow and I felt like it'd be a book I'd enjoy as well. I requested the ARC for this one quite close to publication, and after a couple of days I figured it was too close to the book's release to get the chance to read. That is not how it went; on Wednesday evening I got the approval notification...the day before publication!

ARC REVIEW: THE MURDER AFTER THE NIGHT BEFORE | KATY BRENT

“Something bad happened last night, but I can’t remember a thing…”

What an unexpectedly fantastic surprise - my first ARC of the year! I never thought my new little NetGalley account would be chosen to read this in advance, so imagine my delight when I got the email saying I’d been selected! Last summer I read Katy’s first novel How to Kill Men and Get Away With It and immediately fell in love with her writing style; witty and humorous, twisted and emotional, and clever enough to have you rooting for the morally dark main character, despite her murderous tendencies. Suffice it to say, I had high hopes for The Murder After the Night Before from the day it was announced. 

BOOK REVIEW: THE TOLL HOUSE | CARLY REAGON

I plumped for The Toll House on whim, as I finished my last physical book while out of the house and wanted to make a start on something new. I bought this on Apple Books last year as the premise intrigued me and the cover is beautiful, then I promptly forgot about it for the remainder of 2023. Finding it in my digital book list was a pleasant surprise, so I dove straight in. 

BOOK REVIEW: THE VIRGIN SUICIDES | JEFFREY EUGENIDES - BOOK CLUB 1

The Virgin Suicides is the year’s first pick for the online book club I’m part of, and is a book I’ve read a few times before. I really like the film adaptation as well, so starting the book club year with something familiar felt like a nice way to ease into things.

BOOK REVIEW: MEXICAN GOTHIC | SILVIA MORENO-GARCIA

Here we are with book one of 2024 finally completed. Mexican Gothic was recommended to me by a few people, and I also saw it talked about in a number of places as being an excellent read. I ordered my copy from World of Books on eBay and ended up receiving a beautiful hardback first edition copy - not bad for £3.45!