Hauling More eBooks

 I haven't hauled any eBooks since November and it's no secret that I tend to acquire a fair amount of them. I did get a Kindle Unlimited subscription so I have cut back a bit on buying or downloading free ebooks outwith KU, but I have still picked up some. I'm not including any KU books in this haul, mainly because I tend to just download them as I want to read them. I did still get my hands on almost 30 books that were either free or on sale in the last few months.

1. Paper Princess by Erin Watt - A girl moves in to a posh mansion with a bunch of rich brothers after her mother dies. I've heard a lot of mixed things.

2. Hero by Lauren Rowe - A romance between a firefighter and a physical therapist. The first book in the Morgan Brothers series.

3. Duty Of Care by Dr Dominic Pimenta - A memoir of a doctor during the Covid pandemic.

4. Deep In The Heart by Alexa Padgett - A romance with an up-and-coming country star.

5. Send Me Crazy by T Gephart - A romcom involving a firefighter and a pair of panties sent to the wrong address.

6. Wicked In Winter by Jennifer Bernard - A romance set in Alaska that sounds like enemies-to-lovers.

7. Drive Me Wild by Julie Kriss - A second chance romance with a bad boy hero and lots of secrets.

8. You're The One by Layla Hagen - A friends-to-lovers, marriage of convenience romance.

9. Royal Player by Katie McCoy - A sports romance featuring a tennis player who is also a Royal.

10. The Wedding Game by Meghan Quinn - An enemies-to-lovers romance featuring a DIY wedding reality TV show.

11. Columbine by Dave Cullen - A non-fiction discussing the events of the school shooting at Columbine High School.

12. The 24-Hour Cafe by Libby Page - A story following two best friends over the span of 24 hours in the 24-hour cafe they work in.

13. The Roommate by Rosie Danan - A forced proximity romance between a good girl heroine and the stranger she ends up with as her roommate.

14. The Only Plane In The Sky by Garrett M Graff - A non-fiction discussing the events of 9/11.

15. Shipped by Angie Hockman - An enemies-to-lovers romance between two colleagues who are forced to go on a cruise together.

16. Like A Boss by Logan Chance - A romance in which the heroine discovers her one night stand is her new boss.

17. Resisting Roots by Audrey Carlan - A sports romance between a baseball player and a yoga instructor.

18. Push The Envelope by Rochelle Page - A NA sports romance with a rugby player hero.

19. Weekend Wife by Erin McCarthy - A fake engagement romcom with a billionaire hero.

20. My Twisted Fortune by Piper Rayne - A small town, second chance romance set in Alaska.

21. My Best Friend's Mardi Gras Wedding by Erin Nicholas - A small town, fake dating romance.

22. One Night Only by Lauren Blakely - A MFM menage between an heiress, her bodyguard and a rockstar.

23. Shutout by Jami Davenport - A second chance sports romance with a hockey player hero.

24. Chicago Blaze Books 1-2 by Brenda Rothert - A bind-up of the first two books in a sports romance series following a hockey team.

25. Baby Mine by Kennedy Fox - A roommate romance between the hero, who's best friend recently died in an accident, and the best friend's girlfriend.

26. Say You'll Stay by Corinne Michaels - A second chance romance between a struggling single mother and the man who broke her heart.

27. Co-Ed by Rachel Van Dyken - A NA reverse harem romance.

28. Exes & Goals by Heather C Myers - The first book in a sports romance series following a hockey team.

My eBook library is never ending. As always, I have no idea when I'll get around to picking these up but hopefully I'll get to some of them soon. 

Do you recommend any of these? What should I read first?

Sophie :)

February 2021 Wrap Up

 February is always a bad month for me and this year was no exception. My mental health was at a pretty low point at the beginning of the month and then, just when that was improving, my physical health became the issue. Blogging just wasn't even on my mind, but thankfully I did still manage to read a bit. I didn't read quite as much as I would have liked, mainly because I was so exhausted when I was ill that I couldn't concentrate to read more than a sentence or two. Novellas and shorter books were my friends in February and I managed to read 8 books. 

Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevado - 

This was given so much hype last year, and won the YA fiction category of the Goodreads awards, so I had been putting it off a little as I was scared I wouldn't love it as much as everyone else. This is a novel written in verse following two sisters, one living in the Dominican Republic and the other living in New York City, who only discover the existence of the other after their father dies in a plane crash. I am very new to novels written in verse, I have only read one other, so that took me a little time to adjust to. However, once I had I ended up really loving the way this book was written. I listened to the audio book while reading it physically and found the narration to be perfect. The story itself was incredibly powerful. We are introduced to these two very different sisters, living very different lives as they come to terms with the tragedy that brings them together. The relationships within this book, both the relationship they have with each other and those they have with others, are what makes this such a beautiful story. I loved getting to know these sisters and watching them grow and develop on their journey throughout this book. It was just really beautiful and I highly recommend it. I only wish I had read this at a different time, I really feel like I would have rated this higher had I been in a different mindset, as I can't really think of much I disliked.

Rating: 4/5

Higher Love by Alexandria House -

This is one I picked up at random because the audiobook was pretty short and I just wanted something quick and fun. It is a romance following a travel blogger who discovers her fiance is engaged to another woman via facebook while she is at a music festival as part of a work trip. She decides to throw herself into the festival fun to forget about her heartbreak, which ends in a bit of fun with a mysterious handsome man. When a business deal brings them back together, they decide to give things a go. I really loved the first half of this book. I loved the festival fun, the beginning of the relationship and seeing the characters develop in the beginning. I also really enjoyed how they were brought back together and how they handled the situation they found themselves in. However, there were a lot of things about the latter half of the book I did not enjoy. I hated the jealous ex trope in here and couldn't deal with just how crazy things got with Derek's ex. The drama that ensued and how over the top the conflict was just got too much for me.

