Getting Back into the Swing of Things

Hi again! Two posts in a month?! I think I might be getting back into the swing of things with this blogging and YouTube malarky!

So to kick things off (sorta) I thought that it would be nice to just share a few bits and pieces about what I've been up to in my time off from the internet - I've made this sound like a job!

1. I completed 17 books in 2017.

Now, this doesn't sound like much, but for someone who went between two jobs, had a wedding to plan (albeit very slowly) and just life in general, I think this is pretty good going, as I always aim to try and complete one book a month.

2. Christmas in our first home together!

So if you follow my YouTube videos, or subscribe to my channel - firstly thank you so so much! - you will know that we had Christmas decorations up in our house from mid-November until about 8th January. I'm now over the Christmas hype and the tree will go up in December from now on! All kidding aside, we had a wonderful first Christmas actually living together, full of love, and in hindsight, it was a little bittersweet.

3. I bought a wedding dress!

I say I did, my parents did. Our wedding date is looming ever closer and the excitement is building slowly but surely.

4. I got a new job

I guess this should have been number 2, as it follows nicely from point number one, but one of the reasons my reading slowed right down again is because of my new job. Is it still a new job if you've been in the role 8 months?
I'm absolutely loving the job and really have been lucky with my colleague and team, they're all so wonderful and supportive of eachother!

5. I began reading again

So although technically I never stopped reading (if you see my Goodreads page you will know that I've been reading), it feels like forever since I picked up a book, read it, and then reviewed it almost straight away or in front of a camera. I definitely feel that right now I'm gradually getting back into reading, as I'm constantly carrying a book with me wherever I go, and I've got that feeling back of excitement and wanting to pick up a book and see where it goes.


-

Okay, I think that's enough for now, This post is something I've just sat and written, without giving any thought to it at all, just to see what I can come up with. Hopefully it's enough and will prompt me to write more posts like this one!


Rebecca x

BOOK THOUGHTS || Truthwitch by Susan Dennard

*** please note, this review may contain spoilers***

Summed up in a sentence? "Strong friendship, witchery, and an overwhelming sense of togetherness!”

SYNOPSIS

In a continent on the edge of war, two witches hold its fate in their hands.

Young witches Safiya and Iseult have a habit of finding trouble. After clashing with a powerful Guildmaster and his ruthless Bloodwitch bodyguard, the friends are forced to flee their home.

Safi must avoid capture at all costs as she's a rare Truthwitch, able to discern truth from lies. Many would kill for her magic, so Safi must keep it hidden - lest she be used in the struggle between empires. And Iseult's true powers are hidden even from herself.

In a chance encounter at Court, Safi meets Prince Merik and makes him a reluctant ally. However, his help may not slow down the Bloodwitch now hot on the girls' heels. All Safi and Iseult want is their freedom, but danger lies ahead. With war coming, treaties breaking and a magical contagion sweeping the land, the friends will have to fight emperors and mercenaries alike. For some will stop at nothing to get their hands on a Truthwitch

MY OPINIONS

I was a little apprehensive going into this novel as I had heard mixed things, but I had no reason to be concerned. This book really surpassed my expectations and blew me away! I absolutely loved the friendship between Safi and Iseult, and the way they were portrayed through the writing in this novel hit the spot. I felt myself getting frustrated, upset, happy, angry and at one point I even cried over their actions. If an author can make me feel this way, they have definitely done their job.

The storlyline kept me hooked and wanting more, I'm so excited to read the second in the sereies when I can get my hands on it.

MY RATING

Overall I am giving this book an amazing four out of five stars. The friendship, world building and storyline had me hooked, and I'm really looking forward to the next adventure!

BOOK THOUGHTS || Vicious by V E Schwab

*** please note, this review may contain spoilers***

Summed up in a sentence? "I wish I'd picked this up sooner!”

SYNOPSIS

Victor and Eli started out as college roommates—brilliant, arrogant, lonely boys who recognized the same sharpness and ambition in each other. In their senior year, a shared research interest in adrenaline, near-death experiences, and seemingly supernatural events reveals an intriguing possibility: that under the right conditions, someone could develop extraordinary abilities. But when their thesis moves from the academic to the experimental, things go horribly wrong. 

Ten years later, Victor breaks out of prison, determined to catch up to his old friend (now foe), aided by a young girl whose reserved nature obscures a stunning ability. Meanwhile, Eli is on a mission to eradicate every other super-powered person that he can find—aside from his sidekick, an enigmatic woman with an unbreakable will. Armed with terrible power on both sides, driven by the memory of betrayal and loss, the archnemeses have set a course for revenge—but who will be left alive at the end?

