May & June 2021 Wrap Up

 In case you couldn't tell by the fact I was nowhere to be seen for the entire month of June, things have been a bit crazy around here. I moved house in June, which meant that everything else in my life took a major back seat. I didn't blog at all, I didn't even go on bookstagram to browse and I didn't do a whole lot of reading. Since I didn't get the chance to wrap up May before the madness began, I'm combining my May and June wrap ups. In May, I managed to stick with what seems to be my usual for 2021 and read another 8 books. In June, however, I only managed to get to 5 books. I don't think 5 is too bad considering how busy I have been, but it would have been nice to at least keep the consistency of 8 books a month.

I'm not going to go into too much detail, we do have 13 books to get through, so I would recommend checking out my bookstagram for more in details reviews which I will be getting to soon.

 

 

The Roommate by Rosie Danan -

This is a romance that seemed to take the community by storm towards the end of last year. It follows Clara, a clean-cut socialite, who moves across the country to move in with her crush, only to discover he is going away on tour and has rented out his room to Josh, a successful porn star. I love a good forced proximity romance and I really enjoyed this. It also had a bit of an enemies to friends to lovers thing going on, which is one of my favourite tropes in romance. The thing about this book that really stands out is the attitude towards sex. This is a very sex positive book, with a lot of talk about sex workers and the porn industry, which play a massive role in the story. It was refreshing and just a lot of fun to read. I enjoyed the characters and their relationship, and really enjoyed watching it develop. There were a few things, such as Clara's unhealthy crush, that I didn't love in this book, but I did have a good time reading it.

Rating: 4/5

People We Meet On Vacation by Emily Henry -

This was possibly my most anticipated book of 2021 and it did not disappoint. This book follows Poppy and Alex, friends since college who take a trip together every summer, until two years ago when everything went wrong. With Poppy feeling stuck in a rut, she decides it is the perfect time to reconnect with her best friend and convinces Alex to take one more trip with her. I loved this book with my whole heart. I didn't expect to love this more than Beach Read but this book was everything. Poppy and Alex are such flawed characters but the kind you can see yourself in and can't help but root for. I adored their friendship, both in the flashbacks to previous trips, and in present day. The friends to lovers romance was so perfect, I was completely in love with them. This book was just hilarious, while also being heartbreaking and incredibly sweet. I just loved it so much and want to reread it already.

Rating: 5/5

Wild At Heart by KA Tucker -

I read The Simple Wild in April and completely adored it, so I knew I had to pick up the sequel right away. Wild At Heart picks up right where The Simple Wild ended and follows Calla and Jonah as they navigate life as a couple. I knew I wasn't going to love this as much as the first book. I loved Calla and Jonah's banter and how the behaved around each other as they were getting to know each other and going from enemies to lovers, and I knew that aspect wasn't going to be as strong in an established relationship. However, I did still really love seeing them as a couple and experiencing the start of their journey as a couple. I did get irritated by things both characters did and how they behaved at points, but generally still loved them just as much as in the first book. I didn't love this one quite as much as the first book, but I did still really enjoy this sequel and getting to spend more time with these characters.

Rating: 4/5

Make It Sweet by Kristen Callihan -

This is one I picked up at random from KU. It follows Emma, the star of a popular TV show who has just discovered her character is getting killed off and that her boyfriend is cheating, and Lucian, an ex-hockey player struggling with his decision to leave the game he loves for the sake of his health. The two meet when Emma escapes to a secluded estate, which happens to be owned by Lucian's grandmother. This was fun but forgettable. I enjoyed the setting, the characters were fine and the plot was enough to keep me interested. Lucian is a really great chef and baker, which was an aspect I really enjoyed. In the end though, I found myself getting bored and wasn't a fan of the conflict.

Rating: 3/5

Forever Wild by KA Tucker -

I love this series so much I even had to read the Christmas novella in May. This is book 2.5 in the series and follows Calla and Jonah as they prepare to spend Christmas with both their families in their home. It was everything I never knew I needed, as a lover of both Christmas and this series. There was so much packed into 160 pages, it felt like full length novel. It wad fun, it had it's tense moments, but overall it was pure heartwarming goodness. I could read a million books about these characters.

Rating: 5/5

Take Me Home Tonight by Morgan Matson -

This was another of my most anticipated books of 2021, but unfortunately this one was a disappointment. It follows Kat and Stevie, two best friends who spend the night in New York City and everything that possibly could goes wrong. Morgan Matson is one of my favourite authors, so after waiting nearly 3 years I was very excited for a new book from her. Unfortunately, this just wasn't for me. Maybe I'm just getting too old for fun YA contemporaries, though I really hope not, but I just couldn't enjoy this one. This book is chaotic. Everything that could go wrong for these girls does and not one thing that happens is believable. I know I need to suspend my disbelief, but this book just took it to another level. I also really didn't like these characters. Their friendship is not good, which was sad as that is usually my favourite aspect of Morgan Matson's books. They are not good friends to each other and they both just really annoyed me in general. The one thing I did really love was the relationships that developed between Stevie and her step-siblings. I thought that was great and I would have much preferred to read a book that entirely focused on that. It did have it's good points, but it is definitely my least favourite of Morgan Matson's books. Don't even get me started on Teri's odd side plot.

Rating: 2/5

The Secret Note by Lauren Rowe -

This is a super quick novella and sadly another disappointment. It follows a girl who gets with her brother's friend on a camping trip and then the two reconnect years later. It was super short, not very steamy and pretty boring. I didn't care about the characters or their relationship, the plot was repetitive and dull and I didn't care for the writing. I have heard great things about Lauren Rowe, so I'm hoping this just isn't a good representation of her work.

Rating: 2/5

Love Her Or Lose Her by Tessa Bailey -

After reading the first book in the Hot and Hammered series in May, I was really interested in picking up the second book in the series. This follows a married couple, Rosie and Dominic, who we were introduced to in the first book, who were high school sweethearts but have recently found their marriage to be in trouble. Rosie is unhappy in her marriage and so decides the pair need a marriage boot camp. I enjoyed this book even more than the first. I haven't read a lot of romances featuring married couples but I really loved this one. I adored both of the characters and loved seeing them grow throughout the book. Rosie is such a badass, strong woman and I was just so proud of her by the end of the book. Dominic is a big alpha-softie who adores Rosie with all of his heart but struggles with how to show her, and is so completely lost without her. I was rooting for them from the very beginning and felt so immersed in their journey. They learnt so much about each other, and I actually took a lot from this book as well. I really enjoyed this book and can't wait to continue with the series.

