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Jess | bookstagram | NZ

@readingwithjess.nz

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Sharing my love of reading and books 💖
• physically living in New Zealand, mentally living in fictional worlds ✨ •
Books in 2026: 93/100

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I am SCREAMING. Champagne problems is one of my most anticipated romance books for 2027, so what do you mean an ARC just turned up on my doorstep on a random day in October?! @hachettenz you absolutely spoil me, thank you so much 🫶🏼.

If you are a fan of F1, sports romance, and maybe even some Maple Hills series cameos… you should add this to your TBR! Releasing 16 February 2027 🍾💖 taken in New Zealand by @readingwithjess.nz

95

14

3 days ago

✨ book review ✨

The pirate queen by Ariel Lawhon

⭐️ 5/5 ⭐️

Synopsis:
Grace O’Malley was born to be at sea. Raised by her father, chief of clan O’Malley, Grace learns early that her dreams of the open water are not compatible with the life she’s expected to lead as the daughter of a noble family. And when her father marries her to a neighbouring chief, Grace’s world shifts for the worse. Undaunted, Grace raises a family without abandoning her passion, aiding her hot-tempered husband in his campaigns against rival tribes. Eventually ousted from her husband’s land in the wake of his death, Grace returns to her childhood home and begins her career as a pirate in earnest, claiming new territories and finding deeper love, only to see her livelihood threatened by English incursions into Ireland, and her family endangered in an attempt to check her power.

Review:
Set in sixteenth-century Ireland, this book follows Grace O’Malley (Gráinne Ní Mháille) who was an infamous Irish sea captain who worked to protect her people from the Elizabethan regime. The story is told through stages of Grace’s life - Maiden, Mother & Matriarch. However it is not told chronologically, instead we rotate through the three stages, getting slightly more pieces of the story as we go along, until at the end we see the entirety of the legend of a woman. I knew nothing about this time period prior to reading this book, but I got so invested. Lawhon’s storytelling absolutely swept me away. Historical fiction with plenty of action, politics and even some touches of romance. I adored it!

Thank you to @netgalley for the ARC for review!

QOTD - have you read this book? If not, do you plan on reading it in the future? taken in New Zealand by @readingwithjess.nz

3

9

9 days ago

✨ book review ✨

A psalm for the wild-built by Becky Chambers

⭐️ 4/5 ⭐️

Synopsis:

It’s been centuries since the robots of Panga gained self-awareness and laid down their tools; centuries since they wandered, en masse, into the wilderness, never to be seen again; centuries since they faded into myth and urban legend. One day, the life of a tea monk is upended by the arrival of a robot, there to honour the old promise of checking in. The robot cannot go back until the question of “what do people need?” is answered. But the answer to that question depends on who you ask, and how. They’re going to need to ask it a lot.

Review:

This book initially caught my eye because the cover is pretty, but I was also drawn in by the intriguing premise. The story was so cozy and comforting, while also having a nice mix of whimsy and humour. It didn’t quite give me that 5 star feeling, but I did really enjoy it and I will definitely be picking the second book up!

QOTD - have you read this book? If not, do you plan on reading it in the future?

#bookstagram #nzbookstagram #bookreview #apsalmforthewildbuilt #beckychambers taken in New Zealand by @readingwithjess.nz

3

5

21 days ago

✨ book review ✨

The raven scholar by Antonia Hodgson

⭐️ 5/5 ⭐️

Synopsis:

Win the throne. Destroy an empire. Either way, it begins with murder.

After twenty-four years on the throne, it is time for Bersun the Brusque, emperor of Orrun, to bring his reign to an end. In the dizzying heat of mid-summer, seven contenders will compete to replace him. Trained at rival monasteries, each contender is inspired by a sacred animal - Fox, Raven, Tiger, Ox, Bear, Monkey, and Hound. An eighth - the Dragon proxy - will be revealed only once the trials have begun. Eight exceptional warriors, thinkers, strategists - the best of the best. Then one of them is murdered. It falls to the brilliant but idiosyncratic Neema Kraa to investigate. But as she hunts for a killer, darker forces are gathering. If Neema succeeds, she could win the throne - whether she wants it or not. But if she fails, she will sentence herself to death - and set in motion a sequence of events that could doom the empire…

Review:

This book was SO GOOD. I was intimidated at first because it’s so chunky, but as soon as I started I was hooked! The entire premise felt so fresh, even though it was “trials” it felt unique compared to many other trial based books. There were also so many of my favourite niche aspects woven throughout the storyline, but I don’t want to give away spoilers so I’ll keep those to myself. I loved the characters, I was so invested in the plot, and I stayed up late on far too many nights as I just couldn’t put it down. I am desperate to continue this series!

This book had everything - it was gripping, whimsical, funny, intelligent, emotional and overall magnificent.

QOTD - have you read this book? If not, do you plan on reading it in the future?

