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.

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

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



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



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

Goodreads Challenge

2016 Reading Challenge

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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.



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


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+



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 :)

2015 | End Of Year Survey

Created by Jamie from The Perpetual Page-Turner

Number Of Books You Read: 50

Number Of Re-Reads: 3

Genre You Read The Most From: Contemporary

1. Best book you read in 2015?

Probably Allegiant by Veronica Roth, The Selection series by Kiera Cass or How To Fall In Love by Cecelia Ahern.

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?

Series Started: The Selection series by Kiera Cass

Sequel: Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire by JK Rowling

Series Ender: Allegiant by Veronica Roth

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?

Allegiant by Veronica Roth, definitely!

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?

How To Fall In Love by Cecelia Ahern

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?

Allegiant by Veronica Roth, How To Fall In Love by Cecelia Ahern, Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson, I Was Here by Gayle Forman, The One by Kiera Cass. I cry at quite a lot of books!

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.

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?

Top Ten Tuesday - Top Ten Books On My Summer TBR

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.

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.

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 :)

2015 | Statistics & Wrap Up

(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

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 :)

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...

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 :)

Review | My True Love Gave To Me edited by Stephanie Perkins

My True Love Gave To Me edited by Stephanie Perkins
Published On: October 9, 2014
Published By: Macmillan
Genre: Contemporary
Pages: 355
Format: Hardcover
Source: Bought
Rating: ★★★★

Amazon | Goodreads

If you love holiday stories, holiday movies, made-for-TV-holiday specials, holiday episodes of your favorite sitcoms and, especially, if you love holiday anthologies, you’re going to fall in love with My True Love Gave To Me: Twelve Holiday Stories by twelve bestselling young adult writers, edited by international bestselling author Stephanie Perkins. Whether you enjoy celebrating Christmas or Hanukkah, Winter Solstice or New Year's there's something here for everyone. So curl up by the fireplace and get cozy. You have twelve reasons this season to stay indoors and fall in love.

This anthology of twelve holiday love stories features very interesting and unique stories from twelve bestselling YA authors. The stories contained in this book are so different that it is impossible to give a brief synopsis overview. The stories range from cute contemporary to intriguing fantasy, so there is a story for everyone in this book.

Midnights by Rainbow Rowell – This is the first story in the anthology, despite it being set during New Year. This story follows two best friends who have been attending the same New Years’ party for four years but have yet to share a midnight kiss. This was one of my favourites stories. I thought the story was adorable and I really loved the characters. It’s amazing how Rainbow Rowell can give me so many feelings towards a couple in only a few pages. I would rate this story 5/5.

The Lady And The Fox by Kelly Link – The second story was very confusing for me. As far as I could understand, it is about a girl who sees a man outside of the house she is staying at for the holidays, but only when it snows. I found it very difficult to keep up with the magical realism element of this story and I felt as though there was not enough time for the author to properly explain what was going on. I would rate this story 2/5.

Angel’s In The Snow by Matt De La Pena – This story was just average for me, though I have seen a lot of people who love it. It follows a guy who is apartment sitting when he meets the girl upstairs. I didn’t feel much for the characters and I found the story to be a little boring for a lot of the time. I would rate this story 3/5.

Polaris Is Where You’ll Find Me by Jenny Han – This follows a girl who was adopted by Santa Claus and lives amongst the elves in the North Pole. However, the elves have yet to accept her. Initially this story felt a bit too much like the movie Elf but I was curious about where it would go. However, this is another story that was just average for me, which is a shame, as I usually love things set in the North Pole. I would rate this story 3/5.

It’s A Yuletide Miracle, Charlie Brown by Stephanie Perkins – Of course, with this being written by Stephanie Perkins it was bound to be one of my favourites. This follows a girl who is attempting to enlist the help of the boy from the Christmas tree lot so befriends him first. I really loved these characters and the very cute story was an enjoyable read. I would rate this story 5/5.

You’re Temporary Santa by David Levithan – This story follows a boy who is asked by his boyfriend to dress up as Santa Claus in order to keep the magic of Christmas alive for his younger sister. I liked this story, especially the LGBT aspect of it, however I didn’t feel any connection to the characters. This was one of the stories that I think needed more than a few pages to be properly developed. I would rate this story 3/5.

