A Bookish Survey: A to Z

Lots of people have been taking part in the A-Z survey created by Jamie of The Perpetual Page-Turner, and I thought I’d give it a go! Sounded like fun 🙂

Author you’ve read the most books from:

By far my most read author is Robert Muchamore! According to Goodreads, I have read 22 of his books. Blimey! 

Best Sequel Ever:

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins. I think I actually liked it more than the first…

Currently Reading:

The Screaming Staircase by Jonathan Stroud.

Drink of Choice While Reading:

I mostly drink fruit juice. Though in the winter there is nothing nicer than curling up with a book and some white hot chocolate!

E-reader or Physical Book?

My kindle is useful when commuting, but I am definitely a physical book gal. There is nothing better!

Fictional Character You Probably Would Have Actually Dated In High School:

I’d love to say Levi from Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell, but truth be told I was way too shy to have a boyfriend back then!

Glad You Gave This Book A Chance:

The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

Hidden Gem Book:

Between The Lines by Jodi Picoult and Samantha van Leer. The illustrations! ❤

Important Moment in your Reading Life:

When I began working at the library. Before then, I used to reread a lot of the same books again. It taught me to be more adventurous with reading!

Just Finished:

Hurt by Tabitha Suzuma

Kinds of Books You Won’t Read:

I do try and read all genres of YA, but when it comes to adult books I’m much more picky. I don’t read many literary fiction, historical or heavy fantasy/scifi.

Longest Book You’ve Read:

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by JK Rowling (870 pages). This is one of my favourite books of the series as well 😀 

Major book hangover because of:

Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell

Number of Bookcases You Own:

One official bookcase. I also have some shelves and keep some under my dressing table!

One Book You Have Read Multiple Times:

Any non-fiction book by Torey Hayden. Her books were my inspiration to originally be a speech and language therapist.

Preferred Place To Read:

On the train; its the only place with minimal distractions! Or else in bed.

Quote that inspires you/gives you all the feels from a book you’ve read:

“I love you. Remember. They cannot take it.” from Delirium by Lauren Oliver.

Reading Regret:

Not starting a blog earlier! Or reading more variety as a kid.

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

All of them? Off the top of my head, Michael Grant’s Gone series, Ally Condie’s Matched series and Ally Carter’s Gallagher Girls.

Three of your All-Time Favorite Books:

Only three?! The Shopaholic books by Sophie Kinsella,  Race to the Pole by James Cracknell & Ben Fogle and the Harry Potter series by JK Rowling.

Unapologetic Fangirl For:

Rainbow Rowell. Ever since I discovered Attachments I knew her writing was special, and it has just grown and grown and every book is that little bit better!

Very Excited For This Release More Than All The Others:

Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan! It sounds AHMAZING and I only have two more weeks to wait! 

Worst Bookish Habit:

From a blogging point of view, it would definitely be not writing reviews! Abandoning half-finished books perhaps?

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

Before I go to Sleep by SJ Watson.

Your latest book purchase:

Skinny by Donna Cooner.

ZZZ-snatcher book (last book that kept you up WAY late):

Faking It by Cora Carmack. I just HAD to finish it. I adore her books so much ❤

Well that was my survey! Please link me up to yours if you’ve taken part too 🙂

Top Ten: Books I’ve Read in 2013 (so far)

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and The Bookish. 

Today I am sharing with you the top ten (or eleven… shh) books I’ve read so far this year. These books weren’t necessarily published this year, and likewise there are some that were published this year but I read last year, so aren’t in this list. So, in no particular order: 

Geekhood: Close Encounters of the Girl Kind by Andy Robb: I know, I know, I keep raving about this book (check out my review here). But if you love geekiness, contemporary YA that will make you laugh and books from a teenage boy’s POV, then you HAVE to pick this up. Seriously.

The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa: I was convinced to read this by Daphne and Faye, and I’m so glad I did. The best vampire book I have read in a long while, I am dying to read the sequel as soon as I’ve written my review for this.

Losing It by Cora Carmack: My first big NA book, this set the standard for all future NA (one that not many other books meet, sadly). Funny and sexy, this book (and author) have quickly become one of my favourites (check out my review here). 

Every Seventh Wave by Daniel Glattauer: A sequel to one of my favourite books ever, it felt like I waited ages to read this! But it was oh so good, and definitely goes on my treasured shelf (see my review here).

Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson: I read this one on holiday, and thinking back I really enjoyed it. Romance, heartbreak, friendship and sadness, this book was a real emotional rollercoaster.

                

Happy Families by Janey Fraser: I love how lighthearted Janey’s books are. I like reading about kids/parents, and the multiple points of view makes for lots of drama! 