Rating: 4/5

Shipped by Angie Hockman -

Since I'm not getting to leave the not-so-sunny UK any time in the near future, I have been reading my fair share of vacation books. That is why I picked up Shipped. This is an enemies-to-lovers romance following two employees, who are competing for the same job, who are sent on a cruise of the Galapagos Islands. Enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity, tropical cruise, these are all things I can get on board with in my romances. I really enjoyed the first three quarters of this book. I loved the whole cruise aspect and getting to go on some really exciting excursions with the characters in paradise. I liked the rivalry and the banter between the main characters and how their behaviours changed when they started to develop some feelings. I liked the friendships and the sibling relationship. This book was just so much fun, if a little lacking in the romance which I didn't mind too much, until we got to the end. The ending was over the top and then very convenient. I didn't find it believable and found it really took away from the ending the romance could have had.

Rating: 3/5

Romancing Mister Bridgerton by Julia Quinn -

I'm gradually making my way through the Bridgertons series and this was the one I was most excited about. This is Colin and Penelope's story and they are two of my favourite characters in the whole series. It is a best friend's brother/friends-to-lovers romance and it was adorable. As always, I freaking loved Penelope in this book. She is so strong and so confident for someone who is constantly looked down upon and talked badly about. My only disappointment in this book was, very sadly, Colin. I didn't like the way he behaved and some of the things he said at times and it actually made me quite sad. However, he did redeem himself and I still love him. I really enjoyed this story and this romance, although I found the romance to be quite sudden and would have liked more of a build up. I can't really say too much else without spoiling things, but overall I am really enjoying this series and this book was no exception.

Rating: 4/5

Once Ghosted, Twice Shy by Alyssa Cole -

This is a novella in the Reluctant Royals series, which I didn't realise going in as this is the only book in the series available from my library. It follows Likotsi and Fabiola, two women who had a short lived love affair that ended abruptly, who then bump into each other again months later and spend the day together. I don't know if I would have enjoyed this more had I read the previous books in the series, but I felt like I was missing something from the start of this book. While I really enjoyed the characters and them navigating the awkward situation they find themselves in as they try to rebuild a damaged relationship, I just never felt connected to the story. I think I needed to know about their first meeting before being thrown into their reconnecting in order to be invested in their relationship as much as I would have liked. I did still enjoy reading this and will probably pick up other books in this series.

Rating: 3/5

The Locker Room by Meghan Quinn -

This is a college baseball romance and the first in the Brentwood Boys series. It follows Emory, who transfers to a different college after a pretty horrific break up from her boyfriend of 6 years, and Knox, the star of the baseball team. The two meet by chance a couple of times before developing a friendship, but of course that starts to develop into something more. I love a sports romance, especially one set in college, so I was devouring this book. I loved it so much in the beginning. The friendship that developed between the characters, the effortless banter, the way they could be vulnerable with each other, I was loving it all. However, there is a time jump. Unfortunately, it all went a bit downhill for me after the time jump and I just didn't enjoy it as much. I think that is definitely a me thing and it wont stop me from picking up more books in this series.

Rating: 3/5

Like You Love Me by Adrianna Locke -

This is another one that I picked up at random from KU. It is a small town, childhood friends to lovers, marriage of convenience romance following Holden, a vet who comes back to town to help out his grandfather after ending his engagement and losing his job, and Sophie, who is struggling to save the B&B her grandmother left her. The two were best friends as children when Holden spent his summers in the small town and decide to get married in order to help Holden get his dream job. I liked the small town aspect, everyone knowing everyone, getting in each other's business and always being there to help someone in need out. I thought the childhood friends to lovers aspect was fine but I think the romance could have been developed a lot more, it was all a bit fast. Marriage of convenience doesn't always work for me and it didn't really do it in this book. I didn't agree with their decision and the reasoning behind it so couldn't get completely on board with it. Overall, while I enjoyed some aspects of it, this book just wasn't for me.

Those are the 13 books I read in May and June. Another mixed bag in terms of ratings, but some books that will definitely make it into my favourites of the year. 

Unfortunately, my lack of reading in June has put me way behind on my goal for the year, so hopefully I can catch up a bit in July. I'm also hoping to get back into the swing of blogging and posting on instagram now that I am more settled in my new home and hopefully things are going to calm down a little.

What was the best book you read recently?

Sophie :)

Top Ten Books On My Spring TBR

 

After a little bit of a break, I am trying to get back into the swing of things with blogging. This seemed like the perfect way to do that, especially as this week's theme is books on your Spring TBR. I am so glad we are moving away from the snow and closer to a bit of sun, I can't wait to enjoy being outside again! As usual, I am terrible at sticking to TBRs so probably won't read most of these books. I enjoy making them though, so here are the books I am most interested in getting to at the moment.

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl.

1. The Wreckage Of Us by Brittainy C Cherry - I have just discovered, and fallen in love with, Brittainy C Cherry and now I want to read all of her books. This is a NA rockstar romance.

2. Goodbye Perfect by Sara Barnard - Another favourite author of mine. This is the only one of her books that I haven't read yet and I want to get to it before her new release this year. This is a YA contemporary about friendship.

3. The Locker Room by Meghan Quinn - I've been loving sports romance recently and have been recommended this series, and this author in general. This is a NA sports romance following a baseball player.

4. A Court Of Thorns And Roses by Sarah J Maas - I have been wanting to read this for a while and now that my real life best friend won't stop raving about it, I definitely need to pick it up. This is a fantasy romance, which I don't really read.

5. Birthday Girl by Penelope Douglas - A NA boyfriend's dad romance, which is unlike anything I have read before. I have heard great things about this one so I think I'm ready to dip my toe into more taboo romance.

6. Dare To Fall by Estelle Maskame - Just like Goodbye Perfect, this is the only book by one of my favourite authors that I have yet to read yet and want to pick up before her newest release. This is a YA contemporary romance, but I think a bit more hard hitting than her other books.

7. The Guest List by Lucy Foley - I have had this on so many TBRs and haven't read it yet. This is a mystery/thriller about a wedding party on a deserted Irish island.

8. The Initiation by Nikki Sloane - This is another one a lot of people are raving about at the moment and I have FOMO so want to read it. I think this is a bit of a darker romance.

9. The Simple Wild by KA Tucker - This one has been on my radar for a couple of years now but I seem to be really in the mood for it recently. This is a NA romance set in Alaska.

10. The Viscount Who Loved Me by Julia Quinn - I really need to carry on in this series. As always, I have started a series and taken my time to continue it. This is a historical romance and the second book in the Bridgertons series.

Those are the ten books at the top of my TBR at the moment. Hopefully I will get to at least a few of them in the next couple of months. 

