Friday, 8 January 2016

The Month In Books: December

Hey guys! It's wrap up time again! 
I know my wrap up's usually have books I bought and so on included, but I did a huge December Book Haul already and I have a Christmas Book Haul coming soon! So today's is just books I've read and books received from publishers. I actually read 13 freaking books, but then I did have to finish off my November TBR, I don't casually have 13 books chilling in a months TBR. I'm ambitious but not that ambitious, it's kind of a miracle I got them all done and Dead of Winter I was frantically reading on New Years Eve! 
The video is linked at the bottom, which is where I'll be talking a bit more about the books! I had to film it in different parts and then refilm some parts so the lightings a bit dodgy and changes randomly, and I once again forgot to take the damn effect off after I'd gotten done taking blog photos SO I'm a ghost again...sorry! 


Books Read This Month: 


The Secrets of Drearcliff Grange School by Kim Newman


A Mad Zombie Party by Gena Showalter


Witch Hunter by Virginia Boecker


At First Sight by Jennifer Lynn Barnes


The School For Good and Evil by Soman Chainani


Front Lines by Michael Grant


Sword and Verse by Kathy MacMillan


Truthwitch by Susan Dennard


Dead of Winter by Kresley Cole
Buy 


Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J. K. Rowling
Buy 


Newt's Emerald by Garth Nix
TBR 


Half A King by Joe Abercrombie


The Archived by Victoria Schwab


Books Received This Month: 


Winter by Marissa Meyer


Dominion by John Connolly & Jennifer Ridyard


Starborn by Lucy Hounsom


Thursday, 7 January 2016

Pretty Book Showcase: Puffin Pixels

Hellooooo!
So, I own a lot of pretty books and I know we all like to look at pretty books! That and when you're looking at them on Book Depository or whatever, you can only see the cover, you can't really see what the rest of it looks like and sometimes you just wanna have a good look before you buy! 
I recently stumbled across, and treated myself to, some incredibly original and fun books from Puffin! I'm a bit of a gamer geek, so it's not surprising I lost my mind when I saw these! I present to you, for your enjoyment.....the Puffin Pixels Classics! 



There are currently four available, as you can see from above! With another four being released in 2016! 
Tales of Ancient Egypt and The Swiss Family Robinson are coming in January, with Frankenstein and Dracula following in August! They're just as fantastic as the four I already have and dare I say...kinda cute! 

Treasure Island



actually thought I could say to you guys that this is my first edition of Treasure Island, but I looked at my shelves again and well...it's not. This is my second, which is a lot less than some other books, I have to say! I just love the map with the "World One" bit and so on! 

Robin Hood



I can proudly say that THIS is my very first edition of this book, if only I'd had an arrow or two to use for the photo! I haven't read this particular book in ages, not since I was a child, I had a quick skim through this and ugh, perfect! 

Tales of the Greek Heroes



Come on guys....are you really surprised that I couldn't resist getting the Greek Heroes one? You know how obsessed I am with Greek History as well as Ancient Egypt. The thing I love about these editions is the maps as well as the covers, so nostalgic guys, so nostalgic! 

King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table



Again, you're probably not all that surprised! Love me some King Arthur legends! I do have a fair few editions of various different Arthur books, not gonna lie! 



Genuinely these are kind of perfect! The nostalgic covers, the maps inside, there's quotes on the back. They're even kinda cute, dare I say it! It's also an interesting selection, the four pictured above, plus the upcoming Tales of Ancient Egypt, Swiss Family Robinson, Dracula and Frankenstein. Most of these you don't always see released when publishers do fancy editions, so I was surprised to see Treasure Island, Robin Hood, Arthur and Swiss Family Robinson on the list! 

I have a feeling a fair few of you who follow me are equally as nerdy as me and are going to LOVE these and need them as much as I needed them when I completely ignored my book buying ban and hit order! 


Wednesday, 6 January 2016

Wishing For Wednesday #72

Hey guys! 
It's the very first Wishing For Wednesday of the New Year! How exciting! 
I'm a bit early with these and for the rest of the month, but oh well! 
SO. Exciting reads....as usual! 
First up is one of my most anticipated reads of 2016, the sequel to Red Queen. I have been waiting for this with baited breath for so long and I'm so excited to finally get to read it! Especially after how it ended! 
Second is a book by an author I've not heard of before, I'm kind of assuming that it's a debut book but I could be wrong so don't hold me to it! ANYWAY! It sounds completely original and just freaking awesome! Blackbeard guys...we all love pirates! 

