iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

@gavreads @gavreads.co.uk · 04/10/2026

Morning Womble, I’m reading The Bitter Twins (mostly ebook), Our Strange Duet (on audio - it has a full cast) and The Unsolvable Case as my physical.

Two books flank a Boox Palma on a patterned sofa: The Bitter Twins by Jen Williams on the left and The Unsolvable Case by Courtney Smyth on the right. The Boox Palma is playing the audiobook Our Strange Duet by Erin A. Craig. A book-filled cushion and bookshelf are visible behind the display.

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@gavreads @gavreads.co.uk · 03/10/2026

In honour of Spooky Season I’ve added @auraleewallace.bsky.social, @marshalljmoore.bsky.social & @joannechocolat.bsky.social to the TBR. I’ve sampled them all and I had to stop myself carrying on, each has a strong voice and intriguing setting from the start. How is your Spooky Season reading?

Three recently acquired books propped upright on a blue, grey and cream geometric-patterned armchair. From left to right: The Late-Night Witches by Auralee Wallace, with a black cover featuring pink lettering, a pumpkin, cat and witchy objects; Sleepers in the Snow by Joanne Harris, showing a snowy winter landscape with a lone figure and birds against a dark blue sky; and The Henchperson’s Guide to Unionizing by Marshall J. Moore, with a bold red, black and yellow cover depicting silhouetted city buildings and figures. A bookcase filled with books is partially visible along the right edge of the image.

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@gavreads @gavreads.co.uk · 26/09/2026

Saturday: a cup of coffee, rereading the end of The Ninth Rain so I can carry on with the trilogy, and listening to the audiobook of Lucas Jones’s powerful collection of poetry. My dad passed recently, so Lucas’s verse is hitting a little differently than it did when I first started reading it.

Two books rest on a dark tabletop beside a white Thea Gilmore mug on a coaster. The mug features a stylised sunrise design and the words “I WAKE UP DREAMING”, with “THEA GILMORE” printed beneath. In the foreground, I Still Believe in Miracles (Poems to Find Meaning in Difficult Times) by Lucas Jones lies on top of The Ninth Rain by Jen Williams, whose blue and black cover illustration of a large bird is partially visible. A pink bestseller sticker and matching page tab stand out against the books, creating a cosy reading scene.

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@gavreads @gavreads.co.uk · 25/09/2026

I need to play Baldur's Gate 3, it’s on my list after Warhammer 40K Rouge Trader and Divinity Original Sin 2. But the more I hear about Baldur's Gate 3: Astarion, especially the process of working on an IP that scrutinised what was written, the more I want to read it.

Screenshot of Tor Books 📕 post on Threads

the T. Kingfisher discourse is very compelling if you have recently developed an interest in being wrong online
anyway. books!

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@gavreads @gavreads.co.uk · 22/09/2026

I used to the love the Disney version as a kid. I made a visit to the see the bridge. But I was met by this sign instead.

A sign that says - THE HEADLESS HORSEMAN BRIDGE
DESCRIBED BY IRVING IN THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW
FORMERLY SPANNED THIS STREAM AT THIS SPOT

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@gavreads @gavreads.co.uk · 19/09/2026

I have just seen a review of Winterset Hollow by Jonathan Edward Durham, and it looks creepy AF - talking animals mixed with whimsical slasher, anyone? vm.tiktok.com/ZGdQHK4TH/

Cover of Winterset Hollow by Jonathan Edward Durham, featuring an anthropomorphic rabbit in human clothes carrying a basket of fruit and vegetables. Red-filled claw marks slash across the illustration, hinting at violence beneath the pastoral scene.

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@gavreads @gavreads.co.uk · 11/09/2026

Why didn't anyone tell me a sequel to Dead & Breakfast is out? It's called Summer Coven, and I only know because I saw it in Forbidden Planet.

Cover to Summer Coven (A Dead & Breakfast Mystery Book 2) by Kat Hllis & Rosiee Thor

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@gavreads @gavreads.co.uk · 04/09/2026

This is my first order from SciFier.com and won’t be my last. It does that a while, but if you’re not in a rush, i would highly recommend.

