Being Bookish

Welcome to the latest episode of The Stephen King Thing, a special spin-off series from the Being Bookish podcast. In this part of the show, Lorraine and I are dedicating our time to exploring the extensive bibliography of the master of horror, and this time, both Lorraine and I will be somewhat reluctantly and definitely nervously checking into the Overlook Hotel to dissect his 1977 masterpiece, The Shining.
Because we're taking a deep dive into the chilling isolation of the Torrance family and the hotel's sinister grip on Jack's sanity, these episodes do things a little differently.
As I've mentioned before, unlike my usual episodes, the Stephen King thing is not spoiler-free, and due to the nature of the content, is definitely not family-friendly! So be warned...
If you're ready to venture down those haunted, snowbound corridors with us, join us as we explore one of the most iconic horror stories ever written.
Want to watch this episode on YouTube? You can find it here.

In this episode of Being Bookish, I'm digging into the layers of Starside, the 2026 fantasy novel by Alex Aster. This book marks her first step into more adult romantasy after her original foray into the genre with the YA Lightlark series.
While there's plenty of talk online about the deadly competition framework and the familiar tropes in this book, I'm much more interested in tackling the online discourse and evaluating how well these elements are actually executed. I'll be exploring whether the heavy use of the enemies-to-lovers trope feels justified and looking closely at whether the characters and world history have enough depth to keep us invested.
I'm taking a close look at the book to talk about character motivations and the pacing of the romance without getting distracted by the marketing hype. Instead, I'm actually delving into how the book fits into the genre, questioning the accusations of unoriginality while also examining the missed opportunities in the background lore and the balance of the central relationships. Whether you're a fan of high-stakes trial stories or you're looking to see how a popular release handles these specific tropes, I've got plenty of personal feelings to share on where this book fits on your fantasy reading list.
Join me, grab yourself a cuppa and let's get into this secret-filled world together.

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Dire Bound
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Blood of Hercules

Welcome back to another episode of Being Bookish. I'm not quite sure how it happened, but we're almost halfway through 2026, so it's time for a bit of an update, and I am doing it differently this year!
In this wrap-up, I am focusing a lot on expectation versus reality in my personal reading experience. I'm going to share my thoughts on the standout books I cannot stop thinking about, the ones that didn't quite hit the spot, and the upcoming releases I am looking forward to later this year.
2026 has brought a brilliant mix of genres, including my very first venture into LitRPG with Matt Dinniman's Dungeon Crawler Carl. I share my thoughts on diving into this massive series, the exciting news of a television adaptation, and how his darker, highly political standalone novel, Operation Bounce House, received a mixed reception from readers on Goodreads and Storygraph.
Of course, a completely honest wrap-up means talking about the disappointments too. I open up about my recent DNFs, like Claire North's Slow Gods, why I am trying to be kinder to myself when a book isn't working, and what happens when an individual read simply becomes one of the worst books I've finished all year.
On a brighter note, my mission to discover new authors has so far been something of a success (at least I think so), with seventeen new writers added to my list. I discuss the emotional highs of a beautiful contemporary romance read on my birthday—Jill Mansell's Just One Look at You—and contrast it with a highly anticipated Beth O'Leary release that unfortunately turned into a major seafaring plot disappointment. I also explore whether "sequel syndrome" has struck some of the fantasy and romantasy series I loved last year, including Lauren Palphreyman's The Night Prince.
Finally, I look ahead to the final six months of 2026. I take a look at some of my most anticipated upcoming releases, from Madeline Miller's short mythological tale Mestra and Carissa Broadbent's dark vampire romantasy The Lion and the Deathless Dark, to Victoria Aveyard's adult debut Tempest.

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The Wolf King

In this week's episode of Being Bookish, I'm digging into the layers of The Ever King, the 2023 fantasy novel by LJ Andrews that made the transition from indie favourite to traditional publication in 2025.
While there's plenty of talk online about the relationships and the sea fae romance elements in this book, I'm much more interested in pulling apart the high-seas intrigue and evaluating the genuine mystery at the heart of the story. I'll be exploring how the character dynamics, the pirate sub-plot, and the Norse-inspired mythology connections hold up.
As all my episodes are always spoiler-free, I have taken the time to really look at the story, looking critically at how the book fits into the dark fantasy/romantasy genre. I am going so far as to ask the big question...is this really dark fantasy?
Whether you're a fan of Viking folklore retellings or you're looking to see how a character-driven story handles these specific tropes, I've got plenty of personal feelings to share on where this book might fit on your fantasy reading list.
It's a deep dive into a possibly dark world, so grab yourself a cuppa and let's get into the sea fae secrets together. I'm really looking forward to sharing my honest thoughts with you.

Episode Links
Blood of Hercules
Review of When Gracie Met the Grump by Mariana Zapata
The Stephen King Thing - Cujo Audio | Video

In the second episode of the Being Bookish spin-off where I am reading my way through Stephen King’s novels, joined by my friend and fellow podcaster, Lorraine, we’re taking a look at Cujo, his 1981 novel, the second to feature Castle Rock.
As previously mentioned, these episodes are approximately 6 weeks apart as there is a lot to cover.
Cujo is the story of a friendly St Bernard, beloved family pet and best friend of Brett Camber, who, one day, is unfortunately the victim of a bat bite. What happens after that isn’t his fault; it’s the virus in his nervous system, but by the end of the story, there are a lot more victims to this madness.
Join us both as we take a tour through Stephen King's universe, and experience some of these books for the first time in decades!
If you prefer, you can watch this on YouTube.