Glass Sword


Mare Barrow’s blood is red—the color of common folk—but her Silver ability, the power to control lightning, has turned her into a weapon that the royal court tries to control. 

The crown calls her an impossibility, a fake, but as she makes her escape from Maven, the prince—the friend—who betrayed her, Mare uncovers something startling: she is not the only one of her kind.

Pursued by Maven, now a vindictive king, Mare sets out to find and recruit other Red-and-Silver fighters to join in the struggle against her oppressors. 

But Mare finds herself on a deadly path, at risk of becoming exactly the kind of monster she is trying to defeat. 

Will she shatter under the weight of the lives that are the cost of rebellion? Or have treachery and betrayal hardened her forever?


Glass Sword is out February 11th, pre-order your copy....here!
Add it to your TBR.....here!



Blackhearts

Blackbeard the pirate was known for striking fear in the hearts of the bravest of sailors. But once he was just a young man who dreamed of leaving his rigid life behind to chase adventure in faraway lands. Nothing could stop him—until he met the one girl who would change everything.

Edward "Teach" Drummond, son of one of Bristol's richest merchants, has just returned from a year-long journey on the high seas to find his life in shambles. Betrothed to a girl he doesn’t love and sick of the high society he was born into, Teach dreams only of returning to the vast ocean he’d begun to call home. There's just one problem: convincing his father to let him leave and never come back.

Following her parents' deaths, Anne Barrett is left penniless and soon to be homeless. Though she’s barely worked a day in her life, Anne is forced to take a job as a maid in the home of Master Drummond. Lonely days stretch into weeks, and Anne longs for escape. How will she ever realize her dream of sailing to Curaçao—where her mother was born—when she's stuck in England? 

From the moment Teach and Anne meet, they set the world ablaze. Drawn to each other, they’re trapped by society and their own circumstances. Faced with an impossible choice, they must decide to chase their dreams and go, or follow their hearts and stay.

Blackhearts is out February 9th, pre-order your copy....here!
 Add it to your TBR....here

Tuesday, 5 January 2016

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Resolutions I Have For 2015

Hellllooooo! 
Another Tuesday, another Top Ten list! 



This week's is all about resolutions considering it's the New Year and all! They can be anything, and I'm gonna try and do them as mostly bookish because ya know......I have many book things that I should probably resolve to sort out! SO....

1. Do not force myself to finish a book I do not like. 
You wouldn't believe how much time I waste, forcing myself to finish a book, even if I'm not liking it. I just can't abandon books, but I really need to work on it because why waste valuable reading time on books I'm not enjoying!? 

2. Read one Classic a month. 
I do not read Classics all that much, I do however, have quite the collection as I'm collecting Penguin English Library books among others! I was going to start this last year but never quite got around to it SO this year....It's on! 

3. Remain positive at all times. 
So, I do this as much as I can but I did waver a few times last year, so this year I'm gonna be all positivity all the time about everything! 

4. Film more YouTube videos. 
I'm gonna film even more videos for YouTube providing you guys are enjoying them of course! it's been something I've been debated and I dabbled at the end of 2015, but I want to make them more regularly! 

5. Improve my photography and take more bookish photos!
SO, all photos where taken on my iPad and then of course, I got a camera for Christmas and was allowed it early, so towards the end of the year I was playing about with it, working out how to use it and what effect does what and so on, so I'm hoping this year to take my photos up to another level and make them even better! Also to take more because I only really do the photo challenge ones and currently reading ones and I do love taking the photos and working out how to stage them! 

6. Catch up on NetGalley and keep on top of it! 
With NetGalley, it's dangerous. Because when a book goes on my Kindle....I kinda forget about it a little bit! So NetGalley always ends up with a huge backlog or I read them and then forget to put the review on NetGalley, so I'm gonna catch up on NetGalley and keep on top of it so no more hours spent putting up reviews because I forgot for months! It should be easier with my new Kindle as well, seeing as my old one was going all glitchy! 

