Category: The Squadpod

Categories
Squadpod Squadpod Book Club Squadpod Recommends Squadpod Reviews The Squadpod Year In Review

Squadpod’s Top Books of 2023

Happy New Year Bibliophiles! Today I’m sharing the Squadpod’s Top Books of 2023. I know it is a day late but I wasn’t organised enough to get it out before the year ended, so I’m starting the year with it instead. I want to start this by saying a huge thank you to all the amazing authors and publishers who have allowed us to read their books as a group. We’ve had so many fantastic group reads this year.

Now for the individual lists. Unless the lists are numbered, these are in no particular order but I’ve shared each person’s favourite at the end of their lists if they have one. You can find links to their social media in each post and a list of our overall group favourites at the very end of this post.

Vikkie at Little Miss Book Lover 87
  • The Ugly Truth by L. C. North
  • All Of Us Are Broken by Fiona Cummins
  • Kill For Me, Kill For You by Steve Cavanagh
  • The New Mother by Nora Murphy
  • Only Love Can Hurt Like This by Paige Toon
  • One Moment by Becky Hunter
  • None Of This Is True by Lisa Jewell
  • Good Girls Die Last by Natali Simmonds
  • The Honeymoon by Kate Gray
  • One by Eve Smith
  • Ten Dates by Rachel Dove
  • The Woman Who Lied by Claire Douglas
  • Loyalty by Martina Cole
  • The Confession Room by Lia Middleton
  • Upstairs at the Beresford by Will Carver
  • His Favourite Graves by Paul Cleave
  • Her by Mira V. Shah
  • You’d Look Better As A Ghost by Joanna Wallace
  • Mother’s Day by Abi Burdess
  • Dating For December by Lyndsey Gallagher
  • The Ex-Mas Holidays by Zoe Allison
  • The Man of Her Dreams by Sarra Manning
  • Over My Dead Body by Maz Evans
  • Murder in the Family by Cara Hunter
  • The Burnout by Sophie Kinsella
  • Just Another Missing Person by Giillain McAllister
  • The Beach Party by Nikki Smith
  • Fearless by M. W. Craven
  • Game of Lies by Clare Macintosh

Book of the year: (Joint Favourite) The Ugly Truth by L. C. North and All Of Us Are Broken by Fiona Cummins

Sue at Brown Flopsy’s Book Burrow
  • When I First Held You by Anstey Harris
  • Dead Man’s Creek by Chris Hammer
  • The Drift by C. J. Tudor
  • The Broken Afternoon by Simon Mason
  • The Forcing by Paul Hardisty
  • A Quiet Life by Ethan Joella
  • One Moment by Becky Hunter
  • The Secret Shore by Liz Fenwick
  • Vita and the Birds by Polly Crosby
  • The Moon Gate by Amanda Geard
  • The Wedding Dress Repair Shop by Trisha Ashley
  • You Can’t See Me by  Eva Borg Aegisdottir
  • One by Eve Smith
  • The Sentence by Christina Dalcher
  • Dirty Geese by Lou Gilmond
  • The Crash by Robert Preston
  • Devil’s Breath by Jill Johnson
  • The Man of Her Dreams by Sarra Manning
  • Shot With Crimson by Nicola Upson
  • Upstairs at the Berseford by Will Carver
  • His Favourite Graves by Paul Cleave
  • Joe Nurthin’s Guide To Life by Helen Fisher
  • Past Lying by Val McDermid
  • Yule Island by Johana Gustawsson
  • The Beaver Theory by Antti Tuomainen
  • Consumed by Greg Buchanan
  • The Good Daughter by Laure van Rensburg
  • The Truth About Her by Annie Taylor
  • Thirty Days of Night by Jenny Lund Masden
  • The Ski Trip by Sarah Clarke

Book of the Year: (Multiple Favourites) The Moon Gate by Amanda Geard, The Drift by C. J. Tudor, Joe Nuthin’s Guide to Life by Helen Fisher, and One Moment by Becky Hunter.

Emma at Emma’s Biblio Treasures
  • So Pretty by Ronnie Turner
  • The Drift by C. J. Tudor
  • Becoming Ted by Matt Cain
  • A Lady’s Guide To Fortune Hunting by Sophie Irwin
  • Beautiful Shining People by Michael Grothaus
  • The Secrets of Hartwood Hall by Katie Lumsden
  • Looking Glass Sound by Catriona Ward
  • Atalanta by Jennifer Saint
  • Death of A Bookseller by Alice Slater
  • Vita and the Birds by Polly Crosby
  • The Fascination by Essie Fox
  • Conviction by Jack Jordan
  • One by Eve Smith
  • The Actor by Chris MacDonald
  • The Good Daughter by Laure van Rensburg
  • Over My Dead Body by Maz Evans
  • That Bonesetter Woman by Frances Quinn
  • You’d Look Better As A Ghost by Joanna Wallace
  • The Birdcage Library by Freya Berry
  • Bone China by Laura Purcell
  • The Bleeding by Johana Gustawsson
  • Fyneshade by Kate Griffin
  • Starling House by Alix E. Harrow
  • His Favourite Graves by Paul Cleave
  • The Temple of Fortuna by Elodie Harper
  • Upstairs at the Beresford by Will Carver
  • Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
  • Anna O by Matthew Blae
  • None Of This Is True by Lisa Jewell
  • Yule Island by Johana Gustawwson

Book of the Year: Fyneshade by Kate Griffin

Jen at Travel’s Along My Bookshelf
  • Taking Flight by Lev Parikian  
  • Wolves of Winter by Dan Jones
  • The Hedgehog Diaries by Sarah Sands
  • Shot With Crimson by Nicola Upson
  • The Housekeepers by Alex Hay
  • Book Lovers by Emily Henry
  • Barchester Towers by Anthony Trollope
  • At Bertram’s Hotel by Agatha Christie
  • The Secrets of Hartwood Hall by Katie Lumsden
  • Tiny Pieces of Enid by Tim Ewins
  • Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day by Winifred Watson
  • One Day in December by Josie Silver
  • So Late in the Day by Claire Keegan
  • Mudlarking by  Lara Maiklem
  • Miss Austen Investigates by Jessica Bull
  • The Temple of Fortuna by Elodie Harper
  • The Three Dahlias by Katy Watson
  • The Little Board Game Cafe by Jennifer Page
  • The Family by Kate Sawyer
  • Run To The Western Shore by Tim Pears
  • Divine Might by Natalie Haynes
  • The Weather Women by Sally Gardner
  • Fyneshade by Kate Griffin
Hayley at The Lotus Readers
  • The House of Fortune by Jessie Burton
  • Amazing Grace Adams by Fran Littlewood
  • River Sing Me Home by Eleanor Shearer
  • All the Little Bird-Hearts by Viktoria Lloyd-Barlow
  • Beautiful Shining People by Michael Grothaus
  • The Space Between Us by Doug Johnstone
  • End of Story by Louise Swanson
  • Strange Sally Diamond by Liz Nugent
  • In A Thousand Different Ways by Ceceilia Ahern
  • The Fascination by Essie Fox
  • The Girls of Summer by Kate Bishop
  • The Moon Gate by Amanda Geard
  • Vita and the Birds by Polly Crosby
  • Good Girls Die Last by Natali Simmonds
  • 73 Dove Street by Julie Owen Moylan
  • The Birdcage Library by Freya Berry
  • The Good Liars by Anita Frank
  • Shark Heart by Emily Habeck
  • The Opposite of Lonely by Doug Johnstone
  • Harlem After Midnight by Louise Hare
  • The Running Grave by Robert Galbraith 
  • The Haunting in the Arctic by C. J. Cooke
  • Starling House by Alix. E. Harrow

