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!

Mid Year Book Freak Out Tag 2022

I'm  a tad late getting this tag out but this is such a fun one to do and I loved doing it last year! I've read 43 books so far this year so let's find out which were my favourites.   

New Year’s Book Tag | 2021

Happy New Year everyone, let's hope 2022 has better things in store! It's been a good while since I did a book tag but I spotted this one whilst blog hopping and thought what better way to ring in the new year? This was of course found on The Book Dutchesses although I'm not too sure on who created it. 

Bookish Buzzwords Tag

I feel like I haven't done a tag in forever so I thought it was about time I did one. This one is all about buzzwords and books that tick different boxes and was originally created by LizziefayeLovesBooks. As usual I found this tag on The Book Dutchesses aka the best place to find all sorts of tags!  

YOUR GO-TO GENRE OR FAVORITE TYPE OF BOOK

I've found myself really enjoying mysteries and thrillers over the last few months. It's all I'm kind of wanting to pick up, I just find them so exciting and twisty. My favourite type of books are always the ones that happily surprise you. I was always a contemporary girl throughout my teenage years but as I'm getting older I'm finding myself reading that genre less and less. 

RETELLINGS YOU ARE DRAWN TO

I love any kind of fairy tale retelling, the darker the better. When an author can take such a beloved and well known story and then create something magical and original with it then I know they're one to watch. I am so excited to read my ARC of Midnight in Everwood next month as it's a retelling of The Nutcracker and it looks gorgeously atmospheric and enchanting.   

LIFESTYLES OR CAREERS OF THE BOOK CHARACTERS

I don't think I really have a preference for this one. I do enjoy it when a books main character has a slightly quirky or unusual job that you don't see very often as that can add heaps of fun to the plot. Off the top of my head I always like reading about amateur detectives like Miss Marple so maybe I'd go with that. 

PLACES OR SETTINGS YOU ARE DRAWN TO

If a book is set in a boarding school, a haunted house, a circus or fairground or in a small town community then I'm all over it. Something about these settings always draws me in and can get me reading a book even if I don't know anything else about it. Probably a major reason why I can't wait to pick up A Lesson in Vengeance by Victoria Lee cause I love me some dark academia vibes.  

RELATIONSHIPS YOU ENJOY READING ABOUT

Not sure I have a preference for this one either. I am quite drawn to sisterly relationships though especially when they're fairly complicated and don't always see eye to eye. I recently read My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite and I really enjoyed the examination of these two different sisters and how they contrasted each other. 

BUZZWORDS IN THE TITLE OF THE BOOK

I seem to really like books that have numbers or times of the day/seasons like midnight or winter for some reason. I also seem to gravitate to anything that has a magical sounding title (Cinders & Sparrows, The Forest of Stars)  or something that gives off creepy/haunting vibes (Wild & Wicked Things, All the Murmuring Bones) from the title alone.    

THINGS ON BOOK COVERS THAT DRAW YOU IN

   

For me it doesn't get better then a stunning illustrated book cover. I've never liked covers that feature actual people or scenery, they've just never been my thing. I love it when you can look at a book and see all the different elements that make up the story drawn on the front. I mean how gorgeous is the cover for The Poppy and the Rose by Ashlee Cowles?   

NONFICTION BUZZWORDS OR A NONFICTION YOU ARE DRAWN TO

I don't read a ton of non-fiction, although I'm trying to read more, so there isn't any particular words I'm drawn to but I'd say that the majority of what I do read tends to be true crime and mystery focused as I always find it fascinating to read about these cases and how well researched and presented they are. I'll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara about the hunt for The Golden State Killer is at the top of my list currently.  

MEDICAL OR PHYSICAL CONDITIONS OF CHARACTERS

I'm really not fussy to be honest, mental health and disabilities has always been something I enjoy reading about in books particularly if it's a condition I'm not overly familiar with. More recently though I've been drawn to books that handle grief and depression as that's something that I've grappled with for a few years. For that reason We Are Okay by Nina LaCour is a book I desperately want to pick up.  

