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Weekly Recap: I Have a TBR Castle


I skipped one week of hauls because I had barely any books and then suddenly I went home and had a pile of packages almost as tall as me. I am drowning in books. Some of the review books sent to me were super random too, so not sure what to make of them. Since my last recap post a lot has happened as well, so be warned.

First off, I had so many issues with my bank that just led to so much stress. I had my bank account compromised and thousands in transactions was trying to be taken out. My bank declined most of them but let about £400 worth of payments to go through. Then I had to wait over two weeks to get that money back. It was so frustrating and my bank were not helpful at all. So I gave up and am now switching banks, which actually ended up benefiting me as they offer you money to switch.


I then got crapped over all over again last Sunday, when I woke up to an email from Blogger saying they had deleted my blog. As you are currently reading this ON MY BLOG, you can probably guess that I've since got that sorted. But it was very upsetting at the time to wake up and find my blog just GONE. For no reason. Sucks. So, be warned, if you have a Blogger account. They have an automated system that takes blogs down and it accidentally deletes blogs regularly. Luckily you should be able to get it back. Does make me want to figure out how to go self hosted.

I counted my books last weekend and almost died of a heart attack when I counted up and realised I had 1,127 books physically sitting on my shelves. I didn't realise I had over 1,000. I thought I was at about 900, so I was well off. I am a little scared that this is the size of it now... how big will it be in a few years! I'm adding another 15 to that number just in this haul alone. My fiance argues I have too many books, but I don't know if such a thing actually exists. You can never have too many books. I can build myself a book fort, or an actual book house, with furniture made from books.

The other thing that has happened since my last catch up is the fact I have become obsessed with Hamilton : The Musical. IT IS INCREDIBLE! I have the album and have basically just been listening to it on repeat and nothing else. I highly recommend. It's supposed to be coming to the West End next year and I can't wait. I will be getting tickets, even if I have to sell a kidney or something to afford them. I WILL BE GOING!!! I saw there was a Hamilton Book Tag so I knew I had to do it, it was a lot of fun.

I am now much happier as my blog is back and my money is now back in my account. I've also been having a good week at work, which has really helped. My sister also just got back from Disneyland Paris and got me the most adorable Todd and Copper teddies. I was so happy, I really wanted these as you can't get them over here. And to top it all off I have had some amazing book mail. And I will also be attending an event tonight to meet Pierce Brown and get all my books signed. And... to make it even better, I also get to go to a party with him on Monday at Hodder publishing house... WOOP! I am excited, but also super nervous. I have anxiety and so events like this are my actual worst nightmare. I was relying on bringing the fiance as a plus one, but I don't think we can... so I am currently freaking out. I don't want to miss out but the anxiety right now is so bad I may actually vomit. NOT GOOD >.<






Morning Star by Pierce Brown, Riders by Veronica Rossi, Every Move by Elie Marney, The Lie Tree by Frances Hardinge & The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick

I have a review copy of Morning Star but I HAD to get a hardback finished copy! Especially since I will be meeting Pierce Brown and getting him to sign them. I'll be getting the ARC signed too. I also have the first book in hardback on order, I just really hope it arrives before the party on Monday. I loved Rossi's Under the Never Sky series, so I knew I would have to read her latest YA novel. Every Move is the third in the series. I just finished book one and I loved it, I might be a little bit obsessed with Mycroft and Watts - those two are adorable! The Lie Tree and The Man in the High Castle were on special and I want to read both, so I grabbed them both.




The Winner's Kiss by Marie Rutkoski

This gets to be all by itself because I am so excited to be able to read this. I can't wait to get to this. I'm currently rereading book one, I plan to binge read all three together. And it will be glorious! I really hope Arin and Kestrel get a happy ending, otherwise I might cry. 


Whisper to Me by Nick Lake, Radio Silence by Alice Oseman, The Reaction by Helena Coggan, The Power by Jennifer L. Armentrout & Missing Pieces by Heather Gudenkauf

Whisper to Me is one that Bloomsbury sent to me and I am very excited for it, sounds like a great contemporary. Radio Silence is another review copy that I requested and am really looking forward to getting to it. The next two, The Reaction and The Power weren't ones I requested, but the publishers sent me the first two for review as well, so I guess I should get to these series as some point. I love Heather Gudenkauf, so I was super happy to accept a review copy of her new one. She writes books that are similar to Jodi Picoult, who is a favourite author of mine.


The Other Side of Silence by Linda Gask, The Last Kiss Goodbye by Tasmina Perry, Never Tear Us Apart by Monica Murphy, An Ounce of Hope by Sophie Jackson & Heartsong Cottage by Emily March

The Other Side of Silence is a psychiatrists memoir on her experience dealing with depression, I am excited for that one. As someone who suffers from depression and anxiety, I think it will be nice to read about someone else's experience and how they handle it. The other four review copies are so random. An Ounce of Hope I kind of understand as I know they sent me book one and I read and reviewed it. The other three are ones I will give to a woman at work who I know will read them.





