My Weekly Recap: 18/07/2015

This week has been a week of reading, relaxing and a lot of preparing for YALC (Young Adult Literary Convention) at the LFCC (London Film and Comic Con) which, by the time this post is live, I will currently be finishing my second day there. I booked a week and a half of work to make sure I could be ready but also enjoy my birthday and other events without having to worry about work. I'm not back until next Wednesday and I am enjoying all of my time off.

I am going to say it right now.... My haul this week is utterly ridiculous. I am well aware of that, but in my defence a lot of them are books I am taking to YALC to get signed by the authors there. And, okay, some are ones I bought just because I could. I have a problem and I can't seem to stop.

I also have a wonderful new look to the blog - just thought I'd mention it, in case you hadn't noticed how amazing the blog looks! - thanks to Evie, at Evie's Bookish Designs, and couldn't be happier with it. She was an absolute dream to work with and took my nonsensical ramblings of what I wanted and turned them into something way more amazing than I ever could have thought of. She also installed everything, thank god, and is so reasonably priced too. I'm still in awe of the design if I am honest. If you are looking for someone to help you with your blog design or just do some graphics for you then I definitely recommend her. ALSO.... She's hosting a GIVEAWAY to celebrate.

To celebrate my new design and reaching over 3,000 Bloglovin' followers, I am hosting a giveaway where one lucky winner will get £40 worth of books of their choice. I also created a book tag to go along with it that you can all take part in, which will gain you ten extra entries for the Rafflecopter. I had so much fun doing it... You can find out all about it here.

My Weekly Recap: The GIANT Haul Edition

I had told myself that I was going to try my hardest to get back on top of things blog wise. I have kind of failed as of late.  (And by kind of failed, I mean epically failed!) But my job is taking up all my time and by the time I get home I just have 0 energy to do anything!

A lot of awesome things have happened since my last recap post. I got to attend the Hot Key Blogger Brunch and had a wonderful time. I came home with so many amazing books that I am slowly making my way through. I also went to the filming of QI. I got to be in the same room as Stephen Fry! It was incredible and I really hope to get the chance to go again very soon.

But the most awesome thing that happened was that I got to go and meet Sarah J Maas. I fangirled like an absolute crazy person but I couldn't help myself. I adore her and her books! They are next to HP for me and she's next to J.K. Rowling. Thanks to my sister and some wonderful people in the queue I actually managed to get all 10 of my books signed!!! I looked crazy next to everyone else. I literally had to bring a suitcase with me to carry my hardback and paperback copies to the event. Maas was absolutely hilarious and so friendly. I'm still fangirling right now.

Not blogging has helped me with my reading though, I've gone from being about 8 books behind on my challenge to being 11 books ahead. I just haven't stopped reading and I have read some awesome books. I've also read more New Adult thanks to some recommendations by Brittany, and I adored them.

My new job as a manager means more pay, which meant that I went a little bit crazy when I got my first pay check. I BOUGHT ALL THE BOOKS!!! And then I bought new bookshelves. And new shoes. And went out a lot. And just spent obscene amounts of money on far too many things. I WILL BE BETTER NEXT MONTH! I bought enough books to last me till the end of the year and then got all the review books in one go. I'm going to be SUPER busy reading wise.

 This isn't all of them, but I can't be bothered to hunt all the books down now to take a picture of them all. 

Get ready.... there's 85 books!

Weekly Review Roundup: 06/01/2014

Weekly Review Roundup #1

Hi all,
I came up with an idea that I want to try on my blog and hope some of you will want to participate.

I have slowly begun to realise that as much as I try to keep my reviews short and sweet, I always blabber on for far too long. So I wanted to give myself a chance to show my feelings for the books in a weekly review roundup. I'd love if people wanted to take part and do the same. This will basically be where I do a short review of the books I've reviewed that week, with a link to my full review if you want to read more. 

