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@always_got_books

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This one’s for the books 🙌

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📚LAST. NOW. NEXT
Sharing what I’ve been carting around lately:

LAST:
📖 Caller Unknown
✒️ Gillian McAllister

Sometimes McAllister can be hit and miss for me however this one was goooood! 🙌😍

Mother / Daughter camping trip gone bad before it’s even started. Unpredictable and intense, I raced through this one with my anxiety levels are an all time high! 😬

(No surprises that this is what Phil is currently reading on his kindle)

NOW:
📖 Escape to Copper Brae
✒️ Bonnie Thomas

Indie Kiwi Author Alert!!
Absolutely loving this gorgeous romance set in the stunning South Island.

Swept up in the setting (I’ve already contemplated growing my own olive grove 😅) this has a sweet, cosy vibe with an intriguing mystery which I haven’t quite figured out yet..

Definitely worth a pick up!

NEXT:
📖 The Someday Garden*
✒️ Ashley Poston

Looking forward to diving into the latest Ashley Poston book. Like her previous novels, I’m expecting this to be enchanting, magical and totally unexpected 🧡

👉 I’m out of touch with booksta, so please share any good recs you have! I saw that both Jodi Picoult and Lisa Jewell have books coming out soon, which I’m super keen to read.

* Thanks to the team at @harperxollins for the gifted copy 🙌

#gillianmcallister #bronniethomas #ashleyposton #lastnownext by @always_got_books

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3 months ago

💙MORE PLEASE!!
It’s times like this when I wished this series was on Netflix so I could binge it over a weekend - it’s next level addictive 🙌

Book II in the North Falls series has me completely hooked and DESPERATE for all those unfinished conversations!!! 👀

📖 The Secrets We Hide *
✒️ Karin Slaughter

Sheriff Emmy Clifton, Dr Archer, Cole, Tay Tay- basically the entire Clifton family are worthy of a soap opera. Throw in a daylight murder of ex police officer, Allison Vickery, an attempted murder of her daughter Mandy and you can kiss your weekend chores goodbye.

This one is hard to put down and you won’t regret it!

* Thank you to the team at Harper Collins for the gifted copy. I convinced my husband we needed to do a buddy read and currently keeping 🤐 while I wait for him to finish . Slaughter is Queen of crime! 🙌

#karinslaughter #thesecretswehide #harperhappenings by @always_got_books

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3 months ago

💛 LATEST READS
Sharing two of my latest reads, one I’m sure you’ve already read the other you need to!

📖 Heart The Lover
✒️ Lily King

The fomo was real with this one and it’s very easy to see why bookstgram fell in love with it - complicated friendships, love and the choices we make when we’re young. I love how the timeline splits and but definitely feel (after listening to Lily at the AWF) I need to read Writers and Livers to get the full picture.

Definitely one to read rather than listen on audio, for a greater sense of connection!

👉 Anyone else want to play Sir Hincomb Funnibuster?! ♥️♦️

📖 Five*
✒️ Ilona Bannister

Hooked from the get go, this one had instant appeal. Five passengers going about their morning commute. When the 7.06 train arrives one of them will die..

Five characters, each of them flawed and unlikeable, yet you can’t help but get attached.

I got my fav buddy reading partner (aka husband) to purchase it for his kindle however I’ve gone and read ahead without him 🫣😂 this one is hard to put down!

* kindly gifted by the generous team @harpercollinsnz

#five #ilonabannister #heartthelover #lilyking by @always_got_books

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5 months ago

🧡AWF
A quick trip into town to see Lily King (in conversation with Jenna Todd) and catch up with favs @bayleighs.books and @booksontherunway

Heart the Lover happens to be my current audio read however I’m switching to paperback having picked up a copy from the festival 🙌

👉 Who else loved the @aklwritersfest outdoor layout this year?! Gets better every year 🙌👏 by @always_got_books

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5 months ago

🚨AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT
After a Bronze Horseman buddy re with my man, I’ve now fallen down a @paullinasimons sized rabbit hole, made deeper by @lukebateman_ ‘s interview with the author earlier this year.

