Bookhaul

Hi everyone

I have this habit; whenever I read an amazing book, I immediately order something else by the same author. And then, one thing leads to another: I dive into a rabbit hole of 'needing' other books on my wishlist, spot a few on sale, or decide to try something new by an author who’s caught my attention. Before I know it, my TBR pile has grown exponentially but hey, I’m not complaining!

So, here’s my latest book haul, a mix of impulse buys, wishlist picks, and new discoveries. 

- Ben Aaronovitch: Stone & Sky

- Miles Cameron: Against All Gods

- Jacqueline Harpman: I Who Have Never Known Men

- Claire Keegan: Foster

- Stephen King: Revival

- Stephen King: Bag of Bones

- Stephen King: Desperation

- Stephen King: The Outsider

- Shauna Lawless: Daughter of the Otherworld

- Anthony Ryan: The Wolf’s Call

- Brandon Sanderson: The Sunlit Man

- Anna Smith Spark: The Court of Broken Knives

Have you read any of these? Which one should I pick up first? Or do you have any recommendations based on my haul? 

Happy reading!
Helena 

Stephen King: Firestarter

Hi everyone

Firestarter is my latest read by Stephen King. I got my copy from Bol.com.

"You're a firestarter honey . . . just one big zippo lighter.
A year ago, he was an upstanding instructor of English at Harrison State College. Now Andy is on the run with his daughter. A pigtailed girl named Charlie. A girl with an unimaginably terrifying gift.
A gift which could be useful to corrupt authorities. Soon Charlie will be caught up in the menace of a fateful drug experiment and a sinister government ploy . . .
Let the reader Firestarter is Stephen King at his most mesmerising . . . and menacing."

I loved this book. Firestarter was such an engrossing, entertaining, and unputdownable read; truly classic Stephen King at his best.

Stephen King is a master at writing characters, and Firestarter is no exception. The love Andy has for Charlie shines through in every scene. He is truly prepared to do anything for her, and his devotion is both heartwarming and heartbreaking.
The scene where he traumatizes her with the teddy bear brought tears to my eyes because I understood how hurting her was also protecting her and how guilty and awful he felt about it. It was truly heartbreaking. The same goes for the scenes where Andy has to push Charlie to use her powers to hurt people, knowing it will hurt her and change who she is as a person. King captures the love of a parent so vividly.
I loved that we got to read from so many different POVs. It’s amazing how King manages to make so many characters (good, bad, or anything in between) compelling. The only character who felt off sometimes was Charlie herself. My eldest daughter is now nine, and I can’t help comparing the way they talk and act and Charlie doesn’t always ring true as a real child.

Unlike most of Stephen King’s novels, the horror in Firestarter doesn’t lie in the main characters with their powers but rather in the government that’s pursuing them. And it starts from the very first page. You can feel their worry, desperation, and fear throughout the book. The tension is relentless, and the stakes feel terrifyingly high.

Firestarter is a true page-turner. I had to force myself every night to close the book and go to sleep because I just wanted to keep reading. It’s one of those books that pulls you in and refuses to let go.

Have you read Firestarter? Did you love it as much as I did, or did you have a different experience? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Happy reading!
Helena 

A.J. Hackwith: The Library of the Unwritten

Hi everyone

The Library of the Unwritten is the first book in A. J. Hackwith’s Hell’s Library series. I read this on my e-reader.

"Many years ago, Claire was named Head Librarian of the Unwritten Wing-- a neutral space in Hell where all the stories unfinished by their authors reside. Her job consists mainly of repairing and organizing books, but also of keeping an eye on restless stories that risk materializing as characters and escaping the library. When a Hero escapes from his book and goes in search of his author, Claire must track and capture him with the help of former muse and current assistant Brevity and nervous demon courier Leto.
But what should have been a simple retrieval goes horrifyingly wrong when the terrifyingly angelic Ramiel attacks them, convinced that they hold the Devil's Bible. The text of the Devil's Bible is a powerful weapon in the power struggle between Heaven and Hell, so it falls to the librarians to find a book with the power to reshape the boundaries between Heaven, Hell…. and Earth."

The Library of the Unwritten sounded like a fantastic read; fun, entertaining, and full of potential. The idea of a library in Hell filled with unfinished stories is intriguing and imaginative, and the opening chapters lived up to that promise. I loved meeting the characters and exploring the library.
Unfortunately, the further I read, the more the book fell flat. What started as a charming, engaging adventure turned into something tedious, boring, and almost chore-like. The severe lack of world-building became more and more apparent and the magic and stakes of the world never felt real or compelling.

There wasn’t a single engaging or realistic character in the entire book. Every character felt one-dimensional and I struggled to care about their journeys or motivations.

I also didn’t think the more serious aspects of the story fit the overall humorous tone. The shift between lighthearted moments and heavier themes felt jarring and inconsistent. It was as if the book couldn’t decide what it wanted to be; a whimsical adventure or a darker, more complex tale.

There definitely were fun moments, but as a whole, the book was actually very dull. The lack of depth in the world and characters made it hard to stay invested, and by the end, I was left feeling underwhelmed.

Have you read The Library of the Unwritten? Did you feel the same way, or did you enjoy it more than I did? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Happy reading!
Helena

Wrap Up: August 2026

Hi everyone

August was a wonderful month. Both our daughters celebrated their birthdays (they’re 4 years and a week apart), we traveled to The Netherlands, and we had a lovely time all together. I read a lot, especially while on holiday.
Here's what I read:

- Terry Pratchett: The Last Hero  

- Jim Butcher: Cursor's Fury 

- Ilona Andrews: Magic Gifts  

- Dean Koontz: Devoted 

- R. F. Kuang: The Poppy War  

- Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah: Friday Black 

- Samantha Sotto Yambao: Water Moon 

- The Complete Poetry of Edgar Allan Poe 

- John Steinbeck: Travels with Charley 

- Shauna Lawless: The Land of the Living and the Dead  

I also DNF'd two books:

- Aliette de Bodard: The House of Shattered Wings

- bell hooks: All About Love

How was your reading month? Did you discover any new favorites or struggle with anything? I’d love to hear what you enjoyed or if you have any recommendations!

