Academy Award Tag

The Academy Award Tag is probably my favourite tag to do! It's a lot of fun and it's a great way of summarising the best of the year. Ann couldn't take part this year because she is overloaded with school work.

Best Actor (Best Male Protagonist):

Clare: Monty from The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue was incredible!! Such a lovely head to read from. 

Best Actress (Best Female Protagonist):

Clare: Sorina from Daughter of the Burning City. I loved this book so so much and Sorina was such an amazing character. 

Best Cinematography (Best Plot Twist):

Clare: Crimson and Bone by Marina Fiorato was so twisty and dark and wonderful!

Best Costume Design (Best Book Cover):

Clare: Caraval. I loved the dust jacket but even more than that I loved the embossed cover underneath! This is such an insanely beautiful book and there are different covers to get so I want to collect them all.

Best Supporting Actress and Actor (Best Female and Male Sidekick):

Clare: I'm cheating ever so slightly here. But the whole team in Dreamfall by Amy Plum. Cata is (kind of) the main character but every one of the kids is so individual and intriguing.

Best Original Screenplay (Most Original Plot or World):

Clare: This Is Not a Test by Courtney Summers. I've read a lot of zombie books but I can't remember one as unique as this. The focus was on the human relationships and the zombies themselves barely made an appearance which made the book feel original and exciting. 

Best Adapted Screenplay (Best Book to Movie Adaption):

Clare: The only book to movie adaptation I've seen this year was The Martian but it was a really good one so I'm going with that!

Best Animated Feature (A Book That Would Work Well in Animated Form):

Clare: This is always the hardest category for me. But I think The Book of Dust would have to be it. It would make such a beautiful animated movie. 

Best Director (A Writer You Discovered For the First Time This Year):

Clare: Shirley Jackson. I read We Have Always Lived in the Castle and The Haunting of Hill House this year and they were both incredible. WHALitC may be one of my new favourite books of all time. I can't wait to read more of her books.

Best Visual Effects (Best Action in a Book):

Clare: The Epic Crush of Genie Lo. EVERY bit of action in this book felt super satisfying.

Best Musical Score (Best Music in a Book to Movie Adaptation):

Clare: I'm going to really, really cheat here and say Beauty and the Beast. It was a book. It counts. Shh.

Best Short Film (Best Novella or Short Book):

Clare: The Language of Thorns was filled with the most beautiful stories!! Definitely read it whether you're a fan of the Grishaverse or not.

Best Picture (Best Stand-Alone):

Clare: Under Rose-Tainted Skies was perfect and beautiful and just the best representation of anxiety I've read (Becoming Miss Nobody is also amazing - read them both). 

Best Documentary (Best Historical or Non-Fiction):

Clare: The Smoke Hunter was one of my favourite books of the year. It's like Victorian Lara Croft and it was fun and interesting and believable and I NEED a sequel. 

Summertime Madness Book Tag

Summer is my least favourite of all the seasons (I'm half English and half Scottish which makes me about as sun-proof as that sounds) so what better way to celebrate it than with a tag? It's actually not very summer-y here yet. We had a few brief days of sun which have now retreated behind those oh so British clouds (thankfully). Is it properly summer where you are yet? 

1. Show a book with a summery cover

Anything ever by Morgan Matson? OK fine Second Chance Summer. See how summery? Thats the kind of summer aesthetic even I cant hate. Although I'd rather enjoy it through a book than in reality.

2. Pick one fictional place that would be the perfect destination for a summer vacation
Narnia. No I'm not kidding. Me and heat, we don't get along. Winter I miss you.

3. You're about to go on a flight to your summer vacation. But you want to read a book that lasts for the whole flight. What do you choose?
I'm going for Jennifer E. Smith's The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight. Because firstly - I want to reread it and secondly - it takes place on a plane. So perfect.

4. You have a case of summertime sadness. What happy book do you pick up to put a smile on your face?
My Lady Jane makes me laugh so much. So that one. Definitely.

5. You're sitting at the beach all alone... Which fictional character would be your beach babe?
Hmmm.... I'm having trouble imagining any of my fictional crushes on a beach. Put the whole Six of Crows crew there - you see how out of place they look? This is weird. I can't do it. 
OOH Wait! Cassie from The Upside of Unrequited. She was pretty awesome. 

6. To match your ice cream you want an icy cool sidekick! Which fictional sidekick do you pick?
Nemesis from The Diabolic. She is SO COOL and completely unbeatable I swear. Nobody would ever mess with me with her by my side.