MY OPINIONS

This is my first read from the much-loved author V E Schwab. After following Victor and Eli, and actually loving them both (not even sorry), I now know why everyone enjoys her writing so much. The novel has you hooked from pretty much page one, leaving you constantly wanting more. I found myself reading this quite quickly, and completed this within a week on my commutes to work.

I absolutely adored both Victor and Eli, even though they went from being inseperable, to wanting to kill eachother. The difference between them being that Eli will go out of his way to find super-powered humans to kill, whereas Victor wants to find them to ally.

The scenes unfolded quickly, with detail and a storyline that kept me wanting more. Naturally, when the book finished, I was devastated, and just wanted more.

MY RATING

Overall, I am giving this book an amazing five out of five stars. I am definitely going to re-read this in the near future, and hopefully the rest of the novels I read by Schwab will follow suit,

BOOK REVIEW || On The Other Side by Carrie Hope Fletcher

*** please note, this review may contain spoilers***

Summed up in a sentence? " A heartwarming tale of love, friendship and secrecy" 

SYNOPSIS

Your soul is too heavy to pass through this door, Leave the weight of the world in the world from before.

Evie Snow is eighty-two when she quietly passes away in her sleep, surrounded by her children and grandchildren. It's the way most people wish to leave the world but when Evie reaches the door of her own private heaven, she finds that she's become her twenty-seven-year-old self and the door won't open.

Evie's soul must be light enough to pass through so she needs to get rid of whatever is making her soul heavy. For Evie, this means unburdening herself of the three secrets that have weighed her down for over fifty years, so she must find a way to reveal them before it's too late.

As Evie begins the journey of a lifetime, she learns more about life and love than she ever thought possible, and somehow, some way, she may also find her way back to the only man she ever truly loved ...

MY OPINIONS

After following Carrie's YouTube, Twitter and Instagram feeds for some time, I knew I wanted to read her first fiction novel. She's previously published a non-fiction work called All I Know Now, which was almost auto-biographical in providing advice for teens growing up. When she released the news that she was going to be releasing fiction novels, I knew I needed to get in on that. And I am so pleased I did.

Evie is such a loveable character, who we find at the beginning of the novel struggling to understand why she, a dead woman, cannot get into her 27 year old self's apartment. We learn at this point that she has a couple of things weighing her down, which are preventing her getting to her 'happy place', or her heaven, which is behind the door of her old flat.

Carrie has managed to create a story that warms the heart, and makes you wish you could just squeeze her characters until everything is better for them. I followed Evie as she relived her youth, and went through each of the three secrets to try and reveal them before it was too late. I laughed with her, cried with her and most of all, felt relieved when things went her way.

MY RATING

Overall, I am rating this book 4.5 out of five stars. I absolutely adored this book, and cannot wait to get my hands on her second novel! Definitely a must-read for fans of YA romance, or possibly even contemporary fans!

BOOK THOUGHTS || The Beautiful Dead by Belinda Bauer

*** please note, this review may contain spoilers***

Summed up in a sentence? "Gripping, almost too close to home, an excellent creation”

SYNOPSIS

They wanted the same things. Death - and an audience.

Eve Singer makes her living from death. As a TV crime reporter, she'll go to any length to get the latest scoop.

But when a twisted serial killer starts using her to gain the publicity he craves, Eve must decide how far she's willing to go - and how close she'll let him get . . .

MY OPINIONS

This book had me constantly worrying that it was going to end too soon! The characters, particularly our main character, Eve, are very easy to either love or hate. They've been developed in such a way that you find each individual character suited to their own category fairly soon into the novel. Typically, this is something easily loathed by myself. However, in this instance, I found it brilliant to have a stereotypical thought about a character, as it kept me guessing as to who the real killer was.

The way the author goes between Eve's story and the killers' allows us to see two very different methods of thinking. On the one hand, we have Eve, who would pretty much do anything to secure her job and continue reporting, even if it means putting friendships and relationships on the line. But on the other hand, we have the killer, who has a systematic plan in place for each of the murders he wants to have published on the news. These contrasting methods kept me intrigued in the way the novel was going to go, and constantly hoping that Eve would catch up with the killer, and kinda secretly hoping that she didn't, so I could have the mystery for just a little bit longer.

MY RATING

Overall, I'm rating this book 5 out of 5 stars, I absolutely adored this novel and the flow of the story was easy to keep up with. I felt I could understand Eve's character and her development was well carried out. She was incredibly relatable as a character, which is what was needed with the development of the story in my eyes. I'll definitely re-read this one soon!

BOOK THOUGHTS || Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith

*** please note, this review may contain spoilers***

Summed up in a sentence? "Another dark yet enticing novel in the Strike series!”

SYNOPSIS

Cormoran Strike is back, with his assistant Robin Ellacott, in a mystery based around soldiers returning from war.