Krampuslauf by Holly Black – I don’t really know what to say about this story, or really what it was about. I had to speed read this story as I really did not enjoy it, but I didn’t want to miss any of the stories out. I would rate this story 1/5.

What The Hell Have You Done, Sophie Roth? by Gayle Forman – This story is about a girl from a big city who feels like an outsider in her small town university. However, when she meets a fellow outsider, things don’t seem so bad. As silly as it sounds, I initially loved this story because the main characters name is Sophie (which is my name, if you didn’t know). As well as that, I did actually really enjoy this story. I thought the characters were pretty great and their story was just really cute. I would rate this story 4/5

Beer Buckets And Baby Jesus by Myra McEntire – This follows a boy who, following an incident in which he almost sets the local church on fire, is punished with community service which includes helping out with the church nativity play. It is through this that he meets the pastor’s daughter. This story reminded me a little of A Walk To Remember by Nicholas Sparks, which I loved, so it had a lot to live up to. Obviously it was not going to reach those standards in a few pages but I did kind of enjoy it. It was another average read but not anything terrible. The characters were enjoyable and the story was reasonable cute but there was nothing that particularly stood out to me. I would rate this story 3.5/5.

Welcome To Christmas, CA by Kiersten White – This is another one of my favourite stories. It is about a girl who is desperate to escape the small town she lives in. However, when she meets the new chef at her mother’s Christmas themed restaurant where she works, her views on life start to change. I loved this story for so many reasons. There was so much more to it than just a love story as it covered some more serious issues, and to have done so that well in such a short story was admirable. While there was an adorable love story, there was also a further family aspect that I really enjoyed. To me, this was the most Christmassy of all the stories, which I loved. I would rate this story 5/5.

Star Of Bethlehem by Ally Carter – If this story hadn’t followed one of my favourites in the book I may have liked it more, but I did really enjoy it. This is about a girl who switches her plane ticket with a stranger and ends up spending the holidays pretending to be an Icelandic exchange student in a small town in Oklahoma named Bethlehem. This story was not only really sweet but it was very funny. I loved the witty banter between the main character and the love interest, but again this story had an added family aspect which played just as much of a role as the love story. I would rate this story 4/5.

The Girl Who Woke The Dreamer by Laini Taylor – I did not understand this story one bit. From what I could gather, it is about a girl who lives in a society where marriage is really the only option when they reach a certain age. This society has a tradition in which gift are given to the girls during the 25 days of Advent. I really struggled with this story. I think the fantasy elements needed much more than the few pages in order to be explained enough to be understood. I found this to be very confusing and felt no attachment to any of the characters or the story overall. I would rate this story 1/5.

Overall, I liked this anthology as a whole although there are definitely some stories I enjoyed more than others. My favourite stories were those by Rainbow Rowell, Stephanie Perkins and Keirsten White and I found the contemporary storied much more enjoyable. Those with fantasy elements, I felt, needed more space to be developed and while it was good to include a vast range of stories within the anthology, some just didn’t work for me with only a limited number of pages. I would definitely pick this up in future to reread some of my favourites.

Haul | November 2015

This year, for the first time ever, I decided to take advantage of some of the Black Friday deals. Though I wasn't brave enough to go out to the shops, I did a fair bit of online shopping and managed to pick up some really good deals on books. I have been relatively good with my book buying in the past few months so I think these purchases are a well deserved little treat.

Legend trilogy by Marie Lu -

I have heard so many great things about this series, both online and from friends, so when I saw the amazing deal on The Book People, I decided to pick it up to give it a go. I managed to get the set of three books for just £4, which is just over £1 a book! I don't even know that this series is about but I am excited to just dive right into it blind, though I may not get to it until the new year.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan -

I managed to bag myself another 'box set' deal in the form of the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan. This was on sale for just £10 (originally almost £35) at The Works, and is still available at this price here if you're interested. I read this first book in this series this time last year but never got around to picking up the rest of the series. I really enjoyed the first book, especially the Greek Mythology aspect,  so I am excited to continue with the series.

Those are the books I bought in the month of November, and I must say £14 for 8 books seems like a pretty good deal to me. What book did you buy in November that you are most looking forward to?

Sophie :)

Wrap Up | November 2015

It has been a bit of a theme recently that my wrap ups contain an embarrassingly small number of read books and my November wrap up is no different. I have been really struggling with reading slumps recently but I am really hoping to read a decent amount in December, although considering how much I am working I may have no time.