Three books inside a cardboard box lined with bubble wrap. The visible titles are What We Are Seeking by Cameron Reed, The Witch Below the Dreaming Wood by H.G. Parry, and Be Still My Unbeating Heart by Josh Winning. Two SciFier bookmarks sit on top — one with a purple geometric pattern, the other showing an illustrated face in blue and red tones.

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@gavreads @gavreads.co.uk · 30/08/2026

I have just found out that Joanne Harris has a ghost story coming out in October?! That has a haunted house in it!! Why did one tell me? I’ve stolen this from TikTok as I want you to hear it. I am hooked.

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@gavreads @gavreads.co.uk · 27/08/2026

Someone is selling Davina McCall on Vinted…

Grey and blue padded exercise vest laid flat on a beige surface, with black mesh panels and striped detailing. Text beneath reads ‘Davina McCall – Very good – £17.00 (£18.55 incl.)’ alongside a heart icon showing 29 likes.

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@gavreads @gavreads.co.uk · 26/08/2026

Who in their right mind would give quarter stars? As an aside, here are some of my recent ratings.

A StoryGraph reading‑list screen showing three finished books in a vertical list. Each book appears as a rectangular card with the cover on the left and text on the right.

• Dungeon Crawler Carl — rating 4.25 stars; Finished: Jul 12, 2026.
• Harbour of Hungry Ghosts — rating 3.0 stars; Finished: Jul 11, 2026.
• Cosmic Love at the Multiverse Hair Salon — rating 4.75 stars; Finished: Jul 6, 2026.

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@gavreads @gavreads.co.uk · 26/08/2026

Tim Curry is a cornerstone of my life. I want to say Legend was my first memorable moment. I can quote almost all of Clue (which also came out in 1985), and I give a good go at most of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. His performance of IT set a bar for creepy clowns that’s stratospheric. RIP Tim.

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@gavreads @gavreads.co.uk · 23/08/2026

Alright, I’m reading 5 books not 3. One is a workbook and the other is emotional poetry as a hardback audiobook mix.

A StoryGraph “Currently Reading” panel showing two books in progress:

• The Neuroscience of Tarot — Siddharth Ramakrishnan — progress 8%.
• I Still Believe in Miracles — Lucas Jones — progress 9%.

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@gavreads @gavreads.co.uk · 23/08/2026

I don’t want to jinx it but I’m currently reading & enjoying three books over three formats: ebook: Vaim by Jon Fosse Physical: The Unfathomable Curse by Courtney Smyth Audio: The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness What you reading and in what format?

A StoryGraph “Current Reads” panel showing three books in progress:

• Vaim — Jon Fosse — progress 19%.
• The Unfathomable Curse — Courtney Smyth — progress 13%.
• The Knife of Never Letting Go — Patrick Ness — progress 14%.

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@gavreads @gavreads.co.uk · 23/08/2026

Good evening, Womble. I've been immersed in The Unfathomable Curse, which is book 3 of 4 in Courtney Smyth's great urban detective murder mystery series. I'm also captivated by Vaim by Jon Fosse (Tr. Damion Searls), which so far is about a man searching shops for cotton thread and a needle.

Book titled The Unfathomable Curse by Courtney Smyth resting on patterned fabric. The cover resembles old case files, featuring a large magnifying glass illustration, scattered blue beetles, stamped labels like “COPY 1” and “GHOUL MEMO,” and a quote praising the series. Another book‑patterned cushion sits behind it.

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@gavreads @gavreads.co.uk · 22/08/2026

I’m flying through the third book in this series. I’m sad that there is only one more left, coming out in September, then no more Undetectables Mysteries.

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@gavreads @gavreads.co.uk · 22/08/2026

Post a picture that should be an album cover.

Overcast geothermal landscape with a dark volcanic peak centered in the frame. Thick white steam rises from vents at the mountain’s base. A paved road with yellow edge markers runs across the foreground. Smaller mountains sit in the background beneath a grey clouded sky.

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@gavreads @gavreads.co.uk · 02/08/2026

Do you own a book that you berate yourself for not yet reading every time you see it? Mine is currently: First Mage on the Moon by Cameron Johnston

Title: First Mage on the Moon
Author: Cameron Johnston
Description: The book sits upright on a bookcase. Its cover shows a tall brass steampunk rocket tower against a glowing full moon and starry sky, with faint geometric and magical diagrams around it.

