My surprise

It's finally time to reveal my surprise. I have been in talk with some friends about starting a YouTube channel, and that has now become a thing. Here is my first video: Top 10 covers. Naturally my parts will be about books, and will be up on Thursdays.

I have also learnt the last couple of days that The Selection is being optioned for a film, and Throne of Glass as a TV show, so that's really exciting. I hope these become a thing very soon, especially Throne of Glass.

The danger of real books

I am, and always be, a huge fan of a real book, one with pages and everything. I had a Kindle, I sold it because I could just never get into books; I have an Audible account which I will probably just use for Harry Potter, as once again, I really struggle with listening to audiobooks, and who doesn't know the plot of Harry Potter backwards by now? Plus, Stephen Fry - need I say more?

There are, however, some occasions where carrying a real book around with you ends up destroying your mind. I'm not talking about having to actually carry books around with you, I don't mind that, I tend to carry two everywhere just in case I finish one.

I now refer you to an event that happened on Monday. I was walking to work, and it was a typical British day; one second the skies were blue, the next the heavens opened. Thankfully, living in the UK makes you carry an umbrella everywhere with you, no matter the weather when you leave the house, so I thought all would be fine and dandy. That was not the case. By the time I got to work, the bag was absolutely soaked, and as I discovered, not waterproof. What, I ask you, is the point of a backpack that does not protect your stuff from rain in a country that rains constantly?? So I teach into the bag, dreading the worst, and pull out a soggy mess of pages. The book itself was intact, but the corners got absolutely drenched and the cover started peeling. To make things worse, this was Seraphina; a book I bought a couple of weeks ago with my birthday money.

I guess the moral of this story is to ALWAYS make sure your bag is waterproof before carrying a book in it, or I guess, take a Kindle. My iPad is fine, but my poor book will never be the same again, if it is even readable. I guess you'll find the answer to that in my wrap up.

I know I'm leaving you all hanging with my news, and by the time I announce it you will probably have lost interest, but I hope I will be able to tell you all by the end of the week.

Bookish terms

So I was talking to my fiancé earlier about how slumpy I am feeling, and he looked at me like I'd gone insane, which got me thinking: how many times a day do you start talking about your OTP, or how you need to get control over your TBR, and your friends all have no idea what you're talking about?

I confess, a few years ago, back when I was just a reader, none of these terms really existed to me. I lived in a pretty much constant state of books, school and MSN, so I didn't have the time for Youtube (and it never occurred to me that something as awesome as Booktube would exist), and I had yet to discover Goodreads, so back in 2011 I began to discover the bookish side of the internet, and my brain started to explode. Every other thing people were saying had to be explained, as I had no idea what half of the terms meant. Before the internet, a ship was something you sailed across the sea in; a tbr was something a lot smaller because we weren't spending precious reading time on the computer, and canon was just a type of camera.

These days I am thankfully almost fluent in book, and am doing my best to try and teach those around me how to speak bookish. Some people learn quicker than others, but now the majority of people seem to actually understand what I'm saying when I am fangirling about how Harry and Ginny are my OTP (I actually cried more at the drama in their relationship in HBP than I did at the really sad part).


I will be having a surprise announcement on here hopefully tomorrow, or at least in the next couple of days, so keep your eyes peeled it you want to know more!

Ink & Bone review

Title: Ink & Bone
Series: The Great Library
Author: Rachel Caine
Rating: 4*
Goodreads description: Knowledge is power. Power corrupts.

In a world where the ancient Great Library of Alexandria was never destroyed, knowledge now rules the world: freely available, but strictly controlled. Owning private books is a crime.

Jess Brightwell is the son of a black market smuggler, sent to the Library to compete for a position as a scholar... but even as he forms friendships and finds his true gifts, he begins to unearth the dark secrets of the greatest, most revered institution in the world.

Those who control the Great Library believe that knowledge is more valuable than any human life - and soon both heretics and boooks will burn...

My thoughts

I really enjoyed this book, I flew through it as quickly as I could, and it didn't seem like any time at all had passed. I started it on a bus, and got slightly confused when I found out I'd reached my destination.

This is basically a book about how amazing books are, and how much they need protection. The storyline itself was a little confusing at points, and could have done with more world building. I know there's a war going on between the English and Welsh, but I have no idea why - for once I'm sure the bad feelings between the two countries have nothing to do with rugby, but you never know. I also found some parts about how the books are kept confusing as well. I'm still not overly sure what the blanks actually were, I guess kind of like a Kindle but I dunno.

The characters were all pretty interesting. The main character, Jess, may have a girls name, but was pretty badass at points, at others, however, he just rolled over and took all the bad stuff that was going on. I liked the romance, especial one that wasn't actually stated outright but was hinted towards, sometimes quite heavily. The sass in that one had me laughing out loud at points, they had such great banter, and I do love a bit of banter.

Overall I found this book really good. The only reason I didn't get 5 stars from me was the fact that I did spend some of the time not really knowing what was going on. I will definitely buy the next book in the series. It might not have ended up on a cliffhanger, but I still want more from this world. Hopefully the end will be a little less sad on the next one.

Autumn reading

So it's getting to be that time of year again; the nights are getting earlier, the weather is definitely getting colder (not that it's difficult, it's been cold the majority of the summer) and the time for cuddling up on the sofa with a mug of hot chocolate, a duvet, and a good book is upon us.

There are currently 51 books on my TBR, and I want to try and get at least half of the books that are currently on my list read, especially as lots of them have been on my list for months. I'm not going to kid myself and say I want an empty TBR by the end of the year, because we might as just admit that's never going to happen unless I suddenly lose every penny I earn, so I think just whittling down the books that have been on there for ages seems like a good target.

I'm also going to try and finish of a few series bu the end of the year, I have so many open series that are just begging me to finish, but I either haven't read them or haven't even gotten around to buying them yet, so there are so many open storylines I have floating around in my head, and I really need to know how some of them will end.

Keeping track of my tbr

One question I find people always ask me, and I'm sure I'm not alone, is how I manage to keep track on all the books when I buy so many and it used to be quite a big problem (I had Throne of Glass for about a year before I read it as it was hidden at the back of my bookcase) but I now have a technique that works quite nicely.
First thing I do is pretty obvious, I have a separate bookcase for my tbr books, which probably says a lot about how many I have, having a tbr case instead of tbr shelf. I keep them all in alphabetic order and once I've read them I move them over to my proper bookshelf, or now the back of my sofa until I can afford another bookcase. These I also have separated in piles to make it slightly easier to get on my shelf when I get a new one. That or I'm just a bit too anal.
Second thing is the one that gets me quite a few funny looks when it mentioned it. My mum got me a Book Thief notebook for Christmas, so what better use for it than to write down all my books? I sit at my tbr at the beginning of every month, and write down all the books on it, obviously leaving space for any more I will buy during the month. I then write at the bottom of the page how many books I have at the beginning of the month, and how many at the end. If I have less at the end of the month I get to buy books the next month. I then get somebody to choose a number, and that will be the book I read, then when I'm done with it I cross the book off.
How about you all? Ever have trouble keeping up with the never-ending pile, or do you have a method to stop it getting out of hand?

