Instagram story viewer> @caitlins.bookshelf> Posts

caitlin

@caitlins.bookshelf

1.6K

followers

915

following

🏳️‍🌈 bookworm, crafter, and nature lover 🌕🌿🪲
~ cr: the starless sea
~ 62/65
also: @caitlinsprakefollett

POSTS STORIES REELS TAGGED

book review: song of susannah by stephen king ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫

the sixth and penultimate dark tower book !! I will keep this short and sweet because I don't think there is very much I can say without spoiling the entire series at this point lol.

but this was excellent !!! though not a lot happened, and it was very much about setting up the final book, I was still super engaged throughout. it was about 450 pages long, and despite the slow pace and lack of major events, at no point did it feel like a drag. I'm so enamoured by all our main characters that I reckon I would happily read about them doing even the most mundane things at this point.

there was a pretty wild twist, that I personally thought worked really brilliantly, especially with the final reveal on the very last page ! and I'm now just so ready to read the final book and see how this truly epic story ends !!!

🍂 qotd: are there any series you're hoping to finish this year? 🍂

🏷️🔑

#bookreview fantasy book series #bookrecommendations book recs #constantreader the dark tower #stephenkingbooks autumn reads #fantasybooklover spooky books a copy of song of susannah by stephen king sits on a cream and orange blanket. out of focus in the background are the other books from the series in a jumbled pile by @caitlins.bookshelf

3

1

an hour ago

happy wednesday friends ! I hope you're all having a good week so far 🥰 I have not done a whole lot of reading these last two days so am still going with song of susannah but I'm hoping to finish it today !

and I'm sharing this little autumnal flatlay as I am finally over the fact that summer is over lol and enjoying the autumn vibes 🙂‍↕️

🍂 qotd: what's your favourite thing about autumn or your favourite autumnal thing to do ? 🍂

🏷️🔑

#autumnreads book lover #fallbookstagram october books #bookishflatlay bookish #reader fantasy books #fallreading autumn books a flatlay of books all with orange or yellow covers by @caitlins.bookshelf

3

16

2 days ago

🍂 what this week 🍂

it's been a little while since I last did one of these so I thought I'd share the media I've been enjoying this week !

reading:
• I finished reading the starving saints by caitlin starling which I very much enjoyed !
• and I'm now about halfway through the sixth dark tower book, song of susannah, by stephen king which I'm loving so far !
• I'm also doing a slow reread / relisten of the two towers, I think lotr is so so perfect for this time of year 😌

watching:
• celebrity traitors !!!!! no spoilers ofc but I love it so much, so many people I love on it, and if you're watching it you can always yap to me about it 🫶🏼
• me and sarah went and saw girls like girls at the cinema on tuesday as it finally came to our local one !! I enjoyed it a lot, but the vibes for sure would've been better in summer when it was actually released 😶
• we're also watching the newest season of taskmaster (I love chloe petts so much omg !) and continuing with greys anatomy ! 🙂‍↕️

listening:
• I've been listening to quite a mix this week, with lots of paris paloma, florence and the machine and noah kahan, but also a day where I listened to a lot of modern baseball and other midwest emo 🫶🏼

🍂 qotd: what have you been reading, watching and listening to this week? 🍂

🏷️🔑

#currentlyreading current read #whatthisweek what I'm reading #readingupdate weekly report #teaandcurrentlyreading october reading #stephenkingbooks book lover a copy of song of susannah by stephen king lies open in front of a white hand holding a black mug patterned with mushrooms and whimsical fauna by @caitlins.bookshelf

3

29

5 days ago

book review: the starving saints by caitlin starling ⭐⭐⭐⭐

a medieval horror set at aymar castle, which has been under siege for six months. there seems no chance of rescue and food is running very low. but then the divine figures of the constant lady and her saints arrive, offering food, and soon nearly everyone in the castle is under their sway except three women: ex nun phosyne, ser voyne the knight, and serving girl treila.

this was an odd book! there was a lot weird stuff going on, and it wasn't all explained, but that created a fever dream like atmosphere that mirrored what the characters were going through. we had cannibalism! three sapphic women with a lot of tension between them! and sinister creatures messing with everyone's minds! I do feel like it could've been executed slightly better than it was, but the vibes were still excellent.

