Wrapping Up The Week (2nd July – 8th July)

I have decided that I am over summer and this heatwave that we are having in the UK. It is way too hot to do anything! Not only that, but the last week has been a nightmare. Monday and Tuesday were spent curled up in bed with a fever, I went into work Wednesday, and worked from home Thursday and Friday because I couldn’t stop coughing. Having a chest infection isn’t fun.

However, over the weekend I have done nothing but rest, write, read, and do some drawing, and I am feeling so much better for it. I managed to finish my first book of the month (which took me a while to read as I was ill) but it was such a great book! I’m so far behind on writing reviews it’s unreal and now that I am starting to feel better I will be making a start on those this week. Good thing the books I’ve read recently have been so amazing and I can remember so much of them.

Books I read and reviewed…

No reviews written, but I finished reading A Court of Thorns and Roses, and omg, I’m in love with this book. It was incredible! The amount of times I found myself just smiling as I read the words was unreal, mainly because of Tamlin. He is perfect and honestly, I probably would’ve done the exact same as Feyre to have him. I do know that a lot of people love Rhys (although he was a bit of a douche in this book) so I’m assuming he does something to redeem himself, because I am all for Tamlin at the moment. And Lucien, because he’s so snarky. Expect a long review on this book very soon!

I am currently reading…

How could I not pick up the next book in the series after loving the first so much? I’m only 40 pages in, but already I know I’m going to enjoy it. Things don’t look so great for Feyre and I swear, if she breaks Tamlin’s heart I will not be happy. I can’t wait to delve into this world even more and discover more about the characters.

Posts from the week…

Wrapping Up June ’18 – A Very Hectic Month

Top Ten Tuesday: Books With Red, White and Blue Covers

June Book Haul and Being Ill

My TBR For July – Starting New Series!

It’s a good thing I scheduled in a couple of these posts, because I would not have been able to write that much otherwise! I always find the first week of the month to be a busy one with all the wrap up posts, but I do have a couple special posts coming up very soon.

My WIP…

This week has not been a good one for my writing. Being ill throws everything off balance and I was just too sick to even concentrate on anything, what with the pounding headache and all. However, I still managed to write a bit and have reached just over 36,000 words on my novel.

It is finally starting to take shape and I am moving into act 2, which is where all the drama is going to unfold. Next up is a scene that I know will be challenging because there is a lot of action, death, and scary stuff. Kind of dreading it, but if it’s not perfect I won’t worry too much. That is what revisions are for!

Other Fun Stuff…

Over the last week I have been getting back into my art and I am almost finished with one piece! Unfortunately, I can’t show it on here because it is for my mum and I know she reads my blog posts sometimes. You’ll just have to wait and see until next week when it is completed!

And that was my not so fun, but also kind of good week. A lot went on and I’m just glad that it is over with (especially the being ill part, although I still have a croaky voice).

I hope you all had a great week as well and if you read any amazing books, let me know in the comments!

Wrapping Up June ’18 – A Very Hectic Month

EDIT: It’s a good thing I pre-scheduled this post to go out today, because I am currently tucked up in bed with a fever and the start of a chest infection. I haven’t even been able to read or do anything but try and sleep, which sucks and I’m just hoping I feel better soon.

I felt that June was a busy month, not just because I was busy reading some great books, but also the fact that I started writing a new story that seems to have taken over my life. Trying to squeeze everything in is a challenge, especially when my boyfriend and I are watching a TV show that’s on every night at 9 (it’s Love Island for anyone intrigued) and it’s made me realise that losing an hour really does make a difference.

At the beginning of the month I set myself a target of reading 6 books, but unfortunately I only managed 5. I am totally putting the blame on my writing for that as there were some times when I wrote in the evening instead of reading. I also slacked a little on writing reviews, so there are a couple that haven’t been written yet but I’ll get around to them soon.