When a mysterious package is delivered to Robin Ellacott, she is horrified to discover that it contains a woman’s severed leg.

Her boss, private detective Cormoran Strike, is less surprised but no less alarmed. There are four people from his past who he thinks could be responsible – and Strike knows that any one of them is capable of sustained and unspeakable brutality.

With the police focusing on the one suspect Strike is increasingly sure is not the perpetrator, he and Robin take matters into their own hands, and delve into the dark and twisted worlds of the other three men. But as more horrendous acts occur, time is running out for the two of them…

Career of Evil is the third in the series featuring private detective Cormoran Strike and his assistant Robin Ellacott. A mystery and also a story of a man and a woman at a crossroads in their personal and professional lives. 

MY OPINIONS

With this being the third in a series, I knew what to expect in regards to character development and the running of the novel. However, I was not expecting what I actually got! I was expecting nitty gritty, and a troublesome relationship between Strike and Robin, but what I got instead was actually so much more!

First of all, can I just point out that there is some scenes that are kind of graphic. As in, severed leg, missing body parts kind of graphic. At some points I didnt want to continue, but the graphic parts were swift and were infrequent enough to not put me off too much.

Jumping between Strike, Robin and the culprit was a technique well carried out by Galbraith, as it allowed us to see just what was going through each characters head. This is particularly helpful when trying to build a profile for the killer as well.

One of the things that stood out to me was Robins character development. Throughout this book we see her struggle to come to terms with her relationship, and the fact that it feels to her like it is no longer worth it. This is something I really felt made Robin more relatable as a character, as she has previously been seen as someone who tends to have it pretty good (in my eyes anyway).

Personally I love the series and the development of the characters over the series. I would love to see Robin get with Strike but that is definitely off the cards after Career of Evil, which is a little sad, but the prospect would always have been unrealistic anyway!

MY RATING

Overall I am giving this novel 4.5 out of 5 stars. The only reason it wasnt a 5 star rating is because some aspects of the novel were a bit too graphic for me. However, this didnt put me off in the end, as these bits were infrequent enough to work through.

BOOK THOUGHTS || Sing by Vivi Greene

*** please note, this review may contain spoilers***

Summed up in a sentence? "a pleasant, quick read!”

I received this book in exchange for an honest review through NetGalley, an eARC publishing site. This is no way reflects my views.

SYNOPSIS

America’s most famous pop star flees the spotlight to recover from her latest break-up in Maine—only to fall for a local boy and be faced with an impossible choice at the end of the summer: her new guy, or her music.

Multiplatinum pop icon Lily Ross’s biggest hits and biggest heartbreaks (because they are one and the same):

1. AGONY. (That feeling when her ex ripped her heart out of her chest and she never saw it coming.)

2. GHOSTS. (Because even famous people are ghosted by guys sometimes. And it sucks just as much.) 

3. ONCE BITTEN. (As in: twice shy. Also, she’s never dating an actor or a musician ever again.)

But this summer’s going to be different. After getting her heart shattered, Lily is taking herself out of the spotlight and heading to a small island in middle-of-nowhere Maine with her closest friends. She has three months until her fall tour starts-three months to focus on herself, her music, her new album. Anything but guys.

That is . . . until Lily meets sweet, down-to-earth local Noel Bradley, who is so different from anyone she’s ever dated. Suddenly, Lily’s “summer of me” takes an unexpected turn, and she finds herself falling deeper and harder than ever before. But Noel isn’t interested in the limelight. She loves Noel-but she loves her fans, too. And come August, she may be forced to choose. 

MY OPINIONS

Okay, so on first glance, I thought this may be a little bit corny. At the time of applying for the book on NetGalley, I felt I really needed something fast-paced that I didn't need to put too much thought into reading. And this was just that.

Whilst I was reading this, I couldn't help but think that this just screamed “Taylor Swift” (if I'm even allowed to say that) at me. That doesnt mean it was all bad, it just means that a lot of it was incredibly cliché. I just had to keep telling myself that the idea behind the book, and the writing style, wasn't meant to be designed for readers of my age, but rather for a younger audience.

The plot had enough substance to keep me interested, and I really did enjoy the blossoming relationship between Lily and the islanders. They didn't see her as some sort of celebrity, which really helped her develop her sense of character and development. Again, this was cliché and actually quite cheesy in some aspects.

MY RATING

Overall I've given this book three out of five stars. Had I been younger when reading this, I dont believe my feelings would have differed at all. Yes, this read was incredibly quick, and had some lovely moments, but I just didnt think this was right for me. I can see it having a bright future down the line, but personally, it wasn't something I could see myself re-reading in the future.

BOOK THOUGHTS || Me Before You, JoJo Moyes

*** please note, this review may contain spoilers***

Summed up in a sentence? "Tear-jerker, if only I'd finished it!”

