Read All The Books

I loved this book! It was just the perfect amount of spooky/creepy/adventurous/halloweeny. It follows Emilia, a witch who finds her twin sister Vittoria has been murdered so she sets about seeking revenge by using dark magic to summon one of the princes of hell getting more than she bargained for. Wrath is nothing and everything like the wicked stories her Nonna told her about as a child and they form an alliance to discover who has been killing witches on her island to track down who is responsible for her sister's death. Set in Palermo, Italy the descriptions in this book made me want to travel so badly and don't even get me started on the food descriptions. Holy Cannoli was I hungry every time I picked up this book. Also the characters in the book were 'chef's kiss.' Emilia was the perfect heroine. She would stop at nothing to get her vengeance and protect those she loves. I also found her actions/decisions hard to predict which had me turning the pages. Nonna wa

I had no idea what this book was about going in to it, I just knew I wanted to read it because Nina Lacour writes such beautiful stories. This book follows Mila, a young girl who has aged out of the foster system and been given the opportunity to live and work on an isolated farm with other kids and adults who have also been through traumatic experiences like herself.  This book goes back and forth through Mila's memories of the past and her present and you see her find the family she needs. This book is also paranormal which I was not expecting (this is what happens when you don't read the summary) but I absolutely loved that. It really fit with the vibe of the book. Nina has such a way with words and creating atmospheres that this book truly feels like a cold autumn day. Every time I picked up this book, I was transported to a cold gloomy day and I just wanted to curl up with something warm. If you live in the northern hemisphere, now is the perfect time to pick up this book

Since this will be the last N.E.W.T.S for the magical readathon, I just had to do it. I'm a little late posting this TBR as it is already the 2nd of August and I have already finished one book but I decided it was better late than never. So for my O.W.L.S I completed Astronomer and Animagus Training so I have decided to complete all the prompts for both for the N.E.W.T.S. For Astronomer I need to  get an O in Arthimancy, O in Astronomy and an A in History of Magic. For Animagus Training I need to get an A in Arithmancy, E in Potions and O in Transfiguration. That is a total of 13 books! Not sure if I can complete all prompts but I will try and mainly focus on completing the Astronomer ones. Here are the prompts for Astronomer and what I have chosen to read: Read a non-fiction:  The Secret - Rhonda Byrne Read a book that ends on an uneven number: Romanov - Nadine Brandes Read a book that's between 260 and 299 pages: Liar Liar - LA Cotton Read a book with a star on the c

The Reading Rush starts tomorrow for me and I am so excited! Here is the link for the challenges. It is hosted by Ariel and Raeleen  and you can go on their website and earn badges for each challenge completed. Here is my TBR for the challenges. I only have 4 books because I don't think I will be able to get through more than that in a week. 1. Read a book with a cover that matches the colour of your birth stone. My birthstone is Citrine so the cover needs to be yellow. I picked Daughter of the Pirate King by Patricia Levenseller. 2. Read a book that starts with the word “The”. I picked The Places I've Cried in Public by Holly Bourne as it has been on my to read list for a while and I meant to read it last month but ran out of time. 3. Read a book that inspired a movie you’ve already seen. This was actually one of the harder challenges for me as I almost always read the book first but then I remembered I have never read Peter Pan by J M Barrie. 4. Read the first bo

This book was absolute perfection! I laughed, I cried, I laugh cried, you get the idea. I wish this book had been longer or that there is a sequel on the way because I need to hear more about Kimi's life. I need to know what happens next. I'm so invested in her life and her family. Plus the way the author describes food and art in this...oh my! This book follows Kimi and her realisation that perhaps she doesn't love art as much as she thought she did or as much as her mother does. She loves clothes! She loves creating clothes, wearing clothes, transforming clothes, basically anything to do with clothes she loves it. Her mother just does not understand and thinks Kimi is wasting her time when she should be focusing on working on her portfolio for the prestigious art academy she has been accepted to. They get into a huge fight! When she receives a letter from her estranged grandparents in Kyoto inviting her for spring break, she takes the chance to get away from all

1. What is the best book you have read so far in 2020?    I have read this before but at the time of reading it, I rushed through it and didn't really pay attention to what the book was trying to convey. I was being a real adult and not seeing what is really important. I reread it this year and now I love it with all my heart. I read it twice in about a week and even watched the movie. 10/10 would recommend. 2. What is the best sequel you have read in 2020? I read the first book in this series and didn't understand the hype at all. I had listened to the audio book and was ready to dismiss the entire series but thought I better give it another chance and I'm glad I did because I loved book 2! I loved the characters and the story line. I can't wait to pick up book 3. 3. A sequel that has come out his year that you haven't read but really want to. I have been dying to pick up this book as book 1 ended on a cliffhanger but I have heard that this one ends on an ev