7. Share the summertime happiness. Who do you tag?
Anyone who actually likes summer. You must be crazy but go for it! 

Link up to Monday Highlights


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

Bookish Book Lover Tag

I had a whole post planned for today but I've had such a stressful week I kind of just wanted to do something quick and fun - and I always love tags! I'm not sure who created this tag so please do let me know if you know?

What book are you currently reading?
Circling the Sun by Paula McLain which is so far super engrossing. I didn't know anything about Beryl previously but I'm about a third of the way through and already a little in love with her!

What's the last book you finished?
Broken Branches by M. Jonathan Lee. I have a review written for this which will be up soon and it was such a great, thought-provoking and atmospheric read I definitely recommend it.

Favourite book you've read this year?
HAS to be Under Rose-Tainted Skies by Louise Gornall. Just the best depiction of anxiety I've ever read. I'm just so glad this book even exists.

What genre have you read most this year?
I'm not 100% sure but it's probably romance? I tend to turn to romance whenever I'm busy or stressed or just plain tired and I've been all of those this year so I'm sure I've read A LOT of romance.

What genre have you read least this year?
Science Fiction? I always mean to read more of it and then never quite do. 

What genre do you want to read more of?
Science Fiction. Again. I've loved the Sci-Fi I've read recently and I want to read more I'm just super picky about which ones I want to add to my TBR. 

How many books have you read this year and what's your goal?
I am currently sitting at 123 books completed and my goal is 200 although I'm thinking of upping that to 250? Depends how I feel at the end of July I think because that will be when most of this years stress is behind me!

What's the last book you bought?
When It's Real by Erin Watt. It's a fake-relationship/celebrity story which is the kind of contemporary I adore so I have high hopes for it!

What book are you saving up to buy next?
The next book I plan to buy is probably The Gentlemans Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee. But I'm awful at saving. Just the worst. 

How many books did you check out at your last library visit?
I don't go to the library a lot because our local one is quite small and I've read everything there that I want to read. But there is an 8 book limit and I don't think I've ever left with less than 8 books.

What's a book you can't wait to read?
All of them. A Court of Wings and Ruin of the ones I already own though. I was saving it for after my exam and now I've finished my exam and I'm still too nervous to pick it up? I don't know what that's about but I'm excited for it. 

What's a series you'd recommend to everyone?
Harry Potter is too obvious (although if you haven't read Harry Potter - why???? What? I don't understand?) so I guess Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder because I love those books so, so much.

Who's an author you're hoping writes more?
Becky Albertalli can write no wrong. I've loved both her books and I'm so excited for the next one already!!

A few books your heart adores?
Oh god why make me choose like this. The Princess Bride, Anne of Green Gables, The Ordinary Princess, A Tale of Two Cities, The Hunger Games, Cress, Simon vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda, The Smoke Hunter.

What series' coming conclusion makes you sad?
The Illuminae series maybe? I'm actually fine with series endings it's the cliff-hangers I can't stand. But I will be sorry to see this series go and I'll definitely miss the characters.

What books are on your wishlist? 
My wishlist is so long it would take me the rest of the year to type it out so highlights reel - Wonder Woman, Kiss the Girl by Melissa Brayden, The Abyss Surrounds Us by Emily Skrutskie and yeah about a million others.

I'm not going to tag anyone but feel free to do the tag if you're interested and let me know your thoughts on any of these books or what you would choose for any of these answers?

Link up to Monday Highlights!!

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

Mid-Year Book Freak Out Tag

We're a little early with this tag - I think the actual mid-year point isn't for a little while. But we're both a little busy with exams and later preparing to go to London in July so we thought we'd do a little not-quite-mid-year tag now! (Edit: This tag was originally created by ReadLikeWildFire and Ely Jayne)

1. Best Book You've Read So Far in 2017

Ann:  Oh now this is a hard question to start with, because I hate picking favourites but I think that I am going to say Perfect by Cecelia Ahern because I was looking forward to it so much and it was incredible!

Clare: Oh you fiendish tag making me choose. I'm gonna go for The Smoke Hunter by Jacquelyn Benson because I just have this uncontrollable urge to go on about this book endlessly. I love it. A lot. 

2. Best Sequel You've Read So Far in 2017

Ann: I think that this question is a bit easier as I have not read many sequels this year yet but the best sequel I have read this year is Promises I Made because it was a good ending and I really enjoyed it.

