Top Ten Tuesday – The Ten Most Recent Additions To My Bookshelf

So here’s the thing, I have totally cheated and backdated this one. In my defense I sat down to finish this off on Monday night to find Goodreads would not play ball and wouldn’t actually load any book’s page… and then the week just went crazy! So just pretend I actually posted this Tuesday morning like I meant to and you’ve not only got the alert this exists on Saturday afternoon…

Good morning! It’s time for another Top Ten Tuesday and today I’m sharing the ten most recent additions to my bookshelf! I’ve done these in reverse order from the most recent addition to the oldest (which is the end of December so not exactly a long time ago!) These aren’t necessarily the last ten books I purchased as I’ve got several on preorder, but they are the last ten that I have added to my collection (I’m including eBooks and an eARC even though they’re not technically physically on a shelf)

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme currently hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

The Ten Most Recent Additions To My Bookshelf

Between The Stops by Sandi Toksvig

This long-awaited memoir from one of Britain’s best-loved celebrities – a writer, broadcaster, activist, comic on stage, screen and radio for nearly forty years, presenter of QI and Great British Bake Off star – is an autobiography with a difference: as only Sandi Toksvig can tell it.

‘Between the Stops is a sort of a memoir, my sort. It’s about a bus trip really, because it’s my view from the Number 12 bus (mostly top deck, the seat at the front on the right), a double-decker that plies its way from Dulwich, in South East London, where I was living, to where I sometimes work – at the BBC, in the heart of the capital. It’s not a sensible way to write a memoir at all, probably, but it’s the way things pop into your head as you travel, so it’s my way’.

From London facts including where to find the blue plaque for Una Marson, ‘The first black woman programme maker at the BBC’, to discovering the best Spanish coffee under Southwark’s railway arches; from a brief history of lady gangsters at Elephant and Castle to memories of climbing Mount Sinai and, at the request of a fellow traveller, reading aloud the Ten Commandments; from the story behind Pissarro’s painting of Dulwich Station to performing in Footlights with Emma Thompson; from painful memoires of being sent to Coventry while at a British boarding school to thinking about how Wombells Travelling Circus of 1864 haunts Peckham Rye;from anecdotes about meeting Prince Charles, Monica Lewinsky and Grayson Perry to Bake-Off antics; from stories of a real and lasting friendship with John McCarthy to the importance of family and the daunting navigation of the Zambezi River in her father’s canoe, this Sandi Toksvig-style memoir is, as one would expect and hope, packed full of surprises.

A funny and moving trip through memories, musings and the many delights on the Number 12 route, Between the Stops is also an inspiration to us all to get off our phones, look up and to talk to each other because as Sandi says: ‘some of the greatest trips lie on our own doorstep’.

I saw a review of this on Aoife’s blog and went straight out and downloaded the audiobook version which is narrated by Sandi herself. I’m really looking forward to listening to Sandi tell me more about her life and London.

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Winterborne Home of Vengeance and Valour by Ally Carter

New York Times  best-selling author Ally Carter’s middle grade debut is full of mystery, mayhem, and friendship, and it will keep you guessing until the very end. 

April didn’t mean to start the fire. She wasn’t even the one who broke the vase. 

She had absolutely no intention of becoming the only person who knows that Gabriel Winterborne, the missing-and-presumed-dead billionaire, is neither missing nor dead and is actually living in the basement of Winterborne House, sharpening his swords and looking for vengeance. 

Now that April knows Gabriel Winterborne is alive, it’s up to her to keep him that way. But there’s only so much a twelve-year-old girl can do, so April must turn to the other orphans for help. Together, they’ll have to unravel the riddle of a missing heir and a creepy legend, and find a secret key, before the only home they’ve ever known is lost to them forever. 

I read Ally Carter’s Not If I Save You First in 2018 and really enjoyed it so when I spotted she was releasing her first MG novel I broke my self-imposed NetGalley ban and requested it. I was lucky enough to be accepted for an eARC so I’ll be reading this one ahead of its March release date.

You can find my Not If I Save You First review here!

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Foul Is Fair by Hannah Capin

Jade Khanjara and her three best friends rule their glittering LA circle. They decide how the party ends – every night but one. The night four boys spike Jade’s drink, lock her in a room and brutally attack her. The night they try to ruin her.

But they chose the wrong girl. Certain that the boys will face no consequences, Jade and her friends take vengeance into their own hands. There’s no mercy left: and now Jade won’t rest until she gets bloody satisfaction . . . 

This one appeared in my Wildest Dreams Book Box. It’s one that I had my eye on already so I was very happy to unwrap the brown paper and find this book hidden inside!

Check out my Wildest Dreams Book Box unboxing

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The Mothers by Sarah J. Naughton

Five Women.

They meet at their NCT Group. The only thing they have in common is they’re all pregnant.

Five Secrets.

Three years later, they are all good friends. Aren’t they?

One Missing Husband.

Now the police have come knocking. Someone knows something.

And the trouble with secrets is that someone always tells.For fans of Big Little Lies, The Rumour and I Invited Her In, this is first class psychological suspense from the critically acclaimed Sarah J Naughton.

I was so excited to read this one that I grabbed the eBook (the paperback isn’t released until April) but for me it just didn’t quite deliver…

Find my full review here

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The Cure For A Crime by Roopa Farooki

Twins Ali and Tulip have grown up with a surgeon mother and so have picked up lots of knowledge of first aid, medicine, and the ways of the hospital-they even know where the secret biscuit drawer in A&E is.

When their mother becomes unnaturally sleepy and forgetful, they become suspicious of her new boyfriend.