Book of the Year: The Moon Gate by Amanda Geard

Elizabeth at Lib C Reads
  • Tom Lake by Anne Patchett
  • In The Blink Of An Eye by Jo Callaghan
  • One of the Good Guys by Araminta Hall
  • The Moon Gate by Amanda Geard
  • Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfield
  • The Whalebone Theatre by Joanna Quinn
  • 73 Dove Street by Julie Owen Moylan
  • One Moment by Becky Hunter
  • Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano
  • Strange Sally Diamond by Liz Nugent
  • Yellowface by Rebecca F. Kuang
  • Go As A River by Shelley Read
  • None Of This Is True by Lisa Jewell
  • All Of Us Are Broken by Fiona Cummins
  • The Beach Party by Nikki Smith
  • Over My Dead Body by Maz Evans
  • The Unspeakable Acts of Zina Pavlou by Eleni Kyriacou
  • The Square of Sevens by Laura Shepherd-Robinson
  • The Only Suspect by Louise Candlish
  • The Ugly Truth by L. C. North
  • Joe Nurthin’s Guide To Life by Helen Fisher
  • In Memorium by Alice Winn
Becca at Becca Kate Blogs
  • Death Comes To Marlow by Robert Thorogood
  • Needless Alley by Natalie Marlow
  • The Things We’ve Lost by Jyoti Patel
  • What July Knew by Emily Koch
  • The Vintage Shop of Second Chances by Libby Page
  • The Husband’s Killer by Laura Marshall
  • The Murder Game by Tom Hindle
  • The House of Whispers by Anna Mazzola
  • The Happy Place by Emily Henry
  • Vita and the Birds by Polly Crosby
  • The Dive by Sara Ochs
  • 73 Dove Street by Julie Owen Moylan
  • Just Another Missing Person by Gillian McAllister
  • Wild Things by Laura Kay
  • A Lady’s Guide To Fortune Hunting by Sophie Irwin
  • The Bullet That Missed by Richard Osman
  • Lovestruck by Laura Jane Williams
  • The Truth About Her by Annie Taylor
  • A Winter in New York by Josie Silver
  • Preloved by Lauren Bravo
  • Good Material by Dolly Alderton
  • Make You Mine This Christmas by Lizzie Huxley-Jones
  • None Of This Is True by Lisa Jewell

Book of the Year: Happy Place by Emily Henry

Zoe at Zoe’s Book Nook
  1. Once A Monster by Robert Dinsdale
  2. Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfield
  3. End of Story by Louise Swanson
  4. The Drift by C. J. Tudor
  5. The True Love Experiment by Chrisitina Lauren
  6. Bookshops and Bonedust by Travis Baldree
  7.  Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia Of Faeries by Heather Fawcett
  8. The Hunting Moon by Susan Dennard
  9. Masters of Death by Olivie Blake
  10. The Art of Destiny by Wesley Chu
  11. In Little Stars by Linda Green
  12. The Vintage Shop of Second Chances by Libby Page
  13. Thirty Days in Paris by Veronica Henry
  14. This Is How You Fall In Love – Anika Hussein
  15. The Agnecy For Scandal by Laura Wood
  16. The Mountain In The Sea by Ray Naylor
  17. Dead Man’s Creek by Chris Hammer
  18. Stay Buried by Kate Webb
  19. The Fires by  Sigridur Hagalin Bjornsdottir
  20. The Things That We Lost by  Jyoti Patel
  21. Red Dirt Road by S. R. White
  22. Amazing Grace Adams by Fran Littlewood
  23. In The Blink Of An Eye by Jo Callaghan

Book of the Year: Once A Monster by Robert Dinsdale

Ceri at I Heart Books 1991
  • Kill For Me, Kill For You by Steve Cavanagh
  • The Marriage Act by John Marrs
  • She Says She’s My Daughter by Lauren North
  • The Heights by Louise Candlish
  • Dying For Christmas by Tammy Cohen
  • You by Caroline Kepnes
  • Oversharing by Jane Fallon
  • Yours Cheerfully by A. J. Pearce
  • The Last Party by Clare Mackintosh
  • Should I Tell You? by Jill Mansell
  • Love and Other Forbidden Things by Lyndsey Gallagher
  • Not in a Million Years by Sophie Ranald
  • The Final Party by A. A. Chaudhuri
  • The Little Board Game Cafe by Jennifer Page
  • Saturdays at Noon by Rachel Marks
  • Trust Me by T. M. Logan
  • Summer at the Ice Cream Cafe by Jo Thomas
  • After Paris by Nicole Kennedy
  • Have You Got Anthing Stronger? by Imogen Edwards
  • All You Need Is Love by Jessica Redland
  • Ten Dates by Rachel Dove
  • Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan
  • Sun Damage by Sabine Durrant

Book of the Year: Kill For Me, Kill For You by Steve Cavanagh

Clare at The Fallen Librarian Reviews
  • The Silence Project by Carole Hailey
  • The Clositers by Katy Hays
  • Weyward by Emilia Hart
  • The Fourth Wing/Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros
  • The Twyford Code by Janice Hallett
  • Home by Cailean Steed
  • The Good Daughter by Laure van Rensburg
  • Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett
  • On The Savage Side by Tiffany McDaniel
  • Ink Blood Sister Scribe by Emma Torzs
  • The Farmer’s Wife by Helen Rebanks
  • The Housekeepers by Alex Hays
  • Good Girls Die Last by Natali Simmonds
  • Strange Sally Diamond by Liz Nugent
  • Bellevue by Alison Booth
  • The Book of Most Precious Substance by Sara Gran
  • One Moment by Becky Hunter
  • Preloved by Lauren Bravo
  • Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-reum
  • Bloomsbury Girls by Natalie Jenner
  • Tell Me How This Ends by Jo Leevers
  • The Unforgiven Dead by Fulton Ross
  • Found in a Bookshop by Stephanie Butland
  • Life and Otter Miracles by Hazel Prior

Book of the Year: The Silence Project by Carole Hailey

Chantelle at Brewtiful Fiction
  • Still Life by Sarah Winman
  • These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong
  • Another Life by Jodie Chapman
  • Now She Is Witch by Kirsty Logan
  • Heart Bones by Colleen Hoover
  • Fall of Ruin and Wrath by Jennifer L. Armentrout
  • Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson
  • How to Build a Boat by Elaine Feeney 
  • Where the Light Goes by Sara Barnard
  • Four Winds by Kristin Hannah
  • Children of the Sun by Beth Lewis
  • Bad Summer People by Emma Rosenblum
  • Threadneedle by Cari Thomas
  • Because of You by Dawn French
  • Love After Love by Ingrid Persaud
  • The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune
  • How to Kill Your Family by Bella Mackie
  • One by One by Ruth Ware
  • The Stargazers by Harriet Evans
  • The Moon Gate by Amanda Geard
  • So Let Them Burn by Kamilah Cole
  • Nothing Serious by Emma Medrano
  • Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