📖Lone Star
A reread for me, driven by Luke’s interview where Paullina reconfirms that she is RETURNING to The Bronze Horseman universe!😱

If you don’t know, this book has a crazy, wonderful unexpected character link to our beloved Tatiana and Alexander! 😳😍(Read it!)

👉 Swipe to see a little nugget of info, shared by Paullina back in 2023 …

CAN. NOT. WAIT 🙌👏

📖 The Bell And The Blade
Gifted by @allbookedup_nz this is Paullina’s latest release. I had initially hoped this one was the link I had spent the last 3 years searching for 😅 regardless, from the rave reviews I’ve seen I know I’m in for another gripping tale (I’m particularly looking forward to meeting the villain of this story Reinhardt 👀)

👉 I love a good character link up 🤌
Taylor Jenkins Reid and Colleen Hoover are a couple of other authors where characters have crossed over - Do you have any that spring to mind?

👉 Something completely unrelated - has anyone seen the Michael Jackson movie yet?

#thebronzehorseman #lonestar #thebellandtheblade #paullinasimons by @always_got_books

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5 months ago

💜THE BRONZE HORSEMAN HAS ENTERED THE CHAT

A recommendation from Dorothy in Accounts, this book sat on my bedside table for 3 weeks because I didn’t like the original cover 🫣 (sorry Paullina!).

Once I picked it up, I couldn’t put it down.

It is ✨THE ✨ most epic saga of love, war, sacrifice and hope, as Tatiana and Alexander navigate their way through Leningrad, Russia during WWII.

I have spent the last 25 years, unapologetically gushing over this trilogy. And in March my husband uttered seven little words..

‘I think I’ll read The Bronze Horseman’

#micdrop #theworkhereisdone #youhadmeathello #thebronzehorseman by @always_got_books

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6 months ago

📮BOOKMAIL
Two books I couldn’t resist requesting;

📖 Every Wild Soul *
✒️ Katherine Johnson

Set on Maria Island, Tasmania, this one immediately gave me Wild Dark Shore vibes🙌 (need I say more?!)

Ok then - 18 year old Min is trying to break free from her controlling, over protective father. Lucie, a journalist from London arrives to investigate the Tasmanian devil conservation project and a tempestuous storm sees a stranger washed ashore (👀) … a chain of events are set in motion that ends in a shoving and mysterious death.

📖Three Reasons for Revenge *
✒️ Dervla McTiernan

After reading What Happened to Nina and The Unquiet Grave, I’ll read anything Dervla writes.

In her latest thriller, Alexis turners walks into a police station to report an assault and by the end of the day, she has disappeared.

Three identical packages arrive at three very different doors - the contents of each gift is perfectly tailored to its recipient and will tear apart the lift of its intended victim 👀

👉 Are either of these on your radar? Let me know which of these would you read first 🙌

* Kindly gifted by the generous team at @harpercollinsnz with both books releasing in NZ on May 28th

#newreleases #addthesetoyourtbr #katherinejohnson #dervlamctiernan #harperhappenings by @always_got_books

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6 months ago

📗BOOK TALK
Oh how times have changed! There was a time when I would lock in a buddy read every week so it’s hard to believe that this read was my first BR for 2026!

📖 The Gambler
✒️ JP Pomare

On opening the first pages I was also excited to discover the MC was PI Vince Reid - from The Wrong Woman 👏

In The Gambler, Reid is hired to find answers on what appears to be a straight forward case however after a little digging he realises that something more complicated is lying beneath the surface..

Not wanting to reveal too much detail, all I will say is that with the realistic nature of the story and quick pace, you’ll soon be just as invested as PI Reid, trying to figure out connections and who to trust.

An addictive read that centres around gambling, politics, technology, and the Amish community.

Loved reading this with, @angiereadsnz, @kdiddlyreads @caseyrose1986 - I’m now holding out hope for a third book in the series!

