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behindherbooksblog

It's my favourite month of the year so of course t

It's my favourite month of the year so of course that means I'm reading everything witchy I can get my hands on 🪄🦇🎃

I recently read the wonderful Diary of an Accidental Witch, a magical book aimed for 8-12 year olds.

The book takes the form of the diary of Bea Black, who has just moved to Little Spellshire with her Dad. The town has a magical secret which Bea learns when instead of being enrolled in the Academy school, she starts at Spellshire School for Extraordinary Arts, a school like no other!

Full of fun, adventures and magical mishaps, this is a great children's book that made me think of The Worst Witch.

#diaryofanaccidentalwitch #Bookstagram #igreads #spookybooks #witchplease #littletiger #october

If you need me, I'll be busy making my way through

If you need me, I'll be busy making my way through this pile of proofs that got me excited during the Booksellers Association Conference this year.

Very lucky to be gifted so many books now I just need a 3 month holiday to get through everything!

#bookstack #bookproof #bookworms #bookpile #lovereading #alwaysreading

Morning light & my current read. A quick few page

Morning light & my current read.

A quick few pages this morning before road trip time with the Book-ish team.

Hope you are all having a lovely Sunday 💖

Circus of Wonders 💫 This is probably one of th

Circus of Wonders 💫

This is probably one of the most beautiful books I own - swipe for some sprayed edge gorgeousness 😍

Circus of Wonders is set in the Victorian era, shining a spotlight on their fascination with 'freaks' and wonders. Rather than focus on real life historical figures, Elizabeth Macneal has created entirely fictional characters in an attempt to explore how it would feel to be part of these shows.

Nell grows up in small coastal village, picking flowers and trying to remain unseen, an almost impossible task due to the birthmarks that cover her skin and draw so much attention.

Then Jasper Jupiter's circus rolls into town. Jasper is obsessed with being the greatest showman and having tye biggest show. So, he eagerly buys Nell from her father to be his newest star.

Nell settles into circus life and befriends Jasper's brother Toby, a large, gentle man who is haunted by the Crimean war.

The story flicks between the three characters whose lives become tightly intertwined. They all need one another yet resent that very fact. None of them are truly free yet you're never sure if they really want to be.

Macneal created a visceral and gritty world, the true underbelly to the shiny acts of the circus. It's a slow burner but the tension ramps up at the end until you're waiting for it to implode.

As someone who enjoys historical fiction, this was a fun era to explore and a great story of love, freedom and owning your own story.

Review ✨ Glassheart by Katharine Orton is a swe

Review ✨

Glassheart by Katharine Orton is a sweet and magical middle grade novel with a slighty spooky edge that made it a fun and exciting read.

The book is set after World War II and the main character Nona lives with her 'Uncle' Antoni who took her in after the war. Together they replace stained-glass windows whilst both dealing with the trauma of the Blitz in their own ways.

When they get called to a job in Dartmoor they are drawn into a magical world and Nona discovers that she has powers to save not just herself but those she loves too.

I thought this was atmospheric, fast paced and a fun read, packed with plenty of interesting magic too! Definitely one to add to your middle-grade list 💕

#bookstagram #instabook #bookphotography #booksta #igbooks #ilovereading #bookhaul #bookhoarder #bookaddiction #bookstoread #whattoread #fortheloveofbooks #bookblogging #bookpics #weekendreads #bookrecs #booknerdproblems #bookpictures #bookstagram #amreading #booksbooksbooks #instablog #booknerds #bookphotos #bibliophile

Review ✨ I couldn't really capture the glinting

Review ✨

I couldn't really capture the glinting beauty of this cover but gah it's a pretty one (and this is just a proof, the hardback is even better 👌🏻)

The Man Women's Ball by Victoria Mas is a deliciously dark slice of Gothic horror, telling the story of the women committed to the Salpetriere Asylum in Paris, 1885.

The narrative of this book is simple which works because the truth of how these women were treated is shocking enough. Women were locked away and punished for all sorts of reasons, but mostly for not fulfilling the role that society expected them to. Got a strong differing opinion? Probably mad. Annoyed that your hubby cheated on you? Definitely hysterical. You get the picture.

Once inside the patients are subjected to a mixture of examination and public play things, with lectures being attended by hordes of male doctors to see the women seizure. This public fascination culminates in the early ball, where the crème de la crème of society come to the hospital, both repulsed and drawn to the patients.

Woven between this truth is a gothic story of one patient who can see the spirits of the dead and a nurse whose faith in everything is shaken when she meets her.

The book is slim but incredibly interesting, it makes me want to Google everything about it.

#bookstagram #bookreview #booklove #booksofig

Two books that I am looking forward to reading ✨

Two books that I am looking forward to reading ✨

Having received a proof of Bewilderment by Richard Powers (which is already Booker long listed pre-publication) I felt it was absolutely necessary for me to pick up this beautiful hardback edition The Overstory.

I'm hoping to read these as soon as I'm over my little fantasy witchy vibe, whenever that is.

#bookstagram #bookerlist #bookflatlay #booklover

Reasons I read Dune: - Timothée Chalamet is in t

Reasons I read Dune:

- Timothée Chalamet is in the new movie adaptation
- Myself & @joyofslowliving agreed to start reading together in preparation for the film
- It's a sci-fi classic
- My bf loves it

I'll let you decide if those are in order of importance 😜

So, what did I think of Dune? Overall it's a fun read. There's a lot of world building to get your head around - lots of names, places, terminology and politics - but once you're in that world, buckle up my friends.

I liked the overall story but things that did make me lol included the italicised internal dialogue of all the characters telling me *all* of their thoughts, just in case I didn't get something. I felt like the author clearly cared a hell of a lot more about developing certain characters, but I also wonder if that's not important for this story. It's an epic, a feast for the imagination.

Lemme know what you think of Dune (and the 80s film plz)

#dune #bookstagrammers #igbooks #bookreview #bookreader #scifibooks

Olive, Again (the sequel to Olive Kitteridge) foll

Olive, Again (the sequel to Olive Kitteridge) follows Olive's life as she lives through her 70s and 80s in Crosby, Maine. Still outspoken, blunt and opinionated, Olive is a force in her community and the book weaves together stories of those who connect with her, even in the smallest of ways.

I've not read many books about the aging of a protagonist and this book does it in such a beautiful way. Very few writers, in my humble opinion, have Elizabeth Strout's ability to understand what it means to be human and write with such searing yet tender honesty about it.

Olive, Again looks at loneliness, aging, connection, families and relationships in a nuanced and deft manner.

Definitely one of my new favourites.

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