Rating: 3/5

Set by Alexandria House -

Since I really enjoyed the writing in Higher Love, just not quite how the story played out, I decided to give Alexandria House another go. Set is the first novella in a series following three brothers. The first book deals with a friends with benefits arrangement between two former school classmates who meet again as adults. This was super steamy and a lot of fun. Once again, I really loved the majority of this but the ending really let me down. I was so ready to love this, but Set just became far too overbearing and possessive for my liking. He was making decisions on Kareema's behalf without even a conversation, and she would just go along with whatever he said. I was really disappointed that I didn't end up loving this as much as I thought I was going to.

Rating: 3/5

Eleanor & Grey by Brittainy C Cherry -

This is easily my favourite book I have read in 2021 so far! I have heard so many amazing things about Brittainy C Cherry so decided it was finally time to pick up one of her books. Eleanor & Grey follows our main characters as they first develop a relationship in high school as they bond over similar tragedies in their lives, before they are separated for a number of years. The two later find themselves back in each others lives as adults, but circumstances are very different than they used to be. This is an emotional read. It deals with topics such as cancer and loss of a loved one, so be aware going into it that these feature heavily. I adored this book! I loved watching their relationship develop as teenagers and how they helped each other through their difficulties. It was such a pure love story and I just completely fell in love with both characters in the first part. The second part was hard to read. Yes, the first part deals with difficult topics, but the second part broke me. Grey is broken, and the difference in his character from the first part is just heart-breaking. The way Eleanor came back into his life was perfect. I loved the relationships she formed with his children as their nanny. I love children in books and I completely fell in love with these ones. I basically just loved this book and I still can't form coherent thoughts about it so I will stop before I just gush about it forever.

Rating: 5/5

The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory -

From a new favourite to a disappointment, unfortunately. I have owned this ebook for years and finally got around to picking it up. It follows two strangers who get stuck in an elevator together, during which time Alexa agrees to be Drew's fake girlfriend at his ex-girlfriend's wedding. I love fake dating, I love books about weddings, this should be my ideal book, right? Sadly, all the things I love that feature in this book were over within the first quarter of the book. This couple fake dated for a whole weekend! After that I had another 200 pages of weekend trips back and forth, bad communication and a whole lot of inaccurate medical stuff. If you're going to make your hero a paediatric surgeon, at least know what the job actually involves and get the basic medical facts correct! I could have gotten over the medical inaccuracies if the plot had been interesting (I am a Grey's Anatomy fan after all) but it just wasn't for me. I really thought I would love this one, I'm so sad I didn't.

Rating: 2/5

Worship by Jack Harbon -

After having success with my first Brittainy C Cherry book, I decided to pick up something from another author recommended by Bree from In Love And Words. I had heard her raving about this novella from Jack Harbon, so I gave it a go. This follows two former classmates who reunite at their ten year high school reunion and things get steamy. This is really short but absolutely adorable. It is childhood friends to lovers, small town, and is the definition of a hero worshipping the ground the heroine walks on. I absolutely adored this relationship and really loved Jack Harbon's writing. My only complaint, as is often the case with novella's, is that I wish it was longer. I would happily have read a full length novel about these characters.

Rating: 4/5

The Babysitter by Jack Harbon -

Of course, after enjoying my first Jack Harbon novella so much I had to pick up another. This one is even shorter and is a M/M romance between a babysitter and the father of the child he looks after. This is super steamy with a bit of an age-gap to make it even more taboo than just the boss-employee relationship. I really liked this for the most part. However, I haven't read a lot of age-gap romances and I'm not entirely sure they are for me. I just wasn't a fan of the age gap, although that may have been more to do with the image I had in my head of Victor, the father. I just can't picture a 'Victor' that is not a super old guy! I did really like the ending though and I enjoy Jack Harbon's writing a lot.

Rating: 3/5

Year Of Yes by Shonda Rhimes -

So technically I finished this one on March 1st but we're counting it for February because I make the rules here. This was my non-fiction book for the month and once again I think I accidentally picked the perfect book that gave me exactly what I needed to hear and think about at that specific moment in time. I picked this up because I adore Shonda Rhimes. I think she is an incredibly talented human being and I wanted to know more about her personally. This book follows her journey on the year in which she said yes to all the things that scared her. This was exactly what I needed to be reading about and thinking about at that time! I really enjoyed this book. It not only gave me more of an insight into who Shonda Rhimes is as a person and how she manages to her success, it was an inspiring read about breaking out of your comfort zone and challenging yourself to do what scares you the most. As a very introverted person, I could relate to so much of what she had to say and it has really helped me to see that someone who struggles with some of the same things I do managed to so the things that scared her the most and is still here to tell us all about it. Another really great non-fiction read.

Rating: 4/5

Those were all 8 of the books I read in February. I wasn't at all focused on my goals this month, but I'm still interested to see how I did. You can see all of my yearly goals here.

I, for some reason, decided it would be a good idea to up my Goodreads goal for the first time ever and challenge myself to read 100 books in 2021. This will most likely go back down to 50 when I realise I am never going to manage that. For now though, I am one book ahead of schedule.

I did managed to read February's Buzzword, which was a colour, with Eleanor & Grey.

I didn't read any books from my physical TBR in February, but I am going to make more of an effort to do that in March.

The Black Author Readathon took place over the month of February to celebrate Black History Month, meaning every book I read in the month was by a Black or mixed race author. 

I did try reading something new to me, which was a sci-fi novella that I ended up having to DNF as it just wasn't for me. I would consider a novel written in verse to be pretty new to me, as well as an age-gap romance.

I don't think I am doing too badly with my 2021 goals, although I am definitely make some more of a priority than others. It will be interesting to see if this continues throughout the year.

Did you discover any new favourite books in February?

