Wrapping Up February ’18 – Time Flies

Well, March really did creep up on me. It’s supposed to be spring time and yet we were just hit with the most snow we’ve seen in the UK in years and I’ve had to work from home for the last three days (not as fun as it sounds when you can’t leave the house at all). The start of the month hasn’t been too great as I am once again ill and haven’t read a book in a couple of days now.

February came and went within the blink of an eye, but it was a busy month so I’m not really surprised. Hard to believe we’ll be over a quarter of the way through the year before we know it and in just over three weeks it’ll be my birthday. That means more book buying (and books being given as gifts).

I have some exciting news about my current WIP…it’s almost finished. I’m currently at 97,000 words (seems like a lot now) and I only have two chapters left to write. TWO! This book is everything to me and I love the characters so much. There is a lot of work to do, some plot holes to fill in, dialogue to flesh out, but I am so excited. I even bought a bottle of Moet & Chandon Rose to celebrate tomorrow night (because I will finish it tomorrow, I just know it). The last time I finished writing a book was a long time ago, maybe 2011/2012. I’m not sure, so it is an amazing feeling to have again. Let’s hope I can get an agent.

Books I Read…

Keeper of the Watch by Kristen L. Jackson

The first book I finished in the month was a bit of a disappointment to me. I went into it knowing I didn’t really enjoy the sci-fi genre and I hoped this could change my mind. It didn’t. However, as with everything, there were some good points to it. It had a fast pace, was light hearted and there was some good banter between the characters. Unfortunately, I didn’t connect with this book and that is why I gave it 3 stars. You can read my review here.

The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert

I think I expected something a little different when I read the blurb for The Hazel Wood. I expected it to have more parts dedicated to the dark and creepy fairy tales. I wanted more of an atmosphere, but a large part of the plot took place in New York, giving it an urban fantasy feel. I enjoyed the book, but I didn’t connect with the characters or the story they were telling. Overall, this was a 3 star read for me and you can check out all my thoughts here.

Reign of the Fallen by Sarah Glenn Marsh

I’ve gone on about this book a few times since I read it, but if you didn’t know already, I loved it. Everything about this book was perfect to me and it had everything I love in a dark, YA Fantasy novel. There was action, love, death, and it covered the tough topic of how to deal with grief and the ways in which it can manifest. I was hooked, sinking deeper into the world and I didn’t want to story to end. All in all, this book was more than deserving of 4.5 stars, and you can read my review here.

Between the Blade and the Heart by Amanda Hocking

The final book I read in February was kind of mediocre in terms of writing, but I still found it enjoyable and fun. This book didn’t take itself too seriously and was set within an urban fantasy world with Norse mythology woven into it. Definitely a unique idea that I’m not used to and actually liked. The characters were okay, there was a bit of romance and quite a lot of action. I know there is a second book, and as I gave the first 3 stars, I want to find out how it will end. Check out my full review here.

While I mainly stuck to the TBR list I set myself at the beginning of the month, I did deviate a little and there was a couple of books I didn’t get to. 4 in total isn’t too bad, especially as I’ve been ill twice in a month (so not fun) and I’ve been diving into my writing. Plus, February is a shorter month anyway so fingers crossed March allows me to read more amazing books.

What was the best book that you read in February?

WWW Wednesday – IT’S A SNOW DAY!

WWW Wednesday was originally hosted by A Daily Rhythm, and was taken over by Taking on a World of Words.

So the title of this blog gave it away, but it snowed a ton last night and during the day over here in the UK. There was that much that my boss told everyone to stay home and work from the comfort of our houses. So while I didn’t get to go out and enjoy the snow (it was -4 so it’s not that much fun) I was busy working away and managed to not get too distracted by the white stuff falling from the sky.

I did manage to read a little bit before I started my work for the day, so I guess it’s time to talk about books.

What Are You Currently Reading?

