Sunday 31 January 2016

Wrap Up & Haul | January 2016

The first month of 2016 has been a strange one. It has seemed to both fly by and drag at the same time. The year hasn't gotten off to the best start in both my reading and blogging life and in my personal life. Both myself and my mum have been ill throughout the month which has resulted in a few sick days and a lot of time playing nurse. Unfortunately, we got some pretty bad news about my mums health a few days ago, which may result in this blog taking a bit of a back seat in the near future. For now though, I am hoping that February will at least be a better reading month.

My Life In January...
- I spent my New Year with some great friends and family.
- I finally submitted my application for my second university degree.
- My beautiful nephew was born, making me an auntie for the first time.
- I got my results for the semester of uni, which allowed me to leave a semester early.

Watched In January...
- How Did We End Up Here - 4/5
- Private Practice Season 1 (rewatch) - 4/5
- The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 - 5/5
- Private Practice Season 2 (rewatch) - 4/5
- Private Practice Season 3 (rewatch) - 3/5
- Private Practice Season 4 - 4/5
- Private Practice Season 5 - 4/5
- Private Practice Season 6 - 4/5
- The Other Woman - 3.5/5
- Into The Woods - 2.5/5

Read In January...

Ignite by Lily Paradis -
My first read of 2016, and only read of January, was a reread of one of my favourite books I read last year. I read Ignite for the first time on the plane to New York back in January of 2015 and I couldn't stop thinking about it for the whole trip. Rereading this book not only brought back great memories of New York, it made me fall in love with it all over again. I adore the characters and the story in general and I know it is one I will reread many more times. I rarely change my ratings after rereads but I couldn't resists giving this an extra star upon second reading. I have a full rating of this which you can check out here. 5/5

Bought In January...

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Room by Emma Donoghue -
I had no desire to read this book despite having heard great things, however I seen the movie trailer while at the cinema and it intrigued me. I decided that since the movie looked pretty good I should probably read the book before going to see it. I know very little about this book but I get the impression this is the kind of book that you should go into blind. This is one I'm very curious about.

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes - 
This is another one that has a movie adaptation releasing this year and the fact that it is staring Sam Claflin is the main reason I want to read this book. I have heard great things about this, and did try to listen to it on audiobook a little while ago but didn't enjoy the narration. This is another I know little about but I believe from what I have heard it is a very inspirational, heart-warming story.

Love Is The Higher Law by David Levithan -
This is probably the book from this month that I am the most looking forward to reading. I have been wanting to read this for so long, even more so after my visit to Ground Zero in January of last year. This book is based around the events of 9/11 and follows three characters whose lives become connected through the tragedy. This is only around 180 pages, which is much shorter than I expected, so should be a quick read.

Side Effects May Vary by Julie Murphy -
This is another book I have been wanting to read for a while now. I think this is such a unique story and have heard some great things about it. It follow a girl who is diagnosed with leukaemia so makes a revenge centred bucket-list, only to go into remission and have to deal with the consequences of her actions. This just sounds like such an interesting idea so I am intrigued by it.

Blogged In January...
- I wrapped up the month of December.
- I wrapped up my 2015 and shared my years stats.
- I shared the books I got for Christmas in my December haul.
- I shared my favourites of the year, and more, in the End Of Year Book Survey.
- I wrapped up my 2015 reading challenges and shared my goals for 2016.

That is how I started off my 2016. Hopefully the rest of the year will improve, both in terms of reading/blogging and in my personal life.

How did your reading year start off?

Sophie :)

Friday 15 January 2016

Reading Challenges | 2015 Wrap Up & 2016 Goals

So I pretty much failed with reading in general for the last half of 2015, but after a pretty good start to the year I don't think I have done too badly. However, hopefully I will be a bit more successful this year.