I can understand the criticism on the lack of depth given to the medieval setting and the siege, but I think it only adds to the strange dreamlike quality of the story. maybe it's just lazy writing, and maybe it would've added another layer to the book. but to me, by giving so little time to anything beyond the castle walls, it creates this insular little world and ensures all your focus is on the events inside the castle, just like the characters themselves once the saints have entered.

our three main characters were brilliant, and I enjoyed the way they were connected. we could've had a little more background info on all of them, as there were interesting snippets that weren't fully expanded on. but they were interesting people, and gay! and the tension between them all was immaculate 😌

overall, I think the concept was slightly better than it's execution, but maybe that was just my very high expectations ! I think the intrigue and horror peaked maybe halfway through (the initial arrival of the saints, and the creature at the end of the mysterious tunnel were highlights for me) but I still had a really fun time with it ! would definitely recommend if you enjoy a weird book 🫶🏼

🏰 qotd: if you enjoy horror books, what are some of your favourite themes for them to include ? 🏰 a copy of the starving saints by caitlin starling on a cream blanket surrounded by seven lit candles by @caitlins.bookshelf

3

25

7 days ago

⚔️ physical tbr: fantasy standalones or series I've yet to start edition ⚔️

physical tbr is still hovering just under 100 ! and today I'm sharing some of the fantasy books I've got sat on my shelves. we've got a mix of standalones and first books of series 😌

books featured:
• nevernight by jay kristoff
• the hearth witch's guide to magic and murder by kiri callaghan
• a nest of magic by kate moseman
• the starless sea by erin morgenstern
• can't spell tea without treason by rebecca thorne
• daughter of smoke and bone by laini taylor
• a discovery of witches by deborah harkness
• the unbroken by c.l. clark
• girls of paper and fire by natasha ngan
• the unspoken name by a.k. larkwood

qotd: if you've read any of these please tell me your thoughts ! and if not, tell me which one you'd pick 💛✨

🏷️🔑

#tbrbooks bookstagram #physicaltbr bookworm #tbrstack to be read #fantasybooklover book obsessed #toomanybooks bookworm two stacks of books sit on loose book pages in front of a bookshelf. the left hand stack features nevernight by jay kristoff, the hearth witch's guide to magic and murder by kiri, callaghan, a nest of magic by kate moseman, the starless sea by erin morgenstern and can't spell tea without treason by rebecca thorne and the other features daughter of smoke and bone laini taylor, a discovery of witches by deborah harkness, the unbroken by c.l. clark, girls of paper and fire by natasha ngan and the unspoken name by a.k. larkwood by @caitlins.bookshelf

3

23

9 days ago

book review: the dance tree by kiran millwood hargrave ⭐⭐⭐⭐

set in strasbourg in 1518 during the dancing plague, where a woman starts dancing for days straight, and hundreds of others join her. to this day, there are debates about what caused such a frenzy, but one prevalent theory is religious mania caused by the social and economical pressures of the time, which is what this story goes with.

it made a fascinating backdrop to the story of three women. lisbet, wife and expectant mother, her friend ida, and her sister in law agnethe who is recently returned from seven years away in the mountains for penance. the focus was mainly on lisbet who is anxious in her pregnancy due to her many miscarriages. this was a sad but important element to include, and I thought showing her grief for her lost babies intertwined with the religious beliefs prevalent in that era was fascinating.

it was a pretty slow story, but very beautifully written. a lot of time is taken to explain the socialogical backdrop, and to develop the atmosphere of a town devastated by harsh weathers and poor harvests, so that you could really understand the world the characters were living in, and how this would impact their choices and feelings.

I was left wanting a little bit more from the story, but I did have very high expectations after loving the mercies. I knew this book was sapphic too, but was marginally disappointed that this wasn't a huge element, at least not compared to the mercies. I did enjoy the relationship at the centre of the book, and it had some really moving elements, but was not as invested in it as I was the sapphic couple which is a shame !

overall this was a really good read, and I'm excited to see what this author does next !!

🍂 qotd: not book related, but tell me something nice from your weekend ! 🍂

🏷️🔑

#bookreview autumn books #bookrecommendations reading update #historicalfiction book rec #autumnreading lgbtq books #fallbookstagram read queer all year I'm holding a copy of the dance tree by kiran millwood hargrave in front of a sun dappled forest background by @caitlins.bookshelf

56

24

12 days ago

🍂 september wrap up 🍂

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
bridget and gabe are not okay by lex croucher
assassin's apprentice by robin hobb