Books I Read…

Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas

The first book I read in June was Empire of Storms, the fifth book in the Throne of Glass series and boy was it a big read. With over 600 pages and a small font, it took me a while to make my way through this book. Not to mention the fact that there is so much to take in, but I have to say that I really enjoyed it and that’s evident in my very long review, which you can read here. I’ve heard that the next book, Tower of Dawn, is only about Chaol and what he was up to during the events of Empire of Storm, so I am really excited to read the final instalment, Kingdom of Ash, when it comes out in October.

Frozen Tides by Morgan Rhodes

In June I picked up the next couple of books in the Falling Kingdoms series and flew through them. I love everything about this series and the characters, especially Cleo and Magnus, with the latter growing on me within this book. There was plot twist after plot twist, and we got to see sides of characters that we hadn’t seen before. While it was a little slow in the beginning, it really took off in the second half. As the series goes on more perspectives are added, such as Amara and Nic, which adds another dimension to the series. Overall, I really enjoyed Frozen Tides and ended up giving it 4 stars.

Crystal Storm by Morgan Rhodes

As soon as I finished the previous book I dived straight into Crystal Storm and loved every second of it. So much happened and I still can’t get over the ending. There were some very interesting revelations regarding some characters, Jonas being one of them and I have a feeling he will play a big part in the final book. I also enjoyed finding out more about the Sanctuary and what Lucia’s role is in saving it. Of course, there is a lot of betrayal, as there always is in these books, and so many shocking events that take place at the end. I wish I had the sixth book but I’m just going to have to wait patiently and read what I already have. A five star read for me!

Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman

This book…Words cannot describe how incredible this book is and how worthy it is of being a sequel to Scythe, which is probably my favourite read of the year so far. This series has one of the most intriguing worlds that I’ve ever read and we learn so much more in Thunderhead, especially about the all-powerful Thunderhead which watches over the population. I won’t say too much because I wrote a very long review, but the last 50 pages absolutely blew my mind and I am still reeling after having finished it over a week ago. You can check out my review for this 5 star read here.

This was a last minute buy on my Kindle, mainly because I couldn’t stop seeing people raving about this series and I felt like I was missing out. A Ember in the Ashes was such a great read and very different from other books I have read. I love the Roman influence with the brutal Empire, the terrifying Commandant and the way the Scholars are ruled by them with force. I’m not gonna lie, there are some tough scenes in this book with children dying, slaves being whipped and gruesome injuries, but the characters are incredible. There are two perspectives, Laia and Elias, and I can’t decide who I like more. I really enjoyed the journey that these two took and how their paths crossed eventually. I have yet to write a review, but you can expect to see it very soon!

While I didn’t read as much as I wanted to, I’m still happy with all these books as they were four stars and above! I feel like 5 is a good number to predict in a month, especially with all my other hobbies, and any more books is just a bonus!

What is the best book that you read in the month of June?

Wrapping Up The Week (25th June – 1st July)

I feel like this week has been one of the longest ever. It’s been a bit all over the place as I was ill, my boyfriend was ill, I was working from home for one of the days, and now I am ill again as my boyfriend has given me his cough/chest infection thing. Saying that, I have done quite a bit this week and I definitely managed to blog a lot more than I have been doing recently.

This weekend has gone by super quick and I only wish that I had done more reading. Although, I did have my friend over for a couple of hours yesterday, which was great. It was so good to talk about everything we had been up to as we worked out it was almost a year since we last hung out. I find that since she went off to uni and I stayed put working, we fell out of touch, but now that she is home we can hopefully she each other more. Especially as she lives literally ten minutes away in the next village.

Books I read and reviewed…

Earlier on in the week I got around to writing my review for Thunderhead, which I can say is probably one of my favourite books of the year. If you haven’t read Scythe, then go pick that up first because this series only gets better. It’s one of those books that I can’t get enough of and it’s going to kill me to have to wait until next year for the final one. If you’re interested in reading my thoughts, then check out the review here. It’s a very long one because there is so much to talk about and I pretty much love everything about Thunderhead.

I haven’t written a review yet, but I finished An Ember in the Ashes last night and it was amazing! So much was being said about this series and how great it is, so of course I had to give it a try and I am so happy I did. I love the Roman influence on the Empire and Blackcliff, as well as the two main characters whose perspectives tell the story. It’s hard to say who I loved more because I looked forward to reading about both of them. I can’t wait to tell you all about my views on the book in my upcoming review.