What books are at the top of your TBR list for Spring?

Sophie :)

May 2020 Wrap Up

It is June already and that is completely mad! This year seems to be flying by even faster than normal, despite how totally crazy the world is at the moment. I read a total of 8 books in May, plus one DNF, which is the most I have read in a month so far this year equal to February. I'm so glad that I am back to feeling the passion and enjoyment around reading that disappeared for me last year. Reading has definitely been a bit of an escape for me during these times and I'm not sure how I would have coped otherwise.

I can't post without mentioning the horrific events that have taken place in May. George Floyd was murdered by police. It is disgusting that this continues to happen. Things need to change. In the past week or so I have focused on closing my mouth and opening my eyes & ears in order to listen to educate myself. Please visit this website to see how you can help to support the Black Lives Matter movement. If you would like to recommend some books by black authors, please do so in the comments. I am aware that is not anyone else's job to educate me and will continue to educate myself, but if you feel passionate about a particular book, or any other resource, and would like to share it, please do so.

I've Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella -

After reading and not loving two Sophie Kinsella books previously, I decided to give up on her as I felt she just wasn't an author for me. However, I picked this one up as part of my 'Reading The First Books Added To My Goodreads TBR' post and was pleasantly surprised. I enjoyed it much more than I was expecting. For my full thoughts, check out that post.

Rating: 3.5/5

The Book Of Tomorrow by Cecelia Ahern -

This one I also picked up for that same post. Cecelia Ahern is one of my favourite authors, so I was excited to get to pick up another of her books and continue working my way through her backlist. I read this in a day and really enjoyed it. I give more of my thoughts in that post.

Rating: 4/5

Size 12 Is Not Fat by Meg Cabot -

Yet another for the first books I added to Goodreads post. I had no expectations going into it but this one was a disappointment. A lot of things about it annoyed me but the mystery aspect of the story wasn't too bad. Again, for my full thoughts, check out the post.

Rating: 2/5

The Biker by Jolie Day -

This is a romance short story that I found while randomly browsing the audiobook selection on Scribd so decided to give it a listen. It is about a woman who fled to a small town to escape her past but one night a biker crashes in the town, which was kind of her fault, and he ends up staying with her until his bike get s fixed. This was super short so obviously things move very fast. It was a fun, steamy story but also had a bit of plot to it. It actually had more plot to it than I was expecting and it took an interesting turn. It did seem a bit like it was trying to do too much in too short a story, so everything resolved very quickly and it could have benefitted from a few more pages.

Rating: 2.5/5

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer -

With the announcement of the release of Midnight Sun, of course I had to reread the Twilight series. This is the series that got me into reading again and will always hold such a special place in my heart. This was my third reread and I still enjoy it every time. Obviously, this series has its problems. The problematic elements are pretty clear when reading it as an adult, and I can acknowledge and appreciate it's issues, but I will always enjoy reading these books. I think rereading this series is exactly the kind of comfort read I need during these uncertain times. 

(I will not be changing my ratings for any of these books during rereads, even if my feelings for any of them change).

Rating: 4/5

Let's Get Textual by Teagan Hunter -

I was in the mood for a fun romance and had seen a few booktubers I watch recommend this one recently, so when I saw the audiobook on Scribd I decided to give it a go. This is a new adult romance following a girl who receives a text from a wrong number, but rather than ignore and delete she ends up texting this random guy back. I really enjoy the 'wrong number' trope and it was done well in this one. The chemistry between the two characters was clear, even just in the texts, which had me rooting for them from pretty early on. I really liked that this book didn't drag things out for too long. The texting went on just long enough before they met in person, and then the relationship progressed at a good, steady pace after that. I thought the conflict was handled well, it wasn't completely dramatic and was resolved in a fun way. I had a fun time reading this and would like to pick up the other books in this series at some point in the future.

Rating: 4/5

New Moon by Stephenie Meyer -

Continuing on with my Twilight reread, I picked up the second book in the series. I have never reread past the first book, so I really enjoyed this reread. New Moon was my least favourite in the series originally, and for the first quarter of the book I could see why. Bella was pretty insufferable for a lot of the book, but I found myself really loving Jake and the time those two spent together. I'm finding a lot of my initial feelings for this series changing, but my overall love for these books remains. I can't wait to carry on with this reread.

Rating: 4/5

What Makes Us Stronger by Freya Lewis -

I wanted to read this book to mark the third anniversary of the Manchester Arena attack on May 22nd. It's a short book so I thought I could easily read it in a day. However, this book was so hard to read for me that it ended up taking me until the end of the month. This is a non-fiction book, telling Freya's story of the attack and how it changed her life. Freya was seriously injured in the attack and also lost her best friend. Although I wasn't there and didn't have anyone close to me who was, the Manchester Arena attack really affected me, and continues to do so. This book was hard to read, but it was worth every second. Freya is an incredibly brave young woman, not only for what she has been through, but also for how she has shared her story. In her book, she gives her recollection of the events on the night, as well as sharing about her injuries, how they affected her, her recovery in hospital and beyond, and how she has used what happened to do so much good. It is heartbreaking, it is eye-opening, and it is so inspiring. 

Rating: 5/5

Those are the 8 books I read in May. This was the first time I had read a themed TBR for a blog post and I really enjoyed the experience, I think it actually encouraged me to read more. I'll definitely be doing more like that in the future. It was a varied month in terms of ratings, some hits and some misses, but I really enjoyed my reading throughout the month.

What was the best book you read in May? Is anyone else rereading the Twilight series following the Midnight Sun announcement?

Sophie :)

Wrap Up | May - September 2019

Life is crazy. Blogging is hard. I read some books, let's talk about them while I have a spare five minutes!

In all seriousness, I am currently the busiest I have been in a long time and blogging has had to take a serious back seat. I am trying to post wrap ups when I can, but I doubt I'll have anything more than that for at least the next month or so. I've hardly even had time to read recently, which makes me quite sad, but I did manage 3 books in May, 3 in June and 3 in July.

Strictly Between Us by Jane Fallon -

This was a complete cover buy, but sadly not one that paid off this time. This follows a woman who uses her assistant as bait for her best friend's husband, who she is convinced is cheating, and things get very messy. It turned out to be a bit of a disappointment. I disliked most of the characters and didn't really see any kind of character development, they stayed selfish and unbearable for the whole book. I also wasn't a fan of the cheating storyline. I'm not someone who always dislikes cheating in books, I think a cheating plot can be done well, but I didn't like this one. Especially as I felt many characters did not receive any consequences for their actions and blame seemed to be placed predominantly on one party when many were involved. It did have some redeeming qualities; it has some funny moments, there was one characters I liked, and it was a pretty quick read for being over 400 pages. However, it was still a disappointment.