Hamilton Book Tag: Music & Books Collide



I might be slightly obsessed with the Hamilton album - and by slightly, I mean that it is ALL I listen to at the moment. I can't help myself, it is so good. If you are one of the people who don't know what Hamilton is, it's a musical about the founding father Alexander Hamilton, which is currently showing on Broadway. The album, which is incredible, just won a grammy - that it completely deserves. If I could afford to travel from London to New York, I would go just to watch that show. Luckily, rumour has it we will be getting it on the West End next year. I WILL BE GOING! The music is incredible, it's all Hip Hop and Rap, and amazing. You can get the whole album on Spotify, so go, do!

So, of course, I was beyond thrilled to find that there has already been a Hamilton book tag created by Maureen. Here you have it guys, the Hamilton book tag! 

1. The Room Where It Happens
I wanna be in the room where it happens
A book world you would put yourself in:

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter!!!
Come on, was there ever going to be any other answer than that one from me. NOPE! Take me to Hogwarts! 

Rise of the Reaper by Lorna Reid: Review, Interview & Giveaway

Title: Rise of the Reaper
Author: Lorna Reid
Publisher: Ravensforge Books
Buy this book: Amazon / Book Depository
Can you change fate? What would you risk in order to save the ones you love? Lovers of dark adventure, magic, and following your heart should not let this book slip away. Can prophecy be overcome, or does striving to avoid fate merely drive you into its arms? Since the day Danny Stone's mother vanished, dreams of dark and strange places have plagued him nightly. Though years have passed, the burning pain of her disappearance still consumes him - as does his need for answers. Then one lazy summer day, Danny and his friends Katrina, Poppy, and Russell discover their parents' long-hidden secret - and their lives change forever.They enter a fragmented, broken world of magic, blades, and blood in a quest for answers, but the mystery of what happened to Danny's mother only becomes more terrifying - and yet there is hope. But there are other, bigger threats at hand, too, as evil begins to stir and the Oracle's prophesies herald a coming darkness.It seems that Danny's dreams were only the beginning...Rise of the Reaper is the first book in an exciting new YA fantasy series by British author Lorna Reid. A perilous quest, filled with magic, blades, and blood. This adventure will make your pulse quicken, even as the shadows begin to stir.

Rise of the Reaper is one of the first self-published books that I have ever agreed to review. I, like so many others, had been put off in the past by all the horror stories that you come across. You kind of end up thinking you might end up getting stalked or maybe bottled if you end up not enjoying it, and writing an honest negative review. But I really liked the sound of this one, and especially appreciated Lorna Reid's email asking me to review it - it was clear she'd been to my blog, seen my content and my review policy (hurray)! I also got to read an extract and realised that this was a book I really wanted to read myself. After finishing it, I am so glad I decided to take a chance on this book because I really enjoyed it, and it's also made me excited to read the sequel.

This book is a fantasy novel, that sees our characters go from our own world into a magical word they never realised existed. This book throws you right into a whole new world, and it has a wonderful and large cast of characters. It was very jarring to me at first, but I got used to as I went on and things got more familiar. I always struggle with new fantasy books, just because there is always so much to learn about the world, the characters, the magical system, the political system and so much more. I mostly struggled with keeping characters straight in my head, as there were many characters and the teens actually had present parents, which I applaud, but they did confuse me a lot. This book jumps into that very quickly and it took me a while to catch up with the characters. But I was fascinated by the world and the magic system that Reid created.

Things To Know When Dating A Bookworm



As some of you will probably already be aware of, I recently got engaged. There are many reasons why my fiancé is the guy I know I want to marry. One reason that I feel you will all understand is this: He completely supports my bookworm ways, even though he doesn't understand them at all! It was a long road though, and he's been with me for nine years now and is completely used to all the weird things I do. But it wasn't always that way. So I started thinking about all the bookworm-type things I do, that I find completely normal, that others might not understand. So, here you go. If you're thinking about dating a bookworm, here's a few things you should be aware of.


1. You will endure endless conversations about books.

Yes, we will want to discuss all of the books with you. And, no, it won't matter that you have never read it, or haven't heard of it, or don't even care. We are going to want to discuss it, especially if we are away from the internet and people who actually care. 


2. You will be taken along to every film adaptation of ever.

If a film adaptation is coming out, chances are that we are going to want to see it. Either we have already read the book and need to see if they do it well. Or we saw the trailer, which has made us want to read the book... And then of course we will need to see the movie to see if they did it well. 

OTPs are LIFE! TTT Valentine Edition



It's time for Top Ten Tuesday and this weeks topic is:

My Favourite OTPs

It's almost Valentine's day, so that means it is the perfect time to get all giddy about my favourite OTPs in fiction and beyond! I definitely have a shipper heart, I do love to get behind a couple and root for them all the way. But, there are definitely those select few who just completely steal my heart and soul - And I will ship forever and ever and ever.

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In Books:


Hermione & Ron

imageThis should come as no surprise to anyone who has been following me for a while. I have a HP obsession that is hard to truly explain. My love for that series is endless! And Hermione and Ron will forever be my number one OTP. I just adore those two together, they're just too cute! And I love that they start out disliking each other, become the best of friends and then fall in love. 