So I will host this weekly meme here and if you wish to take part then here's how:

• Create your own Weekly Review Roundup post - feel free to use my graphic or create your own, but remember to link back to Reviews from a Bookworm so that more people can take part! 
• I'll post on Sundays but post on whichever day suits you, the link up will be up for the duration of the week.
• Visit Reviews from a Bookworm and add your link so people can come check your post out and go visit some other blogs if you can, sharing is caring! 
• Feel free to set your post out however you want - Mini-review, simple ratings or you can vlog if you prefer. 
• If you would rather do a monthly roundup then that is also fine. Or if you want to include it in your Sunday Post.

30th December - 5th December 2013

 This blog week almost became completely empty of reviews! *gasp*. I did read and love Sleepless by Tracey Ward, but my review will be posted as part of the blog tour and giveaway on 9th January. I had a really hectic, busy week that really prevented me from reading. The one book I did read, and was really excited for, turned into a DNF. 

Avalon by Mindee Arnett

A ragtag group of teenage mercenaries who crew the spaceship Avalon stumble upon a conspiracy that could threaten the entire galaxy in this fascinating and fast-paced sci-fi adventure from author Mindee Arnett.
Of the various star systems that make up the Confederation, most lie thousands of light-years from First Earth-and out here, no one is free. The agencies that govern the Confederation are as corrupt as the crime bosses who patrol it, and power is held by anyone with enough greed and ruthlessness to claim it. That power is derived from one thing: metatech, the devices that allow people to travel great distances faster than the speed of light.
Jeth Seagrave and his crew of teenage mercenaries have survived in this world by stealing unsecured metatech, and they're damn good at it. Jeth doesn't care about the politics or the law; all he cares about is earning enough money to buy back his parents' ship, Avalon, from his crime-boss employer and getting himself and his sister, Lizzie, the heck out of Dodge. But when Jeth finds himself in possession of information that both the crime bosses and the government are willing to kill for, he is going to have to ask himself how far he'll go to get the freedom he's wanted for so long.
Avalon is the perfect fit for teens new to sci-fi as well as seasoned sci-fi readers looking for more books in the YA space-and a great match for fans of Joss Whedon's cult hit show Firefly.(Goodreads summary.)

This book had a really interesting premise, and I was really excited to read it, but it just didn't work for me. There was fast-paced action, and the plot moved quickly, but I wasn't interested or invested in the story. I think I would have done better with it if it had been in first person narrative. I ended up feeling very disconnected from the characters and the story. (Full review here)
DNF at 36%


Giveaways

Angelfall Giveaway

My boyfriend bought me Angelfall and World After for Christmas, but had a problem with World After when it arrived. It has the tiniest dent in the back cover from where it has obviously got knocked around the box in transit. He got in touch with TBD, because he knows I am so particular when it comes to books, and they sent a replacement. Now I have two copies, and looking at the 'damaged' one, it's barely noticeable and I wouldn't have been that bothered. But seeing as I only need one copy of it, I am going to give that one away. I will also throw in a paperback copy of Angelfall to the winner as well. So just remember World After has tiny bit of damage to the back of it. As I will be sending by post, this giveaway is UK only. 

The tiny damage! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

200 Bloglovin Followers Giveaway

I have reached a big milestone for me, which is 200 followers on Bloglovin. To think just a few short months ago I had none at all, well it kind of blows my mind. Thank you for all your support, your comments and recommendations. I have found so many amazing blogs, bloggers and books since starting my blog. It's probably the best thing that I have done all year! 

To celebrate I want to do a little giveaway. So I am offering one winner the chance to win £20 worth of books from Book Depository. That way I can do an international giveaway and you can pick the books you want. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Affiliate

I have, what I consider, exciting blogging news. I have just become a Book Depository Affiliate, which basically means that I will have a link to TBD on my site. If you click on the link, and make a purchase, I get 5% commission which goes towards giveaways. So if you are ever planning to make a purchase anyway, why not click on the link and do it through there. I think I will probably make 0 money, but as someone who adores The Book Depository, and use it for all my giveaways, I thought it was worth joining the programme. I am happy to promote such an awesome website; free international delivery is just amazing and makes giveaways so much simpler. 

Weekly Review Roundup: 22/12/2013

Weekly Review Roundup #1

Hi all,
I came up with an idea that I want to try on my blog and hope some of you will want to participate.