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Goodreads Challenge - 50 Books
I challenged myself to read 50 books in 2015, having read 40 in 2014, and despite Goodreads only counting 49, I am going to class this as a success. I did technically read 50 books, although one of my rereads (Twilight) Goodreads did not count.
Success - 50/50

Ebook Reading Challenge - Level 2: Bytes - 10 Books
This was hosted by Annette at Annette's Book Spot and I actually really enjoyed taking part in this challenge as it definitely encouraged me to read more ebooks. I actually managed to read 10 books, meeting my goal.
Success - 10/10

Books Read:
1. Ignite by Lily Paradis
2. Can't Let You Go by Jenny B Jones
3. Lost & Found by Nicole Williams
4. Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult
5. The Queen (The Selection #0.4) by Kiera Cass
6. Make It Count by Megan Erickson
7. The Distance Between Us by Kasie West
8. Alive Souls: Inception by Elena Yulkina
9. Cabin Fever by Mandy Smith
10. Confessions Of A New York Taxi Driver by Eugene Salomon

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TBR Pile Reading Challenge - 11-20: A Friendly Hug
I participated in this challenge, hosted by Evie Bookish, in 2014 and failed miserably so I thought I would try again. I definitely didn't do any better in 2015! I failed miserably once again, reading a total of two books.
Failure - 2/11

Books Read:
1. Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult
2. Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

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Prequel & Sequel Challenge - 25-50 points: Amateur
This was such a unique challenge, hosted by Novel Heartbeat & Writer Grrl Reads. The idea of using a points system rather than just a number of books. Though it was a bit complicated to start with, I did eventually get the hang of the points system and was quite successful in this challenge. I managed a total of 46 points, and 13 books.
Success: 46/25 points

Books Read:
1. Allegiant (Divergent #3) by Veronica Roth (12 points)
2. Can't Let You Go (Katie Parker Productions #4) by Jenny B Jones (12 points)
3. Four (Divergent #0.1-0.4) by Veronica Roth (4 points)
4. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Harry Potter #2) by JK Rowling (2 points)
5. The Elite (The Selection #2) by Kiera Cass (2 points)
6. The One (The Selection #3) by Kiera Cass (2 points)
7. The Queen (The Selection #0.4) by Kiera Cass (1 point)
8. The Heir (The Selection #4) by Kiera Cass (2 points)
9. Free Four (Divergent #1.5) by Veronica Roth (1 point)
10. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Harry Potter #3) by JK Rowling (2 points)
11. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Harry Potter #4) by JK Rowling (2 points)
12. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Harry Potter #5) by JK Rowling (2 points)
13. Where She Went (If I Stay #2) by Gayle Forman (2 points)
Total: 46 Points

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Debut Author Challenge - 12 Books
I had heard quite a lot about this challenge, now hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, so decided to give it a go. Until this challenge I had never read a debut author on the year of the release, so that was a new experience. Unfortunately I failed miserably at this as well. I read only two books, neither of which I liked all that much.
Failure: 2/12

Books Read:
1. Playlist For The Dead by Michelle Falkoff
2. We All Looked Up by Tommy Wallach

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Goodreads Challenge

2016 Reading Challenge

2016 Reading Challenge
Sophie has read 0 books toward her goal of 50 books.
hide

Just like last year I am aiming to read 50 books this year. The second half of 2016 could get crazy busy for me so I don't want to push myself too much, especially since there is a good chance I won't even meet this goal. I'll try my hardest though.

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Ebook Reading Challenge
I mentioned in my 2015 wrap up that I participated in this challenge last year and really enjoyed it. I definitely read more ebooks that usual and I would really like to keep that up this year so I decided to participate in the 2016 edition as well. I'm sticking will level 2 (Bytes - 10 ebooks) again this year so hopefully I'll manage this one.

1. Bits – 5 ebooks
2. Bytes – 10 ebooks 
3. Megabytes – 25 ebooks
4. Gigabytes – 50 ebooks
5. Terabytes – 75 ebooks
6. Empty the Cloud – 100 ebooks

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Audiobook Challenge
I gave audiobooks a go for the first time in 2015 and surprised myself with how much I enjoyed them. I would like to continue listening to audiobooks in 2016 so decided to take part in this audiobook challenge to encourage myself to listen to as many as possible. I don't want to put too much pressure on myself so I will just be attempting the first level (Newbie: 1-5 books).

1. Newbie (I’ll give it a try) 1-5 
2. Weekend Warrior (I’m getting the hang of this) 5-10
3. Stenographer (can listen while multi-tasking) 10-15
4. Socially Awkward (Don’t talk to me) 15-20
5. Binge Listener (Why read when someone can do it for you) 20-30
6. My Precious (I had my earbuds surgically implanted) 30-50
7. Marathoner (Look Ma no hands) 50+

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TBR Pile Reading Challenge
I have taken part in this challenge for the past two years now and have failed miserably on both accounts, as I mentioned in my wrap up. I decided to give it a go again and hopefully make it third time lucky. For this year, I plan to use my TBR jar for this which will hopefully result in me using it more often. I'm going to try for level 2 (A Friendly Hug: 11-20) again this year, just as last year, but hopefully with more success.

