What I've Been Watching Recently Part 2

Before Christmas I shared all of the Netflix TV shows and movies I had been watching over the few months I had been neglecting this blog. I said a part 2 was coming, in which I would talk about what I had been watching from other platforms and, despite being much later than I had anticipated, here it is. So this is everything, or everything I can remember, that I watched between April and November 2019 on everything other than Netflix.

Parks & Recreation Season 1 - This was a really random pick for me but I had heard so many good things about it over the years that I decided to check it out. It's a comedy following employees in the Parks & Recreation department in a small town. I thought it was really easy watching that I didn't have to concentrate on, which I always like, but the first season was pretty short so it was hard to form much of an opinion. 

Chasing Happiness - This is the Jonas Brothers documentary which, as someone who loves the Jonas Brothers, I really enjoyed. It was so well done and I found it really interesting to get an insight into how things were behind the scenes and some of the things they had to put up with or were struggling with back in the day. Some parts were hard to watch and I did get a bit emotional, but I thought it was great.

UnReal Season 1 - This was another random pick but one that I very quickly became completely obsessed with. This is a drama following the behind the scenes of a fictional Bachelor-type reality show. I was hooked from the very first episode and was living for all the drama and mayhem that went on. I also really love Shiri Appleby, who plays the main character in the show, so that definitely made me love it more.

The Sun Is Also A Star - I really wasn't a fan of this book so I don't know why I thought I would feel differently about the movie. It is about two teenagers who meet the day before one of them is being deported and they spend her last day together. Everything I disliked about the book - the boring characters, the instalove - were still a part of the film. However, the things I enjoyed about the book, such as the formatting and different POV's, were obviously not. This one wasn't for me.

Toy Story 4 - I was so sceptical going into this as I felt that the third movie left things where they needed to be, I didn't want another movie to ruin things. Luckily, I did end up really enjoying it. I thought the whole film was just a sweet as I have come to expect from these movies, but also action-packed enough to keep you interested. They really are great movies for both children and adults, and there were a lot of things I think adults in particular would appreciate in this movie. However, the ending made me angry and now I'm bitter.

Yesterday - As someone who has never had any interest in The Beatles in any way, I wasn't sure if I would enjoy this film. However, after seeing the trailer I thought it sounded so interesting that I was desperate to give it a go. It follows a struggling singer/songwriter who wakes up after an accident to discover that no-one else has ever heard of The Beatles or any of their songs. I ended up really enjoying it. I thought the story was great, it was hilarious at parts but also had some great touching moments, and the cast were all incredible. I would highly recommend this film, even if your not a fan of The Beatles.

Chicago Fire Season 7 - This was one of my favourite shows for a while but I'm starting to feel like it's going downhill a bit. Season 7 brought out the whole 'someone is against our firehouse' storyline again and I'm starting to get bored of the same story being changed slightly and then repeated again. I love these characters and their relationships but they need better storylines.

Chicago Med Seasons 3 & 4 - This isn't my favourite medical series but I still like watching it. Both of these seasons were fine but nothing all that stand out, in fact I can't really remember then very well. I do remember in Season 4 they started borrowing Chicago Fire's favourite 'someone is against us' story line, which I am hoping won't be a common feature. This is just an average so for me, but I do like the crossover episodes so I keep watching it.

911 Seasons 1 & 2 - This show is anything but average. I watch a lot of emergency services/medical shows so it takes a lot to impress me, but this had me hooked straight away. This show has some of the craziest story lines and some of the situations will blow your mind. I find it so much fun and so enthralling, I couldn't stop watching. I also really like all of the characters and loved finding out all about their backstories. This is a really great show.

Manifest Season 1 - This is easily my favourite show on this entire list. As soon as I saw the trailer that seemed to go viral, I knew I wanted to watch this show. It finally came to the UK in the Summer of 2019 and I was hooked. It is about a plane full of people who reappear five years after the disappearance of the their flight. I absolutely devoured this season as quickly as I possibly could and loved it so much. It's not something I would usually gravitate towards and unlike anything I have watched before but I thought the story was amazing, it has so many twists and turns that I could never guess where things were going and the cast are amazing. I can't wait for the second season to come to the UK.

That was part 2 of basically all of the things I watched in 2019. What shows or movies should I watch next?

Sophie :)

2019 Goals Review

It's that time of year again where I look back at my goals for the previous year and realise how badly I have done with them. I'm not sure that I have managed any of my 2019 goals, but the year didn't quite go as planned.

Goodreads Reading Challenge

I stuck with the usual 50 books despite reading more than that in 2018. However, I only managed to read 43 books in 2019. I did better than I thought I would, as in the middle of the year I was expecting to only manage around 30 books. I don't think I did too badly considering how busy the year was.

Read More Variety

I really wanted to read more of a variety of genres in 2019, but once again I read predominantly contemporary. I read 20 contemporary books, with my next most read genre being non-fiction with 6 books. I only read one or two books from other genres. This is something I need to work on in 2020.

Use The Library More

This was a fail as well. I actually ended up using my library less in 2019, reading only 2 library books. I only use the ebook/audiobook service and despite borrowing quite a few of both throughout the year, I just never ended up getting around to them. My reasoning for this goal was to reduce my book buying, which I ended up doing through using Scribd a lot so I didn't fail completely.

Get My Physical TBR Down

I set this goal every year and fail every year! My physical TBR was sitting at around 145 books at the beginning of 2019 and was still sitting around the same at the end of the year. I drastically reduced my book buying in 2019, but using Scribd so much meant that I wasn't reading the books I own quite as much as I should have been.

Request Less ARCs

Finally we have one that I managed to accomplish! I didn't really have time for ARCs in 2019 so I managed to only request a few. I was quite overwhelmed by ARCs in 2018, so it was nice to not have that stress. I think this is something I will try to keep up for 2020 and only request ARCs that I am really interested in.

