Spring Releases: The Highlights

Hello everyone! Today marks the first official day of Spring here in the UK and there are so many books coming out this season that I'm excited for. To celebrate the beginning of spring I wanted to share with you the creme de la creme of the spring releases on my wishlist and review pile. I hope it helps you decide what should be on your TBR for the coming months ahead. I'm so looking forward to sitting outside in the sunshine with a picnic lunch and these brilliant books!

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman 
Publication Date: 18th May 2017 
Synopsis: "Eleanor Oliphant has learned how to survive – but not how to live

Eleanor Oliphant leads a simple life. She wears the same clothes to work every day, eats the same meal deal for lunch every day and buys the same two bottles of vodka to drink every weekend.

Eleanor Oliphant is happy. Nothing is missing from her carefully timetabled life. Except, sometimes, everything.

One simple act of kindness is about to shatter the walls Eleanor has built around herself. Now she must learn how to navigate the world that everyone else seems to take for granted – while searching for the courage to face the dark corners she’s avoided all her life.

Change can be good. Change can be bad. But surely any change is better than… fine?"

Why I Can't Wait to Read it - I've been hearing wonderful things about Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine since last year and when I read the synopsis I knew I had to read it because it sounds like such a Jess book. I've already been told by several people that I'll love it so I've been counting down the days until release when I can finally get my hands on a copy!

Into the Water by Paula Hawkins 
Publication Date: 2nd May 2017 
Synopsis: "A single mother turns up dead at the bottom of the river that runs through town. Earlier in the summer, a vulnerable teenage girl met the same fate. They are not the first women lost to these dark waters, but their deaths disturb the river and its history, dredging up secrets long submerged.

Left behind is a lonely fifteen-year-old girl. Parentless and friendless, she now finds herself in the care of her mother’s sister, a fearful stranger who has been dragged back to the place she deliberately ran from—a place to which she vowed she’d never return.

With the same propulsive writing and acute understanding of human instincts that captivated millions of readers around the world in her explosive debut thriller, The Girl on the Train, Paula Hawkins delivers an urgent, twisting, deeply satisfying read that hinges on the deceptiveness of emotion and memory, as well as the devastating ways that the past can reach a long arm into the present.

Beware a calm surface—you never know what lies beneath."

Why I Can't Wait to Read it - This is the book that I think is on everyone's wishlist this spring and that is the highly anticipated new thriller from Paula Hawkins author of The Girl on the Train. Early reader friends have already told me that Into The Water is utterly fantastic and totally lives up to its predecessor. I absolutely can't wait to see what Paula Hawkins has in store for us next!

The Light We Lost by Jill Santopolo 
Publication Date: 18th May 2017 
Synopsis: "Two people. One choice.

What if?

Every love story has a beginning…

11th September 2001. Lucy and Gabe meet in New York on a day that will change their lives – and the world – forever. As the city burns behind them, they kiss for the very first time.

Over the next thirteen years they are torn apart, then brought back together, time and time again. It’s a journey of dreams, of desires, of jealousy, of forgiveness – and above all, love.

As Lucy is faced with a devastating choice, she wonders whether their love is a matter of destiny or chance.

 …what if this is how their story ends?"

Why I Can't Wait to Read it - I'm a sucker for a good love story and The Light We Lost looks set to be one of the big ones of this year with early comparisons to Me Before You and One Day. This book is right at the top of my review pile for May!

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas 
Publication Date: 6th April 2017 
Synopsis: "Sixteen-year-old Starr lives in two worlds: the poor neighbourhood where she was born and raised and her posh high school in the suburbs. The uneasy balance between them is shattered when Starr is the only witness to the fatal shooting of her unarmed best friend, Khalil, by a police officer. Now what Starr says could destroy her community. It could also get her killed."

Why I Can't Wait to Read it - If you haven't heard of THUG yet where have you been!? There has been so much early excitement for this book and it recently hit the number one spot on The New York Times’s Young Adult best-seller list. This is easily one of my most anticipated releases of the year and if it's not already on your TBR then it should be! The Hate U Give is set to be one of the most important books you'll read this year.

This Love by Dani Atkins 
Publication Date: 23rd March 2017 
Synopsis: "Sophie stopped believing in happy endings a long time ago, but could this love change all of that?

Sophie Winter lives in a self-imposed cocoon - she's a single, 31-year-old translator who works from home in her one-bedroom flat. This isn’t really the life she dreamed of, but then Sophie stopped believing in dreams when she was a teenager and tragedy struck her family.

So, to be safe, she keeps everyone at arm’s length. Sophie understands she has a problem, but recognising it and knowing how to fix it are two entirely different things.

One night a serious fire breaks out in the flat below hers. Sophie is trapped in the burning building until a passer-by, Ben, sees her and rescues her.

Suddenly her cocoon is shattered - what will be the consequences of this second life-changing event?"

Why I Can't Wait to Read it - Our Song by Dani Atkins was one of my favourite books of last year so I can't wait to read another by her. My blogger friends who have already read this have been raving to me about it,  so needless to say this is currently at the very top of my review pile for this month!

Sweetpea by C.J. Skuse 
Publication Date: 20th April 2017 
Synopsis: "The last person who called me ‘Sweetpea’ ended up dead…

I haven’t killed anyone for three years and I thought that when it happened again I’d feel bad. Like an alcholic taking a sip of whisky. But no. Nothing. I had a blissful night’s sleep. Didn’t wake up at all. And for once, no bad dream either. This morning I feel balanced. Almost sane, for once.