I have slowly begun to realise that as much as I try to keep my reviews short and sweet, I always blabber on for far too long. So I wanted to give myself a chance to show my feelings for the books in a weekly review roundup. I'd love if people wanted to take part and do the same. This will basically be where I do a short review of the books I've reviewed that week, with a link to my full review if you want to read more. 

So I will host this weekly meme here and if you wish to take part then here's how:

• Create your own Weekly Review Roundup post - feel free to use my graphic or create your own, but remember to link back to Reviews from a Bookworm so that more people can take part! 
• I'll post on Sundays but post on whichever day suits you, the link up will be up for the duration of the week.
• Visit Reviews from a Bookworm and add your link so people can come check your post out and go visit some other blogs if you can, sharing is caring! 
• Feel free to set your post out however you want - Mini-review, simple ratings or you can vlog if you prefer. 
• If you would rather do a monthly roundup then that is also fine. Or if you want to include it in your Sunday Post.

16th December - 22nd December 2013

Obisidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Starting over sucks.
When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I'd pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring.... until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.
And then he opened his mouth.
Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something...unexpected happens. 
The hot alien living next door marks me.
You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon's touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I'm getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades. 
If I don't kill him first, that is.


I now completely understand why everyone kept recommending this series. Addictive, fun and with truly memorable characters; it's hard not to love this. Armentrout is a genius when it comes to sexual tension. You can even see past the fact Daemon is a complete dick and the many Twilight similarities. Finished it and instantly had to start the sequel. (Read full review here.)
4/5 Stars

Onyx by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Being connected to Daemon Black sucks…

Thanks to his alien mojo, Daemon’s determined to prove what he feels for me is more than a product of our bizarro connection. So I’ve sworn him off, even though he’s running more hot than cold these days. But we’ve got bigger problems.

Something worse than the Arum has come to town…

The Department of Defense are here. If they ever find out what Daemon can do and that we're linked, I’m a goner. So is he. And there's this new boy in school who’s got a secret of his own. He knows what’s happened to me and he can help, but to do so, I have to lie to Daemon and stay away from him. Like that's possible. Against all common sense, I'm falling for Daemon. Hard.

But then everything changes…

I’ve seen someone who shouldn’t be alive. And I have to tell Daemon, even though I know he’s never going to stop searching until he gets the truth. What happened to his brother? Who betrayed him? And what does the DOD want from them—from me?

No one is who they seem. And not everyone will survive the lies…

A great sequel, but I did enjoy the first one more. Daemon is less of an arsehole, but the chemistry between the characters seems to be missing for lots of the book. The ending had me flipping pages so fast my fingers hurt, I had to know what happened. Great sequel and made me want to continue the series. (Full review here.)
3.99/5 Stars



Sorry it took so long to get this up but Christmas is a crazy, crazy time!

Hope you all had a great Christmas..

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Weekly Review Roundup & Sunday Post: 15/12/2013

The Sunday Post

This is hosted over at Caffeinated Book Reviewer and is a weekly meme where you can share any news, recap what happened on the blog in the week, showcase all the books you've gotten and share what you have coming up the following week. 

I have not had the best blogging week. I've had work and then extra time, as well as a London day. I also got into a reading slump after Control became a DNF at 25%. Luckily, I decided to give This Song Will Save Your Life a go, which was incredible and pulled me out of my slump with full force!

 My best friend finally came for a visit down from Bournemouth, where he's living and working for a year, we've been friends since we were five, so I miss him like crazy when he's gone. We have London days, where we travel to all our favourite places in London: this amazing creperie in Kensington, the ice cream shop in Camden that is made with liquid Nitrogen, the giant Waterstones in Piccadilly, Forbidden Planet, and so many more. And, it didn't rain once!

On The Blog

This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales: Review
My Weekly Book Haul
Control by Lydia Kang: Review
Top Ten Books On My Winter TBR List
Shifting Fate by Melissa Wright: Book Blast & Giveaway

Thanks For Following

Syntax Reviews, Artistic Nonsense, Books Direct, Emdawg's Book Blog,
Lady Giveaway, Girl Meets Books, The Book Barn, Book Lady's Reviews,
My Own Little World In A Book, Moody Lion, Aya M Prodictions,
A Writer's Dark Corner and My Bookshelf by Amy.

