Tag | The A-Z Book Survey

I saw the A-Z of books tag going around Booktube a while ago and became a little bit obsessed with watching it. I only recently discovered that the tag is actually a survey created by Jamie at The Perpetual Page Turner, whose blog I absolutely love, which made me want to do this even more.

Author You've Read The Most Books From:

Louise Rennison - All 10 of the Confessions Of Georgia Nicholson books.

Best Sequel Ever:

It has to be Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins.

Currently Reading:
Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

Drink Of Choice While Reading:

Irn-Bru - I'm so Scottish!

E-reader of Physical Book?:

I really love them both but I would probably have to say physical.

Fictional Character You Probably Would Have Dated In High School:

Josh from Isla And The Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins - he actually remind me of my high school boyfriend.

Glad You Gave This Book A Chance:

Where She Went by Gayle Forman - I didn't love If I Stay and a lot of people didn't like Where She Went as much but I gave it a chance and ended up loving it.

Hidden Gem Book:

Ignite by Lily Paradis - one of my all time favourite books that no-one seems to know about.

Important Moment Of Your Reading Life:

Discovering book blogs and booktube - they made me rediscover my love of reading.

Just Finished:
PS I Like You by Kasie West

Kinds Of Books You Won't Read:

I wouldn't completely rule out anything but I don't love high fantasy or super confusing sci-fi.

Longest Book You've Read:

Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix by JK Rowling at 870 pages.

Major Book Hangover Because Of:

Isla And The Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins - this is just a guess, I honestly don't remember.

Number Of Bookcases You Own:

Three - two are full and one is room for growth. I have another small one for uni textbooks as well.

One Book You Have Read Multiple Times:

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer - it's my guilty pleasure.

Preferred Place To Read:

On the sofa in front of my two bookcases. Or by the pool in some hot, sunny place but that doesn't happen too often.

Quote That Inspires You/Gives You All The Feels:

I'm not really a quote person but the one 'quote' from a book that really inspires me isn't even a book quote, it's one of the state mottos mentioned in Amy & Rodger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson - the Kansas state motto "to the stars through adversity". There are lots of quotes in books that inspire me, I just don't make a note of them like a lot of other people do.

Reading Regret: 

Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult - I regret that I spent so much time trying to get through this when I should have just DNFed.

Series You Started And Need To Finish (all the books are out):

Way too may, I've just done a post on it! If I had to choose one, The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare.

Three Of You're All Time Favourite Books:

1. Where Rainbows End by Cecelia Ahern

2. Isla And The Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins

3. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer (the nostalgia!)

Unapologetic Fangirl For:

Isla? Cecelia Ahern? I don't know.

Very Excited For This Release More Than All Others:

Perfect by Cecelia Ahern

Worst Bookish Habit:

Buying books that end up sitting on my shelf for years before I finally pick them up.

X Marks The Spot: Start at the top left of your shelf and pick the 27th book:

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Your Latest Book Purchase:

The Sun Is Also A Star by Nicola Yoon & A Quiet Kind Of Thunder by Sara Barnard

ZZZ-Snatcher Book (the last book that kept you up WAY late):

I can't really remember but I think it was What Light by Jay Asher.

This was actually a lot of fun to do, I love these kinds of surveys/tags. Consider yourself tagged if you haven't done this yet.

Sophie :)

Review | Pushing The Limits by Katie McGarry

Pushing The Limits by Katie McGarry
Series: Pushing The Limits #1
Published On: June 1, 2012
Published By: Harelquin Teen
Genre: Contemporary
Pages: 392
Format: eBook
Source: Bought
Rating: ★★★★

Amazon | Goodreads

No one knows what happened the night Echo Emerson went from popular girl with jock boyfriend to gossiped-about outsider with "freaky" scars on her arms. Even Echo can't remember the whole truth of that horrible night. All she knows is that she wants everything to go back to normal. But when Noah Hutchins, the smoking-hot, girl-using loner in the black leather jacket, explodes into her life with his tough attitude and surprising understanding, Echo's world shifts in ways she could never have imagined. They should have nothing in common. And with the secrets they both keep, being together is pretty much impossible. Yet the crazy attraction between them refuses to go away. And Echo has to ask herself just how far they can push the limits and what she'll risk for the one guy who might teach her how to love again..

The Pushing The Limits series has been getting some serious hype for as long as I can remember reading book blogs and watching booktube. For a while, everyone was talking about these books and I knew I was going to have to get around to reading them some time. Man am I glad I did!