TIME OF YEAR, OR TIME IN HISTORY OR FUTURE THAT YOU ARE DRAWN TO

Books set during the 60s/70s/80s is a favourite time period for me. Something about those decades will get me adding that book to my TBR cause I think those are the most fun you can have when it comes pop culture and references. 80's horror books are a specific niche for me, None Shall Sleep by Ellie Marney sounds like my perfect book.  

BONUS #1:  ANY OTHER BOOKISH BOXES OR BUZZWORDS NOT ALREADY MENTIONED

Nope, I think we're good!

BONUS #2:  WHAT BOOKISH BOXES OR BUZZWORDS TURN YOU AWAY FROM A BOOK?

I'm not big into religious fiction, self-help books, regency romances, anything with a writhing couple of half naked bodies on the covers (😂) cause you can always tell what kind of books those are going to be! 

A super fun tag, if you do this one make sure you link me to your post in the comments so I can have a read! Happy Reading everyone! 

Mid Year Book Freak Out Tag 2021

I've seen a lot of people doing this tag, on blogs and booktube, for a couple of years now so I thought it was about time I tried it for myself. It's a nice way of looking back on all the books I've read so far and then panic about all the books that still need to be read!    

Best book you’ve read so far in 2021

I've actually only given out four five star ratings so far this year, clearly I'm picky as hell but I think Threadneedle by Cari Thomas just pips it. This was a stunning fantasy debut perfect for my witchy loving self with gorgeous writing and major The Craft vibes going on. I read an ARC of this and immediately after finishing ordered myself a physical copy! I'm now impatiently waiting for the sequel to arrive!

 

Best sequel you’ve read so far in 2021

  

Well this question has made me realise that I read a surprising lack of sequels. I'm much more of a standalone gal but I did read the Six of Crows duology a couple of months ago and Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo was a great end to that bunch of characters. I really fell in love with Kaz, Nina and crew and I'm hopeful we may get another book featuring them at some point in the future.  

 

New release you haven’t read yet but want to

I just bought True Crime Story by Joseph Knox a couple of days ago as I was so intrigued by this mystery novel that reads like a documentary. I love true crime therefore I think this could be a new favourite if other people's reviews are anything to go by. 

 

Most anticipated release for the second half of the year

  

I very rarely pre-order books but something about Little Thieves by Margaret Owen has me dying to get my hands on it. Maybe it's the fairytale vibes, it's a retelling of The Goose Girl, or the fact that it's about switched lives and wicked girls but October can not come soon enough!

 

Biggest disappointment

 

The Wolves of Mercy Falls series by Maggie Stiefvater as a whole was fine but Sinner, the sequel/spin-off book about Cole and Isabelle was so incredibly boring. The characters annoyed the fuck out of me and the writing style was terrible too. It was just completely unnecessary to the series in the end.

Biggest surprise

Junk by Melvin Burgess is being re-released for it's 25th anniversary and I snagged a Netgalley ARC just on a whim. This was such a well written book though that examines two teenagers experiencing homelessness and heroine addiction in the 90's. It felt very relevant to today and was just so heartbreaking and harrowing, a book that will stay with me. 

 

Favorite new author (debut or new to you)

 

I now own a few Matt Haig books but The Midnight Library was my introduction to his writing and it was such a beautiful and poignant book about regrets and about learning to live in the moments happening right now. I'm excited to dive into more by this author, both in his fiction and non-fiction. 

 

Newest fictional crush

I didn't fall in love with The Darkling in the books but Ben Barnes in the Netflix show was a moment! You know you shouldn't like him but that face and intense stare was doing things for me 😂

 

Newest favourite character

   

I really liked Angrboda from The Witch's Heart by Genevieve Gornichec, her character was so resilient and fierce. A force to be reckoned with when it came to protecting her children and the sacrifices she ultimately makes broke my heart. The author did a brilliant job of taking a lesser known figure in Norse mythology and fleshing her out. 

 

A book that made you cry

Even though I read The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab at the beginning of the year I still think about it regularly for the emotions it brought out of me. I didn't cry but I was definitely close! This book packs an emotional punch and these characters are so well developed that the ending practically destroyed me. It's still on par for favourite book of the year!

 

A book that made you happy

If you love cozy mysteries packed with excellent British humour then look no further then The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman. I adored this smart, witty book that takes place in a retirement village as four senior citizens investigate a series of murders that have occured in their community. It's a lot of fun and the characters are just brilliant. Can't wait for the next book.