Rhiannon is your average girl next door, settled with her boyfriend and little dog…but she’s got a killer secret. Although her childhood was haunted by a famous crime, Rhiannon’s life is normal now that her celebrity has dwindled. By day her job as an editorial assistant is demeaning and unsatisfying. By evening she dutifully listens to her friend’s plans for marriage and babies whilst secretly making a list.

 A kill list.

From the man on the Lidl checkout who always mishandles her apples, to the driver who cuts her off on her way to work, to the people who have got it coming, Rhiannon’s ready to get her revenge. 

Because the girl everyone overlooks might be able to get away with murder…"

Why I Can't Wait to Read it - I've been a long time fangirl of C.J. Skuse and will read anything she writes but I am particularly excited for Sweetpea C.J's first adult thriller. I love books about female killers and revenge so I can't wait to meet Rhiannon and get inside her head.

The Cows by Dawn O'Porter 
Publication Date: 6th April 2017 
Synopsis: "Fearlessly frank and funny, the debut adult novel from Dawn O’Porter needs to be talked about.

COW [n.]
/kaʊ/

 A piece of meat; born to breed; past its sell-by-date; one of the herd.

Women don’t have to fall into a stereotype.

Tara, Cam and Stella are strangers living their own lives as best they can – though when society’s screaming you should live life one way, it can be hard to like what you see in the mirror.

When an extraordinary event ties invisible bonds of friendship between them, one woman’s catastrophe becomes another’s inspiration, and a life lesson to all.

Sometimes it’s ok not to follow the herd.

The Cows is a powerful novel about three women – judging each other, but also themselves. In all the noise of modern life, they need to find their own voice."

Why I Can't Wait to Read it - I absolutely love feminist fiction, particularly books about female friendships. This is set to be one of the biggest books about women of the year and I can't wait to dive in!

Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor 
Publication Date: 28th March 2017 
Synopsis: "The dream chooses the dreamer, not the other way around - and Lazlo Strange, war orphan and junior librarian, has always feared that his dream chose poorly. Since he was five years old he's been obsessed with the mythic lost city of Weep, but it would take someone bolder than he to cross half the world in search of it. Then a stunning opportunity presents itself, in the person of a hero called the Godslayer and a band of legendary warriors, and he has to seize his chance to lose his dream forever. 

What happened in Weep two hundred years ago to cut it off from the rest of the world? What exactly did the Godslayer slay that went by the name of god? And what is the mysterious problem he now seeks help in solving?

The answers await in Weep, but so do more mysteries - including the blue-skinned goddess who appears in Lazlo's dreams. How did he dream her before he knew she existed? And if all the gods are dead, why does she seem so real?"

Why I Can't Wait to Read it - I've been waiting for this book for such a long time! I fell in love with Laini Taylor's writing way back in 2011 when I received a proof of Daughter of Smoke and Bone to review from the publisher and since then I've been a huge fan of this author. This book sounds absolutely magical and I'm so excited that I only have eight more days to wait for this one!

 I hope you have a lovely springtime full of plenty of books and sunshine!

My Top 16 Books of 2016

2016 may not have been the best of years but there is no denying that some fantastic books came out of it! Before I go on my annual blogging break over Christmas and New Year I wanted to share with you sixteen of the best books I read in 2016. Yesterday I completed my Goodreads challenge of reading 125 books so I certainly have plenty to choose from! I haven't chosen any 2017 proofs as I will have a separate post coming in the New Year all about the wonderful books I've had the pleasure of reading early. Before we get started, I wanted to take this opportunity to say thank you for all of your incredible support this year and I hope that you have the most wonderful Christmas and a very happy New Year. Right, shall we begin!? I'll be working my way down from number sixteen to my number one book of the year.

16

The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware 

This gripping thriller had to make my top sixteen! It was one of the rare books where I didn't see the twist coming and everyone I have recommended it to this year has loved it just as much as I did. If you love atmospheric crime fiction that keeps you guessing this is the book to pick up!

15 

Uprooted by Naomi Novik 

I know I'm very late to the party with this one but I am so glad that I finally picked it up this year! Uprooted is one of the most magical fantasy books that I have ever had the pleasure of reading. It's completely enchanting and I felt like a little girl again reading my favourite fairytale. 

14

Our Song by Dani Atkins 

I read this one way back in February and it has still stuck with me as one of the best books that I've read this year. This is a real weepy about two couples whose lives intertwine when tragedy strikes one winter's night and is perfect for fans of Me Before You. 

13

Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo 

This is a book that I can see making so many people's best books lists for this year because it was just that good! Crooked Kingdom was a  brilliant ending to an explosive duology. Leigh is my Queen and I can't help but think that every other YA Fantasy book pales in comparison to this series.

12

13 Minutes by Sarah Pinborough 

This is another book that I read way back at the start of the year and was one of the first books that I read in January yet it still stands out to me as one of the best. 13 Minutes is a masterfully crafted YA Thriller that is perfect for fans of Mean Girls and anyone who likes dark and twisted reads.

11

Holding Up the Universe by Jennifer Niven 

This has been a bit of a marmite book this year but I absolutely adored it. It's a gorgeous story that made me cry for no particular reason other than Jennifer Niven's writing is so beautiful. It's such a heartfelt contemporary about finding the courage to be seen for who you really are. 

10

Who’s That Girl? by Mhairi McFarlane 

This book for me is the best women's fiction novel of 2016. It's funny, slick, intelligent and features a heroine who I want so badly to be my best friend. If you haven't read Mhairi McFarlane yet you are seriously missing out. I love how real her heroines feel and how I can always relate to their stories.

