EVENT RECAP: An Evening with Leigh Bardugo

As a huge fan of Leigh Bardugo, I was able to meet her back in 2016 during her Worlds Collide tour with Rainbow Rowell, just after the release of Crooked Kingdom. Obviously, much has changed since then! With her first adult novel and a show adaptation for the Grishaverse, I was eager to see Leigh talk about all of the exciting things that have happened over the past few years. So when I found out she was coming to Liverpool on her tour for Hell Bent, I just had to go. 

I decided to wear the Shadow and Bone jacket I painted just before the release of the show last year! 

First of all, the location for the event was absolutely gorgeous. It’s commonly used as a wedding venue and there were fairy lights dotted around all over the place. On our way in, we got given our signed copies of Hell Bent that came with the ticket. We were allowed to bring one item to have personalised, which I loved because it gave people the choice as to what they wanted signed. 

The event itself started with Leigh speaking a little about Hell Bent and how it came to be, and the rest of the time was a Q&A so she could answer as many reader questions as possible, which I completely adored. It was a very relaxed and casual event, and though I wasn’t brave enough to ask a question, I enjoyed hearing everyone else speak! 

Leigh made it clear that no questions were off limits – it could be anything about any of her stories and projects. There were quite a few people who spoke about what Leigh’s books meant to them and I actually teared up a few times! 

One of the stand-out questions for me was when someone asked if she’d consider writing short-story updates for Six of Crows, to which she said no. She explained that she didn’t see that format working for the story and it would take a full sequel off the table if she ever did want to return to that world in the future. I couldn’t agree more! If we were ever going to get a continuation of SoC, I’d definitely want it to be a full-length novel. 

Taking questions about Ninth House, Leigh told us a bit about her experience in Yale and how that helped shape the story. She recalled how she got criticism when the book was first released due to its themes, but she stuck by why she included them and told them in the way that she did. 

Of course, there were questions about the Shadow and Bone TV show. Someone questioned whether the Crows would be getting their own story told, without the plot being weaved into S&B. Leigh couldn’t tell us anything other than to keep supporting the show as best we can. 

When it was time for the actual signing, I asked Leigh to sign my painted jacket, which she adored! She told me I was talented, and I nearly burst into tears right there, but I managed to hold it together. 

I’m SO happy to have my jacket signed! It was the first time I’d attempted denim painting on that scale, so it was quite the challenge and it paid off. 

It was such a wonderful event and I’m thrilled that I had the chance to go!

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REVIEW: Mysteries of Thorn Manor by Margaret Rogerson

Pages: 192

Format: Hardback

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's

Genre: Fantasy, Romance

Release Date: January 17th 2023

Elisabeth Scrivener is finally settling into her new life with sorcerer Nathaniel Thorn. Now that their demon companion Silas has returned, so has scrutiny from nosy reporters hungry for gossip about the city’s most powerful sorcerer and the librarian who stole his heart. But something strange is afoot at Thorn Manor: the estate’s wards, which are meant to keep their home safe, are acting up and forcibly trapping the Manor’s occupants inside. Surely it must be a coincidence that this happened just as Nathaniel and Elisabeth started getting closer to one another . . . ?

With no access to the outside world, Elisabeth and Nathaniel have to work together to discover the source of the magic before they’re due to host the city’s Midwinter Ball. Faced with a house filled with unexpected secrets, the couple will have to lean on their connection like never before to set things right before it’s too late . . . 

Sorcery of Thorns was a book I picked up on a whim last year, not knowing much about it. As fate would have it, it turned out to be one of my favourite books of all time. It was everything I was looking for in a fantasy book, and I’ve been gushing about it ever since. When I found out there was going to be a novella sequel? I was THRILLED.  

This novella is exactly what I wanted from a short story follow-up. It catches us up with the characters and gives us what is essentially an extended epilogue. It’s fairly low-stakes, full of fluff, and packed with a mixture of fun action and wholesome bonding moments. Genuinely, I wish more authors would do small sequels like this. I live for them.  

This story expands on the characters so much and I adore it. It was especially great to get small glimpses into the long history that Silas has. He’s such a fascinating character and I could happily read a full-length novel about him. (I am HINTING)  

The absolute best thing, though, was getting a chance to see Elisabeth and Nathaniel’s relationship bloom. I can’t even begin to tell you how much I loved their chemistry in Sorcery of Thorns. In this book, we see them explore their feelings more and come to terms with their love for each other. Absence of a world-altering plot made for much more time to get to know them as characters.  

• Literally so much fun. I was giggling to myself throughout a lot of this novella. There are just so many funny moments. 

• New lore. We get a bigger look into the past of the Thorn family and of the world within this story in general. 

• Perfect amount of romance. Obviously, the romance between Elisabeth and Nathaniel is at the core of this story, but it’s also about them simply getting to know more about each other as well. 

