Thursday 31 December 2015

December Wrap Up and January TBR

Ann:

I am not sure how many books that I have read this month but it wasn't as many as I would have liked. I aim on keeping a track about how many books I read in 2016, I didn't do the Goodreads challenge this year but I think I might in 2016.

Ann's Favourite Book of December:
Username: Evie
My favourite book of December is definitely Username Evie by Joe Sugg which I really enjoyed.

Clare:

In December I read a total of 21 books of which I gave 5 stars to only 2, although I think I had quite a lot of 4.5 ratings! This means I did reach (and exceed) my Goodreads goal of 400 books for this year. I think I am going to aim for the same amount next year and see how I go.


Clare's Favourite Book(s) of December:
Shadow Study (Soulfinders, #1)Vengeance RoadTheir Fractured Light (Starbound, #3)
1) Shadow Study by Maria V. Snyder
The Poison Study series is one of my all time favourite fantasy series (this Christmas I successfully pushed them on my brother - he really enjoyed them too) so I was very excited to continue a series I had thought finished and it was great to be back with Yelena and Valek and all the other characters I love. I am very, very excited to read Night Study!
2) Vengeance Road by Erin Bowman
I had heard such great things about this that I had kind of convinced myself I wasn't going to like it (weird logic I know). But then I read it and I loved it. The main character was tough and compelling and the plot line kept me guessing, I was on the edge of my seat the whole way through.
3) Their Fractured Light by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner
This is one of those books I initially gave 4.5 stars but I may go back and make it 5 just because this was such a great ending to an already amazing series and I was really satisfied with how everything turned out. 

Clare's Reviews in December:

Ann's TBR for January 2016:


The Hunt (The Hunt, #1)Heir of Fire (Throne of Glass, #3)Queen of Shadows (Throne of Glass, #4)
I don't know how much I will be able to read in January but I aim to read The Hunt trilogy and also to finish the Throne of Glass series which I am really enjoying at the moment.

Clare's TBR for January 2016:

City of a Thousand Dolls (Bhinian Empire, #1)The Final Empire (Mistborn, #1)Finnikin of the Rock (Lumatere Chronicles, #1)Falling Kingdoms (Falling Kingdoms, #1)The Young Elites (The Young Elites, #1)The MartianPrisoner of Night and Fog (Prisoner of Night and Fog, #1)
I am definitely feeling a fantasy theme for most of January, particularly Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes as my brother got me the series for Christmas and The Final Empire as I bought the box set with my Christmas money but I am also excited for The Martian which I have heard so many amazing things about and Prisoner of Night and Fog which I have been planning to read for ages. I also have a few pre-orders due for January which I am excited for! 

Classics Wrap Up:

Daisy Miller
Ann: I haven't been able to finish The Great Gatsby yet but I did finish Daisy Miller.
Clare: This is the second month in a row that I have failed to complete a Classic. I have just felt kind of slumpy whenever I try to pick one up but I am determined to read one each month of 2016!

Classics TBR:

A Tale of Two CitiesThe Count of Monte Cristo
Ann: I have decided to read A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens which Clare got me and I am looking forward to reading it. I know it's one of her favourite classics so hopefully I will enjoy it!
Clare: I have decided to return to my TBR jar for my Classics pick for January and start fresh, this month I will be reading The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas


You can also find us on Goodreads (Ann and Clare) to keep up with what we are reading

Wednesday 30 December 2015

Wednesday Catch-Up 30th December

Every Wednesday we are linking up with WWW Wednesday, What Are You Reading Wednesday? and Waiting on Wednesday. WWW Wednesday is hosted at Taking on a World of Words and asks 3 questions: What are you currently reading?, What did you recently finish reading? What do you think you'll read next? 
What Are You Reading Wednesday are hosted on It's a Reading Thing and asks;
1. What's the name of your current read?
2. Go to page 34 or 34% in your e-book and share one complete sentence.
3. Would you like to live in the world that exists within your book? Why or why not?
Waiting on Wednesday is hosted at Breaking the Spine and is a chance to show what upcoming releases you are excited for! Each week we will take it in turns to choose a book for Waiting on Wednesday and this week was Ann's turn! You can click any of the pictures in the post to go to that books goodreads page.

Ann:

Currently Reading:
Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass, #2)The Great Gatsby
I am currently reading the second book in the Throne of Glass series which I am enjoying cause I love the main character. I am also reading The Great Gatsby which I am nearly finished but not enjoying it.
"Celaena adjusted the position of her legs and rolled her neck." - page 34 Crown of Midnight
Recently Finished:
Username: Evie
I have recently finished Username Evie which I really loved because I could relate to the main character.

Planning to Read Next:
SandRider (TodHunter Moon, #2)
Next I am planning on reading Sandrider which Clare got me and I am very excited to read.


