End of Year Book Haul!

It is officially the last day of December and the end of 2019, so it’s time for me to share the books I bought/received in the last 31 days!

It’s hard to believe that another year has come to an end, but I have some incredible books that I can’t wait to get to in 2019. Next year is going to be an amazing one for reading, I just know it because there are so many debuts that I am looking forward to and series that I want to complete (as well as books that have been sitting patiently on my shelves).

To kick off the end of the year and month, these are the books I received as Christmas gifts.

Truthwitch by Susan Dennard

Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan

Shadow of the Fox by Julie Kagawa

The Dark Vault by V. E. Schwab

I can’t tell you how excited I am to read every single one of these books and the covers all look so amazing! I’ve heard some great things about all of these, especially Girls of Paper and Fire, which I will definitely be reading in January at some point.

I wasn’t planning on buying any books myself this month (apart from a preorder I had on my Kindle) but then I saw there was a Kindle sale and I just couldn’t help myself. All of the books you see below apart from the pre-order cost me just over £5 altogether, which is amazing! The book I pre-ordered was Evermore, which is the sequel to Everless that I read last year.

Circe by Madeline Miller (currently reading)

Caraval by Stephanie Garber

Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor

The Poppy War by R. F. Kuang

Evermore by Sara Holland

The first four books are all ones that I have been dying to read but just never got the chance to. There was also the fact that some of them were quite expensive, so I’m glad that the sale happened and I can now see what all the hype is about.

Finally, these are the books that I requested on NetGalley!

Enchantee by Gita Trelease

Romanov by Nadine Brandes

Wicked Saints by Emily A. Duncan

I didn’t actually request Wicked Saints, I was asked if I wanted to participate in the blog tour that will be happening and I obviously said yes! I follow Emily on Twitter and have seen so much about this book that I cannot wait to dive into it at the beginning of the year.

All in all, this was a great month for book buying and receiving, which should keep me going well into the first few months of the year. One of my 2019 goals is to spend less time on social media and more time reading. I keep imaging how many pages or chapters I could read in the 20 or 30 minutes I spend on Twitter.

Let me know what books you bought for the month of December and which ones you are looking forward to the most in 2019!

The Best Books I Read in 2018

How are there only 2 full days left of the year? It always blows my mind when we reach the end of another year and I think about how quickly the days are passing now that I’m getting older.

At the beginning of the year, I set myself a goal to read 50 books, but unfortunately, I have only read 43 (although I hope to make it 44 by the time Monday comes to an end). I hate that I went through a reading slump for three months because if I hadn’t, I would have been able to smash that goal. However, the 43 (44) books I have read this year were mostly amazing and it was so hard to choose my top 10.

Originally I had wanted to put them in order, but it was too difficult. I put my top 5 in the right spots, and the remaining 5 have no order to them because I couldn’t decide. So, here are my favourite reads for 2018!

1. Scythe by Neal Shusterman

If there is one book that I have talked about the most on my blog and my Twitter page, it is Scythe. I cannot even begin to describe my love for this book and the world that Shusterman created. From the very beginning, I was sucked in and I had to keep knowing more. The concept of there being no disease or wars and that people can only die if gleaned by a scythe was so interesting to me and made me wonder if the world would really be a better place.

There are quite a few plot twists that I didn’t expect and when I reached the end, I knew I had to buy the sequel. This was the easiest 5 stars I have ever given a book and it is one that I will surely read again in the future. You can check out my full review here.

2. Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman

I thought it couldn’t get much better than Scythe and I was wrong. Thunderhead took the story to new levels that I didn’t think was even possible. I was on the edge of my seat wanting to turn the pages to find out what would happen. The plot twists were amazing and the character development was incredible.

What I loved the most was finding out more about the Thunderhead and the introduction of new characters who slowly became more important throughout. Even now, thinking about that ending gives me so many mixed emotions; shock, anger, sadness, but most of all excitement. I cannot wait to see how Shusterman will finish off the trilogy. You can check out my review here and if you haven’t read this series, what are you waiting for?

3. The Grisha Verse Trilogy by Leigh Bardugo

I was trying to figure out which of these books I enjoyed the most to add to this list and I thought, why not just add all of them? I feel like I was very late to read these books but I am so glad that I did because they are amazing. The world building is some of the best I have ever read. Everything was crystal clear in my mind, with a Russian influence that is clear but not overbearing and the characters were all so interesting.