********

After collating the results, here are the overall Squadpod favourie books of 2023:

  • 73 Dove Street by Julie Owen Moylan (4 votes)
  • Vita and the Birds by Polly Crosby (4 votes)
  • None Of This Is True by Lisa Jewell (4 votes)
  • The Moon Gate by Amanda Geard (4 votes)
  • One Moment by Becky Hunter (4 votes)
  • The Good Daughter by Laure van Rensburg (3 votes)
  • Good Girls Die Last by Natalie Simmonds (3 votes)
  • The Truth About Her by Annie Taylor (3 votes)
  • The Drift by C. J. Tudor (3 votes)
  • Upstairs at the Beresford by Will Carver (3 votes)
  • One by Eve Smith (3 votes)
  • His Favourite Graves by Paul Cleave (3 votes)
  • Over My Dead Body by Maz Evans (3 votes)
  • Strange Sally Diamond by Liz Nugent (3 votes)

And our overall Squadpod Book Club Favourite for 2023 is 73 Dove Street by Julie Owen Moylan.

Follow the Squadpod on social media:

********

Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxxx

Did you read any of our favourites? Comment below to let us know.

Categories
book reviews Squadpod Squadpod Recommends Squadpod Reviews Squadpod Spotlight The Squadpod

SQUADPOD REVIEWS: My Legendary Girlfriend by Mike Gayle (25th Anniversary Edition)

Published September 28th, 2023 by Hodder Paperbacks
Romance Novel, Humorous Ficiton, Comedy, Literary Fiction, Lad lit

Happy Publication Day to the 25th Anniversary Edition of My Legendary Girlfriend. Thank you to Alainna at Hodder Books for offering the Squadpod the opportunity to take part in this PR Campaign and for my copy of the book.

********

SYNOPSIS:

Celebrate Mike Gayle’s 25th year of publishing with this special anniversary edition of his first ever novel!

Meet Will Kelly. English teacher. Film Fan. Pot Noodle expert. Ex-boyfriend.

Still in love with The One, Will is desperate to discover if there can be An-Other One. In his decrepit flat where he can’t even manage to cook spaghetti hoops without setting off the communal smoke alarm, his lifeline is the telephone. Will realises that with a single call, friends can either lift him from the depths of despair or completely shatter his hopes.

There’s Alice (who remembers his birthday), Simon (who doesn’t), Kate (the previous tenant of his rented hovel). And of course his ex, Aggi. The inimitable Aggi. His legendary Girlfriend.

Or is She?

A hilarious, original story for anyone who has ever been dumped, or lived in a dump, ‘full of belly-laughs and painfully acute observations’. (Independent on Sunday)

********

MY REVIEW:

Warm, witty, and heartfelt, My Legendary Girlfriend is a story about life, heartbreak, and unrequited love. It introduces us to Will Kelly, an English teacher whose life isn’t going the way he’d hoped. He’s about to turn 26, totally skint, living in a run-down flat, and still pining after his ex-girlfriend, Aggi. Over the course of a weekend we get to know his deepest, and often darkest, thoughts as he agonises over whether he will ever find a love like he had with his Legendary Girlfriend. 

When Hodder Books offered the Squadpod an exclusive and limited PR run to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of Mike Gayle’s debut novel I jumped at the chance to be part of it. I’ve been a huge fan of his books ever since reading All the Lonely People – yes, I know I was late to the party – so I couldn’t wait to finally read the book that started it all. And as with all his books, reading this felt like being wrapped in a warm hug. It envelops you, comforts you and soothes your soul. It is a more melancholy book than any other I’ve read by him yet, but Gayle has a talent for offsetting the more serious and sombre elements of a story with dry, dark humour that lightens the mood.

So, we need to talk about Will. Lovestruck doesn’t quite cover the way he is about Aggi. Totally and utterly obsessed is better. Look, we’ve all had that relationship that’s hard to get over, where you were sure they were The One, but they didn’t agree and ripped your heart out, but to be this obsessed after three years seemed quite ridiculous. And that pedestal he’d got her on was so high I’m surprised she didn’t get dizzy. I wanted to grab hold of him, shake him, and tell him to get a bloody grip! But love isn’t rational, is it? So I did have some sympathy for him. Not that he made it easy. Because this guy wasn’t likeable most of the time. He was self-centred, moody, pessimistic, and his outlook was as bleak as the flat he lived in. Everything revolved around him and his feelings, and he certainly made sure everyone knew about them. But yet there’s something about him that is still engaging, making you keep reading and not quite give up on him, even if you’re shouting at him in your head the whole time. 

My favourite aspect of this book is the phone calls. Much of the story takes place during conversations Will has with various people over the phone that weekend. These calls are a lifeline for Will and he recognises that a single call has the power to shift his entire mood depending on who is calling. These calls were often hilarious and provided a lot of levity in the book, as well as introducing us to some really great secondary characters such as Alice and Kate. They also provided a lot of the book’s nostalgia, reminding me of when I would spend hours on the phone talking to friends or loved ones. And, for me, the nostalgia was something I loved about this book. In 1998 we still had landlines, answering machines, video players, and the speaking clock. It was like being transported to my past and contributed to the sense of comfort I felt while reading. 

An enjoyable and funny read with an ending I really loved, I would recommend this book. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

********

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Mike Gayle was born and raised in Birmingham. After graduating from Salford University with a degree in Sociology Mike moved to London with ambitions of becoming a music journalist. This didn’t happen however and following a slight detour in his five-year plan he ended up as an agony uncle for teenage girls’ magazine Bliss before becoming Features Editor on the now much missed Just Seventeen. Since those early days Mike has written for a variety of publications including The Sunday Times, The Guardian and Cosmopolitan.

Mike became a full time novelist in 1997 following the publication of his Sunday Times top ten bestseller My Legendary Girlfriend, which was hailed by The Independent as ‘Full of belly laughs and painfully acute observations,’ and by The Times as ‘A funny, frank account of a hopeless romantic.’

To date Mike is the author of twelve novels including Mr Commitment, Turning Thirty and Wish You Were Here. His books have been translated into over thirty languages.

You can read more about Mike’s books here.

After stints in Manchester and London Mike now lives in Birmingham with his wife, kids, two sheds and a rabbit.

********

BUY THE BOOK:

Waterstones* | Amazon*

********

Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxxx

*These purchase links are affiliate links

Categories
Book Features book reviews Squadpod Squadpod Recommends The Squadpod

REVIEW: So Close by Sylvia Day

Published: March 30th, 2023
Publisher: Michael Joseph
Genre: Psychological Thriller, Contemporary Romance, Gothic Fiction, Literary Fiction, Urban Fiction, Book Series
Format: Hardcover, Kindle, Audiobook

Welcome to my review of So Close, the sultry, spicy and consuming first part of the new Blacklist Duology by Sylvia Day which the Squadpod is featuring this month.