This book much like the other two books in this series was so much fun! I didn't know much (read: nothing) about Calamity Jane so I really didn't know what to expect going in and I certainly wasn't expecting garou's but that's what makes this so good! All the characters in this were 'chef's kiss.'  I don't know who I loved more, Jane, Annie, Bill, Frank, George...even the bad guys were so bad that they were good. I love the fantastical spin they add to their stories, it makes for a really funny story and you definitely don't need to know the story or Calamity Jane going but it will certainly make you want to learn more about her after you finish this book.  Now while I have said twice already how fun/funny this story is, the best part of this book is the subtle way they show you that just because you are different to others, it doesn't mean you are any less valid than others. A great lesson that can be applied to so many things, ra

G over at Book Roast is back at it again with another mini readathon while we wait for the NEWTS in August. Here is the link with the video explaining all the rules and the download for the map with the prompts. There are 10 different locations around Hogsmeade that you pick to go to with prompts for each read. You don't have to do all of them but you do need to start at number 1, The Maurauder's Map (read a book with a map) so that you can officially get into Hogsmeade. Once you have finished that you can pick any of the other locations to visit by completing the prompts. You do not have to go to number 2 next. I don't think I will be able to complete all 10 prompts as this is only a week long readathon starting from June 22nd and ending on June 28th and I can't read 10 books in a week. I have picked 5 prompts but I don't think I will be able to get to all of them but at least I will have some variety to pick during the week. If by chance I do get through them

First of let me say that I loved this book! It had everything I could ever want in a book. A road trip, a treasure hunt of sorts, a soft boy and a couple of my favourite tropes. Oh look there is only one room left in this hotel and only one bed in this room. Can you say swoon! This book was so fun but it wasn't all good times and happiness, in fact it mostly wasn't either of those things. This book follows Ali, whose absent father has passed away and left her with his prized possession, a 1968 firebird convertible. Ali plans on selling the car in the hopes that the money will be enough to save her childhood home from being repossessed. She finds a buyer who offers her enough money however he lives 300 miles away and she can't drive a stick shift. Enter, Nico, the ex-boyfriend who volunteers to drive her whilst trying to convince her that she can earn the money she needs another way via 'trading up' items instead of selling her father's car. Ali is aga

I haven't done a book tag in a hot minute so I thought I would give this one a go by GirlReading as it looked like it would be fun so here goes! 1. Ebook or physical. Both! 2. Paperback or hardback. Paperback.  3. Online or in store book shopping. Both.  4. Trilogies or series. Trilogies. 5. Heroes or villains. Villains. 6. A book you want everyone to read: Illuminae because it's fun reading such a mixed media and has some of the most beautiful quotes. 7. Recommend an underrated book: Existence by Abbi Glines. 8. The last book you finished: Dress Codes for Small Towns - Courtney C Stevens 9. The last book you bought. Aurora Burning - Jay Kristoff & Amie Kaufman 10. Weirdest thing you used as a bookmark. Probably a receipt. 11. Used books yes or no? I would have said yes before the pandemic happened and now it's a big no. 12. Top 3 fave genres. Contemporary, urban fantasy and mystery. 13. Borrow or buy? Would have said both but buy

You Are Not Alone follows Shay, a young data researcher who is unhappy with how her life is working out. She doesn't have a permanent job, she barely has one friend,she lives with an unrequited crush who only sees her as a friend and she doesn't really speak to her family. She is struggling and feeling lonely until she finds herself in the wrong place at the wrong time and witnesses a young lady committing suicide.  She starts to become obsessed with finding about about the deceased lady's life and then befriends the deceased's close friends and finds her life slowly turning around. She has good friends, a stable job, things seem to good to be true! They are! This was an intriguing read. Most of the story is told via Shay's POV but some chapters are from the other girl's perspectives which honestly made this so much better. Shay could be quite dense sometimes and had me screaming at the book 'why girl why' so it was good to have a break from h

Imagine Me is the last book in the Shatter Me series. I think. What was once a trilogy ended up getting another 3 books in the series so it could be possible for her to add more books in this series and I have to say I wouldn't be mad about it. While I enjoyed the first 3 books in the series, I think the series picked up for me in these last 3 books. I loved them with my entire heart! This last book was so action packed for such a short novel, at least it felt short to me. I read this book in its entirety in one day. It was just so easy to read and had me turning the pages to see what happens next. I felt like this book followed mostly Kenji's perspective even though the chapters were split evenly between Juliette and Kenji. I also fell in love with Warner even more in this book and that epilogue was everything.  I highly recommend picking up this series if you haven't already! Tahereh Mafi's writing is just so beautiful and deserves more people reading it