I have seen everyone reading this book lately, gearing up for its release in just over a weeks time. I have read nearly half of this book already and I am really enjoying it. Like I’ve said before, I haven’t read a book about sirens and pirates in a very long time and it’s a refreshing take on them. Hopefully I can finish this book before the weekend arrives.

What Did You Recently Finish Reading?

Between the Blade and the Heart was a fun and entertaining read that I enjoyed, even if it wasn’t the best book I’ve ever read. The characters were fairly likeable, there were action sequences and some Norse mythology thrown in with a cool urban fantasy setting. This book was definitely different to what I am used to reading, but it was refreshing. I gave this 3 stars and you can check out my review here.

What Do You Think You’ll Read Next?

Ugh, so I suppose I should finish reading Zenith but I just can’t bring myself to do it, and I don’t know why. I was beginning to really like this book and then I just stopped reading it and now I can’t get back into it. I don’t really want to force it (because then I know I won’t enjoy it) but at the same time I hate leaving books unfinished. Maybe I’ll give this another try at the weekend and hope for the best.

We are one step closer to the weekend now and I can’t wait to relax (and for it to get warmer as well). I hope you’ve all been having a good week and are reading some great books.

Wrapping Up The Week (12th February – 18th February)

Once you get past January the weeks just seem to fly by! Already we are over halfway through the month and I am halfway through reading all of my TBR list. I’m back to reading two books at the same time to try and speed things up, so I’m hoping it’s going to work!

This week has been a really good one in terms of work, but unfortunately not so much for my writing at the beginning. For some reason my anxiety was spiking, and while I don’t tend to talk too much about this topic online (I keep it to myself), it did affect my creativity. Luckily for me my attitude and outlook was starting to change and I managed to write nearly 3,000 words this weekend. I also received something that I hope will help me to stay organised and it is….The Happiness Planner! It’s gorgeous (as you can see below) and I can’t wait to get using it this week.

I’ve been a little slow when it comes to reading and I think it’s because I’m taking a while to get into the book I’m currently reading, reasons of which I will mention in the following sections.

Books I read and reviewed…

I finally got my review up for Reign of the Fallen, which I read last week, and absolutely adored. I’ve been raving about this book a lot on my blog and it deserves every bit of love it has been receiving from the reading community. You can read my review and check out my thoughts here.

I am currently reading…

So, where do I begin? Overall, I’m liking Zenith, even enjoying it in some place, but it’s taken me some time to get into the story. There are flashbacks, different character perspectives, lots of withholding of information and it’s a little slow in places. But there is also some action, humour and likeable characters. I am curious to see where the second half of the book will take me.

I also started Between the Blade and the Heart, which is due to be released on the 22nd of this month so I am trying to read it before then. I’m only 11% of the way through, so I don’t have much of an opinion right now, but I like how different the world is. Fingers crossed I can get a review up by the end of the week.

Posts from the week…

Top Ten Tuesday: Books With Incredible Romances

WWW Wednesday – In A Galaxy…

Again, another quiet week and I think it was definitely to do with the mental health issues I had in the week. But fear not! I am much better and raring to go! Especially because I get to use my new planner.

My WIP…

I am currently at almost 84,000 words and I am SO close to reaching the climax of my book (and my amazing plot twist) that I just cannot wait! Only a few more chapters before I get to the gritty stuff. Honestly, I am so excited to get to the editing stage and I can make the changes that have been running around my head. There’s a few plot holes, but I know how to fix them and that’s all that matters.

Other Fun Stuff…

This weekend my boyfriend and I went into town and visited the new restaurant, The Cosy Club, for brunch. It has a 1930s style, as seen in the photos, and it was amazing. Such a cool and interesting restaurant that features some of the history of Lincoln (the city I live in) and the decor is to die for. I love the mix-matched chairs and the vintage flair. Not to mention, the food was amazing too! Of course I had to go for a fry up.

Afterwards we went to a wildlife park, but that is a story for another blog post. Stay tuned!