My Life In November...

- I had a great night at a quiz night with some of my closest friends.

- I got a new car!! It was an early birthday present and I am in love.

- I started, and almost finished, my Christmas shopping.

- I took advantage of Black Friday (from the comfort of my sofa) for the fist time.

- I put up my Christmas tree and started to get very festive.

- I watched A LOT of Christmas movies!

Watched In November...

- A Bride For Christmas (rewatch) - 4/5

- Crazy For Christmas - 4/5

- Window Wonderland (rewatch) - 4.5/5

- Naughty Or Nice - 4/5

- Greys Anatomy Season 7 (rewatch) - 5/5

- Christmas Under Wraps - 4/5

- Christmas Oranges - 3.5/5

- Elf (rewatch) - 4/5

Read In November...

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by JK Rowling -

So I may have only read one book in the month of November but it was an 800 page book so I guess that's some kind of achievement. I am attempting to power my way through the last few books in the Harry Potter series in the hope of finishing it before the new year. I am really enjoying it so far, even more now that I am reading the books I have not watched the movie adaptations for, as the story is new and exciting. For some reason, though, as much as I am loving these books, something is stopping me from giving them 5 stars and I don't know what it is. 4.5/5

Blogged In November...

- I shared my October Wrap Up and Haul.

That was my month of November. What did you read in November? Have you watched any Christmas films yet?

Sophie :)

Review | Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson

Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson
Published By: Simon & Schuster
Published On: May 8, 2012
Genre: Contemporary
Pages: 468
Format: Audiobook
Source: Audible
Narrated By: Brittany Pressley
Rating: ★★★★

Amazon | Goodreads

Taylor Edwards’ family might not be the closest-knit—everyone is a little too busy and overscheduled—but for the most part, they get along just fine. Then Taylor’s dad gets devastating news, and her parents decide that the family will spend one last summer all together at their old lake house in the Pocono Mountains. 
Crammed into a place much smaller and more rustic than they are used to, they begin to get to know each other again. And Taylor discovers that the people she thought she had left behind haven’t actually gone anywhere. Her former best friend is still around, as is her first boyfriend…and he’s much cuter at seventeen than he was at twelve. 
As the summer progresses and the Edwards become more of a family, they’re more aware than ever that they’re battling a ticking clock. Sometimes, though, there is just enough time to get a second chance—with family, with friends, and with love.

After Taylor’s family receive some terrible news, they decide to spend their last summer together at their old family lake house. However, for Taylor this means not only being around her family, with whom she has distanced herself in recent years, but being reunited with her first love and her former best friend. As the summer speeds by, Taylor must learn to put the past behind her and make the present count, before it’s too late.

This is a truly great, heart-warming story of family, friendship and first love. This is definitely my favourite Morgan Matson book I have read so far as it is a genuinely lovely story that pulls at your heart string while also giving you that warm and fuzzy feeling.

What I really loved about this book was how well all of the individual aspects intertwined. This was not a story primarily about family, or friendship, or love. Every one of these aspects was as important as the others and the importance of each of these things in our lives was emphasised.

While I read this in the summer, and I would suggest it is technically a ‘summer read’, it’s definitely not your average summer read. I generally consider a summer read to be a cutesy contemporary that doesn’t take a lot of thinking about. This, on the other hand, will have you constantly thinking about what is going on and evaluating your life and the things you place importance on. This book was constantly on my mind while I was reading it, and for a while afterwards as well.

As you can probably guess, this book deals with some difficult, hard-hitting topics. I was so impressed with how well these were dealt with as Morgan Matson told this story with such sensitivity and some very difficult topics were given so much respect within the writing. For a book like this one, the sensitivity and the way such topics are written can really make or break the story and this was definitely done successfully.

The thing that really made this book for me were the great characters. I really enjoyed Taylor as a main character and although she has some issues to deal with, she was very easy to connect to and I really felt for her with everything she was going through. In fact, every character was very easy to connect to and enjoyable to read about but it was also easy to understand what they were going through and the struggles they were dealing with.