Clare: I have, embarrassingly, read hardly any sequels this year. All my good intentions for nothing. I so meant to not start new series this year until I'd finished the ones I'm already reading. But nope. So the best one this year was Mafiosa by Catherine Doyle because it was just such a great conclusion to the series.

3. New Release You Haven't Read Yet But Want To

Ann: Currently Lord Of Shadows by Cassandra Clare but I hope to change that soon as Clare brought it for me recently! I am just trying to decide whether I should wait to read it until my half-term or read it now.

Clare: ACOWAR!! Don't even have to think about this one. I've been wanting A Court of Wings and Ruin for so, so long and now I'm waiting to read it until I've finished my semester but god it's hard.

4. Most Anticipated Release For Second Half of 2017

Ann: Umm I don't think I have an answer for this because I don't really know any of the new releases coming in the second half of this year. I prefer to read what Clare recommends!

Clare: Ooh so many to choose from. I think I have to go for Wonder Woman by Leigh Bardugo. I would say Odd & True by Cat Winters as well but I got an e-arc of that on Netgalley so I'm technically not having to wait for it? But those two are the most exciting releases for me!

5. Biggest Disappointment

Ann:  Deathcat Sally by P.S Brooke, this is not even a hard question to think about, I was excited when I first read the blurb but when I started reading it I was extremely disappointed by it.

Clare: Blood Rose Rebellion by Rosalyn Eves super let me down. I'm always excited when a fantasy novel seems to offer something new and this being set in Hungary was so exciting but it was just such a disappointment. I didn't write a review for this but I buddy read it with Vera @ Regal Critiques who did write a great review which you should definitely check out!

6. Biggest Surprise

Ann: Famous in Love, I had seen the trailers for this TV show and so decided to read the books but I wasn't expecting much because I didn't really like the look of the TV show but I was surprised by how amazing the books were, they were definitely better than the TV show.
Clare: Probably My Lady Jane. I was so nervous about this one and it had the potential to go so wrong but honestly it was hilarious and romantic and I cannot recommend it enough! It's the ending I wish Jane got.

7. Favourite New Author

Ann: Chris Russell, I read his book Songs About A Girl and I loved it! I am very excited to read the next book because the author managed to make me actually enjoy the love triangle which is weird because I normally hate love triangles.
Clare: Ann Aguirre. I just read her 2B trilogy and it was superb. Really, really good New Adult (and I don't say that a lot - it is not my favourite genre) so now I really want to check out her other books as well!

8. Newest Fictional Crush

Ann: I don't really think that I have read many books this year so far with any fictional characters I could have a crush on. Hopefully I will read a book with a good fictional crush in it soon.
Clare: Ari in The Alchemists of Loom was just so incredible. Complex and flawed and intelligent and badass and just... more please??

9. Newest Favourite Character

Ann: Audrey Rose Wadsworth from Stalking Jack the Ripper because I loved how different and amazing she was through out everything she went through!

Clare: Alosa from Daughter of the Pirate King was just SO badass and fun and I just loved her. She was a great character to be in the head of and I am very excited for the sequel!

10. Book That Made You Cry

Ann: I don't really cry when reading books, I think that I have only ever cried when reading one book and that hasn't been for a few years.

Clare: A List of Cages by Robin Roe broke my heart. It was a really tough read in places but god was it worth it.

11. Book That Made You Happy

Ann: I think that I am going to go with Unconventional by Maggie Harcourt, this book not only made me happy but it got me very excited about going to YALC in July!

Clare: Everything about Dating Sarah Cooper made me happy. I've been wanting to re-read it almost constantly since I finished it. 

12. Favourite Book to Movie Adaptation You've Seen So Far in 2017

Ann: I am going to have to go with Clare on this one, the only book to movie adaptation I have really seen this year has been Beauty and the Beast which I thought was incredible.

Clare: Does Beauty and the Beast count? Cause I don't think I've seen any others? Although I did re-watch A Long Way Down and remembered how much I adore that film (more than the book if I'm honest).

13. Favourite Review You've Written So Far in 2017

Ann: Umm I haven't really written many reviews this year but I think that my favourite of all my reviews was Remnants by Carolyn Arnold because not only did I love the book but I also think that it was one of the best reviews I have ever written.
Clare: Oh, god I'm so bad at praising my own reviews because reading them back just makes me cringe so hard every time. So here's the LAST review I wrote instead which is for Crimson and Bone by Marina Fiorato which is, by the way, really, really good!