Bad timing slump!

Currently I am reading Queen of Shadows, but all I want to do right now is sleep and watch Netflix. I have been waiting for this book for forever, and now my brain just does not want to work. I really need to finish the book, but then I really don't want to force myself through it in case I then don't enjoy it as much as I reckon I probably will when I do read it. I've had it for about 3 days and I'm only on page 212.
Thankfully usually my slumps are pretty short, and it can usually force myself through them, I think this one is mainly a combination of my new work schedule messing up my sleeping pattern (waking up at 6.30 on your day off is not cool) and a readathon I did last month burnt me out a bit; the last alf of August I think I read about 3 books.
I really hope this slump ends soon, because the releases out this month are some I have been most excited for this month, and I don't want anything to get in the way of me getting through them all as quickly as I can.
I think there's only one solution, I need to down about a million espressos and dream of a power cut, then nothing will be getting in my way!

Waterstones broke my heart

I've been waiting around in town all day for my copy of Queen of Shadows, to be told that because it was a bank holiday yesterday the delivery won't be coming in until either too late today to buy it, or until tomorrow. Nobody in real life knows my pain, but honestly I feel like I could cry for about a year. It's horrible when you're excited about something, but when you have that excitement built up and you finally get the chance to do the thing and it gets taken away it's completely soul destroying. The worst part is that the guy at the counter didn't seem to realise that he'd basically ripped out my heart and thrown it at me, he just told me he'd text me when it came in.

It's finally September

So you know what that means??
Queen Of Shadows is FINALLY out!!!!!! Waterstones opens in about 25 minutes, so I am currently in the middle of getting dressed to go get it, but I thought I would stop and share with you guys that the time is finally here!! I am so, so excited to read what happens next with Celaena's life!!
Also this month I am hugely excited for Library Of Souls, the third book in the Miss Peregrine's trilogy. My fiancé bought me Hollow City and preordered Library Of Souls, so I now have to sit and wait for that to come out.
I feel here I need a minute of silence, to mourn the fact that we should be excited for The Raven King, and now we have to wait for FEBRUARY!!! Not even a cover reveal yet! Although I have to say, I am so torn with what I want to happen with this series. If you haven't read it yet, do it now! You won't regret it.

I'm back!

Sorry about the slight hiatus. My laptop and iPad both went into total meltdown and I swapped jobs and have been trying to crack down on wedding planning, so things got a bit out of hand and I wasn't getting any time to write. Everything seems to have settled down mostly, so here I am, and just in time for a book haul for you!

These are all the lovely books I obtained this month, I had to dial it down a bit but I had a birthday so got a few books with some of the money from that. Here they all are:

So in case you can't see them all well, we have:
The One by Kiera Cass
Ruby Red, Sapphire Blue and Emerald Green by Kerstin Gier
Hollow City by Ransom Riggs
Fall Of Night and Daylighters by Rachel  Caine
Ashes by Isla J Bick
The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey
Bloodlines by Richelle Mead
And. Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

Technical difficulties

Really sorry for the quiet, I've developed a virus on my laptop and my iPad is being annoying with blogging, so I am having a slight hiatus, hopefully one that will be over tomorrow. I will have a wrap up and tbr for you when I have proper access.

Stacking the Shelves July edition

So I kept all the books I bought for one big haul at the end of the month, and it's pretty much that now (I will not buy any more before August...honest) so here we are:

So if you have any difficulty seeing any, we have:

Paper Towns by John Green (which I read and really liked)
The Elite by Kiera Cass
The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen
The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell
Ink and Bone - Rachel Caine
Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
Isle of the Lost by Melissa de la Cruz
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
Half-Blood - Jennifer L Armentrout
Bound by Sarah Bryant
Muddy Boots and Silk Stockings by Julia Stokneham
Warm bodies by Isaac Marion
Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson

So there we are, as you can probably see I have a rather large amount, but I read quite a bit this month so I will let myself off. I'd like to say I'll have a smaller haul for you next month but it's my birthday so I doubt I will.

Personal readathon

This week I only have 12 hours of work, so I am going to try and make a dent in my TBR by doing my own personal readathon. I've never done one before, but I figure now is as good a time as any to start one. I just hope my Netflix doesn't get in the way too much. I don't really have a TBR for the week though, I wrote them all down a week ago, so I am just going to get my fiance to pick a number then I will read the book that matches the number. I do have a couple of other commitments aside from work, but I'm sure I can make a dent.

Book fangirling award

I'm really grateful to say I was nominated for this award from Sinead. It amazes me, all thoe big fancy bogs are out there, and my little baby blog gets chosen, so thank you for that. I'm also glad to say any time I get nominated for anything I should be able to do it, as I finally have a laptop - no more frustrating iPad posts for me! Unless I'm away from my laptop and feeling lazy that is. Anyway, on with the questions!

What's your favourite thing about blogging?

I find most of my friends tend to shut off or accuse me of shouting when I start to get really excited/annoyed about something happening in books, so I love blogging because then I can just vent all my feelings with the screen, and usually if someone is reading my post it's because they have similar feelings to me, so I can  have a nice chat with someone who is actually interested, and my friends don't have to listen to me going on and on about something they've never heard of. 

Which book series do you fangirl over the most?

This is probably the most stereotypical answer you could think of, but for me it has to be Harry Potter. I have been in love with the series since it first came out, and it will be there until I die. Other books may come and go, but this series will forever have a special place in my heart.

Who's your favourite person to fangirl with?

Probably the internet. The only person I really have that understands how enthusiastic I get is my fiance, but he's not read most of the books I have, so he doesn't really know what I'm going on about half the time. He is halfway through Clockwork Princess though, so that's a bonus.

What series got you into reading?

I honestly don't know. According to my mum I learnt to read when I was about 3, so it could be literally anything. First books I can remember are The Babysitters Club, Malory Towers, Famous Five, and basically anything by Jacqueline Wilson. Oh, and Animal Ark by Lucy Daniels, anyone remember them? I loved them! 