9

What's a Girl Gotta Do? by Holly Bourne 

Obviously a Holly Bourne book had to feature somewhere on this list! This is the last book (sort of) in the Spinster Club trilogy and I loved everything about it. It has friendship, feminism, cheesy snacks and everything else you'd expect from this fab series. I am so sad to say goodbye to these characters *sobs* Holly, please write more! 

8

Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes 

I'm not a massive reader of non-fiction but this book literally changed my life after I read it back in March and helped me to achieve things I never thought I would this past year. Shonda Rhimes is a powerhouse of a woman and has some fantastic advice to give in this book about living creatively, being happy and finding the courage to say yes to life's opportunities.

7

Paper Butterflies by Lisa Heathfield 

This is hands down the biggest YA weepy of the year! Paper Butterflies is another book that I can see making a lot of people's top books lists because I don't know a single person who has read this book and not loved it. It's one of those books that leaves you physically feeling like your heart has been broken but is so very important to read. 

6

Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur 

 If you'd have told me that a collection of poetry would make it into my top books of 2016 back at the start of the year I would have laughed in your face. Prior to reading Milk and Honey I hadn't read poetry since I was at school but something drew me to this book and I'm so very glad that it did. This is another one of those life changing books that spoke to my soul. I feel like every woman who picks up Milk and Honey will find at least one poem that will speak to her.  

5

Under Rose-Tainted Skies by Louise Gornall 

Under Rose-Tainted Skies is an incredibly special and important book to me and is the best book I've read all year about mental health. I related to Norah's struggles with agoraphobia and anxiety so much. This book is unflinching, honest and quietly hopeful and is an absolute must read for anyone living with mental illness. 

4

The Girls by Emma Cline 

I picked up The Girls on a bit of a whim and am so, so glad that I did! I read this book over one hot summers day and was completely astounded by it. The Girls is a painfully honest study on the way girls interact with one another and our desire to please both society and men before ourselves. If you enjoy books about complex women this book is not to be missed! 

3

Beautiful Broken Things by Sara Barnard 

Coming in at number three is Beautiful Broken Things which will come as a surprise to absolutely nobody because I have been raving about this book all year. This is my favourite debut of 2016 and Sara has quickly become one of my favourite authors. Beautiful Broken Things delivered everything that I've been wanting to read in a YA book for the last few years and is a gorgeous story about the power of female friendships. 

2 

The Deviants by C.J. Skuse 

C.J. Skuse is, in my opinion, one of the very best writers for teens out there. The voices of her characters are so authentic and she's been one of my must-read authors for many years now, yet despite knowing all of this, nothing could have prepared me for The Deviants. This book really shows what C.J is capable of with its clever twists, skilled plotting and heart-breaking finale. It's such an accomplished story that I know will stay with me for a long time to come. 

1

The Graces by Laure Eve 

The Graces is the most unique book that I read in 2016 and I loved how different it was to anything else I have read this year. This book blew my mind with its heady writing, intoxicating characters and dark undertones of power and obsession. Thrilling and atmospheric The Graces is so deserving of being my best book of 2016. 

So there you have it, my top 16 books of 2016! 

I'll be back in January ready for a brand new year of reading. 

Here's to another fabulous year of books!

My Top Readathon Tips

Hello lovely people! Tomorrow is Dewey's 24 Hour Readathon and I'm very excited. Despite taking part in lots of readathons before (and even hosting one myself) the first time I took part in Dewey's 24 Hour Readathon was last year and I absolutely loved it! I'm so excited to be taking part again this year and thought what better time to share with you some of my top readathon tips. I've definitely learned some tricks that help me make the most out of a readathon over the years and so today I decided to share what I've learned with you in case there are any readathon newbies looking for advice or anyone who'd just like to be nosy about how I make the most out of a readathon.

Join us and sign up here!

• Be Organised – For me this is the most important tip because it usually insures that the readathon runs smoothly for me. The day before a readathon I like to go shopping for snacks, clean my reading area, put together a TBR pile and make sure my comfiest clothes are washed and ready for the next day. Being well prepared means that I’m saving myself precious time that I can put towards reading once the readathon has officially begun. 

• Choose Books Wisely- A readathon is not the time to be trying a new genre or a book you know is going to be a bit of a gamble. Also don’t be afraid to choose more books than you’re going to have time to read, that way you’ll have plenty of choice and if a book isn’t working out for you you’ll have a backup plan. I like to go for fast paced reads that I know are going to keep me turning those pages, I also like to put a few books on my TBR by some of my favourite authors who I know I can rely on for a great read. I find that it’s a good idea to read books on different formats, graphic novels or audiobooks are great for when you want to keep your reading progress going but are feeling bogged down from reading a physical book. 

• Follow Fellow Readers- Before the readathon starts I like to go through social media and bookmark bloggers and booktubers who will be taking part in the readathon. I find following other people’s progress really encouraging when I’m struggling to keep reading. 

• Try NOT to Read Beforehand – The day before the readathon I like to not pick up anything to read. For me it’s almost like not eating anything all day because you’re going to an all you can eat buffet for dinner. I love the anticipation of waiting to dive into a pile of books and I like to spend the night before watching some TV because I know I won’t be doing much of that over the next 24 hours.

• Get a Good Night’s Sleep – Make sure you get an early night the night before the readathon - you’ll be grateful for it when you’re up late reading the next night. 

• Choose Snacks Wisely- A readathon is a great excuse to pig out on some delicious treats but also try to add some healthy foods in there too. Too much pizza, chocolate and crisps can make me feel tired and sluggish so I try to eat some fruit and drink plenty of water too. It also goes without saying that if you like to read and eat at the same time try to go for finger foods that aren’t going to leave your book messy. 

