One of the posts I always love writing each year is my reading roundups. A few years ago I was book mad and I had 2 years in a row where I read over 100 books and then another year where I read about 80, which now seems crazy. I'm not sure how I did that and now I struggle to get about ten in! Here are the books I've read so far this year though, let me know if you've read any of them too.
The Maidens by Alex Michaelides - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This was one of my Christmas presents and I wasted no time in getting stuck in. I read The Silent Patient by the same author a few years ago which was genuinely incredible so I'd been really excited to read his newest book. The Maidens focuses on Cambridge University's most exclusive society, a group of members selected by charming & charismatic professor of Greek tragedy, Edward Fosca. When a series of murders occurs at the university, grieving therapist Mariana Andros is drawn back to Cambridge where she was once a student herself. She uncovers a web of secrets, jealousy and lies and when the killer threatens the person she loves the most, Mariana will do anything to stop them. This was one of those books that had you guessing from the beginning and every time you think you've sussed it out, another dubious character or twist would be thrown in and you'd be back to square one! I loved that it was written in quite short, snappy chapters and that we got the killers perspective occasionally too. Just a great read to start off 2024.
Never Never by Colleen Hoover & Tarryn Fisher - ⭐⭐
Oh I did not enjoy this and it's such a shame as I'm usually a really big fan of Colleen Hoover's books. I think this must be one of her older ones? I'd never heard of it until I saw it in a second hand bookshop in Bath but I'm glad I wasn't paying full price for it. Never Never follows Charlie and Silas who have been best friends since they were kids and they've been in love since they were 14. But as of one random morning, every memory has vanished. They must work together to figure out what has happened to them and why but as they find out more about themselves and the couple they used to be, they start to wonder why they were ever together to begin with. This was just such a slog to get through, I didn't particularly connect with any of the characters and it never really got going for me.
None of This Is True by Lisa Jewell - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Lisa Jewell is just one of those classic authors for me. I haven't read every book of hers but the ones I have, I've always enjoyed and whenever I see a new one out in the shops, I'll always add it to my to be read list. None of This Is True is a psychological thriller about a woman who finds herself at the centre of her own popular true crime podcast. One night whilst celebrating her 45th birthday at a pub, Alix meets Josie, a lady also celebrating her 45th birthday - birthday twins! After bumping into each other various times over the next few weeks, Josie becomes more and more entwined in Alix's life and she soon suggests an idea for Alix's podcast. Josie wants to change her life and she wants Alix to document it. Whilst finding Josie slightly unsettling, Alix still gives into temptation. What she doesn't know is Josie has some very dark secrets and getting involved with her might be the worst mistake Alix could have made. This was just a thriller you don't want to put down. The alternating point of view chapters were snappy and gripping and I could never really guess where the story was going. I loved the real podcast that was released to coincide with the book, starring Nicola Walker who is just brilliant in everything she's in and I thought that was such a cool idea too so I listened to that after!
The Fury by Alex Michaelides - ⭐⭐⭐
When I spotted the latest by Alex Michaelides in York in February, I grabbed it, despite knowing very little about it and it being a hardback which I usually don't prefer. The Fury is a pacy thriller about an ex-movie star and her famous friends who take a trip to a private Greek island. Something they do most years, no reason to suspect this is any different? That is, until a murder happens on the island. Old friendships unravel and what follows is a game of cat and mouse with everyone trying to figure out who is to blame and if anyone else is in danger. Narrated by a very unreliable Elliott Chase, the readers are left guessing can any of these people be trusted? Overall, this was still a really good book and I did find I was racing through it a bit faster towards the end but initially it did start off quite slow and therefore didn't hook me in quite as quickly as Alex's books usually do. It takes so long for things to be revealed that by the end when there was so much information at once, I was having to stop and really think about what was going on and I just found it a bit confusing. Despite that, I will absolutely be buying Alex's next book as I've loved his others.