Go here for my Book Haul post.

Weekly Review Roundup #1

Hi all,
I came up with an idea that I want to try on my blog and hope some of you will want to participate.

I have slowly begun to realise that as much as I try to keep my reviews short and sweet, I always blabber on for far too long. So I wanted to give myself a chance to show my feelings for the books in a weekly review roundup. I'd love if people wanted to take part and do the same. This will basically be where I do a short review of the books I've reviewed that week, with a link to my full review if you want to read more. 

So I will host this weekly meme here and if you wish to take part then here's how:

• Create your own Weekly Review Roundup post - feel free to use my graphic or create your own, but remember to link back to Reviews from a Bookworm so that more people can take part! 
• I'll post on Sundays but post on whichever day suits you, the link up will be up for the duration of the week.
• Visit Reviews from a Bookworm and add your link so people can come check your post out and go visit some other blogs if you can, sharing is caring! 
• Feel free to set your post out however you want - Mini-review, simple ratings or you can vlog if you prefer. 
• If you would rather do a monthly roundup then that is also fine. Or if you want to include it in your Sunday Post.

9th December - 15th December 2013

Control by Lydia Kang

When a crash kills their father and leaves them orphaned, Zel knows she needs to protect her sister, Dyl. But before Zel has a plan, Dyl is taken by strangers using bizarre sensory weapons, and Zel finds herself in a safe house for teens who aren’t like any she’s ever seen before—teens who shouldn't even exist. Using broken-down technology, her new friends’ peculiar gifts, and her own grit, Zel must find a way to get her sister back from the kidnappers who think a powerful secret is encoded in Dyl’s DNA.
A spiraling, intense, romantic story set in 2150—in a world of automatic cars, nightclubs with auditory ecstasy drugs, and guys with four arms—this is about the human genetic “mistakes” that society wants to forget, and the way that outcasts can turn out to be heroes.(Goodreads summary.)

Lydia Kang Jumps straight in to the action, but left me feeling very disconnected from character and story. I didn't care what happened to Zel or Dyl and couldn't keep reading. I wasn't expecting characters with two heads and four arms, and was thrown off. (Full review here.)
DNF 

This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales

Making friends has never been Elise Dembowski’s strong suit. All throughout her life, she’s been the butt of every joke and the outsider in every conversation. When a final attempt at popularity fails, Elise nearly gives up. Then she stumbles upon a warehouse party where she meets Vicky, a girl in a band who accepts her; Char, a cute, yet mysterious disc jockey; Pippa, a carefree spirit from England; and most importantly, a love for DJing.
Told in a refreshingly genuine and laugh-out-loud funny voice, THIS SONG WILL SAVE YOUR LIFE is an exuberant novel about identity, friendship, and the power of music to bring people together.(Goodreads summary.)

This book will change your life. Was totally blown away by this book, a new favourite. Elise was a character I really rooted for, felt for and hurt for. This book was everything I needed and more; heartbreaking but uplifting, emotional and thought-provoking; and so much more. I couldn't recommend this enough, read this book. (Full review here.)
5/5 Stars


Link Up

Celebratory Giveaway

To celebrate and thank all who take part I am holding a giveaway for the Weekly Review Roundup. One winner will win £30 worth of books from Book Depository, you can pick the books. I am really excited and thankful to anyone who takes part in the new meme and this way I can say thank you in a big way to one of you!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Weekly Review Round Up: Come Link Up & Join The Fun

Weekly Review Roundup #1

Hi all,
I came up with an idea that I want to try on my blog and hope some of you will want to participate.

I have slowly begun to realise that as much as I try to keep my reviews short and sweet, I always blabber on for far too long. So I wanted to give myself a chance to show my feelings for the books in a weekly review roundup. I'd love if people wanted to take part and do the same. This will basically be where I do a short review of the books I've reviewed that week, with a link to my full review if you want to read more. 