I am currently reading…

Finally, I am starting this trilogy. So many people love these books (and I think they prefer them to ToG) and as it is Sarah J. Maas my expectations are pretty high for this one. It’s not too long at just over 400 pages, so I am hoping I can finish it before next weekend. I am starting to get into books about the Fae more now and can’t wait to see Maas’ take on them.

Posts from the week…

Top Ten Tuesday: Book Series I Gave Up On

WWW Wednesday – An Explanation

A pretty simple week with a couple of blog posts going out. Next week will be different as there will be my June wrap ups and July TBR lists which I can’t wait to get to. So many amazing books to read over the summer that I just can’t choose!

My WIP…

As I haven’t been feeling my best, I haven’t done a lot of writing over the last week. However, I am about 800 words away from reaching 30,000 words on my dragon WIP and I am so excited. I am just about the start getting into the exciting stuff, but I need to get some more planning done so I have a clear focus.

I used to be one of those writers that just winged it, but with this book I can’t. Mainly because there are so many moving parts to the story and I want to keep the plot holes to a minimum, so that it is easier to get through the second draft. As I’m reaching the end of the first act (of three) I am going to go back and read through what I’ve got written so far, just to jot down important information that I can relate back to later on in the story. Fingers crossed it all goes well because I would love to have this written and finished before #pitchwars in September (which is on Twitter).

Other Fun Stuff…

Well, I already talked about meeting up with my friend, but I also started a new TV show which is The Shannara Chronicles. So far, so good. It’s not the best show I have ever seen (mainly because I find the dialogue a little stiff) but the action is pretty good and I love the story elements to it. I’m over halfway through season 1 already and I’m hoping to finish it by the end of the week.

Something I don’t talk about too much on my blog is my artwork and drawing ability. I took art at school from year 7 up until year 13 for sixth form (although I began drawing at a much younger age, probably for as long as I can remember). However, with work and all my other hobbies, it fell to the side four years ago and up until recently I hadn’t touched my drawing equipment in a while. However, I changed that this weekend and started working on a piece from over a year ago, which is pictured below.

I made quite a bit of progress on the horse yesterday and by the end of the two hour session, my hand was aching from shading in the dark section. I had forgotten how enjoyable and relaxing it was to just put on some music and get lost in the drawing. You can probably expect to see more of my artwork on the blog from now on.

So, there we have it. My week in a nutshell, which now I think about it, has been quite busy. I’m just praying that my throat and cough don’t get much worse, but unfortunately I have terrible luck when it comes to being ill.

What have you all been up to this week? Let me know in the comments below!

Wrapping Up May -18 – Hitting New Targets

I think I blinked and May just disappeared in an instant. How did it go by so quickly? Probably because the month was jam packed with fun activities, movie trips, lots of editing for my novel, and a tonne of amazing books!

At the beginning of the month I set myself a target of reading 7 books (a lot more than I’m used to) and I am happy to say that I reached it. I only deviated from my TBR once because I was approved for a book on NetGalley, but apart from that I read everything I wanted to.

Books I Read…

Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes

I started off the month by finishing Falling Kingdoms and I was swept away by this incredible story. I was completely hooked by the characters and the world that Rhodes created. A lot of people have talked about this series, mainly good things, and I am so glad that I gave it a chance because it is one of my favourites! As soon as I finished it I went onto buy the next two in the series. I ended up giving this 5 stars, and you can read my review here.

Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas

These books are getting so big! I finally went back to reading this series in the month of May and I really enjoyed this instalment. So many amazing things happened and there were some reveals that left me in shock, especially towards the end. Aelin is a complete badass, as always, and I can confirm that my love for Rowan has grown considerably in this book (I knew it would happen eventually). It left me excited to read Empire of Storms, which I am currently reading, and it was so easy to give it 5 stars. You can check out my full review here.