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@gavreads @gavreads.co.uk · 01/08/2026

August is #womenintranslation month, and if you can’t find anything to read, you’re not looking hard enough. I’ve just looked through my physical TBR and recreated this pile. I may not have time to read them this month, but where would you start?

A translated fiction stack — title • author • translator • language:

The Empusium — Olga Tokarczuk
tr. Antonia Lloyd‑Jones (Polish)

The Wall — Marlen Haushofer
tr. Shaun Whiteside (German)

Sea Now — Eva Meijer
tr. Anne Thompson Melo (Dutch)

The Healing Season of Pottery — Yeon Somin
tr. Clare Richards (Korean)

Hard Copy — Fien Veldman
tr. Hester Velmans (Dutch)

The Old Fire — Elisa Shua Dusapin
tr. Aneesa Abbas Higgins (French)

Time of the Flies — Claudia Piñeiro
tr. Frances Riddle (Spanish)

Elena Knows — Claudia Piñeiro
tr. Frances Riddle (Spanish)

The Apple in the Dark — Clarice Lispector
tr. Benjamin Moser (Portuguese)

The Wizard’s Bakery — Gu Byeong‑mo
tr. Jamie Chang (Korean)

Tokyo Sympathy Tower — Rie Qudan
tr. Jesse Kirkwood (Japanese)

The Factory — Hiroko Oyamada
tr. David Boyd (Japanese)

The Eighteenth of November — Solvej Balle
tr. Barbara J. Haveland (Danish)

Women Without Men — Shahrnush Parsipur
tr. Faridoun Farrokh (Persian)

The Unworthy — Agustina Bazterrica
tr. Sarah Moses (Spanish)

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@gavreads @gavreads.co.uk · 01/08/2026

Has anyone heard anything about The Inevitable Undoing of Zahara Douglass by Leslye Penelope?

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@gavreads @gavreads.co.uk · 30/07/2026

Can I just keep blaming @runalongwomble.bsky.social for the fact that I’ve been away for a couple of days and when I came home I had to add these to my @thestorygraph.com account as they were waiting to be opened? To be fair two of them are @niallharrison.bsky.social ‘s fault.

A StoryGraph reading‑list screen showing three books in a vertical list. Each entry includes a cover image, title, author, page count, publication year, edition count, genre tags, and a “to read” button.

1. Cinder House by Freya Marske.
144 pages. Published 2025. Sixteen editions. Cover partially visible. Tags: fiction, fantasy, LGBTQIA+, dark, emotional, fast‑paced.
2. Hex House by Amy Jane Stewart.
304 pages. Published 2026. Six editions. Cover shows a dark, moody design. Tags: fiction, horror, dark, mysterious, tense, medium‑paced.
3. Fabulous Bodies by Chuck Tingle.
231 pages. Published 2026. Nine editions. Cover uses bold colours and stylised imagery. Tags: fiction, horror, LGBTQIA+, dark, funny, tense, fast‑paced.

A StoryGraph reading‑list screen showing four books in a vertical list. Each entry includes a cover image, title, author, page count, publication year, edition count, genre tags, and a “to read” button.

1. The Red Winter by Cameron Sullivan.
535 pages. Published 2026. Twenty‑two editions. Cover shows a stylised black creature with red accents and the tagline “Power is a hungry beast.” Tags: fiction, fantasy, historical, LGBTQIA+, adventurous, dark, mysterious, medium‑paced.
2. Wrecks by Matt Hill.
352 pages. Published 2026. One edition. Cover shows a toy car sitting in pink liquid with a bright green border. Tag: fiction.
3. Plastic, Prism, Void by Violet Allen.
304 pages. Published 2026. Two editions. Cover shows stylised crying eyes in purple and white. Tags: fiction, fantasy, LGBTQIA+, romance, science fiction, challenging, emotional, funny, medium‑paced.
4. Event Horizon by Balsam Karam.
216 pages. Published 2018. Eight editions. Cover is minimalist blue with white text. Tags: fiction, science fiction, emotional, reflective, medium‑paced.

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@gavreads @gavreads.co.uk · 27/07/2026

In my review of God’s Junk Drawer, I explored a little why it feels to me like I’ve dialled down my inner critic. If I care, I’m more forgiving, it seems.