#jppomare #recentrelease #thrillerbooks by @always_got_books

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6 months ago

🤎NEW TO ME
These are the lucky books I chose while browsing in @timeoutbookstore recently;

📖 Fifty Fifty
✒️ Steve Cavanagh

My daughter saw this one on BookTok and after reading the synopsis I was hooked (give me a thriller involving twins anytime!😅)

A little difficult to track down, so big thanks to Rhi who kindly offered to preorder it in for us🙏

📖 The Gambler
✒️JP Pomare

Massive fan of Pomare, this was an absolute no brainer for me.

I’m also starting a casual buddy read tomorrow with @angiereadsnz and @kdiddlyreads if anyone else is keen to join in 🙌

📖 American Fantasy
✒️ Emma Straub

A known author but one I’ve never read, I was instantly drawn in by the cover and then to blurb quotes by fav authors; Ann Patchett, TJR, Coco Mellors. A quick read of the synopsis which gave me ‘The Idea of You’ vibes without the age gap, secured it a place in my TBR

👉 What was the last book you rescued?

#timeoutbookstore #stevecanavagh #jppomare #emmastraub #newtome by @always_got_books

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6 months ago

🔖 ALL THE BOOKS
I visited one of my favourite bookstores yesterday, @timeoutbookstore , to spend a birthday voucher gifted to me by @allbookedup_nz (and to catch up over a coffee afterwards 😍)

Aren’t we so lucky to have such a great range of books to choose from! I spent a while browsing through the range (as you do) reading the staff write ups and deciding which books to purchase (so hard!!)

Once Gail arrived, we went over the range again 😂 this time discussing all the books we’d read (loved, impacted by: No Body’s Girl - I’m looking at you 👀), adaptations we’d watched, book covers that stood out, books we wanted to read.

👉 Swipe to see all the books I didn’t buy and really really really wanted 😭 Let me know if you’ve read any, would love to know your thoughts 🙌

📖Other People’s Bodies
📖The Truth About Ruby Cooper
📖Heart The Lover
📖The Barbecue at No. 9
📖The Name Game
📖 Chosen Family
📖 Underspin

I’ll shared the three books I purchased soon but for now these are all high on my wish list (hint hint family 😂)

For anyone not in NZ, books are approx $38NZD each

#timeoutbookstore #wishlist #booksiwanttoread by @always_got_books

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6 months ago

📚THREE BOOKS
I seriously can’t believe it’s been over a month since I last shared/ chatted books with you! 🫣

How has that even happened?!
How is it April already?!

While absent from here, I’ve been indulging in all things sourdough (let’s be honest, I’ve basically started a micro bakery 😂), taught myself how to crochet (check out my charcoal waffle throw! 😍) and failing miserably at NRL fantasy 😂 - all while being super busy with the 9-5.

My reading has slowed, but my passion hasn’t. I’m still carting books everywhere I go and listening to audiobooks on my commute. Here’s three I’ve finished recently:

📖 Good Things Come and Go *
📖 We Fell Apart *
📖 The Safe Keep

👉I feel a bit out of touch with the booksta world. I have no idea what the latest releases are or what the latest 5 star reads are. Help a girl out and spill the tea. What’s been happening?!

* Thanks for the team at @allenandunwinnz for the gifted copies. Reviews to come!

#threebooks #goodthingscomeandgo #wefellapart #thesafekeep by @always_got_books

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6 months ago

🌸OBSESSED
“They would always choose the Crown over their family. It was the pact they made for the honour of wearing it.”

📖 The Heir Apparent
✒️Rebecca Armitage

I absolutely inhaled this book over the weekend!

Listening on audio, while I knitted up a storm 😅,
I was quickly swept away into the world of royalty, obligation, deception and lies.

Numerous times I caught myself drawing parallels between our fictional royals and our British ones (those binge sessions of The Crown coming in handy 🤭) perhaps that was what made it all the more addictive?!

Loved the Aussie setting and characters - a breath of fresh air when compared to some of the not-so-likeable Royals.

The ending was a surprise and the missing epilogue even more so… a quick and addictive read, looking forward to seeing what Rebecca writes next 🙌

#theheirapparent #rebeccaarmitage #reesesbookclub #harpercollins by @always_got_books

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8 months ago