Rebel Spring by Morgan Rhodes

By the time I had finished reading Queen of Shadows, the next two in the Falling Kingdoms series had arrived, so I was pretty certain with what I would be reading next. Once again I was drawn into the story and enjoyed everything that happened. The story definitely starts to develop more in this one and there wasn’t as much action unfortunately. However, we got to learn more about the characters and what means the most to them. You can read my 4 star review here.

Gathering Darkness by Morgan Rhodes

Well, this series just got kicked up a notch and it was torture not being able to carry on with the series (I hadn’t ordered the next ones at this point). I love how unpredictable the books are and I never really know what is going to happen. There was a lot of character development in Gathering Darkness, with some events happening that changed the lives of a few. We get to see a different side to Magnus and we realise how dangerous Lucia can be. As well as this, there was the introduction of some new characters that are probably going to feature a lot in Frozen Tides. In the end I gave this a solid 5 stars and you can find my review here.

Scythe by Neal Shusterman

May was the month that I finally found a sci-fi book that I fell in love with! Something I have mentioned before is that I don’t tend to read books from this genre, but I took a chance with Scythe and I am so glad that I did. This book is incredible and so unique! I love the ideas behind the world and how everything functions, with the Thunderhead governing the world and the Scythedom deciding how to whittle the population down through gleaning. There are so many twists within the story and unexpected events. I was blown away! One of the easiest 5 star ratings I have ever give, and you can read my thoughts here.

Ace of Shades by Amanda Foody

A last minute approval from NetGalley saw this book make its way into my reading list and I felt very lucky to have been given the chance to read it. Ace of Shades was such an enjoyable read, with great characters and a unique world that is mimicked off of Las Vegas. There are high stakes, a tonne of mystery and plenty of banter between the characters. I was pleasantly surprised by this novel and cannot wait until King of Fools comes out next year. I ended up giving this a solid 4 stars and if you want to know my full thoughts, click here.

Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo

And last, but not least, I finished off the Grisha trilogy with Ruin and Rising, which I just finished my review of today. I always hate finishing a series off, but I guess the good thing is that I have two spin-off series to look forward to in the future. Ruin and Rising offered, what I thought, was the perfect ending for the characters and so much happened. There were a couple plot twists that I wasn’t expecting and a lot of heartache for the characters. While this series isn’t the best (I much preferred Bardugo’s writing in The Language of Thorns) it still captured my heart and for that reason I gave this 5 stars, which you can read about here.

There we have it! Turns out every book I read this month was 4 stars and above, which is pretty good going I think. I loved all these books for different reasons and they have made me even more excited for the books I am reading in June.

What was your favourite book that you read in May?

Wrapping Up April ’18 – Best Reading Month Ever

The days are going by far too quickly. Where did the last four months go to? April was an extremely busy month for me, what with moving house and all, so I’m genuinely surprised that I managed to read six books in total. That is the most I have read in a month so far this year (although I missed out on seven as I didn’t finish Falling Kingdoms in time).

Overall, April was a great month for reading, and every book I read was 3.5 stars and above. A record I think. I even found a new favourite that I love with all my heart.

Books I Read…

Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman

The first book I finished in the month was Norse Mythology, which was a book that I had sitting on my kindle since Christmas. I had never read anything by Gaiman before this and finally understood why people loved his writing so much. He is an incredible story teller and his thoughts on Norse Mythology were refreshing. I only knew bits and pieces (mainly thanks to Marvel) but I ended up really enjoying the collection of stories. You can read more about why I gave this book 4 stars here.

The Oracle Queen by Kendare Blake

This was a pre-ordered novella that I bought because honestly, I need as much as I can get about this world because the third book seems so far away still. I love everything about this series and while this was only a novella, I really enjoyed learning more about the infamous Oracle Queen. Her story wasn’t what I thought it would be and I was pleasantly surprised. I gave this a solid 4 stars, which you can read about here.

Ash Princess by Laura Sebastian

I was lucky enough to be given the chance to review Ash Princess on NetGalley and I thought that it was a really great debut novel for Sebastian. It seems many people agree with me as it just hit the NYT bestseller list, which is incredible. This was a really great start to what will probably be an amazing trilogy, with characters that I cared about and some really interesting aspects to do with the magic. You can check out my full review here and see why I gave it four stars.