Sophie :)

February 2020 Wrap Up

The beginning of 2020 has seen me make a bit of a comeback in terms of reading. I am out of the horrible slump I was in for the majority of the second half of 2019 and back to reading a decent amount of books each month. However, I am yet to find a good balance and have been neglecting blogging again. When I'm not working, which I feel like I am doing constantly at the moment, I'm relaxing by reading or watching TV, rather than taking some time to blog. I'm hoping I can manage to find a better balance soon. So, while I didn't blog much in February, I did manage to read 8 books, including my first 5 star of the year.

Giant Days Volume 4 by John Allison, Max Sarin, Liz Fleming, Whitney Cogar & Jim Campbell - 

I started this graphic novel series towards the start of last year and then kind of forgot about it. The series follows three friends throughout their experience at university. This is probably my favourite volume so far as I found the storylines to be very relatable and just fun to read about. I never find these graphic novels to be anything really special, but I do enjoy picking them up for a bit of a 'palate cleanser' between books.

Rating: 3/5

One Of Us Is Next by Karen M McManus - 

This is the sequel to her debut novel One Of Us Is Lying, which was one of the first ARCs I ever received and one I quite enjoyed. This book follows a group of teenagers still dealing with the aftermath of the events of the first book. However, they are now also having to deal with a game of Truth Or Dare, that has the potential to become dangerous if they don't find out who is controlling it. I wasn't sure what to expect from this book but I ended up really loving it. I enjoyed it even more than the first book and was completely hooked from the very beginning. I really enjoyed getting to know some characters from the first book a bit better, as well as being introduced to some new characters. I thought the story was very gripping, I kept needing to know what happened next, but I did see some of the twists coming. 

Rating: 4/5

Evidence Of The Affair by Taylor Jenkins Reid -

This is a short story told in the form of letters. After a woman finds letters from the woman her husband is having an affair with, she decided to write to that woman's husband to inform him of what was going on. The two strike up a friendship through their letters and things develop from there. I really disliked this short story. I knew where it was going from the start and that was a direction I really didn't enjoy. I don't even think the writing was that great, so I basically spent the entire time wondering what the point of the story was.

Rating: 2/5

Giant Days Volume 5 by John Allison, Max Sarin, Liz Fleming, Whitney Cogar & Jim Campbell - 

I picked up a second volume of this series in February and, sadly, this one ended up being my least favourite so far. I felt that all of the stories were completely random, there was no flow to them and they didn't progress the overall storyline in any way. I still enjoyed it enough, I just enjoyed the others more.

Rating: 3/5

Roomies by Christina Lauren -
After hearing so many people rave about Christina Lauren, I decided to finally give their books a try. Roomies is a marriage of convenience romance following a woman who offers to marry the busker she has been obsessing over for months so that he will be able to work for her broadway composer Uncle. I ended up being pretty disappointed in this book. I found it to be a little bit boring, the plot just didn't keep my attention and I wasn't bothered about what happened next in the story. I also didn't enjoy the romance, there wasn't much of a connection between the characters at all that I could see, and things seemed to progress far too quickly. I will give more of their books a go, but this one wasn't for me.
Rating: 2/5

Critical: Science and Stories from the Brink of Human Life by Dr Matt Morgan -
I haven't been picking up non-fiction quite as often as I would like so far in 2020 so decided to finally get around to some more. This is a memoir from an intensive care doctor, focusing on the progress of intensive care over the years as well as featuring stories from his practice. While I did somewhat enjoy this book, I had some issues with it. I found the stories interesting and gained quite a bit of knowledge from them, and really enjoyed the way the book was structured. However, I had some issues with the writing. The author appeared to struggle with finding the right balance in his writing, which meant some terms and situations were over-simplified and explained in intense detail, while others were not explained at all. I think it was an interesting read as someone in the healthcare profession wanting to learn more about other areas, but for the reader who is just wanting an insight into the work of a doctor, it is not the most accessible or readable book of it's kind.
Rating: 3/5

The Day The World Came To Town: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland by Jim DeFede -
My second non-fiction read of the month was one I am so glad I picked up. I am a massive fan of the musical Come From Away, which tells the story of the planes diverted to Newfoundland after US airspace was closed on September 11, 2001. This book tells the true stories of the people and circumstances the musical was based on. I loved every second of reading this book. It really is a story that emphasises the good in humanity and reminds us of the people we should all strive to be. I loved learning more about these people and the true kindness they were shown during such a horrific time. It is also written so well that it is almost as if you are there watching these people going through their experiences and feeling their raw emotion. I get emotional just thinking about this book, and the stories it tells. I would definitely urge everyone to pick it up.
Rating: 5/5

Call It What You Want by Brigid Kemmerer -
From one extreme to the other, this was another super disappointing read. I really enjoyed my first Brigid Kemmerer book, More Than We Can Tell, so had high hopes for this one. It follows two high school students who, through personal and family scandals, have become outsiders in their school and society, but are paired up for a project and have to get to know each other. The premise of this sounded really good to me, but the execution was entirely different than I expected. These characters were truly terrible. They were trying so hard to prove that despite their respective scandals they were not terrible people, but their actions within the book made them terrible. I couldn't stand Maegan comparing her situation to Rob, when his life had essentially fallen apart while she made one little mistake and had a pregnant sister. It infuriated me! I also didn't like the way the story went, a lot of the subplots seemed unnecessary and the big twists at the end were kind of predictable. The only thing I enjoyed about this book was Maegan's sister's story, I would much rather have read a book just about that.
Rating: 1/5

I guess February was a good month in terms of quantity, compared to the end of last year, but pretty awful in terms of quality. While I did read my first 5 star book of the year, everything else ended up being really disappointing. Hopefully I can read more books I enjoy in March.

What was the best book you read in February?

Sophie :)

What I've Been Watching | February 2019

I know I'm a month behind but I've been so busy, apparently watching a load of TV and movies, to be keeping up to date with blogging. I will have my March viewing wrap up coming soon but for now, I watched a lot in February so we better get started.

Blockers - This is a comedy about parents who find out about their kids pact to lose their virginity on their prom night and set out to stop them. It was just fine. It did have some funny parts but a lot of it wasn't really my humour. I really liked the cast but the film just fell flat for me.