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I'm a huge fan of the Hunger Games films. We did a big rewatch of them all not too long ago after watching the prequel, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and for some reason this time round it made me really keen to finally read the books. I never read them when they were first released and I wasn't sure if I'd enjoy them now quite in the same way as the films so I just bought the first one initially. Pretty much straight away I could tell I was going to enjoy it and I found it a really easy read. I just think it's such a unique idea for a book and despite knowing what happens I was still gripped when reading it and I'm excited to get the next in the series.
Seven Summers by Paige Toon - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
If there's anyone still around who read my blog years ago, you'll know how much of a fan I am of Paige Toon. She's my all time favourite author and I've loved pretty much every book of hers so it's no surprise her latest, Seven Summers, was another 5 star. In Seven Summers we meet Liv and Finn who after a night of passion have to go their separate ways. Finn's life is in LA with his band and Liv's is in Cornwall with her family but they make a promise that Finn will return every year and if they're still single, they'll spend the Summer together. What starts off exciting soon becomes more difficult than they predicted and eventually Liv meets Tom, who might be able to offer her a life that doesn't leave her heartbroken every year. Can she ever really give Finn up though? This just pulls on your heartstrings the whole way though as every book Paige writes does. It was perfect in every possible way and I know I'll re-read it one day.
The Other Mothers by Katherine Faulkner - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I picked this up randomly when doing the food shop recently and despite the blurb hooking me in, I didn't expect to enjoy it quite as much as I did. When I say I couldn't put this down, I genuinely mean it. I think I read it in two sittings! Tash is desperate to be part of a friendship group. It's something everyone else seems to have apart from her so when spots the other mothers at her sons new playgroup, the sleek & sophisticated mothers that is, she's keen to get to know them. Their lives are exactly what she's been dreaming of, they have it all. But she soon discovers they have their secrets too and everything isn't always as it seems. I'm really keen to read more from Katherine Faulkner now, this was just brilliant.
Cat Lady by Dawn O'Porter - ⭐⭐⭐
I've read a few books from Dawn O'Porter and have enjoyed them so when I spotted Cat Lady on offer on my kindle, I grabbed it and hoped it would be a good read. That it was but it's definitely not one of my favourites this year. Cat Lady follows Mia, a woman who seems to have it all. She's married, has a nice house, a good career, what more could she want? But for Mia that isn't enough and there's another woman inside just waiting to get out. There were some really funny moments in this and for the majority of the book I genuinely didn't know how it was going to end. Whilst I'm more of a dog person than a cat lady, I could definitely relate to Mia's pure love for her pet and some parts made me really emotional because of it!
A Song of Me and You by Mike Gayle - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I read Half A World Away by Mike Gayle a few years ago and loved it but for some reason he's never an author I think to look for in bookshops so it took me by surprise when I spotted this a few months ago. A Song of Me and You tells the story of Helen, a divorced, part-time teacher and Ben, a world-famous millionaire rockstar, who dated when they were young but lost contact. That is until Ben turns up on Helen's doorstep twenty years later. He needs help and even after all this time, Helen is the first person that came to his mind. So much has happened in those twenty years but it's clear feelings are still there. Can there really be a happy ending though? This was a lovely read and I loved the characters of Helen and Ben. I was rooting for them from the moment Ben turns up in her life again but as with the previous book I read from Mike, there's always a heartbreaking twist thrown in! I really recommend this if you just want an easy, romantic read and I know I'll be looking out for more of his books now.
Keep Her Secret by Mark Edwards - ⭐⭐⭐
I've really enjoyed some of the books I've read from Mark Edwards before so I was intrigued when I saw Keep Her Secret on offer on kindle. This follows Matthew & Helena who have rekindled after 20 years apart. When a shock accident happens whilst on their first holiday together, Helena reveals a shocking confession which makes Matthew realise, does he really know who Helena is anymore and what else has she been hiding? I found this so easy to whizz through and it never felt like it was dragging at any point. I tend to find that with books by Mark Edwards and it never takes me long to read them. That being said I didn't love this and I'm not really sure why!