The Smoke Thieves by Sally Green

Again, another book that I was given on NetGalley to review, and one that I thoroughly enjoyed. This story is told through multiple perspectives and features five diverse characters, whose paths end up crossing over (some in unusual ways). While there is some action, mainly towards the end of the book, it is slow moving in some places, but there are also great characters in it too. This was a mixed one for me and in the end I gave it 3.5 stars, which you can read about here.

Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young

Hands down my favourite book of the month. Sky in the Deep was incredible and I was so happy to find out that it hit the NYT bestseller list this morning because this book deserves it. I kind of hate that this is a standalone because I want more of these characters, but at the same time it is one of the best standalones that I have read. While there is so much action in this book, with incredible fight scenes, there is also a lot of raw emotion and some amazing and relatable characters who tugged on my heart strings. You can see why I gave this book a solid five stars in my review here.

Nevernight by Jay Kristoff

Last, but not least, I read Nevernight by Jay Kristoff. I didn’t know what to expect when I first started reading this novel, but I ended up loving it. You never know what will happen, but one thing that’s for sure is that it is action packed, with lots of killing, drama, sex and swearing. I couldn’t get this story out of my head for days and that is how I knew that I loved it. Now I need to get my hands on Godsgrave. Check out my 4.5 star review here.

And there we have it, all the incredible books that I read in the month of April. I also noticed that there seems to be a pattern of light and dark covers, which was completely unintentional.

What was the best book that you read in April?

Wrapping Up The Week (9th April – 15th April)

How are we already halfway through the month? April is flying by and the countdown to moving house is getting shorter and shorter (5 days!). Unfortunately our internet won’t be sorted out until May 1st, but I am hoping that my data will be enough for me to get a few blog posts up within that time. I want to say I’ve packed up most of my things, but I haven’t. It’s a good thing I still have some time or I might be panicking.

In my last post I mentioned that my laptop had been playing up, freezing and crashing, and coming up with a code that said ‘Critical Process Died’. A bit of investigation on twitter told me that there were loads of people getting the same message which made me think it was a Windows 10 issue. Sure enough, I had another update a couple of days ago and it’s been fine since then. Obviously I was over the moon and managed to pick up with my editing again, something I had been too afraid to do in case my laptop crashed and I lost everything.

Books I read and reviewed…

This debut novel is set to release in less than two weeks(for the US), so of course I spent a better part of the week flying through Ash Princess. You can find my full review here, but overall, I really enjoyed this book. There are some similarities between another of my favourite series, Throne of Glass, but there was great character development and the story progressed nicely. I will definitely be grabbing the second one when it comes out, hopefully next year.

I am currently reading…

I am still making my way through Nevernight, a book that is heavier and more descriptive so it is taking time to read, but I am also starting The Smoke Thieves. I was given the chance to read this by Penguin Random House on NetGalley and I am so excited to see what it is all about. Fingers crossed I can finish both of these within the week, maybe even before I move house.

Posts from the week…

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Liked But Will Never Re-Read

WWW Wednesday – Hitting 250 Followers!

I got a lot of engagement this week thanks to these two blog posts and I always find it great to spark up a conversation with my followers about books.

My WIP…

I am cutting so many words in this second draft, but it is much easier to do so than I thought. I want the beginning to be solid and to do that I have to get rid of the boring stuff. My readers need to be entertained and if they’re bored before the good stuff starts, they won’t give it a chance. In total, I re-wrote 2,000 words yesterday (unable to write before then due to laptop problems) and I’m hoping to get another 1,000 done tonight if I can.

Other Fun Stuff…

The weather has been picking up here in the UK and we managed to get out yesterday for a three mile walk in the nearby nature park which was nice and relaxing. Apart from that I have been getting things in order for moving and finding enough bags and boxes to pack up all my stuff. I hope this is the only time I will be moving this year because it is tiring.

My week was fairly uneventful but I hope you all had a great one and read some awesome books!

Wrapping Up The Week (26th March – 1st April)

Happy Easter everyone! I hope you’ve all been stuffing your face with chocolate eggs.