Post Reviews On Goodreads

I think I reviewed maybe 4 books in 2019 and I'm not sure I posted any of them on Goodreads. I did do a post about my feelings on reviews and how I will be doing them less from now on.

Bookstagram

It's no surprise that I failed at this once again. I'm just not creative and I always feel a pressure to make my pictures as nice as others, which obviously doesn't happen and I'm left feeling like I'm not doing a good enough job to carry on. I think I'm going to do this a little differently in 2020 and accept the fact that I am not a creative person who takes nice bookstagram pictures.

It's safe to say 2019 wasn't a very successful year in terms of my reading goals. Hopefully 2020 will be a bit better.

How did you do with your 2020 goals?

Sophie :)

Most Disappointing Books Of 2019

I read 43 books in 2019, so there was bound to be some disappointing books among them. Whether that be books that I just didn't enjoy, or books that I expected to love and was a little let down by. Half the books on this list were ones I just didn't enjoy, but the other half were books I really wanted to love but didn't like quite as much as I thought I would.

1. Layover by Amy Andelson & Emily Meyer -
This is one of the books I just didn't like. This follows three step-siblings who run away during a layover in LA after finding out their parents are getting divorced. There are a lot of things I really didn't like about the books. The plot was completely ridiculous, the characters were unbearably entitled and annoying, there was a totally unnecessary romance between two step-siblings and there were so many 'not like other girls' comments that made me want to scream. There was some good anxiety rep but that was the only redeeming quality.

2. Strictly Between Us by Jane Fallon - 
This was a cover buy that turned out to be a total disappointment. It follows a woman who uses her assistant as bait when for her best friend's husband when she starts to suspect him of cheating. This is another book with really bad characters. I don't mind unlikeable characters if it adds to the story but these were just unnecessarily selfish and annoying. Another thing I don't typically have a problem with in books is cheating, but I wasn't a fan of the cheating taking place in this book. There were no real consequences for some of the characters, which I didn't like. It was a pretty quick read but disappointing.

3. Seven Ways We Lie by Riley Redgate -
This follows a group of seven students as a scandal breaks in their high school. This is one I had heard good things about and ultimately was left disappointed. I forgot about the majority of this book as soon as I finished it and couldn't tell you anything about it now. I remember it being pretty boring and the audiobook wasn't great/

4. Girl In The Mirror by Cecelia Ahern -
This is by one of my favourite authors so obviously I was expecting to really enjoy it. It is a collection of two short stories, each a bit weird with some kind of magical element. The first, Girl In The Mirror, was fine but kind of strange. The second, The Memory Maker, I just didn't understand at all. This is another one that was pretty forgettable and I'm so disappointed that I didn't love this is much as I have every other Cecelia Ahern book I have read.

5. The Wrong Side Of Kai by Estelle Maskame -
I am so sad that this is on my most disappointing list! I love Estelle Maskame but I just didn't love her 2019 release as much as I wanted to. This is about a girl who has an explicit video of her leaked and enlists the help of a new guy at school to get her revenge. I so badly wanted to love this, I liked the idea of the revenge plot and I love Estelle Maskame's writing. Unfortunately, I found this to be quite predictable and didn't think the pacing was that great. I really loved the characters, especially Vanessa, and the message behind the story, but I just didn't love this like I wanted to.

6. Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston - 
I heard so many amazing things about this book, so I completely expected to love it as much as everyone else. Sadly, this was another disappointment. It follows the son of the American president and a British prince who, despite hating each other, have to pretend to be friends, obviously leading to a romance. Don't get me wrong, I liked this book but it didn't live up to the hype. I enjoyed the characters and the romance, although I do wish there was more of a build up to the romance, but I got bored in the middle. I enjoyed it fine, but expected to enjoy it more.

Those were my most disappointing books of 2019. As I said, these were not necessarily bad books. Some of these I did enjoy, I just hoped to love them more. If you loved any of these books, I'm so happy for you and in no way mean to offend you.

What was your most disappointing read of 2019?

Sophie :)

Best Books Of 2019

It's that time of year again where I get to rave about the books I absolutely loved in 2019. I read some really great books in 2019, but as always I was very harsh with my 5 star ratings and only gave them out to the very special. I ended up giving a total of 5 books 5 stars, but there were some that came close.

1. Fierce Fragile Hearts by Sara Barnard -

This is the follow up to Beautiful Broken Things, one of my favourite books of 2018, which followed two best friends as a new girl joined their friendship and dealt with the struggles of the new friendship dynamic, as well as the personal struggles of the girl. Fierce Fragile Hearts picks up to years after the events in the first book and once again deals with friendship, specifically how friendships change when everyone goes their separate ways, but also focuses on fresh starts and rebuilding your life. This book covered so many important topics and did so really well, as everything was discussed with sensitivity and respect. The main feature of this book, and the reason I love both of the books so much, is the friendship. It is portrayed in such a genuine and authentic way that makes things all the more relatable, but also makes it feel as though you are part of the friendship and you start to really feel like you know these characters, that you feel their pain. Basically I loved it and I could rave about it forever.

2. Postscript by Cecelia Ahern -

Oh I was so worried this would be ending up on my most disappointing list! This is the sequel to PS I Love You, Cecelia Ahern's first, and probably most successful, novel. I read the book in 2017 but have been loving the movie for years, so the idea of a sequel, written 15 years after the publication of the first book, made me quite nervous. Thankfully, I absolutely adored it. Cecelia Ahern is one of my favourite authors, so I know I should have had faith as she was bound to write something incredibly beautiful. This sequel follows Holly six years after PS I Love You as she is moving on with her life. However, when she is contacted by a group inspired by Gerry's letters, she is taken back into her life of 6/7 years ago as she begins to help them do what Gerry did for her. I'm tearing up just thinking about this book! I really loved being back in this story and with these characters, not only seeing their character development since the first book, but experiencing this new journey with them. I really loved the premise of this, and the fact it was a new story with some great new characters introduced, but it still had the same feel and atmosphere as the first. It was beautifully written, the story was so well told, and just so incredibly heartbreaking. I'm so glad I loved this as much as I did.