Happy reading!
Helena 

Shauna Lawless: The Land of the Living and the Dead

Hi everyone

The Land of the Living and the Dead is the third book in Shauna Lawless’ The Gael Song Trilogy. This book was a birthday gift from my husband, and it turned out to be the perfect conclusion to an amazing trilogy.

"Ireland, 1011 AD. Brian Boru is now High King of Ireland. His queen, Gormflaith, instructs their young son in his heritage - but only on his mother's side. For Gormflaith, an immortal Fomorian skilled in fire-magic, intends to finally defeat the Fomorians' hated foes, the Descendants, and establish control over Ireland. And if King Brian stands in her way, so much the worse for him…
Fódla, the Descendants' spy in King Brian's camp, treads a wary path. She must protect her magically powerful young nephew from their leader, Tomas, who will do anything to achieve his aim of the Descendants returning to the mortal world and ruling Ireland. And Fódla is on dangerous ground, for she has broken one of the sacred rules of the she has fallen in love with a mortal.
As the schemes of Gormflaith and Tomas come to fruition, the only possible outcome is war. Ireland has bled red and often… but the coming clash will be a battle for the ages. Strange alliances will form, old defences will fail, and the land will never be the same again." 

What a conclusion! What an end to an amazing trilogy! We’re left with some open endings, hints of things to look out for in the second series, and I can’t wait to buy and read the first book and we're lucky because it’s already published!

Every single character reads like a real person; it’s amazing how Shauna Lawless manages to give everyone a distinct voice and personality. It’s impossible to mistake one for another because they are all so unique. Fódla and Murchad are my absolute favorite characters, but I also loved Broccan, Colmon, and even Gormflaith. The main antagonist of The Gael Song Trilogy is a fully rounded character, and we can understand her motivations, sometimes, we can even root for her, especially when she broaches the subject of equality between men and women. And yet, at other times, I could have roared in anger at her for what she does or thinks.

Shauna Lawless is a master at building suspense. There was never a dull moment, I was constantly anticipating what would happen next, trying to guess, but Lawless managed to surprise me time and time again. Not a dull moment in the entire series.
The Land of the Living and the Dead was heartbreaking, and I had to sit with my feelings a few times. I paused my reading to do something else (like puzzling) to digest what happened. I needed time to recover.

The writing is amazing; it’s engaging, engrossing, and so vivid. She wrote the characters and their relationships in a nuanced, open, thoughtful, and complex way, and I truly, truly applaud her for that. All the romances in the series are difficult, different, and even unstable, and Lawless wrote them perfectly.

The Gael Song Trilogy is a brilliant series, and I am reading everything Shauna Lawless publishes. Have you read The Gael Song Trilogy? Did you love it as much as I did? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Happy reading!
Helena 

John Steinbeck: Travels with Charley

Hi everyone

As a longtime fan of John Steinbeck’s works, I had high expectations for Travels with Charley. I got my copy from Bol.com.

"To hear the speech of the real America, to smell the grass and the trees, to see the colors and the light—these were John Steinbeck's goals as he set out, at the age of fifty-eight, to rediscover the country he had been writing about for so many years.
With Charley, his French poodle, Steinbeck drives the interstates and the country roads, dines with truckers, encounters bears at Yellowstone and old friends in San Francisco. Along the way he reflects on the American character, racial hostility, the particular form of American loneliness he finds almost everywhere, and the unexpected kindness of strangers."

This was a wonderful book. Travels with Charley was written as non-fiction, but it has since been debunked as pure nonfiction; it’s more like "embellished non-fiction". And I really don’t care either way. I’ve never been to America, and I wasn’t alive in the 1960s. Plus, Steinbeck is a writer, so I guess it’s kind of expected of him to exaggerate, embellish, and change a few things?

I loved the look into the day-to-day American life in the 1960s. Steinbeck’s observations of the bears, the giant trees, and the people he meets are vivid and engaging. His reflections can be quite inspirational and philosophical, offering a thoughtful, introspective view of the country and its people. He has so much insight into the people, the country, cultural opinions, and nature.

I was also touched by Steinbeck’s love for his wife. It was really sweet how many times he mentions her and how often he says he misses her. It’s nice to get to know him a little better as a person, and Charley is just wonderful, truly a delightful companion throughout the journey.

But there were also very boring and pointless parts. Some sections felt slow or unnecessary, and I was eager to get back to the more engaging moments. The pacing throughout felt very uneven.

Have you read Travels with Charley? Did you enjoy it as much as I did, or did you find the slower parts as challenging? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Happy reading!
Helena 

Bookhaul: Boekhandel Donner Rotterdam

Hi everyone

We spent two wonderful weeks with our children in The Netherlands. While in Rotterdam, we came across this gorgeous bookstore called Boekhandel Donner. I could have stayed there all day if I’d been alone; it was pure bookish bliss!
I bought two books I’d never seen or heard about before, and they really intrigued me. Here’s what I got:

- Saara El-Arifi: The Final Strife

- Morgan Ryan: A Resistance of Witches

Have you read either of these? Did you like them? I’d love to hear your thoughts before I dive in!

Happy reading!
Helena 

Samantha Sotto Yambao: Water Moon

Hi everyone

Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao is the last novel I finished reading on holiday. 
I read this on my e-reader.