SYNOPSIS

Louisa Clark is an ordinary girl living an exceedingly ordinary life—steady boyfriend, close family—who has never been farther afield than their tiny village. She takes a badly needed job working for ex-Master of the Universe Will Traynor, who is wheelchair-bound after an accident. Will has always lived a huge life—big deals, extreme sports, worldwide travel—and now he’s pretty sure he cannot live the way he is.

Will is acerbic, moody, bossy—but Lou refuses to treat him with kid gloves, and soon his happiness means more to her than she expected. When she learns that Will has shocking plans of his own, she sets out to show him that life is still worth living.

A love story for this generation, Me Before You brings to life two people who couldn’t have less in common—a heartbreakingly romantic novel that asks, What do you do when making the person you love happy also means breaking your own heart ?

MY OPINIONS

I didnt finish it.

I know, I know, I'm a terrible person for not finishing THE novel of 2016, but my heart just couldnt take it. Due to the film release and such a big hype around it, I thought I had better pick it up to see what it was like. I knew that it would be emotional and knew all about the letter, but I just couldn't find it in my heart to finish it.

I got to a certain point (in the airport scene) and just thought, you know what, if it ends here, then I'll be happy. Everyone is alive, everything seems okay, no sign of death etc, but I knew it just wasn't to be. I knew that the airport scene was most likely the start of a downward spiral and knew it wasnt something I wanted to read.

Now I totally understand just how powerful a book this is. The plot-line, the writing, the captivating characters. But the more I read it, the more I just felt myself getting more and more upset at the prospect of the ending that was before me. I know I should have just finished the book, I was so close to the end, but I just couldnt. I didn't have it in me to continue reading a novel where I knew the main character would severely deteriorate, and as I am currently in a similar family situation (sort of), I just did not want to continue.

What I did read of the book however was remarkable. Seeing this bright young girl with hopes and ambitions take on a task she had never even considered before, and tackling everything that comes with it, was something I felt would relate to pretty much any type of reader. I also adored the relationship between Lou and Will, as well as the relationship between Lou and Wills' parents. They understandably have a lot to deal with, as well as bringing in someone new to care for Will, that also just wants to let him see the world in a way that he perhaps once knew, without all the backstory his parents had known. One issue I had with this however, was the way in which they deceived Lou into believing this was a position of care, rather than a position of persuasion. Obviously if she knew from the beginning what her role really was, then she would most likely have not taken the job. Maybe I am just being picky now, but I just had to get that off my chest!

To be fair to JoJo Moyes, the part of the book that I did complete, I absolutely lapped up. Her writing style kept me wanting more after each chapter. The way she developed her characters throughout the story was also interesting. I found myself becoming more and more attached to the characters and their “realness”, to the point where sadly I had to stop reading. That's not to say I didn't enjoy the novel and writing style, because I did, I just wasn't emotionally prepared for the books ending.

MY RATING

Overall, I feel this book deserves to be finished by me eventually. I'm rating it three out of five stars. Whilst I did enjoy the writing style, and the progression of characters, along with the reality of the backstories, I felt the direction in which the novel was heading was set up for heartbreak, and I just could not face that. It is most definitely a tear-jerker, if only I'd finished it.

BOOK THOUGHTS || ASSASSINS APPRENTICE - ROBIN HOBB

*** please note, this review may contain spoilers***

Summed up in a sentence? " A must for all of those too scared to jump into fantasy – a nice, steady paced novel that isn't too overpowering with the Sci-Fi/Fantasy elements!

SYNOPSIS

Young Fitz is the bastard son of the noble Prince Chivalry, raised in the shadow of the royal court by his father's gruff stableman. He is treated like an outcast by all the royalty except the devious King Shrewd, who has him secretly tutored in the arts of the assassin. For in Fitz's blood runs the magic Skill--and the darker knowledge of a child raised with the stable hounds and rejected by his family. As barbarous raiders ravage the coasts, Fitz is growing to manhood. Soon he will face his first dangerous, soul-shattering mission. And though some regard him as a threat to the throne, he may just be the key to the survival of the kingdom.

MY OPINIONS

So after putting this book off for months, I finally picked this up at the back end of the Christmas period (yes, I am so late to this review) and finished it in the New Year. I absolutely loved this book. Usually I dont enjoy world-building in novels, I tend to find them difficult to get through as they tend to be so long, but this managed to just captivate me in a way that left me wanting more.

The character develepments in this novel were brilliant. They allowed so much to happen, yet left a lot of the plot lines open for development in the future novels (this is the first in a number of trilogies that all link together). I particularly enjoyed the relationship journey between Fitz and the Fool, going from this odd, awkward jumble of actions and emotions, to two people who actually come to rely on eachother for the sake of their own sanity, and most likely their lives.

