Being Bookish

Most of you will easily remember the 1996 film starring the iconic trio that is Bette Midler, Goldie Hawn and Diane Keaton. But did you know that before it was a movie it was a book written by socialite and author Olivia Goldsmith? Released in 1992, the book is a study in society, in revenge and this book is probably what Shakespeare meant when he said 'Hell Hath No Fury Like a Woman Scorned'. For...

Sit back, relax and enjoy this incredible chat with author F.T. Lukens as we talk about their new YA Fantasy novel, Otherworldly (due for release on the 2nd of April 2024). Otherworldly is the story of non-believer Ellery who moved from their family farm to the city when the winter didn't end five years previously, destroying the family's livelihood. When they meet Knox, a familiar who has been li...

A compelling combination of Six of Crows and Peaky Blinders is the way that book promoters have been selling the third novel by American author Hafsah Faizal. As someone who has never seen Peaky Blinders, but loved Six of Crows (see my review of that from 2021), does this claim actually ring true? Enter White Roaring, a town that is full of intrigue and insurrection. A town under the tyrannical ru...

This one book is not like the others...and that is certainly true where The Secret Adversary is concerned. With a career spanning more than 50 years, Agatha Christie created and wrote about a lot of different characters, though her most well-known and most beloved are an elderly woman who loves to knit and observe and a rotund Belgian who knows and sees everything! In 1922, Christie wrote about To...

Just over a year ago I reviewed a fantasy novel by a debut author, and was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it. That book was Godkiller, and as a treat to myself for the end of the month I picked up the sequel, and second book in a trilogy titled Fallen Gods. That second book is called Sunbringer and as well as answering the question 'what happened to everyone after that cliffhanger?' th...

I know, I know, I said that I would probably be staying away from Agatha Raisin for a while, but I was trying to find something on my bedside table and this book just happened to be there. So join me and Agatha and her reliable crew in Carsely as she attempts to solve the mystery of a body that disappeared, and discover what connection it has with ice cream, a naturist society and drug smuggling.....

The Changeover was first published in 1984 so while I am celebrating a milestone, it's not far behind. As I have already established while talking about other 1980s YA novels, these were few and far between during that era. The happy medium where books were written with more grown-up themes targeting an audience that was going through changes was incredibly rare. Sure, we had Judy Blume, Sweet Val...

Every once in a while you have to try something new, but perhaps now isn't exactly the time. I guess that's why, this week, on the recommendation of a reviewer on YouTube, I picked up the first book in the Hamish Macbeth series. If you are a fan of 1990s BBC mysteries then you may be familiar with the series (as I was), but this isn't exactly that. While you're transported to the beautiful Highlan...

Ruthless Vows is the long-awaited and greatly anticipated sequel to last year's romantasy hit, Divine Rivals. Did this book change the path of our two lead characters, Iris and Roman? Did they get their happy ever after at the end of this duology? You know I won't spoil anything (so you can find that out for yourselves), but I am going to talk about how I felt about the book, what I loved, what I...

There is probably more mystery surrounding the author of this new spy thriller than there is about the book itself. In this week's episode I take a look at this debut novel, is it worth a read? Did it convert me? Am I now going to be reviewing more spy thrillers than anything else (listen to find out!)? So, what is it about Argylle? Is it truly going to be the start of a fantastic new gripping fra...

This week I am looking at my favourite books of the year, according to the reviews I released. So while I have read much more than I have reviewed here, I thought I would stick to the books on Being Bookish. Did I pick an unexpected book? Did I miss out one of the books you felt deserved to be on the list? Give this episode a listen to find out which books I felt were deserving of a second (or pos...

The year has been full of incredible fantasy debuts and what better way to round up the year than with another one? This time it is a book inspired by Filipino mythology, full of vibrant colours and strong characters. The Hurricane Wars by Thea Guanzon was released in October 2023 and probably has one of the most beautiful covers I have seen in years, and that's saying something when I look at som...

Richard Ainsworth is a 53-year-old English man who has made his home in the fictional Val de Follet, running a quiet B&B where nothing happens, until the day one of his elderly guests goes missing and he, along with a mysterious and glamorous guest, Valerie D'Orcay find a bloody handprint on the wall. Will this staid and sensible B&B owner make the most of this opportunity to seek adventur...