3. This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp -

This seems to be quite a polarising book, with a lot of people having very strong negative opinions about it. This book takes place over just under an hour, during which a school shooting takes place. You follow the events, almost minute by minute, from the perspective of four different characters. This is obviously a very hard topic to read about and something that is far too prevalent in today's society, making it even more harrowing. It is not an enjoyable book by any means. However, I have read a few books on this topic and, in my opinion, this is one of the best written that I have read. It is very vivid and immersive, making it a pretty scary and all too real read. However, a large portion of this book is flashbacks that give you a bit of a break from the intense situation in the school and let you get to know the characters. This is not a book I would recommend to everyone as I think you need to be very aware of your triggers to read this book without it having a detrimental effect to your mental health. However, I do think it is worth the read if you are wanting and intense, well-written story with more of a focus on characters than you would typically find in such novels.

4. Hard Pushed by Leah Hazard -

This is a memoir of a midwife in the NHS and it is one of the best non-fiction books I have read. It follows Leah Hazard from her time as a student, right through to the struggles and rewards of being a qualified midwife. She tells many fun, interesting, heartbreaking and insightful tales of the women she has cared for, balanced perfectly with highlighting the struggles of an understaffed and underfunded NHS. This book is the perfect mix, it had me laughing and crying in the same chapter. I think the reason I loved this book so much, though, was the genuine passion Leah Hazard has for her profession and her patients, despite how unbelievably hard her job is, which just shines through every page. As someone who also works in the NHS, reading this book really reminded me of why I do what I do and why I love my job.

5. Did I Mention It's 10 Years Later? by Estelle Maskame - 

At only 25 pages, I'm not sure this even counts as a book. This is the bonus chapter that was released in celebration of the anniversary of DIMILY being published and follows the characters 10 years after the end of the last book. This may have been crazy short, but I loved it nonetheless. I adore these characters so it was great to get to spend a little bit more time with them and see how things have changed for them in the years since the final book in the series. 

6. Everything Leads To You by Nina LaCour -

I think this might have been my biggest surprise of the year. This follows a girl who designs film sets and is given her brother's apartment for the summer on the condition that something great has to take place there. We then get to go on an adventure with her over this summer as she finds out a secret about a movie legend. I wasn't sure what to expect going into this but I absolutely loved it. There is a really strong friendship between the main character and her best friend who is going on this summer adventure with her, and I loved that this was just a really great, genuine friendship with no unnecessary drama. There is a crazy adorable f/f romance between our main character and the girl she meets through this big secret, which I loved so much. This book also focuses on the film and set design side of things, which I found quite interesting and really enjoyed reading about. 

7. Her Royal Highness by Rachel Hawkins -

This is the second book in the Royals series, the first I believe is now called Prince Charming but was originally called Royals. These books are absolutely ridiculous. They are based on a fictional Scottish Royal family, which, as a Scottish person, is the one thing about these books I really don't like. However, they are really fun reads and when I ignore the fact they're meant to be in Scotland, I do love them. The second book follows an American girl who moves to a boarding school in the Highlands and ends up sharing a room with the Princess of Scotland. It's basically an enemies to lovers f/f romance, featuring fictional Scottish Royals, set in a boarding school. If that doesn't sound amazing to you then I don't know what will. The plot was loads of fun, but what I loved most were the characters and the romance.

8. Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough -
Holy crap, this book! It is about a woman who kisses a man at a bar only to discover the next day that he is her new boss. She then meets a woman who is new to town and in need of a friend, but happens to be the wife of her new boss. I am saying nothing more because I went into this completely blind and I think that is the best way to read this book. I don't want to say too much about it but this is one of the weirdest, craziest but best thrillers I have ever read. I haven't felt the way I felt reading this book since I read Gone Girl. It was so cleverly done and that ending was just insane. So good, definitely recommend picking it up.

9. Becoming by Michelle Obama -
I love this woman! This is Michelle Obama's memoir and it was an absolute joy to read. I listened to the audiobook, which she narrates herself, and it was the best reading experience. This follows her life from childhood to becoming one of the most influential women in the world and it was just great. I loved learning more about her life, as well as more about her as a person. Her personality really shone through while I was listening to it, it almost felt as though she was sitting in my car having a nice chat with me. It was just such an interesting read and I have even more respect for her now.

10. A Quiet Kind Of Thunder by Sara Barnard -
Basically I just love Sara Barnard. She has made it on this list twice this year, as well as once last year, and she absolutely deserves to. This book follows a boy who is deaf and a girl with selective mutism who are thrown together when the boy moves to the school. This was one of the most adorable books I have ever read featuring the kind of characters you just want to protect at all costs. I loved these characters, I love their romance, but more importantly I loved the fact that they were more than just 'deaf' and 'selective mutism'. They were fully rounded characters rather than plot devices. I really enjoyed learning more about hearing impairment and selective mutism, how they impact lives and how people with these things adapt and live their lives, but I really loved that these characters were also just two teenagers falling in love for the first time. It was great and this was the book that fully cemented Sara Barnard as one of my favourite authors.

Those were the ten best books I read in 2019. I loved every one of these books so much and would highly recommend checking them out if any sounded interesting to you.

What was your favourite book of 2019?