I've stepped back from reviewing for a while because I felt a bit of an imbalance.
The analytical side of my brain - the part that holds the book in a buffer in my mind and runs analysis on it - had, I think, started to take away from the feelings that make reading enjoyable, the joy that my more emotive side gets from a book.
This might explain why I've been enjoying books that give a strong emotional response, even when I can see 'flaws' that my more logical side would normally have focused on and criticised the book for.
God's Junk Drawer is exactly the kind of book that benefits from that shift - one that hits the emotional notes even if the logic sometimes feels like unwelcome static.

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@gavreads @gavreads.co.uk · 21/07/2026

For those who have been waiting, it is time.

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@gavreads @gavreads.co.uk · 20/07/2026

My American friends, what in the name of extreme pass-the-parcel is going on here?!

A screen showing a vertical shipment‑tracking log. Each line lists a timestamp followed by the status “Departed Facility” and a small plus symbol. The entries run from 2026‑07‑16 to 2026‑07‑20, with multiple departures on each day. The full sequence reads:
2026‑07‑20 04:01, 01:29;
2026‑07‑18 21:53, 19:55, 17:06, 15:24, 14:29, 11:23, 04:43, 01:57;
2026‑07‑17 20:17, 17:32, 17:21, 13:58;
2026‑07‑16 17:54, 16:10, 13:49, 13:32, 13:06 — all marked “Departed Facility”.

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@gavreads @gavreads.co.uk · 18/07/2026

I am, it seems, a convert. The review hopefully explains why. Based on DCC, LitRPG could become a favourite genre. To test that assumption, I have He Who Fights with Monsters, all 768 pages of it, to read soon.

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@gavreads @gavreads.co.uk · 17/07/2026

Ok. The Somewhat Wicked Witch of Brigandale by C. M. Waggoner is a surprise 6/5 ⭐️ - no notes. It’s the take a baby brought up by a witch who becomes a king, and the witch (his mum) plots to overthrow him. Has anyone else read it? @acebookspub.bsky.social

A hardcover copy of The Somewhat Wicked Witch of Brigandale rests on a black‑and‑white woven surface. The dark green cover is filled with bright, whimsical illustrations—flowers, frogs, birds, mushrooms, a witch’s hat, scissors, and a tiny house—arranged around the title and author’s name, creating a magical, fairy‑tale feel.

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@gavreads @gavreads.co.uk · 16/07/2026

@titanbooks.bsky.social is really spoiling us. These are my top choices.

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@gavreads @gavreads.co.uk · 12/07/2026

I've seen not-so-stellar reviews of Hell's Heart by Alexis Hall, which I believe is her riff on Moby Dick. So I thought I'd use this as an excuse to try Moby Dick, but I think I want the audiobook to understand the humour, and William Hootkins really stood out. This is going to take me like a year.

Audiobook player screen for Moby-Dick by Herman Melville, published by Naxos AudioBooks. The cover shows a dramatic ocean scene with a huge white whale rising from turbulent waves while small boats of sailors try to harpoon it; a sailing ship sits in the background. The narrator is William Hootkins. The interface displays Chapter 1 at 1 minute 31 seconds out of a total 1 hour 16 minutes 51 seconds, with playback controls, speed set to 1.0×, car mode, timer, clips, a PDF button, title details, and a listen log.

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@gavreads @gavreads.co.uk · 12/07/2026

Oh, there is a link to Holly’s Reading Escapades’ review of Harbour of Hungry Ghosts. Mine isn't out until next week. Holly really enjoyed it, whereas I (spoiler) really didn't. hollysreadingescapades.blogspot.com/2026/07/book... Goes to show, books need the right audience and I admit I wasn't.

A stylised promotional graphic featuring the book Harbour of Hungry Ghosts by Eliza Chan. The cover shows intricate, brightly coloured illustrations of mythological creatures — a lion‑guardian, dragons, and tigers — in vivid blues, reds, and whites, arranged around an ornate geometric pattern. To the left of the cover, a blue text box contains the quote: “If the main character annoyed me less, I think I could have forgiven it more.” The background is a mix of abstract pink, white, and blue shapes, including a pale circular element resembling a moon. At the bottom, the text “gavreads.co.uk”.