Returning to the world of science fiction with the first in The Illuminae Files trilogy by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff - I found I couldn't stay away from their collaborations and I am sad that after I finish the third book in the series, Obsidio, there are no more. What happens when it seems as though the only beings talking sense after a planet is invaded by a violent and greedy corporation ar...

I couldn't stay away from Carsely, so I decided that I wouldn't. With a whole series to choose from I decided to return to the small Cotswold Village with book 31 in the series, Hot to Trot. Agatha and Charles are in trouble, and it's not the fun kind. Charles's new and admittedly unbearable young wife, Mary, has been found dead and of course, CI Wilkes is placing Agatha on the suspect list. Agath...

Iron Flame was released on Tuesday the 7th of November, the second in The Empyrean Series by author Rebecca Yarros. If you want to know more about the next biggest fantasy fad to hit after A Court of Thorns and Roses then you're in the right place. I had a few days off this week and read my way through the 623-page sequel to Fourth Wing to learn more about Violet, Xaden and that surprise revelatio...

I thought I would switch it up a bit for the first true Winter episode, and this week I am joined by Lorraine from Once Upon a Nightmare to talk about the 2012 novella In the Tall Grass, written by father and son, Stephen King and Joe Hill. This episode is part of a short planned series across Being Bookish and Once Upon a Nightmare where we will talk about a book and a film in our two shows, so i...

This debut cosy crime by new author Jessa Maxwell has everything a cosy crime baking fan could want. You have a baking competition taking place in a somewhat isolated location, a group of people who seemingly have zero connection to each other but are all keeping secrets. But more than that, there's a mystery victim, who could possibly have wanted to murder them? Were they keeping a secret? I love...

Probably better known for her stint on I'm a Celebrity (though I am going to admit right now I have never seen that show), Rosemary Shrager is a TV cook who has appeared on a lot of shows with lots of recipes. With her latest creation, Prudence Bulstrode (herself a retired TV cook), Shrager has put on another hat, that of cosy mystery writer. When Prudence Bulstrode is asked to take over as chef a...

I am back in the world of fantasy this week with the first in a spin-off romantasy by Stephanie Garber. I am taking you to the Magnificent North where miniature dragons aid in the creation of exquisite sweet treats and magic just is. Where the Immortal Fates have a hand to play in your life and where Evangeline Fox is about to discover that life isn't as straightforward as you wish it was. Being j...

What can I say? Agatha Raisin keeps on drawing me back in and when I got approved for the latest addition to the series I wasn't sure whether it would be a topic I chose or if I would just write a review and talk about something else. The 34th book in the Agatha Raisin series was released on the 19th of September and though still published under the name MC Beaton, the baton has been taken up by c...

Could I have picked something a little less obscure this week? Possibly. However, if you're a fan of John Carpenter films, then the story behind this book will definitely be familiar, for Who Goes There? written in 1938 went on to become the 1982 Kurt Russell film, The Thing! As part of a special crossover event, I am joined by Lorraine from Once Upon a Nightmare to talk about the book that inspir...

This week I am celebrating a huge milestone, my 150th episode. After three years and a lot of changes, I am going to be taking a look at my last 9 months of reading and picking out my top (and bottom) 5 books. Which ones did I love, and which ones did I unhaul? Believe me when I say that it took me a long time to put together lists that I was happy with, but I have no doubt by the time I listen to...

If you love Dark Academia, or Dark Fantasy, and haven't yet managed to get a copy of Ink Blood Sister Scribe by Emma Törzs, then what are you waiting for? This debut novel from the Minneapolis writer has everything from enchanted books to secret societies. It spans the generations of two families who are about as far apart in culture and status as it seems they could be, but they are tied by one t...

I am back after a week off with an episode about a half-vampire, half-Huli Jing (fox spirit) rebel with this week's fantasy debut from author A. Y. Chao. Shanghai Immortal is set in 1930s Shanghai and introduces us to Lady Jing, who is sent on a mission by her guardian, the King of Hell, to find herself and discover who is plotting against him. With Mr Lee, a mortal finance expert, at her side, sh...