Sophie :)

2019 End Of Year Book Survey

I am so excited to be doing this End Of Year survey again! This used to be one of my yearly wrap up posts that I loved filling out and reflecting on my year of reading. For some reason I haven't been doing it for the last couple of years, but I am back to it for 2019. This was created by Jamie at The Perpetual Page-Turner and is on its 10th year!

Reading Stats

Number Of Books You Read: 43

Number Of Re-Reads: 2

Genre You Read The Most From: YA Contemporary

Best In Books

1. Best book you read in 2019?

It's so hard to choose one 'best' book of the year, so I have to have two. Both Fierce Fragile Hearts by Sara Barnard and Postscript by Cecelia Ahern were beautiful books that ripped my heart to shreds.

2. Book you were excited about and thought you were going to love more but didn't?

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston. I head so many amazing things about this that I was sure I would love it. Everyone raves about it and it even won the Goodreads Choice Award, but I just thought it was pretty average. It wasn't bad but I didn't love it like everyone else seems to have.

3. Most surprising (in a good or bad way) book you read?

Every Heart A Doorway by Seanan McGuire. I only picked this up because it was short. It isn't something I would typically reach for, it's not a genre I usually enjoy all that much, but I ended up really enjoying this book. I even want to carry on with the series.

4. Book you 'pushed' the most people to read?

I don't really push people to read book in 'real life' because not a lot of people I know read, and those who do have very different tastes to me. I've also been such a bad blogger in 2019 that I don't think I really pushed any books on here. So I don't think I have really promoted a single book in 2019.

5. Best series you started in 2019? Best sequel of 2019? Best series ender of 2019?

I really enjoyed The Potion Diaries by Amy Alward, which is the first in a series that I wasn't expecting much from but ended up surprised by. In terms of sequels, both of the books in mentioned in the first question were sequels, so obviously they were my favourites.

6. Favourite new author you discovered in 2019?

Nina LaCour. I read Everything Leads To You and absolutely adored it, I can't wait to read more from her.

7. Best book from a genre you don't typically read/was out of your comfort zone?

I've mentioned it already but definitely Every Heart A Doorway by Seanan McGuire. I didn't venture outside my comfort zone much in 2019, but this has encouraged me to do so more in 2020.

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

Verity by Colleen Hoover. I couldn't stop reading this. Even though I found it to be a bit predictable, I still found it thrilling and couldn't put it down.

9. Book you read in 2019 that you would be most likely to reread next year?

Probably Fierce Fragile Hearts by Sara Barnard. I know I loved it about it was one of my favourites of the year, but there is already so much about it that I can't remember.

10. Favourite cover of a book you read in 2019?

I can't say Fierce Fragile Hearts again so I'll have to go with Everything Leads To You by Nina LaCour.

11. Most memorable character of 2019?

Flora from Her Royal Highness by Rachel Hawkins. I just love her.

12. Most beautifully written book of 2019?

Postscript by Cecelia Ahern. I will never not love her writing and this book was just beautiful.

13. Most thought-provoking/life changing book of 2019?

Hard Pushed by Leah Hazard. I read this just months before joining the NHS myself and this book not only made me think, but really solidified my passion and desire for my job.

14. Book you can't believe you waiting until 2019 to read?

Panic by Lauren Oliver. I have owned this book for far too long, it was in my first haul I ever posted on this blog, and finally picked it up in 2019. 

15. Favourite passage/quote from a book you read in 2019?

I don't keep a note of any passages or quotes that I love so don't have any to share. I should maybe start.

16. Shortest & longest books you read in 2019?

I covered this in my Bookish Statistics but shortest was Did I Mention It's 10 Years Later by Estelle Maskame and longest was City Of Glass by Cassandra Clare.

17. Book that shocked you the most?

Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough. If you've read it you'll know what I'm talking about, if you haven't you need to read it.

18. OTP of the year?

I read a lot of really great couples in 2019. I really love Emi & Ava from Everything Leads To You by Nina LaCour.

19. Favourite non-romantic relationship of the year?

Suzanne, Caddy & Rosie from Fierce Fragile Hearts by Sara Barnard. I know I've answered basically every question with this book but there friendship is just my favourite, even with everything that happens in this book.

20. Favourite book you read in 2019 from an author you've read previously?

Can I say Fierce Fragile Hearts or Postscript again? This is getting repetitive.

21. Best book you read in 2019 based solely on a recommendation from somebody else?

Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough. I had no interest in it until it was recommended by various booktubers.

22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2019?

I don't really have fictional crushes anymore, does that make me old? I did quite enjoy Travis Maddox from Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire, when he wasn't being a horrible human being obviously.

23. Best 2019 debut you read?

I think the only debut I read was Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston, which as I mentioned was a bit of a disappointment.

24. Best worldbuilding/most vivid setting you read this year?

City Of Glass by Cassandra Clare was probably the only book I read with any kind of worldbuilding since I read mostly contemporary book set in our world.

25. Book that put a smile on your face/was the most fun to read?

Twas The Nightshift Before Christmas by Adam Kay. Adam Kay books are perfect for putting a smile on your face.

26. Books that made you cry or nearly cry in 2019?

So many books made me cry in 2019! One that I don't think I've mentioned yet is A Quiet Kind Of Thunder by Sara Barnard. That was another really beautiful book.

27. Hidden gem of the year? 

Hard Pushed by Leah Hazard. It's not a popular book, I haven't heard a single person talk about it, but it was incredible. 

28. Book that crushed your soul?

This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp. This deal with a school shooting so I think that says it all. Contrary to popular opinion, I thought this was really well done and gave it 5 stars. It did definitely crush my soul though.

29. Most unique book you read in 2019?

Roar by Cecelia Ahern. I have never read anything like this and don't think I ever will again. On the surface it seems pretty normal, a collection of short stories about women, but the stories were so unique and unlike anything I have read before.

