Month: October 2025

Such Charming Liars by Karen M McManus

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

Although I am not the target audience for Karen M. McManus’ YA thriller fiction, I always find myself purchasing each one. They are also very satisfying on the shelf next to each other, and the latest, ‘Such Charming Liars’, is a rather wonderful shade of purple on the shelf.

In ‘Such Charming Liars’, we meet Kat and Liam, who are step-siblings who appear to be reunited by chance as Kat’s mum, Jamie, is sent to carry out a mission for her ’employer’, Gem. They find themselves on the rather impressive Sutherland estate. Neither of them is there for totally honest reasons; however, things take a turn that neither of them could have predicted.

As we all know, this site needs to be spoiler-free, which is never easy when I am trying to share thoughts about titles such as this one. However, what I can say is that returning to a Karen M. McManus novel in autumn is like returning to an old friend. They are quite a comfort read, despite being a YA thriller. They are always full of great characters, and strong female characters, which I think is something that is important for YA novels in the modern age. Alongside this, she is a pro at planting red herrings that can send you off on the wrong path, only for you to suddenly be thrown onto a different path altogether. Alongside this, the final quarter of this book comes at quite a pace, with a twist that I did not see coming as it hit. Which, surely, is always a sign of a good read?

So, if you are looking for a thriller that is great escapism for these autumn evenings, then Karen M. McManus is always a good idea. And if you have a YA reader in your life, maybe this is a set of books you can introduce them to.

This Motherless Land by Nikki May

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

If you have been here a while you will know that I absolutely loved ‘Wahala‘ – to the point that I know where I was when I read it. I even remember telling Nikki May herself (thanks to The Book Taster) that she had created one of the best villains of all time and I still stand by that.

So, I am sure you have worked out that I absolutely loved ‘This Motherless Land’, too. And, I do not know why I left it on my shelf for so long. Well, in fact, I do know why, because I did not want to finish it and then know that I would not be able to read it for the first time again.

This book, inspired by ‘Mansfield Park’, was everything that I hoped it would be and probably a little more. Nikki May has a skill of creating the most wonderful characters who you can visualise from the moment you start reading, and seems to have a particular skill of creating characters you quite like to dislike. However, this book touched on some really important issues. ‘Mansfield Park’ may have addressed the prejudice of the rich-poor divide; ‘This Motherless Land’ also addresses this, but also the racial prejudice faced by our wonderful central character Funke. Funke is Anglo-Nigerian, and fabulous; however, some of her family members in England do not seem to be willing to accept her with the love and acceptance that they should. However, she does form a bond with her cousin, until the day that an accident tears them apart and they lead two different lives, and we reflect on the paths their lives take.

I genuinely adored this book, just as I have so much admiration for Nikki May, especially as I was lucky enough to meet her at a ‘The Book Taster Live’ event. She really writes stories we want to read, but does not shy away from topics that we should probably all be thinking about and reflecting on, on a regular basis. This retelling brings the story bang up to date and becomes the story we need in this time, and just like ‘Wahala’ has brilliantly strong female lead characters, putting women right in the middle of the action. I am pretty sure that Jane Austen would throughly approve of this book, as it brings a social issue to the attention of readers, and gives women a loud and proud voice in the modern age.

I will be recommending this book to everyone – a modern classic in the making. Thank you Nikki May, and I can’t wait to see what other stories you will be sharing with us.

The Names by Florence Knapp

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

‘The Names’ is a book that had started to make a few appearences on Bookstagram, so of course it caught my eye, because a title like that just sounds like it is going to be a fascinating read. In fact, the first time it truly came to my attention was thanks to ‘The Book Taster’, as there was a little teaser of the book in our wonderful goody bags.

This book is beautiful. This book is fascinating. This is a book that I could not put down. And, it is a book that I cannot really review because I think you need to read it, almost with no idea what it is about (other than names). I did not know what it was about as, surprise, I did not read the blurb, and I think that actually increased my enjoyment of the book.

All I feel I can share is that this book is beautifully written. The characters are conjured up for you so wonderfully that you feel you know them. And, it is okay not to like them if they are not a very nice character. It also touches your heart almost immediately as you begin your journey with the collection of characters. I just needed to know what was going to happen; was everyone going to end up on the path they deserved? And are our paths determined from the moment we are born?

Also, I am over the moon that Florence Knapp will be at the next ‘Book Taster Live’ event (which I am, of course, hoping I will be grabbing a ticket for) and I can’t wait to hear what inspired her to write this rather beautiful book.

If you really want to know what this book is about, please pick up a copy, because I can guarantee that you will not be disappointed. And if you do manage to read it, please let me know, because I would absolutely love to know what you think about it – because I think it is a wonderful read.