You Don’t Know Me by Sophia Bennett: This was such a refreshing read. While tackling some issues, it was a fun, musical read that I just devoured. 

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell: You guys. I cannot express how much I adore this author. Like, when I eventually get to meet her, I am never going to let go. Her latest book, about fanfiction? NEED I SAY MORE.

            

You Had Me At Hello by Mhairi McFarlane: I just adored this book, and I thought it was chick fic at its finest. 

Pivot Point by Kasie West: One of my favourite debuts of 2013 (check out my review here), Pivot Point has romance, drama and dual timelines! It sort of tested the whole idea of fate and destiny and I LOVED IT. 

Keeping You A Secret by Julie Peters: I loved this LGBT YA, and loved how it tackled girl/girl teen relationships. Definitely an author that I need to read more of. 

My list appears to be quite romance/contemporary heavy! Are there any action/thriller YA or middle grade that I’m missing? Leave me some recommendations! Do you agree/disagree with my choices? Link me to your TTT below! 

Letterbox Love #19

Letterbox Love is a meme hosted by Lynsey of Narratively Speaking whereby book lovers can exhibit the books they received this week.

Welcome to my 2-week haul post! 

Firstly, lots of goodies from the library this fortnight. Starting with Slated and Fractured by Teri Terry. I loved Slated, but read it so long ago I can’t remember what happens. So I will be having a double read to remind myself. Ketchup Clouds by Annabel Pitcher was the winner of the Waterstones’ Childrens Book Prize, so I wanted to see what the fuss was about.

Intrusion by Ken MacLeod is an adult book that sounds quite dystopian. I had taken out the hardback, but when I saw my library was getting a paperback I decided to put my name down for that instead. They are just so much easier to handle. The Baby Diaries by Sam Binnie is a book that my mum enjoyed, and I love a good girly book (especially about babies), so I ordered this one. A book that I very nearly bought a couple of weeks ago in Waterstones is Unremembered by Jessica Brody. It sounds a bit like the TV show ‘Lost’, which I adored, so I’m looking forward to checking this out. The last library book is ‘Boy Meets Boy‘ by David Levithan, ordered for the LGBT marathon hosted by Faye of A Daydreamer’s Thoughts. I don’t think I’ve every read any of his books, though a few are on my TBR list, such as Every Day.

Books that I received this week include New Girl by Paige Harbison and The Iron King by Julie Kagawa. I won these from Becky at Becky’s Barmy Book Blog for her Spring Clean giveaway. I really loved The Immortal Rules, so I’m excited to see what Julie’s other series is liked. I’m really enjoying Mira Ink’s books at the moment, so fingers crossed for this and New Girl. Becky was kind enough to throw in some bookmarks and badges too which was really sweet. And did I mention the Julie Kagawa is hardback? And glittery! *drools* Thanks very much Becky 🙂

The second and third Metawars books by Jeff Norton, The Dead are Rising and Battle of the Immortal, were sent for review from Rebecca at Hachette. I really enjoyed the first book but wanted more from the characters, so I’m excited to hopefully see their development in the next two! Thanks very much Rebecca for these shiny beauties.

Last week I was luckily enough to meet Andy Robb, author of Geekhood: Close Encounters of the Girl Kind and Geekhood: Mission Improbable. Shamefully, I have yet to read the first book, even though I got in in my birthday haul early this year. Luckily, Andy forgave me (I think!) and signed both books (I had with me the first, and bought the second there). He was really lovely, and perhaps one of the nicest, most natural authors I have ever met. We talked for ages, and yet it still felt like I could talk more. From publishers to cover design, blogging and holidays, you name it. He was very nice, which made me feel extra guilty for not having read his books!

While in Waterstones, I also picked up Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan. I really want to read all of John Green’s books, so owning them is a good start. Oh, and my copy of Geography Club by Brent Hartinger finally came! This is also for Faye’s readathon. I was surprised at how small the book is, but I want to read it before the film is released, so it serves a double purpose 🙂

Ebooks:

Thanks to Netgalley and Open Road Media for Being Henry David by Cal Armistead and When Love Comes to Town by Tom Lennon.

 

 

 

I’m taking part in the blog tour for Animate Me by Ruth Clampett, so look out for my review in a few weeks! The cover is so adorable.

Love is a Thief by Claire Garber is a book I’ve had my eye on for a while. So thanks to Harlequin and Netgalley for this!

And last, but certainly NOT least, Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell!!! Although this book isn’t released till September, someone tweeted on Thursday evening that it was on Netgalley. Two minutes later, I had requested it, and thinking about the agony of waiting for the approval/denial. But then when the same person (I can’t remember who!) said they had been approved, it cued my frantic email refreshing. And I did get approved! And I finished it last night. WHAT A WHIRLWIND. St Martin’s Press, I owe you my heart for letting me read this, and approving so quickly.

