2016 Events

YALC is booked, YAY!!!

Time to think costumes.

Book 3. Outside In by Maria v Snyder

Well, i had to read Outside In next didn't I!

Again, i enjoyed it, there were a few elements i found a bit odd to this book but i still really enjoyed it and wanted to know what happened to the characters etc.

I still really like Trella, Riley, Logan etc...

Again really hard to write a review without giving away major spoilers. Maybe I'll update this once you've read them.

****

Rach x

Book 2. Inside Out by Maria v Snyder

Book 2 of 2016 was Inside Out by Maria v Snyder.

Now, as you know, this was my 11th MvS book and i clearly love her stuff.

I originally have this *** as i didn't LOVE it in the same way i have her others, but then i thought that seemed too low and i did enjoy more than Wyrd Sisters, so i upped it to ****. As i think i was judging it by other MvS books rather than on its own.

It's got cool characters, i like Trella and Cog and Riley and the story is interesting. As I'm sure you can tell from the title, it's about being Inside, Trella is a Scrub and she cleans the pipes, but she also explores and keeps to herself. It has interesting relationships and the ideas are quite relevant i think.
Is hard to talk about really without major spoilers and i think you'd like it too, so won't say much more.

****

Rach x

Review - Our Endless Numbered Days

4. Our Endless Numbered Days - Claire Fuller (4 stars)

Finished this last night, staying up past midnight to do so. Was bit slow to get into at first but got more and more interesting as went on, and goes back and forth between time periods which actually makes the pace quite quick.  Athough not necessarily a book I'd buy for everyone, I think I would recommend it to you, and to other select people:) Definitely worth a read. Has a YA main character and the premise seems a bit dystopian at first glance but actually more of a general fiction/drama book I would say. Definitely made me think about a few things and am looking forward to discussing it in book club in few weeks to see if others thought the same about certain things as me 

So, a bit of a change from what I've read recently but a good one

Am now reading Red Queen so regular programming has restarted:)

Lila X 

Book 1. Wyrd sisters by Terry Pratchett

So. Book 1 of 2016 for me was Wyrd sisters.

As you know I've thought for years that i really should have read a Terry Pratchett book given how much Dad and Chris rate them... So i suggested one for Christmas and Dad lent me this one, apparently after much discussion between himself and Chris. 

They picked the witches and so here i was reading about the Wyrd Sisters.

I found it really hard to get into, i not going to lie, but it has no chapters...no chapters!!!  It does have little breaks so after a while i got used to that and would stop at one of the breaks when one characters bit had moved on to another's... But it definitely meant that for the first 100 or so pages i didn't read much at a time which is why it took a while to get into, then as i became more involved in the story i read more.

I think he writes in a really cool way, can't really describe how but it i liked it.

The witches are cool as are some of the other characters and i liked it and will read others in the series, dad's already lent me the next one, but it'll take a while to decide to read that over another say YA book i think.

***

Rach x

Review - The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying (3 stars)

3. The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying - Marie Kondo 

As you know, I had wanted this book for ages and finally got it for Christmas.  I knew a lot about the concepts in it from YouTube videos and blog posts but good to read for myself and there was some additional information I had not heard before.  Is inspiring in terms of what it means to live with just the things you love rather than extra clutter and stress, and has some good strategies for discarding things  and working through different parts of the house - getting the energy to do it is the next thing though!

While I find some of the underlying ideas strange and not ones I would do (such as talking to your house and letting it talk to you) it was interesting to read a book with such a different cultural perspective (Japanese and linked to Shinto belief system)

By the way I see you started your Christmas books too, look forward to seeing what you thought of Inside Out

 

Lila X 

Review - Memory of Water (4 stars)

2. Memory of Water by Emmi Itaranta

This was a book I heard about at a book signing a few months ago, and sounded an interesting concept so bought it and got it signed (as I do)

I enjoyed it, is written in a really beautiful way I think, quite poetic. The author is Finnish and is hard to pinpoint how the Scandinavian influence comes across in the book but I think it does and interesting to read a book by a non-American or UK writer for a change.  