30. Book that made you the most mad?

Layover by Amy Andelson & Emily Meyer. I spent this whole book mad at how stupid it was. I was not a fan.

Your Blogging/Bookish Life

1. New favourite book blog/bookstagram/youtube channel you discovered in 2019?

I discovered Chandler Ainsley on Youtube towards the end of 2019 and I adore her. She puts out really original, well thought out content and I just love her personality as well. She is definitely a new favourite.

2. Favourite post you wrote in 2019?

I failed miserably at blogging in 2019 so I am not really happy with anything I posted. After the end/beginning of year posts in January, pretty much all I had time to post were wrap ups.

3. Favourite bookish related photo you took in 2019?

I also failed miserably with my bookstagram that I have been trying to get into for the last couple of years. I did post this photo, which I quite like and was basically the only one I put any effort at all into.

4. Best bookish event that you participated in?

It makes me so sad to say I didn't participate in any bookish events in 2019. I had a great year for events in 2018 with YALC and a load of signings, but I had no time for anything bookish last year.

5. Best moment of bookish/blogging life in 2019?

I had such a rubbish bookish year and I just didn't have any time to read or blog for the majority of the year. So for this I would probably say the least couple of weeks of the year when I finally managed to get back into reading and started to blog again, that was pretty great.

6. Most challenging thing about blogging or your reading life this year?

Like I just said, lack of time! I spent the first half of 2019 finishing university, which meant a whole lot of work, and then the second half adjusting to life after university and into full time employment. It was a lot and reading/blogging had to take a major back seat.

7. Most popular post this year on your blog?

My blog wasn't popular at all in 2019 because I had no time to put into it. Looking at views it seems to be my March Haul.

8. Post you wish got a little more love?

All of them? None of them? Honestly none of them really deserved much love because I didn't have the effort to put into them.

9. Best bookish discovery?

I discovered Scribd right at the end of 2018 and definitely made use of it in 2019. I then discovered Prime Reading towards the end of 2019, which no doubt I will made use of this year.

10. Did you complete any reading challenges or goals that you had set yourself at the beginning of the year?

I haven't looked back on my 2019 goals yet to see how successful I was. I will be looking back and reflecting on them in a future post coming very soon.

Looking Ahead

1. One book you didn't get to in 2019 but will be your number 1 priority in 2020?

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare. I really want to finally finish The Mortal Instruments series but I am reading the books in publication order so I need to read The Infernal Devices as well. I'm intimidated but I will hopefully get it done in 2020.

2. Book you are most anticipating (non-debut)?

3. 2020 debut you are most anticipating?

I just did a whole post on my most anticipated books of 2020, so you can find out about these questions here.

4. Series ending/a sequel you are most anticipating in 2020?

I'm actually not anticipating any sequels or series enders at the moment. 

5. One thing you hope to accomplish or do in your reading/blogging life in 2020?

I would really just like to be able to blog consistently for the whole year. I have lacked consistency in life in general for the past few years making it difficult to keep up with blogging. I am hoping now that things have changed in my personal life, I can get into more of a routine with blogging.

I always forget just how many questions there are in this thing but I'm so glad to be doing it again.

Sophie :)

2019 Bookish Statistics

One thing I really love about the end of a year is getting to look back at my bookish statistics for the year. I really love looking at the trends of my reading throughout a year, and I also really enjoy seeing how these differ from everyone else's.

Number Of Books Read...

- In Total: 43

- Under 250 Pages: 9

- Between 250-300 Pages: 5

- Between 300-400 Pages: 20

- Between 400-500 Pages: 8

- Over 500 Pages: 1

Number Of Pages Read...

- In Total: 13,219

Number Of...

- Hardcovers: 2

- Paperbacks: 7

- eBooks: 9

- Audiobooks: 15

- Mixed (eg PB & Audio): 10

- Rereads: 2

- DNFs: 1

- New Releases: 8

- Backlist Titles: 35

Number Of Books Rated...

- 5 Stars: 5

- 4.5 Stars: 1

- 4 Stars: 16

- 3.5 Stars: 7

- 3 Stars: 11

- 2.5 Stars: 2

- 2 Stars: 1

- 1.5 Stars: 0

- 1 Stars: 0

Authors Read...

- Male: 2

- Female: 36

- Mixed/Other: 5

Number Of...

- Adult Books: 14

- YA Books: 25

- NA Books: 2

- MG Books: 2

- YA Contemporary: 20

- Adult Romance: 4

- Adult General Fiction: 1

- Fantasy/Sci-Fi/Dystopian/Paranormal: 4

- Mystery/Thriller: 2

- Non-Fiction: 6

- Graphic Novel: 3

- Anthology: 1

This & That

- Longest By Pages: City Of Glass by Cassandra Clare (508 Pages)

- Shortest By Pages: Did I Mention It's 10 Years Later? by Estelle Maskame (25 Pages)

- Longest By Title: The Second Summer Of The Sisterhood by Ann Brashares

- Shortest By Title: Roar by Cecelia Ahern

- Longest On My TBR: Billy And Me by Giovanna Fletcher

- Shortest On My TBR: Twas The Nightshift Before Christmas by Adam Kay

- First Read Of 2019: The Potion Diaries by Amy Alward

- Last Read Of 2019: Verity by Colleen Hoover

I find these statistics really interesting. As usual, the majority of the books I read were between 300-400 pages, my average length according to Goodreads was 307 pages. My ratings are also looking the same as previous years with most books getting 4 stars, an average rating of 3.8 according to Goodreads. One very obvious change is how I am reading my books. For the first time ever, I read more audiobooks than physical or ebooks in 2019, and often chose to listen to the audiobook and read the physical/ebook copy. I obviously made good use of my Scribd account, which I got at the very end of 2018. I didn't read as many new releases in 2019, probably as I was requesting a lot less from Netgalley. That is something I might look into changing this year as I enjoyed keeping more up to date with new releases in 2018. These statistics really give me a lot to think about regarding my goals for 2020.