Now, we discover through the book that Fitz has something called 'The Skill'. This allows him to connect with animals through a link in their minds, amongst other things that Fitz has to get to grips with during this first novel. I really do hope he manages to develop the Skill throughout the future novels.

MY RATING

Overall, I am rating this book 5 out of 5 stars. I tend to say I am strict in my five star handouts (this is in fact a lie, I tend to hand them out like cake at a birthday party), but this is one novel I feel has truly deserved it. I never usually go for these kind of books, but Hobb has allowed me to feel like I can break that streak. A must for all of those too scared to jump into fantasy – a nice, steady paced novel that isn't too overpowering with the Sci-Fi/Fantasy elements!

REVIEW || The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith

***This review may contain spoilers.***

SYNOPSIS

The Silkworm is the second book in the Cormoran Strike series by Robert Galbraith (aka JK Rowling), and picks up a few months after the end of the Lula Landry case in the first book.

When novelist Owen Quine goes missing, his wife calls in private detective Cormoran Strike. At first she just thinks he has gone off by himself for a few days and she wants Strike to find him and bring him home.

But as Strike investigates, it becomes clear that there is more to Quine's disappearance. The novelist has just completed a manuscript featuring poisonous pen-portraits of almost everyone he knows. If the novel were published it would ruin lives - so there are a lot of people who might want to silence him.

And when Quine is found brutally murdered in bizarre circumstances, it becomes a race against time to understand the motivation of a ruthless killer, a killer unlike any he has encountered before...

When we begin the novel, we learn that Strike's business is booming. Rich clients are seeking his help left, right and centre, and if they're willing to pay... well, Strike's the man for them! But when Quine's wife approaches him, you just know this case is going to be something different.

As Strike finds himself getting more and more invested in the investigation into Quine's disappearance, we find ourselves wrapped up in the literary goings-on of London, where everyone Strike comes across has something to say about Quine and his work - very few, if at all, good. This obviously makes the mystery behind his disappearance all the more interesting, and the list of suspects seems long at times.

However, when Strike gets wind of the new manuscript Quine had sent to his publisher - Bombyx Mori - the pieces start slowly but surely fitting together, making it perhaps the most intriguing case Strike has ever encountered.

MY OPINIONS

I adored this book. Taking it away on holiday (I had done this with The Cuckoo's Calling too) meant I knew I had the time to invest my time and attention to the book moreso than I would have done at home. 

Like I've mentioned once or twice before, I adore JK Rowlings works. Granted, I haven't read The Casual Vacancy, but it is certainly on my to-read list. So there was no doubt in my mind that I would have any ill-feelings towards this book. Whilst some may say I am perhaps heading into the book and plot-line with horse blinkers on, oblivious to those disliking her work - I'd say they may have a point, but having a high expectation of Rowling's work makes me appreciate it just a little bit more. 

The character developments between the previous book and this one seemed well thought out, almost like the author had lived their lives for them, documenting as she went. She definitely has a way with words that will captivate you, regardless of what you read. And considering what she writes in this novel, particularly the murder scene itself, is some-what gory compared to her HP days, I'd say she has her fine writing skills down to a T. 

I think the book reflects a number of issues the current literary world holds - particularly regarding the publishing side of things. You see involvement from literary critics, friends and publishers - both major and individual - just to name but a few bodies of the literary world. Highlighting the different roles involved in writing and publishing a book, is something I think needs to be done more in the book realms I believe. It certainly helps you understand and appreciate the thoughts, time and effort put into the books published and read. 

MY RATING

Overall, I give this book a 4.5 out of 5 stars. For me, it was almost perfect, but sometimes perfection is something that is always just out of reach. This doesn't mean I didn't enjoy the book - because that is definitely not the case - it just means I can go into the third book knowing what I want. 

And what is it I want? Well, I want a proper spark between Cormoran and Robin. They'd make the greatest couple as well as work team. 

Have you read this book? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!

REVIEW || Stealing Snow by Danielle Paige

*** please note, this review may contain spoilers***

BOOK THOUGHTS: STEALING SNOW

First of all, many thanks to Bloomsbury for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, and also to Netgalley, for approving my request also!

I'm just going to put this out there, I've never read a Danielle Paige book prior to this one. As an avid reader and someone who seemingly adores fairytale re-tellings, you would think I'd have read some of her works by now. But, there's a first time for everything, and the plot line of this novel just drew me in.

"Seventeen-year-old Snow has spent her life locked in Whittaker Psychiatric—but she isn’t crazy. And that’s not the worst of it. Her very first kiss proves anything but innocent…when Bale, her only love, turns violent.