Thank you to edPR and Michael Joseph for the gifted copy of the book.

********

SYNOPSIS:

From the No 1 Sunday Times bestselling author of the Crossfire saga comes the beginning of a twisty tale of obsession and fury, as a trinity of women protect what they covet at any cost.

You can’t believe all of them . . . But can you trust any of them?
___________

Widower Kane Black has been hollowed by grief.

Until he sees a woman with his wife Lily’s inimitable beauty on Manhattan’s streets. He whisks her up to his towering penthouse, nestling her in dark opulence.

Aliyah, Kane’s mother, sees a threat. “Lily” has dangerous control over Kane and there can be only one queen on this throne.

Amy, Kane’s sister-in-law, has been bloodied by betrayal. She’s paid too high a price and now intends to claim what she’s owed.

Three women, linked by buried secrets, circle the man who unquestioningly accepts the return of his beloved long-dead wife.

But Kane is happier than he’s ever been, and he’ll do anything to stay that way . . .
___________

A lushly gothic novel of domestic suspense, So Close is an emotionally intense and addictive story of love, greed and ambition from multimillion-copy international bestseller Sylvia Day.

********

MY REVIEW:

“What a pair we are, intrinsically broken but tied to one another by desire and death.” 

Whew! Scorching, sultry and intense, So Close not only had me hot under the collar, but kept me on the edge of my seat as I read this gripping story of obsession, secrets, rage, greed and revenge.

Kane Black is a man used to getting what he wants. A powerful, rich businessman with the looks of a Greek god, he has the best that money can buy and women falling at his feet. But Kane’s life was torpedoed by grief six years ago when his beloved wife Lily disappeared following a sailing accident, and he’s never been the same.
Then, one day, he sees a woman who looks remarkably like his late wife on the streets of Manhattan. After the woman is injured in a hit and run, he whisks her to his opulent penthouse to recover. But although the woman looks identical to Lily, including the same distinctive tattoo, she has no memory of their marriage or where she’s been for the last six years. Kane is sure that his beloved wife is back from the dead, but those around him aren’t so sure. His devoted assistant, Witte, is worried this is a masquerade to swindle his employer, and Kane’s dysfunctional family see her as a threat to their carefully laid plans, sparking a battle for control that some might not survive…

“I’ve stepped into the shoes of a ghost, a woman whose memory, style and tastes have spread malignantly through your life, completely subsuming the man you once were.”

Sensual, spicy and alluring, this is one of those books I’d think twice about reading in public for fear of blushing. It was my first time reading one of Sylvia Day’s books and I am so glad I stepped out of my comfort zone for this one. I’d heard so many friends rave about this author and knew that reading books I didn’t think I’d like has led me to discover some of my now-favourite books – hello ACOTAR and Beautiful Shining People – so I decided to give it a try. It was nothing like I expected, but in all the best ways. Mysterious and powerful, this was a real page-turner. The narrative is darkly atmospheric; the air thick with sexual tension, mistrust and suspense, and there is an ominous drumbeat that rings in your ears as you read. I also liked that the book is well written and the spicy parts didn’t make me totally cringe as it’s badly written sex scenes and a lack of story surrounding them that have put me off erotica. This one certainly doesn’t suffer from a lack of story and is bursting at the seams with intriguing storylines that keep the reader guessing. As the author teases us, playing psychological mind games with each new chapter, I found myself questioning everyone and everything right up until the final page and was then left hungry for more.

“Who manufactured the myth of family being those who will love and protect you at any cost? Why are we told to forgive toxic behaviour only because of genetics? …I don’t know how or why you’ve ended up back in the nest with these vipers, but they’ll have to get through me to sink their fangs into you.” 

Ms. Day has filled her book with characters who are ruthless, vile, and morally grey. They are unlikable yet utterly compelling and fun to read. This is a family that is not only dysfunctional and toxic, but also scheming and power-hungry, always plotting against one another and playing games. Certainly not a group you’d want to be part of. Matriarch Aliyah was probably my least favourite while I kind of liked Witte, Kane’s loyal majordomo. Kane Black himself doesn’t narrate the story, yet he is at its heart and is the obsession of each of the narrators. And while Kane is just as cut-throat, calculated and shifty as the rest of them, yet his charisma makes him that little bit more likeable. And then there is Lily. Elusive, cryptic and beguiling, it seems no one is immune to her allure. But is she really back from the dead or an opportunist and imposter? I vacillated between the two possibilities for the whole book, the seeds of doubt woven into the narrative making it impossible to decide. 

Intoxicating, consuming, and undeniably sexy, So Close will leave you breathless. And that ending! I need book two now. Why is October so far away?!

Rating: ✮✮✮✮.5

********

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Sylvia June Day is the #1 New York Times, No. 1 Sunday Times & internationally bestselling author of over twenty award-winning novels, including ten New York Times bestsellers and thirteen USA Today bestsellers. She is a number one bestselling author in twenty-nine countries, with translations in forty-one languages and over twenty million copies of her books in print.

********

BUY THE BOOK:

Waterstones | Amazon | Bookshop.org

********

Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxx

*All purchase links are affiliate links

Categories
Squadpod Squadpod Book Club The Squadpod Year In Review

Squadpod Recommends: 22 of 22

Happy New Year’s Eve! One of my favourie parts of this community is the Squadpod, the group of wonderful bloggers I am a part of. 2022 has been a brilliant year for us and we’ve been fortunate to help promote lots of fantastic books this year including All About Evie, Nobody But Us, The Dictator’s Wife, Meredith Alone and Bad Fruit. The cake blast for All About Evie was a higlight of 2022 for me and I am delighted that I overcame my fears to take part in interviews with authors such as Freya Berry and Ellen Alpsten.

Once again we have put together our lists of favourite reads of the year. It’s an even more diverse list than last year and I loved seeing the different books we enjoyed, as well as the ones that many of us picked as a favourite. Here are our individual lists. Keep reading to the end to find out our Squadpod Book of the Year and ultimate recommendations for 2022.

**********

Becca at Becca Kate Blogs

  • The Christie Affair by Nina de Gramont
  • The Maid by Nita Prose
  • Three Hours by Rosamund Lupton
  • The Clockwork Girl by Anna Mazzola
  • A Fatal Crossing by Tom Hindle
  • One Night on the Island by Josie Silver
  • Greenwich Park by Katherine Faulkner
  • Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney
  • The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley
  • Yinka, Where Is Your Huzband? by Lizzie Damilola Blackburn
  • Welcome To Your Life by Bethany Rutter
  • That Green-Eyed Girl by Julie Owen Moylan
  • The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman
  • Meredith Alone by Claire Alexander
  • Do No Harm by Jack Jordan
  • All About Evie by Matson Taylor
  • Hello, Stranger by Rachel Marks
  • The Girl on the 88 Bus by Freya Sampson
  • Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister
  • It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover
  • Tell Me Everything by Laura Kay

