2015 READING CHALLENGES

It has come to my attention that there are many different reading challenges about for 2015; Hannah at Broc's Bookcase has written a great post about the many available. Granted, I don't have the time or the reading ability to participate in them all there are a few I do want to participate in. I already spoke about The Re-read Challenge that I've joined, but a couple more I'm going to join are:


 I recently made a post about how I wanted to read more fairytale retellings this coming year and then I came across this challenge hosted by The Daily Prophecy and thought how perfect it would be to give the challenge a go and finally get reading some fairytale retellings. There are varying levels of reading to aim for, for this challenge and I think I am going to stick to the Magic Mirror goal; that's 5-9 books over the year.

Another challenge I'm participating in this year is Goodread's 2015 reading challenge, in which you can set yourself a goal; in my case I've decided to pick 52 books and your challenge is to meet that goal. I set myself one in April, 2014 of 30 books so this year I aim to read one book a week. All you need to do is join Goodreads and join me on this challenge. 

Are you going to participate in any challenges this year?

Keep an eye out for updates and reviews I'll be doing throughout 2015!

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BOOK REVIEW

ANATOMY OF A MISFIT
Andrea Portes

PUBLISHER: Harper Teen
GENRE: Contemporary
PAGES: 336
GET A COPY: BookDepository/Amazon

"Outside, Anika Dragomir is all lip gloss and blond hair—the third most popular girl in school. Inside, she’s a freak: a mix of dark thoughts, diabolical plots, and, if local chatter is to be believed, vampire DNA (after all, her father is Romanian). But she keeps it under wraps to maintain her social position. One step out of line and Becky Vilhauer, first most popular girl in school, will make her life hell. So when former loner Logan McDonough shows up one September hotter, smarter, and more mysterious than ever, Anika knows she can’t get involved. It would be insane to throw away her social safety for a nerd. So what if that nerd is now a black-leather-jacket-wearing dreamboat, and his loner status is clearly the result of his troubled home life? Who cares if the right girl could help him with all that, maybe even save him from it? Who needs him when Jared Kline, the bad boy every girl dreams of, is asking her on dates? Who?

Andrea Portes' so-sad-its-funny high school setting will pull readers in, but when the story’s dark foreboding gradually takes over, the devastating penultimate tragedy hits like a punch to the gut. Anika's ulimate change-from an inward-facing existance filled with petty concerns to an older, more thoughtful, more self-aware person-will utterly break your heart"

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I'm going to start with something I didn't like about this book - the romance. I didn't like it all. I didn't like how much Anika switched between Logan and Jared and how annoying juvenile it was. I understand it is about a 15 year old girl but I just couldn't deal with her view on the whole thing and how easy it was for to just blow one of for the other.

That being said, I really did enjoy this book. It was such an insightful and true account of her dealing with love, family, friends and everything else live has to offer when you're a 15 year old girl. It felt so whitty and funny in parts and Portes writing throughout was such a delight.

What I wasn't prepared for however, was the ending. It was so heartbreaking. I was broken. I literally had to put the book down with only ten pages to go just to have a moment to process what had just happened. It was the biggest "wtf just happened?" moments I've read.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It was such a quick and easy read that I think anyone could enjoy. Melissa Kantor blurbed this book saying she had laughed her way through until the book broke her heart into a million pieces. I think that pretty much sums up my experience and I definitely recommend it to everyone.

Has one else read this book? If so, what did you think?

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TOP TEN TUESDAY - Most Anticipated Debut Novels of 2015

This weeks Top Ten Tuesday hosted by The Broke & The Bookish is all about the books I'm highly anticipating this coming year which have previously been mentioned in another post, but these are dedicated just to the authors releasing their debut novels this year and those I can't wait to get my hands on and has made me get a bit "one click preorder" happy on amazon. 

1. Love, Tanya - Tanya Burr (February 26th)
2. The Glam Guide - Fleur De Force (February 12th)
3. Playlist for the dead - Michelle Falkoff  (January 27th)
4. Everything That Makes You - Moriah McStay (March 17th)
5. No Place To Fall - Jaye Robin Brown (January 15th)
6. None of the Above - I.W. Gregorio (April 7th)
7. The Night We Said Yes - Lauren Gibaldi (June 16th)
8. The Distance Between Lost and Found - Kathryn Holmes (17th February)
9. The Wrong Side of Right - Jenn Marie Thorne (March 17th)
10. Because You'll Never Meet Me - Leah Thomas (July 2nd)

What debut novels are you most looking forward to this year?

Disclamer - dates shown above may vary from country to country, they're the dates shown on Goodreads or UK Amazon

BLIND DATE WITH A BOOK

This week I took the plunge, I went on a blind date....with a book!

I have been seeing this around a lot where you buy a book that is wrapped so you can't judge the book by it's cover, because let's be honest. We all do judge books, if the cover is beautiful, we're going to want to at least have it apart of our collection. 

I love the mystery around a blind date with a book, picking out a book based on a few descriptive work or by random so I wanted to buy one, unfortunately I couldn't find a book store in my area that did it, so I took to etsy and found a shop called Sarah's Upcycled, who sells, amongst other things; Blind dates with books.