What statistics do you find the most interesting?

Sophie :)

All The Books I Read In 2019

I had a very odd reading year in 2019. It started out so well; I read 10 books in January, which I think is the most I've read in a month. However, it didn't last. I ended up only reading 3 books a month for half of the year, and even went 2 months without reading anything! I did manage to read a total of 43 books in 2019. This does mean I didn't reach my Goodreads challenge goal of 50, but considering the strange year I think that is still a pretty impressive number. Let's get into all of the books I read over the year.

January

- The Potion Diaries by Amy Alward - ★★★★ - Review
- A Quiet Kind Of Thunder by Sara Barnard - ★★★★
- Scrappy Little Nobody by Anna Kendrick - ★★★½
- Fierce Fragile Hearts by Sara Barnard - ★★★★★ - Review
- Billy And Me by Giovanna Fletcher - ★★★½
- Giant Days Vol 1 by John Allison, Lissa Treiman & Whitney Cogar - ★★★
- Giant Days Vol 2 by John Allison, Lissa Treiman, Max Sarin & Whitney Cogar - ★★★
- Seven Ways We Lie by Riley Redgate - ★★★
- Roar by Cecelia Ahern - ★★★★ - Review
- Pivot Point by Kasie West - ★★★★

Febraury
- Sleepovers by Jacqueline Wilson - ★★★★
- The Butterfly Club by Jacqueline Wilson - ★★★★
- Panic by Lauren Oliver - ★★★½
- Talking As Fast As I Can by Lauren Graham - ★★★½
- Giant Days Vol 3 by John Allison, Lissa Treiman & Whitney Cogar - ★★★
- Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty - ★★★½
- Everything Leads To You by Nina Lacour - ★★★★½
- City Of Glass by Cassandra Clare - ★★★★

March
- Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire - ★★★
- This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp - ★★★★★

April
- Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough - ★★★★
- Hard Pushed by Leah Hazard - ★★★★★
- The Start Of Me And You by Emery Lord - ★★★★

May
- Strictly Between Us by Jane Fallon - ★★½
- Lucky In Love by Kasie West - ★★★
- Her Royal Highness by Rachel Hawkins - ★★★★

June
- The Second Summer Of The Sisterhood by Ann Brashares - ★★★
- Did I Mention It's 10 Years Later? by Estelle Maskame - ★★★★★
- Girl In The Mirror by Cecelia Ahern - ★★½

July
- Listen To Your Heart by Kasie West - ★★★½
- Did I Mention I Love You? by Estelle Maskame (reread) - ★★★★
- Becoming by Michelle Obama - ★★★★

August
None

September
None

October
- All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven - ★★★
- The Wrong Side Of Kai by Estelle Maskame - ★★★
- How To Love by Katie Cotugno - ★★★

November
- Postscript by Cecelia Ahern - ★★★★★
- Layover by Amy Andelson & Emily Meyer - ★★
- Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston - ★★★

December
- Every Heart A Doorway by Seanan McGuire - ★★★★
- Your Life In My Hands by Rachel Clarke - ★★★½
- What Light by Jay Asher (reread) - ★★★★
- Twas The Nightshift Before Christmas by Adam Kay - ★★★★
- Verity by Colleen Hoover - ★★★★

Those are all 43 of the books I read in 2019. I will go into more detail about some of these books and my reading year in general in future posts, but I always like to see my year in books laid out like this. 

Did you read any of these books in 2019?

Sophie :)

December 2019 Wrap Up

And just like that, it's 2020! December has flown by in a complete whirlwind, I can't believe it's wrap up time already. I'm super happy to say I managed to get back into reading during December, despite it being as busy as it always is. I read a total of 5 books, which is actually the most I have read in a month since February!

Every Heart A Doorway by Seanan McGuire - 

To be honest, I had very little intention of ever picking this up until I did. I was looking on Scribd for short audiobooks that I could listen to in an attempt to get me out of a slump and to get me that bit closer to my Goodreads goal. I had heard a lot about this first book in the series, which follows children who have visited portal worlds, think Narnia, and attend a school designed to help them adjust to the struggles of returning to this world. It was such a unique concept that I was immediately intrigued, and the murder mystery plot really drew me in and kept me hooked. While this isn't a book I would typically reach for, I found myself really enjoying the world and wanting to discover more about the characters. It is amazing what Seanan McGuire managed to do in such a short book, I can't wait to see what the rest of the series holds.

Rating: 4/5

Your Life In My Hands by Rachel Clarke -

As I had only read one other medical non-fiction book earlier in the year, I decided to fit another in before the year was over. This is a memoir of a junior doctor in the NHS, primarily focusing on the situation surrounding the junior doctor strikes of 2016. As can be expected from the time period this book covers, it is far more politically focused than many other similar memoirs. This is not the book to read if you are looking for some fun stories of life as a doctor, this is the hard-hitting truth of the struggles facing the NHS. As an NHS employee, I found this book to be very interesting and full of really important information - in particular, it looks at the junior doctor contract dispute and subsequent strikes from the true perspective of the doctors, rather than that portrayed by the media at the time. However, I feel this could be a pretty boring, dry read for those not overly interested in the politics of it all or the struggles facing the NHS and it's staff.

