Just a girl, living her life through books
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After a morning of sorting donated books (some tagged, some set free into Port Sunlight) and a quick shopping trip, I’m finally settled in for the evening.
Kindle in hand, blanket wrapped around me, and a warm drink close by… I could stay like this forever.
Have you ever picked up a random book on a bench, or on a train seat and thought, “Wait… did someone just leave this for me?”
That magical little moment is exactly what I’ve fallen in love with and I’ve been quietly plotting ways to send my books back into the world, not to gather dust on my shelves, but to keep living new lives with new readers.
Two of my favourite ways to do this are through BookCrossing and Little Free Libraries.
So, BookCrossing – What is it?
Imagine a massive worldwide game of pass the parcel, but with novels instead of trinkets hidden within crumpled wrapping paper. That’s BookCrossing. You register a book, give it a unique tracking ID, stick the label on one of the inner pages and then you either:
But here’s the best bit: when someone finds a BookCrossing book, they can go to the website, type in that unique ID, and make a little journal entry saying “hey, I’ve got it!”. That one note suddenly links you and them — even if you’re strangers. From there, you can watch the books journey, see who reads it next, and maybe even get a message years later when it pops up in another country. It’s like digital footprints for books.
The best part? You don’t even have to register to make a journal — you can do it completely anonymously. (Obvs I’d prefer it if you joined in and we became friends 😉).
Journal entries can be surprisingly wholesome too. Imagine finding something like this in your inbox:
“Picked this up in a café in Manchester on my lunch break — what a brilliant surprise! I’ve just started reading it and plan to leave it at my local train station when I’m done. Thanks for sharing it!”
That’s the kind of thing that makes you grin like an idiot. Suddenly your old book has a brand new story, and you’re part of it!
And it’s not just me messing about with stickers and novels. BookCrossing is HUGE! : nearly 2 million members worldwide, over 13 million books registered, and here in the UK there are around 77,000 of us secretly scattering books like literary Easter eggs. And it’s not just one-off drops — there are also book rings (where the book comes back to me eventually) and book rays (where it just keeps going, forever, like a paper-backed relay baton).
I’ve started cataloguing my own “to-be-released” pile. Some are earmarked for wild adventures, others will be part of swaps or Wishlist trades. You can actually peek at my BookCrossing profile to see what’s been set free, or you can check my blog page for a list of books and locations. Who knows? You might even find one if you’re in the right place at the right time.
Then there are Little Free Libraries. You’ve probably seen them without even realising — those adorable birdhouse-shaped boxes in towns and cities that invite you to “take a book, leave a book.”
There are over 200,000 registered around the world in more than 120 countries, and the UK has a growing number tucked into everywhere from bustling high streets to sleepy village greens.
Every time I stock one with a new title, I imagine who might stumble across it — a tired commuter, a kid on their way home from school, a retiree out for a walk. I love the thought that the right story finds the right person at exactly the right time.
This isn’t just a fun hobby for me — I’m genuinely advocating for more people in the UK to get involved. The more of us setting books free, the more smiles we spread. Think about it: you could make someone’s whole day with the simple act of leaving a story behind for them to find.
So here’s my challenge to you:
Make someone smile today. Send them a book. Leave one in a Little Free Library. Register one on BookCrossing. Start the chain.
And if you’re curious, join me on BookCrossing (don’t forget to use my referral link so we can connect straight away). Because honestly? The world could always use more unexpected books in unexpected places.
Let’s keep books moving, together 🖤
⭐️ 5/5 stars
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📖 Length: 672 pages
📱 Format: Kindle
⏳ Read Time: 17 days
Everyone Celaena Sardothien loves has been taken from her. But she’s at last returned to the empire—for vengeance, to rescue her once-glorious kingdom, and to confront the shadows of her past…
She has embraced her identity as Aelin Galathynius, Queen of Terrasen. But before she can reclaim her throne, she must fight.
She will fight for her cousin, a warrior prepared to die for her. She will fight for her friend, a young man trapped in an unspeakable prison. And she will fight for her people, enslaved to a brutal king and awaiting their lost queen’s triumphant return.
Queen of Shadows is the kind of book that reminds me why I adore high fantasy and romantasy so much. At 672 pages, it’s an epic in scope and packed with richly detailed worldbuilding, magnetic characters, and a plot so gripping that the last 50% had me absolutely devouring it.
I quite literally couldn’t breathe for reading.
Sarah J. Maas weaves an intricate and seamlessly crafted narrative here. The world feels transportive and otherworldly, yet every page is grounded by characters who are layered, dynamic, and unforgettable. The growth, the tension, and the sheer emotional pull of their journeys had me completely hooked.