Alina is one of my favourite main characters and her growth throughout the trilogy was amazing to watch with her growing into her powers. There’s a debate on whether people prefer the Darkling or Mal, but I love them both for different reasons and the ending of this series is one of my favourites! You can see the reviews for Shadow and Bone, Siege and Storm, and Ruin and Rising by clicking on the links. This is definitely a series I will read again in the future.

4. Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this to read and I can’t tell you how much I love this debut novel. I have never read a book so quickly. Once I started, I was hooked with the story of family, loyalty and love. It is about overcoming prejudice and the character development was written beautifully. There is so much emotion in this book and I felt everything that the characters went through, which was a lot.

Some of my favourite parts were the action scenes and that is because they were written so well that I forgot about everything else around me. Sky in the Deep is one of those books you could read multiple times and never get bored, so if you have yet to pick it up, head to your nearest bookstore and give it a read. If you need a little more convincing, you can read my full review here.

5. An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

Unfortunately, I don’t have a review written for this book as it is when I didn’t have a lot of time to blog, but this book was amazing. I had been hearing so many great things about this series, so when the Kindle version went on sale, I had to have it and I devoured it. What I loved was how seamless the dual perspectives were. With some books, it can be jarring to keep switching between voices, but this was written so well. Elias and Laia have such distinct voices and I loved the paths that they took in this first book in the series.

I’ve always been a sucker for books inspired by the Romans, so I knew I was going to like this before I started it. Given that a lot of fantasies are written in the third person, it was really refreshing to read a story told in the first person. I just finished the second book, A Torch Against the Night, which I loved just as much. I advise you to give this series a go if you love action-packed scenes, romance and danger.

6. Vicious by V. E. Schwab

Vicious is the second book I have read by V. E. Schwab and I am so glad that I bought it because it quickly became one of my favourites. Once again, I was in a reading slump and was struggling to find something to capture my attention until this book came along. It only took me a few days to read and I think that is because the pacing of the book is so quick, especially with the timeline jumping, which is something I wasn’t sure of in the beginning but quickly loved.

There is a sense of urgency when you read it and you just want to get to the end to find out what will happen to Victor and Eli. Their rivalry is one of my favourites, where I could see both sides and why they felt the way they did. They are dark, funny and totally badass, which is one of the reasons why I love this book so much. I already have the sequel, Vengeful, on my shelves to read in 2019. I don’t read many adult books, but this has definitely gotten me into the genre, which is more Sci-Fi than Fantasy in my opinion.

7. Circe by Madeline Miller

It may seem a little odd to put a book on this list that I haven’t finished yet, but I’m going to do it because I already love it so much. I absolutely adore Greek mythology and devoured so many YA and Adult books based on it when I was younger. It had been years since I came across one until I saw that Circe was on offer for an incredible £0.99 and I remembered how many people had been praising it on Twitter.

Well, I’m already a third of the way through and I only started it yesterday. I am hooked. Everything about this story is so captivating, but the voice is what’s drawn me in. The story-telling is amazing and the story of Circe is so heart-breaking that I feel everything with her. As someone who has at one time or another been an outsider, I can relate to her so much. Circe is actually a goddess that I haven’t heard much about before, which I think is one of the reasons I love it so much. Of course, we see the other famous Gods and Goddesses, but I love learning about the ones I didn’t know of before. I can’t wait to read this book and finish her story.

8. A Court of Thorns and Roses Series by Sarah J. Maas

2018 was the year I finally read A Court of Thorns and Roses, A Court of Mist and Fury, and A Court of Wings and Ruin, so it only makes sense that I add them all on here because I loved them. I read all three in the months that I took a hiatus from blogging while I dealt with being made redundant at my job. I absolutely flew through the first book and loved the parallels between Beauty and the Beast. Like most people probably did, I fell in love with Tamlin and swooned at how he cared for Feyre, so you can imagine my surprise at the events that took place in the two sequels. My emotions were all over the place with this series and I enjoyed every minute of it.

