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My Weekly Recap: 14/03/2015

I'm sad to say that my good mood from last week didn't last very long. I found myself getting very behind on the blog again. My scheduled posts slowly became live, with no more being written to replace them. I'm blaming the month of March, my insomnia caused by the medication I'm on, and my stress about my new job for why I am behind.

I've also been spending a lot of time with my family, and it's more important than the blog and so that's taken a back seat. March is a tough month and always will be, which never helps to improve my mood. This March saw the second anniversary of my aunts death come around, so I spent the day with my cousins, my parents and my nan so that we could be together, remember her but also go do something and not think about it too much. The next day also happens to be my nan's birthday, so I spent another day with my family. We make an effort to make sure she does something, because she no longer ever wants to celebrate it. It's been a stressful upsetting month in ways, but in others it's been lovely and nice to spend time with my amazing and wonderful family.


I really only managed to accomplish writing one movie review this week and that was for Fifty Shades. That review went well.... Not the best idea to try and write a coherent blog post in the early hours of the morning, when you have insomnia caused by the medication your on - medication to alleviate stress, but makes you not able to sleep, which ruins your mood and makes you more stressed? Where is the logic to this? - and are so sleep deprived that you are barely feeling alive, But I have 0 care at the mo.



I'm linking up with Tynga's Stacking the Shelves and the Caffeinated Book Reviewers The Sunday Post.


Confess by Colleen Hoover

Confess
Auburn Reed has her entire life mapped out. Her goals are in sight and there’s no room for mistakes. But when she walks into a Dallas art studio in search of a job, she doesn’t expect to find a deep attraction to the enigmatic artist who works there, Owen Gentry.For once, Auburn takes a risk and puts her heart in control, only to discover Owen is keeping major secrets from coming out. The magnitude of his past threatens to destroy everything important to Auburn, and the only way to get her life back on track is to cut Owen out of it.The last thing Owen wants is to lose Auburn, but he can’t seem to convince her that truth is sometimes as subjective as art. All he would have to do to save their relationship is confess. But in this case, the confession could be much more destructive than the actual sin…
She's an auto-buy author for me and I plan to get to this as soon as I'm done binging the Lux series. All my review books will be put on hold... again.



When We Were FriendsWhen We Were Friends by Tina Seskis

It had always been the six of us.Since we met at university twenty-five years ago, we'd faced everything together. Break-ups and marriages, motherhood and death. We were closer than sisters; the edges of our lives bled into each other.But that was before the night of the reunion. The night of exposed secrets and jagged accusations. The night when everything changed.And then we were five.
Apparently I won this in a Goodreads giveaway!



As Red As BloodAs Red As Blood by Salla Simukka
Seventeen-year-old Lumikki Andersson is hardly your average teenager. She lives by herself in the city of Tampere, Finland, and has a firm rule to mind nobody's business but her own. But that rule is put to the test when she happens upon five hundred washed euro notes hanging up to dry in her school's darkroom, and it is shattered once Lumikki realises who owns them.Caught in an increasingly tangled web of deception, corruption and danger, Lumikki finds herself navigating the Tampere's dark underbelly in the search to expose its shocking connection to the international drugs trade. Lumikki is smart, but is she smarter than a master criminal? Can she bring down the infamous 'Polar Bear' - or will she become another one of his victims?
Thank you to Hot Key Books for sending me this pretty.

Under my SkinUnder my Skin by James Dawson 
Meet Molly Sue. Once she's under your skin there's no getting rid of her...Seventeen-year-old Sally Feather is not exactly a rebel. Her super-conservative parents and her treatment at the hands of high school bullies means that Sally's about as shy and retiring as they come - but all that's about to change. Accidentally ending up in the seedier side of town one day, Sally finds herself mysteriously lured to an almost-hidden tattoo parlour - and once inside, Sally is quickly seduced by its charming owner, Rosita, and her talk of how having a secret tattoo can be as empowering as it is thrilling. Almost before she knows what she is doing, Sally selects sexy pin-up Molly Sue, and has her tattooed on her back - hoping that Molly Sue will inspire her to be as confident and popular as she is in her dreams.But things quickly take a nightmareish turn. Almost immediately, Sally begins to hear voices in her head - or rather, one voice in particular: Molly Sue's. And she has no interest in staying quiet and being a good girl - in fact, she's mighty delighted to have a body to take charge of again. Sally slowly realises that she is unable to control Molly Sue... and before long she's going to find out the hard way what it truly means to have somebody 'under your skin'.
Another one from Hot Key, very excited for this!

