With the end of H1 slowly creeping closer, I’ll be revisiting the books I’ve read over the past few months and grouping them together into something resembling coherent thoughts.
From haunted houses to hidden magic in old Hollywood, here’s the first in a series of look backs at what I’ve been reading lately and how they all stacked up.
Alchemy of Secrets by Stephanie Garber
Stephanie Garber is behind some of my favourite whimsical YA fantasies. Caraval and Once Upon a Broken Heart blended magic, mystery, romance, and character so effortlessly that I couldn’t wait to see what she would do with her first adult novel. Oddly, though, this still felt very YA to me and, at times, even more juvenile than her earlier books.
Alchemy of Secrets follows Holland St. James, a college student who has always believed magic is real. When a folklore class draws her into a hidden magical world beneath the glamour of old Hollywood, she finds herself navigating secrets, shifting loyalties, and dangerous bargains where nobody seems to be telling the whole truth.
The story moves at a relentless pace, constantly introducing new twists, reveals, and magical elements. While that kept the pages turning, I often wished for a little more time to settle into the world and its mythology.
I also struggled to fully invest in Holland’s journey. The various love interests blurred together, making it difficult to become attached to any one storyline. In fact, a few months on, I can barely remember most of the characters’ names… which probably says a lot about how little they stood out to me.
Still, Garber’s writing remains incredibly readable, and there were moments where the sheer strangeness of the story kept me hooked. I can easily see readers enjoying the dreamlike atmosphere, romantic tension, and fast-paced mystery, particularly if they’re looking for something more style-driven than plot-driven.
Mongrel by Hanako Footman
This is my favourite book of the year. I’m calling it now. It’s more than a five star read!
Mongrel follows three women across different places and generations: Mei, growing up in Surrey after the loss of her Japanese mother; Yuki, a young violinist pursuing her dreams in London; and Haruka, navigating Tokyo’s nightlife while uncovering long-buried family secrets. As their stories gradually intertwine, Hanako Footman explores identity, grief, womanhood, family, and the complicated search for belonging.
From the very first page, Mongrel completely captivated me. By the end, I was left completely awestruck.
Footman’s writing is raw, poetic, and devastatingly observant, finding beauty in grief, loneliness, desire, and longing without ever losing sight of the humanity at its core. I found myself stopping constantly to reread passages because they were so stunning.
What affected me most was the novel’s exploration of identity and heritage. As someone who is both British and Filipino, Mei’s story hit me with an almost uncomfortable level of recognition. There were moments where it felt as though the deepest, most complicated parts of myself had been lifted and placed onto the page. It left me wanting to hug my mama and hold onto everything a little tighter.
Mongrel never feels narrow in its focus. Its reflections on motherhood, family, belonging, otherness, and womanhood are universal, woven together through three beautifully realised narratives that ultimately form something greater than the sum of their parts. The structure is masterful, revealing connections with perfect timing and emotional precision.
What astonishes me most is that this is a debut! The confidence of the writing, the elegance of the structure, and the emotional depth – just wow! A beautiful, devastating, and deeply moving novel that I suspect will stay with me for a very long time.
House of Splinters by Laura Purcell
Another instant favourite of mine. Laura Purcell has my heart. Truly, nobody is writing gothic fiction like her right now.
We revisit the haunted Bridge estate in this gothic companion to The Silent Companions, following Belinda Bainbridge as she and her family move into what she hopes will finally be a fresh start. With her husband inheriting his family’s ancestral home, Belinda imagines a new life as lady of the manor – only to discover that Bridge is far from the welcoming refuge she expected.
From the beginning, there’s a creeping sense that something isn’t quite right. The estate is decaying, the past lingers uncomfortably in every corner, and unsettling rumours about a servant’s death refuse to stay buried. When the eerie wooden “silent companions” resurface and Belinda’s young son becomes fixated on them, the house itself begins to feel like a presence watching back.
What follows is a slow-burn gothic story that steadily tightens its grip. The family dynamics add another layer of unease, especially as long-buried truths begin to surface and Belinda is forced to question everything she thought she knew about her new home.
Purcell’s writing ability is unmatched in this genre, and this return to the world of The Silent Companions feels both familiar and fresh at once. Honestly I hope she never stops writing about these companions… I want more. I need more!
A haunting, immersive, and deeply satisfying gothic read that kept me fully invested from start to finish.
I Hope This Finds You Well by Natalie Sue
I Hope This Finds You Well follows Jolene, an admin worker at Supershops, Inc. who is just trying to get through the workday while keeping her colleagues at arm’s length – and occasionally venting her frustrations in invisible email postscripts. When one of those secret messages is accidentally exposed, she’s sent to sensitivity training under the watch of a suspiciously cheerful HR rep, Cliff, and suddenly finds her already fragile work life under scrutiny.
Then an IT mistake changes everything: Jolene gains access to her entire department’s private emails and DMs. She knows she should report it, but when whispers of looming layoffs begin to circulate, the temptation to use this newfound knowledge to secure her own job becomes impossible to ignore. What starts as harmless curiosity quickly spirals into something more complicated, especially as she’s drawn deeper into her coworkers’ private lives – and closer to Cliff than she ever intended.
This was such a fun, unexpectedly tender read. It feels like stepping straight into an office sitcom: painfully relatable coworker dynamics, absurdly accurate corporate behaviour, and those small, cringeworthy interactions that anyone who’s worked in an office will recognise instantly.
I found myself laughing out loud more than I expected, but also getting surprisingly emotional at points. Jolene is a strong, engaging narrator, and her voice carries the story even when the plot leans into familiar territory. The romance and workplace chaos add just enough momentum to keep things breezy and readable.
A perfect pick if you’ve ever worked in an office and secretly wondered what your coworkers are really thinking.
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