Clare:

Currently Reading:
Silver Phoenix (Kingdom of Xia, #1)How to Survive a Sharknado and Other Unnatural Disasters: Fight Back When Monsters and Mother Nature Attack
I am currently reading Silver Phoenix by Cindy Pon which I am really enjoying, this is more or less everything I wanted from Soundless and didn't get. I know there is a sequel/companion but I am not sure yet whether I will buy it, we will see what I think by the end of the book. I am also reading How to Survive a Sharknado which is swiftly becoming one of my favourite books. It's perfect for me since I love not only the Sharknado film but all films of that kind!

"When volcanoes erupt, they typically release hot gas, debris, and lava. During a beeclipse, however, volcanoes launch something quite different into the air: billions of gigantic honeybees." - Page 35, How to Survive a Sharknado
I am not certain I'd want to be living in either of these worlds. Things seem pretty terrible for women in the Silver Phoenix world. And I don't especially want Sharks flying at my head. Although at least now I know that if that happens, I'm prepared!

Recently Finished:
Married By ChristmasThe Night Before ChristmasThe Winter WeddingHow to Seduce a Scot (Broadswords and Ballrooms, #1)
The School for Good and Evil (The School for Good and Evil, #1)Shadow Study (Soulfinders, #1)
I managed to read three more Christmas books before Christmas day. I enjoyed Married by Christmas and The Night Before Christmas by Scarlett Bailey - they were really light and put me in the Christmas mood. However The Winter Wedding slightly let me down as I couldn't connect to the writing style or the character. After Christmas I read How to Seduce a Scot as I was looking for something really light and easy and I definitely got that. It's not the best romance I've ever read but I did enjoy it and I will probably be continuing on with the series. I felt The School for Good and Evil was a good concept and well carried off but it may have been just a bit too young for me. I have passed the books on to my sister as I think she may enjoy them more than I did. I also finished Shadow Study by Maria V. Snyder which I loved, I don't know why it took me so long to get around to reading it but this is one amazing series and I loved being back with Yelena and Valek. I am very excited for Night Study to be released. 

Planning to Read Next:
The Rogue Not Taken (Scandal & Scoundrel)Sorcerer to the Crown (Sorceror Royal, #1)Newt's EmeraldThe Rook (The Checquy Files, #1)
I have so, so many new books at the moment thanks to Christmas money and I am hoping to make a start on them soon. I want to read The Rogue Not Taken first because I love Sarah MacLean's books and I feel like this will be a fun, quick read and then I am aiming to move on to Sorcerer to the Crown, Newt's Emerald and The Rook. I haven't heard much, either good or bad, about any of these so I am going in a little blind which I kind of like!


Waiting on Wednesday:


Reign of Shadows (Reign of Shadows, #1)
Reign of Shadows by Sophie Jordan
Seventeen years ago, an eclipse cloaked the kingdom of Relhok in perpetual darkness. In the chaos, an evil chancellor murdered the king and queen and seized their throne. Luna, Relhok’s lost princess, has been hiding in a tower ever since. Luna’s survival depends on the world believing she is dead.
But that doesn’t stop Luna from wanting more. When she meets Fowler, a mysterious archer braving the woods outside her tower, Luna is drawn to him despite the risk. When the tower is attacked, Luna and Fowler escape together. But this world of darkness is more treacherous than Luna ever realized.
With every threat stacked against them, Luna and Fowler find solace in each other. But with secrets still unspoken between them, falling in love might be their most dangerous journey yet.

Ann: This sounds like a really interesting book and also I love the cover. This is to be released on 9th February.

You can also find us on Goodreads (Ann and Clare) to keep up with what we are reading

Top 5 Favourite Books of the Year

You can find the goodreads page for Top 5 Wednesdays here if you'd like to join in. Clare also did her Top 10 of 2015 and you can find her post here.

Carry On
1) Carry On by Rainbow Rowell 
I really loved this book, it was amazing the way it was kind of related to Harry Potter but some things were changed. Overall this was an amazing book.

City of Heavenly Fire (The Mortal Instruments, #6)
2) City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare
This was a book that I read earlier on in the year but I loved it so much I just had to include it on my top 5 because it was amazing.

The Hollow Boy (Lockwood & Co., #3)
3) The Hallow Boy by Jonathan Stroud
This is in a series that I really like about ghosts and other things and it has such an amazing story line with amazing characters that I love.

Girl Online On Tour (Girl Online, #2)
4) Girl Online On Tour by Zoe Sugg
This is definitely one of my favourite books this year because I love the characters and the author.

Username: Evie
5) Username Evie by Joe Sugg
This is a book that I got for Christmas but I really enjoyed it so I had to include it on my top 5.



You can also find us on Goodreads (Ann and Clare) to keep up with what we are reading

Monday 28 December 2015

Bout of Books 15

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, January 4th and runs through Sunday, January 10th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 15 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog.

We had such a lot of fun doing Bout of Books 14 and we are very much looking forward to taking part again!


 Bout of Books 15 is COMING!

