Weekly Recap: YALC & London Comic Con

I have had such a hectic month, which is why I haven't really blogged much during that time (who am I kidding, I've been a useless blogger all year!). At end of last month and start of this one I got to have a week and half off work, and it was amazing. I loved every single minute of it and really didn't want to go back to work. During this time I went to London Film and Comic Con and YALC (Young Adult Literary Convention) for the third year in a row with the fiance. It was absolutely brilliant, but completely terrible for my bank account. 

YALC just seems to get bigger and better every year and I loved every second of it. This year I had the chance to meet Maggie Stiefvater and V.E.Schwab, and they were both so lovely. I got sick on the day that Schwab was signing and I had to go home and missed it. Luckily, I posted about missing it on my Instagram and she saw it and let me know she'd be doing an impromptu signing the next day. So I still got to meet her and get all my books signed. Maggie Stiefvater had a talk, where she spoke about how she used to do portraits before she started writing books, and about one specific incident with an ugly baby. I was howling with laughter, she is absolutely hilarious.

My best friend and his boyfriend also came Comic Con, so we all got to hang out and shop the stalls together. As well as going out for lunch and Pokemon hunting, as LFCC was during the time where the world had gone Pokemon crazy, or at least we had. We also all spent far too much money. I bought a ton of books at YALC, but I also bought so many Funko Pop figures and some artwork whilst I was there too.

Other than Comic Con, I have gotten very behind on blogging and I haven't been reading a lot either. I have been busy with other things, plus I got into a very big reading slump and it has not been pleasant. I have been proud of the fact that I have stuck to my Instagram and still post twice a day. I'm loving Instagram and am hosting another challenge for September and I can't wait.

I did manage to get in a reread of Queen of Shadows, ready for when Empire of Storms releases. I was so grateful for past Charnell, who did the reread last year for Queen of Shadows and wrote up a chapter by chapter recap of the first three books. It saved me having to reread every single one. And I even wrote up a chapter by chapter recap of Queen of Shadows this time, so if you want a recap on any book in the series then you can find that here.

Okay, my haul for August is actually insane, I can admit that. It is of such epic proportions that the makeshift table I use for my bookstagram photos ended up collapsing under the weight of it. That is a sign of a rather huge haul! And this is probably the biggest monthly haul I have ever had, as it tops 70 books. That is because I bought so many on offer at YALC, but then also got a ton free there as well as a ton sent to me by publishers - Penguin sent me two sets of the 7 book Lorien Legacies series, which really bumped the haul up and gave me the chance to do a giveaway!

I completely understand how insane this looks, I will accept that. In my defence... Books were super cheap at YALC and I have no self control. I also managed to get 3 copies of Nevernight, as I got one at YALC and then two came in subscription boxes. I read and reviewed The Cursed Child and was really torn about it. I loved that it transported me back to a world I loved but the story itself was ridiculous and riddled with plot holes, and will never be canon for me. I managed to get a bunch of these signed at YALC and am excited to read them all. 

I received so many amazing books from publishers and whilst I was at YALC. I am super excited for Heartless, which I did a swap for, and A Torch Against the Night.

I am currently reading Frost Like Night and really enjoying it, which is good as I really didn't enjoy the second book in the series.

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater Review
My Endless TBR: The Series Shame
Throne of Glass Series Recap
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Review
Things We Know By Heart by Jessi Kirby Review

Weekly Recap: I'm Drowning In A Sea of Books

Hey guys, it has been forever since my last post. Life has just been beyond hectic recently and I have just had zero time to do anything. It has been a ton of working and then endless social commitments. And, yes, I will totally have to admit to getting addicted to Pokemon Go and allowing it to take over my life. Ooooops!

I've had a week off from work, which has allowed me to catch up on a ton of things. So time to catch up on everything I have been up to since my last post.

