January and February Reading Wrap Up

So far in 2023 I’ve read eight books, which puts me right on track to meet my reading goal of reading 50 books this year! It’s mostly been horrors and thrillers so far, so my plan in March is to branch out more and dive into a bigger variety of genres.

The Psychology of Time Travel

The Psychology of Time Travel by Kate Mascarenhas is a science fiction mystery split into three different narratives, each set in a different year.

In 1967, four women travel where nobody has before: through time. As Barbara gets ready to go public with her team’s invention, she suffers a mental breakdown. Decades later the time travel business is booming, and Barbara’s granddaughter is disturbed by something her grandmother is sent in the post. Elsewhere, a year later, Odette has discovered a body. Shocked and confused, she decides the only way she can move on from what she is to find out the truth about the murder.

The book almost had me in tears! There are moments that were either so sweet or so sad that it made me emotional. This is a fantastic story that I’d definitely recommend reading.

Looking Glass

Looking Glass by Christina Henry is a fantasy-horror that’s part of the ‘Alice’ series. The book is made up of four short stories, each focused on characters from the series.

The first story follows a young girl who discovers her wishes are carry real power. In the second story, we catch up with Alice and Hatcher as they continue looking for a new home. Story number three takes a dive into Hatcher’s past, and shows us how a young boy named Nicolas turned into the axe-wielding mad man we meet in the series. Finally, we come back to Alice and Hatcher’s journey again, as they find out that there’s just as much danger outside of the city as there is in it.

I enjoyed getting to see what happened after the shocking events in Red Queen, and I’m glad there was more about Hatcher’s past in there too. If you haven’t yet read the Alice series, you can find out a bit more about the first book in this review.

More Than This

More Than This by Patrick Ness has been one of my favourite books of the year so far. Definitely in the top 3. I’m already a fan of Patrick Ness, and this book just made me love his writing even more. It’s a science fiction tale that has really stuck with me.

The story begins with a boy drowning. He dies. When he wakes up back in his old home, he’s confused. How is he there? Could this be the afterlife? And if it is, why is he all alone?

The story is gripping and emotional, and one that will really get you thinking about what life is all about.

A Head Full of Ghosts

A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay is another favourite of the year. It was heartbreaking and terrifying. I was on edge until the tragic and in some parts unexpected ending.

The story follows the Barrett family. When the eldest daughter, Marjorie, shows signs of acute schizophrenia her parents are at a loss. The doctors don’t seem to help, and things are only getting worse. Soon her father begins to believe she’s possessed, and enlists the help of a priest. Many years later her little sister Merry wonders what the truth really was.

This is a thrilling horror, and one I won’t forget too easily. I’m looking forward to reading more titles by the author!

We Were Liars

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart was a unexpectedly emotional story. I was shocked by the ending! When I first started reading this book, I didn’t expect it to go the way that it did. Every prediction I made was completely wrong.

The liars meet every summer at their family’s private island. Rich kid Cadence Sinclair loves getting to hang with the liars. Their lives are great, or so it seems, until they start to see the rot that lies beneath the foundations. But when Cadence has an accident everything changes. If only she could remember what actually happened…

I was so blown away by this story. I was so on edge reading it, and I almost wish I could forget the ending so I could experience reading it again for the first time.

The Poison Heart

This Poison Heart by Kalynn Baron is brilliant! Definitely my favourite book of the year so far. I’m planning on starting the sequel, This Wicked Fate, very soon.

Briseis has a gift. She doesn’t understand how it all works, but she can grow flowers with just a touch of her hands. In the busy city where she lives with her Mums, she tries her best to hide her power. When her aunt dies and leaves her a large house with plenty of space for plants, Briseis is glad to finally be able to grow and care for them freely. But something isn’t quite right about the house, or the strange visitors who seem to desperately want to get inside. Soon Briseis begins to uncover her lineage, and all the secrets that have been passed down through it.

The story was great! This is the second of Kalynn Bayron’s books I’ve read, and I enjoy her writing. I’m excited to read This Wicked Fate, and her upcoming horror You’re Not Supposed to Die Tonight (out June 20th).

Blood Sugar

Blood Sugar, by Sascha Rothchild, was a genuinely gripping thriller. Although you know the truth of whether she murdered her husband from the start (if you believe her), it’s still tense as hell trying to figure out if she’s going to prison or not.

Ruby has killed three times in her life, and had gotten away with all of them. That is until her husband dies. Now the one murder Ruby didn’t commit could be the one that sends her down…

I’m a little bit obsessed with this book now. It was great, and I would recommend it to anyone who loves a good thriller.

It Ends at Midnight

It Ends At Midnight by Harriet Tyce has probably been my least favourite of the year so far. It wasn’t that I thought it was bad, it just wasn’t my cup of tea.

The story follows Sylvie Monroe, an aspiring court judge. When she finds out her best friend is sick, her world turns upside down. Soon the past comes back to haunt her, and old secrets are dug up. At her best friends New Year’s party, just as the clock hits midnight, someone dies. Can you guess who?

So I’ll admit, I didn’t expect some of the ending but it was a little bit predictable. I’m not against books with endings that are easy to guess, I still enjoy them. But this one just felt a little bit slow for my liking.

Thank you for reading my book-blog!

If you want to see more of what I’ve been reading, you can find me on Instagram, Twitter, and Goodreads. Subscribe below for posts straight to your inbox!