Back With The Ex Season 1 - I was so hooked on this show, I watched it in like two days. I love a good trashy reality show and that was exactly that. It follows four former couples trying to work things out and get back together. I loved it, I'm already wishing for a second season.

Moana - I'm super late to the party with this one but I finally got around to watching Moana. I had heard such amazing things about it but I always watch Disney movies 100 years after everyone else. This is the story of a girl who is called to the sea but her family want her to stay and rule her island. I adored this film. The story, the music, the comedy; everything was done so well. This might even be my favourite Disney 'princess' film.

The Good Place Season 2 - I watched season 1 in January and ended up loving it so had to carry on. Season 2 was even better! I just love where they are going with this story, they have such creative ways of keeping it going. This show is hilarious and I'm trying so hard not to power through season 3 because I don't want to wait super long for the fourth.

Like Father - Oh I so wanted to love this! I love Kristen Bell and I'm going on a cruise later in the year so thought with this being set on a cruise ship it would be great to get me excited for that. Unfortunately, I was so bored. This is the story of a woman who gets left at the alter and, after a drunken night, ends up on her honeymoon cruise with her estranged father. The funny parts weren't that funny and the serious parts were just boring. This was a disappointment.

Friends Season 3 & 4 - Like I said in my January post, I am rewatching Friends as I have seen every episode but never watched it start to finish in order. I love this show and I always find it so comforting to watch, it's the one show that I will always watch when I'm ill. I'm really enjoying watching it again, no matter how many times I watch these episodes I will never get bored of them.

Abducted In Plain Sight - This is a documentary about a young girl who was abducted and it is quite possibly the strangest thing I have ever watched. I spent the entire time shouting "What The Hell" at my TV and just when I thought it couldn't get any worse, something else happened. It is so unbelievable and so incredibly screwed up that I still can't believe this was real life. 

That is everything I watched in the month of February. It might not seem like much for many but that is a lot for me, I tend to go through phases of watching shows and movies. 

Have you watched any of these things? What did you think of them?

Sophie :)

Wrap Up | February 2019

I'm posting my February wrap up 3 days before the end of March so clearly it didn't take me long to fail at blogging in 2019! Due to being crazy busy, and then crazy ill, the blog has had to take a major back seat during March. Reading has also taken a major back seat, as I have yet to read a single book this month, so I'm hoping talking about some of the great books I read in February might give me a bit of motivation to pick something up.

Sleepovers by Jacqueline Wilson -

This was a book I remember loving when I was younger, so when I saw the audiobook available through my library I decided to see how I would feel about it as an adult. I ended up enjoying it just as much. It's a lovely story of friendship, that also focuses on different home situations and things that make people 'different'. As is typically the case with Jacqueline Wilson books, this is a fun story with a really important message for young readers to learn from.

Rating: 4/5

The Butterfly Club by Jacqueline Wilson -

This was the February pick for Maddie & Bee's Jacqueline Wilson book club. As it was one I had not read before, and was available through my library, I decided to join them in reading it. This is about the smallest of triplets who is separated from her sisters, who always look after her, when they start in a new class at school. This is another really great story about friendship, but also about stepping out from the shadows of other siblings to become your own person. It is longer than any of the other Jacqueline Wilson books I have read before, but it read just as quickly as her shorter works. I enjoyed this a lot more than I expected to.

Rating: 4/5

Panic by Lauren Oliver -

Finally! This book has sat on my TBR shelf for longer than most, it was one of the first books I ever hauled on this blog back in 2014, but I just never picked it up. I finally forced myself to read it in February and enjoyed it as much as I expected I would. I have no idea why I didn't pick it up sooner. Panic follows a group of graduating seniors in a small town who spend their summer taking part in a high stakes game involving facing their fears. If a blurb mentions some kind of game or competition, I am definitely intrigued. While I did find the game aspect fun and it kept me turning the page, it was a little underwhelming. I wanted more! The characters were fine and the plot kept me reading, but it was somewhat forgettable (really though, I can't remember it at all).

Rating: 3.5/5

Talking As Fast As I Can by Lauren Graham -

I adore Lauren Graham so this was the most fun book to read. I listened to it on audiobook during a long drive and Lauren's narration almost felt like she was sat beside me telling me about her life. It is her memoir, following her through her early life and career to the Gilmore Girls reboot and everything in between. I loved learning more about her life and career, as well as getting some fun behind the scenes information from both Gilmore Girls and Parenthood. I had a blast reading it but, like I often find with these kinds of books, some parts were a little bit dry. I would definitely recommend giving it a read, though.
Rating: 3.5/5

Giant Days Volume 3 by John Allison, Lissa Treiman, Max Sarin & Whitney Cogar -
I started this graphic novel series in January and was enjoying it enough to continue on but wasn't loving it. I actually ended up enjoying volume 3 a little more than the first two. I don't remember much about it now, if I'm being honest, but I do remember finding it more engaging and being more invested in the story and these characters. I am interested to see where the series will go and follow more of the journey of these characters.
Rating: 3/5

Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty -
I read Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty last year and enjoyed it so much that I knew I wanted to read more from her. When I saw her latest release available from my library I was excited to give it a go. The premise is quite vague so I wasn't sure what I was going into, and I finished the book still not entirely sure what I had read. It follows nine individuals as they attend a health resort, each with their own different reasons for being there, but the health resort isn't quite what they expected. This was one of the strangest books I have ever read and I did consider giving up on it a couple of times. As I was listening to the audiobook I decided to power through, but it remained just as confusing throughout. The characters were annoying and the plot was somewhat dull when it wasn't completely frying my brain, but I kind of liked it. It's a weird one. I definitely want to read more from this author.
Rating: 3.5/5