I hope that the rest of you had an amazing week and got up to some fun stuff at the weekend! Fingers crossed I will be going to see Black Panther next weekend so if you’ve seen it already let me know in the comments.

WWW Wednesday – Creepy Fairy Tales

WWW Wednesday was originally hosted by A Daily Rhythm, and was taken over by Taking on a World of Words.

This week has been flying by (probably because I had Monday off from work) but I am so glad we are getting closer to the weekend. I plan on getting a lot of reading done and I cannot wait to dig into the next book I want to read.

What Are You Currently Reading?

By the end of today I will no longer be reading The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert because I have read 83% of it already. Plus, it also comes out tomorrow so I am going to try and get a review up tonight. So far I’ve been enjoying it and once we finally got to the Hazel Wood it really picked up. I’m going to be honest, I thought that the majority of this book would be set within the fairy tale world of Hinterland, when it actual fact our characters spent more time trying to get there. Fortunately, I am loving this book and cannot wait to see what happens in the last section.

What Did You Recently Finish Reading?

Unfortunately, Keeper of the Watch was my least favourite read of the year so far and you can see why in more detail within my review here. I know I said I would try and read some more Sci-Fi this year but I kind of regretted reading this book a little as it wasn’t what I expected. There were some good parts though, such as the action and fast pace.

What Do You Think You’ll Read Next?

As soon as I received this book in the post I knew I would be picking it up straight away. Not to mention the fact that the Hardback and cover is absolutely beautiful. If you haven’t heard of Reign of the Fallen by Sarah Glenn Marsh then you need to check it out. It’s about Necromancers and honestly it just sounds so dark that I know I’m going to love it (or at least I hope I do).

I don’t have another NetGalley approval to read just yet, so I am looking forward to reading a hardback again. What books are you looking to read this week?

Review: Keeper of the Watch by Kristen L. Jackson

Title: Keeper of the Watch

Author: Kristen L. Jackson

Date: 1st February 2018

Publisher: Black Rose Writing

I would like to say thank you to the publishers for approving me to read this book on NetGalley. One of my resolutions for 2018 was to read more Young Adult Sci-Fi books and Keeper of the Watch was just that. Unfortunately, as much as I wanted to enjoy this book and love it, it fell a little flat for me. I’m not sure if it’s because I’m not completely into Sci-Fi books or it was the writing style, but there was something that didn’t click for me. However, I did enjoy the action sequences, the original ideas and some of the banter between the characters.

Chase Walker is plagued by a strange feeling that someone is watching him and although he tries to play it off, it never leaves. Ever since his uncle died, he has been drawn to an old watch that was left for him and the feeling scares him. Things take a drastic turn when he realises that there are people after him and the mysterious Alyx saves his life, claiming to know what has been happening to him. Chase just has to figure out whether he can trust her and what he will do with the information he discovers.

I will start off by saying that I liked the fast pace of this book, especially when it got towards the halfway point and the story really kicked into high gear with the action. Keeper of the Watch is such a unique story and very different from what I’ve read before. I was left wanting to know more and to see where the characters would go, what risks they would take (turns out things were pretty smooth sailing…a little too smooth for me).

While the characters were a little stereotypical at times (looking at you Chase) they were enjoyable and often had me chuckling, especially Alyx with her snarky comments and chastising of Chase. There were a few times where I cringed at the motivational speeches and, at times, predictable nature of the characters, I did enjoy reading about them. However, I wasn’t a big fan of the romance and at times I felt like it was being forced. Now that I’m older the whole falling-in-love-straight-away thing is a bit overdone and creepy in a way. I feel that it would have been better had things developed more slowly.

As I have read a lot of Fantasy I am used to books with plenty of descriptions and intricate story lines, something that Keeper of the Watch didn’t have and I wished there had been a little more world building involved. Saying that, the dimensions seem realistic and totally possible. I would say that this book is aimed at a much younger audience on the YA spectrum, with the style of writing that is more basic than I am used to.