Centres around a (possible I guess) future where water is scarce and asks questions about whether anyone really owns water, and what people would do to get it if was limited.  The main character is a tea master apprentice, a young girl, who is told about a secret water source but is unsure what to do with this information...(that's all on the back cover, no spoilers here!)

I think I liked the writing more than the storyline in a way but I thought quite a bit about it afterwards and what certain things had meant etc, sign of a good book too:)

Lila X 

Birthday books - update

How did I forget the one you got me?!

I know you really enjoyed this so am really looking forward to it too, plus will be good to read before the second one comes out. As I said earlier, there was a character with the same name in Queen of the Tearling so might wait a couple of books before reading, but definitely tbr very soon! 

Thanks:) 

Lila X 

Quick review - Queen of the Tearling (5 stars)

1. Queen of the Tearling - Erika Johansen 

Hi

So this was a great book to start the year off with, I stayed up late reading it a few days in a row, and that's partly why I gave it 5 stars in the end on Goodreads - I thought about what you said about that helping you decide between 4 and 5 stars ie if can't stop reading it and think is a good measure!

You'll have to borrow it when I see you in a couple of weeks (hopefully), have put aside for you 

Some reasons it was so good: 

- the characters (expect I'd say this about all our favourite books) and although I love a love storyline was actually refreshing that not much focus on that (in this first book at least)

-also great fantasy world (actually it was a few things about the history of the land etc that were a bit strange for me but overall the world was really interesting to read about, the different values the people had etc)

Was going to write more but was supposed to post this a week ago so ending it here!

Lila X 

Birthday books:)

Hi

Was lucky and got a few books for my birthday too:

I had asked for Illuminae as comes so highly recommended by Kirsty, and looks really interesting, full of transcripts, pictures, reports etc

Had also read a review of The Three ages ago and had kept the name on my phone for months to ask for it, is the one I was telling you about with the different plane crashes and only one child survivor on each

Finally, got Our Endless Numbered Days from Sonia, she had the good idea of also giving a copy to Catherine for Christmas so we can all read for book club together, looks just our kind of thing too:)

Also got another Amazon voucher which will no doubt go on books too!

Lila X

2015 for me

Hi,

So i think i originally set my book challenge at 20 or 25 and managed quite a few more than that 38 real books as you'd call them and 13 short stories.

Here's my list, in brackets are the categories they fall into when i was still paying attention.

January:
1. Throne of Glass (trilogy)
2. Lizzy bennet's diary (female)
3. Crown of midnight
4. Animal farm (in a day)

*have blogged about some of these before*

February:
5. Heir of fire B
6. Four - a divergent collection (short) B
7. Fifty shades darker (number) B

March:
8. Fifty shades freed B
9. Fearsome dreamer (own but never read)

April:
10. The Illusionists (future)
11. The Assassin's Blade (under 30)
Welcome to the shadowhunter's academy. SS
The lost herondale.SS
The Whitechapel fiend. SS

May:
12. Shadow study
13. A court of thorns and roses x2 Nothing but shadows.SS

June:
14. The bone season
Assassin study SS
Power study SS
Ice study SS
The evil we love SS

July:
15. Grey
16. The mime order
17. The winner's curse

August:
18. The winner's crime
19. Fire and flood
Pale kings and princes SS
Bitter of tongue SS
20. Salt and stone

September:
21. Magisterium
22. Queen of Shadows
23. The sin eater's daughter
24. Banished

October:
25. Poison study
26. Vowed
27. The next together
28. The secret fire
29. Soulmates

November:
30. Angelfall
31. Magic Study
32. Magisterium the copper gauntlet
33. Fire study
The fiery trial SS

December:
Born to endless night SS
Angels twice descending SS
34. The boy who drew the future
35. Touch of power
36. Scent of magic
37. Taste of darkness
38. Red queen

Have also really enjoyed the book events we went to this year. Yes, it's crazy re Sarah j. Mass as I've also lost count of how many people I've bought her books for.

Yalc was fun, definitely need to put more effort in next time re cosplay and books in advance etc.

Yashot, i was so much more prepared and i like that i read 6 in advance.

I'm naughty though as i still have 3 books from yalc/yashot that I haven't read yet.