This book is almost 400 pages and it honestly felt like it was only 100. I completely flew through it, and enjoyed every minute of it. I found myself needing to know what happened constantly and I just couldn't put it down. I often find with longer contemporary books that some parts drag or that it didn't need to be so long but definitely not with this book. There was something happening on every page and I didn't feel like it dragged at all, it was very fast paced.

Going into this I was just expecting, as I find to be quite normal in contemporary books, to only get one character's side of the story. It was a nice surprise to have the story from both Noah and Echo's points of view, I really loved that. I found it easier to get to know and connect with both characters when we got to experience situations from both perspectives, and really understand what was going on in the other person's head when a certain event happened. I really enjoyed getting to see both their lives outside of the developing relationship and experience both character's home lives and friendships.

Speaking of Noah and Echo, they were both really great characters. I enjoyed reading about both of them and, as I mentioned, from both points of view. I found it interesting, I don't really think enjoyed is the right word, to read about their personal struggles and see them overcome these throughout the book. I also found their relationship with Miss Collins, the guidance counsellor, very interesting, especially as she discovered how to get them to open up and the way she helped them through their personal issues.

One thing I really appreciated in this book is that the relationship problems weren't trivial. I'm so fed up of reading about couples who could solve all their problems if they just spoke to each other! With Noah and Echo, any problems they had within their relationship were important things that needed to be worked through, and they made an effort to talk to each other about them. That made a nice change.

I really loved the family aspect of this book, and the focus on different types of families. I have mentioned before that I love kids in books so Noah's brothers were absolutely my favourite characters in the whole book and I loved seeing him interact with them and the unusual relationship they had. I also really liked seeing how Echo's relationship with her father and Ashley evolved throughout the story. And then we had the emphasis on the fact that family is not always about blood when we got to see that Noah's family is essentially Beth and Isaiah, I found their relationship interesting as well.

Something a little different about this, that I totally wasn't expecting, was the added mystery element to the story. I really enjoyed trying to work out what happened to Echo and the mystery of how she ended up with the scars. Although I did work out a lot of what happened for myself while reading, I couldn't have worked out the whole story so it was a bit of an added shock factor that I wasn't expecting going into this book. I also liked how we got to see Echo working out what had happened seeing the memories coming back to her.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and loved the romance between Echo and Noah. As much as I loved all of the different dimensions to this story and seeing the many layers of the great characters, there was just something that made this not quite a 5 star read for me. I honestly can't pinpoint why. it just wasn't up there with my other 5 star reads. However, I'm definitely looking forward to continuing in this series.

Top Ten Tuesday | Top Ten Series I Want To Read In 2017

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

It has been way too long since I have done a Top Ten Tuesday but I'm excited to get back into it. This week's theme was a freebie and since I have been talking a lot about my 2017 goals recently, I thought I would continue the trend and talk about the series I want to start/finish/continue with this year.

To Finish:

1. The Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan
I own all of these books and have read, and enjoyed, the first two but have yet to get around to the next three. These are pretty short and very fast-paced so I know I can fly through them all and get them done this year if I make the effort.

2. Flawed duology by Cecelia Ahern
I read and absolutely adored the first book in this series last year and the conclusion Perfect is my most anticipated release of the year. I have no doubt I will finish this series this year, unless of course Cecelia Ahern decides to continue with the series but I think that's unlikely

3. Unwind dystology by Neal Shusterman
I read the first two books in this series a few years ago and have been saying I'll finish the series for the past couple of years. I now own book 3 so I feel like I at least need to read that this year, but hopefully I can finish it as I really loved the first two.

4. Summer trilogy by Jenny Han
This is a bit different as this series I just want to finish to get it off my shelf. I have read the first one and didn't love it, it was pretty average. Maybe this series will get better but I just want to get it finished as I have had the three book bind-up on my bookshelf for so long I'm fed up looking at it.

To Continue:

5. The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare
I finally read the first book in this series last year and loved it so I want to continue this year. I would love to be able to finish it this year but I don't think that'll happen. I would like to at least read books 2 & 3.

6. Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead
I read book one a couple of years ago and really need to continue. I really enjoyed book one and I know that these books are really quick to read so I don't know why I haven't continued yet. Again, I would like to read at least books 2 & 3.

To Start:

7. The Infernal Devices trilogy by Cassandra Clare
This is probably the only series that I'm justified in not having yet started. Obviously there is a specific order that it is best to read all of the Shadowhunters books in and, according to Goodreads, it is best to read book 1 of TID after reading the first 3 TMI books. So that is the plan for this year.

8. The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer
I know, I've been saying I plan to read this every year for the past three years but I definitely have great plans to read at least the first book in the series this year. I don't know why I haven't gotten around to it yet!

