4 Month Wrap-up: July, August, September and October

Tags

A Corner of White, A.S. King, Amy Ewing, Aurelia Wills, Barry Jonsberg, Black, Brodi Ashton, Cat Clarke, Crimson Bound, Cruel Beauty, Cynthia Hand, Deborah Biancotti, Eleanor and Park, Em Bailey, Far From You, Fleur Ferris, Francesca Haig, Frayed, Garth Nix, Harry Potter, Here I Stand, Hold Me Like a Breath, It Looks Like This, J.K. Rowling, Jaclyn Moriaty, Jay Kristoff, Jennifer Donnelly, Jodi Meadows, John Flanagan, Justine Larbalestier, Kara Terzis, Lady Renegades, Lauren James, Lauren Oliver, Maggie Stiefvater, Magnus Chase, Margo Lanagan, Megan Miranda, Miss Mayhem, My Lady Jane, My Sister Rosa, Nevernight, Pandora Jones, Paula Garner, Phantom Limbs, Please Ignore Vera Dietz, Rachael Craw, Rachel Hawkins, Rafi Mittlefehldt, Rainbow Rowell, Ranger's Apprentice, Rebel Belle, Renee Ahdieh, Replica, Rick Riordan, Rosamund Hodge, Sabriel, Scott Westerfeld, Shield, Someone I Wanted to Be, Soulprint, Spark, Stray, Swarm, Tess Sharpe, The Black Key, The Book That Made Me, The Fire Sermon, The Hammer of Thor, The Last Beginning, The Lost and the Found, The Mirror King, The Raven Boys, The Rose and the Dagger, The Ruins of Gorlan, The Special Ones, The Sword of Summer, These Shallow Graves, Tiffany Schmidt, Zeroes

WOW, it has been a long time since I’ve posted anything.

Such a long time.

So, let’s have a look at what’s been going on in the last four months.

July

In July had my first prac teaching thing, which was a bucket load of fun.

I’m definitely on the right career path, guys.

Books read:

Rebel Belle trilogy, by Rachel Hawkins

Books Bought:

Nevernight, by Jay Kristoff
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, by John Tiffany and Jack Thorne (and J.K. Rowling)

August

Nothing exciting really happened in August…that I can remember. It was 3 months ago, guys.

I just finished my prac teaching, went back to uni. There was probably some book event on that I’ve now forgotten about.

Books read:

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, by John Tiffany and Jack Thorne (and J.K. Rowling)
The Fire Sermon, by Francesca Haig
Shield, by Rachael Craw
Frayed, by Kara Terzis

Books Bought:

A Corner of White, by Jaclyn Moriaty
The Special Ones, by Em Bailey
The Rose and the Dagger, by Renee Ahdieh
Shield, by Rachael Craw

September

In September we had YAFanFest, which was heaps of fun.

And then we had a Rachael Craw Skype chat at Dymocks which was SO AWESOME!

I also had my uni mid-semester break, which meant I got loads more reading done.

Books read:

Hold Me Like a Breath, by Tiffany Schmidt
Zeroes, Swarm, by Scott Westerfeld, Margo Lanagan, Deborah Biancotti
Eleanor and Park, by Rainbow Rowell
Please Ignore Vera Dietz, by A.S. King
The Book that Made Me, by various
Pandora Jones trilogy, by Barry Jonsberg
Soulprint, by Megan Miranda
Far From You, by Tess Sharpe
Rangers Apprentice: The Ruins of Gorlan, by John Flanagan
The Lost and the Found, by Cat Clarke

Books Bought:

Sabriel, by Garth Nix
Swarm, by Scott Westerfeld, Margo Lanagan, Deborah Biancotti

Books Received:

For review (Thanks Walker!):
The Last Beginning, by Lauren James
The Black Key, by Amy Ewing
My Lady Jane, by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, Jodi Meadows
Here I Stand, by Amnesty International

From the YAFanFest goodie bag:
These Shallow Graves, by Jennifer Donnelly

October

Books read:

Black, by Fleur Ferris
The Sword of Summer, The Hammer of Thor, by Rick Riordan
Cruel Beauty, by Rosamund Hodge
Crimson Bound, by Rosamund Hodge
The Mirror King, by Jodi Meadows
The Raven Boys (reread), by Maggie Stiefvater
My Sister Rosa, by Justine Larbalestier

Books Bought:

The Hammer of Thor, by Rick Riordan
Replica, by Lauren Oliver
Illustrated Chamber of Secrets, by J.K. Rowling and Jim Kay

Books Received:

For review (Thanks Walker!):
Phantom Limbs, by Paula Garner
Someone I Wanted to Be, by Aurelia Wills
It Looks Like This, by Rafi Mittlefehldt

May and June Wrap Up

Tags

A Court of Mist and Fury, Ally Condie, Amy Zhang, And I Darken, Atlantia, Confused, Deborah Biancotti, Girl Out of Water, Half Bad, Half Lost, Half Wild, Inbetween Days, Kiersten White, Lauren James, Let the Wind Rise, Lynette Noni, Margo Lanagan, Morgan Matson, Nat Luurtsema, Pittacus Lore, Raelia, Rick Riordan, Sally Green, Samantha Shannon, Sarah J. Maas, Scott Westerfeld, Shannon Messenger, Since You've Been Gone, The Bone Season, The Book of Pearl, The Hidden Oracle, The Next Together, This is Where the World Ends, Timothee de Fombelle, Trials of Apollo, United as One, Vikki Wakefield, Wanda Wiltshire, Zeroes

Ok, so June went by so fast that it was over before I realised I hadn’t yet done my May wrap up…

So today we’re going to have two wrap ups in one!

General Happenings

So, I realised that half my books didn’t fit properly on my bookshelf…

So, I decided that a complete bookshelf rearrangement was in order.