7. FINALLY decimate my TBR. 
If you don't know, I have four freaking shelves of TBR books, helpfully arranged in to "First in Series"  "Stand Alone" "Entire Series" and "Next in Series". Yeah. I'm organised like that. We all have massive TBR's and we probably all say this every freaking year, but this year I really wanna do it because I kinda need the shelf space, soooooooo in between review books I'm going to read as many of my TBR books as possible and hopefully by this time next year....it'll be gone! 

8. Finally read popular series!
So I did a blog post about popular series I haven't read back in December. Some of them are on my actual TBR shelves and some of them are not. Considering I want to smack down my TBR, I'm thinking I'll resolve to read the popular series that are actually on my TBR so like Percy Jackson, Divergent, Mistborn and Heroes of Olympus. Depending on how fast I deplete my TBR I may or may not actually buy some of the ones I haven't read and read those as well! 

9. Finish series that I started. 
There's a couple of long running series that I've started and still haven't finished and the next books are still sitting on my shelf! So Dexter, Morganville and House of Night off the top of my head! They just kinda....stare at me sadly! 

10. Take part in more memes, and post more non- review content! 
So I'm always trying to improve my blog and feedback from you guys would be so helpful! But anyway, I want to take part in more memes, my participation in this one for instance, was a bit here and there! I never stuck to it properly, so I want to change that and maybe take part in a few more! I also want to post more content that isn't just book reviews, so I've got some ideas for other blog posts that are kinda like this, so lists, because we all love lists and they're easy to read! Not to mention fast! If you have any things you want to see specifically let me know! 

So those are my bookish related resolutions and one that's kinda a general one! There's a couple of other personal ones I have to do with my career and everything but that's not book blog material! 
Let me know YOUR New Years Resolutions down in the comments or simply link to your own TT Tuesday post if you've done one! 




Monday, 4 January 2016

Most Anticipated Sequels of 2016!

Hey guys! 
So here is part two of my Best 2016 Releases, these are all sequels/next in series, there's a word I'm grasping for, for them, and just not finding I'm afraid! I'm so incredibly excited for these and the wait for them has been and continues to be, long and painful! I've got a wide variety as well for you guys, with GoodReads links so you can easily add to your TBR! 

1. Remembrance by Meg Cabot 
Release Date: 2nd February
7th in Series

All Susannah Simon wants is to make a good impression at her first job since graduating from college (and becoming engaged to Dr. Jesse de Silva).

But when she stumbles across an ancient murder, old ghosts—and ex-boyfriends—aren’t all that come back to haunt her.





2. Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard 
Release Date: 11th February
Sequel 

Mare Barrow’s blood is red—the color of common folk—but her Silver ability, the power to control lightning, has turned her into a weapon that the royal court tries to control. 

The crown calls her an impossibility, a fake, but as she makes her escape from Maven, the prince—the friend—who betrayed her, Mare uncovers something startling: she is not the only one of her kind.

Pursued by Maven, now a vindictive king, Mare sets out to find and recruit other Red-and-Silver fighters to join in the struggle against her oppressors. 

But Mare finds herself on a deadly path, at risk of becoming exactly the kind of monster she is trying to defeat. 

Will she shatter under the weight of the lives that are the cost of rebellion? Or have treachery and betrayal hardened her forever?


3. The Power by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Release Date: 25th February
Sequel

With any great change, there is always strife, and the Covenant University has become the frontline between pure-bloods who want the Breed Order reinstated and the half-bloods who want the right to control their own destinies.
Fate has other plans.

The violence is escalating and war between the races seems inevitable, and it couldn’t come at a worse time. Hyperion may be out of commission, but Josie and Seth know they have only earned a reprieve. Seth must get Josie fully prepared, which means controlling her newfound abilities, and they need to find the other demigods before the Titans do.
But the gods are sensing a greater threat.

Only one thing is more dangerous than a bunch of starved Titans, and that’s an out-of-control Apollyon. The aether in Josie is drawing Seth in deeper, and when lust mixes with love and gives way to power, he knows being close to her is not only dangerous to her, but to everyone around them, but letting her go requires a level of selflessness that just isn’t Seth’s style.

The paths taken in the past are becoming the roads of the future.