9. The Lux series by Jennifer L Armentrout
This is another series I have been wanting to read for a good while and just haven't yet. The bind-up of the first two books is the only book I own that fits one of my Around The Year In 52 Books categories so I'm hoping that will mean I have to read the first two books this year.

10. Pushing The Limits series by Katie McGarry
I am slightly cheating with this one because I have actually already started this series as I read the first book at the very start of the year. Since I planned to start it in 2017 and did, I'm still counting it for this list. This is a series that has been on my TBR for years.

Those are my series reading plans for 2017, although there is a good chance I won't get to about half of these. I am going to try and make a conscious effort to get through these but we will see how I get on. What series are you really wanting to read this year?

Sophie :)

Review | The Book Thief by Marcus Zucak

The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak
Published On: March 14, 2006
Published By: Black Swan
Genre: Historical Fiction
Pages: 554
Format: Paperback
Source: Bought
Rating: ★★★★½

Amazon | Goodreads

It’s just a small story really, about among other things: a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist-fighter, and quite a lot of thievery. . . . 
Set during World War II in Germany, Markus Zusak’s groundbreaking new novel is the story of Liesel Meminger, a foster girl living outside of Munich. Liesel scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist–books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement before he is marched to Dachau.

This book is so well-loved around the world and to be honest that is why it has taken me until 2017 to pick it up. Hype scares me. I always put off reading the most hyped books for fear of being disappointed, and the majority of the time I'm left wondering why on earth I didn't pick the book up sooner. That was the case for The Book Thief. This was such a powerful, important read, especially for younger people to understand the impact of the Second World War.

This was my first foray into historical fiction, and what a great book to choose. I have always been a little scared of historical fiction, if I'm honest. It's a genre I have always considered out of my comfort zone, which is probably another reason why it has taken me so long to get to this book. Although I haven't read any others to compare, I would definitely suggest this book as one to get you into historical fiction if you're not sure where to start.

One of my main worries with historical fiction was that it wouldn't be as fast paced as I like, and the story wouldn't hold my attention because of this. However, in this book at least, I thought the pacing was great. It was a bit slower paced than I tend to like but the story didn't drag and it still kept my attention. I actually really appreciated the slower pace as it gave me time to properly take in what was going on.

A quality this book is well-known for is it's very unique narration. I know a lot of people, including myself, are initially drawn to this book after discovering the book is narrated by Death. I was so intrigued by that aspect as it is definitely not something I have ever read before. I actually very much enjoyed Death as a narrator, which I wasn't sure I would, and thought it added much to the story to see it told through his eyes. As well as the unique narrator, the way the book was written was very unique. The notes from Death throughout the story were an interesting addition, though I didn't always like them.

The one thing that did hinder my enjoyment slightly was the way in which Death basically spoils the whole plot for the reader. As I mentioned, I didn't always like the notes from Death, in particular when they just explained what was about to happen in the story, or how the whole story ends. I felt as though the major events could have been much more impactful had I not already known what was to come. I often found myself waiting for a specific event to happen and then when it did I often felt a bit underwhelmed. However, I will admit I did still get emotional over many of the events, despite knowing they were coming.

My only other issue with this book, though it didn't bother me too much, was that I felt a little bit disconnected from the characters. I think this was due to the book being narrated by Death. Like I said, it didn't bother me hugely I just didn't feel the connection I would like to have had with the characters and that would likely have been different with a different narrator, although I'm not sure the book would be just as great without that unique aspect.

Overall, this book was most definitely worth the hype. I wish I had read it sooner, I think I may have enjoyed it even more when I was younger, but I am glad to have gotten to it eventually. As I mentioned, I would definitely recommend this book if you are just getting into the historical fiction genre, as I found it to be a great introduction.

Tag | The New Year's Resolutions Book Tag

I recently saw one of my favourite booktubers BooksAndLala do this tag and it looked like a great way to discover specific books to put to the top of my TBR list for 2017. I'm not sure who created the tag originally but I think it has been going around for a few years now. I haven't been tagged but i'm going to join in anyway.

1. An author you'd like to read that you've never read before



There are so many authors I could say for this question as the majority of the books on my shelves (I think) are by authors I haven't read yet. However, I have four of Giovanna's books and have yet to pick one up. I love her as a person so I'm a little worried that I won't love her books as much as I love her. This is the year I pick one up though.






2. A book you'd like to read



The honest answer to this question is really all of the books! However, I don't think that is in any way physically possible. I have been hearing loads about With Malice by Eileen Cook since it was published last year and have been desperate to get to it. This one is very near the top of my TBR this year.