Rating: 3.5/5

What Light by Jay Asher -
This one was a reread. I first read this back in 2016 and thought it was an adorable Christmas read, but since then have read a lot of negative reviews. I decided to give it another go to see if my opinions would be different a few years later. This follows a girl whose family runs a Christmas tree farm in Oregon, where she lives for the majority of the year, but every Christmas they run a Christmas tree lot in California, where she lives a second 'Christmas' life. One Christmas she meets a boy with a bit of a bad reputation and, of course, starts to fall for him. I was happy to discover my feelings on this book did not change the second time around. I still really enjoyed this story, it really got me into the Christmas mood, and thought the romance was cute. It's nothing special, nothing that hasn't been done many times before, but it was a really sweet Christmas romance with added friendship and family elements that I enjoyed.
Rating: 4/5

Twas The Nightshift Before Christmas by Adam Kay -
Adam Kay's previous book 'This Is Going To Hurt' was one of my favourite books of 2019, so when I saw that he had written this Christmas book I was desperate to pick it up. This is another memoir of Adam Kay's time as a junior doctor in the NHS, but this features many a funny story from working over the Christmas period. This was a super short, quick read, but still filled with laugh out loud stories. I didn't enjoy this quite as much as This Is Going To Hurt, probably because it was so short and simply a collection of funny stories, but it was a lot of fun.
Rating: 4/5

Verity by Colleen Hoover - 
At the very end of the last month of the year, I discovered Amazon's prime reading feature. It was like a Christmas present in itself to discover that I have the option to borrow Kindle books from the somewhat limited selection at no extra cost. Though, like I said, the selection is limited, this was one of the books available, which just happened to be a book I was interested in. I had not read any Colleen Hoover previously, though I do own some and have been wanting to for a while, but I was really interested in her mystery/thriller novel having heard such great reviews. This follows a woman who accepts a job finish a successful book series after the author is in a car accident and unable to finish it herself. She moves in to the family home in order to sort through the authors' notes and begins to think not everything is quite what it seems. I went in to this totally blind and was completely surprised. I was hooked from the start and it constantly kept my attention. It was just the right amount of creepy and though the mystery was quite easy to predict, it kept reading as I always needed to know what happened next. I thought it was written well and the characters were so well done; mostly unlikable but with the little hint of some redeeming quality. As I said, I found the mystery a little easy to predict and the ending fell a little flat, but overall I really enjoyed it.
Rating: 4/5

I had a pretty good end to my reading year. I read more in December than in most other months of the year, and they were almost all 4 star reads. I don't think I have anything to complain about there.

What was the best book you read in December?

Sophie :)

What I've Been Watching: Christmas Edition

As I have mentioned already, I like Christmas quite a lot. I have my favourite Christmas movies that I watch every year, usually multiple times, but I do try out some new ones each year. I thought it might be fun to share the Christmas movies, and TV show, I have watched so far this holiday season.

Let It Snow - This is the Netflix adaptation of the novel by John Green, Maureen Johnson and Lauren Myracle. I read the book last year and enjoyed it, so I was super excited that this was being adapted. This follows a group of teenagers in a small town during a Christmas Eve snowstorm. I actually ended up being a little disappointed by this film. It wasn't a bad film, but it almost felt like nothing really happened. It had its cute moments and a few festive bits, but probably not one I'm likely to watch again.

A Christmas Switch - This is basically a Christmas version of Freaky Friday. Two completely different women end up in the others body and have to live their life during the holiday season. If I'm being honest, this wasn't that great. It's obviously a concept that has been done many times before, but this wasn't done very well. I wouldn't recommend this one.

Merry Happy Whatever - Unlike anything I have seen before, this was a Netflix Christmas show. The story itself is not unusual, a girl brings her boyfriend home to meet the family and it doesn't go quite as smoothly as everyone hoped. I wasn't loving it after the first episode but decided to keep going and I'm really glad I did. I ended up really enjoying it and got pretty invested in the story. I would definitely recommend giving this a watch.

Christmas In The Heartland - This is another switching movie! In this one, two teenagers on their way to spend Christmas with grandparents they have never met decide to switch places. This was a pretty average teen movie that I almost gave up on. It really wasn't great to start with, the acting was bad and the story was slow, but it did get better. It was very predictable and even more cheesy than the usual Christmas movies. However, it wasn't terrible and I did find it quite sweet in the end.

A Bad Moms Christmas - I watched Bad Moms a few years ago and really enjoyed it so it was nice to finally get around to watching the Christmas sequel. This movie follows the three mothers from the first movie who have to deal with the stress of the Christmas season, but with their own mothers turning up to add to the madness. I really enjoyed this, though not as much as the first, and thought it was a super fun Christmas movie. Although I am not a mother, I thought it was super relatable at showcasing the stress of Christmas, while most other movies like to paint the picture of a perfect, stress free holiday season. The cast is great, the plot is never dull and pretty funny, and there is a nice heartfelt message to it as well.

A Christmas Prince - This was probably the biggest surprise of the Christmas movies I have watched this year. It follows a reporter who is sent to write a story about a Prince and ends up under cover as a tutor in the palace. I enjoyed this way more than I was expecting to. It was pretty predictable but it was also really sweet. I enjoyed the story and ended up quite invested in the relationship. There are another two movies in this series available on Netflix and I can't wait to check them out.

That is everything Christmassy I have watched so far this year, well except all of my usual favourites. I will for sure be watching more in the next couple of days, so they will most likely feature in a future What I've Been Watching post.

Do you have any Christmas movie recommendations for me?

Sophie :)

Four Christmas Book Recommendations

I love books, I love Christmas, of course I love Christmas books! I've read a few Christmas/holiday themed books over the last few years, some hits but also some definite misses. I thought, since were getting pretty close to Christmas, I would share some of my favourites that I have read over recent years.

(full disclosure: I haven't actually read all of these, they were just the only Christmas books I had to hand)

1. My True Love Gave To Me edited by Stephanie Perkins

This is an anthology filled with 12 amazing holiday stories written by popular YA authors, edited by Stephanie Perkins. These stories cover a variety of holidays, not just Christmas, and feature some of the most adorable couples. I haven't read this since 2015, so I definitely need to reread it soon. I do have a full review, in which I go into detail about each individual story, if you want to know more.