The ThreeThe Three by Sarah Lot
Four simultaneous plane crashes. Three child survivors. A religious fanatic who insists the three are harbingers of the apocalypse. What if he's right?The world is stunned when four commuter planes crash within hours of each other on different continents. Facing global panic, officials are under pressure to find the causes. With terrorist attacks and environmental factors ruled out, there doesn't appear to be a correlation between the crashes, except that in three of the four air disasters a child survivor is found in the wreckage.Dubbed 'The Three' by the international press, the children all exhibit disturbing behavioural problems, presumably caused by the horror they lived through and the unrelenting press attention. This attention becomes more than just intrusive when a rapture cult led by a charismatic evangelical minister insists that the survivors are three of the four harbingers of the apocalypse. The Three are forced to go into hiding, but as the children's behaviour becomes increasingly disturbing, even their guardians begin to question their miraculous survival...
Thank you, Hodder, you guys rock!

Homecoming (The Hundred, #3)The 100: Homecoming by Kass Morgan
Weeks after landing on Earth, the Hundred have managed to create a sense of order amidst their wild, chaotic surroundings. But their delicate balance comes crashing down with the arrival of new dropships from space.These new arrivals are the lucky ones - back on the Colony, the oxygen is almost gone - but after making it safely to Earth, GLASS's luck seems to be running out. CLARKE leads a rescue party to the crash site, ready to treat the wounded, but she can't stop thinking about her parents who may still be alive. Meanwhile, WELLS struggles to maintain his authority despite the presence of the Vice Chancellor and his armed guards, and BELLAMY must decide whether to face or flee the crimes he thought he'd left behind.It's time for the Hundred to come together and fight for the freedom they've found on Earth, or risk losing everything - and everyone - they love.
This is like a guilty pleasure series. Want to read this before starting the TV show. I hear the show is a lot better than the books.

A Place Called WinterA Place Called Winter by Patrick Gale
In the golden 1900s, Harry Cane, a shy, eligible gentleman of leisure is drawn from a life of quiet routine into courting and marrying Winnie, eldest daughter of the fatherless Wells clan, who are not quite as respectable as they would appear. They settle by the sea and have a daughter and conventional marriage does not seem such a tumultuous change after all. When a chance encounter awakens scandalous desires never acknowledged until now, however, Harry is forced to forsake the land and people he loves for a harsh new life as a homesteader on the newly colonized Canadian prairies. There, in a place called Winter, he will come to find a deep love within an alternative family, a love imperiled by war, madness and an evil man of undeniable magnetism.
This is an unsolicited review copy. Not really my kind of book so probably won't get to it any time soon, if at all.

Made for YouMade for You by Melissa Marr
When Eva Tilling wakes up in the hospital, she’s confused—who in her sleepy little North Carolina town could have hit her with their car? And why? But before she can consider the question, she finds that she’s awoken with a strange new skill: the ability to foresee people’s deaths when they touch her. While she is recovering from the hit-and-run, Nate, an old flame, reappears, and the two must traverse their rocky past as they figure out how to use Eva’s power to keep her friends—and themselves—alive. But while Eva and Nate grow closer, the killer grows increasingly frantic in his attempt to get to Eva.
The Novice (Summoner, #1)Summoner: The Novice by Taran Matharu 