Everything Leads To You by Nina LaCour -
This book was the unexpected star of the month! I'm pretty sure I only bought it because I liked the cover and left it sitting on my shelf for a couple of years, before picking it up at random in February. I didn't even know what it was about going in to it, but completely fell in love with it straight away. It is about a girl who designs film sets and is given her brother's apartment for the summer on the condition that something great take place there. The book follows her summer adventures and quest for "something great" after her and her best friend discover a secret about a movie legend. I fell in love with everything about this book - the film and set design aspect, the characters, the friendship, the adorable f/f romance - it was all amazing. In all honesty, I don't remember why I didn't give this book a full 5 stars.
Rating: 4.5/5

City Of Glass by Cassandra Clare -
After being on my TBR every month for almost a year, I finally read City Of Glass! I have been wanting to carry on with the series but just wasn't picking this book up, for whatever reason. This is book 3 in the Mortal Instruments series, which I have been trying to finish for about 3 years now. I really enjoy this series while I'm reading the books but seem to forget that in between. When I first started reading City Of Glass, I wasn't sure if I was outgrowing the series as I wasn't loving it quite as much, but that soon changed. I ended up enjoying the third book just as much as the first one. I will definitely be trying to finish this series again this year.
Rating: 4/5

Those were the 8 books I read in February. Thank goodness I started off the year strong as March has been pretty disappointing in comparison. 

Did you read anything great in February?

Sophie :)

Wrap Up & Haul | February 2018

Oh February, what a month you have been! February has been a really hard month for me in my personal life but somehow I still managed to keep reading. Despite the obvious lack of books featured in the image below, I actually managed to read 7 books in February! That's even more than January so I'm really happy with that, even though most of them were ebooks and audiobooks and my goal for 2018 is to reduce my physical TBR. There's always next month for that though, right?

City Of Ashes by Cassandra Clare -

I finally continued The Mortal Instruments series! I read the first book back in 2016 and then, for whatever reason, never picked up the second book. I'm definitely glad I finally continued with the series, after rereading the first book last month, as I really enjoyed this second instalment. There were a few aspects of the story I didn't enjoy, like the annoying love triangle, which meant I didn't like the second book as much as the first. Hopefully the aspects of the plot I didn't love will not be as much of a focus as the series continues.

Rating: 3.5/5 | Review

The Last Laugh by Tracy Bloom -

Tracy Bloom is an author who has been a bit hit or miss for me in the past, having really enjoyed one of her books and really not enjoying another. This is her most recent release and very different to the other books of hers I have read. This book follows a woman who finds out she has terminal cancer on the same day she discovers her husband is having an affair. However, rather than face up to these things, she decides to throw a party. It was quite a strange plot, not something I have ever read before. Generally, it was nothing special, with pretty average characters, but enjoyable enough.

Rating: 3/5 | Review

Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll -

I picked this book from my library's audiobook selection, as it was one I had previously been interested in, and I must admit I'm glad I didn't spend my money on it. I really wanted to enjoy this book, especially since it is compared to Gillian Flynn's works, but sadly did not. This book is mystery/thriller about a woman who spent much of her adult life trying to reinvent herself following a traumatic event as a teenager. I found this pretty boring and very predictable. It definitely did not live up to the Gillian Flynn comparisons, in my opinion.

Rating: 2/5 | Review To Come

They Both Die At The End by Adam Silvera -
This book has such an interesting premise: two boys receive a phone call from informing them that they are going to die today. This instantly made me want to read this book and I'm glad I did. I found the idea of knowing the day you will die really interesting and I think the whole 'living your last day as best you can' concept was done very well. The only thing I didn't love about this book was the relationship. I always have a hard time with relationships that develop over one day and this one was, sadly, not the exception.
Rating: 3.5/5 | Review To Come

Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda -
I'll be completely honest here, I had no intention of reading this book until I saw the trailer for the movie and then decided to give it a go in order to go and see the movie. Whatever my reasoning behind it, I'm so glad I read this book. It was completely adorable. It follows a boy who has an online email relationship with an anonymous boy in his school, but has yet to come out to his family or friends. However, his emails are discovered by a classmate who threatens to make them public. I loved Simon and his relationship with Blue, especially what we got to see through their emails that were included in the book. I had a couple of issues with some of the other characters, but overall I really enjoyed this story and the ridiculously adorable relationship.
Rating: 4/5 | Review To Come

The Initiation by Chris Babu -
I had heard nothing about this book but as soon as I read the synopsis on Netgalley I was so intrigued. This is a YA dystopian about a young boy who enters a dangerous test within the abandoned subway tunnels of what was previously Manhattan. I enjoyed this book for the most part. I really enjoyed reading about the Initiation itself but there were other aspects of the book, particularly the main character, that I didn't enjoy.
Rating: 3/5 | Review

Weightless by Sarah Bannan -
This is a book I picked completely at random from the selection of audiobooks available through my library. I had never heard of it before but decided to give it a go. It's about a new girl who had moved to a small town in Alabama and shakes things up at her new school. It is essentially a story of bullying and how teens treat each other. I really enjoyed the way this book was written, it was told from the perspective of 'we', yet we never find out who 'we' are, and the reader is made to feel like they are involved in the story. This makes the overall message seem even more poignant. It was a good, powerful read, but nothing that blew me away.
Rating: 3/5

As well as managing to read 7 books in February, I'm also super proud of the fact I didn't buy a single physical book! I am trying to reduce my book buying again this year by only allowing myself to buy any physical books after reading 5 books. Despite reaching that second lot of 5 books, I didn't buy any! I did, however, take advantage of the Kindle Valentine's deals and treated myself to three ebooks.

Fallen Too Far by Abbi Glines - I'm really wanting to read more New Adult books this year and Abbi Glines is an author that is always recommended.

The Hating Game by Sally Thorne - Everyone I know that has read this book has absolutely loves it! It gets raved about constantly, I want to see what the fuss is about.

Instructions For A Second-Hand Heart by Tamsyn Murray - This was one of my most anticipated releases of 2016 but I never picked it up. I'm excited to get to this one!