⭐⭐⭐⭐💫
wyrd sisters by terry pratchett

⭐⭐⭐⭐
the dance tree by kiran millwood hargrave

⭐⭐⭐💫
broken country by clare leslie hall

⭐⭐⭐
the brilliant abyss by helen scales (🎧)

happy october !!! I hope september was kind to you all 🫶🏼 I had a pretty good month !! feel like I crammed a lot in, and highlights included a weekend in cornwall to visit friends and two trips to london 🥰

reading wise it was pretty good, and I loved both of my five star reads so much ! though I think bridget and gabe just takes the top space 😌

qotd: what were your bookish and regular life highlights from september? 💛🍂

🏷️🔑

#readingwrapup reader life #monthlyreading bookworm #readqueerallyear fantasy books #readingupdate lgbtq books #ukbookstagrammer reading time a book stack featuring bridget and gabe are not okay by lex croucher, assassin's apprentice by robin hobb, wyrd sisters by terry pratchett, the dance tree by kiran millwood hargrave and broken country by clare leslie hall. it's sat on some forest themed bedding surrounded by dried leaves by @caitlins.bookshelf

76

27

15 days ago

book review: assassin's apprentice by robin hobb ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

⚔️ qotd: what was your last five star read? ⚔️

sooo I have been tempted to start this series for so long, was a bit put off by the size but was sure enough that I'd enjoy it that I bought 6 out of 15 books before I'd even started lol. and luckily I absolutely adored it !!! this first one follows fitz, bastard of the crown prince who then abdicates the throne in shame. it recounts fitz's childhood at the castle, initially raised in the stables, and his training to become an assassin to aid the crown

it was very slow paced, but I enjoyed every second. it gave me so much time to slowly learn about the world and it's magic and it's politics so that at no point did it feel overwhelming or confusing. the writing was beautiful and engaging throughout, and though it did take me nearly two weeks to read, that was definitely due to my own lack of reading time. if I'd had the time I would've adored sitting down for hours and getting fully immersed in this world.

the slowness also allowed for such delightful, thorough character exploration, in particular fitz our main character. we see him grow from small boy to older teen, and I don't remember the last time I got to know a character so well. I think he is brilliant, I understand him so well after only one book, and I'm excited/scared to see what'll happen to him across the series. there were also lots of other intriguing characters that I'm looking forward to learning about more too.

and the plot ! though very slow, was excellent ! so much political intrigue, though never too complicated to understand, and there were several moments that had me really shocked. it was also sooo emotional, and had me crying quite a lot. and I think I'm just amazed that this was all just book one ! if the author has the power to get me so invested in just 400 pages, I can't wait to see how I feel however many books down the line 😌

🏷️🔑

#bookreview book recs #fantasybooks fantasy bookstagram #fivestarread realm of the elderlings #bookrecommendations farseer trilogy #robinhobb bookish thoughts a copy of assassin's apprentice by robin hobb sits on a fleece blanket, the top half of which is folded back to show an autumnal themed check pattern. on the left sit two lit candles and on the right a wooden mushroom by @caitlins.bookshelf

65

26

18 days ago

✨🔮 tarot card challenge 🔮✨

I saw @meaganleereads do this one a few weeks ago and I thought it would be a fun excuse to show off my tarot deck 😌 it also gave me the much needed motivation to do my first reading in months so that was nice !!

qotd: I wanna know your thoughts on tarot and all things spiritual ! is it something you believe in, or are you more science driven? 💛✨

the fool - read on a whim and loved
• I only read mr mercedes so I could pick up holly and I wasn't ready for how much I'd love it !

the magician - contains magic
• the shades of magic trilogy ! read them earlier this year and it was such a cool magic system 😌

the high priestess - strong female characters
• priya and malini from the jasmine throne are incredible !!

the lovers - a couple I adore
• simon and baz alwayssss 🥹

the hermit - lives in my mind rent free
• the unmagical life of briar jones !!! my fave read of the year !!! it was so incredible

death - emotionally impacted me
• I read atmosphere at the start of the year and it had me crying a lot 😭

the hanged one - a tree died for this ?!
• perfect people has absolutely been my worst book of the year lol, I read it for bookclub and it was really quite bad 🙃

the tower - a series I need you to read !!!!
• the wayfarers series by becky chambers is everything !! and a really nice entry to sci fi too because it is so people focused 😌

the moon - binge read
• the girl who loved tom gordon has probably been the book I zoomed through the quickest this year !

the world - a must read
• if project hail mary has no fans then I am dead. my very very favourite book !

page of cups - underrated
• I loved the winternight trilogy when I read it a few years ago but very rarely see it on booksta !

