On My Radar | January 2024

What better time to get back in to book blogging then a brand new year? Here's all the books being released in January that have me excited to get back in to reading!

Top Ten Tuesday | Book Covers That Are Pure Summer Vibes

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature that highlights ten books that all relate to a certain topic and is  hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. 

This Weeks Topic Is...

So it's actually bookish wishes but that's not really one that I participate in so I just decided to do last weeks prompt instead and round up some 2023 book covers that are giving me major summer vibes. When I think of summer reading there's always bright colours (lots of yellow/pink/orange) and it's pretty much all contemporaries as well.    

Sunday Post | 11/06/2023

 

The Sunday Post is a blog news meme hosted @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on your blog for the week ahead. Join in weekly, bi-weekly or for a monthly wrap up. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme.

It's been a hot minute since I posted anything on here as life just didn't leave a lot of space for blogging over the last few months but I had a sudden spur of motivation to queue up a few posts for this week. My life has revolved around coming to the end of my apprenticeship which should be completed later this month or early July. I'm incredibly anxious about it as it involves a 90 minute discussion about everything I've been learning over the past year and I have a lot of anxiety about talking to people I don't know. I'm just gonna take it one step at a time though and remind myself that I can do it.

Otherwise, I've just been enjoying reading especially as the weather has been so lovely the last few weeks here in the UK so I've been sat out in the garden with a book and a cold drink. Bliss!

Reading The Simple Things magazine in the garden; My dad has been growing strawberries and they were delicious; We took my niece to the see the new Little Mermaid and loved it! 

I'm currently reading:

★ Pizza Girl by Jean Kyoung Frazier - this isn't a very long book but it's the one that I only read when I get a chance as it's on Scribd so it's taking me longer than it should really. I'm enjoying it though and I'm hoping to finish it this week. A pregnant pizza delivery girl becomes obsessed with an older woman, loving the writing style.   

★ Just Haven't Met You Yet by Sophie Cousens, my current kindle read is a romance about a woman who takes someone else's suitcase by mistake and is convinced the owner is her soulmate. Only a couple of chapters in but it's exactly the light-hearted book I was in the mood for. 

★ The Princess Bride by William Goldsmith, only started this one today and it's already different to what I thought it was going to be. I haven't seen the film but I'm familiar with some elements of it and I was surprised how the book begins. Only 60 pages in so plenty of time to grow on me.

I'm currently catching up on Ted Lasso season 3 and I'm not ready for it to be over. This is such a comfort show and I love the characters so much! I'm on episode 7 of 12 so got a few to go until I'm finished. 

I also went to see the new Spiderman: Across the Spiderverse on Monday. Absolutely loved it although it was quite late so I was extremely tired! So beautifully animated and I loved all the different art styles for the different variations of Spiderman. Glad that the next film is out in 2024 so it's not too long to wait.   

I've been preparing for summer with lots of upbeat pop on my on repeat playlist especially the Jonas Brother's new album, so catchy and fun! 

Let me know what you've been up to this week with a comment, whether it's reading, watching or just life, I'd love to know! Happy Reading!  

On My Radar | May 2023

 

May looks like it's going to be a great publishing month! I've got 20 books on my list and I could've easily added more! 

Stacking the Shelves | February 2023

Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews and Reading Reality that highlights all the books you've recently added to your shelves. Here's all the books I hauled in February! 

On My Radar | March 2023

 

New month, new books and March has tons of releases I'm interested in!

Top Ten Tuesday | Favourite Romantic Quotes

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature that highlights ten books that all relate to a certain topic and is  hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. 

This Weeks Topic Is...

Valentine's Day freebie! I decided to take the easy route and highlight some of my favourite romantic passages and quotes!

💕 “He's more myself than I am. Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same.” - Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

💓 “Once upon a time there was a boy who loved a girl, and her laughter was a question he wanted to spend his whole life answering.” - The History of Love by Nicole Krauss

💖 “For the two of us, home isn't a place. It is a person. And we are finally home.” - Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

💗 “Well, it seems to me that the best relationships - the ones that last - are frequently the ones that are rooted in friendship. You know, one day you look at the person and you see something more than you did the night before. Like a switch has been flicked somewhere. And the person who was just a friend is... suddenly the only person you can ever imagine yourself with.” - Dana Scully, The X Files

💞 “In the darkness, two shadows, reaching through the hopeless, heavy dusk. Their hands meet, and light spills in a flood like a hundred golden urns pouring out of the sun.” - The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

💕 “I've never had a moment's doubt. I love you. I believe in you completely. You are my dearest one. My reason for life." - Atonement by Ian McEwan

💓 “You know, when it works, love is pretty amazing. It's not overrated. There's a reason for all those songs.” - This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen

💖 “To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance.” - Oscar Wilde

💗  “I fell in love with him. But I don't just stay with him by default as if there's no one else available to me. I stay with him because I choose to, every day that I wake up, every day that we fight or lie to each other or disappoint each other. I choose him over and over again, and he chooses me.” - Allegiant by Veronica Roth

💞 “If there ever comes a day when we can't be together, keep me in your heart. I'll stay there forever.” - A.A. Milne 

What are some of your favourite romantic quotes? Leave a comment or link your own Top Ten Tuesday's for me to check out! Happy Reading!