I didn't have the best reading month in February in terms of ratings but I did read a good amount for me and even picked up some books I had never heard of. Here's hoping March will be an even better reading month.

What did you read in February? Any new favourite books?

Sophie :)

What I've Been Watching | February 2017

I decided to start this little TV/movie wrap up post last month and really enjoyed recapping what I had been watching in the month of January. I figured since I enjoyed doing it I would just carry it on as a monthly thing. I didn't watch much TV in February as I've been so busy, but I did manage to fit in a few movies.

TV

Riverdale - I most definitely jumped on this bandwagon and now I'm pretty much obsessed. I had no interest in watching Riverdale until I saw a picture of Cole Sprouse as Jughead and fell in love a little bit. I'm completely up to date and watch it pretty much as soon as it comes on Netflix on a Friday, if I'm not working that is. I hate watching shows one episode at a time and usually wait for a while so I can watch a few episodes at once but I just can't wait to watch more. Also I ship Bughead so hard I can't even deal with it!

What It's About: "A subversive take on Archie and his friends, exploring small town life, the darkness and weirdness bubbling beneath Riverdale's wholesome facade."

Easy - This came up on my recommendations on Netflix so I decided to give it a go. I only managed two episodes and spent the whole time wondering what on earth I was watching. I don't understand this at all really and I don't think I'll be continuing with it. 

What It's About: "Intertwined groups of friends in Chicago fumble through the modern maze of love, sex, technology and culture."

Movies

Dark Places - I really loved Gillian Flynn's novel that this movie is based on but I ended up being a little disappointed in the movie. As is usually the case, the book is much better than the movie. It wasn't bad and remained pretty close to the book but it didn't blow me away. Nicholas Hoult was perfect and highlight of the movie for me.

What It's About: "Libby Day was only eight years old when her family was brutally murdered in their rural Kansas farmhouse. Almost thirty years later, she reluctantly agrees to revisit the crime and uncovers the wrenching truths that led up to that tragic night."

Be Somebody - This is a complete guilty pleasure movie. I shouldn't have enjoyed it but I just couldn't help myself. It's cheesy and quite obviously aimed at teens but there was something about it the just made me smile. Matthew Espinosa reminds me a lot of an ex-boyfriend of mine that I'm still friends with so that probably added to the enjoyment.

What It's About: "Pop superstar Jordan Jaye has a big dream - he just wants to live like a regular teenager. When he's chased down by some excited female fans, he finds a perfect hideout and a reluctant new friend from a small town, high-school art student, Emily Lowe."

Country Strong - I love country music so this seemed right up my street as it is about a country singer and stars Leighton Meester, who I love. This was an okay movie, but nothing all that special. I got a bit bored for some of it but it picked up towards the end and I ended up loving the last quarter. I really loved some of the songs featured in the film, that was the best part for me.

What It's About: "A rising country-music songwriter works with a fallen star to work their way to fame, causing romantic complications along the way."

Me Before You - I read Me Before You in February and watched the film the day after finishing the book. Again I would probably say the book was better but I really loved the film as well. I thought it was a great adaptation but it did miss aspects I enjoyed from the book. I loved the cast, which I know a lot of people didn't. I love Sam Claflin, actually he's the only reason I read the book in the first place becuase I wanted to see him in the film, but I completely understand the criticisms of casting him in the role of Will. I thought Emelia Clarke was a perfect Lou though. I also thought this movie had incredible music, it added so much to the story. Loved this film.

What It's About: "A girl in a small town forms an unlikely bond with a recently-paralyzed man she's taking care of."

That is everything I watched in the month of February. I would love any movie recommendations you have based on what I've been watching recently, I'm always looking for new movies to watch.

What have you been watching recently?

Sophie :)

Wrap Up & Haul | February 2017

I can't even comprehend that it is already March! Where has the year gone already? First things first, I apologise for being a pretty rubbish blogger recently. I was so proud of myself for keeping to a pretty good blogging schedule for the first month or so of the year and now I have ruined that already. I have to do placements as part of my university course and I just recently started one. As a result, I am doing three 12 hour shifts a week and one day at uni, while also having assignments due and other life things to take care of. I am exhausted and struggling to find time to fit in everything I need to do. I am trying my hardest to blog when I can but throughout the month of March I will probably be posting quite infrequently, just whenever I have a bit of spare time. Also, the content probably won't be the most imaginative or unique so I apologise for that as well. Once March is overwith I should be back to normal.

Anyway, back to my reading month in February. I only read 4 books in February, which isn't the best compared to the 8 in January. However, like I mentioned, I have been on placement so I haven't had much time to read. I would say it was a pretty average reading month. I don't think I'll be able to make up for it in March but I'm really hoping I can have a great April, we'll see.

The Twins At St Clare's by Enid Blyton -

This is the first book in the St Clare's series. I started this series when I was younger and really loved it. It's a great boarding school series with a lot of fun and mischief. I got my hands on a box set of the series for pretty cheap so I have been wanting to reread and finish the series. I really enjoyed the first book, it's just as much fun as I remember. Obviously as these are aimed at children and I am in my 20s I'm not exactly the target audience, but I enjoyed it all the same. 

Rating: 3/5

The Sun Is Also A Star by Nicola Yoon -

I had a strange relationship with Nicola Yoon's debut novel, Everything, Everything, in that I absolutely loved how it was written but the story fell flat. I was so excited to read her second novel, knowing that I loved her writing style so much. The Sun Is Also A Star follows a girl who is about to be deported back to Jamaica and a boy who she meets the day before she leaves. I wanted to love it but sadly I had the same issue as with her previous book. I loved the way it was written but wasn't a fan of the story itself. There was just too much instalove for me, and a few other things I had a bit of an issue with. It is definitely not a bad book, the story just wasn't for me.