"On a backstreet in Tokyo lies a pawnshop, but not everyone can find it.
Most will see only a cosy ramen restaurant. And just the chosen ones – those who are lost – will find a place to pawn their life choices and deepest regrets.
Hana Ishikawa wakes on her first morning as the pawnshop's new owner to find it ransacked, the shop’s most precious acquisition stolen and her father missing. And then into the shop stumbles a charming stranger, quite unlike other customers. For he offers help, instead of seeking it.
Together, they must journey through a mystical world to find Hana’s father and the stolen choice – through rain puddles, hitching rides on paper cranes, across the bridge between midnight and morning and through a night market in the clouds.
But as they get closer to the truth, Hana must reveal a secret of her own – and risk making a choice she will never be able to take back."

I can see what Sotto Yambao was trying to do: creating a magical world where anything is possible. But in my opinion, she didn’t succeed. Why? Because every time something happened, out of nowhere there was a magical way to circumvent it. She uses the magical elements to make things easier, rather than to build tension or depth.
There were no clear boundaries or limitations to the magic, and because of that, there was no tension, no structure, and no purpose. 
I loved the idea of the pawnshop, and the parts of the book that took place in and around it were really amazing. The concept had a lot of potential, and those sections felt really intriguing. It’s everything after that that felt too convenient, too easy, and because of that, boring and predictable.

And I absolutely hate insta-love in every novel. The chemistry just wasn’t there; the characters were so flat, and their dialogue was stiff and old-fashioned, even though they sounded like teenagers (despite Kei having a PhD). It felt unnatural and unconvincing, and it pulled me out of the story rather than drawing me in.

There’s just way too much going on, and nothing is explored the way it should be. Everything and everyone remains surface-level, and the pacing throughout the book is very uneven. It felt like the story was rushing from one idea to the next without taking the time to develop any of them properly. It’s a shame, because the pawnshop setting had so much potential.

Have you read Water Moon? Did you feel the same way, or did you enjoy it more than I did? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Happy reading!
Helena

Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah: Friday Black

Hi everyone

I’m not a big reader of short stories, but I had seen Friday Black by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, and I was very intrigued. 
I read this on my e-reader.

"From the start of this extraordinary debut, Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah’s writing will grab you, haunt you, enrage and invigorate you. By placing ordinary characters in extraordinary situations, Adjei-Brenyah reveals the violence, injustice, and painful absurdities that black men and women contend with every day in this country.
These stories tackle urgent instances of racism and cultural unrest, and explore the many ways we fight for humanity in an unforgiving world. In “The Finkelstein Five,” Adjei-Brenyah gives us an unforgettable reckoning of the brutal prejudice of our justice system. In “Zimmer Land,” we see a far-too-easy-to-believe imagining of racism as sport. And “Friday Black” and “How to Sell a Jacket as Told by Ice King” show the horrors of consumerism and the toll it takes on us all." 

I don’t normally review short stories because it can be very difficult to review the collection as a whole when every story is a completely different experience. But Friday Black demands attention.

Some of these stories (like The Finkelstein Five and the Black Friday stories) were mind-blowing, disquieting, dark, sharp, powerful, and truly unforgettable. Adjei-Brenyah’s writing is perfect for these tales: not flowery, but to the point, elegant, and easy to read. These stories tackle important issues in a way I hadn’t thought about before, offering new, intriguing perspectives that I hope get people (like me) to think deeply.

That said, a few stories completely missed the mark for me. I didn’t really feel anything while reading them. So, this is a mixed collection with absolutely stunning stories alongside utterly lackluster ones.

Have you read Friday Black? Did you have a favorite story, or did you feel the same mix of awe and indifference? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Happy reading!
Helena

R. F. Kuang: The Poppy War

Hi everyone

The Poppy War is the first book in The Poppy War series by R. F. Kuang. Despite not finishing Kuang’s Babel, the strong reviews on Goodreads convinced me to give this one a chance. 
I read it on my e-reader.

"When Rin aced the Keju—the Empire-wide test to find the most talented youth to learn at the Academies—it was a shock to everyone: to the test officials, who couldn’t believe a war orphan from Rooster Province could pass without cheating; to Rin’s guardians, who believed they’d finally be able to marry her off and further their criminal enterprise; and to Rin herself, who realized she was finally free of the servitude and despair that had made up her daily existence. That she got into Sinegard—the most elite military school in Nikan—was even more surprising.
But surprises aren’t always good.
Because being a dark-skinned peasant girl from the south is not an easy thing at Sinegard. Targeted from the outset by rival classmates for her color, poverty, and gender, Rin discovers she possesses a lethal, unearthly power—an aptitude for the nearly-mythical art of shamanism. Exploring the depths of her gift with the help of a seemingly insane teacher and psychoactive substances, Rin learns that gods long thought dead are very much alive—and that mastering control over those powers could mean more than just surviving school.
For while the Nikara Empire is at peace, the Federation of Mugen still lurks across a narrow sea. The militarily advanced Federation occupied Nikan for decades after the First Poppy War, and only barely lost the continent in the Second. And while most of the people are complacent to go about their lives, a few are aware that a Third Poppy War is just a spark away . . .
Rin’s shamanic powers may be the only way to save her people. But as she finds out more about the god that has chosen her, the vengeful Phoenix, she fears that winning the war may cost her humanity . . . and that it may already be too late."

This was an okay read for me, but it never fully gripped me.

The first half, where Rin is at the academy, felt like I was reading a run-of-the-mill, generic YA book. Rin gets into the prestigious academy and (of course) gets bullied once there; this part was incredibly boring and very predictable. It didn’t hold my attention, and I struggled to stay engaged (or even awake to be honest). I’m not sure whether the shift in tone for the second half was Kuang’s intention, but the second part worked much better for me.

The second half gets much more brutal and dark, and I enjoyed this more (which is weird to say about violence, but you know what I mean). These scenes were very well done. This half of the book gave me chills while reading. The haunting scenes were truly unforgettable.