Which book character do you love to hate?

Hmm, there are a few, but I think my number one hated character would have to be Bella Swan from Twilight. You think of all the things that feminists used to have to do just to create the lives we have now, and she threatens it all by moping around because some guy she has literally met twice seems to hate her, then her existence seems to completely revolve around him. It's just not right.Even when she's not moping about him, there's something else wrong, usually the weather.

Questions

What is your favourite book to screen adaptation?

Who is your number one OTP?

Which series would you read if you were only ever allowed one?

Who is your favourite villain?

Which books are you most likely to hand down to your children?

Nominations

Cody-Leigh Duffy at Literary-ly Obsessed

Alex Ang at  The Book's Buzz

Unfortunately I can't think of anyone who hasn't already been nominated right now, so I will just leave it here for now. 

Rules:
1. Create a blog post to accept your award
2. Add the blog award button into your post and put it on the side of your blog as a widget
3. Answer the questions I have above
4. Nominate between 5-10 book bloggers who you think also deserve this award
5. Come up with your own 5 questions for your nominees
6. Link me to your answers so I can see your answers :)

Autobuy authors

So we all have those authors, we hear they have a new book out, and we rush out to buy it, without even knowing what the book is actually about. So here are a few of mine, in no particular order.

So first we have the beautiful, the magical J.K Rowling. I have never read a single book by her that I haven't liked, and her writing just captures me and steals me away. She is my number one all time favourite writer, and even if she one day publishes her shopping istt I would probably buy it. From the second Harry gets dropped off at the Dursley's doorstop, to everything she's written as Robert Galbraith I am in.

Next up we have Maggie Stiefvater. Her writing is incredibly poetic and absolutely beautiful, and she definitely knows how to intrigue a reader. She has a really quirky sense of humour, and I am yet to be disappointed by a book of hers. Ok, so The Raven King is taking about a zillion years to come out (come on, March 2016!) but I'm sure when it does come out it will be majestic.

Ok, girly moment first. I had no idea what Julie Kagawa looked like until I pulled up this picture, but her hair is absolutely amazing, and I love it. But onto her books, I started with The Iron Fey series, and have never looked back. I am actually yet to finish the series, but that's more due to lack of funds than anything. Her Blood of Eden trilogy was out of this world, and I am really enjoying her Talon series. Again, there is a good quirky humour behind her stories, and the plot and writing style make it such a quick and fun read.

My first foray into Cassandra Clare books was the wonder that is Clockwork Angel. I'd never heard of the series, but then my book club suggested it, I saw it in Waterstones a day or so later and thought why not, and from the first page I was hooked. From that I went straight onto The Mortal Instruments, and I am now (im)patiently waiting to get my teeth into Lady Midnight. I will still be lamenting the lack of Will Herondale, but am hoping there are other certain characters from The Infernal Devices in this series. 

Sarah J Maas is a new add to this list, what with the fact that she has 4 books out right now, but I will never not buy one of her books based on the fact that it was her writing it. Her characters are just so badass yet loveable, and her worlds are so easy to get lost in. I was so excited to buy and attend a signing for A Court Of Thorns And Roses without knowing a single thing about it, and my lovely signed copy is beautiful. I pre-ordered Queen of Shadows last week, and I am absolutely dying for it to come out! And, as you can see, she is absolutely gorgeous.

So there are a few of my autobuy authors. What are some of yours? Any books you are waiting for from any of your favourites?

Design confession

So you might have noticed that my blog has a pretty basic design, and there is just one reason for that. I'm not making a statement, this isn't one of those "it doesn't matter hat it looks like, as long as the content is good" kind of things. It's this... I am practically computer illiterate. I've looked at about a million tutorials on how to create a good design, and work through all the HTML and stuff, yet even the ones stated to be the easiest just make my brain go...

I get serious design envy too. There are some people I follow who have the most amazing looking blogs, full of pages upon pages of information about them, with gadgets and widgets I could only dream of having on mine. I know some people pay others to design theirs for them, but unfortunately I am also pretty skint most of the time, probably because any spare money tends to go on about a million books!

So is it just me, or does anyone else find even the idea of doing your own design make you want to live under a rock?

Tired reading slump

The last few days I've been really wanting to read, but every time I try my eyes and brain go all fuzzy and I give up after a few pages. I have 58 books to read, yet none of them are grasping my attention because also all I want to do is sleep. I'm still listening to Clockwork Princess on audiobook, but when I'm out, which is usually when I listen to audiobooks, my internet keeps dropping out, making it difficult, and frustrating me so much I give up and listen to music instead.
I have read I think already more than I did last month, but it still seems like barely anything. I wanted to get back to how much I used to read, but once again my work has been so busy that I haven't had time to eat or drink, let alone read. Only a couple of weeks left until I leave, really excited to start my new job soon!
So any recommendations for books to get me out of my slump? I really want to read something but I just don't know what!

The Selection review

Book: The Selection
Author: Kiera Cass
Rating: 4*
Blurb: For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in a palace and compete for the heart of gorgeous Prince Maxon.

But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.

Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself—and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined. 

My Thoughts

I have to say, I was really pleasantly impressed by this book. Yeah, the dress on the cover is absolutely gorgeous, but aside from that it sounded really stupid. But then everyone started raving about the series, so I had to give it a try really, and when I found it cheap it seemed like a perfect time, then happened to coincide quite nicely with a reading challenge.

I've never really been into reality TV, but it was made to be such a fun and enjoyable book that the time flew by while I was reading it. I wanted to know who was leaving, and even found myself cheering along for certain characters, and really despising others. Maxon himself was a really interesting character, but then I also really love Aspen, so I really don't know who I want her to end up with, even though it's already pretty obvious who she will marry.

America herself was a complete surprise. I've spent all the time since this book came out hearing from everyone how selfish and annoying she is, but I found her to be the complete opposite. Everything she does is for her family, and in the beginning Aspen, and yes, sometimes she does and says the wrong thing, but on the whole, she was selfless, kind and a real loveable, down to earth character and I really liked her.

I will definitely be reading on in this series, the titles themselves are slight spoilers, but I want to know how everything gets to the point. 

Confessions of a bookaholic

1. I have bought 11 books in the last 10 days
2. I have 58 books on my TBR case
3. It's not uncommon for me to forget about eating when I get caught in a good book
4. I have about 2 friends because all I ever do is stay at home, reading
5. The name Jonathon still makes me want to cry
6. I refuse to watch a film based on a book unless I read the book first
7. I have rejected guys in the past on the grounds that they don't read
8. Some of the most devastating deaths in my life have been fictional
9. I have books in literally every room in my house
10. The best present anyone could ever give me would be Belle's library from Beauty and the Beast

Waiting On Wednesday - Queen of Shadows

So, my premiere WoW, will be, the wonderful, the lovely...