Rating: 2.5/5

Lucky In Love by Kasie West -

Speaking of disappointing reads, I am so sad to say this is possibly my least favourite book from one of my favourite authors. I adore Kasie West but this story just fell flat for me. This is about a girl who wins the lottery and has to deal with all the changes it brings, including how differently people are suddenly treating her. I'm generally not a fan of lottery win storylines and this was no exception. I didn't dislike the book, I just found the plot to be predictable and filled with unnecessary drama. The characters were fine but forgettable and didn't live up to what I have come to expect from Kasie West's books. I guess I can't love everything she writes.

Rating: 3/5

Her Royal Highness by Rachel Hawkins -

This is the second book in the Royals series, a series following a Scottish royal family and American teens who find themselves involved in royal drama. The second book is set in a Scottish boarding school and find American Millie sharing a room with the princess of Scotland. I have such mixed feelings about these books as a Scottish person myself. After reading Royals, I claimed that it would have been a 5 star read had it not been set in Scotland as I found many of the inaccuracies too difficult to ignore. However, I went into this book with the mindset of the Scotland in this book being entirely fictional, which made it a lot easier for me to simply laugh at the inaccuracies and focus on enjoying the story. I think these books are so much fun! I love all the characters and particularly loved the boarding school setting in this second book. I also really enjoyed the romance and found myself really rooting for them from the outset. As long as you don't believe this is what Scotland is actually like, I would definitely recommend giving these books a try.

Rating: 4/5

The Second Summer Of The Sisterhood by Ann Brashares -

After reading the first book in the series two years ago, I decided it was definitely time to continue with the second book. The second book takes place the summer after the first, as the girls once again go their separate ways for the summer with the travelling pants to keep them connected. This was a different reading experience for me as, unlike with the first book that I read after watching the movie so many times, I did not know this story at all. I didn't enjoy this as much as the first, particularly as I didn't enjoy Carmen's storyline, but I still had a lot of fun being with these characters again. I loved Bridget's story in this book and really enjoyed seeing her character grow and develop so much. I can't wait to carry on with the rest of the series.

Rating: 3/5

Did I Mention It's 10 Years Later? by Estelle Maskame -
This short novella/bonus chapter was released to celebrate the anniversary of the release of Did I Mention I Love You? It takes place 10 years after the end of the DIMILY trilogy and was a lovely insight into how all of the characters are doing in the future. This was so lovely to read as I often finish books or series and wonder how the story would continue - if couples would stay together, new friendships would last, family issues would be resolved - so I enjoyed getting some of those answers. The DIMILY trilogy is a favourite of mine, so of course I loved this.
Rating: 5/5

Girl In The Mirror by Cecelia Ahern -
Let me just say that I adore Cecelia Ahern, she is one of my favourite authors. However, this wasn't for me at all. Girl In The Mirror features two short stories, one of the same name and The Memory Maker. One I thought was just fine, the other I didn't understand at all, but I couldn't tell you which one was which. In fact, I don't really remember a much about either. I think that tells you my general feelings. Disappointing from a favourite author.
Rating: 2.5

Listen To Your Heart by Kasie West - 
Kasie West is another of my favourite authors, as I already mentioned, and as far a I can remember I enjoyed this book. It follows a girl who ends up as the host of her school's podcast, which is completely outside of her comfort zone, and has to give advice to callers; including a guy asking for advice about his crush, who she believes to be her best friend. It was pretty typical Kasie West, fun and cute with a sweet romance and some nice friendships. It wasn't my favourite of hers but it did give a great Summer vibe, with the lake being a big part of the story, which was exactly what I was looking for.
Rating: 4/5

Did I Mention I Love You? by Estelle Maskame -
This was a reread for me. After reading Did I Mention It's 10 Years Later, I was desperate to go back and read this first book in the series again. I have a full review of this book, and the series as a whole, and I stand by pretty much everything I said in both. I did enjoy this more upon reread, I think as I had more of a connection to the characters and the story, but did still have the same issues as I had the first time around. This is my least favourite in the series, but I do still love this book, and the series as a whole.
Rating: 3.5/5 (maybe 4 this time)

Becoming by Michelle Obama -
If you don't know about this book, where have you been? This is Michelle Obama's memoir, following her life and journey to becoming one of the most influential women in the world. I have huge respect for her, I think she is an incredible woman, and this absolutely grew and grew while reading this book. I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Michelle Obama herself, which added another level to the reading experience. I felt as though she was sitting in the car with me, telling me all about her life. I found it so interesting to hear all about her upbringing, her career, and particularly to find out more about her as a person, rather than Barack Obama's wife. As with most memoirs, I did get a little bored at some parts, but overall, it was a really interesting and enjoyable book.
Rating: 4/5

And that is it. I didn't read a single book in August or September, which is so disappointing as that is the longest I have gone without reading a book in years! However, life is just so crazy at the moment. I am happy to report that I have read a couple in October so far, which I will hopefully be able to share with you at the end of the month, if I can get myself back on track. For now though, those were all the books I read in May, June and July.

What is the longest you've gone without finishing a single book this year? Any tips for finding time to read when life is too crazy?

Sophie :)

Haul | May 2018

I bought some books in May. After a good start to the year, only buying a few books in the first few months, I haven't been quite as well behaved more recently. I picked up six books in May, three physical and three ebooks. Unfortunately for my bank account, this has not stopped my book buying urges so I am trying my absolute hardest to resist temptation at the moment. But more about the books I did get my hands on.

Royals by Rachel Hawkins - This is a new release about a girl whose sister becomes engaged to a Prince and she has to deal with the unwanted attention this brings for her. It sounded like so much fun that I couldn't resist picking it up, especially among all the excitement of the recent royal wedding.

Far From The Tree by Robin Benway - I have heard so many people rave about this book since its publication last year that when I saw it on offer I had to pick it up. This is about three adopted siblings who find each other after one of them attempts to find her birth mother. I have heard it is extremely emotional so I am preparing to bawl my eyes out.

Your Turn To Die by Sue Wallman - Her first book was one that I picked up completely on a whim and was so pleasantly surprised by, as I had heard no-one talking about it. When I saw her most recent release, also on offer, I decided to see if I enjoy her subsequent releases as much as her debut. I know little about this other than it is a YA mystery/thriller set over New Year.

Big Bones by Laura Dockrill - I mentioned this book in my YALC TBR as Laura is one of the many authors announced for YALC this year, which is why I picked this book up. All I know about it is that it follows a girl who is encouraged to lose weight, despite being happy with her size. I believe it's pretty hilarious, I can't wait to get around to it.