• Take Regular Breaks – Every couple of hours I like to take a 10-20 minute break to stretch, play with my dog or watch a sitcom. Taking breaks keeps your mind fresh and it’s so important to stretch those legs! 

• Time Your Internet Allowance- We all know how easy it is to get sucked down the internet rabbit hole when you’re supposed to be reading. I like to set a timer on my phone allowing myself half an hour to browse the internet and see how other readers are getting on. That way I’m not looking up from my laptop hours later and realising I’ve lost a large chunk of those precious 24 hours online. 

• Put Books You Aren’t Enjoying Down – This is something I find really difficult to do because I usually like to finish a book even if I’m not enjoying it all that much. The readathon is not the time to be slogging through a book you aren’t enjoying so if like me you like to finish a book, put it down just for the readathon. Telling myself that I can go back to it after the 24 hours are up really helps. 

• Sleep If You Need To – I’m an insomniac so staying up all night reading is not a good idea for me. I try not to feel guilty over the fact that I need to sleep. If you’re getting to the point where you’re reading the same sentence over and over again because you keep drifting off put the book down and get some sleep. You’re only wasting precious time making slow progress; you may as well catch some sleep and try again when you’re feeling fresh and alert. 

 Because the readathon is on for such a short amount of time I won't be posting updates on my blog but you can follow me on Twitter, Instagram and Goodreads to see how I'm getting along. Read lots and have fun!

Guest Post: UKYA Community Shares the Magic of Books

Today I am sharing with you something a little bit different and special. Over the last few weeks I've been working on a project with my friend and English teacher Kate Hamer to raise book donations for the pupils at her school. What started off as the idea of handing a few books out turned into a major event when hundreds of books came flooding in thanks to the generosity of the UKYA community. I've invited Kate to share a post today about the event that gave her students the chance to read.

UKYA: Making a difference by Kate Hamer 

Something magical happened to me last Thursday thanks to the UKYA community - I got to watch 130 of my students fall in love with books.

I should probably introduce myself briefly - I'm Kate, I'm 23 and I'm a long suffering bibliophile. In January 2015, I started working as a English Graduate Academic Mentor at an inner-city secondary school. Fancy title, huh? It basically means that I am not only responsible for teaching classes, but also for conducting intense literacy intervention. I soon realised that many of my students didn't own a single book of their own - books are a luxury which for many of my students are not possible. As an avid reader, it became my mission to change this. Books had been instrumental to my survival during my challenging, lonely teenage years - they helped me not only lose myself for a little while, but to find myself too. I wanted to give my students the same opportunity.

Luckily for me, I have been quite involved in the UKYA community for years, through my English degree where I specialised in young adult fiction, to my internship with a New York literary agent, and through attending author events and signings. I knew that the UKYA community was extremely passionate about encouraging young people to read and hoped that they would be interested in getting onboard.

The amazing Jess of JessHeartsBooks (HI JESS!!) grabbed hold of the initiative when I approached her and promoted it to her thousands of followers. Overnight, my Twitter blew up, with hundreds of bloggers, authors and publishing professionals contacting me to make donations. Going into work the next day and telling the school's super-hero librarian is something that will stick with me forever.

I'd initially hoped for around 50 books. When we passed the two hundred book milestone, I suddenly realised that this had become much bigger than I had ever dreamed - it meant that over a hundred students would go home with books of their own this summer. Suddenly, the school's PR was all over the story, as were the local press. As I began to plan an Alice in Wonderland themed event to distribute the books, deliveries kept arriving. Boxes, packets, envelopes and crates filled to the brim with books began to stock up in reception. For that month, I spent more time in reception signing for packages than in my classroom!

With the event drawing closer, Willy Wonka style Golden Tickets were created to invite students to the top secret event. Excitement quickly built amongst students and staff - students who were lucky enough to receive a ticket were seen (and heard!) skipping down the corridors singing 'I've got a golden ticket.' The only staff members fully informed about the event was Elaine the librarian, and Paul the Principal (who had been sworn to secrecy with the threat of “off with his head").

The day before the event, impatient staff and students crowded around the library, hoping to catch a glimpse of what was happening behind closed doors. Reams of bunting, character silhouettes and balloons helped transform the library into Wonderland. Mountains of homemade cakes and delicious fizzy drinks awaited the students. The three hundred books donated were scattered on the tables – hidden amongst them were signed copies, first editions and proof copies of books not yet released!

 At 10.10AM, the first group of students arrived, animatedly discussing what might be behind the doors. As they entered en-masse, there were audible gasps and their faces were full of wonder. I spoke to the students for a few minutes about my previous work experience, the incredible UKYA community and the power of social media. Students were then welcome to browse the books and select a number. As they were reading , cupcakes, jam tarts and fizzy drinks with flamingo straws were brought around for them to enjoy. After enjoying half an hour of reading, students then wrote a short thank you note to all who donated, whilst proudly clutching their new books. For the rest of the day, I had teachers reporting back to me that students had returned to lessons and sat at the back of the room reading their books instead of enjoying the traditional end of term film.

It was a day I will never forget for the rest of my life - my students are not from privileged backgrounds, but they are characters, full of imagination, sass and potential. I have no doubt the gifts which bloggers, authors and publishing professions gave them will change their lives. In the words of Dahl, 'We are the music makers, we are the dreamers of dreams' ... Today, UKYA, you are the music makers, you are the dreamers of dreams.