2. Let It Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson & Lauren Myracle

I read this one last year, after putting it off for a while after hearing some mixed reviews, and ended up really enjoying it. This book features three interconnected stories taking place during a Christmas Eve snowstorm in a small town. I absolutely loved Maureen Johnson's story, really liked John Green's story, and thought Lauren Myracle's story was just okay. As a whole though, this was a really fun, super sweet book that definitely got me in the Christmas spirit.

3. The Gift by Cecelia Ahern

This is another one I read last year and was a real surprise for me. It's a little bit odd, and took me a bit to get into, but I ended up loving it. It follows a man who struggles to juggle work and home life and claims he needs to be two places at once, who meets a homeless man outside his office and gets him a job. However, everything isn't quite as it seems. It's a great story, with a hint of fantasy/paranormal that Cecelia Ahern does so well, that has a really great message.

4. What Light by Jay Asher

As I write this I am in the process of rereading this one to see if I still love it quite as much as I did back in 2016. This is about a girl who essentially lives two lives - one during the majority of the year at her family's Christmas tree farm in Oregon, and another at Christmas at their tree lot in California. One Christmas she meets a boy, who of course has a bed reputation, and begins to fall for him. I thought this was the most adorable Christmas read.

What Christmas books would you recommend I check out next?

Sophie :)

What I've Been Watching Recently Part 1

I haven't posted an update on the movies and TV shows I've been watching for the longest time, so I thought it was about time I did just that. I found that when my life was pretty crazy I reached for the remote rather than a book, so I have quite a lot to cover and will need to do this in two parts. This isn't in any kind of order because I can't remember all the way back to April!

Friends Seasons 5-7 - As I have said before, I have watched this show so many times but never every episode in order so I have been rewatching it in order slowly over the year. I have always and will always love this show! Season 5 onwards are my favourite seasons so I have really been loving watching them again. 

The Last Summer -  This is a Netflix movie that I decided to watch because it has KJ Apa in it, but I now can't remember anything else about it. I know it's a romantic comedy about four friends during the last summer before they go off to college. I liked it okay at the time but it is so forgettable that I forgot I even watched it. 

Glee Season 1 - I decided on a whim that I wanted to start rewatching Glee. I watched the first two seasons when it first aired and then gave up on it, so I wanted to give it another go. I am a huge musical theatre fan and am not averse to anything cheesy but Glee was just too much even for me. I forgot how cringey and just plain bad the first season of this show is. Honestly, I struggled to get through it. One of my friends absolutely loves the show and has convinced me it gets better, so I might try and keep going at some point.

Otherhood - This is another Netflix movie and another one I would say is pretty forgettable. It's about three mothers who decide to surprise their adult sons after they forget Mothers' Day. It is meant to be a comedy but I didn't really find it that entertaining at all. In fact, the only thing I really liked about it was Jack Lacy.

After - This was a total surprise. I wasn't going to watch it because I hadn't read the book and was considering doing so first, but in the end I just decided to watch it without reading the book first. I didn't know what to expect but I definitely didn't expect to love it as much as I did. This is, like I said, based on the book After by Anna Todd, and follows a 'good' girl who moves away to college and meets a 'bad' boy and of course she falls for him. It's nothing that hasn't been done before but I just thought it was so adorable and I was completely invested. 

Good Sam - This was another Netflix movie that I enjoyed slightly more than the others. It follows a reporter who is made to cover a story about people finding bags of money on their doorstep and she is trying to uncover who is doing it. This was a nice, sweet movie but it was quite predictable and is a storyline I have seen done better before. I would say it's a good feel-good movie but nothing super special.

The Good Place Season 3 - I was loving this and then stopped watching it for ages and I don't know why. I decided to finish off the third season in time for the fourth (which I still haven't started yet) and loved it just as much as the rest. If you don't already know, this is a series basically about the afterlife. It is absolutely hilarious and they have taken the show in so many weird and unexpected places, I can never tell what is coming next. I just think it's amazing and don't want it to have to end.

Someone Great - Yet another Netflix film, yet another disappointment. This is another romantic comedy following a girl who's long term boyfriend breaks up with her and her two best friends try to give her a good night to get her out of her depression that follows the breakup. I was expecting great things given the cast, but it fell flat for me. It was just like any other 'party' romcom and didn't do anything different of special. I didn't really enjoy it at all.

Falling Inn Love - So basically, I've been watching a lot of Netflix films this year. This was a sweet little romantic comedy about a girl who, after losing her job and boyfriend in the same week, wins an inn in New Zealand, which turns out to be needing a lot more work than first appeared. Obviously there is very nice to look at local who offers to help her with the work needing done and everyone knows where this is going. It was cute and had some pretty funny moments, but it was very predictable and I got a little bored.

Ghosts Of Girlfriends Past - I have no idea why I decided to watch this but it popped up on Netflix so I decided to give it a go. Unfortunately, this was just bad! It is about a 'womanizer' who is haunted by ghosts of former girlfriends during the lead up to his brother's wedding. I didn't find it funny, it was pretty boring and really feels like a waste of an hour and a bit.

Death In Paradise Season 7 - I somehow skipped a season and watched season 8 before 7, so I obviously had to go back and catch up. I love a murder mystery so this is the perfect show for me, plus is has some comedy mixed in to make it such a fun watch. Every episode is so clever, I am always being surprised and can never guess the ending. I will never get bored of this.

That was basically everything I have been watching on Netflix over the past few months. In part 2, I'll chat about the things I've been watching on all other platforms. Netflix seems to have been my go to recently.

Do you have any good Netflix recommendations for me?

Sophie :)