The most beautiful book you’ve bought (or received) this year

The original cover of The Ones We're Meant to Find by Joan He is beautiful but the Owlcrate edition I got last month is completely stunning and I love the purple and pink tones they've used. It's a gorgeous cover and definitely one of my favourite of the year so far. 

 

What books do you need to read by the end of the year

Too many to list but I'm doing well regarding my Goodreads challenge: 41/60 books already meaning I'm 12 books ahead of schedule! I don't have any specific books in mind yet but it would be nice to make a dent in my Netgalley ARC's as well as some of the books I've owned the longest!

 

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

Reading Habits Book Tag

I realised I haven't done a book tag since Christmas and then I saw someone had done it on my Twitter timeline although I can't remember who it was, sorry 😬 This tag was created by TheBookJazz but I took the questions from Jenniely's blog.  

1. Do you have a certain place at home for reading?

I mostly tend to read in my bed as I find that the most comfortable place in my house. I like being in my cosy room surrounded by books and all my things. My dream is to have a proper reading room some day with a big, squashy armchair to relax in.

2. Bookmark or random piece of paper?

Bookmark every day of the week! I have a wide selection so I'm never worried that I'll run out of them anytime soon. If I happen to be somewhere that I don't have access to a bookmark then I probably would just use a random receipt or something I found in my bag.

 

3. Can you just stop reading or do you have to stop after a chapter/ a certain amount of pages?

I'm definitely one of those people that has to get to the end of a chapter or at least to a significant break in the text before I can stop. I'd find myself getting muddled about what exactly is happening if I didn't. There's chapters for a reason people!

 

4. Do you eat or drink while reading?

I always try and have something to drink whilst reading as it can be thirsty work! Snacks aren't a requirement really but occasionally I'll have a few biscuits or crackers on hand.

 

5. Multitasking: Music or TV while reading?

I'll listen to music when I'm in the mood for it but it has to be instrumental pieces/scores with no lyrics. Books and tv at the same time is a big no, far too distracting!

 

6. One book at a time or several at once?

I try and only read one physical book and one ebook at a time, sometimes another one will sneak in there if I need to get it read but when that happens I'll usually put the first book down for a while until I finish the second. I find it too confusing to read a lot of books at the same time and I wouldn't want to get them all mixed up.

 

7. Reading at home or everywhere?

Because of this pandemic I've only been reading at home but usually I will take a book with me anywhere, particularly on trains. I really enjoy reading on trains a lot! I'll whip out an ebook if I know I only have ten minutes or something and audiobooks are great for long journeys.

 

8. Reading out loud or silently in your head?

I'll hold my hands up and admit that I used to be one of those people who muttered slightly under their breath when I read (I did it without realising) but after someone pointed it out I now do it silently in my head quite consciously.

 

9. Do you read ahead or even skip pages?

Absolutely not! Why would you want to spoilt it for yourself??

10. Breaking the spine or keeping it like new?

I don't crack the spine on purpose but if I do it's not the end of the world, it's just a sign of a well read book in my opinion. 

11. Do you write in your books?

Other people make it look so pretty when they annotate books but I know that if I attempted it it would look a huge mess and I would basically ruin the book!

 

Readabits Questions

1. When do you find yourself reading?

Usually in the evenings is when I have the most motivation to read but it depends on whether the book is really gripping and I just want to find any opportunity to pick it up.   

2. What is your best setting to read in?

The ideal setting would be a comfy couch covered in soft blankets and cushions with a mug of hot chocolate at hand and a roaring fire in the background 😊  

3. What do you do first – Read or Watch?

I much prefer reading the source material first unless I'm really not bothered about the book or the film/tv series ends up being completely different anyway. 

 

4. What form do you prefer? Audiobook, E-book or physical book?

Physical books are my go to, there's nothing like having a brand new book in your hands. Audiobooks and ebooks are good for convenience but nothing beats the real thing.  

5. Do you have a unique habit when you read?

Not really, I'm pretty standard. I do like to make sure I have extra support for my head when I'm sitting up in bed to read otherwise my neck will ache for days.

