Series and Sequels - Episode 1

Last time we spoke it was about the excessive TBR phenomenon and my plans to reduce that down to zero. That's right, zero! I want to go right back to having no unread books in my home and only going to the bookshop to purchase with the intent of immediately reading. Achieving this is going to take some determination, and what better way to increase motivation than by doing challenges. The first challenge for me (and you should you wish to join in) is to finish or get up to date with five series you are in the middle of.

Five is not an intimidating number right? We can totally do this. The freedom of this challenge is that you can pick the series, so feel free to bash out some short series or fully commit to the epics as you see fit. I'm planning on doing a good mixture here of longer and shorter series. Here is what I'm planning on reading. 

The Realm of the Elderlings by Robin Hobb

Yes, alright! I can hear you all screaming at me. The Realm of the Elderlings is an 18 book (if you include novellas) epic fantasy series, but I am on the final stretch and have only 2.5 books to go. This series is great for a challenge as it is comprised of multiple smaller series following different characters at different points in time. This epic fantasy series is lauded as one of the greatest, and so far I have to agree. It starts off following a young boy called Fitz. Bastard to the throne, he is thrust into the "quiet" service of king's assassin. Fitz is a fascinating character and you watch him grow to adulthood across this tale, getting to know him better than most people know their own family. Hobb's character driven writing is unparalleled and this is a series that gets its hooks in you and never lets you go. Finishing this series will be devastating for me as I have been so immersed for so long. 

The Bloodsworn Saga by John Gwynne 

John Gwynne is one of my favourite modern fantasy writers. The Bloodsworn Saga is a viking-esque trilogy based around nordic mythology. It follows a wide cast of characters with varying bloodthirsty histories as they navigate the awakening of old and deadly magic. I have read book one and loved it, especially the way John writes women and motherhood. I had been putting off reading this series until I knew more of his books were on the horizon. He has a new series debuting later this year so it's time to get down to business. 

The Shepherd King by Rachel Gillig 

Rachel Gillig's unique gothic writing style intrigued me last year when I read The Knight and the Moth so picking up her other published series is a must! The Shepherd King is a duology starting with One Dark Window. As a child Elspeth survived a magic plague. She is the only person ever recorded to live through the fever of darkness spreading through the blood, but all magic comes with a price. For Elspeth this price is the demonic creature living beneath her skin, growing stronger and more vocal with every passing year. All Elspeth wants to do is live a quiet life of obscurity, but fate has a different plan when she is drawn to the capital and immersed in political intrigue. I cannot wait to get my teeth into this series, I sense a binge coming on! 

Moonfall by Sarah A Parker 

Everyone and their mother is talking about this series right now! The second book came out exactly one week ago and it has been lighting up online. This series is marketed as romantasy, but I disagree. Having read the first book and embarking shortly on the second book I would call this an epic with a romantic sub-plot. This series follows Raeve, a bloody assassin honed into a weapon by all the people trying to break her. Raeve's memories are shoved deep inside the icy lake of her mind, but something Other stirs beneath the surface, dredging up secrets she would rather keep hidden. When Raeve meets Kaan her world implodes and she is thrust into the midst of these devastating truths. The world is shifting, kingdoms are clashing and dragons are falling from the sky. This series is phenomenal and I am definitely prioritising it in the coming weeks. 

Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree

This series started out self published and I honestly cannot believe it wasn't picked up by traditional publishing sooner. I have read book one, Legends & Lattes, but I have Bookshops & Bonedust and Brigands & Breadknives still to read. These books are so much fun. They take the mickey so well out of the "change of pace to small town bakery owner" trope, but at the same time are an ode to the cosiness of these tales. The first novel follows Viv, a war orc who now wishes to retire to her favourite city and start a coffee shop. Armed with her strong motivation and a helpful amount of treasure, she forges new friendships and carves out a home she can call her own. This series is such a good reading slump buster and works so well to make you feel relaxed and cosy if you are in need of some lower stakes. 

Right guys, those are the five series I am planning on finishing next. I'll be posting reviews and deep dives of these so please stay tuned, and don't forget to let me know what book series you'll be reading for this challenge in the comments. Until next time! 

Hattie x 

Is it time for tbr takedown challenge?

 Unless you are an avid reader you are probably unfamiliar with the term "tbr", but to us bookworms this word can fill us with equal measures of joy and dread. The "tbr" or "to be read" list for me has become a source of anxiety. Don't get me wrong, I love having a running list of books I would like to get to, but when it comes to the physical tbr...yikes! I currently have 85 unread books sitting on my shelves. 85! That is an obscene number, especially in these more trying economic times. Although to be fair to my past self these books have been collected over a long period of time, some of them having languished on the tbr for 5 years or more. 

