My Weekly Recap: 01/08/2015

This week has seen me do nothing but work and read. That has been my life this week and one part has sucked - the work - and the other has been amazing - the reading. I have managed to get through a lot of books in the last week, which makes me very happy. And I read two top reads of the year, which makes 4 so far this year out of a large 79! I've received some truly amazing review copies that I am very excited to get to as well.

Magnus Chase and the Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan 4/5 ¦ Flirty Dancing by Jenny McLachlan 4/5 ¦ Love Bomb by Jenny McLachlan 4/5 ¦ Sunkissed by Jenny McLachlan 4/5 ¦ Night Owls by Jenn Bennett 5/5 ¦ Fans of the Impossible Life by Kate Scelsa 5/5

Magnus Chase was such a great read and I rushed through that one, even though it's a huge book! I loved Magnus as a character, he's absolutely hilarious and had me in stitches. I got into this way easier than I did the first Percy Jackson book. That's probably because this one is much more YA, where as the PJ series was more MG. The Ladybirds books were so much fun to read, and very quick to get through - I read all 3 in 2 days and thoroughly enjoyed them. Night Owls and Fans of the Impossible Life both BLEW ME AWAY, so be expecting some glowing/gushing/fangirling reviews for those very soon. And, spoiler, Jenn Bennett agreed to an author interview!!! CAN'T WAIT!!!

Trial by Fire by Josephine Angelini

This world is trying to kill Lily Proctor. Her life-threatening allergies keep her from enjoying experiences that others in her hometown of Salem take for granted, which is why she is determined to enjoy her first high school party with her best friend and longtime crush, Tristan. But after a humiliating incident in front of half her graduating class, Lily wishes she could just disappear.Suddenly, Lily is in a different Salem—one overrun with horrifying creatures and ruled by powerful women called Crucibles. Strongest and cruelest of them all is Lillian . . . Lily's other self in this alternate universe.What makes Lily weak at home is what makes her extraordinary in New Salem. In this confusing world, Lily is torn between responsibilities she can't hope to shoulder alone and a love she never expected.

I'm a terrible person who buys books again when they redesign the covers. BUT this is because the sequel will be in this HIDEOUS design. And I hate when my series don't match! WHY WOULD THEY CHANGE THE DESIGN!?!? 

The Kiss by Lucy Courtnay

'Aphrodite kissed a mortal once by the light of this moon, many thousands of years ago. It drove him crazy. The next person that he kissed - boum. The craziness travelled like this from person to person. It travelled through time. Everywhere - boum! Tu comprends?' 'Where did it end up?' I whisper. His lips are on my cheek now. 'It ended with me. And now I am going to pass it to you. You will like that, mermaid?' Imagine the perfect kiss. A legendary kiss that makes people crazy with love. Imagine a summer's night, on a moonlit beach in the South of France, as French boy Laurent kisses 16-year-old Delilah after the best chat-up line she's ever heard. BOOM! Delilah is pretty sure the Kiss is fiction, despite her head-spinning holiday fling. But with all the sudden crushes, break-ups and melt-downs happening back at home, the Kiss starts looking a little too real for comfort. If only Delilah could keep track of where it's gone ...Who knew one kiss could cause this much trouble? A hilarious rom-com that will delight Geek Girls everywhere!

Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella

An anxiety disorder disrupts fourteen-year-old Audrey’s daily life. She has been making slow but steady progress with Dr. Sarah, but when Audrey meets Linus, her brother’s gaming teammate, she is energized. She connects with him. Audrey can talk through her fears with Linus in a way she’s never been able to do with anyone before. As their friendship deepens and her recovery gains momentum, a sweet romantic connection develops, one that helps not just Audrey but also her entire family.

This arrived in the post, apparently I won a giveaway for it when I was at YALC. It's signed as well. But I'm a little nervous to read it after reading Cait's review. As someone with social anxiety, I'm worried this won't be fun to read if it feels like she is making light of a serious issue.

Sunkissed by Jenny McLachlan

Kat can't believe her family are sending her to Sweden for the summer. But without her friends, or even a phone signal, can Kat make it on her own?In a land of saunas, nudity and summer sun, Kat soon realises she has nowhere to hide. It's time to embrace who she really is, underneath what she's been thinking people want her to be. Especially if she's going to win the heart of mega fit Swede Leo! Can Kat find her inner strength and prove she's got what it takes?Kat soon finds that when you're surrounded by phosphorescence and wonder it's easy to sparkle. Or maybe that's what happens when you fall in love . Or maybe you only shine when you're true to yourself.

Expect a review for this and the first two books soon. I read them all and really enjoyed them, they are all so much fun! 

Ice Like Fire by Sara Raasch

NO SUMMARY... NO SPOILERS!!!!

The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers

Somewhere within our crowded sky, a crew of wormhole builders hops from planet to planet, on their way to the job of a lifetime. To the galaxy at large, humanity is a minor species, and one patched-up construction vessel is a mere speck on the starchart. This is an everyday sort of ship, just trying to get from here to there. But all voyages leave their mark, and even the most ordinary of people have stories worth telling. A young Martian woman, hoping the vastness of space will put some distance between herself and the life she‘s left behind. An alien pilot, navigating life without her own kind. A pacifist captain, awaiting the return of a loved one at war. Set against a backdrop of curious cultures and distant worlds, this episodic tale weaves together the adventures of nine eclectic characters, each on a journey of their own.

