Being Bookish

Join me this week as I have a special guest, author Kristina Thornton. Her second novel is due to be released on the 28th July, published by Harpeth Road Press, and is titled Forty Going on Nineteen. As you may guess from the title, it has a little bit of a time travel vibe, though there is no de-ageing or battling with school bullies. Instead, our main character is about to turn forty (and for anyone who has experienced this, you'll know it's a mental hurdle), and her best friend encourages her to revisit what her life was like when she was nineteen.

We have friends, family and the reappearance of an old crush, as well as a visit from the ex! There are also emotional revelations, realisations and the battling of a few fear demons (not in the literal sense, of course).

Find out more about Kristina Thornton:

Kristina's Website

Facebook

Instagram

Buy Forty Going on Nineteen

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Welcome to the latest episode of The Stephen King Thing, a special spin-off series from the Being Bookish podcast. In this part of the show, Lorraine and I are dedicating our time to exploring the extensive bibliography of the master of horror, and this time, both Lorraine and I will be somewhat reluctantly and definitely nervously checking into the Overlook Hotel to dissect his 1977 masterpiece, The Shining.

Because we're taking a deep dive into the chilling isolation of the Torrance family and the hotel's sinister grip on Jack's sanity, these episodes do things a little differently.

As I've mentioned before, unlike my usual episodes, the Stephen King thing is not spoiler-free, and due to the nature of the content, is definitely not family-friendly! So be warned...

If you're ready to venture down those haunted, snowbound corridors with us, join us as we explore one of the most iconic horror stories ever written.

Want to watch this episode on YouTube? You can find it here.

In this episode of Being Bookish, I'm digging into the layers of Starside, the 2026 fantasy novel by Alex Aster. This book marks her first step into more adult romantasy after her original foray into the genre with the YA Lightlark series.

While there's plenty of talk online about the deadly competition framework and the familiar tropes in this book, I'm much more interested in tackling the online discourse and evaluating how well these elements are actually executed. I'll be exploring whether the heavy use of the enemies-to-lovers trope feels justified and looking closely at whether the characters and world history have enough depth to keep us invested.

I'm taking a close look at the book to talk about character motivations and the pacing of the romance without getting distracted by the marketing hype. Instead, I'm actually delving into how the book fits into the genre, questioning the accusations of unoriginality while also examining the missed opportunities in the background lore and the balance of the central relationships. Whether you're a fan of high-stakes trial stories or you're looking to see how a popular release handles these specific tropes, I've got plenty of personal feelings to share on where this book fits on your fantasy reading list.

Join me, grab yourself a cuppa and let's get into this secret-filled world together.

Dire Bound

Just Desserts - Oops, a book I actually need to review!

Blood of Hercules

Welcome back to another episode of Being Bookish. I'm not quite sure how it happened, but we're almost halfway through 2026, so it's time for a bit of an update, and I am doing it differently this year!

In this wrap-up, I am focusing a lot on expectation versus reality in my personal reading experience. I'm going to share my thoughts on the standout books I cannot stop thinking about, the ones that didn't quite hit the spot, and the upcoming releases I am looking forward to later this year.

2026 has brought a brilliant mix of genres, including my very first venture into LitRPG with Matt Dinniman's Dungeon Crawler Carl. I share my thoughts on diving into this massive series, the exciting news of a television adaptation, and how his darker, highly political standalone novel, Operation Bounce House, received a mixed reception from readers on Goodreads and Storygraph.

Of course, a completely honest wrap-up means talking about the disappointments too. I open up about my recent DNFs, like Claire North's Slow Gods, why I am trying to be kinder to myself when a book isn't working, and what happens when an individual read simply becomes one of the worst books I've finished all year.

On a brighter note, my mission to discover new authors has so far been something of a success (at least I think so), with seventeen new writers added to my list. I discuss the emotional highs of a beautiful contemporary romance read on my birthday—Jill Mansell's Just One Look at You—and contrast it with a highly anticipated Beth O'Leary release that unfortunately turned into a major seafaring plot disappointment. I also explore whether "sequel syndrome" has struck some of the fantasy and romantasy series I loved last year, including Lauren Palphreyman's The Night Prince.

Finally, I look ahead to the final six months of 2026. I take a look at some of my most anticipated upcoming releases, from Madeline Miller's short mythological tale Mestra and Carissa Broadbent's dark vampire romantasy The Lion and the Deathless Dark, to Victoria Aveyard's adult debut Tempest.

Silver Elite

Dungeon Crawler Carl

Warrior Princess Assassin

This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me

Blood of Hercules

Dire Bound

The Wolf King

In this week's episode of Being Bookish, I'm digging into the layers of The Ever King, the 2023 fantasy novel by LJ Andrews that made the transition from indie favourite to traditional publication in 2025.

While there's plenty of talk online about the relationships and the sea fae romance elements in this book, I'm much more interested in pulling apart the high-seas intrigue and evaluating the genuine mystery at the heart of the story. I'll be exploring how the character dynamics, the pirate sub-plot, and the Norse-inspired mythology connections hold up.

As all my episodes are always spoiler-free, I have taken the time to really look at the story, looking critically at how the book fits into the dark fantasy/romantasy genre. I am going so far as to ask the big question...is this really dark fantasy?