Six Stories by Matt Wesolowski - This is a really unique book that is written in the form of six interviews for a podcast. I believe these interviews revolve around a death and finding out the truth about what happened. It sounds very interesting and I have heard some great things about it.

Last Chance (Keeping The Moon) by Sarah Dessen - I have been wanting to read more Sarah Dessen for a couple of years now and decided that summer was the perfect time to pick up another of her books. This one follows a girl who is spending the summer with her aunt in a small beach town (my favourite setting). I have only read one other book by her, which I just thought was okay, so I'm interested to see why everyone loves her books so much.

Those were my six book purchases of May. I'm really excited about all of these books and can't wait to read them as soon as I get the chance to. Which one would you recommend I pick up first?

Sophie :)

Wrap Up | May 2018

I am completely and utterly shocked about two things. The first being the fact that we are now in June (WHAT?!) and the second being...I read 10 books in May! I know that's not a lot for some people but that is amazing for me, particularly as I am not yet on holiday from university so I have been busy. I'm thrilled that I have had such a good reading month in May, fingers crossed it continues in June.

The Language Of Kindness by Christie Watson -

This is a memoir of Christie Watson's twenty years as a nurse in the UK, all the way from her training to an experienced nurse. I found this book to be very interesting and helpful to me as someone who works in the healthcare field. However, this is not a book for everyone. While there are funny and entertaining stories, it is a raw look at nursing and includes a lot of nursing theory and academic discussion. It's a great book for those interested in the reality of being a nurse, but perhaps not for those just wanting some fun nursing stories.

Rating: 3/5 | Review

Leah On The Offbeat by Becky Albertalli -

This book was more than I ever expected. I read Simon back in February and really enjoyed it, but didn't like Leah. I wasn't sure how I would feel about this book, as this is Leah's story, but I still wanted to know how Simon's story continued. I ended up really enjoying this book and completely adored Leah. I wasn't expecting that at all but found her to be a completely different character in this book and so easy to relate to. The friendships were a real highlight of this book, again the opposite to my opinions of Simon, as well as the surprising love interest. I'm so glad I picked this up, despite my reservations.

Rating: 4/5 | Review

From Twinkle, With Love by Sandhya Menon -

After the somewhat disappointment of When Dimple Met Rishi, which I hoped to love but found to be pretty average, I decided to give this author another chance. Stupidly, I had equally high hopes from this book, which I ended up really not enjoying. This book is about a girl who wants to be a filmmaker so, with the help of her crush's twin brother, makes a film for the summer festival. I found the plot to be quite boring, I hated the characters, and the drama just seemed immature and unnecessary. I felt like I was reading about 14-year-olds instead of the 16/17-year-olds they're meant to be. This book was not for me and I think I have accepted that this author is not either.

Rating: 2/5 | Review

Extraordinary Means by Robyn Schneider -

This book has been on my shelves for years but I decided to pick it up as part of a Try A Chapter Tag and was hooked. This follows a group of teens at a boarding school for those with drug resistant TB. I flew through it. Despite it being a heartbreaking story about very ill teens, it's also a fun boarding school story with adventure, new friends and falling in love. It ripped my heart to shred repeatedly but it was a great book.

Rating: 4/5 | Review To Come

Eve Of Man by Giovanna & Tom Fletcher -

The first joint book from these authors is the first book in a dystopian series about the first girl born in fifty years. I found this to be an interesting idea and a decent first book in a series. The premise isn't necessarily unusual, but the way it is told in this book is unique. I loved all of the technology involved in the story, it was used so creatively to become integral to the whole plot. There were a lot of really great things about this book, but the characters and the pacing were disappointing. There is definitely potential for future books in the series to be really great.

Rating: 3/5 | Review

A Thousand Perfect Notes by CG Drews -

This book follows a boy whose violent mother forces him to play piano obsessively, but when he is paired with an unusual, always happy girl on a school project, he starts to consider rebelling. This book was tough to read. Beck's mother is horrendous and I found it so heartbreaking to read about her treatment of her children. I loved August and how completely opposite she was, not only to Beck but to his life in general. Every character in this book was so real it felt like they were standing in front of me, but the plot didn't live up to that standard. Not a lot really happened, so that let the book down slightly for me. 

Rating: 3/5 | Review To Come

Quidditch Through The Ages by JK Rowling -

After such an intense, heartbreaking book, I needed a little bit of light fun and this was perfect. I have been needing a little bit of Harry Potter in my life recently so it was great to dive back into the world and learn more about Quidditch. The edition I listened to on audiobook also included some Pottermore content about the Quidditch World Cup, which was great fun.

Rating: 4/5

Wonder by RJ Palacio -

Oh my days, this book! I had heard all of the hype and I watched the movie trailer but I still wasn't prepared for this. I didn't have high expectations, as I rarely feel as strongly about overhyped books as everyone raving about them. This was different. I absolutely adored this book. It was beautiful and fun and heartbreaking and funny and inspiring all at the same time. I honestly can't recommend it enough. 

Rating: 5/5

Emergency Admissions by Kit Wharton -

This is another nonfiction book, again a memoir but this time from an Ambulance Technician. This is a hilarious book full of stories from his time on the frontline of the UK healthcare system, and all of the many people he has met along the way. I rarely stopped laughing throughout this book, the writing was genuinely funny and I appreciated the dark humour, though that may not be for everyone. 

Rating: 4/5

The Summer Of Us by Cecelia Vinesse -

This is a fun, summer read about a group of friends who go travelling around mainland Europe the summer after graduating high school. As well as being a fun travel story, there is also a lot of relationship drama. Unfortunately, the relationship drama, and some friend drama, overshadowed the travelling part of the story. It became the constant focus, with only brief mentions of famous landmarks in each city. I did enjoy this book, but I would have enjoyed it a lot more if it had featured more about the amazing adventure they were having in these beautiful cities. 

Rating: 3/5 | Review To Come

There we have it, all 10 books I read in the month of May. I'm very happy with that, especially as I enjoyed almost all of the ten books. I'm really hoping to have another good reading month in June, I had a really great time with thees books in May.

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

Sophie :)

TBR | Spring 2018

It feels like forever since I have posted a TBR. I stopped doing them monthly a good while ago and, then just stopped all together, mainly because I pretty much never stick to them. I have recently accepted the fact that I am a mood reader and trying to force myself to read specific books just doesn't work.

I have decided to try and give seasonal TBR posts a go in the hope that I will then give myself more time to read the books I want to get to. I don't want reading to become a chore or something that I put pressure on myself to do so don't be surprised if you don't see these books in my next few wrap ups.