This book has an AMAZING title and an AMAZING cover!!!

Fans of the Impossible Life by Kate Scelsa 

This is the story of a girl, her gay best friend, and the boy in love with both of them.

Ten months after her recurring depression landed her in the hospital, Mira is starting over as a new student at Saint Francis Prep. She promised her parents she would at least try to act like a normal, functioning human this time around, not a girl who sometimes can’t get out of bed for days on end, who only feels awake when she’s with Sebby. 

Jeremy is the painfully shy art nerd at Saint Francis who’s been in self-imposed isolation after an incident that ruined his last year of school. When he sees Sebby for the first time across the school lawn it’s as if he’s been expecting this blond, lanky boy with a mischievous glint in his eye. 

Sebby, Mira’s gay best friend, is a boy who seems to carry sunlight around with him like a backlit halo. Even as life in his foster home starts to take its toll, Sebby and Mira together craft a world of magic rituals and secret road trips, designed to fix the broken parts of their lives. 

As Jeremy finds himself drawn into Sebby and Mira’s world, he begins to understand the secrets that they hide in order to protect themselves, to keep each other safe from those who don’t understand their quest to live for the impossible.

I've just finished this and I LOVED it!!! It has diversity, explores mental health issues and has wonderful, witty, sarcastic characters! I AM IN LOVE!!! A TOP READ OF THE YEAR!!!

I Knew You Were Trouble by Paige Toon

Life as the undercover daughter of a rock god isn't going to be easy. How will Jessie adjust to her old boring life again after spending her summer living it up with her dad in LA? With tough decisions ahead (and not just choosing between two hot boys), can she cope juggling her two very different lives? Summer may be over, but Jessie's story is just beginning…

I have to read book one first. as I didn't realise this was number two in a series. That's what happens when you change covers halfway through! Luckily for me, I just won a set of both books. So I can read them both soon. Will give the spare away.

Reawakened by Colleen Houck

When seventeen-year-old Lilliana Young enters the Metropolitan Museum of Art one morning during spring break, the last thing she expects to find is a live Egyptian prince with godlike powers, who has been reawakened after a thousand years of mummification.And she really can't imagine being chosen to aid him in an epic quest that will lead them across the globe to find his brothers and complete a grand ceremony that will save mankind.But fate has taken hold of Lily, and she, along with her sun prince, Amon, must travel to the Valley of the Kings, raise his brothers, and stop an evil, shape-shifting god named Seth from taking over the world.

So happy to have received this one and can't wait to read it!!! Woop! Woop!

The prize:

Up to £40 worth of books

For the giveaway post go HERE

That will be up to £40 worth of books of the winners choice from Book Depository. They ship internationally which means that it can be open to all of my wonderful followers. 

If you want to do the 1989 tag then it will get you 10 entries on the post, just add your link underneath and link back to here. Feel free to do as many or as few questions as you want, there are quite a few questions to choose from!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The prize:

2x The Game of Love and Death by Martha Brockenbrough

I want to be able to share this story with at least some of you, although I hope my review is enough to convince you all to go out and grab a copy! I am going to giveaway two copies of the book, which I will get from Book Depository - so, as long as they ship to your county, this is open to everyone! The two winners can choose whether they want a paperback or a hardback.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

For the original review go here. 

The prize:

A pre-order of Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas (INT)

Enter to win a pre-order of Queen of Shadows by @SJMaas. Just RT + follow for a chance to win (INT). Ends on 5th Aug. pic.twitter.com/uZctIszN0z

— Charnell (@reviewbookworm) July 22, 2015

Good luck everyone!!!

On the blog:

Demon Road by Derek Landy
Emmy & Oliver by Robin Benway
YALC Recap: Friday
My Weekly Recap: YALC Edition
The Game of Love and Death by Martha Brockenbrough: Review, Author Interview & Giveaway
A Thousand Nights by E.K. Johnston

On Instagram:

I've mostly been showing off my new shelves! For more posts you can go follow me here!

On YouTube:



This is too funny not to share!

On the blogosphere:

Cait @ Paperfury asked whether you unfollow blogs and why

Amanda @ Nellie and Co. talked about her journey from co-blogging back to solo blogging. 

Allie @ Little Birdie Books questioned whether schedules were sucking the fun out of reading.

Cait @ Paperfury did the Disney Princess book tag, which made me extremely happy. 

Brit @ This is the Story of My Reading Life did the wonderful Harry Potter tag.

Jeann @ Happy Indulgence discussed how to gain more social media followers.

All these wonderful people have done the 1989 book tag:

Krystianna @ Downright Dystopian

Daniel @ The Blogger's Bookshop

Rachel @ Confessions of a Book Geek

Baggins @ Pinker Than Fiction

Tanya @ Girl Plus Books

Belinda @ Lil Book Owl

Stephanie @ Book Fever