I loved Marie Kondo's ' The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up ' so when I heard she did a version for the office, of course I had to pick it up and I was not disappointed.  While a majority of this book did not apply to me and my work life it was still incredibly inspiring. No one can inspire you to want to start cleaning like Marie Kondo. I'm not kidding when I say half way through this book I stopped to organise the files/folders in my computer. Scott and Marie explain in detail how to not only clean your office but also clean out/organise your electronic files/emails.  I think this is a must read for anyone even if you don't have a regular office job. It goes step by step explaining how to not only organise/clean your office but also your time to be more productive and to think about what you want out of life. I liked the advice given in each chapter as well as the real life stories that were interwoven in. It made the book easy to read as it was not all ju

Not Your Idol follows a pop idol who gives up on being a girl after she is assaulted at a fan meet. She changes her name and starts to dress like a boy stating, it would not have happened if I was a boy.  At her high school, a fellow student recognises her and decides to keep her secret and she soon starts to question whether or not all boys are the same. This volume was so good, however it ends on a cliff hanger and I honestly need volume 2 to see where the story goes. I have so many questions and theories and at this point I am suspicious of everyone as this is being promoted as a psychological suspense. It did take a little while to get into the story but then it was over way too quickly and I just needed to know what happens next! The artwork is amazing and I'm excited to see the finished copy. I hope volume 2 comes out not too long after volume was is officially released. Thank you to NetGalley and VIZ Media for providing an e-arc in exchange for an honest revie

So this is my 3rd year doing the O.W.L.s readathon hosted by Book Roast on Youtube. The rules and instructions can be found here : I have decided for this year's career I'm going to go for Astronomer so here are the prompts and books I plan to read: Arithmancy : read something outside your favourite genre: Interview with a vampire - Anne Rice Astromomy : read majority of book when it's dark outside: Not Your Idol - Aoi Makino History of Magic : book feature witches/wizards: How's Moving Castle - Diana Wynne Jones I have also decided to do a course this year as I definitely read more than 3 books a month. I have decided to try and become and Animagus. Here are the prompts and what I plan to read: Arithmancy : read something outside your favourite genre (while I will have completed this for my career I have decided to add another book anyway) Joy At Work - Marie Kondo Potions : a book under 150 pages: Saga Vol 3 - Brian K Vaughan Transfiguration

Set in a futuristic New York, The Thousandth Floor follows a group of teens living in a thousand story tower and their day to day lives. This read like a futuristic Gossip Girl but I did have a hard time really getting into the story. While a lot of things were happening it also felt like nothing was really happening until the last few chapters when it all went down. I found all the characters to be interesting especially Avery, the genetically perfect human and I LOVED reading about all the futuristic capabilities, hover cars and sending messages via contacts, sign me up! I know this book was mostly setting up for the other books in the series but I wished it had been a little shorter as I felt it dragged a little. I wasn't planning on picking up the other books in the series but after reading the last couple of chapters, I really wanna see where it all goes so will definitely continue on with this series.

This was such a fun and quick read! It follows Yuna and Akari, two girls that are complete opposites who meet in an unexpected way and soon become best friends. Yuna is a shy quiet girl while Akari is outgoing and not afraid to speak her mind. While they seem to have nothing in common they soon start to realise that maybe they aren't so different after all.  The graphics in this are really beautiful and I hope that it is published in colour as in some cases I couldn't tell which girl was which particularly when it was a close up of Akari's face as you couldn't see the dark ends of her hair. I think this is a great manga for teens as it explores the topics of friendship and crushes/first loves and that our impressions of people aren't always what they seem and you should get all your facts before jumping to conclusions. Thanks to NetGalley and VIZ media for providing me an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This story follows a few different perspectives. Gabe is on the way home one day and sees his daughter in the back of an old car. He watches her disappear. He soon learns that his wife and daughter have been killed but he swears he saw his daughter in the back of that car. No on believes him. The believe he is guilty. 3 years later, Gabe hasn't given up hope and continues searching for that car and whoever took his daughter. He believes that she is still alive. Alice works in a service station. She often sees Gabe come in. She knows his story, most people do. She understands his pain. Her father was killed 9 years ago. Fran and her daughter Alice are on the run. Fran knows the truth about what happened to Gabe's daughter and she knows that if they catch up to her and Alice, they will be killed. So this book was delightfully creepy and had been eager to find out what happens next. I enjoyed the twists and turns and seeing how it would all play out. Gabe's neve

tw: this book has mentions of sexual abuse, rape Just by reading the synopsis of this book you might think that this book is a fun contemporary about April pretending to be Gretel, the perfect women that all men want in order to try and find someone that will stick around past date 5 but this book is so so much more! This book is quite confronting and is honestly hard to read at times and leaves you feeling exhausted but it is also uplifting. Just reading through the chapters and all the things mentioned that men expect women do/be and all the things that women do in order to try and keep that said someone honestly leaves you drained. However the girl power chapters definitely uplift you and inspire you to just be yourself. Holly Bourne has an amazing ability to write realistically relateable characters and to normalise mental health which I wish more authors would do. If this book is not something you can think you can handle based on the trigger warnings then I would urg