3. A classic you'd like to read


I'm really not a huge classics reader, even though I probably should at least make some kind of attempt to be. The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald is the only classic I currently own, and this is only because I got it for free on iBooks. I've been meaning to get to it for a couple of years now but hopefully this is the year it happens.







4. A book you'd like to re-read




Every year there are loads of books I decide I want to reread and I usually get to one of two. Last year one of those I wanted to get to was The Selection by Kiera Cass. I didn't manage it in 2016 but I'm hoping I can pick it back up in 2017. I would also really like to reread Flawed by Cecelia Ahern before I get to Perfect.






5. A book you've had for ages and want to read




I don't even want to think about how long Heart Of The Matter by Emily Giffin has been sitting on my bookshelves. I picked this up a good 4/5 years ago after reading and loving Something Borrowed and Something Blue, Emily Giffin's Darcy & Rachel series, but have somehow never picked this up. I'm going to make a real effort to read it this year.






6. A big book you'd like to read


Lux: Beginnings by Jennifer L Armentrout is currently the biggest book I have on my shelf, which may be something to do with it actually being two books in one. I've been wanting to start the Lux series for a while and again I just haven't gotten to it. This is the only book that fits for one of my Around The Year In 52 Books challenges, so hopefully that'll be the push I need to get this one read.






7. An author you've previously read and want to read more of



I definitely want to read more Kasie West in 2017. I have read two of her books and loved them both, and have two more of her books that I got for Christmas and can't wait to get to soon.








8. A book you got for Christmas and would like to read



As well as the Kasie West books I just mentioned, The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken is another book I received as a Christmas gift and would really like to read in 2017.









9. A series you want to read (start and finish)



I'm cheating a little bit on this question since I have technically already started the Pushing The Limits series by Katie McGarry. I did only just start it this month though, so I say it still counts. I loved the first book and would really like to read as much as I can of this series this year.







10. A series you want to finish that you've already started



I started the Summer I Turned Pretty trilogy in 2016 and while I didn't love it, I would like to finish the series this year, mainly just to get it off my shelves. The first book was a pretty quick read and I'm hoping the others are the same.








11. Do you set any reading goals? If so, how many books do you want to read in 2017?
My goodreads goal for this year is 50 books.

12. Any other reading goals?
You can check out my 2017 Reading Goals post if you want to find out about this years goals.

Anyone who hasn't done this tag, consider yourself tagged!

Sophie :)

2017 | Most Anticipated Releases

As always there are so many amazing books being published in 2017, making it ever harder to actually read the books I already own! Though I haven't really looked into many of the books being released in 2017, in an attempt to prevent too much book buying, there are some that I am really looking forward to. These are my top 5.

   

Perfect by Cecelia Ahern - Flawed by Cecelia Ahern was my favourite book of 2016 so obviously I cannot wait for the second book in the series, which I'm 90% sure is the last, Perfect. Flawed is a dystopian series about a world in which those who are not considered perfect, the Flawed, are treated very poorly in society. Like I said, I loved the first book so much that I'm desperate to get my hands on the second book, so the fact it has already been released in Germany makes me kind of mad, I need to learn German!

By Your Side by Kasie West - I've loved everything I have read by Kasie West so far and have got to the point where I will pick up anything she writes. This one sounds great as it follows a girl and boy locked in a library for a weekend. That's pretty much a book-lovers dream, right? I expect this to be just as cute as all of her other books.

The Names They Gave Us by Emery Lord - I seem to have a habit of picking up Emery Lord's books and not getting around to reading them. I have read one and loved it which makes me excited for more of her books. This one is about a girl who is working with her boyfriend at a Bible camp over summer and as someone who has worked at several Bible camps over the past few years, I don't care what else happens I already think that sounds amazing. Also, the UK cover for this is just beautiful.

When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon - From what I know about this book it is essentially about a modern day arranged marriage with a difference. I really don't know much but that had me pretty much sold. It seems to be a cute, funny read that everyone who got there hands on an ARC has loved.

There's Someone Inside Your House by Stephanie Perkins - It's Stephanie Perkins. The woman could write a takeaway menu and I would read it! This book couldn't be further from the Anna trilogy but it still sounds incredible. It is essentially a slasher horror about students at a high school being murdered one-by-one. If that doesn't interest you, it's described as 'Scream meets YA', which sounds epic to me.

There really are some amazing sounding books heading our way in 2017, it looks like it'll be a really great year. What are you most looking forward to this year? Are you excited for an of the books I mentioned?

