Kay Brown

A library, paperback copy of Glow by Raven Kennedy

Book #143 in 2025 - Glow by Raven Kennedy. This is the fourth book in the Plated Prisoner series & Slade has taken Auren to a location he's kept hidden for a long time. His secrets are revealed, & despite finally being together, others are trying to prise them apart for their own gain #booksky 📚💙

A paperback, library copy of Emily Wilde's Encyclopedia of Fairies by Heather Fawcett

Book #142 in 2025 - Emily Wilde's Encyclopedia of Fairies by Heather Fawcett. This is a cosy read set on an academic research trip that uncovers more than Emily Wilde plans for. Rather than juat observe, she ends up experiencing peril, helps others, and there's even a proposal. #booksky 📚💙

A paperback edition of The Pairing by Casey McQuiston

Book #141 in 2025 - The Pairing by Casey McQuiston. This was a sales purchase - it's a sprayed edge edition & was just £1 in The Works. Childhood lovers are reunited on a European food tour nearly four years after they broke up, unexpectedly sharing the experience they'd booked together #booksky 📚💙

A hardback copy of Wild Reverence by Rebecca Ross

Book #140 in 2025 - Wild Reverence by Rebecca Ross. This book is set within the same world as Divine Rivals, but the timeline is very different. We're in the world of Gods and Goddesses & follow the fate of Matilda (the child of two Gods - one above and one below) & a mortal, Vincent #booksky 📚💙

There's a moment when Ophelia is on foot and walking towards the university where she asks herself if she wants to live (this is also the first time she meets Alex without giving too many spoilers), and it opens up a pathway to see how her story of survival unfolds

A paperback copy of The Dagger and the Flame by Catherine Doyle. This is the sprayed edges edition from The Works

Book #139 in 2025 - The Dagger and the Flame by Catherine Doyle. This is the 1st book in The City of Fantome series. Following her mum's murder, Seraphine is on the run, & she's marked. It turns out she's not as easy to get rid of, & her assassin realises she could actually help him #booksky 📚💙

A paperback copy of Nightshade by Autumn Woods

Book #138 in 2025 - Nightshade by Autumn Woods. This is one of my autumnal purchases, & I enjoyed the dark academia vibes. The introduction to Ophelia & how her perceptions of Alex changed drew me in, & the end of the book sets the stage for the sequel, hinting at plenty of peril ahead #booksky 📚💙

A hardback copy of The Knight and the Moth by Rachel Gillig

Book #137 in 2025 - The Knight and The Moth by Rachel Gillig. It took a while to reach the top of the library reservation list for this book, but it was worth the wait. This is a book about faith, rewriting history, & the power within. Details of the sequel have been announced this week #booksky 📚💙

A hardback, library copy of Rose in Chains by Julie Soto

Book #136 in 2025 - Rose in Chains by Julie Soto. This book features the rivals to enemies to lovers trope & the slow burn is slooow. I'm not sure lovers is an accurate description by the end as the MMC, Toven, is still holding back from the FMC, Briony (despite one 'fuck it's moment) #booksky 📚💙

A paperback, library copy of A Curse for True Love by Stephanie Garber

Book #135 in 2025 - A Curse for True Love by Stephanie Garber. This is the final book in the Once Upon a 💔 trilogy. Evangeline is torn between her head (& the gaps left from the memories torn from her) & her heart. Jacks demonstrates a new softness, and Apollo shows who he truly loves #booksky 📚💙

A paperback, library copy of Gleam by Raven Kennedy

Book #134 in 2025 - Gleam by Raven Kennedy. This is the third book in the Plated Prisoner series, and Auren's past continues to unravel as she finds her movements restricted by Midas once more. Slade's character evolves further, and a character returns unexpectedly #booksky 📚💙

A paperback, library copy of The Ballad of Never After by Stephanie Garber

Book #133 in 2025 - The Ballad of Never After by Stephanie Garber. This is the 2nd book in the Once Upon a Broken Heart Trilogy & more curses unravel to challenge Evangeline. The relationship between her and Lord Jacks evolves further, despite her hesitations. I read this is one sitting #booksky 📚💙

A paperback copy of The House Witch by Delemhach (Emilie Nikota)

Book #132 in 2025 - The House Witch & the Enchanting of the Hearth by Delemhach (Emilie Nikota). This was a comforting, cosy read, & I enjoyed the fact that the MMC is a witch and a cook. There were several passages that made me laugh, & while there is romance, it doesn't dominate #booksky 📚💙

A paperback copy of The Baby Dragon Bakery by A. T. Qureshi

Book #131 in 2025 - The Baby Dragon Bakery by A. T. Qureshi. This is the second book in the Baby Dragon series, and this book focuses on the friendship between Lavinia and Theo (café assistant and baker, respectively). It's a comforting, easy read featuring the childhood friends to lovers trope 📚💙

A paperback, library copy of The King's Witches by Kate Foster

Book #130 in 2025 - The King's Witches by Kate Foster. This was a book I picked up on a whim in the library, and it was a good choice. This book focuses on the marriage between King James VI and the Princess of Denmark, as well as the King's obsession with witches #booksky 📚💙