Rating: 3/5 | Review | ATY Challenge: #8 Written by a person of colour

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes -

I had put off reading this for so long because the hype scared me off, as it so often does. I was desperate to watch the movie, as I love Sam Claflin, but just couldn't bring myself to read the book. I finally did it in February and I am so glad I did. I listened to this on audiobook and I really enjoyed it. I loved the characters, I thought Lou in particular was great. But more importantly, I think this book deals with a very important topic, and one that can bring about some important conversation. There is a lot of controversy surrounding this book, which I am going to talk about in an upcoming post, but I personally really enjoyed it.

Rating: 4/5 | Review | ATY Challenge: #3 Meant to read in 2016

All I Know Now by Carrie Hope Fletcher -

I absolutely love Carrie. I love her Youtube videos and can't wait to see her in The Addams Family musical this year. As a fan of hers, I of course wanted to read the first of the two books she has written. All I Know Now is a non-fiction book basically giving advice to teenagers with real-life examples of what Carrie has gone through. As much as a love Carrie, I really didn't like this book. I know I'm not the target audience but I don't even think I would have liked this as a teenager. I found it to be very preachy and as though Carrie was making herself out to be better than everyone else. I don't believe that is how she meant to come across but it felt a lot like that for me. I listened to this on audiobook which was narrated by Carrie herself and even got that impression from the narration. What I did love, though, was the audiobook extras, particularly the sibling tag with Tom. 

Rating: 2/5

I am pretty proud to say that once again I have stuck to my 2017 goal of reading 5 books before I buy any more. I have decided to allow myself to buy two physical books after reading 5, although if I desperately want 3 I'm not going to be too strict on myself. In February I bought two physical books, was accepted for my first two eARCs on Netgalley (which I can't quite believe) and accidentally bought one eBook.

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness - This is one of the books for my Around The Year In 52 Books challenge that I didn't previously own. The movie trailer made me really want to read it.

By Your Side by Kasie West - One of my most anticipated releases of 2017. Kasie West is one of my favourite authors, I can't wait to get to this one.

Windfall by Jennifer E Smith - Another of my most anticipated releases of 2017, and the first ARC I was ever accepted for on Netgalley! Another one of my favourite authors so I can't wait to read this.

One Of Us Is Lying by Karen M McManus - Another ARC from Netgalley. This synopsis sounds so intriguing, I'm so drawn in already. It sounds like a great mystery/thriller, which I'm really in the mood for just now.

Until Friday Night by Abbi Glines - I accidentally bought this on my Kindle. Don't ask me how because I'm not entirely sure. Luckily it was one I wanted to read and only 99p.

Did you have a better reading month than me? Did you have any great 5 star reads? Did you get your hands on any books you were super excited for?

Sophie :)

Haul | February & March 2016

I finally have another book haul to share! I decided that while I was being all slumpy I should put myself on a book buying ban to stop my already pretty big TBR pile from growing any more so, as the timing was convenient, I decided to give up buying books for lent. I don't usually do the whole lent thing but it did make it easier to stick to when I had a specific end date. That did mean, however, that when I was allowed to buy books again, I most definitely did so! I also bought one book before the ban started and a pre-order arrived in the middle so that stopped any buying urges.

Wonder by RJ Palacio - This was a complete on a whim purchase. I saw it in a charity shop and had heard some good things so decided to give it a go.

My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick - I can't resist a cute contemporary and this is always raved about so I had to pick it up.

The Start Of Me & You by Emery Lord - I really enjoyed Open Road Summer so I thought I would try some of her other stuff.

Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon - Everyone has been raving about this recently and the concept sounds really interesting.

Extraordinary Means by Robyn Schneider - I wanted to read this as soon as I found out about it early last year and I finally got my hands on it.

Flawed by Cecelia Ahern - The author of my all-time favourite book writes a YA novel, of course I'm getting that the second it's released!

The Marble Collector by Cecelia Ahern - I am aiming to read all of Cecelia Ahern's books so I'm just collecting them as I see them now.

The Infernal Devices series by Cassandra Clare - I will read this and TMI this year! Or at least I'll make a start. But obviously I needed these first.

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi - Finally I have decided to read this series. I was on the fence for so long but I've decided I'm doing it.

Unsouled by Neal Shusterman - I started the Unwind series forever ago so I really need to finish it this year.

Happily Ever After by Kiera Cass - I need the last book in the series right now but this will just have to do. 

Emmy & Oliver by Robin Benway - The cover is so pretty I just had to do it. Plus, its a contemporary (my fave) and it has great reviews.

Solitaire by Alice Oseman - As soon as I found out the main character was a blogger I knew I had to give it a go.

Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma - This book has intrigued me for so long. I mean it's incest, but everyone raves about it! I want to know what the fuss is about.

Ebooks (not pictured)

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard - So. Much. Hype. 

Dash & Lily's Book Of Dares by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan - It was cheap and everyone seems to read it around Christmas so why not.

Did I Mention I Love You? by Estelle Maskame - I must have a thing about brother/sister love stories at the moment, should I be worried?

That is everything. Hopefully I won't be buying too many books for a while, I think I need to let my back account recover a little. What have you been buying recently?

Sophie :)

Wrap Up | February & March 2016

For the first time since I started blogging that I have had to combine two months into one wrap up! I have had so much going on in the past few months, both good and bad, that I haven't had time or been feeling like doing much reading or blogging. So rather than post a half-assed February wrap up with hardly anything to wrap up, this happened instead.

My Life In February...

- I had my first university interview for my first choice uni, which actually went well.

- I received an offer for that first choice uni and I am so happy about that!

- My mum had to have major surgery so that has resulted in some big changes at home.

- I went to see my favourite Collabro boys on their Act Two Tour in Glasgow.

- I then travelled down to Manchester to see the Collabro boys again in Manchester.

My Life In March...

- I went to see Collabro yet again in Carlisle with some of the best people.

- I got to go and support some amazing gymnasts at the Glasgow World Cup.