The characters were so intriguing and the growth that most of them went through hooked me, especially Feyre. From the beginning to the events of the third book, I watched her grow into this amazing woman who could do anything. I also realised why people like Rhys as a character, although I still held onto the Tamlin from the first book. I won’t lie, it took me a while to get through the second and third book as I was in the middle of a slump, but I enjoyed them. I definitely feel like this is a series I will have to re-read in the future to get all the details.

9. The Language of Thorns by Leigh Bardugo

If you want to know how much I loved this book, I read it all within a day. I sat down in the morning and I didn’t move anywhere until the late afternoon when I finally shut the book. This collection of stories and fairy tales from the Grisha Verse was the first thing I read from Leigh Bardguo before diving in the Grisha Trilogy that I mentioned above. The writing in it was the most beautiful I had ever read. Everything about it took my breath away and it was one of those books where I held it to my chest when I finished, feeling so grateful I got to read those words.

It’s hard to choose a favourite story when there are six to choose from, each one dark and twisted, but filled with emotion. One of my favourite parts of this book was the illustrations. At the beginning of each story they would start in the corner and as the pages were turned they would keep growing until you reached the full-page image at the end. As an artist, I could appreciate the detail and beauty of each one and how they brought the story to life. If you haven’t read this book yet, you need to, because it is amazing. You can see my full review here.

10. Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

There was a lot of hype surrounding this debut novel, which always makes me nervous because sometimes it doesn’t live up to it. However, I didn’t have that problem with Children of Blood and Bone because it was an incredible story and debut novel. I had never read a story based on West African mythology before and I was hooked from the beginning. There is so much detail and action on the pages that I wanted to soak in, but the information never felt like it was overwhelming me, which can sometimes happen with books.

One of the parts I loved the most was the magic system and how intricate it was, as well as being so unique. The adventure that Zelie and the other characters go on is so thrilling, showing how they are growing along the way and discovering new things about themselves. I love this story so much that when a chance came up to meet Tomi Adeyemi, I took it and it was amazing to hear how she came up with the story, as well as her process for writing it. The talk inspired me so much to keep going with my own writing and I will always be thankful for that. If you’d like to see my full review, you can read it here.

There were so many books that I enjoyed in 2018 that I wish could have been on the list, but I didn’t want it to go on forever. Did you manage to read any of these this year?

Let me know your all-time favourite book for 2018 in the comments below!

Books That Disappointed Me in 2018

I’m getting terrible at this blogging thing but my reason is that I had a migraine for a week and I just about managed to do my regular work, let alone any blogging or writing for myself. Luckily it finally came to an end and I am ready to start doing my 2018 round-up blog posts!

I thought I’d start off with the hardest one for me to write, which is the books that disappointed me in 2018. It’s hard because I don’t want to dislike a book. I always pick one up in the hopes that I fall in love with the characters and the world, but these ones missed the mark for me. However, just because I didn’t like them, doesn’t mean that you didn’t.

If I’ve learnt anything this year it’s that everyone has an opinion, whether it’s good or bad, and we have to accept it. You’ll never see me tagging an author in a bad review on social because that’s just mean and I wouldn’t want someone to do that to me.

So, with that in mind, these are the books that I didn’t enjoy reading as much as I would have liked…

1. Zenith by Sasha Alsberg and Lindsay Cummings

I’m going to start by saying that I like these two authors as people and I often watch Sasha’s YouTube channel. When I heard about their book I was hesitant because I don’t really read sci-fi books. I thought it didn’t like them (which isn’t true because I loved Scythe and Thunderhead) but I did not enjoy Zenith.

I gave it a good go by reading half of it, but I found it boring. I didn’t get why people were raving about it, especially the characters. They were supposed to be these badass girls who killed with no mercy and stole from others, but they couldn’t have been further from it. They were literally telling one another not to swear…but they have no problem attacking people? It didn’t make sense and the world building wasn’t good in my opinion.

It felt like things were just chucked into the story to make it seem like they have this fully developed world, but in reality, it was just confusing when it wasn’t explained and some of it just wasn’t needed. My other issue was to do with how the book read and I think this is because it was written by two authors. It just felt like the flow wasn’t there and you could tell when certain sections were written by one and some by the other, but that’s just how I felt.