The writing is lyrical and captivating, balancing hauntingly beautiful moments of tenderness with thrilling, action-packed sequences that left me reeling. And the romance? Utterly swoon-worthy with just the right touch of angst and passion to make my heart ache in the best way.
One of the scenes that absolutely broke me was when Aelin visits Sam’s grave. I couldn’t even see the words on my Kindle screen through the tears. It choked me in the best and worst way. Raw, gut-wrenching, and overflowing with emotional turmoil. Easily one of the most powerful moments in the series so far.
Even though I read this on Kindle (saving my hands from the sheer weight of the tome), the experience felt immersive and indulgent. Taking me 17 days to finish—while juggling ARC reads—the truth is that once I hit the halfway point, Queen of Shadows consumed me. I ate up every single page.
This book is an utterly magical, spellbinding masterpiece in the Throne of Glass series, an instant favourite that left me breathless and desperate for more.
If you’re already in the Throne of Glass world, this instalment is going to wreck you (in the best way). And if you’re not… what are you even doing?
Today marks a little milestone for me – my fifth BookCrossing release! 🎉
This time I’ve chosen The Portable Door by Tom Holt, a witty fantasy full of strange offices, magical contracts, and the kind of dry humour that keeps you turning the pages. If you like stories that mix the everyday with the fantastical, this one might be for you.
📍 Released at: Bebington Train Station, Wirral – CH63 7LA
📅 Date: Today
There’s something I really love about train station releases – hundreds of people pass through every day, each on their own journey, and it feels like the perfect place to set a book free to start its own adventure. Who knows where it might end up?
If you’ve found this book, welcome! I hope it brightens your commute or becomes a fun surprise in your day. Don’t forget to log it on BookCrossing and let me know where it’s travelling next.
Here’s to the next chapter in The Portable Door’s journey, you can follow this books journey here 📖✨
Took myself (and my Kindle) out for a little reading date today. Found a bench on the promenade with the perfect view — sea stretching out in front, calm air, sunshine that wasn’t too warm. Basically, ideal conditions for diving into Queen of Shadows.
I’m deep into my Throne of Glass journey now, and honestly… this book is relentless. The twists, the drama, the sheer “Aelin-ness” of it all. Sitting there with the waves in the background made everything feel bigger, like the sea was echoing the tension on the page.
I definitely pulled a few faces at my Kindle as the afternoon went on. Gasps, grins, the occasional muttered “oh no”, which probably confused a couple of dog walkers. Worth it.
Ended up staying way longer than I meant to. Lost track of time, nearly lost my snack to a particularly bold seagull, and only looked up when the sunlight started shifting into that soft late-afternoon glow. All in all, 10/10 afternoon.
Do you have a favourite spot for reading outdoors? I think this bench might just be mine.
🌑 ARC Review – The Cat by Georges Simenon
📅 Release date: 6th November 2025
⭐️ 3/5 stars
Pre-order from Amazon (Paperback)
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In the oppressive silence of the sitting room, the woman finally smoothed out the paper and, without putting on her glasses, read the two words her husband had
The cat.
Amidst the din of their Parisian neighbourhood, Émile and Marguerite live in total silence. After a hasty marriage in their sixties, their uneasy peace was shattered when Émile’s beloved cat mysteriously disappeared and was later found dead. Branding his wife the culprit, Émile’s retaliation against Marguerite’s cherished parrot sparked a silent battle of wills. Now they live parallel lives, communicating only through spiteful notes, mocking glances and mute accusations. As their suspicion and resentment mount, this bitter game of psychological warfare becomes a twisted necessity, binding them together in a relentless cycle of torment from which there can only be one escape.
The Cat is a short but intense portrait of marital cold war, where comfort has curdled into something sharp-edged and quietly cruel. Simenon’s prose, in this new Penguin Classics translation, is as spare and unflinching as ever, capturing the claustrophobic world of Émile and Marguerite; two people who share a home but not a word, locked in a battle of petty revenges and unspoken grievances.
It’s uncomfortable reading at times, which I think is the point. The silence between them feels heavier than any argument could, and their mutual bitterness becomes both their prison and their only connection. The Parisian backdrop hums quietly in contrast, making the domestic battlefield all the more striking.
The psychological tension is well-crafted, and though brief, the story carries a surprising weight. The writing is excellent, the atmosphere suffocating yet compelling, and the character study razor-sharp. I felt like a fly on the wall in their everyday life, watching the quiet hostility and emotional games unfold.
