This month, our very first online book club chat was all about Hour of the Bees by Lindsay Eager. 

The Turn The Page Book Chat takes place on the Friday after the podcast goes live at 7pm (UK). To join, just follow the #TTPBookChat hashtag on Twitter. 

You can catch my review of the book here and listen to our podcast chat here. 

Next month, we'll be reading The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow. If you'd like to join us, read the book and tune in on the 11th August for our podcast and 14th August for the next Twitter chat! 

Genre: YA/Fantasy
Series/Standalone: Standalone
How I got this book: Birthday gift

TW: Mental Illness (Dementia), Grief

This book was chosen as our very first Turn The Page book club read, and you can catch our chat about this book on Tuesday 14th July 2020. You can also join in our Twitter book club chat on Friday 17th July 2020 (just use #TTPBookChat)

I want to start by saying that I did not expect to enjoy this book as much as I did.

I purposefully didn't find anything out about this book aside from the blurb on the back cover, and so I didn't even know what genre this book was, which I'm actually really glad for because I had no idea at all what to expect and I was pleasantly surprised. 

I did have some issues with this book, mainly with the parents. I mean, first of all, what parent would leave a 12-year-old child alone with a grandfather she's never met who has severe dementia and a baby?

I understand that the parents were struggling with grief and pain in their own ways, but it just didn't sit well. 

For the first couple of chapters, I wasn't sure I was going to enjoy this book, it just didn't 'click' for me until Serge began to tell his story and after that, I was hooked. 

I loved how, from this moment, the mystery and magic built quickly until I was fully immersed in the story. In fact, I was so lost in the story that I didn't realise how quickly I was reading it and then all of a sudden I was at the end. 

And for once, I was completely and 100% happy with how a story ended! No cliffhangers, just lots of possibilities. 

Overall, I was blown away by the quick-pace of this book and the magic-filled family history. I was fully invested in both Carol and Serge's characters and loved their dynamic. 

I can't believe it's already time for Episode Two of the Turn The Page podcast, our new, monthly podcast where we talk about our latest reads, book news and bookish events.

First of all, Sophie and I would like to thank everyone who listened to and got in touch with us about Episode One, your feedback was fantastic and we're so glad you enjoyed our first episode. 

We have also recently launched a YouTube channel so that you can listen to the podcast there if you prefer. 

In this episode, we talk about Pride Month, the Summer #ReadWithPride challenge and discuss our very first Turn The Page book club book, Hour of the Bees. 

Here's a little of what you can expect:

Listen to the podcast below, feel free to comment and tune in again on the 2nd Tuesday of each month for the latest episode! Subscribe on your favourite podcast platform here! 

Happy listening and happy reading!

Please note:
1. We did experience a few minor technical issues while recording this podcast so we apologies for any inconsistencies.
2. At around 11-12 minutes into the podcast, I accidentally named the wrong title of a book. The book I was talking about was not Project Hero (although that book was also great), the book I'd meant to reference was Charlie Sunshine (that's what I get for not adding it to Goodreads!)

Sophie and I are very excited to share with you Episode One of the Turn The Page book podcast, our new, monthly podcast where we talk about our latest reads, book news and bookish events.

In this episode, we introduce our new monthly book club and chat about books that have changed our lives, why we love a good plot twist, books about racism and race, and much more! 

Here's a little of what you can expect:

Listen below, feel free to comment and tune in again on the 2nd Tuesday of each month for the latest episode! Subscribe on your favourite podcast platform here! 

Happy listening and happy reading!

Please note: This podcast is intended as a way for us to chat about various books and, while we may enjoy certain books, that doesn't necessarily mean that we support, or are even aware of, all that the author(s) stand for. Having said that, this podcast episode was recorded before we became aware of the actions and comments from J.K. Rowling, and we have decided that we will not be continuing to read either The Ickabog or the Galbraith series (both mentioned in this podcast) in support of our friends in the trans community.