1-10 A Firm Handshake
11-20 A Friendly Hug 
21-30 First Kiss
31-40 Sweet Summer Fling
41-50 Could This Be Love?
50+ Married with Children

Popsugar Reading Challenge
The 2015 edition of this challenge seemed to be pretty popular so I decided to give this year's a shot. This is a little different as it gives a list of 40 categories and challenges you to read a book relating to those categories. This is more of a fun challenge that I won't take too seriously but it will hopefully help me to read books I wouldn't necessarily pick up otherwise.

Finish 5 Series
This is just a personal challenge but I am hoping to finish 5 series this year, hopefully more. I have 5 in mind that I would like to finish but this list might change.

1. Harry Potter series by JK Rowling (Half-Blood Prince & Deathly Hallows)
2. UnWind Dystology by Neal Shusterman (UnSouled & UnDivided)
3. Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan (Sea Of Monsters - The Last Olympian)
4. Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead (Frostbite - Last Sacrifice)
5. The Selection series by Kiera Cass (The Crown)

Start 5 Series
I have so many new series that I've been dying to start so I would like to try and start at least 5 new series this year. Again, I have 5 series in mind but I have so many to start that this is very likely to change.

1. The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare
2. The Lunar Chronicles series by Marissa Meyer
3. The Summer I Turned Pretty trilogy by Jenny Han
4. Shopaholic series by Sophie Kinsella
5. Legend trilogy by Marie Lu

It may seem like a lot of challenges but I hope that these challenges will encourage me to keep reading throughout the year. I will be keeping track of my progress in the challenges page.

Sophie :)

Wednesday 13 January 2016

2015 | End Of Year Survey

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Created by Jamie from The Perpetual Page-Turner

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Number Of Books You Read: 50
Number Of Re-Reads: 3
Genre You Read The Most From: Contemporary

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1. Best book you read in 2015?

2. Book you were excited about & thought you were going to love more but didn't?
Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult. I loved My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult so had high hopes for this one but ended up hating it.

3. Most surprising (in a good or bad way) book you read?
Where She Went by Gayle Forman. I wasn't expecting to love this anywhere near as much as I did considering the reviews I had read. 

4. Book you 'pushed' the most people to read (and they did)?
I pushed a lot of people to read Love, Rose/Where Rainbows End by Cecelia Ahern, although I'm not sure how many of them actually read it.

5. Best series you started in 2015? Best sequel of 2015? Best series ender of 2015?
Sequel: Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire by JK Rowling

6. Favourite new author you discovered in 2015?
Kiera Cass, Lily Paradis, Rainbow Rowell, Morgan Matson, Kasie West. I discovered so many great new authors in 2015.

7. Best book from a genre you don't typically read/was out of your comfort zone? 
Probably We Should Hang Out Sometime by Josh Sundquist, I don't usually read that much non-fiction but I did enjoy this.

8. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?

9. Book you read in 2015 that you are most likely to read in 2016?
Ignite by Lily Paradis, I am already re-reading this this year.

10. Favourite cover of a book you read in 2015?
Definitely Ignite by Lily Paradis, again.

11. Most memorable character of 2015?
I would probably have to say Margo from Paper Towns by John Green.

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2015?
Paper Towns by John Green again, I love John Green's writing style.

13. Most thought-provoking/life-changing book of 2015?
Again I would probably say Paper Towns by John Green.

14. Book you can't believe you waited until 2015 to finally read?
Harry Potter! I read books 2-5 in 2015 and I cannot believe it has taken me this long.

15. Favourite passage/quote from a book you read in 2015?
I'm terrible at making notes of quotes that I like so I can't actually remember any that I liked.

16. Shortest and longest book you read in 2015?
Shortest: Alive Souls: Inception by Elena Yulkina
Longest: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by JK Rowling

17. Book that shocked you the most?
Allegiant by Veronica Roth, for obvious reasons.

18. OTP of the year?
Either America & Maxon (The Selection) or Adam & Mia (Where She Went)

19. Favourite non-romantic relationship of the year?
Reagan & Dee (Open Road Summer by emery Lord)

20. Favourite book you read in 2015 from an author you read previously?

21. Best book you read in 2015 that you read based solely on a recommendation from somebody else/peer pressure?
Again, Harry Potter.