Despite the darker tone and compelling moments, the book never really gripped me. I could easily put it aside every time I read a part. I didn’t feel engaged or curious about what would happen next. I was actually a bit bored, and that’s strange in a book that’s so gory at times.
In general, I felt the world-building was too minimal and too heavily copied from history. And some things from history should not be used as entertainment. While you can frame this as shining a light on the consequences of war and its victims, this felt more like amusement.
As the book went on, Rin’s decisions became absolutely incomprehensible. It was hard to connect with her when her actions felt so inconsistent or illogical.

Have you read The Poppy War? Did you enjoy it more than I did, or did you feel the same way? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Happy reading!
Helena

Dean Koontz: Devoted

Hi everyone

As a fan of Stephen King’s work, it’s strange that this is only my second book by Dean Koontz. I have no idea why I haven’t read more of his works, but I think it’s time to rectify that. 
I read this on my e-reader.

"Woody Bookman hasn’t spoken a word in his eleven years of life. Not when his father died in a freak accident. Not when his mother, Megan, tells him she loves him. For Megan, keeping her boy safe and happy is what matters. But Woody believes a monstrous evil was behind his father’s death and now threatens him and his mother. And he’s not alone in his thoughts. An ally unknown to him is listening.
A uniquely gifted dog with a heart as golden as his breed, Kipp is devoted beyond reason to people. When he hears the boy who communicates like he does, without speaking, Kipp knows he needs to find him before it’s too late.
Woody’s fearful suspicions are taking shape. A man driven by a malicious evil has set a depraved plan into motion. And he’s coming after Woody and his mother. The reasons are primal. His powers are growing. And he’s not alone. Only a force greater than evil can stop what’s coming next."

I enjoyed this so much! The story is very entertaining, gripping, and engaging. It’s fast-paced and thrilling, keeping me on the edge of my seat from start to finish.

The characters are a bit superficial and very clearly all good or all bad, but that’s expected from these kinds of novels, so I’m not complaining. Lee Shacket creeped me out and I was actually dreading reading from his POV because he was such a freaky, scary, disturbing, and unnerving creature.

The end is a bit too sweet, too neat, and perfect for my liking. While I appreciated the resolution, it lacked the complexity that might have made it feel more authentic or satisfying.

Despite the simplistic characters and too perfect ending, this book was a wild, enjoyable ride. It’s made me eager to explore more of Koontz’s work; maybe I’ve been missing out!

Have you read this book? I’d love to hear your thoughts! Is there another of Dean Koontz's books you would recommend?

Happy reading!
Helena 

Ilona Andrews: Magic Gifts

Hi everyone

Magic Gifts is a novella in the Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews. This story is set between Magic Slays and Magic Rises. I read this on my e-reader. 

"Dinner date after a hard workday should be heavenly. Of course, dates between the Beast Lord and Kate Daniels don’t always go as planned. Undead run amok, heads are chopped off, lawyers are deployed with extreme prejudice, and drunk vikings call people out."

As a novella, Magic Gifts didn’t quite work for me. I truly feel this should have been a full-length novel. The story started out great; we love these characters, the world, the magic, and the creatures. The plot was fun and entertaining, but when I reached the two-thirds mark, everything went too fast.
It felt as though the authors suddenly realized they were writing a novella but had too much going on, so they had to cram everything into the last 40 pages. The pacing suffered, and the story ended up feeling rushed and incomplete.

Despite its flaws, Magic Gifts added a lot to the overall universe Ilona Andrews created. The world-building, character dynamics, and magical lore are all as compelling as ever. I enjoyed it a lot; it was just too rushed to fully appreciate.

Have you read Magic Gifts? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Happy reading!
Helena
 

Jim Butcher: Cursor's Fury

Hi everyone

Cursor's Fury is the third book in the Codex Alera series by Jim Butcher. I read this on my e-reader.

"When the ambitious and ruthless High Lord of Kalare enters into a dangerous alliance with the Canim, bestial enemies of Alera, and treachery destroys the Aleran army's command structure, an inexperienced, young Tavi of Calderon finds himself leading a poorly equipped legion that is the only force standing between the Canim horde and Alera's future."

While the Codex Alera series is nothing groundbreaking, it is an entertaining read. However, Cursor’s Fury suffers from being way too long. The events in these pages could have been condensed by at least 200 pages. Even the battles felt drawn out, and the whole book dragged its feet. So, while Jim Butcher’s writing is engaging and entertaining, the story itself felt slow and tedious.

Tavi has finally grown up in this installment. He’s done with the constant whining, and I’m so glad for that change. His growth is expected and well-executed, but it still feels unbelievable how he’s always the one coming up with clever plans to save the day, and how they always work out perfectly. It stretches credibility a bit too far for my taste.

Getting the backstory of Isana and Fade was wonderful, and I really loved the way their story is unfolding; except for Isana healing Fade for over a month while she could have saved thousands of soldiers just outside her door. Very questionable decision. I am done with reading about the amount of sex Bernard and Amara are having and their infertility issues. Both topics are mentioned far too many times, and they add little to the story.
Kitai was more palatable in this book. She’s less of a presence in the story, so her sense of superiority was less aggravating. However, her "bonding" with Tavi still makes no sense to me. It feels forced and unearned.

I’m questioning whether to continue this series. While there are moments I enjoy, the pacing issues and repetitive elements are starting to weigh on me.
Have you read the Codex Alera series? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Happy reading!
Helena

Terry Pratchett: The Last Hero

Hi everyone

The Last Hero is the 27th book in The Discworld series by the inimitable Terry Pratchett. I think was my third time reading this one.