Book of the year: The Maid by Nita Prose

Beth at Beth’s Booketlist

  • One Night on the Island by Josie Silver
  • One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid
  • You and Me on Vacation by Emily Henry
  • Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan
  • It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover
  • The Sight of You Holly Miller
  • The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazewood
  • Me by Elton John
  • Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson
  • The Stranding by Kate Sawyer
  • Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff
  • Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly
  • Meet Me Under the Misteltoe by Jenny Bayliss
  • The Island Home by Libby Page
  • Beyond the Wand by Tom Felton
  • The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah
  • In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado
  • Still Me by Jojo Moyes
  • Beach Read by Emily Henry
  • The Ballad of Never After by Stephanie Garber
  • Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the Wrold by Benjamin Alire Sanez
  • The Woman They Could Not Silence by Kate Moore

Book of the year: One Night on the Island by Josie Silver

Cara at Welsh Book Lover

  • When I Was Ten by Fiona Cummins
  • The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood
  • Do No Harm by Jack Jordan
  • Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover
  • The Maid by Nita Prose
  • The Castaway by Lucy Clarke
  • Nobody But Us by Laure van Rensburg
  • Reckless Girls by Rachel Hawkins
  • Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
  • The Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren
  • The Retreat by Sarah Pearse
  • Bad Fruit by Ella King
  • November 9 by Colleen Hoover
  • The Housemaid by Sarah A. Denzil
  • The Road Trip by Beth O’Leary
  • Beach Read by Emily Henry
  • The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins
  • The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena
  • The Cove by Alice Clarke-Platts
  • The Couple by Helly Acton
  • A Stranger in the House by Shari Lapena
  • The Glass House by Eve Chase

Book of the year: When I Was Ten by Fiona Cummins

Ceri at Ceri’s Lil Blog

  • Meredith Alone by Claire Alexander
  • Open Water by Caleb Azumah Nelson
  • The Attic Child by Lola Jaye
  • The Unravelling by Polly Crosby
  • When I Was Ten by Fiona Cummins
  • Welcome To The Real World by Carole Matthews
  • The First Day of Spring by Nancy Tucker
  • The Bay by Allie Reynolds
  • Oh I Do Like To Be by Rachel Canwell
  • The Set Up by Lizzy Dent
  • You Only Live Once by Maxine Morrey
  • The Murder List by Jackie Kabler
  • The Killer’s Family by Miranda Smith
  • A Wedding at Hedgehod Hollow by Jessica Redland
  • What Next? by Shari Low
  • Greenwich Park by Katherine Faulkner
  • Locked Away Life by Drew Davies
  • Psychopaths Anonymous by Will Carver
  • The Gingerbread Cafe by Anita Faulkner
  • The Christmas Bookshop by Jenny Colgan
  • Wendy’s Winter Gift by Debbie Viggiano

Book of the year: Meredith Alone by Claire Alexander

Chloe from Reviews by Chloe

  • The Last Party by Clare Mackintosh
  • Just Got Real by Jane Fallon
  • Do No Harm by Jack Jordan
  • The Girls Who Disappeared by Clare Douglas
  • Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister
  • A Terrible Kindness by Jo Browning Wroe
  • Two Nights in Lisbon by Chris Pavone
  • The Family Remains by Lisa Jewell
  • The Clockwork Girl by Anna Mazzola
  • The Woman Who Stole My Life by Marian Keyes
  • The Wedding Party by Tammy Cohen
  • The Promise by Lucy Diamond
  • Sparring Partners by John Grisham
  • After the Rain by Lucy Dillon
  • A White Christmas on Winter Street by Sue Moorcroft
  • The Murder at Fleet House by Lucinda Riley
  • Take Your Breath Away by Linwood Barclay
  • The Curfew by T.M. Logan
  • Insomnia by Sarah Pinborough
  • The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune
  • Merrily Ever After by Cathy Bramley
  • Breathless by Amy McCulloch

Book of the year: Do No Harm by Jack Jordan

Claire at Secret World of a Book

  • The Burning Chambers and City of Tears Series by Kate Mosse
  • Elektra by Jennifer Saint
  • Off Target by Eve Smith
  • Small Angels by Lauren Owen
  • The Dance Tree by Kiran Millwood Hargreaves
  • Wisewood by Stephanie Wrobel
  • Argo by Mark Knowles
  • Arcadian Days by John Spurling
  • Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes
  • The House with the Golden Door by Elodie Harper
  • Summer Fever by Kate Riordan
  • Uraveller by Frances Hardinge
  • The Sea Women by Chloe Timms
  • Widdershins and Sunwise series by Helen Steadman
  • Love and Other Human Errors by Bethany Clift
  • Black Mamba by William Friend
  • The Ruins by Phoebe Wynne
  • The Whispering Muse by Laura Purcell
  • The Ghost Woods by C.J. Cooke
  • The Butcher by Laura Kat Young
  • House of Hunger by Alexis Henderson

Book of the year: Black Mamba by William Friend

Clare at The Fallen Librarian Reviews

  • Love and Other Human Errors by Bethany Clift
  • Little Sister by Gytha Lodge
  • Young Women by Jessica Moor
  • A Little Hope by Ethan Joella
  • The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn
  • The Kitchen Front by Jennifer Ryan
  • The Library by Bella Osborne
  • Home by Penny Parks
  • Fledgeling by Hannah Bourne-Taylor
  • The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams
  • Meredith Alone by Claire Alexander
  • The Language of Food by Annabel Abbs
  • Shrines of Gaiety by Kate Mosse
  • The Very Secret Societ of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna
  • The Keeper of the Stories by Sally Page
  • Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka
  • The Gosling Girl by Jacqueline Roy
  • The People on Platform 5 by Clare Pooley
  • More Than You’ll Ever Know by Katie Guiterrez
  • Opal Country by Chris Hammer
  • Daughter of the Moon Goddess/Heart of the Sun Warrior by Sue Lyn Tan
  • Heart of Earth & Blood/House of Sky & Breath by Sarah J. Maas

Book of the year: Shrines of Gaiety by Kate Mosse

Ellie at Elspells

  • I, Mona Lisa by Natasha Solomon
  • Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead
  • This One Sky Day by Leone Ross
  • Wahala by Nikki May
  • A Net For Small Fishes by Lucy Jago
  • The Confessions of Frannie Langton by Sara Collins
  • The Marsh House by Zoe Somerville
  • Nobody But Us by Laure van Rensburg
  • When I Sing, Mountains Dance by Irene Solà translated by Mara Feye Lethem
  • How Much of These Hills Is Gold by C Pam Zhang
  • That Green-Eyed Girl by Julie Owen Moylan
  • Love and Other Dramas by Ronali Collins
  • All About Evie by Matson Taylor
  • The Promise by Damon Galgut
  • The House with the Golden Door by Elodie Harper
  • The Heart of Redness by Zakes Md
  • The Dust Never Settles by Karina Lickorish Quinn
  • 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World by Elif Shafak 
  • Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
  • Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
  • Peach Blossom Spring by Melissa Fu
  • The Dance Tree by Kiran Millwood Hargrave