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@gavreads @gavreads.co.uk · 12/07/2026

The first attempt was worse 😅

Promotional graphic for a new review of Cosmic Love at the Multiverse Hair Salon by Annie Mare. The bright yellow and pink design features a quote about tangled pasts, futures, and fragile connections alongside the book cover, which shows retro-style lettering, lush green plants, salon chairs, hanging lanterns, and a glowing portal-like circle in a cosmic setting.

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@gavreads @gavreads.co.uk · 12/07/2026

I loved reading Cosmic Love at the Multiverse Hair Salon, and I can't wait to see what Annie Mare writes next. *Sorry for the explosion of colour. I am trying to make graphics, and it seems I like the retro aesthetic.*

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@gavreads @gavreads.co.uk · 08/07/2026

Has anyone heard of The Fountain? ‘Vera Van Valkenburgh hasn’t been home in one hundred and eighty-eight years. But now Vera, forever twenty-six and able to heal from any wound, has returned to the Catskills.’

The cover of The Fountain by Casey Scieszka. A bright green background with a blue, stylised face tilted upward, the features melting or dripping downward like ink or watercolor. At the top, an endorsement reads: “Absolutely delicious. Crisp and funny. An excellent debut!” — Emma Straub.

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@gavreads @gavreads.co.uk · 07/07/2026

I haven't actually got the space to read this. I’ve skimmed the first page; I like the prose and the voice, and I’ve stuck a tab in as a bookmark. But who knows when I’ll read some more.

Angel Down by Daniel Kraus lies on a zigzag‑patterned fabric surface. The cover is beige with a dramatic burst of fiery orange, yellow, and black radiating from the centre, where a single white feather appears. At the top is a quote: “THIS NOVEL LEAVES YOU BREATHLESS.” — Stephen Graham Jones.

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@gavreads @gavreads.co.uk · 06/07/2026

I have finished Cosmic Love at the Multiverse Hair Salon, a novel by Annie Mare. And I am going to need to sit with the effects of the emotional roller coaster it took me on. The landing was a little bumpy, but the ride and the view were exquisite.

A stylised book cover for Cosmic Love at the Multiverse Hair Salon, a novel by Annie Mare. The background is dark green with scattered stars and three hanging golden lamps. In the centre is a large circular window showing a ringed planet against a cosmic sky. In the foreground sits an orange retro salon chair beside a matching orange hooded hair dryer. A small table holds a vase of pink flowers. At the top is an endorsement: “A wild ride that will have you laughing, crying, and swooning all at once!” — Alexandra Kennington, author of Blood Beneath the Snow. The title text reads: COSMIC LOVE at the MULTIVERSE HAIR SALON with the subtitle a novel and the tagline “Love times infinity.” The author’s name, ANNIE MARE, appears at the bottom.

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@gavreads @gavreads.co.uk · 05/07/2026

And what have I been reading? Well it includes these.

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@gavreads @gavreads.co.uk · 05/07/2026

I've entered a queer SF&F romance reading era.

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@gavreads @gavreads.co.uk · 04/07/2026

I recently picked up Doe, Delicious Monsters, and King of Dead Things. Now, I am conscious that I’m not reading enough works by Black authors. And I know that collecting books and reading books are two different hobbies. But I’m hopeful that this curated stack from my shelves is banger after banger

A vertical stack of 14 books curated from a bookshelf, featuring all Black authors. From top to bottom, the visible titles are: Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin; King of Dead Things by Nevin Holness; Delicious Monsters by Liselle Sambury; Psychopomp & Circumstance by Eden Royce; The Witch by Marie NDiaye; a trilogy by Moses Ose Utomi (The Lies of the Ajungo, The Truth of the Aleke, The Memory of the Ogisi); Doe by Rebecca Barrow; Hangman by Maya Binyam; Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor; Firstborn of the Sun by Marvellous Michael Anson; A Song of Legends Lost by M. H. Ayinde; and Not with a Bang by Temi Oh. The spines show a vibrant mix of colors, including bright purple, lush green monstera leaves, minimalist white, striking red, cosmic indigo, and two brilliant metallic gold covers.

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@gavreads @gavreads.co.uk · 03/07/2026

I just spotted the cover for Heir of the Shadow is up on retailers' websites. It's out in November. And it is the sequel to Firstborn of the Sun by Marvellous Michael Anson.