                                           

So here's the blurb: Everyone Celaena Sardothien loves has been taken from her. But she's at last returned to the empire—for vengeance, to rescue her once-glorious kingdom, and to confront the shadows of her past . . .

She will fight for her cousin, a warrior prepared to die just to see her again. She will fight for her friend, a young man trapped in an unspeakable prison. And she will fight for her people, enslaved to a brutal king and awaiting their lost queen's triumphant return.

Celaena’s epic journey has captured the hearts and imaginations of millions across the globe. This fourth volume will hold readers rapt as Celaena’s story builds to a passionate, agonizing crescendo that might just shatter her world. 

Thoughts

Ok, how fricking awesome does that souund?? I am absolutely in love with this series, and the anticipation is slightly killing me. I was lucky enough to meet Sarah J Maas at a signing for A Court of Thorns and Roses, and she was absolutely lovely. I swear anything she puts on paper just has a way of being magically transformed into something absolutely beautiful, and I adore her. The cover is, as well, absolutely gorgeous. This series would probably be in some of my top book covers for how lovely they are (you never know, one day I might share a few of my favourites with you). 

This book is out September 1st by the way, and it looks like it's gonna be a biggie!

So what books are you waiting for? Do you have a nice quick wait, or an agonising torturous one? I have a mixture of both, so I will see you with another WoW this time next week!

Rereads

I'm being very naughty right now. I have a tonne of books to read, and yet here I am listening to the audiobooks for The Infernal Devices, making this my third read to the series. On a side note there is a woman about 2 seats down reading City of Heavenly Fire, exciting stuff.

So why the reread? I'm nt really overly sure. I wanted a good audiobook to read on my walks to and from work, bus journeys and when I want to both read and play video games. I tend to struggle with focusing on the story with audiobooks, so I am going to start using them for rereads, and let's face it, The Infernal Devices are one of the best trilogies out there. Plus, any time spent with Will Herondale is fine by me.

I usually do a reread of a book as well if I am about to start a sequel, and have forgotten what happened in the previous books, something that happens quite often with my memory being as shocking as it is. I feel a few rereads for this reason coming quite soon in my future. I've had to do a reread for every book in the Iron Fey series, and as I am yet to read the final book guess which series I will be reading again when I buy it?

Then of course we have the rereads just for purely how much I adore the books. Winner for most rereads for this reason goes to (shock horror) Harry Potter. I will take any reason to read this book; boredom, bad weather, good weather, bad mood, good mood, feeling ill, being alive, you get the picture. I'm not going to say these were the books that I first loved, that honour probably goes to a Roald Dahl book, but it is definitely my most loved. I am actually without copies of the books right now because mine all fell apart due to all the reading, and I haven't managed to afford to rebuy them, and it's really hard to get the original copies now.

Do you tend to reread a lot or are you a one read then put it on the shelf kind of person? Which books have you read the most?

Deep Blue review

Name: Deep Blue
Author: Jennifer Donnelly
Rating: 4*
Description:Serefina, daughter of Isabella, Queen of Miromara, has been raised with the expectation - and burden - that she will someday become ruler of the oldest civilization of the merfolk. On the eve of the Dokimí ceremony, which will determine if she is worthy of the crown, Sera is haunted by a strange dream that foretells the return of an ancient evil. But her nightmare is forgotten the next day as she diligently practices her songspell; eagerly anticipates a reunion with her best friend, Neela; and anxiously worries about Mahdi, the crown prince of Matali, and whether his feelings toward her and their future betrothal have changed. Most of all, she worries about not living up to her mother's hopes.

The Dokimí proceeds, a dazzling display of majesty and might, until a shocking turn of events interrupts it: an assassin's arrow wounds Isabella. The realm falls into chaos, and Serafina's darkest premonitions are confirmed. Now she and Neela must embark on a quest to find the assassin's master and prevent a war between the mer nations. Their search will lead them to other mermaid heriones scattered across the six seas. Together they will form an unbreakable bond of sisterhood as they uncover a conspiracy that threatens their world's very existence.

My thoughts

I will admit, hands up, the only reason I bought this book was because the cover is absolutely beautiful and the writing is blue. I expected a really simple, fluffy book about mermaids. Turns out the only part of my assumptions was the mermaids. The storyline had so much depth (haha, get it?) to the point of maps and a glossary. There were also lots of different languages used and lots of Mermish phrases were used, hence the glossary. Parts of the story were actually quite dark, and despite the betrothal talk there was next to no romance, which is something I haven't actually found in a book in a long time. I'm not sure yet if that is a good thing or not. 

The characters were mostly likeable and fun, and I really love Neela. Their stories were all pretty believable, although I do think finding the other mermaids was a bit too easy, I would have liked more than them just bumping into everyone they needed to find.

On the whole, this is a good, easy read and I was pleasantly surprised by it. I will probably get the sequel soon because I have to know what happens!

Buying online or in store?

I've been doing lots of thinking about this recently. It seems like most people I know tend to buy online without a second thought and hardly ever go into the shops. If they want a book pre ordered they will just go straight to Amazon, when you can do the same at the shop, and the chances are that you will get it sooner.

I tend to sometimes buy online if I am wanting to do a bulk buy of books, just to make it a bit cheaper, or if I want books that are only published in America. I did last month get 6 books for about £30, which I was pretty chuffed with. The only problem is that you don't always get the cover you wanted. My Vampire Academy books are all different and I got them all off Amazon. Some are really gorgeous red covers, and the rest are the ugly covers with the creepy looking people on them. I sometimes find myself doing a quick shop online as well if it gets to about the middle of the night and I can't sleep.

Then we have the shops. I absolutely love book shops, they are my main destination if I am going into town. They might be a bit more expensive, but I tend to find there are more good offers. Waterstones and Smiths tend to do buy one get one half price offers, and The Works usually have some good books in their 3 for £5 section. I found Half-Blood by Jennifer L Armentrout in there the other day. I grab a loyalty card for any shops that do them too, and can nearly afford a new book on one of them. I love being able to support the shops and get to know the staff. Waterstones will always be my number one choice for if there is a book I really want.

Which do you prefer? Are you an online person or do you love the feeling of going in a shop and leaving with a book?

June wrap up

I had such a busy month what with work and Glastonbury, but there are a few books I can put in a wrap up, and I will try and have a bigger one for you at the end of July.