"It stars the legendary Cohen the Barbarian, a legend in his own lifetime. Cohen can remember when a hero didn't have to worry about fences and lawyers and civilisation, and when people didn't tell you off for killing dragons. But he can't always remember, these days, where he put his teeth...
So now, with his ancient sword and his new walking stick and his old friends - and they're very old friends - Cohen the Barbarian is going on one final quest. He's going to climb the highest mountain in the Discworld and meet his gods. The last hero in the world is going to return what the first hero stole. With a vengeance.
That'll mean the end of the world, if no one stops him in time." 

This book is pure comedy gold. The story is more of a novella than a full-length novel, but it gets fleshed out by the stunning, artful, amazing illustrations by Paul Kidby. They elevate this to an incredible reading experience.

Every Discworld book adds depth to the world, and The Last Hero is no exception. Both the art and the written words contribute to the richness of this universe; the world gets expanded, and the characters gain even more depth with every book in this series.

Cohen the Barbarian and his Silver Horde are truly amazing characters, and they create hilarious, laugh-out-loud situations. I love their interactions, their old-age "wisdoms", their stubbornness, and their heroism. And, as always, every time Leonard da Quirm is part of the cast, you know you’re in for a treat. Rincewind isn't my favorite character but because he wasn't the main focus of this book; I really did enjoy his scenes. 

It was marvelous to explore more of Discworld and see other countries and people. Pratchett’s world-building is unmatched, and The Last Hero only adds extra layers of depth and humor to the series.

Have you read The Last Hero? Did you love it as much as I did? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Happy reading!
Helena 

Wrap Up: July 2026

Hi everyone

July has flown by, and I can’t believe we’re already halfway through our children’s summer vacation. The last week of July we spent at home, with some small trips, some tinkering around the house and garden, lots of playing, puzzeling and reading. And now we’re on holiday! With both our daughters celebrating their birthdays in August, we have a lot of fun lined up so plenty of reasons to enjoy our time together.

I read a lot in July, so here’s the list of books I finished:

- Stephen Baxter & Alastair Reynolds: The Medusa Chronicles  

- Robin Hobb: Blood of Dragons 

- Richard Osman: The Thursday Murder Club 

- Toshikazu Kawaguchi: Before the Coffee gets Cold  

- Sue Johnson: Hold Me Tight

- James S. A. Corey: Memory's Legion 

- Neil Gaiman: Norse Mythology  

- Jen Williams: The Poison Song

- Rivers Solomon: The Deep

And I had to DNF one book: 

- Richard Matheson: Hell House

I’d love to hear from you: How was your July in books? Did you discover a new favorite, or did you struggle to finish anything? Let me know; I’m always excited to hear your recommendations and thoughts!

Happy reading!
Helena 

Rivers Solomon: The Deep

Hi everyone

The Deep was my first book by Rivers Solomon and I read this on my e-reader.

"Her people, the wajinru – water-dwelling descendants of pregnant African slave women thrown overboard by slavers – live idyllic lives in the deep. Their past, too traumatic to be remembered regularly, is forgotten by everyone, save one. Save the historian.
Yetu remembers for all the wajinru, and the memories – painful and wonderful, traumatic and terrible and miraculous, are destroying her. And so she flees to the surface, escaping the memories and the expectations and the responsibilities – and discovers a world the wajinru left behind long ago.
Yetu will learn more than she ever expected to about her own past – and about the future of her people. If they are all to survive, they’ll need to reclaim the memories, reclaim their identities – and own who they really are." 

This was a strange read, and I’m not sure how I feel about this book.

The premise was very intriguing and totally made me want to read this. The idea of the wajinru and their collective memory is fascinating and haunting. Both this and the gorgeous cover sucked me in. 

The Deep is not a plot-driven novel. Instead, it focuses on character growth, memory, and the weight of history and I really appreciated this storytelling. The back-and-forth structure felt right for the story. 
However, the dense, flowery prose often felt overwhelming rather than engrossing. I struggled to get through the book, even though it’s only 170 pages. I found myself putting it down frequently, not because I wasn’t interested, but because the writing style made it hard to stay immersed. It felt as though Solomon was trying too hard to write Great Literature. The pretentious and contrived tone of the writing pulled me out of the story more often than it drew me in. 

The big questions; whether the good of one person is more important than the whole and who we really are apart from our ancestors, are still lingering in my mind.

So, in conclusion, The Deep left me with conflicted feelings. I found the premise intriguing, the story both painful and beautiful, and the message deeply thought-provoking but I disliked the forced, flowery writing.
Have you read The Deep? Did you love the writing, or did you struggle with it like I did? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Happy reading!
Helena

Jen Williams: The Poison Song

Hi everyone

The Poison Song is the third and final book in Jen Williams’ The Winnowing Flame Trilogy. I got my copy from Bol.com.

"All is confusion. The Jure'lia are weak, but the war is far from over.Ebora was once a glorious city, defended by legendary warriors and celebrated in song. Now refugees from every corner of Sarn seek shelter within its crumbling walls, and the enemy that has poisoned their land won't lie dormant for long.The deep-rooted connection that Tormalin, Noon and the scholar Vintage share with their Eboran war-beasts has kept them alive so far. But with Tor distracted, and his sister Hestillion hell-bent on bringing ruthless order to the next Jure'lia attack, the people of Sarn need all the help they can get.Noon is no stranger to playing with fire and knows just where to recruit a new - and powerful - army. But even she underestimates the epic quest that is to come. It is a journey wrought with pain and sacrifice - a reckoning that will change the face of Sarn forever."

What a conclusion this was.
Just like with my review of the second book, The Bitter Twins, this book was good, but not as good as the first book in the series, The Ninth Rain.

To me, the story has pacing and tension issues. The book starts out very, very slow. I loved the action scenes and the story, but the further I got into the series, the more I disliked Tor and his moping, complaining personality. Since the second book, almost all his scenes involve him drinking, sulking, moping around, and complaining about his life and the state of the world. And suddenly, he’s apparently the first one ever to come up with the idea to follow the Jure’lia when they go away? Like, really? There’s just too much drama. I enjoy Jen Williams’ writing, it’s easy to read and it flows very nicely but I really disliked the drama, especially from Tor and Noon.