No more, I say! It is time for me to carry out the "action is the killer of anxiety" mentality and tackle this physical tbr. Reading is supposed to be a relaxing hobby, a way to escape reality and visit other places. Having an enormous pile of unread books threatens to overwhelm me with guilt, not because of money spent, but because of the knowledge that I will enjoy them and have been depriving myself of that enjoyment. It is easy nowadays with the myriad "book haul" videos to become desensitised to how strange it is to hoard stories without actually consuming them. It is not the norm to go to the bookshop intending to purchase half a dozen or more books at once on a regular basis. I miss the days of going to the bookshop to buy one or two books and proceeding to just read them and would like to re-introduce this phenomenon to my life. The only thing stopping me is the 85 unread books I am about to devour and revel in. 

So what has been stopping me? I find that as soon as I label something as a task it becomes onerous, even if it is theoretically highly enjoyable. The human brain is a strange beast! I find it best to trick myself with challenges and gamification. So, may I present to you the 2026 TBR Takedown! Throughout this year I am going to be tackling this book back log one by one, giving myself smaller challenges along the way to keep my motivation high. The main crux of the challenge will be a year long book buying ban, but I will allow myself a few loopholes. The first being that pre-orders do not count and neither do books that continue a series I have already started. 

I have no doubt this will be an up and down journey, but when I think of all the wonderful stories I have yet to explore...I can't wait to get started. Join me next time in episode 1 of the TBR Takedown: Series & Sequels. 

Hattie x 

Do People Still Read Book Blogs In 2026?

 

A question has been plaguing me for a while now: do people still read book blogs in 2026? Or, have they moved over exclusively to video format? As a tiktock-o-phobe, I still feel the need for long form content, be it blogging or Youtube videos. Surely there must be others out there who, like me, are seeking blogs. Maybe that makes me a dinosaur, but I'm sure I'm not the only one. 

All that to say: hello! Here I am again, back on my blogging nonsense. I used to run this site in my late teens and early twenties (too long ago for me to own to) as a general lifestyle blog with articles on food, books, cosmetics and even a men's column from my husband's point of view. My taste in hobbies has shifted over the last decade, as is only natural, and I now find myself more inclined to discuss books and bookish topics than anything else. This means a shift of gears for the blog. I am far too attached to this domain to consider creating a new one, I spent hours crafting it, but it does need a name change. A name to match my other fledgling book platforms - Invisible Worlds Bookclub. 

Gosh, this feels momentous. Madly so considering nobody will be reading this post unless in the distant future I miraculously become social media famous as an internet librarian. However, on the off chance that I am not shouting into the void and somebody is reading here is what to expect from this page. There will be book reviews, series deep dives, author discussions and general bookish content. My main areas of interest are fantasy and classics (mostly Victorian or earlier) with a smattering of sci-fi which I have just begun to explore. 

I am sure there will be teething issues, so I will gratefully accept any suggestions from the comments. And, in case you are reading this and bemoaning yet another dinosaur typing out a blog post, please check out my Instagram page and Youtube channel for other formats. There will be regular posts across all three so please pick and choose your chosen mode of consumption and return for more! 

Hattie x 

Review - Just One Damned Thing After Another by Jodi Taylor

Hello everyone!

The last week has been a little mad on the home front, lots of work and lots of animals! Finding time for reading was proving a little difficult, but I eventually cleared my schedule and finished my first book of 2019. I have been doing a buddy read of Just One Damned Thing After Another by Jodi Taylor with my friend Jonny over @jonnyslibrary. We have both now finished the book and come to terms with our feelings so it’s time for a review.

It’s been a long while since I did a proper book review so sit back and relax, this could be a long one! I sense a rant coming on :-)

Just One Damned Thing After Another by Jodi Taylor

This book follows our main character Madeleine Maxwell as she embarks on a new line of work in the elusive St Mary’s history department. The historians of St Mary’s are no ordinary scholars, they travel back in time to document events as they really happened. The main rule is not to change anything, but of course that is easier said than done. One misadventure leads to another which leads to another which leads to events that could alter the very fabric of the future world!

2.5 stars

Positives - engaging plot lines, easy to get into, interesting world building

Negatives - very triggering, unbelievable character relationships, very rushed

*Spoilers*

Aaaah this book! I seriously struggled to rate this book, it started as a 4 star then dropped to a 2 and just about redeemed itself to a 2.5 by the end. Where to start?

The setting was lovely old academic England with all the quirks of mad professors. I loved the first 100 pages when Max is doing her training. It had just the right amount of humour and brutality to really invest me in the story. However, when Max goes back to the Cretaceous period (think dinosaurs) it all went south. Firstly Sussman’s character went from being your typical arrogant man to downright awful in 2 seconds flat. He tries to rape her and then tries to murder her and you later find out he planned to kill her all along! This is a man who worked and laughed with her for 5 years! It all felt a bit jarring, but it’s not the worst. 