 

6. Do book series have to match?

I'd love to have all matching series but when you get a lot of your books secondhand it can be a challenge to get all the same editions cheaply. If i'm going to buy them full price then I would do my best to make sure they all match.

 

If you fancy giving this tag a go make sure to comment so I can check out your post! Happy Reading!

The Festive Christmas Book Tag

Merry Christmas everyone! I couldn't let December pass without doing a festive tag, could I? I really like the variety of questions in this one and It's a good excuse to talk about books some more! I spotted this tag on Jenniely's blog but it was originally created over on booktube by GirlReading. 

1. A fictional family you would like to spend Christmas dinner with?

My first thought was the Weasley's but I feel like that's an extremely popular answer and I wanted to go for something different. So my next choice would be the March family from Little Women. I think I could fit in perfectly with this family; Hannah's cooking would be devine, Beth could play the piano, Amy would probably moan about something!, Jo could perform one of her stories after dinner and then we could all go ice skating (Laurie included)! I wouldn't even mind giving away half of the food to the Hummels!

 

 

 

 2. A bookish item you would like to receive as a gift?

I've been debating about buying a book sleeve for a while now, I see so many pretty ones on Etsy and other websites but I'm a bit hesitant. I don't really know how much use I'd get out of it to be honest. If you have one, do you use yours a lot? I'd also really like to get a pin banner at some point as I've acquired a lot of enamel pins over the last few months and I need somewhere to display them.

 

3. A fictional character you think would make a perfect Christmas elf?

I think Paddington would be a terrific elf, if you're looking for a bit of chaos! He would be so optimistic and would always be there to lend a helping hand though. He may be a bit clumsy at times and there may be some mishaps along the way however he would definitely be raising everyones spirits throughout all the stress of Christmas. 

 

 

 

 4. Match a book to it’s perfect Christmas song.

I haven't read too many Christmas themed books and I found it difficult to match a Christmas song to just a normal book! I decided to go with Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan because although it's been a while since I read the book, I did recently just watch the Netflix Adaptation and it was so cute and festive. I'm going to match it with Christmas Without You by Ava Max which is a new favourite Christmas song. It's romantic and as the title suggests, the singer can't imagine Christmas without this certain someone and I think it relates a lot to Dash and Lily's relationship particularly as Dash is a reluctant Christmas lover and it was Lily that made him more appreciative of the holiday. 

 

5. Bah Humbug. A book or fictional character you’ve been disappointed in and should be put on the naughty list?

Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë was a big disappointment when I read it last year. I was so looking forward to this classic and it was the classic I was most excited to read. Unfortunately, it was just boring and confusing and I just didn't get a long with the characters at all. I found them all so frustrating. I did like the atmospheric setting but that couldn't really save it in the end so this book is going on the naughty list!

 

6. A book or a fictional character you think deserves more love and appreciation and deserve to be put on the nice list?

The Cogheart Adventures series by Peter Bunzl doesn't get as much hype as I believe it should. It's such a wonderful fantasy/sci-fi middle grade series that follows Lily, Robert and their mechanical fox Malkin on all sorts of crazy adventures. It's set in an alternate Victorian London and has lots of steampunk elements such as mechanical people, animals and clockwork hearts. The series has four books and after all of the madness I think Lily and Robert deserve a nice relaxed Christmas!

 

7. Red, Gold and Green. A book cover that has a wonderfully christmasy feel to it.

This isn't even a Christmasy book but for some reason when I first glanced at Pride and Premeditation by Tirzah Price it really gave me Christmas vibes. Probably due to the colours and the floral elements on it, it's a gorgeous cover as well so even though it's not Christmas based I definitely want to check it out when it's released next year.

 

8. A book or series you love so much, you want everyone to find under their Christmas tree this year so they can read it and love it too?

I've only read the first two books but the Winternight Trilogy by Katherine Arden is already a firm favourite and I can't wait to read the third book in January. This is the perfect set of books to read in the colder months and it incorporates Russian folklore with a strong female main character and plenty of magic. I adore it and even though it's a popular series, if you haven't read it yet, you should absolutely go out and pick yourself up some copies!

 

I really liked doing this tag, it's super festive and fun! I don't tag people but if you decided to do this tag please share in the comments so I can check it out! Happy Reading and Merry Christmas!