Though I have not gone through anything similar to the situation in this book, it was written in such a way that made it easy to relate to. Through the characters, the story itself and the way it was written, I found it very easy to relate to what the characters were going through despite having no experience of it. I found myself able to understand their struggles and truly feel for them in the situation.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and the story, and the message it gave, will stay with me for a long time. I really enjoyed listening to this on audiobook as it felt as though I was listening to the characters tell me about the struggles in their lives, rather than listening to someone reading a book as it often does. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys a sadder book with a great message that really makes you appreciate the people you have in your life.

Wrap Up & Haul | October 2015

Considering it is coming to the end of November and I haven't posted a single thing since my September wrap up at the beginning of October, I think you get the idea that the past few months have been completely crazy! I have been so busy that I have had hardly any time to post, and when I have had time all I have had the energy to do is sleep or watch TV. I have also still been in this ridiculous reading slump that has been going on since August so have read hardly anything in recent months. I am hoping things will improve soon but for now, here is what happened in October.

My Life In October...

- I got a job at the beginning of the month, which is largely why I'm so busy!

- I had so much uni work to do that it began to take over my life.

- I spent a weekend as a leader for a kids camp which was great fun.

- I got to go the the World Gymnastics Championships in Glasgow and see the GB team win silver!

- I went to see one of my favourite boybands, Union J, on their Audience With tour.

- I was lucky enough to meet some of the gymnasts competing at Worlds, including Dan Purvis and, one of my favourite gymnasts, Max Whitlock.

Watched In October...

- Final Destination 2 (rewatch) - 4/5

- Grey's Anatomy Season 4 (rewatch) - 5/5

- Big Hero 6 (rewatch) - 4/5

- Grey's Anatomy Season 6 (rewatch) - 5/5

Read In October...

Confessions Of A New York Taxi Driver by Eugene Salomon -

Just as Harry Potter got me out of my reading slump in September, this put me back into it. This wasn't a bad book, a lot of the stories of Eugene's experiences as a taxi driver in New York were very enjoyable and as I love everything about New York, I found much of it quite interesting. Unfortunately, it got a bit boring for me after a while as the stories all started to get a bit similar and it ended up taking me the whole month to finish. 2/5

Bought In October...

Life And Death: Twilight Reimagined by Stephenie Meyer -

This series is the reason I am reading today so there is no way I could let the tenth anniversary of Twilight pass by and not buy a copy of the 'reimagined' version. I have heard such mixed things about the gender swap and just the general execution of this book but I am determined to give it a fair go. I tend to reread Twilight every year now so I may mix it up next year and read this instead. 

Breathe by Abbi Glines -

Having heard such good things about Abbi Glines, I decided to give her books a go and somewhere read that the Sea Breeze series, of which this is the first book, is a good place to start. To be completely honest, I have no idea what this is about but when I saw it on Amazon for a great price as I was browsing books to raise my total for free delivery, I went for it. I am excited to get to this one eventually.

Blogged In October...

- I shared my September Wrap Up and Haul.

I can't promise November will be any better than October was but let's hope December will be. What have you been reading recently?

Sophie :)

Wrap Up & Haul | September 2015

September has been another crazy month for me and one that included quite the reading slump. For some reason I just had no desire to read anything and the more I tried, the worse it got. That is why, along with being busy with starting back uni and all of that fun stuff, I have read a grand total of 2 books this month, and one doesn't really count.

My Life In September...

- I am planning to go back to uni to do a different degree next year so its open day time again.

- I went away for the weekend with my mum to visit my best friend.

- Unfortunately, I went back to uni so that is taking over my life again.

- My best friend the I went to visit had a beautiful little baby! This is the most exciting thing ever!

Watched In September...

- Love, Rosie (rewatch) - 5/5

- Tarzan - 3/5

- Insurgent - 3.5/5

- Orange Is The New Black Season 1 - 3/5

- Gossip Girl Season 2 (rewatch) - 5/5

Read In September...

More Weird Things Customers Say In Bookshops by Jen Campbell -

This is the book that doesn't really count, considering how small it is. This is a book full of funny and interesting things people say in bookshops and is the second instalment. I read this first one and liked it, I gave it 3 stars, and this one was also good, just not quite as good. I found this book to be not quite as funny as the first. It is still a good, fun read if you are looking for something short and quick. 3/5

Harry Potter and the Goblet Of Fire by JK Rowling -

This book both got me out of a reading slump and put me into one. I picked this up in an attempt to get me out of a reading slump, and it worked. I couldn't put it down and it made me actually want to read for the first time in a couple of months. However, as soon as it finished I was straight back into a slump because I enjoyed it so much. I think this may be my favourite of the books so far, probably because it was the first of the books that I had never seen the movie adaptation for so knew very little about what was going to happen. 4/5

Bought In September...