Disaster strikes when a mission goes wrong and several members, including her lover Chief Farrell are lost in dinoland. All of a sudden she’s out of a job and thinks her lover is dead. A few months later she finds herself in pain so off she heads to the clinic and oh wait she’s having a miscarriage. Very rushed right? 

The miscarriage part of the novel did nothing to advance the story or the characters and the way it was handled was so casual and off-hand that it really disturbed me. This is a subject that should be handled with care and not just thrown in as a random plot twist. If that wasn’t bad enough, when Chief Farrell finds out she was pregnant and lost the baby he instantly accuses her of cheating and trying to pass the baby off as his. Later on he apologises and she shockingly takes him back! No self-respecting woman would tolerate that kind of behaviour. She had just risked life and limb heading back in time to save him, why would she do that if she never loved him and was cheating on him?

The plot felt jarring and a lot of it felt cobbled together with no real structure. Suddenly characters carry out an action or say things that are completely out of keeping with their behaviour until that point! Personally, I found this book a bit triggering and nearly put it down. I loved the idea of it and I’m hoping subsequent books are better, but for now I’m not sure I’ll continue the series. It's always an alarm bell when the most believable part of a time travel novel is the time travel itself. 

Have you read this book? What did you think? Let me know in the comments below if you’ve read any disappointing books lately :-)

xoxo

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Flower design credit here! 

Series I Absolutely Need To Finish This Year

Hello everyone! 

Who am I? I've been posting so much recently that I bet you're wondering if I've secretly been replaced by an alien. I have been on such a blogging kick so here's hoping it'll carry on all through the year. *Shrugs*. We'll see...

One of my resolutions for this year is to finish at least 5 series I have already started. I am awful at getting stuck into series and then getting bogged down by other series. It's a vicious spiral. I end up not knowing what to read next and getting overwhelmed by choices. Aaaannnnddd voila, the reading slump! You feeling stressed yet? I sure am! 

Fingers crossed if I make a list of 5 series then I'll manage to stick to it and finish that resolution fairly easily :-) 

The first series I want to finish is the Shades of Magic series by V. E. Schwab. I read the first two books last year and really enjoyed the world building. I liked the characters so much that I even named on our kittens Kell! This series follows Kell and Lila as they fight for survival across the four worlds and the four Londons. Each London is deadly in its own way with Black London being the worst. The second book ended on a huge cliffhanger and I swore I would pick up the third book straight away, but instead it has been sat on my shelf gathering dust for the last 6 months! 

This next one should be fairly easy, *she prays*. Katherine Arden's Bear and the Nightingale blew me away last year and the sequel just took it to a whole new level of brilliant. The third, and final book Winter of the Witch came out yesterday so I raced off to pick up my pre-ordered copy. It is the next book I'm picking up as I am really feeling the wintry Russian vibes!

Finale by Stephanie Garber is a final book on a lot of people's lists this year. Sadly we do have to wait a few months before this final follow-up in the whimsical Caraval series is released. This series features circus like magic, plot-twists, gorgeous love interests and some serious darkness. If that doesn't sell it to you then I don't know what will. 

I have been reading Rachel Caine's Great Library series since it first came out, which has made the wait for the final book agonising. This series follows a group of young students as they become ever more entangled in the dark web of the library of Alexandria. For centuries the library has been the highest power in the world, but now it is falling to corruption and fanaticism. Jess and his friends are trying to change that. Sword and Pen comes out later this year and I can guarantee I will be reading it as soon as it comes out! 

If anyone knows the artist for this please give them credit, because it is amazing :-) 

So this one may be a cheat because technically the series isn't really finished as more books are coming, but I have 5 books to catch up on so I'm including it to the challenge. That's right, I'm talking about the Shadowhunters series by Cassandra Clare. I still have The Dark Artifices to read, The Bane Chronicles and Tales From the Shadowhunter academy to catch up! 

What series are you planning on wrapping up this year? Let me know in the comments below :-) 

xoxo

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January 2019 TBR

Hello everyone,

Happy New Year! I hope you have all recovered from the celebrations and are basking in all the hope of a new year before the dullness of January really starts. I always find January the hardest month of the year, it seems to drag by and just be dreary and cold without all the jolly festive cheer of December. To cheer myself up i’m planning on reading some amazing books this month!

The first one I need to prioritise is Just One Damned Thing After Another by Jodi Taylor. I’m doing this as a buddy read with my friend Jonny over at Jonnyslibrary. We have both had this book sitting on our tbr shelves for a while and as this is the year of the tbr takedown we decided to join forces for this one! This book follows a group of time travelling historians as they try to document history, but instead cataclysmiacally alter events that could threaten the very fabric of time itself. So dramatic! I’m all for time travel and sci-fi so I can’t wait to get lost in this one.

I’m hoping to carry on my Sebastien de Castell binge by reading Charmcaster, the third book in the Spellslinger series. I adore this series and it sweeps me off my feet every time. The last book had me startling Mr. Gingersnap out of his chair as I laughed raucously for whole pages at a time. The third book features Ferius and Kellen as they follow the Shadowblack epidemic further into hostile territory. When you pick up these books think of them as a cocktail of the Wild Wild West, magic and sarcasm!