City Of Glass by Cassandra Clare - This is the third book in the Mortal Instruments series. I had made an unofficial goal for myself of reading one book in this series a month in an attempt to finish the series this year. Unfortunately, I didn't manage to get around to this one in March so it's a top priority for the coming months.

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare - This is the first book in the Infernal Devices trilogy, a prequel trilogy to The Mortal Instruments, so this kind of goes along with the first book on my TBR. I included this series in my unofficial challenge as the recommended reading order suggests reading this series between TMI books.

Side Effects May Vary by Julie Murphy - I pulled this out my TBR jar back in February but haven't gotten around to it yet. This is a book that really intrigues me. It's about a girl who is diagnosed with Leukaemia and creates a revenge bucket list, only to later go into remission and have to face the fallout of her actions.

Sleepless In Manhattan by Sarah Morgan - This is a completely random choice, I just looked at my shelves and this jumped out at me. This is an adult contemporary about a woman who moves to New York to try and set up her own events company but gets distracted by her brother's in-demand bachelor best friend.

Did I Mention I Need You? by Estelle Maskame - This is the second book in the Did I Mention I Love You? trilogy that I have been desperate to continue with since reading the first book back in August last year. This series follows a girl who goes to spend the summer with her dad and his new family, only to discover she now has a handsome bad boy stepbrother. 

These are all books I am so excited to get to as soon as possible so hopefully I will be able to tick at least a few of these books off the list over the next couple of months. However, knowing what I'm like with TBR lists, I'll be happy if I just get to one or two of them.

What is at the top of your TBR list for the next few months? 

Sophie :)

What I've Been Watching | April-June 2017

Over the past few months, I decided not to post a 'what i've been watching' as I didn't really feel like I had much worth talking about. While being on holiday from university, I have been reading quite a lot and I didn't think I had really been watching much. Apparently, I was wrong as I have finished a few seasons of TV shows and watched a lot more movies than I realised.

TV

Grey's Anatomy Season 13 - Grey's Anatomy is one of my all-time favourite TV shows but I just didn't love season 13 as much as the previous seasons. There wasn't a particular storyline that grabbed my attention and the finale was a bit underwhelming compared to previous seasons. I do still love the show and will continue to watch it, I just hope it gets back to its usual standard.

What It's About: "A drama centered on the personal and professional lives of five surgical interns and their supervisors."

Pretty Little Liars Season 7 - Pretty Little Liars is over! This is another one of my favourite shows but I has started to lose interest in the most recent few seasons. Realistically, I think this show could have finished a few seasons ago and as much as I didn't want it to end, that may have been better for the show. I was quite disappointed with how it ended, particularly as it incorporated one of the theories I really did not want to be true. I do love the show and I'm sad it's over but it was definitely time for it to end.

What It's About: "Four friends band together against an anonymous foe who threatens to reveal their darkest secrets, while unraveling the mystery of the murder of their best friend."

Chicago Med Season 2 - I love Chicago Fire so when Med first came to the UK I knew I had to watch it. I enjoyed the first season but wasn't quite as into it as I was with Chicago Fire. In the second season, I pretty much felt the same. I like this show but I don't love it and it doesn't completely grab my attention.

What It's About: "An emotional thrill ride through the day-to-day chaos of the city's most explosive hospital and the courageous team of doctors who hold it together. They will tackle unique new cases inspired by topical events, forging fiery relationships in the pulse-pounding pandemonium of the emergency room."

Chicago PD Seasons 1-3 - Like I said, I love Chicago Fire but PD was never fully shown in the UK, they kept showing parts of seasons and then stopping. I got the first season on DVD for Christmas and flew through it before buying the second and third seasons. I didn't expect to love this and only really wanted to watch it for Sophie Bush but ended it completely obsessed.

What It's About: "Follows District 21 of the Chicago Police Department, which is made up of two distinctly different groups: the uniformed cops and the Intelligence Unit."

Riverdale Season 1 - I have mentioned before that I randomly decided to start watching Riverdale and I was completely hooked from the first episode. Everyone seemed to love the first season of this show, and I was definitely one of those people. The reveal of what happened to Jason was a complete shock to me but I felt as though that second last episode had the most impact and was a bit confused by that not being the finale. I know the last episode was really setting things up for the second season but it felt like a bit like an epilogue.

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."

Movies

  

Mother's Day - Along the lines of Valentine's Day and New Years Eve, this follows several generations of various families over Mother's Day. I love films like this and really enjoyed both Valentine's Day and New Years Eve. I did enjoy this one, it was fun and had a good message about family, but I think this is perhaps the one I liked the least.

What It's About: "Three generations come together in the week leading up to Mother's Day."

Get A Job - I absolutely love Anna Kendrick and Miles Teller but unfortunately I did not love this film. It wasn't my kind of humour and for the most part I found it quite boring. This one was definitely a disappointment.

What It's About: "Life after college graduation is not exactly going as planned for Will and Jillian who find themselves lost in a sea of increasingly strange jobs. But with help from their family, friends and coworkers they soon discover that the most important (and hilarious) adventures are the ones that we don't see coming."

Sisters - Sadly this was another disappointment. I love Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, especially together, but this film fell a bit flat. There were some funny parts but I didn't find it as funny as I usually find their work. It just wasn't as good as I was expecting it to be.

What It's About: "Two sisters decide to throw one last house party before their parents sell their family home."

  

How To Be Single - This movie was so much fun! With a cast like it has you would expect it to be and it didn't disappoint. I really enjoyed this, I loved the entire cast and it made me laugh out loud more than a few times. 

What It's About: "A group of young adults navigate love and relationships in New York City."

Daddy's Home - I knew this wasn't really my cup of tea before going into it and I was right. It wasn't bad but it was just OK. There were some funny parts and some sweet parts but a lot of it was quite forgettable.

What It's About: "Brad Whitaker is a radio host trying to get his stepchildren to love him and call him Dad. But his plans turn upside down when their biological father, Dusty Mayron, returns."

All Roads Lead To Rome - In all honesty, this film was so boring that I remember almost nothing about it. I like Sarah Jessica Parker and I love Rome so I had expected to enjoy it but I was just bored for the majority of the film.

What It's About: "Maggie is an uptight, single mother and college writing teacher from New York City. In an effort to reconnect with her troubled teen daughter Summer, she decides to embark on a journey to a Tuscan village that she frequented in her younger days."

  

Jenny's Wedding - This was another kind of boring one. It was OK and the message was good but it didn't really keep my attention. Alexis Bledel could definitely have had more screen time and been made a bit more important to the story, considering it's her wedding too. 