Whether you're a fan of Viking folklore retellings or you're looking to see how a character-driven story handles these specific tropes, I've got plenty of personal feelings to share on where this book might fit on your fantasy reading list.

It's a deep dive into a possibly dark world, so grab yourself a cuppa and let's get into the sea fae secrets together. I'm really looking forward to sharing my honest thoughts with you.

Blood of Hercules

Review of When Gracie Met the Grump by Mariana Zapata

The Stephen King Thing - Cujo Audio | Video

In the second episode of the Being Bookish spin-off where I am reading my way through Stephen King’s novels, joined by my friend and fellow podcaster, Lorraine, we’re taking a look at Cujo, his 1981 novel, the second to feature Castle Rock.

As previously mentioned, these episodes are approximately 6 weeks apart as there is a lot to cover.

Cujo is the story of a friendly St Bernard, beloved family pet and best friend of Brett Camber, who, one day, is unfortunately the victim of a bat bite. What happens after that isn’t his fault; it’s the virus in his nervous system, but by the end of the story, there are a lot more victims to this madness.

Join us both as we take a tour through Stephen King's universe, and experience some of these books for the first time in decades!

If you prefer, you can watch this on YouTube.

In this episode of Being Bookish, I am digging into the layers of Blood of Hercules, the 2024 urban fantasy novel with hints of dark romance written by author Jasmine Mas.

While there is plenty of talk online about the relationships and the reverse harem elements in this book, I am much more interested in looking at how the character dynamics and Greek mythology connections hold up, as this is truly where my personal passion lies!

Somehow, this has become another slightly longer episode, as I really started to dig into the relationships and the shifting alliances without getting overly distracted by the dark romance and dark obsession marketing. Instead, I am going to look at the urban fantasy elements, the mythology, the character development and how they work together.

Whether you're a fan of Greek mythology or you're looking to see how a character-driven mystery handles these specific tropes, I've got plenty of personal feelings to share on where this book could fit on your fantasy reading list.

It is a deep dive into a dark world, so grab yourself something refreshing, and let's get into Blood of Hercules together. I'm really looking forward to sharing my honest thoughts with you.

Lore

The Games Gods Play

In this episode of Being Bookish, I’m digging into the layers of Dire Bound, the atmospheric 2025 debut by Sable Sorensen.

While there is plenty of talk online about the relationships in this book (and I have my thoughts on its categorisation), I’m much more interested in the high fantasy intrigue and the genuine mystery at the heart of the story. I’ll be exploring the complexities of the magic system and the shadowy politics of Nocturna that kept me hooked.

As this is a longer episode, I’ve taken the time to really analyse the power dynamics and the visceral world-building without getting distracted by the "spice". Instead, we’re looking at the dark fantasy elements, the Bonding Trials, and the looming threat of the Siphons. Whether you're a fan of intricate world-building or you're looking for a character-driven mystery that doesn't follow the usual tropes, I’ve got plenty of thoughts to share on why you should add this book to your 2026 fantasy reading list (if it's not there already!).

It’s a deep dive into a very dark world, so grab yourself a cuppa (I know I will) and let’s get into the shadow-wielding secrets together. I'm really looking forward to sharing my thoughts with you.

In this episode, I’m looking at a locked-room mystery with subtle digs at the publishing world in the debut by an author who remained a mystery for 6 months following the well-marketed announcement, The Ending Writes Itself by Evelyn Clarke.

If you haven’t heard about it yet, this book is a collaboration between V.E. Schwab and Cat Clarke.

The story follows six struggling, midlist authors who are invited to a private Scottish island, only to discover that a world-famous novelist has died, leaving his final manuscript unfinished. They’re given seventy-two hours to write the perfect ending, with a life-changing amount of money and a much-desired 3-book publishing deal as the prize.

As always, I’ll be sharing my personal thoughts on the story, characters and events, and how I felt about the mystery - does it live up to the hype? As ever, it will be completely spoiler-free, I will not be revealing the means, motive or murderer, you need to find that out for yourselves!

So, pop the kettle on, get comfy with a coffee, and let’s talk books.

Cosy Mystery Playlist

This week, I've been reading a lot of fantasy, and my episode is going to lean into that as I'm reviewing a story that takes a really clever approach to the fantasy genre. I’m talking about This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me by Ilona Andrews, a novel with an Isekai (or portal fantasy) premise that could be an absolute disaster, or a joy!

The novel follows a protagonist, Maggie, who wakes up inside the world of her favourite unfinished book series. It’s a place where she isn't a powerful warrior, but she does have two very specific advantages: she can’t stay dead, and she has an encyclopaedic knowledge of how everyone’s story is supposed to end. Whether you’re a fan of epic fantasy or you just enjoy a story that keeps you guessing, it's a title that's been getting a lot of attention.

As always, I’ll be sharing my personal thoughts on the book, the world, the characters, and what I thought about the story overall. As always, the review will be completely spoiler-free, so you can go into This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me completely fresh if you decide to give it a go for yourselves.

To round things off, my second, shorter review is for the 2024 mystery novel How To Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin. Offering a really interesting contrast to the dark fantasy that comes before it!

So pop the kettle on, get comfy with your drink of choice, and let’s talk books.