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

P.S. Follow my Facebook here! 

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

P.S. Follow my Facebook here! 

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

P.S. Follow my Facebook here! 

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

P.S. Follow my Facebook here! 

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

P.S. Follow my Facebook here!

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

P.S. Follow my Facebook here! 

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

P.s. Follow my Facebook here.