The Anti-TBR Tag

 

This is an original tag created by Nicole & Her Books over on booktube that I've seen a few people doing recently and I thought it would be fun to talk about some of the books I have no interest in reading or at least not reading any time soon.

1. A popular book EVERYONE loves that you have no interest in reading?

 

I've chosen Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey Mcquiston which I know is a super popular book in the book community. I have just no interest in it whatsoever. I think it's mostly due to the fact that I've figured out that I don't like contemporary books with alternate royal characters. I can deal with princes, princesses etc in fantasy and other genres but when it's set in our world and is supposed to be realistic, I just can't get behind it. I DNF'd American Royals for this reason and I can see myself disliking this book even more because Prince Henry is British and I know there's going to be things in there that are going to annoy me as a British person! I do want to try Casey Mcquiston though and her new book coming out next year sounds really cute.

 

2. A classic book (or author) you don’t have an interest in reading?

 

I actually really like reading classics so I kind of struggled with this one but Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad just sounds so boring and one I can see people just forcing themselves to read because they feel like they have to. From reading the synopsis as well, I just have no idea what this book is even about. If i'm struggling with the synopsis then I'm probably going to struggle with the book! Also, the cover of this edition is nightmare fuel. 

3. A problematic author whose books you have no interest in reading?

 

Colleen Hoover's books are some that I'm fairly certain I'll never pick up. Her books sound so cringey to me and I've heard some pretty bad things about them. You seem to either love her books or despise them and I feel like i'd fall into the latter category. I've heard that a lot of her books have controlling alpha males as the love interests and that they border on abusive at times. It's just a hard no from me. Also, I realise just how ironic it is that I chose Maybe, Someday to represent these books that I will never read! 😂

 

4. An author you have read a couple of books from & have decided their books are not for you?

 

I was going to choose John Green for this question but then I realised that I do still want to read Will Grayson, Will Grayson because I own it but after that I probably won't pick up anything else he puts out. I'd also probably mention Rainbow Rowell even though I've only read Fangirl because I just have no interest in supporting that author. I probably won't pick up anything else by J.K Rowling either for obvious reasons.

 

5. A genre you have no interest in OR a genre you tried to get into & couldn’t?

 

I don't really have much of an interest in reading any regency era historical romances. I'm already cringing at the covers and so I don't hold out much hope for the contents either. I am interested in watching the new Bridgerton series on Netflix which I know is a series of books but I don't know if I'm that bothered that I'd actually pick them up to read. I just know that I'm going to struggle with the pure romance but who knows, I may give it a shot one day just to say I tried it.     

6. A book you have bought but will never read? (this can be a book you have unhauled/returned to the library unread)

 

I bought Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell back when it first came out and it's still sitting on my shelf. Due to the controversy around it though, I'm not sure I'm ever going to read it. It's described as being really racist so there's my number one reason for not reading it but also a lot of people have said it's just not a good book in general so I will probably end up unhauling it soon. For different reasons I also have Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick on my shelf which I think was a gift but I've just heard a lot about how bad this series is and at this point angel romances just aren't my thing.

 

7. A series you have no interest in reading OR a series you started & have dnf’d?

 

I could answer American Royals by Katherine Mcgee for this question. I just found this book boring, there are four POV's but they all had pretty much the same storyline and I found most of the charcters super annoying as well. I also probably won't carry on with the Eve of Man series by Giovanna & Tom Fletcher because that was boring and cliche and just not for me.     

8. A new release you have no interest in reading?

 

 

I really struggled with this one because I don't like writing off books automatically without kind of giving them a shot first and especially with new releases for some reason. Because new releases don't have as many reviews and ratings yet, I just don't want to say I'll definitely never read them. Glitch Kingdom by Sheena Boekweg though popped up on a 2020 releases list and something about the cover automatically put me off  (which I know I shouldn't do but I just really don't like that cover) and the synopsis doesn't really do much for me so i'll more than likely never get to it.

 

I actually really enjoyed doing this tag although it's difficult when you're someone who pretty much reads everything! I don't tag people but if you do decide to do this tag, link it in the comments for me to check out! Happy Reading!