I was glad we finally learned about Noon’s past, even though we kind of already knew. And I loved the warbeasts; they were all very different, with distinct personalities, and they evolved just as much as the human characters.
Hestillion’s arc was predictable, so even though I really liked her character, I was a bit disappointed by that. Chenlo was a great addition to the main cast; I loved her journey and how she changed. I also applaud Williams for the natural way Aldasair became much more self-assured. It could have easily become unbelievable and unrealistic, but instead, it felt natural.

I really loved the action scenes. They were chilling, full of tension, and not too dramatic.
And the ending was great. Not everyone survived, and I really think that’s the way it should be. It’s aggravating when a whole cast of characters comes out of a grand battle only mildly harmed.

All in all, The Poison Song has great ideas and is nicely written, but there’s too much drama for my taste.
Have you read The Poison Song? Did you enjoy it more than I did, or did you feel the same way? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Happy reading!
Helena 

Neil Gaiman: Norse Mythology

Hi everyone

Norse Mythology is a novel by Neil Gaiman, where he retells the stories of the Norse gods in his own unique way. I read this on my e-reader.

"Neil Gaiman, long inspired by ancient mythology in creating the fantastical realms of his fiction, presents a bravura rendition of the Norse gods and their world from their origin though their upheaval in Ragnarok. 
In Norse Mythology, Gaiman stays true to the myths in envisioning the major Norse pantheon: Odin, the highest of the high, wise, daring, and cunning; Thor, Odin’s son, incredibly strong yet not the wisest of gods; and Loki—son of a giant—blood brother to Odin and a trickster and unsurpassable manipulator.
Gaiman fashions these primeval stories into a novelistic arc that begins with the genesis of the legendary nine worlds and delves into the exploits of deities, dwarfs, and giants. Through Gaiman’s deft and witty prose, these gods emerge with their fiercely competitive natures, their susceptibility to being duped and to duping others, and their tendency to let passion ignite their actions, making these long-ago myths breathe pungent life again."

I’ve always loved Greek mythology. As a teenager, I read countless books about Zeus, Hera, Hades, and the rest of the pantheon. I also enjoyed Roman mythology, but my knowledge of Norse mythology is sparse. Of course, I know the obvious gods and stories, but not much beyond that.
So, finding this book about Norse mythology by Neil Gaiman was a happy discovery. And happy it was indeed, because I really enjoyed it.

The book was easy to read and very accessible. The characters felt real, the writing was engaging, the pace was good, and it was a really well-balanced mix of action and descriptions. The way the stories were structured chronologically made it very easy to follow along with all the characters.

Obviously, the stories aren’t Gaiman’s original work; these are existing myths he wrote down in his own words, so there’s nothing new here. If you’ve read other works about Norse mythology, you won’t find anything new in this book. But for someone like me, who only knew the gods’ names and characteristics, this was a great introduction.

Have you read Norse Mythology? Can you recommend me other books on Norse mythology? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Happy reading!
Helena

James S. A. Corey: Memory's Legion

Hi everyone

Memory’s Legion is a collection of novellas set in The Expanse universe by James S. A. Corey.

"On Mars, a scientist experiments with a new engine that will one day become the drive that fuels humanity's journey into the stars.
On an asteroid station, a group of prisoners are oblivious to the catastrophe that awaits them.
On a future Earth beset by overpopulation, pollution, and poverty, a crime boss desperately seeks to find a way off planet.
On an alien world, a human family struggles to establish a colony and make a new home.
All these stories and more are featured in this unmissable collection of short fiction set in the hardscrabble world of The Expanse."

This was actually quite a boring collection.
It was wonderful to be back in the world of The Expanse, as I really enjoyed the vast majority of the books in the series, and these stories were a nice addition; but definitely not necessary or required reading. They gave some background to certain events or characters in the series, and I did like what happened in them.

However, the stories were really lacking any sort of tension. The writing felt rather flat and passive to me, and that’s why I had a hard time starting and continuing to read the book in the evening. It lacked the urgency and depth that make The Expanse so gripping. 

Memory’s Legion is a fun extra for fans of the series, but it doesn’t add much to the overall experience. 

Have you read Memory’s Legion? Did you enjoy it more than I did, or did you feel the same way? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

 Happy reading!
Helena 

Bookhaul

Hi everyone

I bought a few new books over the last couple of days, and now that they’ve all arrived, I can finally show you what I got!

My new additions:

- Virginia Evans: The Correspondent

- Jackson Ford:  The Bone Raiders

- Kristin Hannah: The Nightingale

- James Islington: The Will of the Many

- Peter McLean: Priest of Bones 

Have you read any of these? Which one should I pick up first? Or do you have other recommendations based on these choices? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Happy reading!
Helena 

Toshikazu Kawaguchi: Before the Coffee gets Cold

Hi everyone

Before the Coffee Gets Cold is the first book in the series of the same name by Toshikazu Kawaguchi. I got this book from Bol.com.

"In a small back alley in Tokyo, there is a café which has been serving carefully brewed coffee for more than one hundred years. But this coffee shop offers its customers a unique experience: the chance to travel back in time.
In Before the Coffee Gets Cold, we meet four visitors, each of whom is hoping to make use of the café’s time-travelling offer, in order to: confront the man who left them, receive a letter from their husband whose memory has been taken by early onset Alzheimer's, to see their sister one last time, and to meet the daughter they never got the chance to know.
But the journey into the past does not come without risks: customers must sit in a particular seat, they cannot leave the café, and finally, they must return to the present before the coffee gets cold . . .
Toshikazu Kawaguchi’s beautiful, moving story explores the age-old question: what would you change if you could travel back in time? More importantly, who would you want to meet, maybe for one last time?"  