Next on my list is The Bane Chronicles by Cassandra Clare. Magnus is one of my favourite characters of all time. I love his flamboyancy and care-free attitude combined with his deadly seriousness if his loved ones are threatened. I am very excited to read this set of short stories about his life as it will help me understand him so much better ready for the imminent release of The Red Scrolls Of Magic later this year.

Photo from Penguin

My final book of the month is the much anticipated Winter Of The Witch by Katherine Arden. Now if you read my most anticipated released of 2019 post you will know this was right at the top of the list. This is the third, and final book, in this amazing series set in ancient Russia. It has strong feminist elements and features a truly fantastic range of characters. The Russian folk-lore is fascinating and really adds depth to the story. I am super excited to see where this story goes! 

I may add a couple of books to the list as I finish these ones, but for now that's it! What do you plan to read this month? Let me know in the comments below :-) 

xoxo

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2018 Reading Wrap-Up

Hello everyone!

It's the last day of 2018 and wow is it a grey day! I was hoping for a sunny, wintry day where I could reflect on all my resolutions for next year, but no we have a cloudy, dull and dark day where it's not even that cold. *Sigh* The UK winter is a bit disappointing so far. I do love a crisp winter! 

It's the time of year for wrap-ups so today I wanted to do a review of my resolutions and goals for 2018. I always start the year with grand plans, then I inevitably fall short. Let's see how I did :-) 

2018 Reading Goals: 

1. Only achievable challenges ✓ I only did Mr. GingerSnap's challenge so this was easy! 

1. Read 5 big books ✓ Yes! I did so well at this challenge, I read waaaay more than 5 books.

1. Over 10 Penguin English Library titles ✗ Failed utterly at this, I think I read 6...

1. Finish Sherlock Holmes ✗ Again, totally failed this one. I read no Sherlock this year.

1. 5 books by new authors ✓ Yes! Smashed this one.

Mr. GingerSnap Challenge: 

My partner, Mr. GingerSnap loves to set me a good reading challenge and this year he set me 120 books to read! I actually managed to top this at 121 books so I feel very proud of myself. Especially as my Goodreads goal was only 60 books. 

Top 5 Books: 

Okay guys, these won't be in order because it was tough enough picking just 5, so bask in that moment and if you want a top 1 - Forget It!! 

• Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare 
• The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden 
• Spellslinger by Sebastien de Castell 
• Caraval by Stephanie Garber 
• The Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock by Imogen Hermes Gowar 

2019 Reading Goals:

1. Finish 5 book series I've already started 
2. Read more Brandon Sanderson 
3. Read 5 books over 700 pages 
4. Complete a 60 books Goodreads challenge 
5. Finally read Emma by Jane Austen 

Mr. GingerSnap Challenge:

Mr. GingerSnap is setting me a devilishly difficult challenge for next year. He has challenged me to clear my 35 book TBR with the only new books purchased being important new releases I want to blog about! Wish me luck guys, I'm going to need it :-) 

How did you get on with your reading goals this year? Got any good resolutions? Let me know your highlights in the comments below :-)

xoxo

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Credit to flower divider here! 

Worst Books Of 2018

Hello everyone! 

I hope you are all enjoying a lovely relaxing Sunday surrounded by books, I certainly am. Everyone else is hungover and tired from a party last night and here I am blogging away fresh as a daisy :-) Perks of not drinking right! 

As we head towards the end of the year we all start to get very reflective and decide which books we loved and which ones we didn't enjoy so I thought I'd hop on that bandwagon today. 2018 has been a pretty good reading year for me so writing this post was really hard! I'm always such a soft touch and end up rating books quite high. Usually if it's a 5 star I loved it, 4 stars I enjoyed it, 3 it was okay, 2 I didn't like it and 1 I hated it! 

I didn't actually read any books I didn't like or hate this year as I tend to stick to books I know I'll most likely enjoy, so all my low books this year are 3 star reads :-) 

My least favourite five are:

• Shadowsong by S. Jae Jones - disappointingly average after a really good first book
• The Truth and Lies of Ella Black by Emily Barr - a little waffly and far-fetched
• Turtles All the Way Down by John Green - a bit too quirky for me! 
• Matilda by Mary Shelley - dark and disturbing, but not as good as anticipated 
• The Surface Breaks by Louise O'Neill - over-hyped so I expected better, so this one may be on me! 

I was really disappointed by these books as I really wanted to love them! I'm hoping next year the books I'm excited about will live up to the hype :-) 

What books were you disappointed by this year? Let me know in the comments below! 

xoxo

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Christmas Book Haul

Hello everyone! 