22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2015?
Prince Maxon (The Selecton series)

23. Best 2015 debut you read?
I only read two debuts and I didn't like either of them.

24. Best world building/most vivd setting you read this year?
This has to be Harry Potter, of course.

25. Book that put a smile on your face/was the most fun to read?
Again probably The Selection series. This is getting a bit repetitive now, isn't it?

26. Book that made you cry/nearly cry?

27. Hidden gem of the year?
Probably Where She Went by Gayle Forman, again.

28. Book that crushed your soul?
Allegiant! Again for obvious reasons.

29. Most unique book you read in 2015?
I think Attachments by Rainbow Rowell is a pretty unique book.

30. Book that made you the most mad (doesn't necessarily mean you didn't like it)?
Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult! That book made me so mad, and not in a good way.

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1. New favourite book blog you discovered in 2015?
There are way too many to just choose one.

2. Favourite review you wrote in 2015?
Probably This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales. This is probably the only review I wrote as soon as I finished the book so didn't have a chance to forget any details. 

3. Best discussion/non-review post you had on your blog?
I haven't even posted any discussion posts in 2015, which is awful! That is definitely a resolution for 2016.

4. Best event that you participated in?
Again, I haven't participated in any events.

5. Best moment of bookish/blogging life in 2015?
I actually struggled quite a bit with blogging life in 2015 so I don't really have a best moment.

6. Most challenging thing about blogging or your reading life in 2015?
Definitely finding time with university, work and life in general. It was a struggle and my blog definitely suffered.

7. Most popular post on your blog in 2015?

8. Post you wished got a little more love?
I don't really blog for the views or the 'love', I just do it for fun so I don't really mind how much love posts get.

9. Best bookish discovery (book related sites, book stores, etc)?
I discovered the wonder of Barnes & Noble in New York, does that count?

10. Did you complete any reading challenges or goals that you had set yourself at the beginning of the year?
I'm going to do a full post on this very soon.

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1. One book you didn't get to in 2015 but will be your number 1 priority in 2016?
There are so many! I really wanted to make a start on The Mortal Instruments series and The Lunar Chronicles but didn't get round to them, they are definitely high priority in 2016.

2. Book you are most anticipating in 2016 (non-debut)?
The Crown by Kiera Cass! I can't wait for the last book in The Selection series.

3. 2016 debut you are most anticipating?
There are a few that I'm interested in by none that I am highly anticipating.

4. Series ending/a sequel you are most anticipating in 2016?
Again, The Crown by Kiera Cass.

5. One thing you hope to accomplish or do in your reading/blogging life in 2016?
I'm hoping to be more consistent with my blog this year and have more varied content, rather than just reviews, wrap-ups and TBRs.

6. A 2016 release you've already read and recommend to everyone?
I haven't read any 2016 releases yet.

That was my 2015. I hope you had a great reading year.

Sophie :)

Haul | December 2015

As you may have noticed I am currently trying to catch up on all of the posts I should have been posting during the time I was MIA, including my December haul. I was so busy in the month of December that I didn't actually purchase any books myself, however I was fortunate enough to be given a few books for Christmas that I thought I would share.

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All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr - 
This is one that I would probably have never picked up if I hadn't received it as a gift. This is a historical fiction novel set during the Second World War. Having never read historical fiction, this is way out of my comfort zone but it does sound very interesting. I have heard nothing but good things about it, as you would expect from a Pulitzer Prize winner, so I am excited to give this one a try.

The Year I Met You by Cecelia Ahern -
Everything I have read by Cecelia Ahern so far I have loved so this is one gift I was really excited for. This is about a woman who loses her job and must find something to fill that void in her life. In true Cecelia Ahern fashion, I expect this book to be hilarious, heart-warming and heart wrenching all at once. Considering the first Cecelia Ahern book I read is now probably my favourite book of all time, I have such high hopes for this book and I am excited to get to it.

Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins -
This is the first book in a trilogy that I know very little about, other than the fact it is a paranormal romance about angels. I have heard really great things about this series so despite it being a little out of my comfort zone, as I have never read about angels before, I am really looking forward to starting it.