What It's About: "When Jenny (Katherine Heigl) decides to marry a woman (Alexis Bledel), her conventional family must accept who she is or risk losing her forever."

Moulin Rouge - So many of my friends rave about this film and it is such a well-know, much loved film. I didn't understand what was going on and found it quite boring. I thought it was just me but I watched it with my mum who had previously seen it and enjoyed it and even she wondered why she had enjoyed it before.

What It's About: "A poet falls for a beautiful courtesan whom a jealous duke covets."

Two Night Stand - Another Miles Teller movie. I thought this one was pretty average, it was fun and Miles Teller was great but it wasn't anything special. I enjoyed it but it's not something I would rave about or even watch again.

What It's About: "A snowstorm forces two people who made an online connection to unwillingly extend their one-night stand as the blizzard goes through the night."

 

Mike And Dave Need Wedding Dates - Anna Kendrick and Zac Efron were the only reasons for me watching this movie and they didn't disappoint. I didn't love the movie, again it was average but nothing special, but I did enjoy the two of them. I was expecting this to be better but it was still fun to watch.

What It's About: "Two hard-partying brothers place an online ad to find the perfect dates for their sister's Hawaiian wedding. Hoping for a wild getaway, the boys instead find themselves out-hustled by an uncontrollable duo."

Bachelorette - I was warned that this wouldn't be as good as I was expecting it to be but I assumed it was because the person who told me that is quite reserved and doesn't tend to like things with too many sex or drugs references. Unfortunately, it actually wasn't as good as I was expecting. It wasn't as funny as I thought it would be just a bit of a disappointment.

What It's About: "Three friends are asked to be bridesmaids at a wedding of a woman they used to ridicule back in high school."

Over the past few months I have watched some of my favourite shows as well as a lot of movies that were meant to be comedies but weren't all that funny. Any good comedy recommendations would be much appreciated! What have you been watching recently?

Sophie :)

Wrap Up & Haul | May 2017

This year need to slow down already! I can't believe we're in June and I'm planning all of my mid-year posts already. May was a pretty busy month for me, despite being on holiday from uni, and things seems to just keep getting busier. Although I was very busy, I did manage to read a good amount and slightly made up for my terrible couple of months previous. I read a total of 7 books in May, with one being very short. I don't think I did too badly.

Windfall by Jennifer E Smith -

I received this for review from Netgalley and I was so excited as it was one of my most anticipated book of the year. I have really enjoyed a lot of Jennifer E Smith's books and this one was no different. It's about a girl who buys her best friend, who she is in love with, a lottery ticket for his birthday and he ends up winning. It was a really cute, fun read that dealt with some more serious topics within a not-so-serious storyline.

Rating: 4/5 | Review

Heart Of The Matter by Emily Giffin -

This book sat on my shelf for at least 5 years so the fact that I have finally read it gives me such a sense of accomplishment. Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy this book. I loved Emily Giffin's Something Borrowed and Something Blue, both of which I read a good 5/6 years ago, but this was a disappointment. I found it boring and had an issue with the cheating aspect, which I talked about in my review.

Rating: 2/5 | Review | ATY Challenge: #9 In the middle of your TBR

One Of Us Is Lying by Karen M McManus -

This was another book I received from Netgalley. This was a high school murder mystery surrounding a student being murdered in detention with four other students in the room and considered suspects. This was another very enjoyable read. It was more of a fun mystery than I am used to, however it did take a surprising dark turn towards the end that I liked. It didn't blow me away and I wasn't a fan of the romance, but it did make me want to keep turning the page and know what happened.

Rating: 3.5/5 | Review 

I Still Remember by Priya Prithviraj -

I received this very short book from the author for review. This is only around 30 pages and follows a girl who is having to deal with a boy she once loved coming back into her life. I really liked that this was set in Korea but I needed it to be longer. I didn't feel like there was enough development of the characters or the plot within such few pages and I needed more information.

Rating: 2/5 | Review

Obsidian by Jennifer L Armentrout -

It finally happened! I have had this book in countless monthly/seasonal/yearly TBRs and just never picked it up, until now. I don't know why I hadn't picked it up sooner because I really enjoyed it. It's often described as Twilight with aliens, which I understand now, but I wouldn't let that put you off if you're not a Twilight fan. This was such a fun read, especially as I love hate-to-love romance and arrogant 'bad boys'. I can't wait to continue with this series.

Rating: 4/5 | Review To Come | ATY Challenge: #18 A really long book (600+ pages) (Lux: Beginnings)

With Malice by Eileen Cook -

A lot of people were talking about this book towards the end of last year and it was the hype, and partly the cover, that made me want to read this. I think the hype raised my expectations for this book and it sadly didn't meet them. It isn't a bad book by any means, I really enjoyed the mystery and the unreliability of our narrator given her memory problems, but it wasn't as great as others had claimed. I loved that it was somewhat set in Italy and the lack of romance was very refreshing. The ending through me a bit though, I'm not even sure if I liked it or not.

Rating: 3/5 | Review To Come | ATY Challenge: #22 By an author you haven't read before

The Fill-In Boyfriend by Kasie West -

Is it even summer if I don't read a Kasie West book? She is one of my favourite authors so of course I loved this book just as much as everything else I have read from her. This is the typical get someone to pretend to be your boyfriend story that has been pretty common, especially in movies, over the years. I was expecting this to be my least favourite of her books because of this but I think it was done really well. It was a really cute, fun story with great characters and a focus on friendship, specifically realising whether a friendship is good for you or not. 

Rating: 4/5 | Review To Come | ATY Challenge: #31 From a sub-genre of your favourite genre

I didn't do quite as well with my book buying, or lack of, as I did with the books I read. I did stick to the not buying physical books until I had read 5 books, however I did buy an ebook and received two eARCs from Netgalley on top of the two physical books I was allowed to buy.

Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge - I plan to read this for one of my Around The Year In 52 Books challenges so when I was bored at the airport and decided to browse the books, I picked this one up when I saw it.

When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi - I have seen a lot of people that have read and loved this recently and as I want to read more non-fiction I thought I would give it a go.

When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon - I received this from Netgalley. This sounds like such a great summer read and I have heard great things about it.

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher - I also received this from Netgalley, I'm assuming because of the popularity of the TV show. I want to watch the show but need to read the book first.

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larsson - This is another book I am planning to read for an Around The Year In 52 Books challenge. It was on offer for just 99p on Kindle so I picked it up.

I hope you had a great reading month as well. What was your favourite read of May?