I kept this on my ‘reading’ section on Goodreads for months, thinking that I would end up reading it again, but it’s a no from me. Of course, other people love this book. These are just my views, but it’s definitely made me not want to read their books in the future.

2. Furyborn by Claire Legrand

This physically hurts me to add this book to this list because I wanted to love it so much! There was so much hype and I think that was part of the problem. My expectations were so high that once I’d read the first half, my heart sank. I read 250 pages before I realised I wasn’t enjoying it, which should have been evident in that it was taking me weeks to read.

The simple fact is that I just didn’t care. The characters were supposed to be these badass women and they didn’t really come across that way. I couldn’t connect to them, which was my main issue and I think that is because of their personalities. They just seemed bratty in a way. The second was that the two main characters whose POVs the story is told from were so similar that it was hard to differentiate between them. Then there was the fact that the constant switching between POV was so jarring I kept getting pulled from the story.

When it comes to worldbuilding, there were certain aspects I liked and then there were others that I disliked. The magic system was cool, but the history of the world was so confusing that I still don’t know what was going on. I wanted to love this so bad (and it had a gorgeous cover) but it didn’t do it for me and I don’t think I’ll be giving it another go in the future.

3. Sea Witch by Sarah Henning

I actually liked Sea Witch, but my issue was that I was expecting more. The problem I had was that I felt the pacing was slow, which made it seem like I was taking forever to read it and I just didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought I would.

The last quarter of the book was incredible, but it took too long to get to a point where I was invested, especially in the characters. I did read this as an ARC so I’m not sure if anything changed much with the formatting, but I just felt it read awkwardly at times. That is the main reason why this book is on my list, but I did give it 3 stars overall, which you can read about here in my review.

4. The Sisters of the Winter Wood by Rena Rossner

I was actually given this book to read as an ARC because I thought the premise sounded so unique and I’d never really read a book before that was based on Jewish Mythology. I started off enjoying the book and the direction it was heading in, but I got lost along the way.

I’m pretty sure it was to do with the format of the chapters. One of the siblings was written normally and the other was written in the style of a poem and it kept throwing me. This was also when I was going through a rough reading slump, which could have affected the way I read this book. I did DNF it, but I might come back to it one day as I would like to know how it ends. I just think I have to be in the right mindset for it.

5. The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert

The Hazel Wood is my final pick to go on this list and the reason for that is I expected something different than what I got. I thought the majority of this story would be about dark fairytales and creepy forests, but almost half of it was spent in the city and travelling on the road. I wanted more of the fantasy elements, but instead, it felt very contemporary for the first half.

I liked the book and ended up giving it 3 stars in the end, but it wasn’t what I expected. My other issue was the main character, Alice, who I just couldn’t connect with because she was a bit rude and unlikable at times. Overall, it was a good book and if you want to know more, you can read my thoughts in my review here.

I’m really glad that this list isn’t any longer than it is and that three of them were books that I DNF. Like I mentioned in my earlier blog post, ‘Why I’m No Longer Afraid to DNF A Book‘ I don’t see a problem with not finishing a book you aren’t enjoying. After all, there are so many books being released all the time, I’d rather spend my time reading those instead.

Are there any books that disappointed you this year? Let me know in the comments below!

Top Ten Tuesday: My Bookish Resolutions For 2018

Top Ten Tuesday was originally hosted over at The Broke and The Bookish and is now over at Jana’s blog, That Artsy Reader Girl.

This weeks topic is about what our book resolutions and goals for 2018 are. When I saw what the top ten was for this week, I was excited because I have a few resolutions in mind. 2017 was the year that I got back into reading after about 3 years of not reading any books (or at least, a few each year). Life gets in the way and I was so busy travelling and working that I didn’t have the time. Now that my love of reading is back with a vengeance (I need another bookcase), it’s time to write down some resolutions.

1. Read at least one book a week

My goal on Goodreads is to read 50 books in 2018, so I am aiming to read at least one a week. So far I have been successful in doing that, but then again, we are only a couple of weeks into the new year. My plan is to read one hardback/paperback book and one on Kindle every week so that I can get through my TBR pile (ARCs from Netgalley are my main Kindle reads at the moment).