To be honest, it was very forgettable.

I hoped the book would be profoundly moving, charming, thoughtful, and lovely to read. Unfortunately, it didn’t live up to those expectations.
The stories all follow the same format, so after the second story, it felt very repetitive. Especially repeating the rules of time travel every single time was so unnecessary. It really felt like Toshikazu Kawaguchi thinks we’re all stupid.

The stories are all overly simple in both plot and writing style, and it’s obvious their sole purpose is to make us emotional. The characters are very stereotypical, one-dimensional, and old-fashioned.
From the very first story, I felt incredulous at these characters. The woman in the first story is a smart and highly respected manager who speaks multiple languages, but after her time-travel moment, she has the epiphany that she should wait for her boyfriend to come back and she’ll be happy. In another story, a woman gives up all her own hopes and dreams to make her parents happy. What? Mind you, this book was written in 2019 and is also set in that time. It was impossible to feel connected to the characters.

So yeah, interesting premise and lots of potential; but that’s it.

Have you read Before the Coffee Gets Cold? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Happy reading!
Helena 

Richard Osman: The Thursday Murder Club

Hi everyone

The Thursday Murder Club is the first book in Richard Osman's series Thursday Murder Club. I read this on my e-reader. 

"In a peaceful retirement village, four unlikely friends meet up once a week to investigate unsolved murders.
But when a brutal killing takes place on their very doorstep, the Thursday Murder Club find themselves in the middle of their first live case. Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron might be pushing eighty but they still have a few tricks up their sleeves.
Can our unorthodox but brilliant gang catch the killer before it's too late?" 

This was such a fun, delightful, entertaining, uplifting, and lovely story.

Make no mistake: the focus of this book is not the murder mystery; it’s the characters. The mystery itself is nicely done, and I didn’t guess how it would end, but the characters are where Richard Osman truly shines. They are all so lovely, larger-than-life, hilarious, tragic at times, and utterly charming.
It’s not realistic; the characters can be a bit one-dimensional, and it’s definitely not a serious book. But I really enjoyed the typical English humor that runs through it.

I did feel like the chapters were too short (on average, about 3 pages). The frequent switching of POV sometimes made me feel disconnected from the story and it really cut the flow of the storytelling.

Despite that, The Thursday Murder Club was a joy to read. It’s lighthearted, witty, and full of heart so perfect for when you need a pick-me-up. I will definitely continue the series.

Have you read The Thursday Murder Club? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Happy reading!
Helena

Robin Hobb: Blood of Dragons

Hi everyone

Blood of Dragons is the fourth and final book in The Rain Wild Chronicles by Robin Hobb. I got my copy from Bol.com.

"Dragons will fly over Kelsingra once more
Attacked by hunters, Tintaglia is dying of her wounds. If she perishes, her ancestral memories will die with her and the dragons in the ancient city of Kelsingra will lose the secret knowledge they need to survive.
The dragon keepers immerse themselves in the dangerously addictive memory-stone records of the city in the hope of recovering the lost Elderling magic that once allowed humans and dragons to co-exist.
But war is coming: war between dragons and those who would destroy them. "

In keeping with my experience with the other three books in The Rain Wild Chronicles, this book wasn’t great.

The focus is way too much on teenage romance to be truly enjoyable. This has been, and still is, my biggest gripe with the series, and it persists here. It was better in this book than in the previous ones; not every page with the keepers was about their love/sex lives, but it’s still too much. It was uninteresting, repetitive, and tedious to put it nicely. And it all ends utterly predictably. I’m so, so tired of this love triangle; Hobb took it way too far, and it should have ended in book two at the latest.

I really enjoyed being mad at the dragons for how superior they act. Aside from Tintaglia (I wouldn’t have minded her death were it not for her Elderlings) and Sintara, I liked reading from their POVs, getting to know them, and understanding them. Their arrogance and one-dimensionality made them frustrating but fascinating in a way.

I don’t have an issue with the pace of the story. Hobb’s writing is so good and engaging that I usually enjoy the slow pace of her novels. The whole series is lighter than her other works, which I enjoyed.
However, I was disappointed that we got a long buildup to the "war" only for it to happen off-page. It felt like a missed opportunity.
My second problem with the plot is the sudden addition of the Silver and its importance. This came out of nowhere; it was never mentioned as being important, and suddenly it’s as important as breathing? It felt forced and unearned.
Another minor gripe was Hest’s death. I love how he dies, but I don’t understand why it remains a mystery. How can no one know anything about it, including Davvie? 

The book (and the whole series) would have been so much better if Hobb hadn’t spent so much time and so many chapters writing about the keepers’ love lives. Instead, she could have focused on the worldbuilding, exploring Kelsingra better, and uncovering more of its mysteries and the surrounding country. Even Chalced was barely explored, and it would have been so much more interesting to dive deeper into its politics, culture, and conflicts. I love Robin Hobb’s worlds and usually, she's wonderful with worldbuilding, and I would love to read more about them, just without all the teenage drama.

Have you read Blood of Dragons? Did you enjoy it more than I did, or did you feel the same way? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Happy reading!
Helena 

Stephen Baxter & Alastair Reynolds: The Medusa Chronicles

Hi everyone

I just finished The Medusa Chronicles, a collaboration between Stephen Baxter and Alastair Reynolds. I read this on my e-reader.

"Following an accident that almost cost him his life, Howard Falcon was not so much saved as he was converted, through the use of prosthetics, into something faster, stronger and smarter ...but also slightly less human and more machine than he was. And with this change came an opportunity - that of piloting a mission into Jupiter's atmosphere, and ultimately of making first contact with the life forms he discovers there. Picking up the threads of humanity versus artificial intelligences and machines, and of encounters with the alien, this collaborative novel between two superb writers is a sequel to Howard Falcon's adventures."