Just as chaos breaks out, familiar faces from the past return, complicating the already strained bond between Josie and Seth, and when the danger from the Titans erupts with devastating consequences, the dark allure of power calls to Seth again, but this time Josie might not be able to pull him back.

And when the struggle between power and love becomes the deadliest battleground, there may be no salvation.




4. Soldier by Julie Kagawa
Release Date: 5th May
Third in Series

A fighter dedicated to saving humankind from dragons in strictest secrecy.

That was what Garret Xavier Sebastian thought he was part of as a soldier of the Order of St. George. What he learned from a fiery dragon hatchling twisted all he believed in and set him on a collision course with certain death-but not without a chance to put things right.

Betrayed and on the run again, Ember and rogue dragon Riley discover an unthinkable truth about Talon and St. George. They'll need Garret's skills and insider knowledge of the Order to negotiate an impossible deal-and if they fail, there will be no way to stop all-out war.
 



5. A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas
Release Date: 3rd May 
Sequel 

Feyre survived Amarantha's clutches to return to the Spring Court--but at a steep cost. Though she now has the powers of the High Fae, her heart remains human, and it can't forget the terrible deeds she performed to save Tamlin's people.

Nor has Feyre forgotten her bargain with Rhysand, High Lord of the feared Night Court. As Feyre navigates its dark web of politics, passion, and dazzling power, a greater evil looms--and she might be key to stopping it. But only if she can harness her harrowing gifts, heal her fractured soul, and decide how she wishes to shape her future--and the future of a world cleaved in two.



6. The Shadow Hour by Melissa Grey
Release Date: 12th July
Sequel

Everything in Echo's life changed in a blinding flash when she learned the startling truth: she is the firebird, the creature of light that is said to bring peace.

The firebird has come into the world, but it has not come alone. Every action has an equal and opposite reaction, and Echo can feel a great and terrible darkness rising in the distance. Cosmic forces threaten to tear the world apart.

Echo has already lost her home, her family, and her boyfriend. Now, as the firebird, her path is filled with even greater dangers than the ones she's already overcome.

She knows the Dragon Prince will not fall without a fight.

Echo must decide: can she wield the power of her true nature--or will it prove too strong for her, and burn what's left of her world to the ground?

Welcome to the shadow hour.


7. A Torch Against The Night by Sabaa Tahir
Release Date: 8th September 
Sequel 

A Torch Against the Night takes readers into the heart of the Empire as Laia and Elias fight their way north to liberate Laia’s brother from the horrors of Kauf Prison. Hunted by Empire soldiers, manipulated by the Commandant, and haunted by their pasts, Laia and Elias must outfox their enemies and confront the treacherousness of their own hearts.

In the city of Serra, Helene Aquilla finds herself bound to the will of the Empire’s twisted new leader, Marcus. When her loyalty is questioned, Helene finds herself taking on a mission to prove herself—a mission that might destroy her, instead.




8. The Flame Never Dies by Rachel Vincent
Release Date: 16th June
Sequel

ONE SPARK WILL RISE. Nina Kane was born to be an exorcist. And since uncovering the horrifying truth—that the war against demons is far from over—seventeen-year-old Nina and her pregnant younger sister, Mellie, have been on the run, incinerating the remains of the demon horde as they go. 

In the badlands, Nina, Mellie, and Finn, the fugitive and rogue exorcist who saved her life, find allies in a group of freedom fighters. They also face a new threat: Pandemonia, a city full of demons. But this fresh new hell is the least of Nina’s worries. The well of souls ran dry more than a century ago, drained by the demons secretly living among humans, and without a donor soul, Mellie’s child will die within hours of its birth.

Nina isn’t about to let that happen . . . even if it means she has to make the ultimate sacrifice.

9. Recreated by Colleen Houck 
Release Date: 11th August
Sequel 

So, no cover for this one yet, or synopsis, but I'm incredibly excited for the second book to see where it goes. I loved everything about the first book and have resolved to read all of her other books too! 


10. The King Slayer by Virginia Boecker
Release Date: 2nd June
Sequel

Magic, suspense, and political intrigue collide in this sequel to The Witch Hunter, perfect for fans of Graceling and the Grisha Trilogy.