What did you receive this week? Have you read any of my books and do you think it should be at the top or the bottom of my to read pile? Do you think its shameful to go to an author event without having read their book(s)? I’d love to hear from you! 

Letterbox Love #18

Letterbox Love is a meme hosted by Lynsey of Narratively Speaking whereby book lovers can exhibit the books they received this week.

Welcome to my 2-week haul post! 

Lots of library love this week! 5 books I had requested and one I picked up. The Accidental Naturalist by Ben Fogle and Choir by Gareth Malone are both autobiographies, and ordered because I love them both! I have been waiting for Gareth’s book since Christmas, so I am excited to finally be able to read it.

I adore Jodi Picout’s books. They just evoke such emotions, and always talk about issues, which I love in books. The Storyteller promises to be no different, and some people have said it is her best yet.

Lots of people have been receiving proofs of the new book by Tanya Byrne, and I still haven’t read her first! So I thought it was time I changed that. Hence the ordering of Heart-Shaped Bruise.

Last but not least, I picked up a copy of Keeping You a Secret by Julie Peters. This is for the LGBT readathon I am doing, hosted by Faye of A Daydreamer’s Thoughts. It’s a genre I am immensely interested in, but have hardly read anything for! Lookout for lots of LGBT themed posts and reviews in the first weekend of May.

 

I also made a few purchases! Faye did an amazing review of The Secret of Ella and Micha (check it out here) by Jessica Sorensen and so when I saw it in Tesco I snapped it up. I also got The Antenatal Group by Amy Bratley as it was on offer, and I will read anything about babies.

Yet another trip to The Works, yet another bargain book haul. I picked up Someone Else’s Life by Katie Dale as I had seen it about, so I thought it was worth getting. I was delighted to find Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi. I have never read her books, but I know they are talked about a lot by bloggers. I spent about ten minutes trying to decipher which was the first in the series, and thankfully came home with the right one! Before I Forget by Melissa Hill was thrown in to make up the offer, and sounds like a cute amnesia romance.

My last physical books was gifted from Daphne at Winged Reviews. Her and Faye have been raving about Julie Kagawa’s books to me. I managed to get The Immortal Rules in my last bookshop visit, and so she kindly offered to send me a copy of The Eternity Cure so I don’t have to wait to find out what happens! I am loving The Immortal Rules at the moment, so thanks very much for this 🙂

Ebooks:

 

 

Thank you to Penguin and Netgalley for The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey. I was quite surprised to be approved for this. It sounds like a really good action, dystopian post-apocalyptic kind of novel, which suits my current mood perfectly, so I may be reading this soon!

 

Ink by Amanda Sun has such a pretty cover. I was psyched to get this, as I’ve heard lots of good things so far! Thanks Harlequin and Netgalley.

 

 

 

Books about teenage pregnancy always pique my interest, and Screwed by Laurie Plissner is no different. Thanks to Adams Media and Netgalley for a copy of this.

 

I’m taking part in the blog tour with Itching for Books for Submerged by Nicola Sobon. The first in a dystopian duology, I can’t wait to read this. Check back on May 13th for my review!

 

 

 

Amy from Harper Collins kindly sent me access to Wait For You by Jennifer L Armentrout. It is my first book by her, but I have heard lots of talk about her Lux series, so I’m interested to see what this is like.

 

I’m also part of The Forgotten Ones blog tour by Laura Howard. I love the typography on the title.

 

 

The cover for Find Me by Romily Bernard is just so awesome. And the tagline too! HUGE thank you to Harper Collins and Edelweiss for this, it sounds amazing. I love YA thrillers, and I can’t wait to start this.

I won a copy of Bethany Lopez’s Make It Last from Neyra at Darkest Addictions. I think I have a copy of the second book, so I asked if I could have the first instead of the third, and they kindly obliged!

 

What did you receive this week? Have you read any of my books and do you think it should be at the top or the bottom of my to read pile? I’d love to hear from you! 

Letterbox Love #17

Letterbox Love is a meme hosted by Lynsey of Narratively Speaking whereby book lovers can exhibit the books they received this week.