🏷️🔑

#bookchallenge book post #booktag booksta #bookrecs #ukbookstagrammer bookworm #readersgonnaread avid reader by @caitlins.bookshelf

54

28

20 days ago

🍂 mini audiobook reviews 🍂

qotd: what was the last audiobook you listened to? 💛✨

• london falling: a mysterious death in a gilded city and a family's search for truth by patrick radden keefe ⭐⭐⭐⭐

one of my bookclub's picks over the summer, and my first true crime audiobook ! not something I would ever have chosen for myself but I actually really enjoyed it! it details the case of zac brettler, a 19 year old boy who died in london in 2019. when his parents start digging into his death, they realise he had created a second life pretending to be the son of a russian oligarch, which had drawn him into some dangerous circles. the author did an excellent job of explaining the case, and the backgrounds of everyone involved, but in a way that felt respectful to zac and his parents. I was pretty hooked, and my only criticism was that some of the detail felt a bit unnecessary and at times bogged down the flow of the book.

• the lord of the rings: the fellowship of the ring ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (reread)

my second time listening to this as an audiobook and it's such a comfort to me 😌 andy serkis does an impeccable job of bringing lotr to life 🫶🏼

• extraordinary insects by anne sverdrup-thygeson ⭐⭐⭐⭐

a really detailed book that delves into the lives of different insects and how they intersect with humanity. there were some really fascinating stories and information here and I definitely learnt a lot! my only gripe is that some sections felt a little lacking in detail and kind of like a bombardment of facts. this was kind of cool/fun for a time, but I preferred the sections that focused for longer on specific topics

• the brilliant abyss: true tales of exploring the deep sea, discovering hidden life and selling the seabed by helen scales ⭐⭐⭐

this started off really interesting, but then moved away from information about the seabed itself, and focused more on its exploitation. and while that is, of course, an important topic, it was very dry at times. I would've liked more sea creature info and some more personal stories from the author as there were snippets that never got fully explored. a shame as I feel this should've been a fascinating one ! by @caitlins.bookshelf

42

21

23 days ago

⚔️ currently reading: assassin's apprentice by robin hobb ⚔️

it has been a slow reading week for me!! been busy with work and volunteering and evening plans and then a lovely weekend trip away to cornwall to visit friends. but I've been slowly making my way through assassin's apprentice and I love it so much ! (and I'm glad because I already have five of her other books bought lol). it is slow but in the best, most beautiful, super character focused way and I'm so excited to see how the story develops !!

qotd: what were you reading over the weekend and did you enjoy it?! 💛

🏷️🔑

#currentlyreading fantasy bookstagram #whatimreading realm of the elderlings #robinhobb farseer trilogy #fantasybooks bookworm #booklover reading update an open copy of assassin's apprentice by robin hobb with a sunny garden in the background by @caitlins.bookshelf

55

33

25 days ago

book review: broken country by clare leslie hall ⭐⭐⭐💫

🍂 qotd: what was the last hyped book you read and found a bit mid? 🍂

this was a bookclub pick and not the sort of thing I normally would gravitate towards! but it had excellent reviews so I was intrigued to give it a go 😌 and it was pretty good! I had a fun (though maybe that's not quite the right word given some of the subject matter lol) time reading it, and it was a good page turner.

it follows a woman called beth, whose life is turned upside down when her first love, gabriel, unexpectedly reappears in her life and disrupts the life she has made with frank, who picked up the pieces when gabriel left her.

the concept was decent but I just had a few too many gripes to love this in the way a lot of people seem to ! I couldn't fully get behind beth, a lot of her choices really frustrated me, and I spent much of the book just feeling bad for frank 🙃

the twists were good but I think you're sort of aware early on that events are maybe not quite what they seem and so when the twist does inevitably happen, even though I wasn't expecting exactly that specific thing, I was still expecting something. so it just didn't hit quite as hard as intended.

I've also seen a lot of reviews highlighting what an emotional book this was, but it just didn't give me any feels in that regard, probably because of the general issues I had with the main characters, and also because at least one of the emotional moments I actually just found a bit silly 😳

but ! a lot of these are gripes I sort of realised I had after finishing, and the actual reading experience was good, hence the 3.5 stars. I also really liked the rural historical setting (a farm in dorset in the 50s and 60s) and I think the author did a good job of depicting this setting. so while I didn't love it in the same way a lot of people seem to, I'm glad I read it ! it's nice to branch out, and I'm excited to yap about this one at bookclub 🫶🏼

🏷️🔑

#bookreview bookish #ukbookstagrammer autumn reading #literaryfiction popular books #bookishthoughts avid reader #readersgonnaread bookworm my hand holding up a copy of broken country by clare leslie hall in front of a fence and some flowers and greenery by @caitlins.bookshelf

64

19

a month ago