- I went to see a production of the Dolly Parton musical 9 to 5, which was interesting.

- For the second time in a few years I got my hair cut short to donate to Little Princess Trust.

- My little puppy had to have an operation! Luckily it went really well and he is completely fine now.

- Lent ended in March and as I gave up buying books I was so happy to see the end!

- I got some lovely new bookcases that I now can't stop admiring.

Watched In February...

- Scandal Season 1 - 3/5

- School Of Rock (rewatch) - 5/5

- Death In Paradise Season 1 - 3.5/5

- Legally Blonde (rewatch) - 4/5

- Blended - 4/5

- 8:46 - 3/5

- The Devil Wears Prada (rewatch) - 2/5

- Inside Out - 4/5

- Sing It On Season 1 - 5/5

- Pitch Perfect (rewatch) - 5/5

- Pitch Perfect 2 (rewatch) - 4/5

- Scandal Season 2 - 4/5

- The Big Wedding - 2/5

Watched In March...

- Scandal Season 3 - 3.5/5

- In Her Shoes (rewatch) - 3.5/5

- Scandal Season 4 - 3.5/5

- Death In Paradise Season 2 - 4/5

- Man Up - 4/5

- The DUFF - 3.5/5

- Elementary Season 1 - 4/5

Read In February & March...

Love Is The Higher Law by David Levithan - 

This was the only book I read in February and even though it was so tiny, it was definitely a good'un. This follows three teenagers during and in the months after the 9/11 attacks in New York. It explores how everyone reacted differently to the events and shows how the lives of the three main characters changed and became intertwined. I really enjoyed this book and if you would like to know more about my thoughts you can check out my full review here. 4/5

Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince by JK Rowling -

THREE MONTHS! That is how long it took me to read this book! Four months!! I started this at the beginning of December and didn't finish it until a week or so into March. It's not that I didn't enjoy this book, I really did, I just didn't enjoy it as much as I have the previous books. I struggled to stay interested as the plot was slower paced and it seemed to be more informative that action-packed like the previous books. I had also been spoiled for the horrible, sad thing that happens so I didn't find it particularly horrible or sad. 3.5/5

The DUFF by Kody Keplinger -

I had been wanting to read this for so long and then I got the movie for Christmas so the pressure increased. I decided after the Half-Blood Prince I needed something fun and easy so I picked this up. I was so surprised by how much I liked this book! I had heard mixed things but I thought it was a great, fun read. I loved both Bianca and Wes and the plot seemed so much more realistic to me than that of the typical YA contemporary love stories. It did take me a little while to get into, which lowered my rating, but I definitely enjoyed this book. 4/5

Confessions Of A Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella -

This was possibly the biggest disappointment of my reading in the past few years. Everyone raves about this series and how much they love Sophie Kinsella. Now, I don't doubt that Sophie Kinsella is a great writer but I absolutely hated this book. I couldn't stand the main character and as someone whose reading is very character-driven, this was a major issue for me. I just couldn't handle the stupidity of the decisions she made throughout the story. The only thing that improved matters slightly was the few parts that I found funny. 2/5

Blogged In February & March...

- I had a bit of fun with the Celebrity Book Tag.

- I shared my February TBR, most of which I read in March.

- I took part in Top Ten Tuesday's Top Ten OTPs topic.

- I reviewed Love Is The Higher Law by David Levithan.

- I reviewed The Geography Of You And Me by Jennifer E Smith.

So that was my mega wrap up of February and March. How has your reading been going so far this year?

Sophie :)

TBR | February 2016

I haven't given myself a set TBR since I think August of last year due to my lack of reading. I decided to start them up again for February in the hope that I will make more of an effort since I have a TBR written down. Whether this will work or not, I'm not too sure. I've decided not to be too ambitious and stick to just 5 books, one of which I am around half way through and one very short book.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by JK Rowling -

I've been reading the sixth Harry Potter book since the beginning of December and am still only about half way through, not because I'm not because I'm not enjoying it but just because I have had very little time to read it. I have been enjoying finally reading this series ad since I didn't manage to finish it in 2015 as I had planned, I aim to finish it by the summer of this year, which is definitely possible. I really hope to be able to finish this in February.

Confessions Of A Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella -

One of my goals for 2016 is to start 5 new series and one that I would like to start is the Confessions Of A Shopaholic series by Sophie Kinsella. I have heard so many great things about this series and for that reason I have been collecting the books in the series any time I see them. I have heard this is a very quick, funny read so I am hoping this will get me enthusiastic for reading again.

Love Is The Higher Law by David Levithan -

This is my very short book that I hope will be an easy one to get through in one sitting. Although easy may not be the best word, considering this book is set around the events of 9/11 and follows three main characters as they deal with 9/11 and attempt to cope afterwards. Since visiting Ground Zero and finding out more about 9/11 (most of which I was too young to really take in at the time) I am quite interested in the tragic events. Hopefully this will be a powerful, interesting read.

The DUFF by Kody Keplinger - 

I pulled this one out of my TBR jar for this month which I am very happy about as I got the DVD for Christmas and can't wait to watch it, but obviously I need to read the book first. I probably know less than most about this book since it's so popular, all I know is it is about a girl who is referred to as the DUFF (designated ugly fat friend) by the boy she hates, and then ends up in some kind of strange relationship with him. I am looking forward to finding out what more there is to this story.

The Kiss Of Deception by Mary E Pearson -

This was one of my Christmas presents this year and one of the books I have been wanting to read for so long. I decided to try and read my Christmas books quite soon as I have such a bad habit of buying/getting books and leaving them on my shelf for so long, even though I was desperate to read them. This was one of my most anticipated books as it is a little out of my comfort zone. It is about a princess who flees on her wedding day, only to be followed by two men - one the prince she left at the alter, the other an assassin sent to kill her. I've heard such great things about this book so I'm excited to get started on it.

What are you hoping to read in February?

Sophie :)