Overall, Keeper of the Watch was an okay read for me. It didn’t stand out and if I’m honest I wasn’t expecting it to because of the genre it is. However, if you love Sci-Fi and don’t mind something that is more light hearted and easy to read, you should check it out. I am giving this 3 stars.

My February TBR Pile

I’m cursing my self for buying so many new books because now I have no idea which ones I want to read first. Sometimes I hate setting a TBR lists because I hardly ever stick to them. Out of January’s one I managed to read 2 out of 4, which isn’t too bad I guess, but hopefully I can be better at sticking to it this month.

I had a couple of approvals on NetGalley that I have to read before the release dates and a pre-order arrived that I want to get stuck into. Last month I managed to read five in total so I am going to make the list that long. If I don’t manage to read them all, or I read more, then that’s okay.

My copy of Reign of the Fallen by Sarah Glenn Marsh arrived early and I am super excited to read it because it sounds incredible. If you haven’t heard of this book you should definitely check it out.

I felt so lucky to have been approved last minute to read The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert, which comes out in about 5 days time. I will be jumping straight into that one today and I wouldn’t be surprised if I finish it quite quickly.

Another NetGalley approval that I need to read by the middle of the month is Between the Blade and the Heart by Amanda Hocking, which is about Valkyries and I don’t really need to know much more than that.

Finally, I am going to get around to reading Zenith by Sasha Alsberg and Lindsay Cummings, something I was supposed to read last month. There are still mixed reviews but I’m excited to give my thoughts on this NYT bestseller.

If I have enough time, I am hoping to squeeze in the fourth instalment of the Throne of Glass series, Queen of Shadows, and after the ending of the third book I can’t wait to read it. Sarah J. Mass has quickly become one of my favourite authors.

What books will you be planning on reading this month?

WWW Wednesday – Different Dimensions

WWW Wednesday was originally hosted by A Daily Rhythm, and was taken over by Taking on a World of Words.

Finally we have arrived at the end of January! While the weeks have gone by quickly, the month has seemed to last forever and I am glad we are moving into February. January has been a great one for reading and I discovered some incredible authors that I am really excited about.

What Are You Currently Reading?

As this book is being published tomorrow and I am over a third of the way done, I am trying to power my way through it tonight and tomorrow to get up a review up on NetGalley. So far it is good, definitely not my favourite read, but it is enjoyable. I feel that the writing style is more basic than I’m used to, with simple sentences and it is clearly aimed at a younger audience. I love the idea of travelling through different dimensions and the way that it works with the watches, a very clever idea. Fingers crossed it gets better later on in the book.

What Did You Recently Finish Reading?

I loved The Cruel Prince by Holly Black. It was great to read about the Faerie world again since it had been a few years since I last read a book like this. It was dark, twisted and engaging, something I am loving at the moment. You can read more of my thoughts in my review here.

What Do You Think You’ll Read Next?

With the UK publication date a week away (it’s already out in the US) I have to get reading The Hazel Wood so I can get a review up on NetGalley. I am really excited about this one as there have been so many people raving about it. There is a long weekend coming up (once I get two more days of work out of the way) and my plan is to have it finished before Sunday if I can.

All of the books I will be reading in the next couple of weeks are mostly NetGalley approvals as all the publication dates are coming up, but there are some exciting ones I can’t wait to get to! What books are you reading this week?

WWW Wednesday – Entering The Realm of the Faeries

Me settling down for the night

WWW Wednesday was originally hosted by A Daily Rhythm, and was taken over by Taking on a World of Words.

Half way through the week already and we are one step closer to the weekend. I’ve been having a great reading week so far and I hope it can continue that way. Once again I am reading two books at a time, which is actually working pretty well and I am flying through the NetGalley books I was approved for (just praying I read them before the publication dates).

What Are You Currently Reading?