On The Fence by Kasie West -
I read The Distance Between Us by Kasie West in 2015 and really, really enjoyed it so I just had to read more from her. This is about a girl who is a bit of a tomboy, having grown up in a household with just her father and brothers, and I don't really know much else. I have really high hopes for this one considering how much I enjoyed my first Kasie West read.

The Kiss Of Deception by Mary E Pearson -
I have wanted to read this since it first came out so I am so excited to now own this. This is about a girl who runs away on her wedding day and is being chased by two guys, one of whom is the Prince she was to marry and the other is an assassin trained to kill her. I have heard so many great things about this as well so I cannot wait to read it.

That is all the books I got for Christmas this year. What was the best book you got in December?

Sophie :)

Friday 8 January 2016

2015 | Statistics & Wrap Up

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(based on the survey created by Brittany & Andi)

Number Of Books Read...
- Under 250 Pages (not including novellas): 7
- Between 251-399 Pages: 34
- Between 400-449 Pages: 2
- Between 450-499 Pages: 1
- Over 500 Pages: 4
- Over 1000 Pages: 0

Number Of...
- Hardcovers: 4
- Paperbacks: 29
- Ebooks: 12
- Audiobooks: 5
-Re-Reads: 3
- DNFs: 0

Number Of Books Rated...
- Five Stars: 7
- Four Stars: 20
-Three Stars: 18
- Two Stars: 4
- One Star: 0

This & That...

Happiest & Saddest: Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins & Allegiant by Veronica Roth

Longest & Shortest...
- By Page Number: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by JK Rowling (800 pages) & Alive Souls: Inception by Elena Yulkina (66 pages)
- By Title: More Weird Things Customers Say In Bookshops by Jen Campbell & Four by Veronica Roth
- From Buying To Reading: Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead & Our Story by Collabro

Best & Worst:
- Average Rating On Goodreads: 3.61
- Series Enders: Allegiant by Veronica Roth & I didn't read a bad series ender

First & Last...
- Reads Of 2015: This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales & Open Road Summer by Emery Lord
- Books On Your Bookcase: The Fault In Our Stars by John Green & Our Story by Union J


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January:
- This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales - 4 Stars - Review
- Allegiant (Divergent #3) by Veronica Roth - 5 Stars - Review
- And That's When It Fell Off In My Hand (GN #5) by Louise Rennison - 3 Stars - Review
- The Selection (The Selection #1) by Kiera Cass - 5 Stars - Review
- That Summer by Sarah Dessen - 3 Stars - Review
- Ignite by Lily Paradis - 4 Stars - Review

February:
- Can't Let You Go (Katie Parker Productions #4) by Jenny B Jones - 4 Stars - Review
- Four (Divergent #0.1-0.4) by Veronica Roth - 4 Stars - Review
- Then He Ate My Boy Entrancers (GN #6) by Louise Rennison - 2.5 Stars - Review
- Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets (HP #2) by JK Rowling - 4 Stars - Review
- The Elite (The Selection #2) by Kiera Cass - 5 Stars - Review
- Lost & Found (Lost & Found #1) by Nicole Williams - 3 Stars - Review

March:
- Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult - 2 Stars - Review
- The One (The Selection #3) by Kiera Cass - 5 Stars - Review
- Startled By His Furry Shorts (GN #7) by Louise Rennison - 3 Stars - Review
- Before We Met by Lucie Whitehouse - 3 Stars - Review
- Playlist For The Dead by Michelle Falkoff - 2 Stars - Review

April:
- I Was Here by Gayle Forman - 4 Stars - Review
- The Selection Stories: The Prince and The Guard by Kiera Cass - 4 Stars - Review To Come

May:
- Luuurve Is A Many Trousered Things (GN #8) by Louise Rennison - 3 Stars - Review
- How To Fall In Love by Cecelia Ahern - 5 Stars - Review
- The Queen (The Selection #0.4) by Kiera Cass - 4 Stars - Review To Come
- Amy & Rodger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson - 3.75 Stars - Review
- Make It Count (Bowler University #1) by Megan Erickson - 2.5 Stars - Review
- Stop In The Name Of Pants (GN #9) by Louise Rennison - 2.5 Stars - Review
- Are These My Basoomas I See Before Me? (GN#10) by Louise Rennison - 3.5 Stars - Review
- One Born Every Minute by Maria Dore & Ros Bradbury - 3 Stars - Review