Quotes from students:
"Thank you for my new book. It will be great! I will take lots of care of it.' - Christine, aged 12 

 "I chose The Baby because it's fascinating. Unlike a lot of books I read, this one really interested me' - Viktoria, aged 15

 "Thank you for my book, Vendetta by Catherine Doyle, I can relate to it' - Shakirah, aged 15 

 "Thank you so much for my copy of Louis Sachar's new books. I cant wait to read it in my caravan!' - Jak, aged 12 

 For more information about the event you can follow Kate on Twitter @kate2606

YALC Diary: Sunday Day Two

After being convinced that I’d sleep like a baby after the mania of yesterday I of course had another rubbish night’s sleep and woke up with a headache. I wanted nothing more than to roll over and go back to sleep and I would have if we didn’t have to check out of our hotel before 11am. Turns out this was a blessing in disguise as I had the most wonderful day at YALC today.

Before another day at YALC began I was invited to a blogger breakfast. The first wonderful thing to happen today was that lovely Debbie saw my tweet of pain and brought me in some paracetamol from home. After something to eat, lots of water and some medication I started to feel more human and really enjoyed the breakfast. Having our names on a guest list to get in meant no queuing and the book zone was lovely and quiet first thing in the morning so I had lots of time to chat to authors, bloggers and publicists and I could actually hear everybody, yay! I also had time to catch up with my friend Jasprit who came down for Sunday which was really nice.

We had authors Holly Black, James Dawson, Matt Haig and Non Pratt as guests at the breakfast and they each spoke about their books new and upcoming alike and signed our copies. We were also given an awesome Grisha tote bag full of swag and copies of This Book is Gay by James Dawson and Naomi and Ely’s No Kiss List by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan. I was only saying before the event how much I was looking forward to This Book is Gay so to have early copies there was amazing!

Queen of Teen James Dawson looking regal and wise

Once again there were so many lovely authors that I finally got to meet today. Comic Con was so much quieter and the showmasters team were there to structure queues and make sure there was some order which was so much better.

My author highlights for Sunday had to be James Dawson, Sarra Manning and Cat Clarke. James is doing wonderful things for LGBT teens and I’m so glad that he won Queen of Teen because he’s providing a much needed voice in UKYA. I’ve been reading Sarra Manning’s books since I was twelve years old and so I got all emotional when she knew me and my blog, if that wasn’t enough she then went on to give me two rare early editions of her books as a thank you for your support gift which meant so much to me. Cat Clarke was so lovely to talk to and gave me a hug and thanked me for supporting her books which was so nice. As for actors today I spotted Sibel Kekilli and Kristian Nairn AKA Shae and Hodor from Game of Thrones and had a little fan girl moment over that.

Meeting Sarra Manning

Cat Clarke hug

The only negative thing that I have to say about YALC day 2 was the lack of monitoring for the panels. They didn’t appear to be supervised at all and being right next to the Stan Lee booth meant that LFCC people would just sit there taking up seats for a break and something to eat or to wait for friends to finish seeing Stan. Not only did this take up seating but they’d chatter away to one another and once again I couldn’t hear what the authors were saying. As I stressed yesterday next year we really need our own hall!

At 5pm on the last day of YALC an event that shall forever be remembered as ‘The Great Book Giveaway of 2014’ took place. Basically the YALC team took down all of the books from the book wall and posters and gave them away for free. There were so many amazing books to choose from from YA classics to brand new releases that aren’t even out yet. Luckily I was there when the queueing began and so ended up being 5th in line and after a lot of consideration picked up Red Rising by Pierce Brown which I’ve heard amazing things about and am so excited to read.

After the great book giveaway it was time for Rach and I to say our goodbyes to people and catch our train home. It was actually really sad saying goodbye to all of my bloggy chums not knowing when I’ll next get to see everyone and when we will all be together again.

Me with the awesome Michelle

Me with lovely Faye 

I feel like YALC really picked a lot of bloggers up – myself included- and motivated us. There was a lot of love between everyone and it reminded me of how special our community is. Each of us is different and we all have something to offer but all of us together as a community makes our voices even louder.

I came away from YALC feeling like I’d found my people. It was a truly special weekend and despite all of my bad experiences I still walked away with some amazing memories. I only hope that if there is another YALC next year that the people behind it take on board what everybody is saying to ensure that YALC 2015 is an even bigger success.

Missed day one of my YALC diary? Check it out here.

YALC Diary: Saturday Day One

It’s Saturday which means it’s officially day one of YALC! Rach and I travelled to London last night and I have to say that the weekend didn’t start well for me.

After a hot and sweaty tube ride that involved carrying bags of heavy books up and down flights of stairs I was looking forward to a good night’s sleep so I’d feel rested and ready for a busy weekend. Unfortunately I had no such luck.

Our hotel is great in itself however I was given an unfortunate room located on the ground floor of a busy street. There’s no air con so if I don’t want to boil myself alive I have to sleep with the window open which not only lets in all of the street noise but all of the smoke from the guest smoking pit outside too. That along with my neighbours and their kids checking in next door to me at 4am left this asthmatic insomniac with only a few hours’ sleep. Needless to say this morning I was tired, flustered and running low on patience.

The first thing I saw before Earls Court itself was swarms and swarms of people queueing to get inside. I was immediately overwhelmed. We were standing in line and being moved around for what felt like forever under the beating sun and to make matters worse we had a group blatantly push in right in front of us. Luckily Rach and I had this nice guy and his young son behind us who wasn’t having any of it and told them so but unfortunately that led to them getting the hump and shouting at us which really put me on edge with my PTSD.

Me (left) and Rach (right) waiting to get in

When we finally got in thousands of people were literally packed in like sardines in a tin, there was no air con, sweat was dripping from people and I basically felt like I’d made a huge mistake in estimating how well I could handle this.