Starcrossed, Dreamless and Goddess by Josephine Angelini.
I really enjoyed this trilogy. I put a review of the first book up, and really enjoyed the whole trilogy. They kind of had a Romeo and Juliet feel mixed with Greek mythology and a hint of The Mortal Instruments. I love all three of these so I was hooked.

The Girl At Midnight - Melissa Grey.
I was actually kind of disappointed with this book. It sounded so good, but at times I found the storyline kind of confusing and rushed, but I don't know if that was because of work. I found some of the romance cute, and will probably read on the series.

Remember Me - Sophie Kinsella.
This book was actually a reread. I absolutely love this writer, and this is one of my favourite books by her, and it fortunately happened to fall in with a reading challenge this month. Definitely a book to read if you want something light and fluffy.

To All The Boys I've Loved Before and PS I Still Love You by Jenny Han.
This was my first foray into Jenny Han, and I have to say I really liked it. They were both incredibly sweet books, and I found myself really connecting with the characters, and I'm hoping there will be another book in the series!

That's it, all my books from this month. Now I just need to buy lots for a book haul for you guys, I already have a little pile from yesterday. So have you read any of these books? Any you would want to read?

Glastonbury Festival

I'm back! Thanks to the lovely organisers I got a chance to go to the festival as a personal assistant to my friend and her free running group. I'd never been before, so I jumped at the chance to go. I didn't like many of the bands playing, but I didn't care, I watch it on TV every year, I was going.

And boy am I glad I did. Aside from the camping, (I am a city girl at heart, and this was one of my first ever camping trips) and the disgusting toilets, (the less said about them the better) I had an absolutely amazing time. I laughed, I danced, I sung and had rather a few drinks. I wouldn't change it for the world. I was with lovely people, if you weren't interested in the bands there was so much more going on. I actually spent most of my weekend in the circus and theatre section, where there were plenty of weird and wonderful events going on. The food I had was really good as well, not the cheapest but one meal was enough for absolutely ages for me.

I would definitely go again, especially if I could go with this group. I found it so interesting being behind the scenes. Seeing what some of the boys did in the night then going out and jumping and flipping around the next day was amazing. Even sometimes a few minutes before they were saying they couldn't be bothered, but once they got out there they were like new people, the energy they put out was incredible.

My TV guilty pleasure

So we all have one, that one programme we watch every episode of, but only when there are no people around to laugh at us. Mine would have to be Teen Mom. Yes, I know, MTV rubbish, and it's not as natural as they make it seem, but I just love it. I think possibly because when I first discovered it I was 18 and pregnant, so I empathised so much with the girls on the program, and now I've just really enjoyed keeping up with what they and their babies are up to. There have been points where I've been shouting at the screen because of how stupid they have been, but then there are all the heart wrenching moments that make you want to cry, and others that make you so happy you just sit grinning at the TV like an idiot.

I absolutely love Maci, she just seems like such a lovely mum, and you can see all her decisions are based on what is best for Bentley. I definitely don't like Ryan, he needs to pull up his socks and a pact more like a dad, because he does have some moments where you can see how much he loves his son, then minutes later he has all the attitude on. I rather like Catelynn and Tyler as well, although any time they see Carly is an episode I will probably need tissues for. I used to hate Amber, but I actually quite like her now, as time went on I found myself feeling more sympathetic for her, and now I think she's trying so hard. Then Farrah....the less said about her the better.

So there we are, I admit it, I love Teen Mom. What are your guilty pleasures? You ever find yourself quickly changing the channel because someone came through the door, or do you watch it with pride?

Glastonbury festival

So this time next week, I will be in the lovely countryside exploring and listening to some music, and quite frankly I absolutely cannot wait. I've never been to a festival before, and I'm going with some friends so it should be a complete laugh. I plan on eating more than humanly possible, drinking as much as I can, and having a good old laugh and dance
In the meantime, I have so much packing to do, and so little time to do it in! I haven't done any packing at all yet, and I have work today and tomorrow, seeing my parents on Saturday, seeing the in laws Sunday, a girly day with friends on Monday, and a fun day with the kids on Tuesday. I have no idea when I will find time to do all this, but right now I will be sitting with some food, watching the Christmas episode of Gavin & Stacey, yes right on a sunny day in June.
And there's my next week for you, I will try and keep you all updated with things, can't really promise any reading time though, and I might do a little Glastonbury wrap up when I get back. Until then have a good week!

June Book Haul

Here are all the books I got this month. 6 books for £30, not too shabby!

So here we are:

Magonia by Maria Dahvana Headley
Fairest by Marissa Meyer
Angelfall by Susan Ee
Dorothy Mus Die by Danielle Paige
To All The Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han
P.S I Still Love You by Jenny Han


Really looking forward to getting stuck in to all these books. Have you read any of the,? If so, what did you think?

Enforced reading slumps

Are these not the worst? I hate it when all I want to do is sit and read, yet life keeps getting in the way, then when I do get a few minutes to read I'm too tired to really know what's going on, or listening to an audiobook, where I tend to zone in and out of the book. I'm currently about 2 hours into Never Fade by Alexandra Bracken, and I have no idea what's happening.
I have a free day next Monday, so I'm thinking of doing a personal read-a-thon. I've never done one before, and I really need to boost up my book count this month, I feel like I've barely read anything! I will update you on this idea once I've thought it through, but right now I have to go and get ready for a job interview, eek!

Busy busy!

Sorry I haven't posted recently, I was on a 51 hour week at work last week, and this week hasn't been much better, plus I've been getting ready for Glastonbury festival, which I am pretty excited for! And not just because I get a week off work.

So in my bookish life I have bought a few books, which I shall haul for you guys when they all arrive, and while grabbing the odd free moment at work, and afterwards, I have finished 2 books and nearly finished a third, which is pretty rubbish compared to my usual reading, but I'm glad I managed to read something.

And I guess that's it for now, I just wanted to let you all know that I haven't forgotten you, and I hope to be back in action very soon.

Starcrossed review

Name: Starcrossed
Author: Josephine Angelini
Rating: 4/5 stars
Goodreads synopsis: Destiny brought them together.
The gods will keep them apart.

When shy, awkward Helen Hamilton meets Lucas Delos for the first time, she thinks two things: the first, that he is the most ridiculously beautiful boy she has seen in her life; the second, that she wants to kill him with her bare hands.
An ancient curse means Lucas and Helen are destined to loathe one another. But sometimes love is stronger than hate, and not even the gods themselves can prevent what will happen next...