Book cover for Heir of the Shadow by Marvellous Michael Anson. Fantasy artwork shows two stylized figures standing back-to-back beneath swirling, mist-like shapes. One figure faces left and wears gold jewelry and a beaded hair adornment with glowing red accents. The other faces forward and wears an elaborate blue, wave-shaped headdress and blue beaded accessories. The color palette blends deep blues, teals, white, gold, and violet tones. The title “HEIR OF THE SHADOW” appears in large silver lettering at the top, with the author’s name at the bottom.

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@gavreads @gavreads.co.uk · 03/07/2026

Same. My second attempt, as DCC got me curious, is this one…. I have no idea what to expect, and I like that.

A hardback copy of He Who Fights With Monsters by Travis Deverell, writing as Shirtaloon, rests on a flat surface. The cover shows a dark, hooded figure holding a glowing dagger against a red background filled with monstrous faces. Bold yellow title text sits across the centre. Above it, a review quote from Matt Dinniman reads: “Exciting, hilarious, irreverent and action‑packed.” A round Waterstones sticker in the top‑right corner says “£3 off.”

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@gavreads @gavreads.co.uk · 01/07/2026

My top 6 reads from the year so far. Featuring: The Undead Complex — Courtney Smyth (2024) Automatic Noodle — Annalee Newitz (2025) Sorcery and Small Magics — Maiga Doocy (2024) Floodlines — Saleem Haddad (2026) A Conventional Boy — Charles Stross (2025) The Tinder Box — M. R. Carey (2026)

A neon-themed collage of six book covers arranged in two rows of three. Top row: The Undead Complex by Courtney Smyth (green and cream with insects), Automatic Noodle by Annalee Newitz (bright pink and orange noodles with chopsticks), and Sorcery and Small Magics by Maiga Doocy (dark blue with decorative plants and figures). Bottom row: Floodlines by Saleem Haddad (painting of a street scene with figures), A Conventional Boy by Charles Stross (fiery orange with silhouettes and geometric symbols), and The Tinderbox by M.R. Carey (teal with a detailed box and foliage). The background features glowing purple and blue streaks, with “gavreads.co.uk” at the bottom.

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@gavreads @gavreads.co.uk · 01/07/2026

Time travelling travel agents, @niallharrison.bsky.social ? Another in this ‘it isn’t genre as we know it’ series. Time Travel Agents, the guides who lead ultra-wealthy explorers on trips to the past on the ‘Retro Metro’, must blend seamlessly into any historical period. Ash is a perfect fit

The cover of RETRO by Jessica M. Goldstein. A classical‑style painting shows a woman in a flowing red dress sitting on grass, holding a smartphone and looking at the screen. A white cow stands behind her in a soft, pastoral landscape. A modern notification bubble with a red heart and “500” floats above her. The tagline reads, “Why worry about the future when the past is waiting for you?” Two endorsements appear at the bottom: “So much fun!” — Holly Gramazio and “Shrewd, witty and original” — Aisling Rawe.

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@gavreads @gavreads.co.uk · 01/07/2026

And new editions to my retirement library, which won’t be for at least a decade. Could you all not tell me about good books for the rest of the year so I can catch up? Please 🙏

Three new books inside a brown Waterstones shopping bag. The visible titles are Animal Spiral by Luis Othoniel Rosa, translated by Katie Marya; Canon by Paige Lewis; and System Collapse by Martha Wells from the Murderbot series. All three books look crisp and newly bou

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@gavreads @gavreads.co.uk · 30/06/2026

I am not telling you which book’s cover this real on IG revealed. If you’re curious, it’s from @orbitbooksuk.bsky.social and it’s out next month. But most I wanted to say is I love, love the idea of a Shimmer Daddy.

Dark, grunge‑textured background. Bold white text at the top reads “INTRODUCING YOUR,” followed by large distressed yellow text: “SHIMMER DADDY.” Simple yellow wing outlines sit on either side of the bottom words.

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@gavreads @gavreads.co.uk · 30/06/2026

‼️ Do not open the image while eating!! Me: Yay, new book post - my preorder is in! Book: Surprise!! Me: 🤢 I’m 99% sure it’s a melted chocolate chip, but I’m not getting too close. It’s back in the packaging, and the retailer has been informed. That’s a first for me.