Former witch hunter Elizabeth Grey is hiding within the magically protected village of Harrow, evading the price put on her head by Lord Blackwell, the usurper king of Anglia. Their last encounter left Blackwell ruined, but his thirst for power grows stronger every day. He's readying for a war against those who would resist his rule--namely Elizabeth and the witches, wizards, pirates, and healers she now calls her friends.

Having lost her stigma, a magical source of protection and healing, Elizabeth's strength is tested both physically and emotionally. War always means sacrifice, and as the lines between good and evil blur once more, Elizabeth must decide just how far she'll go to save those she loves.


11. Crooked Kingdoms by Leigh Bardugo
Release Date: 22nd September 
Sequel 

No cover or synopsis again, but when they are released you can bet your ass I'll be fangirling like crazy! I freaking loved Six of Crows, it's one of my best books of 2015!  




12. A Gathering Of Shadows by V. E. Schwab
Release Date: 23rd February
Sequel

Four months have passed since the shadow stone fell into Kell’s possession. Four months since his path crossed with Delilah Bard. Four months since Rhy was wounded and the Dane twins fell, and the stone was cast with Holland’s dying body through the rift, and into Black London.

In many ways, things have almost returned to normal, though Rhy is more sober, and Kell is now plagued by his guilt. Restless, and having given up smuggling, Kell is visited by dreams of ominous magical events, waking only to think of Lila, who disappeared from the docks like she always meant to do. As Red London finalizes preparations for the Element Games—an extravagant international competition of magic, meant to entertain and keep healthy the ties between neighboring countries—a certain pirate ship draws closer, carrying old friends back into port.

But while Red London is caught up in the pageantry and thrills of the Games, another London is coming back to life, and those who were thought to be forever gone have returned. After all, a shadow that was gone in the night reappears in the morning, and so it seems Black London has risen again—meaning that another London must fall. 


13. The Rose and the Dagger by Renee Ahdieh
Release Date: 3rd May 
Sequel

I am surrounded on all sides by a desert. A guest, in a prison of sand and sun. My family is here. And I do not know whom I can trust.
In a land on the brink of war, Shahrzad has been torn from the love of her husband Khalid, the Caliph of Khorasan. She once believed him a monster, but his secrets revealed a man tormented by guilt and a powerful curse—one that might keep them apart forever. Reunited with her family, who have taken refuge with enemies of Khalid, and Tariq, her childhood sweetheart, she should be happy. But Tariq now commands forces set on destroying Khalid's empire. Shahrzad is almost a prisoner caught between loyalties to people she loves. But she refuses to be a pawn and devises a plan.

While her father, Jahandar, continues to play with magical forces he doesn't yet understand, Shahrzad tries to uncover powers that may lie dormant within her. With the help of a tattered old carpet and a tempestuous but sage young man, Shahrzad will attempt to break the curse and reunite with her one true love.


14. The Fate of the Tearling by Erika Johansen 
Release Date: 7th June
Third and Final in Series

So, no cover again! Well there is an American one but it's not the one we'll have so I'm not including it! It is all pink and nice though! There is a synopsis though! 

In less than a year, Kelsea Glynn has transformed from a gawky teenager into a powerful monarch. As she has come into her own as the Queen of the Tearling, the headstrong, visionary leader has also transformed her realm. In her quest to end corruption and restore justice, she has made many enemies—including the evil Red Queen, her fiercest rival, who has set her armies against the Tear.

To protect her people from a devastating invasion, Kelsea did the unthinkable—she gave herself and her magical sapphires to her enemy—and named the Mace, the trusted head of her personal guards, Regent in her place. But the Mace will not rest until he and his men rescue their sovereign, imprisoned in Mortmesne.

Now, as the suspenseful endgame begins, the fate of Queen Kelsea—and the Tearling itself—will finally be revealed.  

15. The Hammer of Thor by Rick Riordan
Release Date: 4th October
Sequel 

So again, no cover and no synopsis but I LOVED the first book and i'm expecting big things from this one! The title is really intriguing me, knowing what I know from the first book! 






16. Royal Tour by Amy Alward 
Release Date: 11th August 
Number in Series: Two


So, this has no cover yet, and no description but I loved the first book so freaking much it was such a mood lifting book, and one I can read whenever I need a pick me up! 
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