When blacksmith apprentice Fletcher discovers that he has the ability to summon demons from another world, he travels to Adept Military Academy. There the gifted are trained in the art of summoning. Fletcher is put through grueling training as a battlemage to fight in the Hominum Empire’s war against orcs. He must tread carefully while training alongside children of powerful nobles. The power hungry, those seeking alliances, and the fear of betrayal surround him. Fletcher finds himself caught in the middle of powerful forces, with only his demon Ignatius for help. As the pieces on the board maneuver for supremacy, Fletcher must decide where his loyalties lie. The fate of an empire is in his hands. The Novice is the first in a trilogy about Fletcher, his demon Ignatius, and the war against the Orcs.
DevotedDevoted by Jennifer Mathieu
Rachel Walker is devoted to God. She prays every day, attends Calvary Christian Church with her family, helps care for her five younger siblings, dresses modestly, and prepares herself to be a wife and mother who serves the Lord with joy. But Rachel is curious about the world her family has turned away from, and increasingly finds that neither the church nor her homeschool education has the answers she craves. Rachel has always found solace in her beliefs, but now she can’t shake the feeling that her devotion might destroy her soul.
I really enjoyed The Truth About Alice, so I definitely want to read this but I am quite unsure about it. I really don't know what I will make of it, but I'm curious to see.

Lock & Mori (Lock & Mori, #1)Lock & Mori by Heather W. Petty

FACT: Someone has been murdered in London’s Regent’s Park. The police have no leads.FACT: Miss James “Mori” Moriarty and Sherlock “Lock” Holmes should be hitting the books on a school night. Instead, they are out crashing a crime scene.FACT: Lock has challenged Mori to solve the case before he does. Challenge accepted.FACT: Despite agreeing to Lock’s one rule—they must share every clue with each other—Mori is keeping secrets.OBSERVATION: Sometimes you can’t trust the people closest to you with matters of the heart. And after this case, Mori may never trust Lock again.

Yes... yes... yes. That is all.


Never Never by Colleen Hoover & Tarryn Fisher
Unleashed by Sophie Jordan
My Weekly Recap: 28/02/2015
Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
Fifty Shades of Grey: Movie Review & Discussion


36 comments:

  1. It's so awesome that you're spending time with family, Charnell! :D Pretty exciting haul as well. Confess has been on everyone's StS, and I'm quite curious about Made for You and The Novice! Lock and Mori's on my wishlist. ^_^

    Aimee @ Deadly Darlings

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  2. Try not to stress so much about the blog and just have fun. I know it's a rough time, I hope the next weeks are better. Great haul, btw. I loved Made For You, it's good & creepy. I really want to read The Novice. I hope you enjoy them all and get lots of time to read and relax.

    Michelle @ Michelle's Minions

    My StS

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  3. Aw Sorry to hear March is so rough for you. I hope this week goes a bit easier on you all the way around.

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  4. I've suffered bouts of insomnia for 25 years on and off so you certainly have my sympathy. I had some bad insomnia last month as it was the first time my mum's birthday had come round since she died in June last year. I can fully understand what you are saying about your aunt. Hope things get a bit better for you soon.

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  5. We need to have a right natter, it's been too long and it might really help, but honestly, spend time with family, I've enjoyed reading a little less this month and spending it gaming with Mum, and it's been nice, so do whatever works! Definitely read Made For You soon! :)

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  6. Sorry to hear about all your troubles. Hope things pick up again for you soon.

    Awww! Love that little gif of the bunny!! So cute!

    Great new reads too! Love that UK cover for Made for You! Pretty, and eerie! Loved that book!! I sooo need to start watching the 100 so I can check out these books I keep seeing! Would you recommend the show first or the books?

    Hope you enjoy all your new reads!

    My STS will be up tomorrow, so be sure to stop by then!

    Have a GREAT day!

    Old Follower :)

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  7. Sorry to read that you've had a particularly tough week. I hope things improve for you soon. I am reading James Dawson's Under My Skin soon and I'm very excited to read it. I also have a copy of Made For You. I'm looking forward to it! My Haul

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    1. Under my Skin was pretty good, but not one of my best reads of the year.