I am currently reading Keeper of the Watch: Dimension 7 by Kristen L. Jackson on Kindle as I was approved to read it on NetGalley. I’m only 6% of the way through after reading two chapters but so far it is good. It’s definitely weird reading from a guys POV, but hopefully I can get used to it the more I read. Although I will say one thing, not a fan of the cover, but the reviews for this book seem to be pretty good with a lot of 3 and 4 stars.

FINALLY, I got my hands on The Cruel Prince by Holly Black (and it was half price for the hardback, win for me). I am already a third of the way through and I only started it yesterday. It’s deliciously dark, intriguing and I can’t wait to read more. It’s been a long time since I read a book about faeries and I forgot how much I loved the folklore. I definitely expect to finish this book by the weekend.

What Did You Recently Finish Reading?

Earlier on in the week I finished The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton and I loved it! Honestly, this book was incredible with such detailed descriptions, a captivating story line and intriguing characters. I would definitely recommend this book to those who love something different, with a dark undertone and heart pounding moments. You can see my full review of The Belles here.

What Do You Think You’ll Read Next?

I recently got accepted to read The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert on NetGalley (after I pre-ordered it as I didn’t think I would get accepted after weeks of waiting). I am so excited to read this book and look forward to telling you all my views on it! So The Hazel Wood will be my Kindle read for next week most likely, so I can get a review up before it comes out (I also have to cancel my pre-order).

And finally, I am going to get around to reading Zenith by Sasha Alsberg and Lindsay Cummings, something I was meant to read a couple of weeks ago. There are still a lot of mixed reviews flying around, but I am seeing more positives than negatives so I’m excited.

So, there you have it. What books are you currently reading and loving? Let me know in the comments.

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Really Liked But Can’t Remember Much About

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.

For this weeks topic I had to head over to Goodreads and consult the list that shows all the books I read years ago. There were so many four and five stars reviews and I honestly cannot remember much of the plot or the characters. I suppose when you’re reading 2 books a week you can only retain so much information.

1. The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter

This was when I was going through my mythology phase and I was obsessed with books like this. Unfortunately I hardly remember anything about this book, even though I rated it five stars. I can’t even recall much about the characters and I read the two books afterwards as well. Although, it does make me want to write my own mythology book…There’s an idea.

2. Cinder by Marissa Meyer

I only ever read the first book in this series and it is one that I want to get around to finishing, but I would have to re-read Cinder as I can’t remember a thing. I raved about it in my review and I vaguely remember some small details.

3. Embrace by Jessica Shirvington

I only ever read the first book, although I do have the second one sitting on my shelf as well. This was a time when I was really into books about angels and I loved this. I couldn’t tell you anything about it now, but at the time I raved about it. Especially the gorgeous covers!

4. Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

The first book I read by Kendare Blake and I remember loving the fact that it was from the POV of a guy. I had never read that before and it was different, but enjoyable. Although I don’t remember what happens in this book or the sequel. I think there was a bit of action and a horror element to it, but that’s all.

5. Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Well, I adored this book when I read it and it was mainly to do with Daemon. I obviously had a thing for the bad boys (still do in some ways) and it was unique to have a book about aliens. The details are very murky and I can’t remember a lot, but I remember there being action, drama and some hot love scenes.

6. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

I was entranced by this book and I remember loving it, even when others didn’t. I would love to re-read this book, but I would be scared of it changing my mind on it. I like the memories of loving this book and how complex it seemed at the time. Maybe one day I will.

7. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Well, I can’t remember a single thing about this book. Nothing. And it’s so strange because, judging from my review, I was blown away by this book. If I didn’t read the synopsis I couldn’t even tell you how this book starts. I never read the others afterwards, but I think that’s because I started drifting away from contemporary novels.

8. The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

You’ve gotta love a book about Vampires. Ever since Twilight came out it seemed that everyone became obsessed with them, but I remember that Julie Kagawa had a different take on them. I can’t remember a lot, and I know I want to re-read this again, but I gave it five stars so it must have been good.

9. Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

I remember waiting for this book to come out and being so excited about it’s release. I couldn’t wait for it to come out in the UK so I bought the US edition and I loved it. I don’t remember much, I know the basics from the blurb and that is about it. I never read the others though, although I’m not sure why I didn’t considering how much I loved the first. I don’t think I will get around to reading the series now.

10.  Hush Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

Oh boy, did I love this book when I read it. I think it had something to do with the really hot angel called Patch. He was the dark, dangerous bad guy and I remember drawing him in an anime style when I was at school (I’m cringing at the memory). I don’t remember much though. I think there’s a part with a roller coaster and another when they are trapped in the school. Either way, I rated this book five stars and I obviously enjoyed it.

So, that is my top ten. It was fun getting to look through my old reviews (and cringing a little at the way I used to write them). I was surprised by how many I couldn’t actually remember and it was hard to choose ten. I probably could have chosen more!

What books would be on your list?

Wrapping Up The Week (1st January – 7th January)

So, how many times has everyone written 2017 and needed to change it to 2018? It’s crazy to think that it’s the beginning of the new year and I am super excited for all that it will hold. I’ve already got a holiday planned for me and my boyfriend to go to Carcassonne in France for 4 nights in May (I cannot wait)! As well as this we’ll probably be going back to Ireland in the summer for a long weekend, too.

This week flew by! The first half was spent in Ireland and the second was heading back into work and trying to rest up over the weekend. I needed the down time from all the activities we did when we visited my family in Ireland. It’s never fun getting back to reality but sometimes we need it. The plus side, I had a pretty productive week when it came to blogging and getting back into my writing after a break from it.

Books I read and reviewed…

The first book I read in 2018 is Keeper by Kim Chance, which I received from Netgalley. I ended up really enjoying this book. It was fun, lighthearted and entertaining, everything I look for in YA novels like this one (the paranormal kind). It reminded me of the books I read when I was about 16 years old and while there were a few tropes thrown in, I couldn’t help but like it. You can check out my full review here.

I am currently reading…

After finishing Crown of Midnight just before I went away to Ireland, I was itching to get my hands on Heir of Fire and now I have. I’ve read about 25% of it within a couple of days and am hoping to finish it by about Wednesday or Thursday if I can. I didn’t realise just how big the books get as the series progresses (with the fourth book being over 600 pages!).

Posts from the week…

Day Out In Dublin & An Irish Wedding

Wrapping Up December & Setting Goals For 2018

December Book Haul (So Many Books)

My January TBR Pile

All in all, I managed to blog quite a bit this week and I’m really happy with that. My goal for 2018 is to blog at least 3 times a week (which doesn’t include reviews) so I’m off to a great start.

Other Fun Stuff…

While I was away in Ireland we got around to seeing two movies in the cinema, the first being…

The Last Jedi! Did I enjoy the film? Hell yeah! Was it as good as The Force Awakens? In my opinion, no it wasn’t and there are many reasons for that. I re-watched TFA just before we went to see the new one in the cinema and it reminded me of how much I loved it and The Last Jedi just fell a little flat for me. I felt that it was dragged out in some areas and unrealistic in others (Leia…that’s all I’m saying on the matter). But I loved the action and the ending, so overall it was great!

The second film we saw was Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle and let me start by saying that this film was hilarious. I was laughing out loud (the whole cinema was) and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I would even go as far as to say that I loved it more than the original (don’t shout at me). My favourite character by far was the one played by Jack Black, he definitely captured the essence of how a teenage girl acts. It was brilliant and I would watch it again in the future.

While I was away my writing took a bit of a back seat and I hardly wrote anything (and I was having too much fun with my family). However, I’m now getting back to normal and this weekend I wrote a few thousand words which I’m happy with. Not only that, but I got past the chapter I was struggling on, so all is good.

Hopefully the first week of 2018 was a great one for you all and that it carries on that way!