This was boring as hell.

The premise of this book intrigued me, but it went nowhere. The book should have been called The Falcon Chronicles because the Medusa got next to no screen time. It’s all about Falcon, and he is one boring, uninteresting, and one-dimensional character.

The book skips a lot of time, and you’d hope it would be to get to the interesting parts; but nope. It’s all tedious and boring, with no tension in the story anywhere. The story and the writing are so bland and uninspiring. A few promising characters or subplots get introduced, only to just fizzle out and not go anywhere.
And don’t get me started on the philosophy; it really felt like the authors were trying so hard to be intellectual.

The only reason I kept reading is because I love reading about discovering new worlds, species, and cultures. There were a few parts I really enjoyed, but unfortunately, they were few and far between.

Have you read The Medusa Chronicles? Did you enjoy it more than I did, or did you feel the same way? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Happy reading!
Helena

Wrap Up: June 2026

Hi everyone

June has flown by, and as we start a new month, I like to look back on the books I read the previous month. June brought sunshine, and a real heatwave here, so no reading outside for me! Instead, I snuggled up indoors with some great stories (and a few that didn’t quite hit the mark).

Here's what I read, with links to the reviews. 

• Harriet Muncaster: Isabella Maan onder de zee 
• Stephen Aryan: The Warrior 
• Ilona Andrews: Magic Slays
• Richard Swan: The Justice of Kings
• Bill Watterson: The Complete Calvin and Hobbes
• Harriet Muncaster: Isabella Maan gaat kamperen 
• Katherine Arden: The Warm Hands of Ghosts
• Emma Donoghue: Akin
• Anne McCaffrey: Dragonflight

What books did you read in June? Did you discover any new favorites, or revisit old ones? I would love to hear your thoughts and recommendations!

Happy reading!
Helena 

Anne McCaffrey: Dragonflight

Hi everyone

I’ve seen Dragonflight, or more accurately, the entire Pern series by Anne McCaffrey, mentioned a lot in reviews on Goodreads and Bluesky, so I really wanted to read it too. 
I read this on my e-reader.

"How can one girl save an entire world?
To the nobles who live in Benden Weyr, Lessa is nothing but a ragged kitchen girl. For most of her life she has survived by serving those who betrayed her father and took over his lands. Now the time has come for Lessa to shed her disguise-and take back her stolen birthright.
But everything changes when she meets a Queen dragon. The bond they share will be deep and last forever. It will protect them when, for the first time in centuries, Lessa's world is threatened by Thread, an evil substance that falls like rain and destroys everything it touches. Dragons and their Riders once protected the planet from Thread and the blood-red star, but there are very few of them left these days. Only the gigantic, golden Queen can breed new dragons. And the Queen is fading... dying...
Now brave Lessa must risk her life, and the life of her beloved dragon, to save her beautiful world... " 

I did not enjoy this.

Nothing interesting happens, and the few things that do happen are written in such a boring way that it couldn’t keep my attention. I was so easily distracted.
The writing really isn’t very good. The characters lack characterization, the fantastical elements are underdeveloped, the dialogue is abominable, and the plot skips months at a time with no suspense or drive.

The "Threads" were an absolutely ridiculous and unrealistic threat. And the fact that everyone forgets about them, as well as the "importance" of the dragons and the dragonriders, made me think that this world isn’t worth saving, to be honest.

The romance drove me insane. The weird sexual attraction between Lessa and F’lar was just awful and gave off disturbing vibes. What an awful thing to add to the story! The whole book felt very chauvinistic.

All in all, not an enjoyable read and I won't be continuing the Pern series.

Happy reading!
Helena

Emma Donoghue: Akin

Hi everyone

I finished my fourth novel by Emma Donoghue; Akin. I read this on my e-reader. 

"Noah is only days away from his first trip back to Nice since he was a child when a social worker calls looking for a temporary home for Michael, his eleven-year-old great-nephew. Though he has never met the boy, he gets talked into taking him along to France.
This odd couple, suffering from jet lag and culture shock, argue about everything from steak haché to screen time, and the trip is looking like a disaster. But as Michael's sharp eye and ease with tech help Noah unearth troubling details about their family’s past, both come to grasp the risks that loved ones take for one another, and find they are more akin than they knew.
Written with all the tenderness and psychological intensity that made Room a huge bestseller, Akin is a funny, heart-wrenching tale of an old man and a young boy who unpick their painful stories and embark on writing a new one together."

This was also a mixed reading experience for me.

The setup of Noah fostering Michael is really ridiculous. Things might be different in America, but here in Belgium? I really can’t see this happening the way it did in the novel. In just a couple of days, 80-year-old Noah meets Michael, is approved to foster him, meets the mother in prison, and is allowed to travel to another continent with him; AND all tickets and reservations just work out. Absurd.

The way Noah talks is so cringe. He’s like a walking tourist guide in a country he realistically shouldn’t remember a thing about because he left when he was four. Who has so many detailed memories from their toddler years? No one. And then, for someone who’s so clever and knows so many utterly boring things, he’s not very smart when it comes to solving the mystery. Instead, it’s eleven-year-old Michael who doesn’t read like an eleven-year-old. I can’t imagine an American boy of that age not knowing you shouldn’t joke about gun violence in public. Both characters felt very unrealistic.
And the constant "teaching" was so boring to read! It felt like I was reading a textbook.

I enjoyed the mystery in this novel. It was too easily solved, and I guessed long before the end, but it was a good way of opening up a conversation about the Second World War. I very much liked the discussion about collaborators and the resistance, and Le Réseau Marcel; something we actually learned about in school.

Akin had some interesting moments, but the unrealistic setup and flat characters made it hard to fully enjoy. Still, the historical mystery was a highlight for me.

Have you read Akin? Did you enjoy it more than I did, or did you feel the same way? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Happy reading!
Helena