#bookstagram #nzbookstagram #bookreview #theravenscholar #antoniahodgson taken in New Zealand by @readingwithjess.nz

23

11

25 days ago

✨ book review ✨

The correspondent by Virginia Evans

⭐️ 4/5 ⭐️

Synopsis:

In her letters to family and friends we come to know the life of Sybil Van Antwerp: stubborn, cantankerous, opinionated, always steadfast in her belief in the power of the written word. But as the clock begins to tick for Sybil, the need for a few post-scripts to the life she’s led becomes apparent. Fixing her difficult relationship with her children. Taking a final chance at romance. Atoning for an old legal case which has come back to haunt her. And finally, reckoning with a devastating loss that she has spent the last thirty years holding close to her chest.

Review:

This little epistolary novel was really enjoyable. I found the letter format so moreish - every time I got to the end of one letter I immediately wanted to read the next one, which made this book hard to put down. It also gave the storyline a mysterious quality as you tried to fill in the blanks and figure out what was happening based only on selected correspondence. I was hoping for a bit more of an emotional punch especially at the end, but still I really liked this book overall and it’s one I can see myself recommending to many people.

QOTD - have you read this book? If not, do you plan on reading it in the future?

#bookstagram #nzbookstagram #bookreview #thecorrespondentvirginiaevans #virginiaevans taken in New Zealand by @readingwithjess.nz

3

11

a month ago

✨ book review ✨

Trust fall by Lynn Painter

⭐️ 4/5 ⭐️

Synopsis:

Julia is just a small-town girl from Nebraska who loves her peaceful life. But when her elderly next-door neighbor who just happens to be a secret multi-millionaire leaves everything to Julia and her family after his passing, Julia is swept away to live in a historic brownstone in New York City and attend an elite private school for the super-rich. It should be a dream come true. Wrong. Julia doesn’t fit in at her new school; worse, she’s failing.

Enter Damion, the mysterious and handsome tutor who will get Julia back on track. Except Damion has a secret. He is the great-nephew of the man who left everything to Julia’s family. Damion doesn’t buy for a second that the person who was like a father to him would leave his home to strangers. And he’s determined to prove it. To uncover the truth, Damion schemes to earn Julia’s trust. Not an easy task with Julia unsure about this rich boy with a rebellious personality. But the more time Damion spends with Julia, the more his plan begins to backfire. Because he is falling for the enemy and the enemy is falling for him.

Review:

This book is like if you took the initial premise of the inheritance games, and gave it the vibes of a blend between gilmore girls and gossip girl. I don’t often compare books but this felt like such a distinct mix of those three books/TV shows, while still being original. Overall it was a fun YA romance set among the rich elite of New York, and honestly sign me up for any book with a mysterious unexpected inheritance plotline (a girl can dream). The biggest downside for me is there was a lotttt of modern references/slang etc which is a bit of a pet peeve of mine in books. It’s not my favourite Lynn Painter book but it was still very enjoyable.

Thank you to @netgalley and @simonschusterau for the ARC for review!

QOTD - Do you plan on reading this book after it releases on 29 September? Or alternatively, what is your comfort TV show?

#bookstagram #nzbookstagram #bookreview #lynnpainterbooks #yaromance taken in New Zealand by @readingwithjess.nz

3

7

2 months ago

✨ book review ✨

Heir by Sabaa Tahir

⭐️ 4/5 ⭐️

Synopsis:
An orphan. An outcast. A prince. And a killer who will bring an empire to its knees. Growing up in the Kegari slums, AIZ has seen her share of suffering. An old tragedy fuels her need for vengeance, but it is love of her people that propels her. Until one hot-headed mistake lands her in an inescapable prison, where the embers of her wrath ignite. Banished from her tribe for an unforgivable crime, SIRSHA is an down-on-her-luck tracker who speaks to the earth, air, and water to trace her marks. Destitute, she agrees to hunt down a killer who has murdered children across the Empire. All she has to do is carry out the job and get paid. But then, she falls for a charismatic and inconvenient fugitive who keeps getting in her way. QUIL is the crown prince of the Empire, nephew of a famed and venerated empress, but he’s loathe to pick up the mantle when his aunt steps down. As the son of the most hated emperor in the history of his people, he, better than anyone, understands that power corrupts. When a vicious new enemy threatens the survival of the Empire, Quil must ask himself if he can rise above his tragic lineage and be the heir his people need.

Review:
This was a really enjoyable fantasy! The worldbuilding in this story was rich and we see various different cultures and belief systems throughout the world. This was the first pick for a book club I started and it was a good one with plenty of themes and theories that lent themselves well for discussion. The only thing that is slightly annoying is that I didn’t realise until I started reading it that this duology is in the same world as Tahir’s older series (an ember in the ashes), although it is written to stand on it’s own. I read the first book of the ember series several years ago and enjoyed it but hadn’t got around to completing the series yet. If I had known, I would have preferred to finish that series before delving into the Heir duology so I could have got the full experience of the lore from her other series.