Sophie :)

TBR | Summer 2017

As of earlier today I am officially on holiday from university for the summer! Unfortunately, I don't get the four month break most of my friends are getting as I am back out on placement in July, but the two months I do have are much needed. There are a few books that I would definitely like to at least try and get to during my break so, in an attempt to hold myself accountable and maybe actually read them, I decided to share my TBR for my summer break.

Summer Days & Summer Nights by various authors - I meant to read this last summer and never got around to it. I loved the Christmas version, My True Love Gave To Me, so I'm excited about this one.

The Fill-In Boyfriend by Kasie West - I love a Kasie West book in the summer and this is the next one that I want to pick up. She's one of my favourite authors so I know I'll enjoy this.

With Malice by Eileen Cook - This isn't the usual light and fluffy contemporary I usually pick up in the summer but for some reason I'm really in the mood for this just now. The combination of mystery and Italy definitely sounds good to me.

The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson - I have read at least one Morgan Matson book each summer for the past couple of years and this is the only one I have left to read. I hope to pick this up during May with it being Month Of Matson.

Cinder by Marissa Meyer - I've lost count of how many TBR lists I have put this book on! I am determined to pick this up soon, hopefully in the next couple of months.

Frostbite by Richelle Mead - It's been two years since I read Vampire Academy, I need to continue with this series! I want to read this book, it keeps calling me from my shelves, but for some reason I never pick it up. It will happen!

There is a very good chance I will read not a single one of these books. I suck at sticking to TBRs but I like lists so I feel the need to make them. Who knows, I might be more successful this time!

What are you hoping to pick up over the summer?

Sophie :)

Wrap Up & Haul | May 2016

Well May just flew by! I cannot believe we are already in June and almost half way through the year. I start my next university course in just three months, and even the thought of that terrifies me. But on a more cheery note, I FINALLY had a good reading month! I managed to read 7 whole books in May, which is by far the most I have read in a month this year. I'm glad to finally be back to normal with my reading and I hope this will continue, at least through the summer.

My Life In May...

- I spent a few days at the beginning of the month away at a lodge in the country with my family.

- I official took part in my first readathon - Bout Of Books 16.

- I finally made a start on one of my New Years resolutions by joining a gym.

- I got to spend a bit of time with family I don't often see, including my little nephew.

- I had the joy of seeing the musical Joseph while on it's UK tour, and meeting the lovely cast.

- Some friends and I went to a charity fundraising lunch which was a lot of fun.

- I also got the chance to see the musical of Mary Poppins while it is on it's UK tour.

- I got to see The Tide at one of their 'FanFests' and got to meet the boys, which was great.

- We spent the last week of the month away for another break as a family.

Watched In May...

- Geordie Shore Season 12 - 4/5

- The Lady In The Van - 1/5

- The Descendants (rewatch) - 4/5

- The Last Song (rewatch) - 3.5/5

- Chicago Fire Season 1 - 5/5

- Chicago Fire Season 2 - 5/5

Read In May...

Happily Ever After by Kiera Cass - 

With the fifth and final instalment in The Selection series being released in May, it seemed only appropriate to dive back into this world through these novellas. I had already read three of the four novellas, but I did end up liking the ones I had read more the second time around. I also really enjoyed the additional scenes and the other extras. I thought it was a great addition to the series. 4.5/5

Forever by Judy Blume - 

I picked this book as my first for the Bout Of Books readathon because its so short, so I assumed it would be a quick read. I did manage to power through it in one day but boy was it a struggle. This book was published in 1975 and you can definitely tell. I did get over the older writing style but I just didn't enjoy the book in general and I had some big problems with certain aspects. 2/5

City Of Bones by Cassandra Clare - 

This FINALLY happened! I have been saying for probably well over a year that I am going to start this series but I always pushed it aside, mainly due to the hype surrounding it. Now that I have finally read City Of Bones, I'm glad I did. I really enjoyed the world, the characters and the story. I thought it was a great start to the series and I particularly liked how the world was developed without constant info-dumps. I can't wait to continue with the series. 4/5

The Crown by Kiera Cass - 

So The Selection series has now come to an end. It was such a bittersweet moment opening this book, I was so excited to see what happened but at the same time I really didn't want it to end. While I loved the first three books, I wasn't blown away by The Heir, due to the main character Eadlyn, and I did have this issue somewhat in The Crown. Though Eadlyn did redeem herself greatly in the final book, I still didn't love her as I had America, which meant I wasn't in love with the book to the same extent. I also didn't love where the story went but I did enjoy the book as a conclusion to the series. 4/5

Flawed by Cecelia Ahern - 

Cecelia Ahern has done it again! This woman can honestly do no wrong in my eyes. Flawed is my first 5 star book of the year, not including rereads, and it is totally deserved. I was nervous about Cecelia Ahern branching out into YA but she can absolutely write YA just as well as she can adult. I loved this story, the world, the characters, everything was just done so well. It was written really well and you could tell how much passion the words were written with. I absolutely loved this book and can't wait for the sequel. 5/5

I Want It That Way by Ann Aguire -
This was a totally on a whim purchase that I pretty much forgot I owned until I pulled it out of my TBR jar. I wasn't expecting much from it but I was very pleasantly surprised, I actually really enjoyed it! I loved the story, the characters and the fact it was a more unique take on the usual NA. I definitely plan to continue this series! 4/5

The New Girl by Tracie Puckett - 
I got this as a random free ebook a little while ago and decided to pick it up for the readathon because it's so short. I have pretty mixed feelings about this. I did like it for the most part, it was a fun quick read. However, this involved a student-teacher relationship and I just don't like that at all. I felt very uncomfortable reading about the relationship because of that. So I think if it didn't include that aspect I would have enjoyed it but, unfortunately, I didn't. 2/5

Bought In May...



The Crown by Kiera Cass -
Obviously as I talked about this book already it is no secret that I picked up the final book in The Selection series as soon as it was released. I think I've said enough about this one already.

The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson -
This was another one I picked up as soon as I could. I read two of Morgan Matson's books last summer and really enjoyed them both so I decided to try out her newest release as well. The main character in this book is a dog walker and the daughter of a politician who's life is changed by a scandal involving her family. It sounds really interesting and I hope to get to it this summer.

Blogged In May...
- I reviewed Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince by JK Rowling.
- I shared my haul from the month of April.
- I wrapped up the month of April.
- I shared my TBR for the month of May.
- I reviewed The DUFF by Kody Keplinger.
- I announced my participation in the Bout Of Books 16 readathon.
- I shared my readathon goals and TBR.
- I took part in the readathon's Day 3 challenge.
- I shared my updates throughout the readathon.

Did you read or get your hands on any great books in May?

Sophie :)