Crooked River continues on straight after the events of the previous book 'Verses for the Dead.' Agent Pendergast is called in to assist an investigation in Florida where a large number of human feet have washed up on a beach. No one can figure out where they have come from and he soon calls in his ex-partner Coldmoon to help him with the case which seems to be turning more and more deadly the more they investigate. I definitely enjoyed this book however, I did find it dragged a little at times. I also still do not like Constance. Try as they might I just can't seem to like her and find her incredibly annoying. I also found Coldmoon's character to be completely different to what I remember him being in the previous book and I don't know if it's just me not remembering him or if they changed his personality. I did like him more in this book but I miss D'Agosta and hope to see him appear in another book in the future. The last part of the book i

Firstly, I loved this book! It was just so so good and exactly what I needed. I flew through this and immediately added a bunch of Jenn Bennett books to my TBR. Her stories are just so...and her writing...I love! Secondly this book made me want to go camping. My idea of camping is a 2 star hotel...just kidding...or am I... Anyway, Jenn Bennett's writing makes you feel things and not just emotions. I felt like I was right there with Zorrie and Lennon in the wilderness, I could practically smell nature coming off the pages and honestly it just made me feel calm and at peace with the world. Nature will do that to you. So will good writing. Thirdly imagine being stuck in the woods with the guy you hate but actually secretly love...yeah - this story is just straight up fabulous and deals with a lot more than you would expect. Also the parents in this (except for one - you know who you are) are just *chefs kiss.* In conclusion, this book is amazing and you should pick it up

What a fun quick read this was! I love Emma Mills's writing so I was really looking forward to reading this and it did not disappoint.  It follows Nina who joins a radio broadcasting class in her final year of high school where she ends up in a group with her neighbour/childhood friend Jamie. Someone who she has been avoiding for the past few years because of an incident that happened when they were younger. Nothing seems to be going right her, the radio show is a disaster, her mother is getting remarried which means a lot of changes and she has to spend a lot of time with Jamie, who she may or may not still care about. I loved the relationship Nina had with her sisters, they joked around and annoyed each other but were ultimately there for each other whenever they needed each other. It was a very realistic portrayal of sisters. I also loved their sarcasm and humour. I liked how, yes this book was about a radio show but also so much more. Every character had a side sto

One Of Us Is Next is the sequel to One Of  Us Is Lying . It doesn't follow the same cast of characters but they do appear throughout the novel. I found that this one was more predictable to me than the first one but it still had a nice little twist at the end that you don't see coming. My only fault with this book is that I wished we could have seen more of what happened at the end after that last twist but I guess that just means I was fully invested in the characters and wasn't read to leave them yet which is the sign of a good book. In this novel, the teens at Bayview are sent a truth or dare game. Once you are selected you have 24 hours to accept your dare or else a truth about you will be revealed. This was such a fun premise for this book and was the reason why I couldn't wait to read this book. Who doesn't love a good game of truth or dare, perhaps with stakes not quite as high as in this book though. I loved all the characters in this one e

The Boy Next Story is the second book in the Bookish Boyfriends series. The premise of these books is the main character (usually a female and somehow connected to the main character in the previous story) is set a book to read by the 'magical' English teacher for extra credit and they soon find that their lives follow the path of the character in the novel they are reading. These books are honestly a lot of fun and feature a swoon-worthy romance that will have you adding another bookish boyfriend to your every growing list. This book in particular follows Rory (the younger sister of the previous book's main character) and her struggles coping at her new school Hero High and her heartache with being in love with the boy next door who only seems to have eyes for her sister. Rory is an artist who has a lot of anxiety and feels like she doesn't fit in anywhere - at home or at school. The only times she feels seen and heard are around Toby (the boy next door) t

What a great reading year I had in 2019 and I even discovered so many new favourite books. I started a bunch of new series and managed to finish some that I had started in previous years. Here is my list of the best books I read in 2019. This does not mean that they were published in 2019, just that I read them in 2019. These are not in any kind of order. Throne of Glass - Sarah J Maas Foolish Hearts - Emma Mills The Wicked King - Holly Black Ruin and Rising - Leigh Bardugo Finale - Stephanie Garber Restore Me - Tahereh Mafi Aurora Rising - Jay Kristoff & Amie Kaufman Aristotle & Dante discover the secrets of the universe - Benjamin Alire Saenz Somewhere Only We Know - Maurene Goo Hunting Prince Dracula - Kerri Maniscalco Dumplin - Julie Murphy Princess in the Spotlight - Meg Cabot I managed to finish almost all my reading goals of 2019 so I stuck with similar goals for 2020. Read 1 classic a month Read 100 books (I lowered this from last year as I have