Sophie :)

Reading Plans | Around The Year In 52 Books

As I mentioned in my 2017 reading goals post, I am taking part in the Around The Year In 52 Books challenge this year. I decided it would be a good idea to share my rough plan for this challenge. I can't guarantee these are the books I'll actually read for each challenge but this gives me an idea of what to pick up, and I would love any suggestions for the categories as there are a few I struggled to find books for.

1. A book from the Goodreads Choice Awards 2016 - PS I Like You by Kasie West
2. A book with at least 2 perspectives (multiple points of view) - Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
3. A book you meant to read in 2016 - Me Before You by Jojo Moyes
4. A title that doesn't contain the letter "E" - How I Lost You by Jenny Blackhurst
5. A historical fiction - The Book Thief by Marcus Zusack
6. A book being released as a movie in 2017 - Wonder by RJ Palacio/Let It Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson & Lauren Myracle
7. A book with an animal on the cover or in the title - The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson
8. A book written by a person of color - The Sun Is Also A Star by Nicola Yoon
9. A book in the middle of your To Be Read list - Heart Of The Matter by Emily Giffin
10. A dual-timeline novel - I'll Give You The Sun by Jandy Nelson
11. A category from another challenge - 'A book with a title that's a character's name' - Billy And Me by Giovanna Fletcher
12. A book based on a myth - The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan
13. A book recommended by one of your favorite authors - Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver (rec by Kiera Cass)
14. A book with a strong female character - Cinder by Marissa Meyer
15. A book written or set in Scandinavia (Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Iceland) - The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
16. A mystery - Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
17. A book with illustrations - F In Exams: The Big Book Of Test Paper Blunders by Richard Benson
18. A really long book (600+ pages) - Lux: Beginnings (Obsidian & Onyx) by Jennifer L Armentrout
19. A New York Times best-seller - All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven
20. A book that you've owned for a while but haven't gotten around to reading - Dear John by Nicholas Sparks
21. A book that is a continuation of a book you've already read - Frostbite by Richelle Mead
22. A book by an author you haven't read before - With Malice by Eileen Cook
23. A book from the BBC "The Big Read" list - Goodnight Mr Tom by Michelle Magorian
24. A book written by at least two authors - How To Be Bad by E Lockhart, Lauren Myracle & Sarah Mlynowski
25. A book about a famous historical figure - My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton & Jodi Meadows
26. An adventure book - The Battle Of The Labyrinth by Rick Riordan
27. A book by one of your favorite authors - The Year I Met You by Cecelia Ahern
28. A non-fiction - The New Arrival by Sarah Beeson
29. A book published outside the 4 major publishing houses (Simon & Schuster; HarperCollins; Penguin Random House; Hachette Livre) - check all the editions - Engaged In Trouble by Jenny B Jones
30. A book from Goodreads Top 100 YA Books - Pushing The Limits by Katie McGarry
31. A book from a sub-genre of your favorite genre - The Fill-In Boyfriend by Kasie West (YA Contemporary Romance)
32. A book with a long title (5+ words, excluding subtitle) - Just A Girl Standing In Front Of A Boy by Lucy-Anne Holmes
33. A magical realism novel - A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
34. A book set in or by an author from the Southern Hemisphere - The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty
35. A book where one of the main characters is royalty - The Kiss Of Deception by Mary E Pearson
36. A Hugo Award winner or nominee - Saga Volume 1 by Brian K Vaughan
37. A book you choose randomly - 13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson
38. A novel inspired by a work of classic literature - Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge
39. An epistolary fiction - Bridget Jones' Baby by Helen Fielding
40. A book published in 2017 - Perfect by Cecelia Ahern
41. A book with an unreliable narrator - You by Caroline Kepnes
42. A best book of the 21st century (so far) - City Of Ashes by Cassandra Clare
43. A book with a chilling atmosphere (scary, unsettling, cold) - Room by Emma Donoghue
44. A recommendation from "What Should I Read Next" - What I Thought Was True by Huntley Fitzpatrick
45. A book with a one-word title - Panic by Lauren Oliver
46. A time travel novel - The Time Between Us by Tamara Ireland Stone
47. A past suggestion that didn't win - 'A Script' - Harry Potter And The Cursed Child by John Tiffany, Jack Thorne & JK Rowling
48. A banned book - 1984 by George Orwell
49. A book from someone else's bookshelf - Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma
50. A Penguin Modern Classic - any edition - The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald
51. A collection (e.g. essays, short stories, poetry, plays) - Summer Days And Summer Nights anthology
52. A book set in a fictional location - Throne Of Glass by Sarah J Maas

Let me know if you can think of a better suggestion for any of these categories, I could definitely use the help.

Sophie :)