Book of the Year: Peach Blossom Spring by Melissa Fu

Emma at Emma’s Biblio Treasures

  • Wahala by Nikki May
  • The Language of Food by Annabel Abbs
  • Nasty Little Cuts by Tina Baker
  • Keep It In The Family by John Marrs
  • Yinka, Where Is Your Huzband? by Lizzie Damilola Blackburn
  • Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
  • The No-Show by Beth O’Leary
  • Nobody But Us by Laure van Rensburg
  • Elektra by Jennifer Saint
  • Book Lovers by Emily Henry
  • Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez
  • The House with the Golden Door by Elodie Harper
  • Do No Harm by Jack Jordan
  • Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney
  • Isaac and the Egg by Bobby Palmer
  • The Last Girl To Die by Helen Fields
  • Shrines of Gaiety by Kate Atikinson
  • All About Evie by Matson Taylor
  • The Pain Tourist by Paul Cleave
  • End of Story by Louise Swanson
  • Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boyland
  • The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels by Janice Hallett

Book of the year: End of Story by Louise Swanson

Hayley at The Lotus Readers Blog

  • The Maid by Nita Prose
  • The Last Girl To Die by Helen Fields
  • Black Hearts by Doug Johnstone
  • Meredith Alone by Claire Alexander
  • The Blackhouse by Carole Johnstone
  • The Sea Women by Chloe Timms
  • That Green-Eyed Girl by Julie Owen Moylan
  • The Whalebone Theatre by Joanna Quinn
  • Memphis by Tara M. Stringfellow
  • The Flames by Sophie Haydock
  • Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez
  • Peach Blossom Spring by Melissa Fu
  • Yinka, Where Is Your Huzband? by Lizzie Damilola Blackburn
  • The Theatre of Marvells by Lianne Dillsworth
  • The Marsh House by Zoe Somerville
  • The Unravelling by Polly Crosby
  • The Dazzle of the Light by Georgina Clarke
  • The Skeleton Key by Erin Kelly
  • House of Fortune by Jessie Burton
  • All About Evie by Matson Taylor
  • Demon by Matt Wesolowski
  • Caged Little Birds by Lucy Banks

Hayley at Shelf Lyfe

  • Now She Is Witch by Kirsty Logan
  • Unraveller by Frances Hardinge
  • The Witches of Vardø by Anya Bergman
  • Cunning Women by Elizabeth Lee
  • Becoming Ted by Matt Cain
  • Entangled Lifeby Merlin Sheldrake
  • The Book of Gothel by Mary McMyne
  • The House with the Golden Door by Elodie Harper
  • Sistersong by Lucy Holland
  • A Little Hope by Ethan Joella
  • The Beauty of Impossible Things by Rachel Donohue
  •  The Green Indian Problem – Jade Leaf Willetts
  • Perimenopause Power by Maisie Hill
  • Plain Bad Heroines by Emily M Danforth
  • The Dictator’s Wife by Freya Berry
  • Duma Key by Stephen King
  •  Spooky Ambiguous – featuring Penny Ayers, Michael Bartlett, Patrick Booth, Amaris Chase, Holly Anne Crawford, Ivor Daniel, Amanda Jane Davies, Daphne Denley, J. J. Drover, Harriet Hitchen, Rebecca McDowall, Jane Phillips, Angela Reddaway, Joe Robson, Margaret Royall, with illustrations by Lorna Gray
  • Salmacis by Elizabeth Train-Brown
  • Welcome to St Hell by Lewis Hancox
  • The Marsh House by Zoe Somerville
  • Women and Love by Miriam Burke
  • The Little Library Parties by Kate Young

Book of the year: Now She Is Witch by Kirsty Logan

Jackie at Jackie’s Reading Corner

Due to ill health Jackie didn’t complete a full list, but mentioned the following three books:

  • The Coffin Club by Jacqueline Sutherland
  • All About Evie by Matson Taylor
  • The Loyal Friend by A. A. Chaudhuri

Book of the year: The Coffin Club by Jacqueline Sutherland

Jen at Travels Along My Bookshelf

  • Violetta by Isabelle Allende
  • One Night on the Island by Josie Silver
  • The Flames by Sophie Haydock
  • Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
  • Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan
  • Nobody But Us by Laure van Rensburg
  • The Midnight House by Amanda Gerard
  • The People on Platform 5 by Clare Pooley
  • The Girl on the 88 Bus by Freya Sampson
  • The Bay by Allie Reynolds
  • Meredith Alone by Clare Alexander
  • On The Scent by Paola Totaro & Robert Wainwright
  • All About Evie by Matson Taylor
  • Love and Other Human Errors by Bethany Clift
  • Starling by Kristen Cram
  • Thunderstone by Nancy Campbell
  • Tess of The D’Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy
  • The Last Girl To Die by Helen Fields
  • Essex Dogs by Dan Jones
  • The Hastening Storm by CF Barrington
  • Bourneville by Jonathan Coe
  • The Whalebone Theatre by Joanna Quinn

Book of the year: Starling by Kristin Cram

Karen at Book Blogging Bureau

  • Love and Other Human Errors by Bethany Clift
  • The Retreat by Sarah Pearse
  • Caged Little Birds by Lucy Banks
  • Bad Fruit by Ella King
  • Isaac and the Egg by Bobby Palmer
  • Reasons To Go Outside by Esme King
  • The Summer Fair by Heidi Swain
  • Nobody But Us by Laure van Rensburg
  • The People on Platform 5 by Clare Pooley
  • A Tidy Ending by Joanna Cannon
  • The House with the Golden Door by Elodie Harper
  • The Language of Food by Annabel Abbs
  • Stepping Up by Sarah Turner
  • A Murder Before Evensong by Rev Richard Coles
  • Yinka, Where Is Your Huzband? by Lizzie Damilola Taylor
  • Essex Dogs by Dan Jones
  • The Dead of Winter by Nicola Upson
  • Reputation by Sarah Vaughan
  • The House at Helgyen by Victoria Hawthorne
  • Spring Tides at The Starfish Cafe by Jessica Redland
  • The Other Guest by Helen Cooper
  • The Key in the Lock by Beth Underwood

Book of the year: The Language of Food by Annabel Abbs

Kate at Rutherford Reads

  • Good Husbands by Cate Ray
  • Hello, Stranger by Rachel Marks
  • We Are Not Like Them by Jo Piazza and Christine Pride
  • The People Before by Charlotte Northedge
  • One Last Gift by Emily Stone
  • The Blame Game by Sandie Jones
  • The Bay by Allie Reynolds
  • The Other Guest by Helen Cooper
  • Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney
  • The Party House by Lin Anderson
  • The Last Party by Clare Mackintosh
  • Such A Good Mother by Helen Monks Tar
  • The Reunion by Polly Phillips
  • The Girl Who Left by Jenny Blackburn
  • Sun Damage by Sabine Durant
  • The Love of My Life by Rosie Walsh
  • One of the Girls by Lucy Clarke
  • Tell Me Your Lies by Kate Ruby
  • Into the Dark by Fiona Cummins
  • Remember Me by Charity Norman
  • The Golden Couple by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen
  • Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister

Book of the year: Good Husbands by Cate Ray

Kirsty at Kirsty’s Book Buying Addiction

  • Seven Exes by Lucy Vine
  • Preloved by Lauren Bravo
  • My (extra) Ordinary Life by Rebecca Ryan
  • The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood
  • The Imperfect Art of Caring by Jessica Ryn
  • Cornish Clouds and Silver Lining Skies by Ali McNamara 
  • The Little Bookshop of Love Stories by Jaimie Admans 
  • Healing Hearts at Bumblebee Barn by Jessica Redland 
  • Never Gonna Happen by Heidi Stephens
  • The Cornish Midwife by Jo Bartlett
  • The Summer Fair by Heidi Swain
  • Last Time We Met by Emily Houghton
  • We Just Clicked by Anna Bell
  • Talk Bookish To Me by Kate Bromely
  • The Girl on the 88 Bus by Freya Sampson
  • Peony Practice by Christie Barlow
  • The Blossom Tree of Dreams by Holly Martin 
  • Sunny Skies and Summer Kisses by Eliza J Scott
  • Just Got Real by Jane Fallon
  • Summer Kisses at Mermaid Point by Sarah Bennett 
  • The Key To My Heart by Lia Louis 
  • The Cornish Cream Tea Bookshop by Cresside Mclaughlin

Book of the year: Seven Exes by Lucy Vine

Sue at Brown Flopsy’s Book Burrow

  • The Unravelling by Polly Crosby
  • Wahala by Nikki May
  • The Dictator’s Wife by Freya Berry
  • Peach Blossom Spring by Melissa Fu
  • The Rabbit Factor by Antti Tuomainen
  • A Little Hope by Ethan Joella
  • The House with the Golden Door by Elodie Harper
  • The Birdcage by Eve Chase
  • The Midnight House by Amanda Gerard
  • The French House by Jacquie Bloese
  • All About Evie by Matson Taylor
  • Love and Other Human Errors by Bethany Clift
  • Housebreaking by Colleen Hubbard
  • A Hundred Million Years and a Day by Jean Baptiste Andrea
  • Double or Nothing by Kim Sherwood
  • Christmas Eve at Cranberry Cross by Kate Forster
  • The Poison Machine by Robert J LLoyd
  • The Weather Woman by Sally Gardner
  • Every Shade of Happy by Phyllida Shrimpton
  • The Measure by Nikki Erlick
  • Opal Country by Chris Hammer

Book of the year: Love and Other Human Errors by Bethany Clift

Vikkie at Little Miss Book Lover

*Vikkie read over 300 books this year so has listed her 31 favourites as 22 was too small of a number after reading that many books.

  • Suicide Thursday by Will Carver
  • Into the Dark by Fiona Cummins
  • All the Wicked Games by Lauren North
  • If They Knew by Sophie Flynn
  • My Big Fat Fabulous Christmas by Lyndsey Gallagher
  • Someone Like You by Rachel Dove
  • Santa Maybe by Mary Jayne Baker
  • Love Untold by Ruth Jones
  • The Pain Tourist by Paul Cleave
  • Keep It In The Family by John Marrs
  • Running Scared by Manda Sue Heller
  • Genesis by Chris Carter
  • Just Got Real by Jane Fallon
  • The Family Remains by Lisa Jewell
  • The Dictator’s Wife by Freya Berry
  • The Serial Killer’s Girl by LH Stacey
  • Your Word or Mine by Lia Middleton
  • My Husband’s Killer by Laura Marshall
  • The Botanist by M.W. Craven
  • My Other Husband by Dorothy Koomson
  • Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister
  • That Green-Eyed Girl by Julie Owen Moylan
  • Nobody But Us by Laure van Rensburg
  • The Loyal Friend by A. A. Chaudhuri
  • Hello, Stranger by Rachel Marks
  • The Last Party by Clare Mackintosh
  • All For You by Louise Jensen
  • Open Your Eyes by Heather Fitt

Books of the year: Suicide Thursday by Will Carver and Into the Dark by Fiona Cummins

Zoe at Zoe’s Book Nook

  • Hare House by Sally Hinchcliffe
  • When I Was Ten by Fiona Cummins
  • The Gosling Girl by Jacqueline Roy
  • The Love Songs of W E B Du Bois by Honoree Fanonne Jeffers
  • The House with the Golden Door by Elodie Harper
  • I, Mona Lisa by Natasha Solomons
  • Booth by Karen J Fowler
  • The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley
  • The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi 
  • The Carnival Of Ash by Tom Beckerlegge 
  • Don’t Put Yourself On Toast by Freddy Taylor
  • After Dark by Jayne Cowie
  • Wrong Place, Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister
  • That Green-Eyed Girl by Julie Owen Moylan
  • Wahala by Nikki May
  • The Secrets of Rochester Place by Iris Costello
  • Peach Blossom Spring by Melissa Fu
  • The Sanctuary by Emma Haughton
  • The Prisoner by B. A. Paris
  • The Gifts by Liz Hayder
  • Babel by RF Kuang
  • A Magic Steeped In Poison by Judy I Lin

Books of the year: Babel by RF Kuang and The Love Songs of W E B Du Bois by Honoree Fanonne Jeffers

**********

Squadpod Books of the Year and Recommendations

After putting together the books featured on everyone’s lists and tallying the books, we have two books of the year: All About Evie by Matson Taylor and The House with the Golden Door by Elodie Harper.

Next up is our stack of ultimate recommendations. There were so many books that got two or three votes this year so I only counted books that got four votes or more. Even so, there are so many in the stack that I couldn’t hold it this year! So, here are the 10 books that make up our Squadpod Recommendations for 2022:

I am so happy to see that half of the books in this stack are debuts and that the Squadpod promoted and championed five of the books featured.

**********

What were your favourite reads of 2022? Have we inspired you to pick up any of our favourites? Let me know in the comments below. And don’t forget to follow the Squadpod on our social chanels to keep up with all the exciting things we have coming in 2023:

Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxx

*All purchase links are affiliate links

Categories
The Squadpod

The Squadpod’s Favourite Books of 2021, So Far

Last year myself and a group of fellow bloggers started a group chat with the aim to talk and share books, support each other through the difficult pandemic and encourage each other in our blogging. We jokingly nicknamed ourselves The Squadpod and it stuck.

Today, we launch our group Instagram and Twitter accounts and mark the start of some exciting plans we’ve been working on as a team for quite some time. To coincide with that we’ve decided to share our favourite reads of 2021 so far while also introducing you to our team of 23 bloggers.

Emma at Emma’s Biblio Treasures

The Lamplighters by Emma Stonex.

“The Lamplighters is a truly accomplished debut. It is one of those books that deserves to be huge and I have no doubt everyone will be talking about it this year. It is also perfect for the big screen and I am hoping I get to see it there one day…Atmospheric, haunting, claustrophobic and mesmerising, I found it impossible to put this one down and would have read it in one sitting if not for the pesky need to sleep. If you love and exquisitely layered mystery then don’t miss this book.”

Read the full review here

Danielle at The Reading Closet

The Push by Ashley Audrain

“The level of thrilling suspense and literary fiction is wonderfully balanced, creating something special that will have your heart racing, but underneath the surface lays an intoxicating current of domestic psychological drama. Every chapter is sure to blow you away.”

Read the full review here

Vikkie at Little Miss Book Lover 87

Just The Way I Am by Jo Watson

“I have read ALL of Jo Watson’s previous books and this is quite possibly my new favourite… A definite five star read that I highly recommend.”