Chapter 5 Proof Party: I was lucky enough to get invited to the Chapter 5 Proof Party that was held in London at the beginning of July. It was held on the top floor of The Old Crown Pub near Tottenham Court Station and was such a fun evening. There was books galore and author Jennifer L Armentrout came to talk about her books and sign any that people had brought along with them, or taken from the ones offered to us by the wonderful people at Chapter 5. I was extra excited to receive three amazing proofs: Replica by Lauren Oliver, Caraval by Stephanie Garber and Frostblood by Elly Blake.

My birthday: It was my birthday two weeks ago and I had an incredible day. I invited friends and family over for a barbecue and the day was perfect. The weather was beautiful, the food was tasty and the company was the best I could hope for. Plus they all knew me so well and gifted me a ton of Funkos! A bunch of us were still up at 2am playing games, drinking and devouring the leftovers from the day, I couldn't have asked for a better birthday.

Bookstagram: I have spoke a lot about my addiction to bookstagram. I can't stop myself, I just absolutely love it. I know a large part of the reason I haven't blogged is because I have been spending all my free time taking, editing and posting my bookstagram photos. And I have zero regrets, This month I hosted my first ever bookstagram monthly challenge and it was so much fun! I have loved seeing everyone's photos. It has also been wonderful to see all my hard work paying off, as my Instagram has grown so much over the last few weeks. I will be hosting another challenge this August, so if you are interested then definitely feel free to take part! I also hit a huge milestone on Instagram: 10,000 followers! So keep an eye out for a giveaway going up there soon!

London Film and Comic Con: As this post goes live, I will be at the second day of YALC and LFCC and I will probably be hot, sweaty, exhausted but super excited and having a wonderful time regardless. This is my third year attending and I am so excited. It's always so much fun. I get a ton of books and meet some amazing authors - this year I will get to meet V.E. Scwhab and Maggie Stiefvater! And I can't wait!!! I will also spend far too much money on bookish items and other things.

I am usually totally not embarassed by my hauls, but even I think this months is a little excessive! Ooops. I couldn't stop myself. A bunch of these were all sent by publishers, so that makes me feel less bad. And a lot of the ones I bought were on special. I got a ton in Waterstones Picaddily on sale, for £1 each, even for hardbacks. All the adorably cute Funkos are what family and friends bought me for my birthday, although I forgot to include Mrs Potts, Chip and Cogsworth.

Replica by Lauren Oliver, Caraval by Stephanie Garber, Frostblood by Elly Blake, Things We Know By Heart by Jess Kirby, Frost Like Night by Sara Raasch, Aerie by Maria Dahvanna Headley

I recently read Replica and found the format was so fascinating. This is a story where we have two main characters, Lyra and Gemma, and you can choose which story you want to read first. You can either start with Lyra's and then go to Gemma's or vice versa, or you could read them a chapter each or something completely different. Caraval and Frost Blood, as well as Replica, were ARCs I received at the Chapter 5 party and can't wait to read them. I have heard nothing but amazing things about Caraval and I will be getting to that asap. I received Things We Know By Heart, Frost Like Night and Aerie from the wonderful people at Harper 360. I am currently reading and loving Things We Know By Heart. Look out for my review on the 3rd August, as I am participating in the blog tour for it.

This Savage Song by V.E. Schwab, And I Darken by Kiersten White, Ivory and Bone by Julie Eshbaugh, My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton and Jodi Meadows, 5 to 1 by Holly Bodger

This Savage Song and My Lady Jane are two books I received in my most recent Owlcrate boxes and I am excited to read both. Ivory and Bone is another one that was sent to me by Harper 360 and I have heard a lot of good things about this one. And I Darken is one that I bought for myself as I love the sound of it, a gender-swapped retelling of Vlad the Impaler. 5 to 1 sounds really weird but it was £1 in Waterstones for the hardback, so I couldn't help myself.

A Small Free Kiss in the Dark by Glenda Millard, Looking for JJ by Anne Cassidy, The Painted Man by Peter Brett, Oblivion by Jennifer L. Armentrout, Half-Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout

A Small Free Kiss in the Dark is another one that I got for £1 and it actually looks really interesting, it is one I hope to read really soon and it looks like one I can read really quickly. Looking for JJ is one I have wanted to read for a long time, as I once read another book by the author that I loved. The Painted Man is a fantasy book that I won on Goodreads and I have seen some amazing reviews for it, so I am intrigued by that one. Oblivion and Half-Blood are two that I got at the Chapter 5 party. I now have two copies of Half-Blood, so I will probably give the spare away or donate it to work.

Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout, The Return by Jennifer L. Armentrout, Don't Look Back by Jennifer L. Armentrout, Lydia by Natasha Farrant, Dear Charlie by N.D. Gomes

Obsidian, The Return and Don't Look Back were the others that I got from the Chapter 5 party. got to get all my JLA pretties signed by the author whilst I was there. I have spares for a few of these and will give them away. Lydia and Dear Charlie are two review copies I was sent recently and will be reading asap.

Queen of Hearts by Colleen Oakes, You Don't Know Me by Sophia Bennett, Castle by Sophia Bennett, Lying About Last Summer by Sue Wallman, Two Summers by Aimee Friedman

Queen of Hearts is one I bought myself on special in Waterstones Piccadilly, and I am intrigued by it but also nervous to read it. You Don't Know Me and The Castle were two more books I got for £1 from Waterstones. I read and loved the authors latest book, so I couldn't not pick these up and I really hope I love them. Lying About Last Summer and Two Summers were both on offer in ASDA and sounded interesting, so I picked them up - I can't stop myself, I have a huge book buying problem.

After You by JoJo Moyes, A Little In Love by Susan Fletcher, Under Rose-Tainted Skies by Louise Gornall, The Shadow Queen by C.J. Redwine, United as One by Pittacus Lore

After You is another one I bought myself, I quite enjoyed Me Before You and curious to see what happens for Lou next. A Little In Love, Under Rose Tainted Skies and The Shadow Queen  are the others I bought on special in ASDA. United as One was sent to me by a publisher, even though I had let them know that I had only read book one in the series, but they seemed to want it to be shared on social media more than anything, so that is probably why they still sent it.


So that is my rather giant haul for the month of July... 31 books, which is exactly 1 book a day for the whole month. So that would explain how I have barely read any of them. All my time has been sucked up by work, social events or Pokemon Go. Hopefully I can get some reading done next month.

How was your reading month and haul? Did you get through a lot of books? Anything that you would recommend? And, most importantly, which of my books should I get to first?

Weekly Recap: I'm Gonna Be In The Room Where It Happens!

Hello, beautiful people of the internet! It has been a little while since I last posted. What can I say, I am a terrible blogger at times. I don't even have the excuse that I have been super busy, I haven't. I've just had my usual work and then I have spent most of my time reading or taking photos for Instagram (my instagram addiction is real!). I have had a good few weeks though as I have got some amazing events coming up and finally got the news I have been waiting months to hear.

I am OBSESSED with Hamilton, have been for months. If I had an endless supply of cash then I would buy tickets and fly to New York to watch it. But I don't, so I can't. But it was finally officially announced that Hamilton is coming to London in October 2017! And I am freaking the fuck out!!! I will be getting tickets, no matter how much they cost and I will be seeing it. Probably multiple times if I can! Tickets go on sale November this year and I am already signed up for priority booking. I'm gonna be in the room where it happens!

Weekly Recap: I'm a Stressed Human This Week

In all honesty, I have had such a stressful week and I am so looking forward to this long weekend... I need it! My work week has been pretty shitty and it's hard to really pinpoint exactly why. Some of the people I work with are getting on my last nerve, to the point where I just dread having to spend the day with them. I'm also not happy there in general as it doesn't challenge me enough. I love to be busy at work, but here I am just struggling to find something to do. I know I'd be a lot happier if there was more work to do.

My spirit animal!

The other big stress for me this week is that my fiance's brother has moved in with us. He used to live here but moved out about two years ago. He quit his job, that gave him a free flat, and so had to move back in. AND I HATE IT! I absolutely hate it. It's been two days and I am already sick of it. He's fine, like it's not because of him. It's just the suddenly having to share space with another person again. Nope. It's not for me. No more running around the flat, singing Hamilton songs at the top of my lungs. Living with people is not fun. I feel like I wasn't made to interact with other human beings. Animals, sure, but not humans!

