Book Reviews

Uptown Oracle Reads… How To Kill Your Family by Bella Mackie

I bought How to Kill Your Family earlier this year after seeing it everywhere at the beginning of the year. I’d heard it was similar to My Sister The Serial Kiler which I’ve also picked up recently, so I thought it would be a good easy read between some lengthier books on my TBR.
Uptown Oracle Reads… Grow the F*ck Up by Sarah Knight | The Guide on How To Be an Adult and Get Treated Like One ✨

It’s that time of year again, Spring. A season of new beginnings and blossoming into the best version of you ready for summer. So I’ve been reading Grow the F*ck Up, which is a brand new self-help book by Sarah Knight. It’s the ultimate read for someone who’s looking to be independent, resourceful and self-sufficient…
End of a Chapter | January 2023 Reading Wrap Up and Mini Book Reviews

It’s the end of January and I had a mostly good month of reading, and have been trying hard to stick to my goals for the year. This month I read a total of 11 books, of which 9 were physical books and 2 were on my Kindle. Of those 9 physical books 4 of…
Uptown Oracle Reads… A Ruinous Fate | A Fantasy That Lies With the Luck of the Roll 🎲

A Ruinous Fate by Kaylie Smith (Affiliate Links) Fate does not choose the weak. Fate chooses the ready. Calliope Rosewood is a witch with a long streak of bad luck. Like all witches in Illustros, her fate is directly tied to Witch’s Dice—powerful artifacts that have blessed her kind with limitless magic but also set…
Uptown Oracle Reads… The Stolen Heir | A Fantasy Quest in the World of Elfhame ✨

The Stolen Heir was one of my most anticipated books of 2023, as a fan of Holly Black and it didn’t disapoint. The story itself is a fantasy quest, road-trip style. With Oak, Tiernan and Wren heading off on an adventure, but there’s some tensions here and there, some untrustworthy companions, some deceit going on.…
Uptown Oracle Reads… The Changeling’s Journey | Scottish Inspired Fae Story With Warm Cosy Vibes ✨

The Changeling’s Journey is clearly heavily inspired by Scotland and this can be seen throughout the villages and locations we visit, the language used and descriptions of the world. The world building really allows you to feel like you’re travelling with our characters through the fairy hills and lochs which makes you think you’re on…
Uptown Oracle Reads… The Hand of the Sun King

The Hand of the Sun King follows Wen Alder as he grows up in an almost coming of age style story. It has an introspective first person narrative, like an autobiography or journal of sorts. Despite this very singular focus on the character of Foolish Cur, he’s not always a likeable character and it displays…
Uptown Oracle Reads… The Drowned Woods

There’s very clear Welsh influence in the names of places especially throughout the story which was a welcome surprise for me. I believe some of the magic/stories within the world are influenced by folktales from Wales too although I don’t have the knowledge to know which ones. I did love the influence though and would…
Uptown Oracle Reads… Violet Made of Thorns

Violet Made of Thorns is a Beauty & the Beast Retelling with additional magic and many many symbolic roses throughout the story. This is definitely not a direct retelling, and a lot of additional twists and changes are made by Gina Chen throughout the book to make it all that more enthralling.