YALC itself was a roaring success there’s no doubt about it but I have to be honest and say that I don’t think that LFCC was the right place to host it and I know that pretty much everybody I spoke to felt the same way. The majority of readers are quiet, introverted people and I know that for a lot of us Comic Con was too much.

Not only was LFCC ridiculously overcrowded but the Book Zone was placed in a small corner of the venue right next to Stan Lee’s event which were obviously massively popular. I attended one panel and one workshop and after that gave up on them because I couldn’t hear a thing that was said over the noise of the crowd which was really disappointing as I’m sure what the authors had to say was very interesting.

Another issue I had was that there was no clear queue’s for signings and nobody was monitoring them which lead to more than one queue waiting for one author and a lot of pushing in which was very annoying after waiting for a good hour for some guests.

To be honest it was absolute chaos which is completely understandable being the first ever YALC. I don’t think anybody was prepared for the popularity of the event but now that they know that there’s a big audience for it I hope that these issues can be resolved next year and I think the biggest change needs to be a YALC only venue.

The Book Zone had this lovely little chill out area with a book wall and beanbag chairs. It was the perfect place to escape to catch a breather and talk to other book lovers. I’m being completely honest in saying that I don’t think I would have stuck around all day if I didn’t have such good people around me. I was so touched by everybody who came up to me asking how I was finding it and I loved that so many of you shared your own experiences with anxiety, panic attacks and OCD with me. It was so cathartic to share stories and get through this crazy day together.

My biggest convention lesson learned is to talk to the people around you. After all you obviously share the same interests which are a great ice breaker! It was so lovely to not only finally meet blogger friends but to also meet new bookish people. Rach and I were queueing to meet Rainbow Rowell for a good hour and got chatting to some lovely girls in front of us which made the time pass really quickly. Funnily enough after that we kept bumping into each other in different queues completely by chance and so we dubbed ourselves “queue buddies.” What was even more surreal was when I gave Charlotte my Twitter handle only to find out that we already follow each other! Small world!

Queue Buddies!

A really random moment for me was when I accidentally bumped into somebody and turned around to apologise only to see that that person was Lena Headey who plays Cersei in Game of Thrones. Turns out that the Book Zone being right next to the Green Room definitely had its perks!

I met so many wonderful authors and bloggers today both at YALC and The Fringe afterwards. I’d love to give a shout out to every single person I met but there are just too many of you and I’m bound to forget somebody which I’d feel terrible about. I will say that everybody I met was absolutely lovely and if I met you please know that I had such a great time talking to you!

UKYA book bloggers at The Fringe

Today’s author highlights for me were C.J. Skuse, Holly Bourne and Natasha Ngan who all made plenty of time to chat to their fans. I also really enjoyed meeting Patrick Ness and Rainbow Rowell although due to their MAHOOSIVE queues it was only a quick “hi” and “bye” which is completely understandable. I was just so happy to meet them at all!

Rainbow Rowell signing books

The lovely Holly Bourne signing my books

Overall Saturday was a rollercoaster of emotions with plenty of highs and lows. It was chaotic and stressful but also wonderful and exciting. The lovely people around me really made today what it was and that has made me love the UKYA community even more, if such a thing is possible.

Check out Day Two of my YALC Diary here

For more of my Saturday adventures check out Rach's write up here

When books come to life, the reluctant reader...

Hi guys, today I wanted to do a quick post sharing with you this amazing YALC video that my friend Casey put together. So much work and passion went into it and I think it perfectly captures how when you read you get to choose your own adventure. Watch Casey and her bookish friends bring the YALC characters to life...

   

 I can't believe that this time next week I'll be getting ready to catch my train to London, it has come around so quickly and after watching this video I'm even more excited for YALC! If you enjoyed watching please support Casey and everybody involved by liking, commenting and sharing!

2013 End of Year Book Survey: My Year in Reading and Blogging

Welcome to my last blog post of 2013! I'm going to be taking a well earned break from the blog over Christmas and will be returning early in the new year and what better post to end the year with than Jamie's End of Year Book Survey? I absolutely love survey's and I've had so much fun reflecting on my life in reading and blogging in 2013. This year hasn't been kind to me and my family but books have really pulled me through some difficult times and as a result I've had one of the best years when it comes to books and blogging. Here's to another year of wonderful books in 2014!

1.) Best Book You Read In 2013? (If you have to cheat — you can break it down by genre if you want or 2013 release vs. backlist)
I’m going to do my own thing here and share the best book I read each month because I can’t choose even within genres (especially for the best contemporary!)

January – Just One Day by Gayle Forman
February - Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion
March - Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare
April - Soulmates by Holly Bourne
May - The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey
June - Crash by Nicole Williams
July - Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas
August - Hurt by Tabitha Suzuma
September - Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
October - This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales
November - Attachments by Rainbow Rowell

2.) Book You Were Excited About and Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?
Allegiant! I didn’t hate it but it was nowhere near as good as I thought it was going to be. Also The Program by Suzanne Young which I thought sounded fantastic but in the end had too many plot holes. As somebody who has had depression and knows a lot about mental health this book made me angry with how poorly researched it was.

3.) Most surprising (in a good way!) book of 2013?
Mine has to be This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales. I remember reading the synopsis and thinking it sounded okay but I wasn’t hugely fussed about reading it and then a few of my blogger friends were saying how good it was so I decided to give it a go and I’m so glad I did because as you can see it was one of my favourite books of the year!

4.) Book you read in 2013 that you recommended to people most in 2013?
Probably a tie between Fangirl, Just One Day and This Song Will Save Your Life. I’ve recommend them all to so many people!