Read the full review here

Claire at SecretWorldofaBook

A Net For Small Fishes by Lucy Jago

“I adored the characters in this story. Frances and Anne totally stole my heart and I was unable to put this down once I had begun… You need to read this book! I read it a while ago, have been struggling to complete my review ever since as I wanted to do it justice and still, I can not get the story out of mind. Lucy Jago is now one of my most favourite authors.”

Read the full review here

Ellie at Elspells

What Beauty There Is by Cory Anderson

“What Beauty There Is is something special. This book had me hooked from the opening pages. From the first lines… What is so incredibly special about this book is that while it wears its influences openly and proudly, it also manages to be startlingly unique.”

Read the full review here

Sue at Brown Flopsy’s Book Burrow

The Forgotten Life of Arthur Pettinger by Suzanne Fortin

“Reading this was an incredibly emotional experience and lots of tears were shed along the way – both of joy and sadness. Love shines out of these pages, whether it be romantic or otherwise, and the way Fortin explores the capacity to love through both of the timelines in this book is enchanting.”

Read the full review here

Clare at The Fallen Librarian Reviews

Last One at the Party by Bethany Clift

“Bethany Clift is my new hero; she is posessed of a razor sharp, darkly comedic wit and is a fervent supporter of grossness and irreverence with vast amounts of panache – thank goodness, because all of those elements make this story addictive and compelling, and yes I am being woefully vague about the specific details because they are yours to discover and just you wait until the end!”

Read the full review here

Karen at Book Blogging Bureau

Dear Reader by Cathy Rentzenbrink

“So much of this book really gripped me, from my reader tastes, my job and as a mother, it felt so personal and relatable. It has also made me think about my own roles and reading. Cathy has had a wonderfully varied bookish life of which I am very envious!.. I read this with my friend Serena as a buddy read and we have both decided this one is definitely for the forever shelf and I know it will be one that I will gift to others but also return to myself. Absolutely stunning!”

Read the full review here

Vicki at Cosy Reads

Open Water by Caleb Azumah Nelson

“This is an all consuming book, poignant, moving and beautifully written. One I recommend with no hesitation.”

Read the full review here

Jackie at Jackie’s Reading Corner

Kololo Hill by Neemah Shah

“I would definitely recommend this as a book to read, it’s not a genre I normally pick but it is good to step out of the comfort zone at times. I give this 5 stars out of 5 stars. A great debut novel, written with great care to detail and attention.”

Read the full review here

Ceri at Ceri’s Lil Blog

Everything Is Beautiful by Eleanor Ray

“This book does definitely not disappoint. The story inside is just as gorgeous as the cover, if not even more so… This is an absolutely incredible debut and one that you do not want to miss.”

Read the full review here

Hayley at Lotus Writing Therapy

The Lamplighters by Emma Stonex

“I loved the descriptions of the sea, and how it was a character in its own right. Sometimes calm, deceptively so, until a sudden swell could catch you by surprise. There are storms where waves batter the tower almost all the way up to the light itself. The sea is capricious, relentless and must be respected. I was left though, with an eerie feeling and a sense that the lighthouse might still be holding some secrets. That perhaps if you sailed nearby on a clear day you might see a father and his small boy looking out to sea, together forever in this one place outside of time.”

Read the full review here

Beth at Beth’s Booketlist

A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas

“This exceeded every wish and every hope for Nesta and Cassian’s story. Maas delivered a wonderful plot that was worth every single page of the whopping 750 pages.”

Read the full review here

Kirsty at Kirsty’s Book Buying Addiction

Before I Saw You by Emily Houghton

“Alice and Alfie have never met, they find themselves in different traumatic accidents but end up next to each other in a rehabilitation ward in a London hospital. She can’t bare to open her curtains so they connect through conversation… The way this book has been written is so poignant and touches on the tough subjects such as trauma and depression with such sensitivity and grace.”

Read the full review here

Zoe at Zoe’s Book Nook

Dangerous Women by Hope Adams

“I am always a sucker for a good classic whodunnit especially if it involves a hell of a lot of suspects and nowhere for the killer to escape to… I would also like to say that it’s not just an amazing and brilliant mystery novel, it’s also a wonderful historical fiction, delving into lives for which a lot of historians have ignored or shunned due to these women or people being unimportant to history.”

Read the full review here

Jen at Travels Along My Book Shelf

Daughters of Night by Laura Shepherd-Robinson

“This is a vivid, spellbinding superlative piece of writing… Truly outstanding and well worth five stars.”

Read the full review here

Kate at Rutherford Reads

The Lamplighters by Emma Stonex

“Completely fascinating that this is based on real-life events, I enjoyed the exploration of what could have happened to the keepers; a mystery which is relayed in a kind of diary when the wives and family are interviewed by an author writing about the tragedy… This is a truly wonderful book! So much so that I have been putting off writing this review because it’s nigh on impossible to find words to do this book justice.”

Read the full review here

Hayley at Shelf Lyfe

The One Hundred Years of Lennie and Margot by Marianne Cronin

“I adored this book even though it devastated me emotionally… It is full of surprising humour and wonderful characters. What makes them even more wonderful is how realistic they are.”

Read the full review here

Vicky at Gingerbread Book Reviews

The Forgotten Life of Arthur Pettinger by Suzanne Fortin

“This is absolutely historical romance at its best. It perfectly captures the terrors of the war and doesn’t brush over these, whilst also celebrating the small joys that love can bring. Arthur and Maryse are so lovely together, but their relationship is tinged with sorrow as you know that they don’t see out their days together.”

Read the full review here

Tilly at Tilly Loves Books

Before My Actual Heart Breaks by Tish Delaney

“I am besotted with this book and gutted I haven’t seen more people raving about it… This remarkable debut just goes to show that the quietest love stories are often the most powerful.”

Read the full review here

Becca at Becca Kate Blogs

The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot by Marianne Cronin

“The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot is a beautiful, emotional and heart-warming novel. The narrative and characters combine seamlessly to create an original, special story. Prepare to have your tissues at the ready!.. There are some hugely emotional moments in the novel and it’s a true rollercoaster ride. It’s easy to forget their reasons for the paintings and why two very unlikely friends were drawn to one another. Two people who probably wouldn’t have met ordinarily but were drawn together by their common, potentially imminent death. A truly beautiful novel, and one I don’t think I will ever forget!”

Read the full review here

Cara at Welsh Book Lover

The Burning Girls by C. J. Tudor

“What a book this is! Totally creepy yet so addictive. C. J. Tudor has hit the mark again… The way C. J. Tudor writes is just fantastic as it draws you in and keeps you hooked!”

Read the full review here

Chloe at Chloe Reads

Exit by Belinda Bauer

“Bauer has created a light hearted thriller,, which is now my favourite kind of book, the blend of humour with the thrill of a mystery is a match made in heaven… PC Bridge’s personality complimented Felix’s by being similar in some aspects but with a slight edge, covering his past that unraveled slowly through the book. Bauer creates such a connection between her characters and the reader, letting you explore their deepest, darkest and most emotional memories.”

Read the full review here

********

What is your favourite book so far of 2021? Let us know in the comments.