Weekly Recap: I'm Trying To Be A Good Blogger

It's been a few weeks since my last recap, so I have a few things to catch up on. I've been trying hard to get back into my blogging, as a lot of my time has gone in to my Instagram instead. It is going well so far, I have been posting more frequently and I also have plans for a lot more posts, including a bunch of discussion and tip posts that I am super excited about. I feel I have done very well in the last few weeks of balancing out everything. I have done a lot of reading, I've drafted up a bunch of reviews and posts, I've also been able to take part in four challenges on Instagram, it has been a good week for me!

I don't know if you guys have heard but it was recently announced that Dan Brown is writing a YA version of The Da Vinci Code. That's right, he is rewriting one of his novels to try and make it 'easier' for YA readers to understand. 'Cause YA readers are clearly fucking invalids with zero grasp on the English language. I have never heard anything more insulting to young adults. I read The Da Vinci Code back when it first released and I was 14 years old, I was a young adult. I had zero struggles with this book, it wasn't exactly hard to read. And then he expects YA readers to act totally grateful and not insulted by his obvious attempts to make some quick cash.

Weekly Recap: Time for Books, Glorious Books and Disappointment

Hello, hello, hello! I hope you guys have had an awesome week. Mine has been okay, not amazing but also not awful. I've just had a few very stressful days and a lot going on. The only really exciting thing to happen was that I had new shelves delivered, so got to spend a day and a half making my shelves look super pretty! This does now put my total number of  bookcases up to 9, which is too many according to anyone but a bookworm - there can never be too many bookcases! I also published my review of City of Glass, which I was a little nervous about as I didn't hold back at all! I'm totally not sorry, that book was horribly disappointing.

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas - I have two copies of this for some reason, plus there is a hardback copy yet to arrive. One was sent to me by Bloomsbury for review. I am currently reading this one and really enjoying it - although Feyre is annoying the crap out of me!

The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater - I bought this one to complete the series, even though I still haven't read any of these books. At least now I can binge read them when I do.

The Rose and the Dagger by Renee Ahdieh - I am looking forward to reading this as I really enjoyed the first book. I do hope this answers some of the plot holes made in book one - like why did he kill women, when the curse never mentions that at all?!?

Nimona by Noelle Stevenson - This was really great and my love of graphic novels continues! I have spent far too much money this month already on them. I'm still more in love with Saga, but this was great as a stand alone. It tells the story of a supervillain and his shapeshifter sidekick and it was rather awesome! ★★★★

Rat Queens Volume 1: Sass & Sorcery by Wiebe, Fowler, Bonvillain & Brisson - Yup, another graphic novel. I ordered the first three, but need volume two to arrive so I can continue. I really enjoyed this and the funny all female leads. ★★★★

Rat Queens Volume 3: Demons - Looking forward to Volume 2 to finally arrive so that I can continue this.

Saga Volume 4 by Brian K. Vaughan - I am 100% in love with this series, it has just quickly become my favourite thing and I can't get enough with it. ★★★★★

Saga Volume 5 by Brian K. Vaughan - So good, I need the next one NOW!!! ★★★★★

 

The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes - This was a reread as I planned to continue the series. This is a fun and interesting start to the series and I am excited to continue the series. ★★★★

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas - Another reread and I didn't love this as much as when I first read it. I gave it 5/5 and raved endlessly, but on the reread it got 4/5. I just didn't feel so strongly about it and was less sold on the romance. ★★★★

I Wish I Could Revisit These Characters

City of Glass by Cassandra Clare Review: I'm Horribly Disappointed

I have spoken a lot (I'm totally not sorry!) about my love of Instagram and how much I love taking bookish photos for it. I recently reached 6,000 followers on there and thought it was a good time to do a giveaway. I am offering £30 worth of books to the winner - the winner gets to choose their books from Book Depository. To find out how to enter GO HERE.

What have you been up to this week? Have you read any 5/5 read this week, if so, what?