Merry Christmas to all of those who celebrate and happy holidays! I hope you have all eaten lots of delicious food and are now in a food-coma debating whether one more mince pie will actually kill you. Whenever I reach that food coma stage I like to distract myself with a good book. This year, what with all the different family gatherings, I haven't been able to get stuck into my Christmas books yet! 

I'm sure I will be back in the reading swing soon, especially as I only have one last book to finish and then I will have reached my reading goal of 120 books. That's right y'all I'm on the final book :-) *Applause* *Bows* *Gets back to typing*. 

As you have all probably received lots of lovely books for Christmas and I am a nosy parker and like to know what books people have got, I thought I would create a post for the other people like me! So without further ado let's get into my Christmas book haul and let me tell you I am one lucky girl :-) 

The wonderful Mr. GingerSnap spoiled me with three books this year. He picked up The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy by Douglas Adams, which shockingly I have never read or watched. This is a funny, deep space chunky novel which I cannot wait to get into!

He stumbled on volume 1 of Archie Comics when searching for Neil Gaiman and as I am a huge Riverdale fan he couldn't resist picking it up. I have been known to read the odd graphic novel and will definitely enjoy this classic all american comic. It'll be so fun to compare Archie, Jughead, Veronica and Betty in their original form to their on-screen counterparts. 

The final book is one I almost picked up for myself and am now so glad I didn't! We spotted Meddling Kids by Edgar Cantero whilst browsing the fantasy section of our local Waterstones and the blurb sounded so fun. It's an adult, semi-scary spoof of Scooby Doo, which for any 90's kid sounds like a dream come true. 

My lovely sister in law is one of my favourite people to talk books with and she has very similar tastes to me, so she got it spot-on with her gift. Many years ago I read The Mortal Engines series by Philip Reeve as they were released and fell in love with the world he created. The hype around those books has been huge this year as Peter Jackson turned his hand to the first book and created an amazing movie. Seriously guys, read the books and then go see the movie, you will not be disappointed! She very kindly gifted me The Illustrated World Of Mortal Engines, which is a stunning companion book to the series. 

The final book I was gifted is Becoming by Michelle Obama, a book by an amazing woman. My mother in law saw this and knew I would love to read it. Michelle Obama has had an incredible career and always looks so elegant, both in manner and dress. I can't wait to learn more about her life. 

What books did you guys get for Christmas? Let me know in the comments below :-) 

xoxo

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Books I Want To Finish In 2018

Hello everyone! 

I hope you are all feeling suitably festive in the lead up to Christmas! Mr. Gingersnap and I have been frantically wrapping presents and getting food ready, we feel completely taken by surprise this year. Since when did Christmas get so sneaky? I swear it was August 2 weeks ago :-) 

I finished my Goodreads challenge a while ago, but Mr. Gingersnap set me a different challenge too. He set me 120 books to read this year! Brutal, I know. By some miracle I've read 118 books so far and am currently in the middle of two more. I'd love to prove him wrong and finish this challenge so wish me luck guys! 

Finishing two books in the next 7 days doesn't sound too bad, but you have to factor in family Christmas, work on Christmas Eve and after Boxing Day aaaannnd the fact that we still have 3 kittens growing up in our house. Lots of work and so little reading time *sigh*. 

The first book I have left to finish is Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo. This is the sequel to Six Of Crows set in the GrishaVerse. I'm about three quarters of the way through this book and am reading it on audiobook so hopefully I can get some reading done while I'm preparing for Christmas! This book follows the dregs as they continue on their epic heist in Ketterdam. This book features magic, wit, dastardly deeds and heart-in-mouth action! 

The second book I'm still reading is A Torch Against The Night by Sabaa Tahir, the second book in the An Ember In The Ashes series. I am loving this book! I am just under halfway and cannot wait to binge read the rest one evening. Elias is one of my favourite male protagonists across all YA fantasy. This book also features magic :-P, starting to see a theme at all? This book follows Laia and Elias as they flee across the Empire racing the clock to free Laia's brother from the dangerous Martial prison, Kauf. 

I have a feeling Mr. Gingersnap is going to set me an even harder challenge next year, he was muttering about my ever growing TBR the other day. Lord help me if he sets me the challenge of reading it all before buying any more books! 

Who else has a few books left to finish their challenge? Let me know what your challenges were this year in the comments below :-) 

xoxo

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Anticipated Book Releases 2019

Hello everyone, 

I hope you are all well and feeling ready to welcome in the new year! In my opinion one of the most exciting things about a new year is the next round of new book releases. I have been keeping my beady eyes on my favourite author's websites and being a total nerd have compiled a list of my most anticipated released for 2019.

I have no photos of these books as they aren't out yet!