Weekly Recap: An Awesome Week for Book Mail!


I'm actually super proud of myself right now, I am still going strong with this being back at blogging business! GO ME! This has been a struggle for me in the past as I kept getting in to huge blogging slumps, but I am really loving it right now and finding time to do it on top of everything else. This week has been a brilliant mail week, mostly because pay day happened and I bought a bunch of books for myself.

I also had the most amazing email and book mail from Hodder! They sent out a few advanced copies of Morning Star by Pierce Brown and I got one. Not only that, they also sent out invites to an exlusive party at their offices for Pierce.... AND I GOT ONE! Most of you won't even realise how much I freaked out at this. I can't even describe how bloody giddy I got. I am soooo excited. Red Rising is one of my favourite series and I am so excited to finish it. I am also excited/super nervous to meet Pierce Brown.

The Wrath and the Dawn: The Arabian Nights Retelling I Needed!

Title: The Wrath and the Dawn
Author: Renee Ahdieh 
Publisher: G.P Putnam 
Buy this book: Amazon / Book Depository
One Life to One Dawn.In a land ruled by a murderous boy-king, each dawn brings heartache to a new family. Khalid, the eighteen-year-old Caliph of Khorasan, is a monster. Each night he takes a new bride only to have a silk cord wrapped around her throat come morning. When sixteen-year-old Shahrzad's dearest friend falls victim to Khalid, Shahrzad vows vengeance and volunteers to be his next bride. Shahrzad is determined not only to stay alive, but to end the caliph's reign of terror once and for all.Night after night, Shahrzad beguiles Khalid, weaving stories that enchant, ensuring her survival, though she knows each dawn could be her last. But something she never expected begins to happen: Khalid is nothing like what she'd imagined him to be. This monster is a boy with a tormented heart. Incredibly, Shahrzad finds herself falling in love. How is this possible? It's an unforgivable betrayal. Still, Shahrzad has come to understand all is not as it seems in this palace of marble and stone. She resolves to uncover whatever secrets lurk and, despite her love, be ready to take Khalid's life as retribution for the many lives he's stolen. Can their love survive this world of stories and secrets?
I want to start my review by saying that I did thoroughly enjoy this book. It won the vote on what I should read next, and so many of you were recommending it. I am so glad that you did, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I'm just going to admit it right now that it isn't a 5/5 read for me, like it was for so many of you. There are just a few things that bugged me when I was reading that stopped it from becoming a perfect read for me. There was just one small aspect of the story that wasn't explained properly, it made it feel like a really huge plot hole. Plot holes grate on me so much when I am reading, I really obsess over them and that takes away from my enjoyment of the book. Hopefully this part will be explained in greater detail in part two, so that it will make more sense to me.

I Need More Historical Fiction!



It's time for Top Ten Tuesday and this weeks topic is:

Historical Settings I Love

Ancient Egypt 

I think my love for Ancient Egypt comes from two separate things. My childhood love of the movie The Prince of Egypt, followed by my love of the Mummy movies. I would love to read more young adult fiction set in Ancient Egypt. If you have any suggestions, I would love them! 

Illuminae by Jay Kristoff & Amie Kaufman: Not Like The Others

Title: Illuminae
Author: Jay Kristoff & Amie Kaufman
Publisher: Oneworld Publications
Buy this book: Amazon / Book Depository 
This morning, Kady thought breaking up with Ezra was the hardest thing she’d have to do.This afternoon, her planet was invaded.The year is 2575, and two rival megacorporations are at war over a planet that’s little more than an ice-covered speck at the edge of the universe. Too bad nobody thought to warn the people living on it. With enemy fire raining down on them, Kady and Ezra—who are barely even talking to each other—are forced to fight their way onto an evacuating fleet, with an enemy warship in hot pursuit.But their problems are just getting started. A deadly plague has broken out and is mutating, with terrifying results; the fleet's AI, which should be protecting them, may actually be their enemy; and nobody in charge will say what’s really going on. As Kady hacks into a tangled web of data to find the truth, it's clear only one person can help her bring it all to light: the ex-boyfriend she swore she'd never speak to again.Told through a fascinating dossier of hacked documents—including emails, schematics, military files, IMs, medical reports, interviews, and more—Illuminae is the first book in a heart-stopping, high-octane trilogy about lives interrupted, the price of truth, and the courage of everyday heroes.

There was a small part of me that was tempted to not write a review for Illuminae - it's probably why it has finally taken me this long to get to it. I wasn't going to write it for the simple fact that it is just going to be another glowing review in a sea of literally thousands. This book is getting praise heaped upon it and it is deserving of it all. This is one of those books that I would happily call a cool read, just because it has such a unique style to it. The book actually saw me miss a whole night of sleep - no, I'm not kidding! - because I started it just before bed. BIG MISTAKE! I had to go 48 hours with sleep because of that but it was totally worth it.
The universe owes you nothing, Kady. It has already given you everything, after all. It was here long before you, and it will go on long after you. The only way it will remember you is to do something worth remembrance.