Hello everyone,
It is a very long time since I last wrote one of these posts. To think it was one of the most regular features on my blog! Well I guess that now I am not as good (or to put it another way, even worse than before) at keeping up with new releases, it is harder for me to produce five books that I have recently added to my Goodreads TBR.
Hopefully that will change for the better again soon, but for now, let us take a look at this list! All the books here are by authors who I have read before – perhaps once, twice, or even multiple times. So I therefore have high hopes for all of them.
Hera by Jennifer Saint
I absolutely love Jennifer Saint’s writing. She imbues her Greek myth retellings with such glorious refinement and emotiveness, making you truly invest in the character whose story she is bringing to life. This time she is focusing on Hera, and I expect she will have again done a beautiful job.
Although I am not in as much of a hurry to read this one as some of the others on this list – after all there have been a lot of books in this genre over the past few years – I am sure I will enjoy it hugely when I do.
The Burial Plot by Elizabeth Macneal
A gorgeous cover that evokes memories of her debut novel The Doll Factory, I really hope this will prove to be a return to form for Elizabeth Macneal after the somewhat underwhelming Circus Of Wonders. She has the ability to create a breathtaking atmosphere that offers tension as well as a sense of place, so in that sense this latest release promises a lot.
The Victorian London setting sounds amazing and I am finding myself very drawn in by the sense of mystery created by the blurb. In short, it appears to be right up my street!
Breaking The Dark by Lisa Jewell
Even after about 20 novels, Lisa Jewell continues to go from strength to strength and at this stage of her career is perhaps earning more recognition than ever. This is the first of what looks a tantalising series, and it is particularly notable for having the name Marvel attached to it – an unusual yet interesting development.
If were almost any other author I would be wary of it being the first in a series of books involving a named character, but not Lisa Jewell. I have read more from her than any other author and I know that she is reliable as it gets when writing excellent mysteries and thrillers.
Emily Wilde’s Map Of The Otherlands by Heather Fawcett
I read the first book in this series in September 2023 and while I found aspects of the plot a little slow and hard to gauge, I found Emily’s formal and cantankerous perspective irresistible to read and this sequel promises so much more of that.
Add to that a little bit of escapism and losing myself in a bit of scholarly prose, then I am definitely sold.
Us In Ruins by Rachel Moore
Rachel Moore’s debut The Library Of Shadows was one of the most interesting books I read in 2023. It was not perfect, but I found plenty to connect with in the plot and as for the writing, that was quite something! There were as many moments of pure poetry as there were popular culture references, and I was here for all of it.
My initial thoughts upon reading the synopsis of Us In Ruins is that it seems to have some similarities, with a historical timeline and the potential of a romance between two people who lived years apart. Hopefully there will be lots of originality there too!
Let’s Chat
Have you read any of these books? If so, I would love to know your thoughts! Let me know in the comments!
Happy reading 🙂
Stephen Reads Books 