A close-up of the top edge of a closed black hardback book. The cream-coloured page edges show a brown stain near the spine that looks like dirt or possibly dried chocolate. The book rests on a light grey fabric with a repeating diamond pattern.

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@gavreads @gavreads.co.uk · 30/06/2026

And another romance, not that I’m trying to get @niallharrison.bsky.social hooked on them. One day Clara and Francis wake up in a bedroom neither of them recognises with no memory of how they got there. They find themselves in a strange, impossible city: a place populated entirely by adulterers

Cover of Permanence by Sophie Mackintosh, showing two soft shadowy silhouettes above a white‑sheeted bed, with a bold orange lower half featuring the title and the quote “Granta Best of Young British Novelists 2023.”

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@gavreads @gavreads.co.uk · 28/06/2026

Morning, I’m reading a sapphic love story where a chance connection by text results in a potential date, but they seem to be in the same place but six months apart. I’m also rooting for the new colony of Hong Kong as it fights hungry ghosts and the British.

Two books sit side by side on a white surface. On the left is a paperback of Cosmic Love at the Multiverse Hair Salon by Annie Mare, with a bright retro cover featuring pink and red text, a heart, planets, stars, plants, and a salon chair. A quote appears at the top, and the tagline reads “Love times infinity.”

On the right is an e‑reader showing Harbour of Hungry Ghosts by Eliza Chan, with a monochrome cover of intricate mythological creatures — a tiger, dragon, and lion statue — surrounded by waves and East Asian architectural motifs.

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@gavreads @gavreads.co.uk · 27/06/2026

This one is a romance but the description feels like a @niallharrison.bsky.social niche? ‘… even in this remote outpost, Laurel can't outrun her past. When a strange light appears across the ice and draws a group of physicists to McMurdo, her former husband, Eli, won't be far behind.’

“Book cover for Understory by Chloe Benjamin. The design shows a bright, glowing sun-like circle at the top fading into deep blue water below. A lone diver swims downward into the darker section. The title Understory appears in large white text, mirrored upside down beneath it. A line at the bottom reads: “An epic love story, wondrous, wildly ambitious.” — Ann Napolitano.”

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@gavreads @gavreads.co.uk · 27/06/2026

This is probably unwise as I'm only a few 40p in, but Annie has me hooked. A potentially sapphic love story where a miss-sent text seems to spark passion in a conversation across time. I really, really, really want them to land this. It’s also another example where I like very emotionally invested.

Book cover for Cosmic Love at the Multiverse Hair Salon by Annie Mare. A bright, surreal illustration shows an orange retro salon chair beside a small table with flowers, surrounded by large green plants. Behind them is a circular window looking out onto a ringed planet in space. Blurbs and title text appear across the cover, including a quote praising the novel and the tagline “Love times infinity.”

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@gavreads @gavreads.co.uk · 27/06/2026

One of my favourite books published last year, & I'm not letting Pride Month pass without formally reviewing it. It made me very emotional in a cathartic way. Your reaction may vary, but it's mostly about two young men finding themselves, playing video games, and fighting evil.

Book review graphic for Everything Not Saved by NMJ Coveney. The book cover shows two teenage characters back-to-back in front of a circular, stained-glass style design with glowing light and gaming imagery. The background of the graphic is a neon, retro grid in blue, pink, and purple, evoking a 1990s arcade aesthetic. A text panel reads: “In a queer coming-of-age tale about two teenage boys, Coveney captures the creepy village vibe, invokes video-game nostalgia, and takes your emotions on a roller-coaster.” A sticker in the top corner says “New Review,” and the handle “GAVREADS.CO.UK” appears along the bottom.

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@gavreads @gavreads.co.uk · 27/06/2026

Very lucky to be reading an e-arc of Harbour of Hungry Ghosts, but the opening chapter is a little rough—info dumping to get some concepts across to the reader—but now I’m in the middle of chapter six, and I really wish I could step into this scene and protect the main characters—I have anxiety.

A Kindle Oasis displaying the e‑ARC cover of Harbour of Hungry Ghosts by Eliza Chan. The screen shows a black‑and‑white illustrated design featuring a tiger, a dragon, a fox‑like spirit, and a guardian lion arranged around a geometric gate motif, with stylised mountains, clouds, and a ship in the background.

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