With help-and a watchful eye-from their mysterious wheelchair-bound gran, they set out to crack the mystery. Will they succeed? They’ll need a combination of fast talking, quick thinking, rule breaking, medical investigation, and determination-plus a good dash of ‘that spooky twin thing’-to cure this crime. A fun fresh take on the detective genre, full of excitement, humour, and medical know-how!

I loved mystery stories when I was younger so when I received a Waterstones email which happened to mention this book which mixes MG mystery with medicine, another interest of mine, I just had to get it. I even used some of my Waterstones loyalty credit for it, so it’s almost like a free book!

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One Of Us Is Next by Karen M. McManus

It is a year after the action of One of Us Is Lying, and someone has started playing a game of Truth or Dare.

But this is no ordinary Truth or Dare. This game is lethal. Choosing the truth may reveal your darkest secrets, accepting the dare could be dangerous, even deadly.

The teenagers of Bayview must work together once again to find the culprit, before it’s too late . . .

I must confess I was a little wary of reading this book – I liked Two Can Keep A Secret well enough but for me it wasn’t in the same league as One Of Us Is Lying. Combine that with the fact I wasn’t entirely sure with how you could go back to Bayview in a way that felt believable and I was a little worried. Fortunately I loved it! You’ll be able to see my review next week.

Find my One Of Us Is Lying review here

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Shadowsea by Peter Bunzl

Swept into the bright hustle and bustle of New York, Lily, Robert and Malkin discover shadowy secrets lie beneath its surface. For there are chilling goings-on in their hotel…

A strange boy held captive, haunted by an undersea mystery; and a revengeful villain with a treacherous plan. Searching for clues, Robert and Lily are plunged into deep water… But can they reveal the deadly truth before the secrets submerge them?

Join Lily, Robert and Malkin on a fantastic voyage of terror and triumph, in this fourth Cogheart Adventure.

I’ve read the first two of The Cogheart Adventures and loved them both! I already owned the third book so I just had to pick up the fourth as it was released to complete my collection.

Read my reviews of Cogheart and Moonlocket

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Nothing Ever Happens Here by Sarah Hagger-Holt

“This is Littlehaven. Nothing ever happens here. Until the spotlight hits my family.”

Izzy’s family is under the spotlight when her dad comes out as Danielle, a trans woman. Izzy is terrified her family will be torn apart. Will she lose her dad? Will her parents break up? And what will people at school say? Izzy’s always been shy, but now all eyes are on her. Can she face her fears, find her voice and stand up for what’s right?

This is such a wonderful book. It’s a great way to introduce the concept of transgender to middle grade children and well worth a read for people of any age!

Find my full review of Nothing Ever Happens Here here!

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10 Blind Dates by Ashley Elston

Sophie wants one thing for Christmas— a little freedom from her overprotective parents. So when they decide to spend the holidays in South Louisiana with her very pregnant older sister, Sophie is looking forward to some much-needed private (read: make-out) time with her long-term boyfriend, Griffin. Except it turns out that Griffin wants a little freedom from their relationship.

Heartbroken, Sophie flees to her grandparents’ house, where the rest of her boisterous extended family is gathered for the holiday. That’s when her nonna devises a (not so) brilliant plan: Over the next ten days, Sophie will be set up on ten different blind dates by different family members. Like her sweet cousin Sara, who sets her up with a hot guy at an exclusive underground party. Or her crazy aunt Patrice, who signs Sophie up for a lead role in a living nativity. With a boy who barely reaches her shoulder. And a screaming baby.

When Griffin turns up unexpectedly and begs for a second chance, Sophie feels more confused than ever. Because maybe, just maybe, she’s started to have feelings for someone else . . . Someone who is definitely not available.

This is going to be the worst Christmas break ever . . . Or is it?

This is one of six books I bought just after Christmas. I didn’t get around to it straight away and now I’m left with a dilemma. Do I read a Christmasy book when it’s not Christmas or do I wait until December to pick it up…

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These Witches Don’t Burn by Isabel Sterling

“Infused with page-turning suspense, bittersweet romance, shocking twists, and tragic turns, Sterling has written a standout debut.” –Dana Mele, author of People Like Us

Hannah’s a witch, but not the kind you’re thinking of. She’s the real deal, an Elemental with the power to control fire, earth, water, and air. But even though she lives in Salem, Massachusetts, her magic is a secret she has to keep to herself. If she’s ever caught using it in front of a Reg (read: non-witch), she could lose it. For good. So, Hannah spends most of her time avoiding her ex-girlfriend (and fellow Elemental Witch) Veronica, hanging out with her best friend, and working at the Fly By Night Cauldron selling candles and crystals to tourists, goths, and local Wiccans.

But dealing with her ex is the least of Hannah’s concerns when a terrifying blood ritual interrupts the end-of-school-year bonfire. Evidence of dark magic begins to appear all over Salem, and Hannah’s sure it’s the work of a deadly Blood Witch. The issue is, her coven is less than convinced, forcing Hannah to team up with the last person she wants to see: Veronica.

While the pair attempt to smoke out the Blood Witch at a house party, Hannah meets Morgan, a cute new ballerina in town. But trying to date amid a supernatural crisis is easier said than done, and Hannah will have to test the limits of her power if she’s going to save her coven and get the girl, especially when the attacks on Salem’s witches become deadlier by the day.

Isabel Sterling’s delightful, suspenseful debut is equal parts sweet romance and thrilling mystery. With everything she loves on the line, Hannah must confront this murderous villain before her coven–and any chance she has with the new girl–is destroyed.

This is another from post Christmas book haul. It sounds so good I really must get to it soon!

You can find my full post Christmas book haul here

My ten most recent additions! Which should I prioritize and what have you bought recently? Let me know in the comments!