14. Most Beautiful Book You've Bought So Far This Year

Ann: I haven't really brought any books this year but I think that the most beautiful book I have gotten this year so far is Lord of Shadows by Cassandra Clare because the cover is so detailed and beautiful.

Clare: GOT to be Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor. This book is just crazy beautiful! The blue sprayed pages, the drawings, the fact that it's SIGNED - I'm just constantly in awe of it. Other contenders though could have been Caraval (which we have two copies of cause its PRETTY) and Alchemists of Loom which I didn't actually buy myself but got from my brother for my birthday (thanks John) and spent the rest of my birthday cooing over.

15. What Books Do You NEED To Read By The End of The Year

Ann: I don't normally like to set myself a TBR but one book that I definitely want to read by the end of the year is Songs About Us by Chris Russell because I really want to know what is going to happen to the characters!

Clare: Gonna limit myself to 5 here because otherwise this is going to get out of hand. A Court of Wings and Ruin because OBVIOUSLY, Wonder Woman, A Gentlemans Guide to Vice and Virtue, Daughter of the Burning City and Odd & True. OH and There's Someone Inside Your House which sounds AMAZING!

We tag (no pressure - if you don't do tags or don't want to do this one!!);

Veronika & Ruzaika @ Regal Critiques

Greg @ Book Haven

Barb @ Booker T's Farm

Ashley @ What She's Read

Lauren @ Always Me

Esther @ Bite Into Books
And anyone else who wants to do this tag please go ahead and leave a link so we can check out your answers!!

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

The Eurovision Book Tag

Ann and I teamed up with Veronika @ Regal Critiques to celebrate that best and most important event of the year - Eurovision! We've put together some questions based on memorable Eurovision moments! I am limiting myself to books I've read so far this year (because who doesn't love a challenge?) and Ann is answering more generally.

Let us know in the comments if you have a favourite to win this year?? Are you as excited as we are? And don't forget to check out Veronika's answers to the questions here! 

Abba - Waterloo: A debut novel that blew you away
Everyone knows Abba right? But they got their start on Eurovision - winning for Sweden with Waterloo and so a wonderful career began!

Clare: Wintersong was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and whilst I wasn't hugely thrilled by the ending I was definitely blown away by the writing and the world!
Ann: Girl Online by Zoe Sugg. I was expecting this to be a good book and I was already a fan of Zoe Sugg but the book was amazing and the main character was so relatable.

Bucks Fizz - Making Your Mind Up : A plot twist you never saw coming!
The Bucks Fizz performance is famous and such a staple of any Eurovision highlights reel! 

Clare: OK so the plot twist in Crimson & Bone was less sudden-turn and more slow-swivel but it was still incredible! 
Ann: This is a hard one for me to answer but I think that I am going to go with They All Fall Down which is a book that I finished recently that I really enjoyed. I did have a suspicion as to what the plot twist was going to be but I was shocked by what happened.

Dustin the Turkey - Douze Point : Er...What just happened? (A book that left you feeling confused)
If you don't know who Dustin the Turkey is (and why would you?) he was Irelands entry in 2008. Sadly he never made it to the final.

Clare: Oh Dustin the Turkey. The Dead House by Dawn Kurtagich in the best possible way. Was Carly/Kaitlyn ill or actually being affected by supernatural forces? I have some other unanswered questions but they'd all be spoilers. 
Ann: Timebound by Rysa Walker. I did not even manage to finish this book because I had no idea what was happening or how is was even possible, I was a hundred percent confused.

Alexander Rybak - Fairytale: A fairy tale retelling you cant help but love
Rybak represented Norway in 2009 and won with Fairytale in the biggest win in Eurovision history

Clare: The Forbidden Wish is an Aladdin retelling that is pretty close to perfect actually? Beautiful writing, strong characters, unique story. Just great.
Ann: The Lunar Chronicles Series. I love this series and me and Clare actually have nicknames for each other based on this series and the characters we are most like, I am Cinders and Clare is Cress. 

Johnny Logan - A Book/Series you thought was finished but it just kept coming back
Johnny Logan is, I believe, the only Eurovision contestant to have won the competition more than once

Clare: I kinda have to go with Cassandra Clare here. I read Lady Midnight and I mostly enjoyed it but I think I've reached a point where I don't want to continue any more. Its definitely a series that never seems to end!
Ann: I am going to go with Rick Riordan. I agree with Clare but also I feel like Rick Riordan just keeps continuing his series, not that I am complaining because I love every single book that he has written.