Well, that’s the first quarter of the year over with and it has been a hectic one to say the least. March as a whole was a pretty decent month. My boyfriend and I found a place to live, I finished writing my book (woo!), I also read some amazing books, and work has been getting better ever since I started doing more client work. I am looking forward to all the April will bring, even if it is going to be a very stressful month with the move and making sure everything is sorted. Who knew adulting could be so hard?

The last week has been spent making a list of everything we need to buy and slowly but surely I have been making my way through it all. We have officially finished buying things for the kitchen, I have a sofa in mind to order and the bedroom furniture is on its way. To keep myself calm I have been reading a couple of amazing books that I can’t wait to talk about.

Books I read and reviewed…

I finally got a review up for Siege and Storm after finishing it last week, which you can read here. I really enjoyed the second instalment of this series, seeing the characters develop and the story progress nicely. After the ending I can’t wait to dive into the final book and find out what will happen to Alina and those she cares about.

While I haven’t uploaded a review just yet (I’m planning on doing that tomorrow) I finished Children of Blood and Bone, and oh my god, it was the best book I have read so far this year. Everything about this debut was amazing, from the world building to the dialogue, to the fully fleshed out characters. It was action packed from the very beginning and it had me hooked. I wish I had the second book in my hands, especially after reading the ending! Keep your eyes peeled for a review where I get very excited.

I am currently reading…

I am about halfway through Norse Mythology and I have been really enjoying it. When I was younger I used to love reading about Greek mythology, whether it was in YA or text books, and I figured it would be a good idea to find out more about the Norse Gods (considering I only have a bit of knowledge thanks to Marvel). I can’t wait to read the rest of these stories and learn more about our favourites, Thor and Loki.

Posts from the week…

Top Ten Tuesday: Books With Incredible Fantasy Worlds

WWW Wednesday – West-African Inspired Fantasy

As I’ve been getting ready and planning for moving house it’s been a bit of a quieter week on all fronts. I still have Monday and Tuesday off from work so hopefully I can plan ahead and get a bit more done.

My WIP…

Even though I haven’t dived straight into the first revision yet, I did manage to do a bit of editing and finally got the first two chapters done, which is a start. There are so many changes I know I need to make and it is quite daunting to me. I don’t know where to start, but I can’t go wrong with taking it page by page. The beginning needs a lot of work (I’m the type that doesn’t really know where my plot is going until the middle) but I can’t wait to start it properly.

Other Fun Stuff…

Can we count buying house stuff as being fun? I mean, I have enjoyed picking out what colours my pillows should be and what size sofa we should get, but it’s been stressful and a lot more work that I would have thought (and money too!).

I did, however, get around to watching…

The Greatest Showman, which was as amazing as I thought it would be. The music was incredible, and the story was so heart warming, with a great message behind it and it was a pleasure to watch! Also, who doesn’t love Hugh Jackman?

And that was my week! A little bit all over the place, but sometimes they are the best. What books did you manage to read this week?

Wrapping Up The Week (19th March – 25th March)

This week has been incredible and I haven’t felt this happy in a long time. Not only did I get to celebrate my birthday yesterday, but my boyfriend and I got accepted to rent our first house together and we have started to buy things already. With less than a month until the moving date we have a lot to sort out (and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t stressed, because I am). At the same time as being exciting it is a little nerve wrecking as it’s my first time living without my mum or my boyfriend’s parents (we stayed with them for a bit). Still, I can’t wait to decorate my own place. You can probably expect some home-ware/moving blog posts closer to the date.

My birthday was relaxing and I definitely needed the three day weekend. Luckily we have another long weekend coming up thanks to Good Friday and Easter Monday (thank you bank holidays). Due to the celebrations I haven’t done a lot of reading, but I did get some new books that I can’t wait to read!

Books I read and reviewed…

While I haven’t gotten around to writing a review for this yet, I really enjoyed Siege and Storm, so much so that I was almost tempted to buy the last book (I didn’t because I have too many to read already). But once I read a few more I might treat myself, especially when it’s so cheap on the Kindle. The characters in this story have really captured me and I am excited to find out how it all ends for them.