After reading Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire in September, I went straight on to Amazon and bought the final three books in the series; The Order Of The Phoenix, The Half Blood Prince and The Deathly Hallows. I can't wait to read these books and hopefully finish the series this year.

Blogged In September...

- I reviewed The Distance Between Us by Kasie West.

- I hauled the books I bought in August.

- I reviewed The Heir by Kiera Cass.

- I shared my Top Ten Series I Have Yet To Finish.

- I wrapped up August.

- I reviewed We All Looked Up by Tommy Wallach.

- I did the Mid-Year Book Freak Out Tag and updated you on my challenge progress.

- I shared some mini reviews of recent reads.

- I listed my Top Ten Completed Series.

- I reviewed Paper Towns by John Green.

- I shared some mini reviews of some non-fiction reads.

That was my month of September. What did you read in September?

Sophie :)

Mini Reviews | A Bit Of Non-Fiction

I started doing some mini reviews at the start of the year for those books that I don't have loads to say about. There are times when I read a book but when it comes to reviewing it, there isn't enough to say to make up a full review. I don't want these books to go unnoticed, however, so mini reviews are perfect. In these reviews I will mention a few things I liked about the book, and a few things I did not like.

One Born Every Minute by Maria Dore & Ros Bradbury
Published By: Sphere
Published On: January 10, 2011
Genre: Non-Fiction
Pages: 243
Format: Paperback
Source: Bought
Amazon | Goodreads

What I Liked: I have always been very interested in the role of a midwife and have enjoyed watching the TV show that this book has come from. I found this to be a very interesting and informative account of the role of a midwife, both the good and bad.
What I Disliked: As there were two authors of this book, a lot of the chapters were very repetitive as they were both discussing the same topic. I also found it to be quite disjointed at parts.
Rating: ★★★

  We Should Hand Out Sometime by Josh Sundquist
Published By: Little Brown Books
Published On: December 23, 2014
Genre: Non-Fiction
Pages: 336
Format: Audiobook
Source: Audible
Narrated By: Josh Sundquist
Amazon | Goodreads

What I Liked: This was bound to be a funny book given the premise and it did not disappoint. All of the stories in this book were funny but also quite relatable. Josh is a very likeable person which made reading this book a whole lot more enjoyable. I also loved how refreshingly honest he was throughout the book and he was a fantastic narrator.
What I Disliked: The only issue I had with this book was that it got a little repetitive after a while.
Rating: ★★★½

Our Story by Collabro
Published By: Blink Publishing
Published On: March 5, 2015
Genre: Non-Fiction
Pages: 248
Format: Hardcover
Source: Bought
Amazon | Goodreads

What I Liked: I absolutely love these boys so obviously I loved this book. I am a huge Collabro fan so I really enjoyed getting to know more about them and their lives before Britain's Got Talent. I also really enjoyed the insight into the process of Britain's Got Talent and found that very interesting.
What I Disliked: I really didn't dislike anything about this book, there just wasn't anything particularly special to make it a 5 star read.
Rating: ★★★★

Cabin Fever by Mandy Smith
Published By: Thistle Publishing
Published On: April 5, 2014
Genre: Non-Fiction
Pages: 244
Format: eBook
Source: Bought
Amazon | Goodreads

What I Liked: I am really interested in anything to do with flying and I love planes and airports. I picked this up to get more of an insight into the life of an air hostess and I definitely learnt quite a bit. I loved all of the stories of interesting flights and passengers.

What I Disliked: There was far too much information about her personal life, and in particular her sex life. I have nothing against sex in books but I when I was looking for an insight into the life of an air hostess, I don't need 50% of the book taken up by details of the author's sex life and her relationship history. I was not interested in her personal life, particularly when it was not at all related to her being an air hostess!

Rating: ★★½

Have you read any of these books? What did you think of them?

