A Rural Wolf Reads

  Blood Bound by Ellis Hunter Overall Rating: ★★★★☆ Ellis Hunter’s Blood Bound is an expansive fantasy full of magic, danger, familiars, witches, dragon riders, and a world with plenty happening beneath the surface. I gave it 4 stars overall; I enjoyed the story and appreciated the underlying ideas, though I felt the beginning could have been streamlined. Right from the start, the reader is hit with a wealth of information: an entire world, multiple languages, a magic and familiar system, witches, dragon riders, and an assassination plot all unfold in the opening pages. It’s a lot to process, and it makes the introduction feel overwhelming,too many concepts jostle for attention before the story has a chance to settle. For a novel over 400 pages, I think some editorial trimming could have helped create a smoother entry point. The worldbuilding is impressive, but it would have benefited from being spread out more, allowing the setting and characters to breathe. A stronger editorial ...

  The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson Rating: ★★★★★ There’s a reason Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House is such a renowned classic. At first glance, it’s a haunted house story—the familiar challenge: spend the night in a house with a sinister reputation and get something in return. While countless writers have used this setup, Jackson crafts it with such subtle menace, atmosphere, and precision that it still feels fresh. But the book’s horror goes far beyond the supernatural. It explores themes of manipulation, isolation, social pressure, and the unsettling ways people can impact each other. The narrative, set in the ominous Hill House, unfolds slowly, filling every page with creeping unease. There aren’t constant jump scares or obvious monsters. Instead, dread seeps in quietly, unsettling you as much through the actions and motives of the characters as through any ghostly presence. Eleanor is our guide, offering a lens on the suspense, discomfort, and strange ...

  Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman Audiobook Review Rating: ★★★★★ The end of the world has arrived. Humanity is on the verge of extinction. The dungeon’s doors are open, the levels await, and survival has become the universe’s favorite spectacle. Earth has missed its payments, and now the powerful corporations are collecting what’s owed, putting every living thing at risk. What follows is one of the wildest, funniest, most brutal, and unexpectedly smart adventures I’ve read in a long time. Dungeon Crawler Carl thrusts the reader into a nightmarish reality TV RPG, where Carl—and his recently inherited cat, Princess Donut—must fight their way through a deadly dungeon, floor by floor. Making it out alive takes brains, luck, quick thinking, and maybe a high charisma roll. Also, Carl is missing both pants and shoes. That detail really sets the tone for the madness ahead. As Carl makes his way through the dungeon, he’s met with bizarre creatures, terrifying monsters, questionable f...

  Japanese Gothic by Kylie Lee Baker Rating: ★★★★☆ Japanese Gothic is eerie, shadowy, and delightfully odd. The story centres on Lee, a young man haunted by the belief that he’s killed his roommate though he’s hazy on the details, uncertain about what actually happened or where the body might be. With this dread hanging over him, Lee abruptly leaves his American college, heading to his father’s new home in Japan. That’s when things take a turn for the truly unusual. Lee stumbles upon a portal reminiscent of Narnia, linking present-day Japan with its feudal past. Through this gateway, he meets Sen, a young woman samurai, and together, they navigate trauma, cultural expectations, and the weighty burdens placed on them by family and society. Though marketed as horror, I’d say this book leans more toward horror-thriller. There’s definitely gore, and some scenes are quite graphic—at times, I wondered if the author had a particular fascination with maggots, given their frequent appeara...

  June 2026 Reads June was a great start to my reading year. This month, I finished four books, even though I didn’t include a pre-release title as planned. That part will have to wait for another month, but I’m happy with the variety of genres and formats I managed to cover. Books I Finished Japanese Gothic by Kylie Lee Baker Rating: ★★★★☆ A fantastic way to begin the month—perfect for the darker tone I wanted. Blood Bound by Ellis Hunter Rating: ★★★★☆ Another enjoyable read. I’ll be posting a more in-depth review separately. The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson Rating: ★★★★★ A true classic. This was easily a highlight for me and just the sort of book I wanted to read as I dive deeper into classic horror and storytelling. Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman Format: Audiobook Rating: ★★★★★ An outstanding audiobook—hilarious, chaotic, outrageous, and much more clever than expected. A definite standout for the month. Reflections on June This month was a really pos...

For each month’s TBR, I decided to give myself a bit of structure. The aim is to read four books a month, but I want each one to come from a slightly different category so I do not end up burning myself out on one genre. **Book One: The Chunky Book** The first book will usually be a chunky one of over 400 pages. More often than not, this will come from my Illumicrate subscription because, by God, do they love to publish a beautiful brick of a book. Even if they have to make the font larger to reach the page count, the sprayed edges are usually delicious enough for me to forgive them. **Book Two: The Horror Book** The second book will be horror. I am subscribed to Illumicrate’s Evernight box, which arrives quarterly, so when that month’s box has arrived, the choice is made for me. In the months where there is no Evernight book, I will substitute this with a horror title that catches my attention, whether that comes from recommendations, reviews, BookTube, or something that simply looks ...

Along with finding my love for reading again, I’ve also returned to creative writing. It’s something I let go of years back—life got hectic, work and studies took priority, and writing gradually became something I just used to do, set aside for "someday". I don’t expect to publish anything, and honestly, that’s not my goal. I’ve started writing again simply because it helps me process things. Like everyone, I’ve faced my share of challenges, worries, and difficult experiences. We all have our own struggles, and daily life can be challenging enough. But working in emergency services adds another layer. There are things you witness and situations you face that aren’t always simple to handle afterwards. Writing creatively lets me take some of those experiences and feelings and set them down somewhere else for a while. Sometimes, I discover myself giving real emotions or tough situations to my characters. It allows me to step back and see these issues from a different perspective...

For quite a while, reading stopped being something I did for fun. Years of working through academic articles, medical guides, lecture notes, and journals turned reading into a task—useful, but not enjoyable. It became something required, not something I looked forward to. Gradually, I lost the pleasure of getting lost in a book. But over the last year, I’ve slowly rekindled my love for reading—not out of any obligation but simply because books are wonderful. They offer adventure, laughter, solace, fear, and sometimes a whole new way to see things. So far this year, I’ve finished over [insert number] books, including those I read before I officially started this blog. That doesn’t compare to some of the UK BookTubers I follow, who somehow manage ten or twenty books each month, but I see that as inspiration rather than pressure. In practice, I couldn’t keep up with that pace. My current goal is to set up a monthly TBR (To Be Read) list and aim to finish at least four books each month, ch...

Welcome to my little corner of the bookish world. This blog is a home for stories in every shape and size: the ones I read, the ones I carry with me long after the last page, and sometimes, the ones I create. Here, you’ll find book reviews, wandering thoughts, and reflections on characters, plots, worlds, and the odd magic that makes certain tales linger. Expect honest reviews, musings on books that have sparked something within me, and the occasional ramble about writing, reading, imagination, and all that lies between. Whether it’s fantasy, adventure, darker stories, emotional journeys, or unexpected favourites, this space is for savouring stories while keeping the joy alive. Every now and then, you’ll find original writing here in the way of short stories, fragments, and experiments, as I continue my own creative journey. So, whether you’re seeking recommendations, insights, inspiration, or just a stroll through someone else’s bookshelf, you’re welcome here. Pull up a chair, watch o...