Timebelle - Apollo:  A book that deserves more love
Apollo is one of our favourite songs of this year that didn't make it past the semi-finals. We're just a little upset. It deserved more guys it really did.

Clare: I saw a fair amount of buzz for Done Dirt Cheap before it was released but it's definitely a book that deserves more and more love. 
Ann: The Septimus Heap series by Angie Sage. This is one of my favourite book series and none of the other people I know like it other than my mum and I think that it deserves a lot more love because it is incredible.

Lena Meyer - Satellite - A really sweet contemporary romance
Lena Meyer is my favourite Eurovision winner to date. I listened to Satellite pretty much non-stop in 2010

Clare: Dating Sarah Cooper is just the sweetest and the cutest and the most wonderful and oh, now I want to re-read it. 
Ann: I don't think that I could possible pick a really sweet contemporary romance because I have read way to many of them there is no possible way I could pick a favourite!

Lordi - Hard Rock Hallelujah: A really unique fantasy world
I was just a tiny child of 12 when Lordi won Eurovision. It was my second Eurovision. I was terrified. I appreciate them a lot more now but the mental scars last forever

Clare: The Alchemists of Loom just had such unique and wonderful world building. I was slightly thrown by how little exposition there is - you just get chucked into the world with little explanation but somehow that totally worked.
Ann:  I think that I am going to go with The Septimus Heap series by Angie Sage again because it is one of the fantasy worlds that I have read about in a series that I would actually really want to live in. There are so many uniquely named places and locations it just sounds amazing.

Loreen - Euphoria: A powerful book that left you breathless
If you haven't listened to Euphoria yet then why? Do it? Now? 

Clare: A List of Cages definitely, 100% fits for powerful. And it took my breath away because it was such a roller coaster of emotions. One second its cute and I'm smiling the next its taken a dark turn and I'm angry and sad. 
Ann: Allegiant by Veronica Roth. This left me both breathless and annoyed, I may or may not have thrown the book at the wall after reading it, I was very annoyed.

Sergey Lazareth - You Are The Only One - A cover that was just stunning!
Last years contestant for Russia Sergey's performance was notable for the special effects and staging

Clare: Caraval. The UK edition of Caraval is just incredible. And I want multiple copies of it please.
Ann: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. Clare brought me a copy of Jane Eyre that was just incredibly beautiful and it is also one of my favourite classics. One of the most beautiful books that I have on my bookshelves.

A Book With Great LGBTQ+ Representation

Clare: I've read a few LGBTQ+ books but this is the only one that comes to mind that added religion into the mix in a helpful way. I'm not Christian although I did grow up Protestant and have been christened - but I was just so pleased to read a book that had a main character who was Christian and gay. This book is just awesome and important and read it please so I can stop rambling?
Ann: I have to go for Rick Riordan here - the diversity in Rick Riordan's books is incredible and he always does it so amazingly. I cannot wait for book 3 of Magnus Chase!!

Peace Peace Love Love - A book that had EVERYTHING
Kind of an obscure one this was a song performed by the hosts at last years Eurovision in Sweden. If you're not a fan of Eurovision this song will make zero sense to you. It really will.

Clare: God why is this question so impossibly hard??? OK slightly off topic here but a book that had everything I wanted in it would honestly be a hot mess. So instead I am going for The Lost Sisterhood because it had a lot of what I love in a book; classical mythology/history, slow burn romance, split time story. 
Ann: Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo. This book was amazing, it had the fight scenes and the variation of characters, and the slight romance and also the 'bad' main characters which I loved so much!

12 Points - A book that stands out as the best of the year!
12 points is the highest amount you can be awarded by any country! And frankly not a number we in the UK get often. But hey Lucie is great so maybe we stand a chance this year? Fingers crossed!

Clare: The Smoke Hunter by Jacquelyn Benson. It was incredible. I loved it. I want more. Now? Please?
Ann: I haven't had much time to do a lot of reading this year so far but one of my favourite books that I have read was Songs About A Girl, it was a love triangle but I actually liked the love triangle, it was one of my favourite books so far this year because it was just so fun but there was added mystery to it.

We aren't going to tag anyone specifically but if you are excited for Eurovision consider yourselves tagged! And definitely let us know if you do it because we'd love to see your answers!!

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