No One Saw A Thing by Andrea Mara - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I was so excited to read this! 'Two children get on the train. Only one gets off... No one saw it happen. By the time you get to the next station to catch up with them, only one of them is there. Someone is to blame. Has the other daughter got lost? Been taken by a stranger? or perhaps the culprit is closer to home than you think?' I was so intrigued by where this was going to go and whilst I had a few ideas quite early on, there were so many twists and turns! Every time you think you've got it figured out, something else happens which makes you re-think. I'd really recommend this if you want a tense read.
The Switch by Lily Samson - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Switch is about Elena and Adam who have recently moved to Wimbledon to housesit. Not long after settling in, they meet Sophia and Finn, their new beautiful, enigmatic neighbours who seem to have the perfect life. Making it even more shocking when Sophie proposes a twisted game to Elena whereby they swap partners in secret. It's not long before Elena's life is thrown up in the air when she finds herself in an illicit love affair that she's not even sure she could give up now. Unfortunately for her, Sophia has a further twist to the plan that Elena could never have imagined. This was just everything you want in a thriller. Pacy, exciting, tense, I just raced through it! I really liked the characters of Elena and Finn and the chemistry between them was noticeable from the beginning. There were several twists and turns throughout and I'd urge you to read it.
So, that's everything I've read so far in 2024! I'd love to know if you've read any of these books or if you have any recommendations?
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We love a UK break, it's the main trips we do as there are so many beautiful places in the UK and it just works out a bit easier for us with the dogs now. Cambridge had been on our list for a while and this Spring seemed a perfect time. We were blessed with good weather while we were there which only made it even better and pretty much as soon as we left, I was thinking about when we'd return!
We stayed for 3 nights but didn't arrive til around 7pm on the first night so even though we got a quick walk around in, it was basically 2 full days in the end which really, was a great amount of time. On the Monday, our first proper day, we started with breakfast at Dishoom. We had breakfast at Dishoom in London last year and it was incredible so I've been desperate to go again. The Dishoom in Cambridge is a Permit Room so more of a bar-cafe rather than just a restaurant so the menu was a little smaller but that was no problem, we both still found something delicious. I'd love to return in the evening next time. 
After a spot of shopping we headed for lunch at Aromi. You can sit in or get food to go so we went for one of their huge pizza slices so we could find a place to enjoy it in the sun. The classic Margarita slice was delicious but did take absolutely ages to cool down! We grabbed some ice cream from Jack's Gelato afterwards which is pretty much next door to Aromi and that was amazing. The baked vanilla flavour in particular! Around here you'll find The Corpus Clock and King's College so it's a nice spot for sightseeing too.
The rest of the day was pretty chill, we took some time to cool down in the hotel and read our books before heading out for a meal that evening. We chose Flat Iron as we love a steak and it's not something we have loads at home. This was a beautiful meal, the steak was cooked perfectly, the chips were so nice and crisp, the mac & cheese lovely and cheesy and the drinks were super refreshing.
Our next full day started with breakfast at Bill's. We both went for the pancakes which were so filling and the perfect start to the day and the hash browns on the side, wow, they were perfect.
That afternoon we finally properly browsed the market which is right in the centre of Cambridge and grabbed some lunch. You'll find all sorts of food stalls here so there's something for everyone aswell as stalls selling homemade bits and bobs, a sweet stall and more. The juices from one stall in particular were lovely and refreshing on a warm day.
The rest of the day consisted of more book shopping, yet more coffee from Bould Brothers and some bakery hopping. I have to recommend the ricotta chocolate cake from Aromi which I mentioned earlier, absolutely delicious and I think about it most days. That evening we went for our final meal of the trip and enjoyed some mocktails then it was time to pack to head home the next day. 
We really loved our first trip to Cambridge and I can easily see it becoming another place we want to return to again and again. I'm already thinking of things we can do next time.