Despite Snow knowing that Bale would never truly hurt her, he is taken away—dashing her last hope for any sort of future in the mental ward she calls home. With nowhere else to turn, Snow finds herself drawn to a strange new orderly who whispers secrets in the night about a mysterious past and a kingdom that’s hers for the taking—if only she can find her way past the iron gates to the Tree that has been haunting her dreams.

Beyond the Tree lies Algid, a land far away from the real world, frozen by a ruthless king. And there too await the River Witch, a village boy named Kai, the charming thief Jagger, and a prophecy that Snow will save them all." (taken from Goodreads)

***

When Bloomsbury posted a tweet about this book, saying they had spare ARC's available, I never thought I'd actually get a copy. An ebook, maybe, as I tend to get things approved from NetGalley now and again, but never a physical copy. The fact that I got the physical copy was enough to keep me invested in the book, even just if it was to provide a review for those of you who read my blog.

***

MY OPINION:

This book was well thought out, even if the concept was a little bit typical in some places, and all over the place in others. There were a whole array of characters who just seemed to be there, not doing much. That being said, I was still captivated throughout the book. 

Whilst I was heading into this book expecting a Snow White retelling, it turned out it is actually a re-telling of The Snow Queen.  Now, I'm unfamiliar with this fairy tale, so each twist and turn in the book was unexpected, as I had no true idea of what the initial fairy tale entailed. However, I do think this worked in my favour, as whilst others may have had expectations regarding familiarity, I lacked them. 

One of the issues I struggled with, is that whilst Snow had a lot going on in her life, such as finding out who she really is, whilst trying to find childhood friend Bale in an alternative universe, there is also a love triangle. What is it with pretty much every YA novel having a love triangle? This wasn't exactly needed, considering Snow's feelings were made pretty clear as of page one. 

Overall, I believe the initial idea had a LOT of promise, most of which was not met.  As this is actually the first in a series - possibly a trilogy, I'm unsure - this makes sense, as it allows things to develop and flow a little better in further books.

***

MY RATING: 

TWO AND A HALF STARS

Have any of you read this book? If so, what are your thoughts? Or do you have any recommendations based off my review? Let me know in the comments below!

I'M IN A SLUMP. - Discussion.

Hello!

Today, I thought I would do a little post on the good old slump. It's Monday, it's sunny outside, and I'm meant to be getting ready to go to work. BUT I thought I'd blog for you all instead!

So, good old slumps. Be it reading, filming, movies, gaming, shopping or whatever little hobby you have. A slump, is still a slump. Although I've posted before about reading slumps and some tips, I still find myself stuck in a slump. I'm not sure how it's happened (well, that's not strictly true), but I just dont feel like reading right now, which is a pain when I'm in the middle of x amount of books. No doubt I'll either DNF the reads and start with a clean slate, or pick them up and continue without enjoying them, but, we'll just have to wait and see..


So, how does a slump happen?

Well for me, it just so happens to be because I read a book quite quickly. Last week. Yes, you read that correctly. I managed to read a book quicker than anticipated, and I got all giddy and excited and now I'm sat here wondering what I'm doing wrong with my reading life. Who in their right mind actually finishes a book quickly, resulting in them slumping? Apparently me. Fantastic.

Slumps tend to happen when you go from having all the time in the world to suddenly being busy. At the time of me reading that book in 24 hours last week, I'd had meetings/appointments and then had work a few hours later, and it made more sense to wait around a coffee shop near work rather than go home to just turn around and come back out again for work. So that freed up a lot of my time on that day, and I flew through a good proportion of the book. Due to being so highly invested in the book, I picked it up the next morning and spent an hour finishing it off, collecting my thoughts and posting a blog post for it. I havent touched a book since,

Personally, I believe that slumps come out of over-enjoying or over-indulging on something. For example, I over-indulged on reading that book, something which would have normally taken possibly a week to read, was read in 24 hours. Since that over-indulging, I have yet to enjoy anything I picked up, regardless of it's size or whether it appealed to me at all. For example, I've since tried to pick up two books I really wanted to read, and I've read the first chapter of each and not picked them up since!

What are you going to do about it?

 Well, that's just it, I dont know. I'm currently focusing more on work and writing at the moment, but I don't just want to push reading to one side. I want to be able to read something before I go away (in two weeks), or at least make more progress in my current reading. I really dont want to be in a slump whilst on holiday, as alongside my flight I have extra travelling, meaning extra reading time which I wont want to waste!

My probable plan of action is as follows: try and read more of my current reads and finish at least one before starting anything else (or going on holiday - whichever comes first), make more time for myself to appreciate the books I'm reading right now and not just starting books left right and centre, and also to take a step back from my reading. Yes, this contradicts the other steps, but ultimately, if I feel like something is becoming "too much", it probably is, and I need to learn to take a step back if that happens to avoid any further slumps.