• Silas. That’s it.  

I’m so grateful that Margaret Rogerson decided to bless us with this adorable story. I love these characters so much and I fully enjoyed getting back to them. Am I satisfied with the way this wraps everything up? Yes. Would I happily take more content set within this world? Absolutely.

Royal Rating: 

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Looking Back on 2022

Oh boy, what a year, huh? I don’t think you need me to recap how this year has been, well, a bit of a shit show for the world. So, I’m just going to focus on my little corner of the internet instead. 

In terms of how my Bookish Year has gone, I’m actually really proud. I didn’t write as many blog posts as I wanted to, or film as many videos, but what I did manage to do was get back out to book-related events. 

It was a huge deal for me because I haven’t attended an in-person book event since before 2020, and I’d missed them so much. But with my anxious self being out of practice at handling them, I was a little nervous about how I’d react. I can honestly say that the bookish events I’ve been to this year actually ended up being some of my favourite memories. 

It started back in May, when I finally got a chance to meet Simon James Green. Anyone who even casually glances at this blog knows how much I adore him, so it was wonderful to finally meet him in person. Then in the summer, I got to meet Cassandra Clare for the third time in an absolutely gorgeous The Last Hours event. And then there was November, when I got to see one of my all-time favourite authors, Alice Oseman. Being able to see bucket-list authors this year was absolutely not something I expected, but they visited places close to home and I’m SO happy I was able to go.

In other event milestones, I actually volunteered for my first book festival! It was the Wirral Kids Book Fest, hosted by my local bookshop, Bear Hunt Books. Helping Bear Hunt Books has been such a privilege over this past year, and I’m so thankful that this shop exists. Which leads me onto the next unexpected thing that happened this year… WINDOW DISPLAYS! 

I’ve had a *very* exciting day at the wonderful @bearhuntbooks today - I got to paint a #Heartstopper window graphic! Seeing all of the love for the story over the past week has made my heart burst because it absolutely deserves every ounce of praise! 💕🍂 pic.twitter.com/eE4AAogB4b

— katie 👑 (@KatieBookQueen) April 27, 2022

I’ve been taking my art more seriously since my dad passed away, as art was his main hobby and should honestly have been his profession. Losing him encouraged me to actually put myself out there when it came to art. And in 2022, I ended up with the opportunity to paint some window displays for Bear Hunt Books. Never having done anything of that scale before, I was nervous of it going horribly wrong, but it turned out great! I’ve done three displays this year and I’m proud of them all. I know my dad would be, too. 

As for my reading, I hit my goal for the year! I set it for thirty and I managed thirty-two, so I’m happy with that. It’s not quite as high as last year but I’ve been focusing on choosing books I’m especially drawn to and not pressuring myself to read certain ones. That’s meant that I’ve adored most of the books I’ve read this year! If you want to see my list of faves, then I posted it over on my booktube channel. There is one that I had a very difficult relationship with (If We Were Villains) but that’s a discussion for another time. I also did quite a few rereads, some of which I didn’t document on Goodreads, so my actual stats are higher. 

On to my biggest achievement of the year, one I saved right until the last minute. On December 12th, I finally opened an Etsy store for my bookish creations. It’s something I’ve been debating for years but I’ve never had the confidence to finally make the leap. In 2022, I was determined. I chose that date because it’s the anniversary of the day I lost my dad. Instead of focusing on the weight of that loss, I wanted to create a happy memory, and that memory is Bookstera. It’s been a small and slow start but I’m very much hoping to grow the shop in the new year. Either way, I’m so proud I finally had the courage to make a start! 

i’m finally launching my etsy shop! i’ve been wanting to put my bookish artwork online for a long time but ANXIETY, ya know??? i decided to take the plunge before the year is out though!

🌱 https://t.co/SYSYimSGPF

— katie 👑 (@KatieBookQueen) December 12, 2022

So, what about 2023? Over the past few years, I’ve tried not to make strict goals to achieve, and it’s worked out much better for me. With that in mind, my only goals for the next twelve months are to keep reading what I love and to create as much bookish content as I can. I would also love to grow within the community as well. I’m super anxious when it comes to reaching out and chatting to people, so I find it difficult to build connections with other bookish creators. That’s something I’d like to be able to work on this year. 

I also need to work on my blog a little bit. I haven’t really put much focus on SEO in the past, so I think it’s finally time to start learning about how to improve it! My About and Policy pages could do with a refresh, too. 

As for things to look forward to, Leigh Bardugo is coming to my city for her tour at the end of January so I’ve gotten myself a ticket and I can’t wait! And there’s plenty of books I’m anticipating, too. Let’s hope we all have a better year – we deserve it! 

What are your highlights from 2022?

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