QOTD - have you read this book? If not, do you plan on reading it in the future? taken in New Zealand by @readingwithjess.nz

3

6

2 months ago

✨ book review ✨

One year out by Charlotte Bell

⭐️ 5/5 ⭐️

Synopsis:
One year out traces one terrible, beautiful year through addiction, public rehab, and mental unravelling — to Bali where recovery collides with wellness coaches and influencers selling healing by the gram. In a series of confessional, funny and honest essays, Charlotte Bell writes about what addiction does to a body and a conscience: the institutions, the friendships, the rejection and the small rituals of strangers keeping each other alive.

Moving between Aotearoa and Indonesia, this collection details the messy, often absurd distance between falling apart and finding some new way to hold together.

Review:
I was intrigued to pick up this book, both because of the topic but especially because it was written by a New Zealand author. As is probably quite evident from the synopsis, this is an extremely personal story and Charlotte does not pull her punches on many of the things she writes about. The writing style felt completely immersive, and though this is only a short collection of essays, I felt very connected to the author throughout the entire book.

Through all the essays there was a strong sense of the precarious balance - between addiction and recovery, between connection and loneliness, between what we are striving towards and what we might slip back to.

A huge thank you to @folly.journal for the gifted review copy 💗

QOTD - have you read this book? If not, do you plan on reading it in the future?

#bookstagram #bookreview #nzbookstagram #recoverymemoir #debutauthor taken in New Zealand by @readingwithjess.nz

3

13

2 months ago

September is STACKED with good fantasy releases 🖤

⚔️ 8 September ⚔️
• the knave and the moon by @rmgillig
• tempest by @victoriaaveyard
• a snake among swans by @hanfrankan

⚔️ 22 September ⚔️
• the mirror of infinite endings by @stephanie_garber
• empire by @sabaatahir

⚔️ 29 September ⚔️
• the thief and the traitor bride by @toribovalino

QOTD - which of these are you most excited for? And are there any other new releases I missed here?

#nzbookstagram #newbookrelease #fantasybooks #newfantasybooks #booksta taken in New Zealand by @readingwithjess.nz

36

8

2 months ago

✨ book review ✨

The existence of Amy by Lana Grace Riva

⭐️ 3/5 ⭐️

Synopsis:
Amy has a normal life. That is, if you were to go by a definition of ‘no obvious indicators of peculiarity’, and you didn’t know her very well. She has good friends, a good job, a nice enough home. This normality, however, is precariously plastered on top of a different life. A life that is Amy’s real life. The only one her brain will let her lead.

Review:
This is a story that aims to give insight into what it is like to live with mental illness (in this case, OCD, anxiety and depression). The writing style was quite blunt which I struggled a bit with at first and I think it could have done with a bit more editing. However as the story goes on I did start to really feel for the main character Amy. It’s a very character focused story as we follow the internal perspective of Amy as she goes about her normal life. It was definitely hard to read in places and is one I would recommend checking triggers and your own headspace before jumping in. I do think it’s important that these types of stories exist though, to show aspects of what it is like to live with mental illness.

QOTD - have you read this book? If not, do you plan on reading it in the future? taken in New Zealand by @readingwithjess.nz

3

4

2 months ago

✨ book review ✨

Red notice by Bill Browder

Synopsis:
In November 2009, the young lawyer Sergei Magnitsky was beaten to death by eight police officers in a freezing cell in a Moscow prison. His crime? Testifying against Russian officials who were involved in a conspiracy to steal $230 million of taxes. Red Notice is a searing expose of the whitewash of this imprisonment and murder. The killing hasn’t been investigated. It hasn’t been punished. Bill Browder is still campaigning for justice for his late lawyer and friend. This is his explosive journey from the heady world of finance in New York and London in the 1990s, through battles with ruthless oligarchs in turbulent post-Soviet Union Moscow, to the shadowy heart of the Kremlin. With fraud, bribery, corruption and torture exposed at every turn, Red Notice is a shocking political roller-coaster.

Review:

This one is completely out of my comfort zone, but it was recommended to me so I decided to give it a try. As the title suggests this is a true story which is a bit of a combination of a memoir and a true crime story. The high finance setting is all a bit wild to me in general (before you even start adding in the crime aspects) and I found it surprisingly fascinating to read an account of what this line of work is like. When things started to go downhill for Bill he could easily have walked away from it all, but he was determined to fight against the corruption he had uncovered. A lot of awful things happened but I respect the fight for justice that Bill pursued in the face of many powerful forces wanting him to walk away.

QOTD - have you read this book? If not, do you plan on reading it in the future? by @readingwithjess.nz

3

0

2 months ago

Short books under 300 pages on my TBR 📚

• the correspondent by Virginia Evans (267 pages)
• one year out by Charlotte Bell (78 pages)
• to the lighthouse by Virginia Woolf (202 pages)
• the book of Charlie by David Von Drehle (191 pages)
• the existence of Amy by Lana Grace Riva (279 pages)

QOTD - what is your favourite short book? taken in New Zealand by @readingwithjess.nz

29

11

2 months ago