Welcome to my 2-week haul post! It’s scary the amount of books I got this week O..O

Firstly, on the 19th I went to a book event for Lauren Oliver, to celebrate the release of her new book Requiem. It was really lovely to hear her talk about her inspiration and how she writes. Although I’m sad the series has ended, I’m really excited to read more things by her. I had a nice catch up with Stacey of The Pretty Books and met Lucy from Choose YA. Special thanks to Faye of A Daydreamer’s Thoughts and Daphne of Winged Reviews for keeping me company in the line! My lovely signed books:

So while in the queue, discussing books (naturally), Faye was gushing about the Eternity Cure, and I said I had never read any of Julie Kagawa’s books. I also haven’t read Divergent yet (I know!), and Faye mentioned that she found a copy in The Works, which for those of you who don’t have one, is basically a discount store where they have books and stationary and things. The books aren’t in any order, which is quite frustrating! So I visited a shopping centre yesterday, and (having already indulged in a couple of books in Waterstones) decided to pop in the Works to check out what they have. Here’s what I came out with:

I think I have a problem! In my defence, the books were 3 for £5, which means each book cost less than £2. At that price, how could I resist?!  

So I managed to find both of Faye’s recommendations; Divergent by Veronica Roth and The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa. I also picked up a couple of books that I have read before, but wanted for my collection. These were Extras and Specials by Scott Westerfeld and The Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend by Matthew Dicks.

I also picked up some cute looking girly/contemporary YA. They had lots of Sara Shepard’s books, so I decided to get the first, Pretty Little Liars. The Pretty Commitee Strikes Back is actually the 5th in the series by Lisi Harrison, but was all they had so I decided to grab it! The Look by Sophia Bennett has pink edges. Need I say more.  Lucy Lord’s Revelry also looked a lot of fun, so it went in the basket.

The rest from the Works were just YA that I’ve heard about, or seen, and looked good! For that price, I think even if it is an okayish read, it’s worth it. Lots of people are talking about the sequel to Slide by Jill Hathaway, so I’m pleased I found the first one. Likewise with Pure by Julianna Baggott. The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Adorkable by Sarra Manning looked like cute, geeky books, something which I greatly enjoy! Last, but not least, Night School by CJ Daugherty, because I love boarding school books, and When You Were Mine by Rebecca Serle, because it sounds like an epic romance, and goodness knows I need more of that in my life!

Blimey. So before this amazing trip I had already popped into Waterstones, where I picked up Skin Deep by Laura Jarratt and Insignia by SJ Kincaid, as part of their Waterstones Teen Shortlist offer. It’s Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini really took my fancy (psychiatric hospitals, yay!) and The Hit by Melvin Burgess was an impulse buy. It sounds amazing and the cover is SHINY. Ironically, I spent more in Waterstones (4 books) than in the Works (15 books). What madness.

Finally, in all the buying bonanza, I picked up one book from the library this fortnight! The Farm by Emily McKay is a vampire dystopian kind of book. I swear it was YA, but my library have shelved it in fantasy. Who knows.

Needless to say, this will keep me going for a good while! I totally blame Faye for making me going in there. And on payday! Recipe for disaster if I ever saw one 😉

And if you think I got off lightly on the ebook front, think again!  

I think someone at Random House must have been clicker-happy this week as I got approved for 4 books from them on Netgalley! Thanks you guys, I was very surprised for all the approvals, and they are all for amazing books, and ones that I really want to read.

Firstly, Itch Rocks by Simon Mayo, the second in his Itch series. I have read the first one, and thought it was a really good middle-grade sciencey actiony book. I have yet to write up my review, but I will try and get it up before I read this one!

Next is Fall Guy by Liz Reinhardt. This is the first in a NA romance series, a genre which I seem to be reading a lot of lately!

 

 

 

Next is a book I got sent an email about, and requested in straight away. Twerp by Mark Goldblatt is a bullying book, and you know how much I love those, so I’m looking forward to seeing how Mark tackles it.

And my last beauty from Random was The Kissing Booth by Beth Reekles. This looks like such a cute contemporary, great at the end of a long day or maybe for the beach?

I also got approved for Storm by Evan Angler, thanks to Thomas Nelson and Netgalley. This is the third in a series; I have the second in ebook but unfortunately not the first. However, they all look really good so I will try and get hold of the first so I can start these!

Bloomsbury kindly gave me access to The Academy: Game On by Monica Seles. There is a surge of sports/romance/YA contemporaries at the moment, and this looked really cute. So much pink!

I also got approved on Edelweiss for Hopeless by Colleen Hoover. This has gotten really great reviews so I can’t wait to read it!

Last but certainly not least, Harper Collins gave me a copy of The Edge of Never to review. I have seen LOADS of reviews about this, and finally I get to see what all the fuss is about! It looks very 50 shades to be, but is marketed as NA so we’ll see how it goes!

What did you receive this week? Have you read any of my books and do you think it should be at the top or the bottom of my to read pile? Do you think I have a book-addiction problem? I’d love to hear from you!