A hardback, library copy of Blood Over Bright Haven by M. L. Wang

Book #129 in 2025 - Blood Over Bright Haven by M. L. Wang. As you read this book, an ancient secret unravels, & the FMC has to decide which side of history she'll be on (& consider how accurately her actions will be recorded). She realises there's a limit to what her drive will ignore #booksky 📚💙

The book doesn't really speak much about the other characters in the Crowns of Nyaxia series other than the Gods, so I think this would be fine as a standalone. The core novels are nearly double the length of this one

A hardback, library copy of Six Scorched Roses by Carissa Broadbent

Book #128 in 2025 - Six Scorched Roses by Carissa Broadbent. This is a standalone fantasy within the Crowns of Nyaxia series, and it was good to learn more about Vale and Lilith (even if I had read the later books before this). Their characters feel a lot more 3d now #booksky 📚💙

A paperback, library copy of Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber

Book #127 in 2025 - Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber. This is the first book in a three-part series. The FMC, Evangeline, makes a bargain with the Immortal King of Hearts, and things unravel from there. The question is, is everything as it seems and who can she trust? #booksky 📚💙

A library, paperback copy of If Women Rose Rooted by Sharon Blackie

Book #126 in 2025 - If Women Rose Rooted by Sharon Blackie. Sharon writes of the repressed feminine traits suppressed in patriarchal society & Celtic ancestry calling women back to feminity & ancient ways of nurturing/respecting the earth 🌏 There's folktales amidst autobiographical text #booksky 📚💙

A library copy of Unico: Awakening by Samuel Satin and illustrated by Gurihiro, based on the manga created by Osamu Tezuka

Book #125 in 2025 - Unico Awakening by Samuel Sattin, based on the manga created by Osamu Tezuka. I reserved this from the library after reading about Cuteness and Japanese culture. It's the story of a brave little unicorn who is being hunted by Venus and doesn't have his memories #booksky 📚💙

A paperback, library copy of The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer. The cover has an illustration of a tree with an open door with the title of the book and authors name on top of it

Book #124 in 2025 - The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer. This book tells the story of 2 lost boys who were found, but no one truly knew what happened while they were gone. One becomes known for helping find others who are lost, and this leads to a request that allows them to remember together #booksky 📚💙

A paperback copy of irresistible: How Cuteness Wired Our Brains and Conquered the World by Joshua Paul Dale

Book #123 in 2025 - irresistible: How Cuteness Wired Our Brains and Conquered the World by Joshua Paul Dale. This book looks back at the origins of cuteness and how the term cute has evolved across countries and time. There are several references to books, artists, and artefacts #booksky 📚💙

An Indpendent Bookshop edition of The Tarot Reader of Versailles by Anya Bergman. This edition is signed and has teal sprayed edges

Book #122 in 2025 - The Tarot Reader of Versailles. I bought myself this for my birthday as I'd spotted a beautiful Independent Bookshop edition. This is historical fiction and is focused around the period of the French Revolution, so many of the characters are real (if fictionalised) #booksky 📚💙

A paperback copy of Rewitched by Lucy Jane Wood

A paperback copy of Rewitched by Lucy Jane Wood held so that the sprayed edges that follows the design of the cover can be seen. The sprayed edges have leaves, a cat and orange/pink sweeping swirls.

Book #121 in 2025 - Rewitched by Lucy Jane Wood. This was one of my birthday presents, and it's the sprayed edge edition from The Works. This is a cosy, magical ✨️ story with a touch of romance that speaks of accepting who you are and not holding yourself back through fear #booksky 📚💙

A hardback copy of Lord of the Tides by Analeigh Sbrana

Book #120 in 2025 - Lore of the Tides by Analeigh Sbrana. This is the sequel to Lord of the Wilds, and the first half of the book reminded me of what I'd enjoyed so much about the first. The second half wasn't as tight, though, and this meant I didn't enjoy it as much as I'd hoped #booksky 📚💙

A sketchbook laid open on a colourful, patchwork picnic blanket. The pages are landscape, and the bottom page shows a book and floral illustration. Three fineliner pens cover the top page of colourful insects, and a small watercolour paint set is open and slightly overlapping the right side of the sketchbook.

It was my birthday yesterday, and I received a couple of bookish gifts (sprayed edge, paperback copy of Rewitched by Lucy Jane Wood, and a bookworm bundle from Next Chapter). My art in the park sketchbook page was inspired by books, too. The illustration is based on an image shared by Lucy Claire

A paperback copy of Starling House by Alix E. Harrow

Book #119 in 2025 - Starling House by Alix E. Harrow. I chose this from my TBR as it's shorter than some of the others, but as you'd expect from Harrow, there's a lot packed into the story. This book speaks of the power of dreams and found family, as well as long-held secrets #booksky 📚💙

It's a series that's well worth reading. I'm tempted to try another series by Carissa Broadbent but have to get more of my TBR first

A hardback, library copy of Slaying the Vampire Conqueror by Carissa Broadbent

Book #118 in 2025 - Slaying the Vampire Conqueror by Carissa Broadbent. This is book 2.5 in the Crowns of Nyaxia series, so I probably should have read it sooner as I'd have had greater context for Carissa's latest novel. This book isn't as long as the others but still packs a lot in #booksky 📚💙