Do you have any tips for reading slumps? Let me know in the comments how you cope with slumps and maybe we can have a chat!

REVIEW || Don't Look Back by Jennifer L. Armentrout

OH MY GOD THIS BOOK.

First of all, thanks so much to Vanessa for giving me this book - I owe you one! Links to her YouTube channel are here, and her blog too!

For those of you who don't know - Don't Look Back is one of those books that gets you so sucked in, so so very quickly, and you can't help but want to know EVERYTHING ten minutes before the main character.

In this book, we follow Samantha, who, at the beginning of the book, is found stumbling out of a forest, a little worse for wear - okay, a lot worse for wear. She's battered and bruised, and has no recollection of what happened. She's gone from someone with the 'perfect life', to somehow having no clue who she is. And things only get worse when she's told her best friend Cassie went missing wit her - and still hasn't been found.

***

I loved this. It's my first ever Jennifer L Armentrout book and oh my goodness. Why haven't I picked her books up before now? This book is one of those un-put-down-able types, I read it over the space of 24 hours - less than that actually! I was so invested in the characters, and felt emotions for each and every single one of them. One moment I was happy, another I was sad, mostly, I was as confused as our lead character Samantha, I mean, who wouldn't be?

***SPOILERS***

One of the things I really didn't like, or rather, was frustrated by, was the lack of important flashbacks. I understand why we, as readers, didn't get those flashbacks, but still, I would have appreciated them more rather than just that final one. Whilst the doctors had said her memory may come back in bits and pieces, I didn't really need to see the drama flashbacks between Del, Samantha and Cassie, when they were a given, particularly with Samantha being such a smart lead character. However, that being said, I absolutely loved the flashback involving Scott, Carson and Samantha. We'd heard of this story prior to the flashback, so it was so heartwarming to see that that memory hadn't been tainted by present day lies.

Can we also just stop and take a moment to appreciate Carson please? Perfect book boyfriend right there.

***SPOILERS END***

Overall, for my first JLA read, it is definitely worth a solid 4 stars, if not somewhere between the 4th and 5th star. This is because the main character was so relateable, we felt everything they felt, went through everything they went through, and I definitely came away from the book feeling like I had a friend in Samantha. Not to mention it made me take a step back and think about my life and how I could make changes to make me a better person.

All in all, a fantastic read, and I highly highly recommend it!!

Readathons - Where Do I Stand?

The majority of people who blog about books or partake in 'BookTube', will have participated in a readathon at least once. Or have heard of readathons at the very least. There are so many out and about in the world of book reviewing (be it blog, video or tweets), that I thought I would have my own little say on them, because why not ey?

Readathons, for those who don't know, are periods of time where you read books following a certain theme (usually). For example, some people do an author readathon, where they read ONLY that author (I'm currently doing that myself partially with Stephen King books). Others will do readathons with common themes such as dystopian, YA (Young Adult), LGBT, mental illness, disability, to name but a few. This allows the reader to choose their own books by their own preferred authors on a topic they all have in common. There are also two more types of readathon: a free-style one, and a slightly-structured-but-not-strict one. For a free-style readathon, the participants read whatever the heck they want, and this tends to be in readathons such as Deweys 24-hour readathon (I suggest looking up Little Book Owl on YouTube for more info, found here). For this readathon in particular, you have 24 hours to read whatever you want. The pieces you read can be graphic novels, manga, fiction, non-fiction, long, short - you get the picture. The choice is yours. And the best bit? It's usually organised to suit your time zone, for example from 2am April 3rd to 2am April 4th. This tends to work best for people with busy schedules who need to just relax for a day or two, and it's particularly helpful if arranged for a weekend! For our slightly-structured-but-not-strict-one, I've chosen RYBSAT as an example. RYBSAT stands for Read Your Book Shelf A Thon, and happens regularly around the year (videos can be found here). In this readathon, the rules are simple: pick a point on your bookshelf, and just read. Which is good, particularly if you pick a point on your shelf where there are a number of shorter books!

So, now we've explained the various types of readathons (I'd like to point out this is not an exclusive list, and there are a number of other readathons happening every single day which are great), what's my thoughts on them?

Well, I kinda, sorta, LOVE them. I love them so much, I've done a couple of my own. Granted, they haven't taken off as well as others, but I benefited from them, which is what counts really. For example, I'm currently doing the Season of Stephen King, where I'm just reading Stephen King books. BUT, as this is a lengthly readathon, I'm reading other items alongside it so I don't get bored. Which is very likely to happen.

For me, readathons are s beneficial to those taking part. They're excellent for those who are trying to hit their reading goals and are falling behind, or are good for a bit of a kick up the bum if you're feeling slumpish. Well, they're just fun in general to be honest!