My thoughts

This book had a feel of Greek mythology mixed with Romeo and Juliet, with a hint of The Mortal Instruments thrown in, which made for quite a different and interesting read. I love all three of the above, so I had no problem at all in having elements of any of these being in there. In fact, the only reason I picked them up was because I'm a sucker for anything Greek (yes, despite not having read much Percy Jackson yet). The relationship kind of sneaked upon us without any explanation, but I suppose sometimes that just happens. I loved them both together anyway, so I just kind of went with it. There were some very surreal parts (not that I mind that so much) and unfortunately a couple of parts that felt rushed to the point of confusion. All in all it was a really good book, and I'm reading the second book as we speak.

The Darkest Minds review

Name: The Darkest Minds

Author: Alexandra Bracken

Rating: 5 stars

Goodreads synopsis

When Ruby woke up on her tenth birthday, something about her had changed. Something alarming enough to make her parents lock her in the garage and call the police. Something that gets her sent to Thurmond, a brutal government “rehabilitation camp.” She might have survived the mysterious disease that’s killed most of America’s children, but she and the others have emerged with something far worse: frightening abilities they cannot control.

Now sixteen, Ruby is one of the dangerous ones.

When the truth comes out, Ruby barely escapes Thurmond with her life. Now she’s on the run, desperate to find the one safe haven left for kids like her—East River. She joins a group of kids who escaped their own camp. Liam, their brave leader, is falling hard for Ruby. But no matter how much she aches for him, Ruby can’t risk getting close. Not after what happened to her parents.

When they arrive at East River, nothing is as it seems, least of all its mysterious leader. But there are other forces at work, people who will stop at nothing to use Ruby in their fight against the government. Ruby will be faced with a terrible choice, one that may mean giving up her only chance at a life worth living. 

My Thoughts

I absolutely loved this book. The atmosphere during the whole book had me on the edge, and I hated any time I had to put it down and get on with life. I felt I really connected with the characters, I absolutely adored Liam, and him and Ruby's relationship was sudden but sweet. Chubs was one of the perfect side characters, I didn't like him much at first, but as we got to know him more I felt myself really warming to him. The ending had me sobbing in the corner for a few minutes I found it absolutely heartbreaking. I hope to continue with the series very soon.

June tbr

One of the girls at work has some personal troubles so I'm picking up some shifts, and I'm going to Glastonbury festival at the end of the month, so I don't know how much reading I will get done, but I'm going to try and get through:

Starcrossed, Dreamless and Goddess by Josephine Angelini
The Selection by Keira Cass
Deep Blue by Jennifer Donnely
The Girl At Midnight by Melissa Grey

May wrap up

I've just come off my second 12 hour shift in a row, so I will do this as quickly for you as I can. Due to my work I haven't had a huge amount of time to read, so it's a slightly shorter wrap up than usual.

The Ask And The Answer - Patrick Ness
I really enjoyed this book, it was a great continuation of the story, and I'm looking forward to reading Monsters Of Men soon. The characters are loveable and the plot is getting really interesting.

Fire And Flood - Victoria Scott
I heard from lots of people that this book is like a cross between The Hunger Games and Pokemon. I can definitely see where the comparisons came from, but unlike others I don't consider it a bad thing. This book was so exciting, I loved it.

Spell Bound - Rachel Hawkins
This was a really good conclusion to a fun and interesting trilogy. I really enjoyed all 3 books, and when (if) I chisel down my tbr a little I may look into buying more of her books.

Obsidian, Onyx, Opal and Origins - Jennifer L Armentrout
I initially just bought these books because they had stopped being made, I didn't have much interest in actually reading them. I'm really glad I did though, this series is really good. There was so much tension between Kat and Daemon, and the characters were all hilarious. I didn't really expect the whole government conspiracy thing though.

Tithe - Holly Black
This was my second and final attempt at Holly Black. I just don't get along with her characters, and her storylines just always fall flat for me.

The Darkest Minds - Alexandra Bracken
I really loved this book. It was thrilling, exciting, the characters were great, and the plot was quite believable. I actually cried at the end, I couldn't believe it. I need the second book ASAP now.

The Mortal Instruments anniversary

So I was doing my morning interneting earlier and discovered that it has been a year since City of Heavenly Fire came out. It has sure been a hell of a ride. I came into the world a little late, I actually started off with The Infernal Devices, but from the minute I started City of Bones I was hooked. I know people say to wait until book 3 for it to get good, but I really loved it from beginning to end.

I don't even know fully the level of feels this series has put me through, but it has definitely been a roller coaster of a ride. From the fears of Clary and Jace going through their issues, to some of the most empathetic villains (after a point) I have laughed and cried so many times. I really was surprised with how much the last book affected me, without trying to spoil things I never thought after all he did Sebastian would be deserving of any sympathy, but Jonathon absolutely broke my heart. I still feel it difficult hearing the name without tearing up.

So yeah, in conclusion I absolutely love this series. The sarcasm, the world building, and the characters all add up to a great series, and I feel I am due a reread of the books very soon.

So many books, so little money!

I'm sure we all have this problem, so I'm going to try and give a few tips on how to get maximum books for the costs. 

• Book offers. If you look close enough, these are everywhere. In most Waterstones they do a buy one get one half price and you can get some really amazing books on these. The Works do selected books 3 for £5, although sadly this is a bit hit and miss. And most supermarkets do 2 for £7.
• Cheap shops. I mentioned both of these shops above in the offers, but both The Works and supermarkets do their books not on offers for usually between £2-4, with boxsets from about £9.99 upwards.
• Online shopping. Amazon.co.uk is probably a huge lifesaver for me. Not only so I look on there, but tend to look on the new and used sections, most of which I can get for about £3, and I usually get them in really good condition.
• Charity shops. When in doubt I tend to look around the charity shops, and sometimes I hit the jackpot. I found most of The Caster Chronicles in a local charity shop for under a fiver, and Daughter of Smoke and Bone. Unfortunately these don't always come in the best condition, and I will probably end up rebuying a few books in better condition. 
• Book giveaways. Ok, I haven't been overly lucky with these in the past, but I have received a couple of really good books from them, and there are usually some amazing books you can at least apply to win. These definitely are cheap because they don't cost anything at all. 

So here we are, my little handy hints on how not to break your bank any more than necessary, although following these I still tend to go a but crazy. I seem to think because I was buying everything cheaper I can buy more. I'm sure there's logic in there somewhere...

End of May book haul

Ok, so I know I said that I was only going to get one more book, but yeah...things happened and that completely failed. So here we are, all the lovely books I have accumulated in the last few days.