June:
- The Distance Between Us by Kasie West - 4 Stars - Review
- We Should Hang Out Sometime by Josh Sundquist - 3.5 Stars - Review
- The Heir (The Selection #4) by Keira Cass - 4 Stars - Review
- We All Looked Up by Tommy Wallach - 2.5 Stars - Review
- Paper Towns by John Green - 4 Stars - Review

July:
- Free Four (Divergent #1.5) by Veronica Roth - 3 Stars - Review To Come
- Our Story by Collabro - 4 Stars - Review
- Twilight (Twilight #1) by Stephenie Meyer - 4 Stars
- Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson - 4 Stars - Review
- The Naughtiest Girl In The School (The Naughtiest Girl #1) by Enid Blyton - 3 Stars - Review
- The Geography Of You And Me by Jennifer E Smith - 3 Stars - Review To Come
- Attachments by Rainbow Rowell - 4 Stars - Review To Come
- Vampire Academy (Vampire Academy #1) by Richelle Mead - 3 Stars - Review To Come
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (HP #3) by JK Rowling - 4 Stars - Review
- Alive Souls: Inception by Elena Yulkina - 2 Stars - Review To Come
- Cabin Fever by Mandy Smith - 2.5 Stars - Review

August:
- Isla And The Happily Ever After (Anna #3) by Stephanie Perkins - 5 Stars - Review

September:
- More Weird Things Customers Say In Bookshops by Jen Campbell - 3 Stars - Review To Come
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (HP #4) by JK Rowling - 4.5 Stars - Review To Come

October:
- Confessions Of A New York Taxi Driver by Eugene Salomon - 2 Stars - Review To Come

November:
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (HP #5) by JK Rowling - 4.5 Stars - Review To Come

December:
- Where She Went (If I Stay #2) by Gayle Forman - 5 Stars - Review To Come
- Open Road Summer by Emery Lord - 4 Stars - Review To Come

Sophie :)

Thursday 7 January 2016

Wrap Up | December 2015

You may have noticed that I have been totally MIA recently. I have had the busiest December and have spent the first days of January recovering from the madness. My reading didn't improve any in December because of me being so busy but I really hope to get back on track for 2016.

My Life In December...
- I started the month by submitting what will hopefully be the last essay of my law degree.
- I had a great trip to Carlisle to get to see one of my favourite guys perform at a charity gig.
- The majority of the month was spent working constantly, got to love retail at Christmas.
- I took my grandmother out for her 80th birthday and have a nice lunch.
- Christmas was nothing more than a day off work this year, but that was good enough for me.
- I spent a great few days away between Christmas and New Year with my mum and some close friends.
- I had the best time celebrating my 21st birthday with my best friends.
- I had a great New Years Eve with some great people.

Watched In December...
- The Christmas Secret - 4/5
- The Grinch (rewatch) - 5/5
- Let It Snow - 3.5/5
- Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire - 4/5
- Silver Bells - 3/5
- The Holiday Heist - 2/5
- The Polar Express (rewatch) - 5/5
- Paper Towns - 5/5

Read In December...

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Where She Went by Gayle Forman -
I put off reading this after hearing some negative reviews. I really enjoyed If I Stay, though I did prefer the movie to the book, so I didn't want to be disappointed by the sequel. When I finally picked it up it completely exceeded my expectations, I absolutely loved it! I wasn't a huge fan of Adam and Mia's relationship in If I Stay, which I mentioned in my review, however I loved Adam in this book and definitely felt the relationship was better developed. Though many others disagree, I think this is the best of the duology and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoyed the first book. 5/5

Open Road Summer by Emery Lord -
I finished this audiobook slightly out of season as I forgot I had started listening to it. I started listening to this in the summer as I felt a fun road trip style story with a summer romance would be perfect. I did really enjoy this, though the main character reminded me a lot of Taylor Swift and the story did have similar aspects to her story. Despite this, I thought this was a great debut novel and a really enjoyable summer read. I definitely want to read more of Emery Lord's work. 4/5

Blogged In December...
- I reviewed Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson.
- I wrapped up the month of November.
- I hauled the books I bought in November.
- I reviewed My True Love Gave To Me edited by Stephanie Perkins.

What did you read in the month of December?

Sophie :)