Favourites...right.

Sarah j. Mass books, again so weird to think I'd not even heard of her until you gave me ToG for Christmas 2014, that's crazy!!  So yep loved reading the
6 books of hers this year and you know how much i loved ACOTAR,  i read it twice in a row.

Love finding new series i like too...The winner's curse, Fire and flood, banished, healer series and red queen.

I re-read the poison study trilogy and enjoyed it just as much and read my 10th Maria v Snyder book this year so I clearly love her YA books and was surprised that i enjoyed the healer books more than the study books but i did. Would like there to be some spin offs from them but guessing there won't be.

Books to look forward to in 2016, some much more eagerly awaited than others...

A court of mist and fury, Night study,  The winner's kiss,  Glass sword,  The sleeping prince, Judged and Lady Midnight.

Exciting times!

Rach x

Books I read in 2015

Hi

Here is what I read in 2015, in order - I still need to go through the challenge from last year and see what I missed, think I probably did OK on most of them but I know lots I didn't do too

Books 2015

Paper towns

Throne of glass

Crown of midnight

Fifty shades x 3

Heir of fire

Elizabeth is missing 

Merchant of Venice

The ocean at the end of the lane

The 100

Hidden 

Vampire academy 

Angelfall

Station eleven 

Assassins blade 

The handmaid's tale 

Half bad 

Autumn Rose 

Year of living Danishly

Court of thorns and roses 

girl on the train 

Graveyard book 

Storm glass 

Sea glass 

Spy glass 

Shadow study 

Bones never lie

Leaving time 

Grey

Eeny meeny 

Four 

The mime order 

Winners curse

Clandestine

Winners crime 

The sin eater's daughter 

The fire sermon 

Wuthering heights 

Cold comfort farm 

Fire and flood 

Queen of shadows 

The copper gauntlet

Salt and stone 

Shadow and bone 

Quiet 

Siege and storm 

Ruin and rising 

The next together 

Banished 

Six of crows 

The man in the high castle 

Frost bite

Shadow kiss 

Blood promise 

Spirit bound 

Finding sky 

Last sacrifice 

Touch of power 

Scent of magic 

Taste of darkness 

Loved lots of these but if had to pick out a few favourites, they would be: all the ones by Sarah J Maas (weird to think I'd only read one of her books in 2014 and now one of my favourite authors, and we met her!) 

Similarly I read all the Grisha books this year, and got to meet Leigh Bardugo

Also read 7 more Maria Snyder books and met her too! Think I agree with you that the Healer trilogy probably my favourite too - I remember when I met a girl in queue to meet Maria, and she said the same - I'll have to tweet her and let her know!

Winner's curse also definitely deserves a mention, and of course we got to meet Marie too!! 

Finally, I gave in and read all the Vampire academy books, which Chuma was very happy about, you should give them a go when you get a chance

(This totals like half the books I read this year, so much for picking just a few!)

So in summary, has been a year of ya/fantasy trilogies and series, and have been very lucky in being able to go to all these events:)

Here's to another book-filled year

Lila X

Ps my challenge this year was to read 52 books and I made it to 61 - have set my challenge this year for 60 but thinking of revising later depending on how the first couple of months go

Christmas 2015 book haul and books I'm looking forward to in 2016

Hi!

Sorry for the really long silence on here, will try to pick up the pace again this year. Have actually been to lots of book events this year, as you know, so lots I could have said! Hope we'll have lots more this year too though:)

So, to start off, these are the books I received for Christmas this year (4 of them from you:):

Looking forward to reading them all.  

Keep forgetting to tell you that Emma Watson is one of the people who I have seen recommending Queen of the Tearling, and that she is going to be in the film adaptation of it, another reason to want to read it! 

Going to read the comic and HP illustrated at home as too big to carry around, and think will start either Legend or Queen of the Tearling on Monday on the way to work

Also got quite a bit of money in Amazon vouchers, which is handy as there are so many books I am looking forward to this year:

Court of mist and fury

Winner's kiss

Lady midnight 

Night study

Sleeping prince

And of course the third one to my beloved The Passage (city of mirrors)

Lots to look forward to! 

Ph

Lila X