This is the book I received, it came so beautifully packaged with the lace and string as well as also coming with sachets of hot chocolate and green tea. The book cover is completely covered so you can't see the cover at all, which I like as it means I can go into the book completely blind and non-judgemental.

I think this is such a fun way to discover new books you probably wouldn't normally pick up or read.

I'm so excited to read it soon!

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BOOK REVIEW

A THOUSAND PIECES OF YOU
Claudia Gray

PUBLISHER: Harper Teen
GENRE: SciFi/Fantasy
PAGES: 368
GET A COPY: BookDepository/Amazon

"Marguerite Caine’s physicist parents are known for their radical scientific achievements. Their most astonishing invention: the Firebird, which allows users to jump into parallel universes, some vastly altered from our own. But when Marguerite’s father is murdered, the killer—her parent’s handsome and enigmatic assistant Paul—escapes into another dimension before the law can touch him.

Marguerite can’t let the man who destroyed her family go free, and she races after Paul through different universes, where their lives entangle in increasingly familiar ways. With each encounter she begins to question Paul’s guilt—and her own heart. Soon she discovers the truth behind her father’s death is more sinister than she ever could have imagined.

A Thousand Pieces of You explores a reality where we witness the countless other lives we might lead in an amazingly intricate multiverse, and ask whether, amid infinite possibilities, one love can endure."

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I'm just going to start this review by saying how much I loved this book. It was such a gripping read from start to finish and I felt like I was engrossed from the very beginning. I think this may have something to do with the fact that you are literally thrown straight into the story then things are explained as the book progresses, which I really liked.

The world building in this book was incredible, from dimension to dimension each world she entred was so beautifully described, I could picture each world so vividly in my head. This made it so easy to follow which dimension she was in as well as being able to follow the characters and decipher which version of the character it was in each world.

Credit definitely needs to be given to Gray in weaving a love story so perfectly into the main plot of the book, I feel in so many books the love story is so overpowering and takes away from what the book is meant to be about. In this book however, in was prevalent throughout but it was done in a way that was just kind of a side note to the main plot.

The ending of this book was also superbly done. This book is going to be a trilogy but it could have almost been a standalone, I wasn't left with any unanswered questions at the end and think that the sequels will just add more to the series rather than making the first book make sense like in some series. Overall, I loved this book and think I NEED the second and third book now.

Have you read this book?

If so, what did you think?

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TOP TEN TUESDAY - My 2015 Goals

This weeks Top Ten Tuesday is coming to from a one handed blogger (my hand is in a cast. ouch!). The Broke & The Bookish's meme this week is all about my goals and resolutions for the upcoming year. These are both personal goals and book/blog related goal.

1.  Be more organised - This includes both with my blog and with my personal life.
2.  Read more - I want to make it a goal of 2015 to read at least one book a week.
3.  Review! - I want to try review every book I read.
4.  Re-read more - Re-reading books I already own before buying more.
5.  Blog more - I want to have more blog posts up each week than I currently do.
6.  Interact - Whether that be commenting, tweeting or on instagram!
7.  Do more good deeds - It's the little things. Helping those who need it.
8.  Complete/Pass my second year - Getting through second year of university would be great.
9.  Spend Less - I am such an impulse buyer, especially when it comes to books. 
10.  Get healthy! - Yes. I had to include the obligatory goal that I make every year.

What are some of your goals for 2015?

TBTB SECRET SANTA

I want to first start of this post by saying a huge MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Whilst you're reading this I'm sure I'll be tucking into my Christmas dinner or asleep on the sofa, either or is perfectly fine by me, I hope you're all enjoying or have enjoyed the day and are enjoying family and the gifts you received.

So, this year I partook in The Broke & The Bookish over on their blog. I decided to join as I thought it would be a good opportunity to find new blogs and new books that I'd never think to buy myself. So I went out and bought my own package to send to Amber and then I received my own.

My Secret Santa was from the lovely Hannah and I thought I'd show you the books and gifts that she bought me this Christmas as I am in love with the package that she sent me so much!

Firstly the books. I was so happy to receive these books, I feel like Hannah really hit the nails on the head with this one in picking me the best ones. My favourite author is John Green so Let It Snow is something I've been wanting to read for a while and I've been wanting to read Everyday for so long as I really enjoyed Will Grayson, Will Grayson and Dash & Lily's Book of Dares. 

 Secondly, how cute is this handmade stocking tree decoration? I honestly think, apart from the books. This was my favourite thing in the whole package. Its cute. It's personalised AND HANDMADE. I also really likes the little "Happily Ever After" decoration too, which I believe is also handmade.

Hannah also sent me a whole box fully of other goodies which I loved. I thought it was such a thoughtful gift that I'd said I loved make-up and chocolate and she bought both of those things.
(the box was also filled with chocolate coins, mini chocolate santas and penguin but I ate those before I managed to take these pictures). 

I was so giddy with excitement when I opened my package and I am so grateful for everything Hannah has sent and all the time and effort she has put into making it such a thoughtful gift.

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