A sharp, bleak, and slightly absurd slice of human nature, best suited for readers who enjoy quiet, character-driven tales of flawed people and fractured relationships.
3 stars from me.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
🌑 ARC Review – Blackwicket by Bea Northwick
📅 Release date: 9th September 2025
⭐️ 3/5 stars
Pre-order from Amazon (Hardcover)
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Home is where the curses are.
In the coastal town of Nightglass, Blackwicket House looms on the cliffs, far from the charming streets bustling with wealthy visitors seeking to experience a bit of real magic. Once an esteemed Inn with a reputation for healing, it now serves only as a grim warning to anyone tempted by curses. With Fiona Blackwicket, its sole caretaker, newly deceased, it stands empty – a dangerous thing for Blackwicket House to be.
Compelled out of hiding by the sudden death of her sister, Eleanora Blackwicket is forced back to her infamous family home with hasty intentions to bury Fiona and return to her life on the run. Her plans are waylaid when the Brom, an underworld organization specializing in black-market magic, catch wind of her presence and turn an interested eye on her rumored affinity for curse eating.
To complicate things, Victor Harrow, a ruthless yet alluring inspector for the anti-magic government agency, The Authority, has arrived in Nightglass. His one job: to cripple the Brom and anyone associated with them, including, and especially, the last Blackwicket.
But there’s something more sinister to Inspector Harrow than his government agenda, a violent history intrinsically linked to Eleanora’s darkest secret, one that could jeopardize her life and open a long-hidden door to the worst kind of magic, setting all the monsters free.
Blackwicket opens with a wonderfully eerie premise; a cursed family home perched on the cliffs above a magical coastal town, a protagonist with a dangerous past, and two opposing forces closing in. Bea Northwick’s writing style is atmospheric and elegant, and there’s a vintage, almost gothic charm woven through certain scenes that I really enjoyed. The setting of Nightglass and more specifically Dark Hall, had so much potential and the concept of curse-eating was intriguing.
However, I struggled to fully connect with the story. The magic system left me a little lost which distracted me a lot from losing myself within the pages; terms like drudge and curses were used, but I wasn’t entirely sure how they fitted together, or what rules governed the world. The world-building overall felt a little sparse, and the abrupt start gave me very little grounding before the plot took off. I think a prequel or more introductory chapters could have helped provide that missing context.
In terms of character dynamics, the chemistry between Eleanora and Victor felt sudden, almost as if key emotional beats were skipped. The shift from enemies to lovers was so quick it jarred me, and moments like the piano scene came without enough build-up to really land.
That said, I can see Blackwicket appealing to readers who enjoy dark fantasy with a gothic twist, morally grey characters, and an undercurrent of mystery. While the world itself didn’t feel fully fleshed out for me, the writing style and atmosphere were strong enough that I’d be interested to see what Bea Northwick creates in the future.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
It’s happened.
After weeks of labelling, planning, and imagining where my books might travel, I’ve finally released my first three books into the wild through BookCrossing, and I’m so excited to see where they go next.
For those new to the idea, BookCrossing is like a worldwide library-meets-treasure-hunt. You register your book online, add a unique ID label, and then “release” it somewhere public; a park bench, a coffee shop, a train seat, for a stranger to find. If they log it online, you can track its journey across towns, countries, or even continents.
Today, three of my collection started their adventures:
It felt strange walking away, leaving them behind. But there’s a thrill in not knowing who will find them or where they’ll end up. Maybe they’ll stay local… or maybe they’ll be halfway across the world in six months.
If you find one of my books, or release your own, please let me know in the comments!
And if you’ve never tried BookCrossing, now’s the perfect time to start. It’s free, fun, and might just make someone’s day.
You can follow my releases and see their updates on my BookCrossing releases page here on the blog.
Here’s to many more bookish journeys! 📚✈️
Sometimes, life feels too loud. Too real. Too heavy. Too… present.
Today, I carved out a few hours just for myself. I ran a hot bath, let the steam curl around me, and sank into another world between the pages. Time stopped mattering. My mind stopped whirring. All that existed was me, the story, and the characters pulling me further from reality with every turn of the page.
When the water cooled, I retreated to bed, book in hand, while a thunderstorm playlist on Spotify whispered in the background.
The sound of rumbling skies and soft rainfall made the perfect backdrop, almost like the book and playlist had conspired to match each other’s mood.
For those few hours, there were no to-do lists, no worries, no anxiety and no noise from the outside world. Just words, weather, and the welcome distraction of a story strong enough to carry me away.
It’s not that reading solves my problems, it just gives me a safe place to set them down for a while.
And sometimes, that’s exactly what I need.