I am currently reading…

I am currently 116 pages in and I am loving it! The writing style is one of my favourites to read, it flows nicely, there’s been some action, mythology, and I’ve been introduced to some great characters. This world is so unique and different from anything else I’ve read. I just know that I am going to love this book if it carries on this way. There’s been a lot of love for Children of Blood and Bone (I mean, it hit number 1 on the NYT Bestsellers list straight away) and I’m excited to see if it lives up to the hype.

Posts from the week…

Top Ten Tuesday: Books at the Top of My Spring TBR

WWW Wednesday – Fantastical Worlds

It’s My Birthday!

A fairly quiet week due to being so busy with life and such, but I hit my target of three so I’m happy with it.

My WIP…

I’m still on a hiatus from my editing. I know I need to start, and I had planned to, but with my birthday weekend it fell to the side. This week will be different as it will be a lot slower and more relaxed. Plus, with the extra long weekend I will have lots of time to plonk myself down in front of the laptop.

Other Fun Stuff…

Most of you have probably read about what happened for my birthday and how I had my hair dyed, so that’s the majority of my fun stuff. I got around to watching Logan (I cried) and Shadowhunters is FINALLY back on Netflix. The first episode was really good and I can’t wait to watch some more. Even Riverdale had a better episode this week (although Archie and Veronica still annoy the hell out of me).

To sum it all up, this week has been one of my favourites of the whole year so far. I feel happy and blessed to have so many people around me that support and love me. 2018 is gonna be my year, I can feel it.

I hope you all had a great week as well! Let me know what books you got around to reading in the comments below.

Wrapping Up The Week (26th February – 4th March)

Looks like 2018 is flying by already! This week has been a bit all over the place thanks to the snow that hit the UK. I had to work from home for three days and I ended up getting ill just before the weekend. Luckily I’m doing a lot better now, and something exciting happened…I finished the first draft of my book, which I posted about in a blog post here.

Unfortunately, because I was so focused on finishing my book, and being so ill with a cold that I couldn’t concentrate, I haven’t read a lot this week. I didn’t even finish a book, but it’s okay. I am looking to change that this week and hopefully finish the two I am halfway through (although one will be more difficult to get through than the other).

Books I read and reviewed…

None. Nada. Zilch.

Trying to ignore the feeling of failure right now and tell myself it’s okay not to have finished a book. I’ll do better next week. I hope.

I am currently reading…

Once again I am still reading this book (I hate getting ill), but I am determined to read some more tonight once I settle down for the evening. I am enjoying this book and really want to get a review up before its release date on the 8th. Wish me luck!

Also, I will try my best to finish Zenith. Hopefully.

Posts from the week…

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Would Read Again

WWW Wednesday – IT’S A SNOW DAY!

Wrapping Up February ’18 – Time Flies

I Finished My Book!

This week was a great one for blogging and I got more done than I originally thought I would. Now that I’m getting into the flow of writing/editing on my lunch breaks at work, I can dedicate my evenings to blogging and reading (as well as watching my fave TV shows).

My WIP…

You all know that I have now finished the first draft, but that doesn’t mean I stop there. Oh no, I’ve already started the editing process by reading over the first two chapters of my book. Then I opened up a new document and I am re-writing it. Not completely, but there are descriptions I want to add, take away, dialogue that needs changing, and I need more mystery, I want to hook my readers and with the ideas still in my head, I have to jot them down. Already I have done over 3,000 words (who knew I could edit it that quickly), but this is only the first of many.

Other Fun Stuff…

The boyfriend and I finally got around to catching up with Lucifer, which was incredible as always, but apart from that I didn’t do a lot of fun stuff. The snow really halted everything and I think I ended up getting cabin fever in the end. Luckily it has all melted now and work can resume as normal tomorrow, which I am very happy about because I don’t like working from home. Too many distractions.

I feel like I’m on cloud nine at the moment and I am hoping I can ride that momentum into the next week. I hope that you all had a great week as well and hopefully you read more than I did!

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?