5.) Best series you discovered in 2013?
I discovered so many amazing series this year but my best discovery would have to be the Crash series by Nicole Williams. I was obsessed with this series and read all three books back to back.

6.) Favorite new author you discovered in 2013? 
Rainbow Rowell! I read all three of her books this year and have loved all of them. I’m really looking forward to Landline next year and will read whatever she writes in the future without question. I’ve also loved books by Kasie West, Carole Matthews and Susan Ee - I’m so happy to have discovered them as well!

7.) Best book that was out of your comfort zone or was a new genre for you? 
I’m really bad at reading books outside of my comfort zone mainly because I’m so happy in my little YA/Chick-lit bubble! I’ve really gotten into the New Adult genre this year though which is a new genre I’ve been loving!

8.) Most thrilling, unputdownable book in 2013?
Hands down The 5th Wave! I was on the edge of my seat the entire time with that one.

9.) Book You Read In 2013 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year? 
I’m not a huge re-reader but if I was to re-read a book it would probably be Fangirl because I connected to Cath so much.

10.) Favorite cover of a book you read in 2013? 
Probably, Angelfall. It’s simple but eye catching because it’s different to anything else out there and I absolutely love the colours and effect used.

11.) Most memorable character in 2013?
For me it’s Sturmhond from Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo who is a newly introduced secondary character and he’s so brilliant! He completely stole the show for me.

12.) Most beautifully written book read in 2013?
Gayle Forman’s Just One Day - her writing is absolutely stunning! Warm Bodies is a close second which I never thought I’d say about a zombie novel!

13.) Book that had the greatest impact on you in 2013?
Hands down Just One Day. It has honestly changed my life. I have anxiety, panic attacks and OCD and as a result my life is very controlled and reading this book about the importance of being spontaneous and putting yourself out into the world has made me say yes to so many opportunities this year that I’d usually shy away from.

14.) Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2013 to finally read?
Unearthly by Cynthia Hand, when the final book came out earlier this year it was the perfect time to finally pick up this series and I’m so glad that I did! Burn for Burn by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian is another book I wish I picked up sooner because I found it so much fun!

15.) Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2013?
Going back to what I said about Just One Day I have this quote from the book chalked up on a black board in my room to remind me to just say yes, no matter how scared I am.

“Everything is happening all of the time, but if you don’t put yourself in the path of it, you miss it.” – Just One Day by Gayle Forman 

16.) Shortest and Longest Book You Read In 2013?
My shortest that isn’t a novella was Warm Bodies at 240 pages and my longest was Clockwork Princess at 570 pages.

17.) Book That Had A Scene In It That Had You Reeling And Dying To Talk To Somebody About It? (a WTF moment, an epic revelation, a steamy kiss, etc. etc.) Be careful of spoilers! 
Pretty much the whole of Clockwork Princess I needed to talk about which is why I made a discussion post about it! Also the endings to Undone by Cat Clarke, Hurt by Tabitha Suzuma and Fire With Fire by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian left me in shock.

18.) Favorite Relationship From A Book You Read In 2013 (be it romantic, friendship, etc).
Romantic: Sydney and Adrian in The Indigo Spell and The Fiery Heart
Friendship: Jem, Will and Tessa in Clockwork Princess
Siblings: Carey and Jenessa from If You Find Me

19.) Favorite Book You Read in 2013 From An Author You’ve Read Previously
 Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas and The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater are two sequels that completely blew me away! I liked the first two in both series when I read them last year but in these two sequels both authors completely upped their game!

20.) Best Book You Read In 2013 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else
Of Beast and Beauty by Stacey Jay which I bought solely because of Sam’s review. I actually hadn’t heard of this book before then and I bought it on her recommendation alone and really enjoyed it!

21.) Genre You Read The Most From in 2013? 
Contemporary YA, which has also been my favourite genre of this year.

22.) Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2013?
I’ve been introduced to so many swoonworthy book boys this year but the guy who completely stole my heart was Levi from Fangirl. I also have huge crushes on Raffe from Angelfall and Tucker from Unearthly.

23.) Best 2013 debut you read?
If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch - such a beautiful and heartbreaking book!

24.) Most vivid world/imagery in a book you read in 2013?
Probably a tie between Pantomime by Laura Lam and Splintered by A. G. Howard. Laura Lam completely brought life at the circus to life and A.G. Howard took Wonderland and made it her own.

25.) Book That Was The Most Fun To Read in 2013?
Geek Girl by Holly Smale and The Summer I Became a Nerd by Leah R Miller come to mind for this one. They were two super cute and funny contemporaries that I flew through that left me with a huge smile on my face.

26.) Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2013?
I’m such a cry baby and if I listed every book that made me cry or nearly cry this year we’d be here all day so I’m tweaking this question to the books that made me cry BUCKETS and they would have to be Clockwork Princess, Undone, If You Find Me and Hurt.

27.) Book You Read in 2013 That You Think Got Overlooked This Year Or When It Came Out?
I’d have to say Pantomime by Laura Lam because it is so different and outside of the blogosphere I haven’t really seen anybody talking about it. Also The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken which although hasn’t been entirely overlooked I think deserves a lot more attention because it’s such a brilliant and unique dystopian and it deserves to be HUGE!

1.) New favorite book blog you discovered in 2013?
I’ve discovered so many amazing book blogs this year and have made some great new blogger friends. The people I’m about to mention have very similar taste in books as I do and I’m regularly checking their blogs for recommendations! Jasprit and Rachel at The Readers Den, Sam at Realm of Fiction, Danielle at What Danielle Did Next, Samantha at The Secret Life of a Bookworm and Casey at Dark Readers. I’ve picked up so many good books because of them and I’m so happy to have discovered their blogs this year!