So I will host this weekly meme here and if you wish to take part then here's how:

• Create your own Weekly Review Roundup post - feel free to use my graphic or create your own, but remember to link back to Reviews from a Bookworm so that more people can take part! 
• I'll post on Sundays but post on whichever day suits you, the link up will be up for the duration of the week.
• Visit Reviews from a Bookworm and add your link so people can come check your post out and go visit some other blogs if you can, sharing is caring! 
• Feel free to set your post out however you want - Mini-review, simple ratings or you can vlog if you prefer. 
• If you would rather do a monthly roundup then that is also fine. Or if you want to include it in your Sunday Post.

1st December - 8th December 2013

This was a great review week for me, all 4 star reviews which is really nice to see! I've had a few DNF or 1 star reviews lately, so this week was a great reading week.


Prodigy by Marie Lu (Legend #2)

Injured and on the run, it has been seven days since June and Day barely escaped Los Angeles and the Republic with their lives. Day is believed dead having lost his own brother to an execution squad who thought they were assassinating him. June is now the Republic's most wanted traitor. Desperate for help, they turn to the Patriots - a vigilante rebel group sworn to bring down the Republic. But can they trust them or have they unwittingly become pawns in the most terrifying of political games?(Goodreads Summary)

The perfect sequel to Legend. Doesn't disappoint or suffer from the curse of the sequel. The fast-paced action we have come to know and love is still there but now we have more time to get to know the characters. Kept me guessing and the end had me screaming for the next book. (Full review here.)
4/5 Stars


Champion by Marie Lu (Legend #3) by Marie Lu

June and Day have sacrificed so much for the people of the Republic—and each other—and now their country is on the brink of a new existence. June is back in the good graces of the Republic, working within the government’s elite circles as Princeps Elect while Day has been assigned a high level military position. But neither could have predicted the circumstances that will reunite them once again. Just when a peace treaty is imminent, a plague outbreak causes panic in the Colonies, and war threatens the Republic’s border cities. This new strain of plague is deadlier than ever, and June is the only one who knows the key to her country’s defense. But saving the lives of thousands will mean asking the one she loves to give up everything he has. With heart-pounding action and suspense, Marie Lu’s bestselling trilogy draws to a stunning conclusion.(Goodreads Summary)

A satisfying conclusion to a wonderful series. So many twists and turns that you don't see coming. Had me flipping the pages like crazy, desperate to see what happened next. Had me holding back the tears at times. I wasn't too happy with part of the ending, that seemed far-fetched and kind of crazy. An almost perfect end to a wonderful series. (Full review here.)
4/5 Stars


Another Little Piece Of My Heart by Tracey Martin

At her dying mother’s request, Claire dumps Jared, the only boy she’s ever loved. Left with a broken family and a broken heart, Claire is furious when she discovers that her biggest regret became Jared’s big break. While Jared is catapulted into rock-star status, another piece of Claire’s heart crumbles every time his song plays on the radio.
The summer after her senior year, it’s been months since the big break-up, and Claire is just trying to keep her head down and make it through a tense trip to the beach with her family. But when Jared shows up, and old feelings reignite, can Claire and Jared let go of the past? Or will they be stuck singing the same old refrain?(Goodreads Summary)

A cute romance that I really came to love. It took a while for me to get into this one, but once I was in, I was in. The flashback scenes weren't my favourites but the romance between Claire and Jared really pulled me in. Love the music side to this book as well. The perfect romance for me and I loved it. (Full review here.)
4/5 Stars


So there it is, my first ever weekly review roundup! Hope you enjoy and decide to take part, I love reading reviews but never seem to have time to browse blogs to find them so this will be great for me too. What do you think of the idea? I'm still so new at this so will take any advice you want to give.

Celebratory Giveaway

To celebrate and thank all who take part I am holding a giveaway for the Weekly Review Roundup. One winner will win £30 worth of books from Book Depository, you can pick the books. I am really excited and thankful to anyone who takes part in the new meme and this way I can say thank you in a big way to one of you!

a Rafflecopter giveaway