So have my weekend breakfast book instead :-) 

Now this is by no means exhaustive and these are all follow-ups to series I am already reading so take a peek and let me know if you think I have missed any out: 

1. The Winter of the Witch by Katherine Arden 
2. Finale by Stephanie Garber 
3. Beneath the Twisted Trees by Bradley Beaulieu 
4. King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo 
5. Sword and Pen by Rachel Caine 
6. Tunnel of Bones by Victoria Schwab
7. Chain of Gold by Cassandra Clare 
8. Queenslayer by Sebastien de Castell

I think that's all of them! Whew I have quite a few exciting books to wait for. I am very excited about finishing off Caraval and Winter of the Witch as I have been reading these series for quite some time, but over-all Beneath the Twisted Trees and Queenslayer are my most anticipated releases! I love these high fantasy series. Both Beaulieu and de Castell have fantastic narrative styles that keep you turning the pages long after the lights should have been switched off. If you are a fan of intrigue, sorcery and complex character relations then you should definitely check out these two series. 

What are you guys excited to read next year? Let me know in the comments below :-) 

xoxo

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December 2018 Book Haul

Hello everyone! 

Time for another monthly book haul, yes I know it is just before Christmas, but I'll probably check in with another haul then. Unfortunately I have been unwell for most of this month so far and have been off work recuperating. This has meant that I have had a lot of reading time as with doctors ordering me on strict rest I haven't been allowed to do much else. Anyone who knows me will understand how frustrating this is as I am usually a very active person! However, I have been able to live vicariously through my favourite book protagonists! 

I have picked up quite a few books this month so far, which is a tad naughty, but hey ho it's the time of year for indulgence! 

The first book I picked up was Lyra's Oxford by Philip Pullman. This book is a short story taking place after the events of His Dark Materials and follows Lyra on an adventure through Oxford after a mysterious witch's familiar appears in her room. I love this world and have been catching up on the short stories in preparation for reading The Book of Dust next year. 

The next two books come as a pair, as I picked up the first and second books in The No1 Ladies Detective Agency series by Alexander McCall Smith. I loved the TV series of these books when I was younger and always wanted to pick up these books. They are a wonderful series following Precious Ramotswe after she sets up her detective agency in Botswana. They are filled with intrigue, laughter and heart warming events. I love how easy to digest these books are and they have a real feel good vibe. 

This year I have fallen in love with Sebastien de Castell's writing style, having dived into Spellslinger after Mr. Gingersnap surprised me with it for my birthday. I have been working my way through his books and picked up the third in the series - Charmcaster. This author is one of the funniest writers I have read for a while and he genuinely makes me laugh out loud. This series follows Kellen, a sub-par spell-caster and his adventures with his squirrel cat companion. They are both sarcastic and deeply flawed characters, but it makes them feel so real! Pick up this series if you love the wild west, magic and rude jokes! 

Next I picked up A Torch Against The Night by Sabaa Tahir. I devoured An Ember In The Ashes last week and felt an overwhelming need to continue the series as soon as possible. As usual I am late to the party with these books, but at least I can binge the first 3 books without the agonising wait for the next instalments. These books follow Laia and Elias as they navigate the dangerous world of the Martial Empire and the down-trodden scholar race. This book has magic, brutality, political intrigue and jaw dropping plot twists. If you haven't read these yet, join me in my late reading! 

In honour of me going back to work this week I have downloaded my next audiobook Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo. I always listen to audiobooks on my drive to and from work as I spend about 10-12 hours each week driving and I don't want to waste this precious reading time! Six Of Crows follows the dregs, a group of criminal misfits as they take on an impossible heist. Six Of Crows was a gripping new take on the GrishaVerse and I absolutely loved it, so I cannot wait to dive into the next one. These audiobooks have multiple narrators so each character has a unique voice, I especially enjoy this aspect of the books as it makes the listening experience so much more enjoyable.

The final book I picked up was Just One Damned Thing After Another by Jodi Taylor. I have never heard of this book and know next to nothing about it. A bookseller in Waterstones recommended it to me as a new sci-fi series to read. She described it as "time travellers who make hilarious mistakes" and as "one for the Doctor Who lovers". That had me sold! 

Have you read any of these? What have you picked up this month? Let me know in the comments below :-) 

xoxo

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Book Series I Finished In 2018

Hello everyone! 

How are you all? We are rapidly heading towards the end of the year with only 16 days left before we welcome in 2019. We all know what the end of the year means for us readers, all the wrap-ups! So today I will be wrapping up all the series I actually managed to finish this year. 

As many of you will know I am a big series reader, I much prefer them to stand-alone books. In some ways this is great as it means I get to really immerse myself in a new world, but on the flip side it means I am in the middle of a lot of different series and can get quite bogged down and distracted. I decided this year I would try to finish as many series as I could :-) I'll list them in chronological order and talk about my favourites at the end! 