Sophie :)

Review | Paper Towns by John Green

Paper Towns by John Green
Published By: Bloomsbury
Published On: September 22, 2009
Genre: Contemporary
Pages: 305
Format: Paperback
Source: Bought
Rating: ★★★★

Amazon | Goodreads

Quentin Jacobsen has spent a lifetime loving the magnificently adventurous Margo Roth Spiegelman from afar. So when she cracks open a window and climbs into his life—dressed like a ninja and summoning him for an ingenious campaign of revenge—he follows. After their all-nighter ends, and a new day breaks, Q arrives at school to discover that Margo, always an enigma, has now become a mystery. But Q soon learns that there are clues—and they're for him. Urged down a disconnected path, the closer he gets, the less Q sees the girl he thought he knew...

Quentin had admired next-door neighbour Margo Roth Spiegelman from a distance ever since their childhood friendship dissipated when high school began. Therefore, when she appears in his bedroom late one night to enlist his help in a crazy revenge scheme of hers, Q, though slightly shocked, agrees to help her. The next day, however, Margo is nowhere to be found and Q must use her mysterious clues to solve the mystery of Margo Roth Spiegelman.

This was a bit of a slow starter for me as I struggled to get into it. I was quite unsure about it for the first half as there didn’t seem to be all that much going on apart from the introduction to the characters. I still liked it in the beginning but not as much as I had hoped.

Luckily, though, I couldn’t put the book down for the second half. Once the story really got going I was so engrossed in the mystery and started to really enjoy it. I enjoyed all of the different aspects to the story and ended up spending a good few hours just sitting in the same spot reading this book.

I really enjoyed the revenge plot aspect of this book. This was probably the most fun part of the book for me. I loved the excitement of their revenge scheme and the exhilaration due to the fact that the characters could have been caught at any moment. This was such a fun part to read about.

One of my favourite things about this book was the very unique and interesting characters. John Green’s characters, or at least the ones I have read about, are always very unique and different from the usual teenager. Margo and Q in particular were no different. I loved how different the two characters were yet they were drawn together. Even the supporting characters were great fun to read about.

I can’t review this book without commenting on John Green’s amazing writing style. He writes the most amazing books but has such a unique way of doing so. I always find his writing style to be very individual but great to read. The writing style in this book was to his unique style, complete with the unusual wit and quirkiness.

The one minor flaw I had with this book was the ending. I didn’t think the ending was bad, I just found it a little disappointing. It was well written and a decent ending but it was a bit anti-climactic. I did still enjoy it but it was not as great as I had expected it to be considering the rest of the book. 

Overall, I really enjoyed almost every aspect of this book. Despite the slightly slow start, I went on to read the entire second half of this book in one night, as I could not put it down. I loved the story and the characters, which were the typical John Green quirky, unusual characters and were great fun to read about. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys John Green’s writing style, or anyone who enjoys quirky and fun books.

Top Ten Tuesday | Top Ten Completed Series

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke And The Bookish. Lists galore, I can think of nothing better!

This week is a Freebie week so I decided, following on from last week's Series To Finish, I would share my completed series, even though there is only 8. I have decided to set myself a bit of a 'Mid-Year Resolution' to complete at least 5 series this year, and have reached a total of three so far. Compared to many, I have completed very few series, mainly due to that fact I read relatively little until the beginning of last year. Like I mentioned, as of this moment I have completed a total of 8 series. These are not in any kind of order.

Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer
Includes: 
Twilight (#1)
New Moon (#2)
Eclipse (#3)
The Short Second Life Of Bree Tanner (#3.5)
Breaking Dawn (#4)

Of course, like the majority of girls around my age, I have completed the Twilight series. I went through the same faze as many, during which I was completely obsessed with this series and everything to do with it. I have since reread Twilight, and am currently rereading it very slowly, and, as awkward as it is to admit, I do still enjoy it. According to Goodreads, I rated the first three books 4 stars, the novella 5 stars and Breaking Dawn 5 stars.

The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins
Includes:
The Hunger Games (#1)
Catching Fire (#2) - Review
Mockingjay (#3)

This was the series that got me back into reading. I absolutely love this series and there is no question as to why it is so popular, it's amazing! I knew nothing about this series until I went to see the first movie completely on a whim. As soon as I left the movie I started reading the first book and by the end of the week I had finished the series. I rated The Hunger Games 4 stars (I was very fussy with my 5 star ratings at the time), Catching Fire got 5 stars as it was, and probably will always be, my favourite in the series, and Mockingjay I originally rated just 3 stars. I was not a huge fan of Mockingjay initially but after rereading it before watching the movie last year, I completely changed my opinion and changed the rating to 4 stars.