Sunday 27 December 2015

Sunday Post 27th December (With Christmas Haul!)

The Sunday Post STSmall_thumb[2]
The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted at Caffeinated Book Reviewer, it's a chance to post a recap on the past week, show the books we have received and share what we plan for the coming week. Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews and Showcase Sunday is hosted by Books, Biscuits and Tea and the aim is to show our newest books and to see what everyone else received for review, borrowed from libraries, bought in bookshops or downloaded on to their e-reader. As always you can click on any of the pictures to be taken to the Goodreads page for that book if you're interested in finding out more about it.

Books We Got This Week:
Ann: 
The Hunt (The Hunt, #1)The Prey (The Hunt, #2)The Trap (The Hunt, #3)Username: Evie
The Hunt/The Prey/The Trap by Andrew Rukuda: Clare got me all these books on Tuesday when we went shopping and they sound amazing I will be reading them soon.
Username Evie by Joe Sugg: I got this for Christmas and have already finished it. 
Life With A Sprinkle Of GlitterSelp-HelfHello Life!Love, Tanya
Life With a Sprinkle of Glitter by Louise Pentland: I also got this for Christmas and look forward to reading it.
Selp Helf by Miranda Sings: I really look forward to reading this because it's such a fun book.
Hello Life by Marcus Butler: I like to watch Marcus's youtube videos and look forward to finding time to read it.
Love Tanya by Tanya Burr: Love Tanya seems like a good book and I can't wait to finish it.
The School for Good and Evil (The School for Good and Evil, #1)A World Without Princes (The School for Good and Evil, #2)The Last Ever After (The School for Good and Evil, #3)
The School for Good and Evil series by Somain Chainani: Clare gave me these books as she didn't enjoy them very much so now they are mine.

Clare:
How to Survive a Sharknado and Other Unnatural Disasters: Fight Back When Monsters and Mother Nature AttackFalling Kingdoms (Falling Kingdoms, #1)Rebel Spring (Falling Kingdoms, #2)Gathering Darkness (Falling Kingdoms, #3)
How to Survive a Sharknado by Andrew Shaffer: I got this from my littlest brother, Robert and I love it. I've had a flick through and I will probably read a little bit at a time to drag my enjoyment out. This book was basically made for me.
Falling Kingdoms/Rebel Spring/Gathering Darkness by Morgan Rhodes: I got these from my other brother, John and I am incredibly excited for them. I've heard so many good things and I look forward to reading them soon!

Reading Update:
Ann:

Username: Evie
Username Evie: I got this for Christmas and finished it by Boxing Day, I may even reread it because I could relate to the main character really well.

Clare:
Across a Star-Swept Sea (For Darkness Shows the Stars, #2)Just For ChristmasMarried By ChristmasThe Night Before ChristmasThe Winter Wedding
Across a Star-Swept Sea by Diana Peterfreund: 4 stars, I liked the main character in this a lot. I do always love Scarlet Pimpernel retellings but I read Rook by Sharon Cameron earlier this year and adored it so this had a tough job measuring up! But still a good read.
Just for Christmas by Scarlett Bailey: 3.5 stars, a cute read and I didn't realise but this is the first in a companion series I had already read the second of so it was nice to get the background - and of course I knew how everything would end.
Married by Christmas by Scarlett Bailey: 4 stars, really cute and fun. Loved both the female characters and I really liked how it ended. So not a fan of love triangles usually but I don't mind so much when it seems pretty obvious how things will resolve.
The Night Before Christmas by Scarlett Bailey: 4 stars, An actual love square/pentagon thing going on here. Really liked the friend dynamics and the romance (once it got going) was cute. 
The Winter Wedding by Abby Clements: 2 stars, this has such high ratings on goodreads but I just couldn't get into it. The writing style felt very weird to me and I just couldn't connect to it unfortunately.
How to Seduce a Scot (Broadswords and Ballrooms, #1)The School for Good and Evil (The School for Good and Evil, #1)
How to Seduce a Scot by Christy English: 3 stars, I wanted something easy and quick to read at Christmas and this definitely fit with that. It was light and fun but a bit too cheesy for me. I probably will continue on with the series.
The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani: 3 stars, I thought this was a great idea and well done but potentially just not for me. I couldn't connect with the characters and that kind of dragged me out of the story.

Classics Update:
The Great Gatsby
Ann: I have nearly finished reading The Great Gatsby which is an okay book but still not the best that I've ever read.
Clare: I have taken a pause with my Classics reading and will pick it up again in January.

Next Week on the Blog:
  • 12 Days of Christmas Book Tag
  • Top Ten Most Anticipated Releases for the First Half of 2016
  • Wednesday Catch-Up
  • Ann's Top 5 Books of the Year
  • December Wrap Up and January TBR
  • Friday Reads
  • Academy Awards Book Tag

You can also find us on Goodreads (Ann and Clare) to keep up with what we are reading