2. Try and stick to my monthly TBR list as much as possible

I already have a lot of books on my shelf that I want to read (some I have owned for a while), but there are always new books coming out. This year I am going to try and set myself a mixture of old and new books to read each month. As long as I read the main ones I have succeeded (any extra books I squeeze in is a bonus).

3. Spend no more than £30 a month on books

This one…I’m not sure if I can stick to this one, but I’m going to try. Money seems to do this thing where it burns a hole in my pocket and I always want to spend it on books. But with £30 I should be able to get at least 5 books if they are all around £6 and with cheap deals on Book Depository and the Kindle store, I’m sure that is more than doable. Plus, I bought way too many books over December and January (already) so I better get reading.

4. Avoid distractions while reading

We probably all spend too much time on our phones (looking at you twitter) and when I think about it, that time could be better spent reading. While it’s nice to keep up with the world, I would rather be immersed in a brand new world. Who agrees? Plus, I’ll be able to get through books a lot quicker.

5. Try reading genres that I normally don’t go near

This year is a year for trying out new things and I’ve noticed there are definitely some genres that I don’t give attention to. At the moment I am loving Young Adult Fantasy and Adult Fantasy (mainly because I, myself, am writing a Fantasy novel) and I want to branch out. Sci-fi is one that I don’t read often so I am going to give that one a go, as well as the horror and thriller genre.

6. Make sure I read all my NetGalley approvals first

NetGalley is incredible. You get the opportunity to read books from new (sometimes established) authors before everyone else does (as long as you’re approved). Lately, every book I have requested has been approved and it is amazing. I just have to make sure that I read them first before anything else. This is where it comes in handy that I am reading two at the same time. Fingers crossed I can keep this one going all year long!

7. Buy a new bookcase

So, this one kind of counts as a resolution. My current bookcase is looking a little worn out (the back is coming apart) so first of all I need to replace it…and then I need to buy another because it is literally full to the brim. I used to have 3 bookcases when I was younger and while it may take me a while to get there again, I can guarantee that it will happen.

8. Carry on writing 1,000 words a day

The last few on this list will be for my own book as that is just as important as reading. I have set myself the goal of writing at least 1,000 words a day and for the last two weeks I have successfully stuck to it. And if there were ever any days where I didn’t write (like this weekend that just went) I made up for it on the next day. So far it is working really well and I have surpassed the 60,000 words mark.

9. Finish writing the first draft of my novel by the end of April

Ideally I would love to have finished it before my birthday, which is the 24th of March, but I don’t think that it will happen. I mean, it could try, but it’s very unlikely at the moment. There is still so much that I want to write and I am one of these people that writes a rough synopsis, but then trails away from it and then I have to just wing it. I love that though because then my story surprises me as well. I just want to get to my plot twist because it’s so good!

10. Never give up on my dreams

It’s tough not to doubt yourself, your abilities and the story you want to tell. Especially when there are so many incredible books out there in the world. I feel it sometimes. I read something that is mindbogglingly good and I get a little sad thinking that I will never write like that. But of course I won’t. Because I have my own voice and I can’t be afraid of going for my dream. I have spent the last few years of my life writing content for various media companies, why can’t I write novels for a living too?

I hope you enjoyed reading my top ten (and all the gifs too). What goals or resolutions are you wanting to set yourself this year when it comes to reading and writing?

Wrapping Up December & Setting Goals For 2018

December was a strange month. Not only did it fly by with Christmas looming in the distance, the first couple of weeks were stressful due to my boyfriend’s operation. The Christmas break allowed me time to relax, de-stress from the last few weeks and spend some quality time with the ones I love (although I wish I hadn’t been ill for most of it).

Today I just got home from my holiday in Ireland with my dad and family (btw, flying in the wind is not fun) and I am ready for the New Year, heading back to work and setting myself some goals to achieve in 2018. When I was thinking about what I wanted to achieve, I decided to make them as realistic as possible. Here are just a few:

• Finish writing my novel (I’m 50,000 words in and hope to finish it and have it edited by the end of 2018).
• Read 50 books (seems do-able with one a week).
• Work on my health and fitness (this is one I know will take time, but I am more than willing to commit).
• Post more regularly on my blog (If I can do at least 3 a week, I’ll be happy).
• Save money (this will be the most difficult for me, I like to buy things).
• Always look at the positives in every situation (if the last few months have taught me anything, it’s that things aren’t always as bad as they seem).