So here we have, from Amazon.co.uk:

Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson

Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children by Random Riggs

And from Waterstones:

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater 

A Discovery Of Witches by Deborah Harkness

Monsters Of Men by Patrick Ness

Siege And Storm by Leigh Bardugo

A Court Of Thorns And Roses by Sarah J Maas

And that's it, definitely more than the one I planned, but hey, I'm excited to read every single one of these books. Anyone read any of these? Or looking forward to reading any?

Book signing

So the day finally came today. I can at last say that I have met an author and had a book signed - and it was so nice. Unfortunately my brain slightly fell out, so while the girl in front of me was so cool and was just chatting to her like they were BFFs, all I could think to say was thank you for writing these books. Totally lame. But anyway, I met her and she was so nice, and so incredibly gorgeous, and I now have her new book! I also picked up a few other books and a package came through today, so we're looking at a book haul in the next couple of days, so keep your eyes out for that!

Delayed releases

So yesterday I was snooping on the Goodreads page for The Raven King, like you do, and I discovered that the release date is now 23rd February 2016. February. 2016. I've spent the last few months thinking that September was too long to wait, and now I have to wait another year!! I feel I may cry for the delay. I can't remember the last time a book I was anticipating became delayed, so I don't know what to do with myself! Although actually the paperback of Alligiant was supposed to come out a year ago and I am still waiting! Any tips how to keep sane until February? Any delayed releases that you've been really excited about?

Book confessions tag

I once again wasn't tagged in this, but it looks like fun so here we go!

 1. HAVE YOU EVER DAMAGED YOUR OWN BOOK?  Yes, unfortunately child me wasn't as careful with books as me. I used to write all over them, and any time the word sick was mentioned I crossed it out because I hated the word so much. I also read all of my Harry Potter books to the point that they fell apart.

2. HAVE YOU EVER DAMAGED A BORROWED BOOK?  I don't think so, I don't usually borrow books, then when I do apart from reading they stay on my bookcase.

3. HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE YOU TO READ A BOOK?  Umm, not very long really. It takes me a couple of days at least these days, but when I total up reading time it's usually only a few hours. Work tends to get in the way of my reading time now :(

 4. BOOKS THAT YOU HAVEN’T FINISHED? Most recently I couldn't finish was Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. I try to finish books when I can though, no matter how much I dislike them.
  
5. HYPED/POPULAR BOOKS YOU DON’T LIKE?  The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin, Twilight by Stephanie Meyer...here are probably more but I can't think of any right now.

  6. CLASSICS YOU DIDN’T ENJOY?  Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. I have only ever been able to get about 3/4 through the book, and only through forcing myself. I found it so boring. Also Macbeth by Shakespeare. I was 13 when I read it, and can't for the life of me remember why I hate t so much, but I really do.

 7. BOOKS YOU BOUGHT JUST FOR THE INTELLECTUAL-NESS OF IT ALL? I don't think I have ever bought a book to feel intellectual. I've bought a couple to learn more about certain subjects, but no more than that.

8. ANY BOOKS YOU HAVEN’T GIVEN BACK?  Hmmm........ Let's just say I have a library card I will never be able to use again. Aside from that and the odd book at my parents house from junior school I think every book I own currently is my own.

I will just tag everyone who feels like they might want to do his one.

Only 3 days left...

Until I meet the magical Sarah J Maas!!! I'm so excited, but also really nervous. I've never done something like this before, and the woman is not just a genius but one of the prettiest people I have ever seen. I'll be lugging all my Throne of Glass books with me, and will finally be buying A Court Of Thorns And Roses. I know it's been out all month, but I wanted to buy the copy the day I meet her. I can't wait to read it though, I wanted to anyway, but when I heard it was a Beauty And The Beast retelling with faries, my excitement levels went up to about a zillion.

Have you ever met an author? If so, who was it? If not, who would you most like to meet? And any tips to not just start babbling like an idiot to her?

A little thank you

I have to say,  my blog has taken a big surge in traffic this last week, so I just want to say how much it means to me that you're stopping by to hear my rants, raving and general fangirling. Whether you've just dropped in to read the odd post, or have stuck around and decided to follow me, it really does mean so much to me. Sorry this is a bit soppy, I just love you all.

Giving up on books

Today I have finished one book I really didn't like, and just completely given up on another, and it got me thinking. Why do we force ourselves through bad books? Why is it only some we give up on while we force ourselves through something we find truly boring.

The book I gave up on was Outlander by Diana Gabaldon, so a very hyped up book. I tried so hard to finish it because I know so many people adore it, and I was trying to find some redeeming qualities, but in the end I just couldn't do it. It was a really long book as well, so I think that is the main reason that I gave up on it. I found myself not even trying it pick it up for ages, and I could never find the motivation to actually want to read it.

The one I just managed to finish was Tithe by Holly Black. I know so many people love her, but every book I've read by her I just haven't enjoyed. This book was shorter, so it was quite easy to get through when I managed to actually read it. I don't think I'll be continuing on with the series, which I usually do try and do if I read the first book in a series.

So what I managed to work out is that I'll only really continue with a book I'm not enjoying if it's pretty short, and I will probably try and read more if lots of people are recommending it to people. I think a lot of people depend on the format of the story as well, which might be for me as well, as I read Tithe on my phone, so I had more access to it than anything else these last few days.

What about you? Do you force yourself to finish books you don't like? Are you more likely to try harder if they have a lot of hype? And are there any books you have given up on recently?

Top Ten Tuesdays - Bands

Ok, sorry again not a book post, but I do always read with music on in the background, so I guess it is kind of book related in a sense. Failing that it's just another of my passions, I could miss out on TV for days if it meant listening to music.

10. Fountains of Wayne.

So I first came across this band in my crazed teenage years, back when Stacy's Mom was the huge song going around, and I quite liked it but never tool the time to listen to other songs by them. This was pre-internet for me so it was pretty difficult. But then Scrubs came along, and with it the episode with the song Hey Julie, which I adored. From there I've listened to I think most of their songs, and they're just a really fun band.

9. The Lonely Island

This group probably seems a bit out of place on this list, but I do love a bit of TLI. Once again, they're fun, they make me laugh and their songs are pretty catchy. I can't really remember how I got into them now, I think it was through my ex boyfriend.

8. Simple Plan

This is actually quite a recent add for me. Obviously I've never disliked them, they've always just kind of been around, but I found their discography on Spotify not long ago, thought why not, and am really enjoying them.

7. Avril Lavigne

I have been in love with this woman since Sk8er Boi came out. She always looks so good, and her music is just great. I haven't been so in love with some of her recent stuff (trying to pretend Hello Kitty never existed) which is why she's not as high up as it might sound like she should be, but I still love her.