So there we have it! My thoughts on readathons. Do you know of any readathons, or take part in some I haven't mentioned? Let me know down below so I can find out more!

REVIEW || Last Light by CJ Lyons

*** I was approached by the author with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This in no way influences my thoughts and opinions.***

In this novel, we follow Lucy, a former FBI agent who has been given the opportunity to lead an office-based task force solving crimes from the past. Which is great for Lucy really. During her FBI days, she and her family were targeted by a violent predator, leaving Lucy with a life-altering injury. However, when Lucy hears of the case her taskforce are trying to crack, she can't resist going back out onto the open road to try and crack the case. Along with her team, Lucy tries to solve the case of a murder from 29 years prior, which sees her travel to rural Texas to discover who actually murdered Lily Martin and her family. As she and TK, a former Marine who struggles with her life transition from action to rural life, do the field work in Texas, not all is as it seems in Blackwell County, and the further the investigation develops, the more foul play arises.

*This review may contain spoilers*

I've been updating my status a lot on Goodreads as and when I find something incredibly interesting happening in the plot, which actually turns out to be the majority of the time! These updates can be found here (granted, they are short and snappy and trying to predict the killer but still, "called it!").

I don't know why I didn't pick this up sooner. It's fast-paced, action around every corner and has an average reading speed time of roughly 3 hours on Kindle. That's an afternoon. Not long at all! The book reminded me of a crime series episode (take your pick, an hour long, typical setup), which kept my attention well and could be paused at any time. It was so easy to pick back up again after setting down, that I had no concern over leaving it a few days just because I 'wasn't in the mood for reading' (it happens to the best of us).

***SPOILERS***

I adored the character development throughout the book, with perhaps the most surprising development coming from TK. I expected her to be a hard nut to crack, constantly fighting this imaginary battle in her head. However, when she met David, it was easily noticeable that she softened ever so slightly. He taught her to ease up a little and not take things so serious, got her to unwind at the bar, although it did end in arrest! The fact that the novel went from being all about solving the crime to also solving TK's own personal crisis was a wonderful touch from the author also.

***SPOILERS END***

Overall, I'm going to give this novel 4 out of 5 stars. Watching character developments as the novel unfolded was extremely fascinating, and I found myself understanding and relating to almost every single character in one way or another - even the bad ones! An excellent start to what I hope will be a substantial crime thriller series!

REVIEW || Sweet Tooth: Volumes One and Two

I read these at my local library, taking roughly half an hour for them both. These were my first ever graphic novel reads, and I went in with high expectations. I don't know why, maybe because it's such a big craze at the moment in the BookTube community, but sadly, I was a little disappointed. I do believe though that this was down to my own personal extremely high expectations rather than anything else!

Sweet Tooth Volume One: Out of the Deep Woods

In this initial volume, we find ourselves following the story of Gus, who lives in the woods with his father. Gus' father tells him he must only stay in the woods, and never stray, as there are fires and very dangerous men on the other side of the fence. Oh, did I mention, Gus has deer ears and horns?

Before Gus was born, there was an illness epidemic that wiped out quite a high proportion of the population. Those that were left, and were lucky enough to go on to have children, did so. However, after this epidemic, every child that was born, was some sort of animal hybrid. Now, 8 or so years later, we find Gus living in the woods with his father, as his mother died giving birth to him, and there is a heavy bounty for those that manage to capture these hybrids. 

However, when Gus' father dies, he dares to brave the new world outside of the woods, where he comes across Jeppard. We first meet Jeppard as he saves Gus' life, and convinces him to go with him to a safe haven. With Gus looking up to Jeppard as a new form of father figure, what could go wrong?

*

I didn't enjoy this as much as I was expecting too. The premise sounded amazing, and I had such high hopes, what with this being the first graphic novel of mine, that I think the expectations became too much of me. The story was good, and did set us up for the rest of the series, but I felt it lacked somewhat, somewhere along the line. I'm just not too sure where. 

I did feel for Gus though. He'd had such a sheltered life and didn't know where to begin after his fathers death, thus he just jumped on the first 'kind' person he met. Which ultimately led to his downfall. Overall I gave this graphic novel 3 stars.

***

Sweet Tooth Volume Two: In Captivity

The second installment picks up where the first left off. Good old reliable Jeppard is actually a bounty hunter, and hands over Gus in exchange for a duffell bag which we later find out to be the remains of his wife.

I much preferred this installment to the first one. We get to see more of Jeppard and his backstory, which was something I felt I actually needed to know in order to continue. The revelations that follow upon discovery of the other hybrids are also quite shocking, and well, Gus is actually quite naive, which is to be expected considering his upbringing.

Overall, I gave this installment four stars out of five, and reviewed both on my goodreads too.