Fingers crossed, that at the end of 2018 I can look back on these and say that I completed them. Now to go onto the important things, the books I read. While it may not seem a lot, I have to remind myself that it was a busy month and I can work on it in the New Year.

Books I Read…

Everless By Sara Holland

I feel that Everless was one of my favourite reads of 2017, if not my favourite one! It was incredible, original and fast paced. Everless was everything I love in a book and I cannot wait for the sequel. I was easily able to give it five stars and you can check out my review here.

Angelfall by Susan Ee

Finally I got around to reading Angelfall after hearing so much about the series and I have to say that I enjoyed it. While it isn’t what I am used to reading now (I prefer Fantasy books and novels with a more grown up POV), it was a great change of pace and was worthy of the 4 stars. You can read my review here.

Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas

All I can say is, Holy crap…this book was incredible and that ending was amazing. I loved Crown of Midnight even more than Throne of Glass (if that is even possible) and I have a feeling this series is going to get better and better with each one. Easily a five star read and you can check out my thoughts here.

I guess 3 books isn’t too bad considering all that happened in the space of a month. I am aiming to read at least 4 every month if I can and maybe sometimes I will read even more.

Hopefully you managed to read some incredible books in the last month of 2017 and here’s to many more in 2018!

November Book Haul & December TBR

I had intended on writing this post yesterday, but I had to go to the hospital with my boyfriend and I was stuck there for almost 5 hours straight (note to self: never get ill because it was awful waiting around). It was a very long day and by the time we got home I didn’t have the energy to write. But fear not, I am feeling much better today after nearly 10 hours sleep.

My book haul for November is slightly less than I would have liked. I did order some books, but unfortunately I missed the delivery and had to reschedule it and now they won’t arrive until Monday. I did think about including them anyway, but I suppose I can just add them onto December’s Haul (that will be a big one with Christmas on the way).

My Haul…

I received two e-books from Netgalley last month, both of which I am looking forward to reading this month, ready to post reviews before they are released in January.

The Sacrifice Box by Martin Stewart (comes out January 11th, 2018)

Sep, Arkle, Mack, Lamb and Hadley: five friends thrown together one hot, sultry summer. When they discover an ancient stone box hidden in the forest, they decide to each make a sacrifice: something special to them, committed to the box for ever. And they make a pact: they will never return to the box at night; they’ll never visit it alone; and they’ll never take back their offerings.

Four years later, the gang have drifted apart. Then a series of strange and terrifying events take place, and Sep and his friends understand that one of them has broken the pact.

As their sacrifices haunt them with increased violence and hunger, they realise that they are not the first children to have found the box in their town’s history. And ultimately, the box may want the greatest sacrifice of all: one of them.

This book definitely gives me IT vibes, so it will be interesting to find out more when I get around to reading it.

Keeper by Kim Chance (comes out January 30th, 2018)

When a 200-year-old witch attacks her, sixteen-year-old bookworm Lainey Styles is determined to find a logical explanation. Even with the impossible staring her in the face, Lainey refuses to believe it—until she finds a photograph linking the witch to her dead mother.

After consulting a psychic, Lainey discovers that she, like her mother, is a Keeper: a witch with the exclusive ability to unlock and wield the Grimoire, a dangerous but powerful spell book. But there’s a problem. The Grimoire has been stolen by a malevolent warlock who is desperate for a spell locked inside it—a spell that would allow him to siphon away the world’s magic.

With the help of her comic-book-loving best friend and an enigmatic but admittedly handsome street fighter, Lainey must leave her life of college prep and studying behind to prepare for the biggest test of all: stealing back the book. 

I’ve heard some really great things about this book and so far it has a 4.2 rating on Goodreads (anything above a 4 is normally something I end up loving).

On my TBR List this month…

Apart from these books and the two I am waiting to arrive (which I will include in this section) there are a couple more I want to get my hands on during the holidays.

Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare

Crown Of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas

A Court Of Thorns And Roses by Sarah J. Maas

Talon by Julie Kagawa

I am probably being a bit ambitious here, but if I manage to read all of these, plus the two e-books, I will give myself a big pat on the back.

What books are you looking forward to reading this month?