6. Kelly Clarkson

This woman is so talented. She has a voice that just hits you out of nowhere, and despite being a woman who is quite often high in the charts and everyone listens to, she actually writes songs that have meaning, that we can all relate to. I used to find it difficult listening to the album Breakaway, because it just hit too close to home after my first relationship crashed and burned, but it's a great album.

5. Bowling For Soup

So we're taking a trip back to fun bands a bit now. This band always manages to crack me up, but they also manage to delve deeper into all sorts of feels. They don't depend on their looks or hot bodies to sell their music (if you don't believe me look at them lol) but rely purely on their talent and humour, both of which they have loads.

4. Fall Out Boy

This, along with Avril Lavigne, was one of the first bands I started listening to. I love everything about this band, and the name of some of the songs just make me laugh so much, as do their videos. This is also a band I can listen to loads without my fiancé moaning at me, so that's a plus.

3. Paramore

It was unfortunately my first boyfriend that got me into this band. He might not have stuck around, but they sure have. Coincidentally a song of theirs just came onto Kerrang, and it's just emphasising how awesome they are. Catchy songs, clever lyrics, and just all round greatness. Also, how awesome was past Hayley's hair?? I have to admit, I love this band so much I was convinced I was going to name my first daughter after her.

2. All Time Low

I absolutely love this band. I recently embarrassed some of my friends, we walked into a shop the day their new album released and it was right on the first shelf as we walked in, and I literally squealed with excitement. They are just so honest, once again the songs are so catchy yet heartfelt, and yes, fun. I really am sensing a trend in the bands I listen to.

And finally...

1. Green Day

I don't even know where to start with how much I love this band. I will admit, it started when I was 12 and American Idiot came out, but from there it just completely exploded into a complete obsession. This probably sounds corny, but they really have saved my life several times, and I will forever be grateful to them. I saw them back in 2010 and it was one of the best nights of my life. I literally have just one complaint about them, and that's just how much they're hinting about a new album. I don't want hints, I want more songs!

Stacking the shelves

I thought I would do my monthly book haul now. Not all of these were ordered this months, a couple were late from last month. But here we go!

 So from Amazon I got:
The Girl At Midnight
The Queen of Zombie Hearts
The Percy Jackson box set

From local book shops I have:
Always The Bridesmaid
Rogue
Thief's Magic
Alice Through The Zombie Glass.

I will also be getting Court of Thorns and Roses in just over a week when I go to a book signing, but apart from it I think that's it for me bookwise.

Bookish identity tag

Ok, I wasn't tagged in this as such, but it looks like a fun one, so here we go! Also, apologies for the orange, I'm not sure what happened there.

1. What dystopian/fantasy world would you like to live in?

I'm probably going to completely stereotypical now, but Hogwarts hands down. Life would be so much easier if I could just use magic with everything, and the food sounds absolutely incredible. I'd probably end up the size of a house, but I would be happy. Also it would be so much easier getting around with brooms, the Knight Bus and apparation.

2. Who would your partner be? 

Will Herondale, hands down. I'd probably just sit and stroke his beautiful face and hair all day long, then we could cuddle up together and read. I also love his sense of humour, and his passion is just so infectious. I completely and utterly love this man, team Will all the way!

3. Who would your godly parent be (Percy Jackson Series) 

Probably Aphrodite, I seem to have a habit of accidentally making men fall in love with me.

4. Would you rather be a downworlder or a nephilim (Mortal Instruments series) 

Probably a downworlder, but I'm not sure what type, as long as I'm not a faery! It would be pretty cool being a nephilim, but I'm not so good with the whole fighting thing.

5. Which house would you be in (Harry Potter)

Slytherin, every time. I've actually loved Slytherin since I first read the books when I was 7.

6. Which faction would you be in (Divergent)

I think I would probably be Amity, above everything else I try to be nice to people. I don't think I would like the control method though.

7. What would your daemon be (Northern Lights series)

I don't really like these books so I don't know.

8. Who do you tag? 

Whoever wants to do it!

What I'm watching

I thought today I will take a little break from books and discuss with you a few things that are frequenting my tellybox these days.

First off, we have Friends. This is a program that never tends to leave my telly for long, I absolutely adore it. Forget marathoning it, I have been known to triathlon it at some points. It's the perfect show for when I want a chilled out morning before heading into work.

Once Upon a Time is also one of my favourites at the moment, I love anything to do with Disney, so I am really enjoying it. I'm taking ages to get through it though, I've been on it for about 3 months and I am still on series 3. It's such an intriguing story though, and I've heard it just gets more and more exciting,

The Big Bang Theory. For some reason I stopped watching season 8 for a while, so we're having a lot of catching up to do. I heard there is a complete cliffhanger at the end, so I am dying to know what it is! Really hoping it's a step forward for Sheldon and Amy!

Couples Come Dine With Me. I don't think this airs in America, so I will give a bit of an explanation on this one. Basically 3 sets of couples meet up for the first time at eachother's houses, and they all have to cook for eachother, then they get scored at the end. It probably sounds a bit lame, but it can get absolutely hilarious at points, and I enjoy when people get into fights on it.

And I think that is it for now. What about you guys? Are you watching anything you feel I should be watching, or have any feelings about what's on for me?

Obsidian review

Obsidian - Jennifer L Armentrout 

When Katy and her mother move into the back end of nowhere, she instantly develops a bad vibe with her male next door neighbour. But then she befriends his twin sister, and from there things get a little bizarre, and Katy starts realising there might be slightly more to this town. Then she gets attacked, and from there things start to get dangerous, and she finally learns the truth.

I know I am ridiculously late in reading these books, but I don't think you can even buy them over in the UK unless you buy online, and better late than never, right? Delayed reading aside, I actually really enjoyed this book, we're safe in that the terrible cover doesn't in anyway relate to the quality of the story. Time just seemed to vanish while I was reading, and I probably could have finished it in one sitting if I hadn't had work yesterday afternoon.

I found Kat to be such a relateable character, she loved books and had a blog, at least half of which I think most people can relate to, and she was so quiet and never wanted any trouble. Then enter Daemon, he managed to bring out a whole other side to her, one I also rather loved. And leading on from that, the Kat/Daemon relationship. I have no idea whether I loved it or hated it, I don't think either of them truly know what they want yet, but the tension between them at points was almost flammable. I will look forward to seeing how the relationship develops over the books.

All in all this was a great book, but nothing overly new, so I will be giving it 4 out of 5 stars, and will definitely be continuing with the series.