1.  The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare - 5 Stars 
2. The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare - 4.5 Stars 
3. Wintersong duology by S. Jae. Jones - 3.5 Stars 
4. The Illuminae Files by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman - 5 Stars 
5. Percy Jackson by Rick Riordan - 4 Stars 
6. Heroes of Olympus by Rick Riordan - 4 Stars 
7. Grisha Trilogy by Leigh Bardugo - 4.25 Stars 
8. The Old Kingdom by Garth Nix - 5 Stars

As you can see above I gave the series star ratings overall and hopefully most of you will agree with my ratings! I adored the Infernal Devices series by Cassandra Clare and actually preferred them to the Mortal Instruments. Infernal Devices puts a whole new spin on the Shadowhunter world, placing our main characters in Victorian London. Clare manages to weave such a narrative spell, balancing plot twists, engaging story and heart-wrenching character relationships! I would recommend these to anyone who loves fantasy. 

I listened to the Illuminae Files on audiobook as I had heard they were good and man were they! There was a different narrator for each character and there were all sorts of sound effects, which made the case file format of the story so easy to digest and stay connected to. These books are a triumph of deep space adventure, featuring criminal organisations, deadly viruses, exploding planets and really witty characters. These books are for lovers of Doctor Who! 

It goes without saying that Garth Nix's Old Kingdom series would be a 5 star series. I have been loving these books for years and finally got around to reading the short story collections which accompany the main book series. The series follows a range of characters fighting evil spirits in an almost medieval magic setting. Garth Nix has a fantastic narrative style and can draw in old and young readers with these books. I really hope he continues to write stories set in this world! 

As a parting note, I just want to give a little nod to the adorable Percy Jackson! I really enjoyed diving (see what I did there!) into his world and am quite excited to be including more Rick Riordan series on my lists for 2019. 

What series have you guys wrapped up this year? Let me know your reading plans in the comments below :-)

xoxo

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Mini August Book Haul

Hello everyone! 

It has been a very long time since I last did a book haul, which is such a shame because they are some of my favourite posts to read and write. Now, I was on a more or less successful book ban for quite some time so I ended up trickling books onto my shelves instead of actually going out and buying a whole bunch. Technically I am still on a book ban (my tbr is so beyond out of control that it is threatening to overtake me in height), but I was left unattended in the book shop on Saturday. Big mistake Mr. Gingersnap!! Of course this led to a bit of a splurge, but as far as hauls go this is a modest one :-) 

The first book I picked up was The Bane Chronicles by Cassandra Clare. I have been excited to read this one for ages as Magnus Bane is one of my all time favourite characters. As a bit of back-ground, for those who live under a rock, The Bane Chronicles is a series of 11 short stories following the warlock, Magnus Bane, throughout various anecdotes of his life. He has been alive for hundreds of years (I forget exactly how long) and so has had a wide range of wacky adventures. Magnus is a key character in Cassandra Clare's Shadowhunters series, following a group of warriors fighting demons to protect both the mundane and Downworld. Sounds pretty cool right? Magnus is one of the most flamboyant, extravagant and witty characters I have read and I can't wait to learn more about his past! 

The second book is actually an exception to the book ban rules. Three authors are exempt from the ban, they are Terry Pratchett, Tolkien and Neil Gaiman. I have been super into Neil Gaiman recently and absolutely love his short fiction so I picked up Smoke And Mirrors. Seriously, this cover is so gorgeous! I love the tree design on most of his books, and I actually found out the other day that if you put them all together they make a picture. Go on, try it! You know you want to! *Pictures readers frantically pulling Gaiman off their shelves*. Anyway, this set of short fiction sounds amazing. Neil's selections are always dark, gothic, sarky and eccentric so are perfect to be read as 1 story each day to add a little colour! This set varies between an old woman finding the Holy Grail under an old coat in a thrift shop, a boy under a bridge arguing with a troll and a stray cat locked in a fierce battle to protect his adoptive family. So excited to get into these! 

The third, and final book, is Hollow City by Ransom Riggs. I know, I know, why haven't I read this series yet? Well, I'm sorry, but I missed all the hype! I am planning to hop onto this bandwagon as soon as possible as I have heard rumour of a fourth book hitting shelves later in the year. Hollow City follows Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children after they have fled their safe haven to hopefully save themselves and others like them. Equipped with their unique powers and as much information as they can gather they must set out on a life or death quest. This book has magic, monsters and of course a cracking romance so it really is a must-read! 

What have you guys been picking up this month? Let me know in the comments below and I will be sure to update y'all soon on what I thought of these books! 

xoxo

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Book Shame - Series I Need to Finish

Hello everyone, 

So it may be August, but that has not stopped me from curling up in a blanket with hot chocolate and re-runs of Vampire Diaries while I write this post! I'm still deep in a book ban while I try to reduce my tbr pile from rivalling the Empire State building to maybe Eiffel Tower height. This ban has also served an unexpected purpose, it has revealed just how many book series I still need to finish. 

Instead of wallowing and hiding my shame in a box at the back of my wardrobe I thought I would share it with you here! That way all you other bookworms can sympathise and feel less lonely in your own shame. 