2.) Favorite review that you wrote in 2013?
Any review for a book that I’ve loved and that meant something to me on a personal level because they are always the hardest to write. So my reviews for Just One Day, Fangirl and This Song Will Save Your Life.

3.) Best discussion you had on your blog? 
I don’t really do many discussion posts on the blog and it’s something I want to get better at. I did do spoiler review/discussions for both Clockwork Princess and Allegiant that had a lot of interaction.

4.) Most thought-provoking review or discussion you read on somebody else’s blog?
I loved this discussion that Leanna had on her blog called Has Book Blogging Fallen Out of Fashion?

5.) Best event that you participated in (author signings, festivals, virtual events, memes, etc.)?
Hands down meeting John and Hank Green in London at the beginning of the year. They are such an inspiration to me and John is one of my favourite authors so that was fantastic.

6.) Best moment of book blogging/your book life in 2013?
There have been so many highlights this year! I loved having some of my favourite authors on the blog and of course getting my blog makeover. But something that always makes me so proud is when I see a quote from my review in a book especially when it’s for one of my favourite books like The Grisha series by Leigh Bardugo and Dare You To and Crash Into You by Katie McGarry.

7.) Most Popular Post This Year On Your Blog (whether it be by comments or views)?
Definitely my Clockwork Princess Discussion. It’s actually the second most viewed post on my blog of all time!

8.) Post You Wished Got A Little More Love?
Probably my Booking by Numbers Meme a lot of people seemed to enjoy reading it and a few people even did their own post. But I spent such a long time on it and was really proud of it that I wish more people got involved. 

9.) Best bookish discovery (book related sites, book stores, etc.)?
For a book store definitely Foyles in London! I’ve been twice this year and absolutely love it! It has so many US imports as well as being enormous. As for a bookish website I’m so thankful for the Recaptains which, in case you haven’t heard of it, is basically a blog dedicated to recapping books that are part of a series so that you can refresh your memory before reading the new book. It’s such a brilliant idea and has stopped me from putting off many sequels because I couldn’t remember what happened in book one and didn’t have the time to re-read it.

10.) Did you complete any reading challenges or goals that you had set for yourself at the beginning of this year?
I don’t tend to do reading challenges any more because I find that I never stick to them anyway. But for as long as I can remember I’ve wanted to read 100 books in a year, it was even on my bucket list! For the last few years I’ve come really close but never quite made it and this year I finally reached the big 100! I’m so proud of myself and it felt very satisfying to check that off my bucket list!

1.) One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2013 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2014?
I have a whole lot of sequels I need to catch up on! I’m in the middle of so many series and its hard keeping up to date with them all. I also really want to read the Shatter Me series back to back for the first time when Ignite Me comes out next year.

2.) Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2014 (non-debut)?
There are a lot of sequels that I’m anticipating next year and I have a list on my blog here! I’m also really looking forward to Landline by Rainbow Rowell, Don't Look Back by Jennifer L. Armentrout, The Geography of You and Me by Jennifer E. Smith and To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han to name a few!

3.) 2014 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?
I’m really excited about Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira and The Murder Complex by Lindsay Cummings.

4.) Series Ending You Are Most Anticipating in 2014? 
Isla and the Happily Ever After – it’s been such a long time coming! And of course City of Heavenly Fire. I have all of the series endings I’m looking forward to on this post.

5.) One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging In 2014?
Number one on my list is to attend more book related or book blogger events. My panic attacks are triggered by public transport, especially travelling alone, and also being in big crowds of people which has made it hard for me to attend events that are usually held in London and I’ve had to turn down so many amazing opportunities. I’m getting a lot better with this though and am going to be saying yes to a lot more things in the new year.

As for reading I’d really like to get around to some older releases that I’ve wanted to read for ages but always seem to get pushed aside for shiny new books or review copies. I’d like to change this habit in 2014.

END

I hope you've had fun reading my answers and if you've done your own version of this survey please leave me a link in the comments as I'd love to check it out! 

Lastly I want to thank each and every one of you for reading and supporting this blog this year and I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas with plenty of books from Santa and a happy new year that holds the promise of lots of exciting new book releases in 2014!

All I Want For Christmas Is...Books!

The nights are drawing in, the jumpers are coming out, the Christmas adverts are on the telly and I'm starting to hear the same question over and over again "What do you want for Christmas?" So to help any friends or family looking for the perfect gift (and also for my inner child who gets nostalgic to write those letters to Santa!) I decided to create a bookish Christmas wishlist post! In no way do I expect to get all of these things for Christmas but I wanted to put some ideas out there so that I can direct anyone who asks to this list. I’d love to know if you have read and enjoyed any of these, maybe your comments could persuade someone to choose one book over the other? ;) Here's what I'm wishing for this Christmas...

Dear Santa's Helpers,

I'd really, really, really love any of the following for Christmas...

All the Truth That's In Me by Julie Berry

Legend Trilogy Boxed Set by Marie Lu

Where the Stars Still Shine by Trish Doller

Mr Penumbra's 24 Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan

Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier

These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

Past Perfect by Leila Sales
Jasprit from The Readers Den has snatched up this one! Thank you lovely!

Premeditated by Josin L. McQuein

3:59 by Gretchen McNeil 

Any of the above will be received with much love and thanks! Or a good old Amazon Giftcard to go towards some of these beauties would be perfect! I've been very good this year.

Love, Jess x