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  8. Sorry to hear this week hasn't been too good for you. Hopefully things will get better soon enough! Lovely haul, I hope you get to relax and enjoy all your new reads!

    Beatrice @ Book For Thought
    My STS

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  9. Take good care of yourself. It's good you place the blog on the back, because family and your health are much more important aspects. I'm sorry to hear this has been such a tough month so far and I hope the medicines will make you feel better soon instead of crappier.

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    1. Thank you, I had a great time spending time with the family.

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  10. Sorry to hear about the anniversary of your nan :( And yes, sometimes medication can be funny like that. :/

    I also have a review copy of Lock and Mori which I CANNOT wait to read. I am super excited for that book, so I hope you like it too! I also am looking forward to when I can read my copy of Made for You because many people seem to like it.

    As for The 100 I really want to try those books before they come out as well. It seems like a good idea :)

    My book haul: http://olivia-savannah.blogspot.nl/2015/03/book-haul-3-box-sets-scruffy-books-and.html

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    1. Thanks. I can't wait to devour Lock & Mori, it sounds so good.

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  11. O HHHH YO HAVE LOCKE AND MORI!! WELL YAY! That is completely very high on my muchly-anticipated list. hehe. I hope you like it!

    aww, but I hope you do enjoy your time off for those 12 days. not sleeping is so unfun. It's really really stressful to not sleep, I HEAR YA. I have mild insomnia. I usually just lie awake for hours. Bleh. It makes you more tired trying to sleep than actually giving up and doing something else. >_< SO I HOPE YOU GET MORE SLEEP SOON.

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  12. Any book read and reviewed is always good in my book. ;)

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  13. Oh Charnell, you need a hug. We both need hugs right now. I'm sending a couple dozen your way. March hasn't treated me all too well and despite thinking that I would FINALLY have my blog back on track again, it hasn't happened. I don't even know what I'm doing anymore and life is so intense that, quite honestly, I don't care. Enjoy your twelve days break. HAVE TIME TO YOURSELF. It's what I live to advocate now <3

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    1. Thanks for all the hugs!!! I haven't got mine back on track either, it SUCKS!

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  14. Happy that I found your blog! Really like it!
    It’s so beautiful!

    p.s. new post - how I met Victoria Beckham http://www.dianacloudlet.com/2015/02/victoria-beckham-zip-pouch-met-victoria-beckham.html

    Diana Cloudlet
    http://www.dianacloudlet.com/

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  15. You absolutely HAVE to let me know how Confess turns out. I've become a slight Hoover addict after reading Ugly Love

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  16. I hope you manage to figure out your blog schedule - its one of my biggest problems as well. e_e Even today, it seems like I'll be going to bed an hour later (again...) because I still have a bunch of things to do. Sleep deprivation is the most awful thing, argh >.< I really hope it doesn't bother you for much longer.

    Oh God, Nightmare Medication =/ My Mum bought me these natural tablets called Quiet Life which help promote sleep. (Think she got them from Holland & Barrett or As Nature Intended or something.) Usually I'll be awake for hours before falling asleep. The good thing is, Quiet Life makes me fall asleep almost instantly. The bad side is, is didn't let me have UNBROKEN sleep so I woke up three or four times a night before morning. I felt worse than what was happening before, so I stopped taking them. There's got to be other solutions... just wish I knew what they were!

    Have a great week. x

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    1. Sleep deprivation sucks, I HATE IT!!!!!!!!!! Those tablets sound terrible.

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  17. Congrats on your win! Three looks especially interesting. I hope you enjoy all these. Happy Reading!
    Here are my newest additions.

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  18. Time with the family is always lovely because it doesn't happen very often when you're busy. I was kind of disappointed with Confess unfortunately! Good luck Charnell, I hope you get some rest.

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Thank you so much for taking the time to comment, it always makes my day! Because of time restraints, this is now an award free zone but thanks so much for considering me! Feel free to leave a link to your own blog and I will come visit.