Sunday Post | 12/02/2023

The Sunday Post is a blog news meme hosted @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on your blog for the week ahead. Join in weekly, bi-weekly or for a monthly wrap up. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme.

Yesterday was the four year anniversary of my Mum's passing so me and my siblings went for some lunch and then for a drink at the pub across the road to toast her. It's a difficult day but it helped being with my brothers and sister, getting to talk and spend some time together as we're always so busy these days. The food at the café was delicious though, I got a hot chocolate with everything and a BLT with fries. I also couldn't resist getting a massive slice of the lemon meringue cake to take home.   

I've been struggling with college work lately and had a full blown anxiety attack on Tuesday in front of my tutor. I think all my stress and emotion just reared it's head, embarrassing but we talked and I know that I need to get myself on track if I want to qualify. She's coming out again this week so hopefully we'll have a more productive session. 

  

 I'm currently reading:

★ The Gone & the Forgotten by Clare Whitfield, a 90's set coming of age/mystery about a 16 year old girl who travels to a remote Scottish Isle for the summer and discovers some hidden family secrets that turn her world upside down. Almost finished - 7% to go! 

★ The Extraordinary Adventures of Alice Tonks by Emily Kenny, a middle grade set in a boarding school, where a young autistic girl called Alice discovers she can talk to animals and must solve the mystery of different animals disappearing. Only a couple of chapters in but enjoying it so far.     

★ The Last to Vanish by Megan Miranda which is a thriller about a journalist going missing in a resort town and the manager of the local inn who finds herself involved with the investigation. Just started!

   
Still working my way through ER. On to episode 7 of the fifth season and loving the new character of Lucy Knight! 

I've also jumped back into Shetland recently after a bit of a pause. I've finished series 3 and just started series 4. If you're not familiar with this show, it's a police procedural that investigates murders occurring on the Shetland Islands in Scotland. Gritty but really engrossing and well acted.     

Currently obsessed with this song by JC Stewart, particularly this stripped back version on Spotify. 

• On My Radar (March)

• TTT - Valentines edition

• WWW Wednesday

• Five Survive by Holly Jackson (Review)

Let me know what you've been up to this week with a comment, whether it's reading, watching or just life, I'd love to know! Happy Reading!  

New Year's Book Tag | 2023

Happy New Year everyone, let's try this blogging malarkey again, shall we? I took a two month break to recharge and decide if I even wanted to continue blogging but obviously the new year has hit me with some motivation to continue. This was of course found on The Book Dutchesses although I'm not too sure on who created it.   

1. How many books are you planning to read in 2023?

Doing the same thing as last year and upping my goal by five for a total of 70 books. I managed 80 again this year including a few slumpy spells so I'm hopeful I can achieve this. 

2. Name 4 books that you didn’t get to this past year but want to make a priority in 2023.

Riight, so I didn't actually read any of the books that I included in this section last year...

I brought it down to four books though and two of them are already on my January TBR so who knows, maybe these will actually get read! 

• Illuminae by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff
• Howards End by E.M. Forster 
• Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin 
• The Hand on the Wall (Truly Devious #3) by Maureen Johnson

   

3. What genre do you want to read more of?

Same as last year, I would like to read some more non-fiction and classics. Also, I'm eager to enter my romance era and I do have kindle unlimited so watch this space... 

4. Name 3 not-related-to-book goals for 2023.

1. I really feel like I didn't accomplish anything last year cause again, restarting running is a top priority which didn't happen in 2022. I think because the last time I did it, I ended up being sick the entire rest of the night and that's put me off a bit. 

2. Start saving! I'm finally finishing my apprenticeship and moving up to full wage which is practically double what I'm on now so I can finally start adding into my savings fund regularly. I'm also planning on creating a Christmas fund to add to every month so I'm not panicking at the sheer cost of everything come November!

3. Use my library more. My closest library closed in October and I was really sad about it so I want to try and make regular trips to the main one in my area as often as I can this year cause the library is such a overlooked resource for many and I don't want to see them all being shut down. 

5. What’s a book you have had forever and are determined to read?

I can't even remember how long I've had this book or even what it's actually about but I know it's a contender for book I've owned the longest. I was watching a book unhaul a few days ago and this book popped up which is why I've been reminded that I own it so When God Was a Rabbit by Sarah Winman will hopefully get read this year. 

6. One word that you’re hoping 2023 will be.

Fulfilling!

Have you done the New Year's Book Tag? What were your answers? Leave a link to your post/video in the comments for me to check out! Happy Reading!