Now this is by no means an exhaustive list, but these are my priorities. 

1. Shades Of Magic by V. E. Schwab
I really can't explain why I haven't finished this series yet, I only have the last book left and it is an amazing series! It follows Kell as he travels between different worlds via their one common feature - London. Black London is rising from the dead and bringing with it a lethal form of dark magic, one that only Kell can fight. 
I seriously need to finish this series and as soon as I own the last book I will! 

2. The Gentlemen Bastards by Scott Lynch 
Again, another series I love. This one is high fantasy following Locke Lamora, infamous thief of Camorr as he and his friends get embroiled in the most intricate plot the city has ever seen. Any lovers of Robin Hood will adore this darker version and I am beyond excited to read the next one :-) 

3. Peter Grant by Ben Aaronovitch 
Okay, so I'm not sure this one even counts as I am currently reading book 2, but this series is too good not to be included. Now I love police stories and I love magic/fantasy so this book series about a division of the metropolitan police that deals with magic is so perfect! Every time I open these books I end up getting so sucked in that I can't put them down! 

4. Nevernight by Jay Kristoff
Now this one is a big source of shame... I feel like the world and his wife has read the first 2 instalments of this book and are eagerly awaiting book 3, all except me. I have tried reading Nevernight and just could not get past the first 100 pages. The narrator is just so irritating!! He keeps interrupting at exactly the most annoying moments, which I do get, he's trying to be Lemony Snicket, but he isn't and I just want him to stop and let me get on with the story!
I will try to pick this one up again, but I make no promises.

5. Song Of Shattered Sands by Bradley Beaulieu 
I pinky swear I will read this one because I am head over heels for this series! I have good reason for not reading it yet too! I am waiting to read it nearer the next book release so I don't have to wait so long. Ceda's fight to assassinate the 12 kings of Sharakhai has me completely spell-bound <3 

6. Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs 
Picture me blushing bright red with shame over this one. I feel like this series is an essential part of YA fantasy, but as usual I am late to the party and have only read book 1. I bought and read book 1 years ago, hoping it would be super dark and gothic. To be brutally honest, I was underwhelmed by this and felt it could have been waaaayyy scarier! 

7. Percy Jackson by Rick Riordan 
Guys I have no idea how I completely missed out on these books as a teen, I must have lived under a rock or been so far into the vampire/twilight phase that nothing without fangs penetrated my tunnel vision. Recently I have been playing binge catchup with these books and am now onto book 2 of the Heroes Of Olympus section, so I'm making good progress! I plan to continue onto the Kane books and then Magnus/Apollo so I can be all up to date :-) 

8. The Old Kingdom by Garth Nix 
I am so close to being done with this one!! I adore this series and have been dragging it out on purpose as I don't want to run out of story. I really hope Garth writes another book! The last one left for me to read is a set of short stories called Across The Wall and I'm hoping to get to it in the next couple of months :-)

What have you guys been reading? Any series you need to finish? Let me know in the comments below :-) 

xoxo

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Mid-Year Book Freak Out

Hello everyone! 

We have reached the middle portion of June which means the internet is being flooded with mid-year reading panic. June is the month to re-assess whether you set realistic reading goals for the year or not :-) So I am coming to you today to update y'all on how my reading is coming along. 

So for those of you who didn't read back in January or who missed my resolutions post, I set myself the following goals. 

• Read at least 10 books from the Penguin English Library list 
• Read at least 5 books over 700 pages 
• Read at least 5 books by authors I've never read before 
• Read all of the Sherlock Holmes books by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle 

Not too ambitious as you can see! I think the hardest one to complete will probably be the Sherlock Holmes goal, as there are so many of those. I have a big, hardback bind-up of these and it is over 1000 pages of thin, tall paper with teeny tiny writing! 

I'm actually doing really well with these goals, and am well on my way to completing three of them. So far I have read: 

• 6/10 Penguin English Library books 

Star rating top to bottom: 3, 5, 5, 5, 5, 4

• 2/5 big books (apologies for the lack of actual photos, we're moving house so most books are packed away right now! :-( ) 

 5 stars 

5 stars 

• 5/5 new authors 

4 stars 

 3 stars

5 stars 

 5 stars

5 stars

• I'm 51% through the complete Sherlock Holmes according to GoodReads! 

Now Goodreads is a whole other story! I set myself the goal of 60 books this year and I am absolutely smashing it with 45 books read so far :-) 

I'm hoping to race through loads more Sherlock Holmes when it gets to autumn as these are such autumnal/winter stories to read, I just don't feel like diving into them in the summer. Plus it will count as one of the over 700 page books. To finish off the 700 page challenge I'm planning to read The Woman In White by Wilkie Collins (a PEL!!) and Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens (also a PEL, hell yeah!!). Wish me luck with reading my goals guys! 

How are you guys getting on with your reading goals? Let me know in the comments below :-) 

xoxo

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