Divergent series by Veronica Roth
Includes:
Four (#0.1-0.4) - Review
Divergent (#1) - Review
Insurgent (#2) - Mini Review
Allegiant (#3) - Review

This was the first series I finished this year, having read Allegiant in January and Four in February. I had very little intention of reading this series until it was turned into a movie. I was searching for a new book to buy and, since I had heard about the movie, I decided to pick up Divergent and see what the fuss was about. I'm so glad I did because I loved most of this series. Insurgent was a let down for me but the rest of the series was great. I gave Divergent 5 stars, Insurgent a pretty generous 4 stars, Allegiant 5 stars, and the novella bind-up Four 4 stars.

Katie Parker Productions series by Jenny B Jones
Includes:
In Between (#1) - Mini Review
On The Loose (#2) - Mini Review
The Big Picture (#3) - Mini Review
Can't Let You Go (#4) - Review

I believe this series is now over but even though I am not completely sure, I thought I would count it anyway. This will be the second series I finished this year, as I read Can't Let You Go in February. This series was my first experience of the world of Christian Fiction and I really enjoyed it. I was looking for some Christian fiction that was light-hearted and fun, which is exactly what this is, thought it has the serious stuff thrown in there as well. I gave all four books 4 stars.

Darcy & Rachel duology by Emily Giffin
Includes:
Something Borrowed (#1)
Something Blue (#2)

I read this duology a good few years ago now so I struggle to remember a whole lot about it. I read Something Borrowed as I watched, and really enjoyed, the film. I liked the first book but I loved the second a whole lot more. This is one series that I would like to reread at some point. I rated the first book 4 stars and the second 5 stars.

Matched trilogy by Ally Condie
Includes:
Matched (#1)
Crossed (#2) - Review
Reached (#3) - Review

This is one trilogy that has extremely mixed reviews; some love the series, others hate it. I read this a while ago so don't remember a lot about it but I do know that I generally enjoyed this series, some books more than others. I really enjoyed the first book, giving it 4 stars; the second was a bit of a let down and I ended up giving it 3 stars; the third book I also really enjoyed and gave it 4 stars as well.

Anna And The French Kiss trilogy by Stephanie Perkins
Includes:
Anna And The French Kiss (#1) - Review
Lola And The Boy Next Door (#2) - Review
Isla And The Happily Ever After (#3) - Review

This is one of my favourite series I have read recently. I started this in the summer of last year and had finished the series by September because I was enjoying it so much. I really enjoyed Anna, especially the Paris setting, and gave it 4 stars. Lola is probably my least favourite of the series as I found it difficult to relate to Lola but my love of Cricket made me give this one 4 stars as well. Isla is definitely my favourite book of the series, and the only one I have reread, so I gave it 5 stars.

Confessions Of Georgia Nicholson series by Louise Rennison
Includes:
Angus, Thongs And Full-Frontal Snogging (#1) - Review
It's Ok, I'm Wearing Really Big Knickers (#2) - Review
Knocked Out By My Nunga-Nungas (#3) - Review
Dancing In My Nuddy-Pants (#4) - Review
And That's When It Fell Off In My Hand (#5) - Review
Then He Ate My Boy Entrancers (#6) - Review
Startled By His Furry Shorts (#7) - Review
Luuurve Is A Many Trousered Things (#8) - Review
Stop In The Name Of Pants! (#9) - Review
Are These My Basoomas I See Before Me? (#10) - Review

I started this series when I was around 14 but never finished it. I recently decided to finally finish it as the books are such quick read so I reread the first three and then continued on with the series. I enjoyed these books, they are very fun reads and they are great to break up some more serious reads. They are targeted towards younger girls which meant that I found them to be quite immature at some points. I gave the majority of the books in the series three stars, with a couple being 2.5 stars, and to the final book I gave 3.5 stars.

Those are the 8 series I have completed. As I am reading much more this year than I have in previous years, I am hoping to increase this number very soon. Do you have a favourite series that I should add to the list?

Sophie :)

P.S. I am having problems with the comment system at the moment. For some reason Blogger is not letting me reply to any comments, or comment at all. Does anyone know how to fix this issue?