And this was the result:

I hit 300 Instagram Followers

YAY!

There was a lot of rain in Sydney

This was our backyard at around 9pm. We had to spend about an hour getting the sheep out of the paddock and into the backyard (which is higher ground). Our house is at the top of a rather decent sized hill, so we were fine.

Bookish Info

Books Read:

The Hidden Oracle, by Rick Riordan
Atlantia, by Ally Condie
Half Bad, by Sally Green
Half Wild, by Sally Green
Half Lost, by Sally Green
This is Where the World Ends, by Amy Zhang
A Court of Mist and Fury, by Sarah J Maas
And I Darken, by Kiersten White

Books Bought:

The Hidden Oracle, by Rick Riordan
A Court of Mist and Fury, by Sarah J Maas
Let the Wind Rise, by Shannon Messenger
And I Darken, by Kiersten White
United as One, by Pittacus Lore

Books Received for Review:

The Book of Pearl, by Timothée de Fombelle
Girl Out of Water, by Nat Luurtsema

(Both from Walker books Australia)

Books from TeenCon:

Inbetween Days, by Vikki Wakefield
The Next Together, by Lauren James
Since You’ve Been Gone, Morgan Matson
Confused, Wanda Wiltshire
Raelia, Lynette Noni
Zeroes, by Scott Westerfield, Margo Lanagan, and Deborah Biancotti
The Bone Season, by Samantha Shannon

Prioritise My TBR

Tags

A Discovery of Witches, Alienated, All Fall Down, All the Rage, Ally Carter, Amy Ewing, Barry Jonsberg, Cat Clarke, Cloudwish, Courtney Summers, Dawn Kurtagich, Days of Blood and Starlight, Deborah Harkness, Dreams of Gods and Monsters, Dumplin, E. Lockhart, Estelle Laure, Far From You, Fiona Wood, Happily Ever After, Hidden, Hilary Badger, Hold Me Like a Breath, John Flanagan, Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell, Josephine Angelini, Julie Murphy, Justine Larbalestier, Kerstin Gier, Kiera Cass, Laini Taylor, Lair of Dreams, Leviathan, Libba Bray, Lifespan of Starlight, Maggie Stiefvater, Margo Lanagan, Marianne Curley, Marie Lu, Megan Miranda, Melinda Salisbury, Melissa Grey, Melissa Landers, Pandora Jones, Percy Jackson's Greek Heroes, Pompidou Posse, Ranger's Apprentice, Razorhurst, Rebecca Lim, Rick Riordan, Rick Yancey, Ruby Red, Running Like China, Sarah Lotz, Scott Westerfeld, Sea Hearts, Soman Chainani, Sophie Hardcastle, Sophie Jordan, Soulprint, Star Wars, State of Grace, Susanna Clarke, Tess Sharpe, Thalia Kalkipsakis, The 5th Wave, The Astrologer's Daughter, The Dead House, The Diviners, The Girl at Midnight, The Infinite Sea, The Jewel, The Lost and the Found, The School of Good and Evil, The Scorpio Races, The Sin Eater's Daughter, The Young Elites, This Raging Light, Tiffany Schmidt, Trial by Fire, Trish Doller, Uninvited, We Were Liars, Where the Stars Still Shine, White Time

I seem to have a problem that many book-nerds have, my TBR pile is HUGE!

And because it’s 2016, I have decided…this time next year, I will not own any books that I have not read.

Can I actually do it?

But I need your help

Obviously, my pile is huge, so I need some suggestions of where to begin.

What’s on my TBR:

• Pandora Jones trilogy, by Barry Jonsberg
• All the Rage, by Courtney Summers
• Hold Me Like a Breath, by Tiffany Schmidt
• The Scorpio Races, by Maggie Stiefvater
• White Time, by Margo Lanagan
• The 5th Wave/Infinite Sea, by Rick Yancey
• Cloudwish, by Fiona Wood
• The Diviners/Lair of Dreams, by Libba Bray
• Star Wars: Verily a New Hope
• Dumplin’, by Julie Murphy
• The Lost and the Found, by Cat Clarke
• Pompidou Posse, by Sarah Lotz
• This Raging Light, by Estelle Laure
• Happily Ever After, by Kiera Cass
• Uninvited, by Sophie Jordan
• Running Like China, by Sophie Hardcastle
• Where the Stars Still Shine, by Trish Doller
• Sea Hearts, by Margo Lanagan
• State of Grace, by Hilary Badger
• Ruby Red, Kerstin Gier
• Razorhurst, by Justine Larbalestier
• The Young Elites, by Marie Lu
• Lifespan of Starlight, by Thalia Kalkipsakis
• We Were Liars, by E. Lockhart
• Alienated, by Melissa Landers
• The Dead House, by Dawn Kurtagich
• Percy Jackson’s Greek Gods, by Rick Riordan
• All Fall Down, by Ally Carter
• Days of Blood and Starlight/Dreams of Gods and Monsters, by Laini Taylor
• The Sin Eater’s Daughter, by Melinda Salisbury
• Ranger’s Apprentice, by John Flanagan
• Leviathan, by Scott Westerfield
• Soulprint, by Megan Miranda
• Trial by Fire, by Josephine Angelini
• The Jewel, by Amy Ewing
• The Girl at Midnight, by Melissa Grey
• The School of Good and Evil, by Soman Chainani
• Far From You, by Tess Sharpe
• A Discovery of Witches, by Deborah Harkness
• The Astrologer’s Daughter, by Rebecca Lim
• Hidden, by Marianne Curley
• Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell, by Susanna Clarke

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So, my question to you all is this: which books should I prioritise? I need to know where to begin.

Help me out, guys!

Stacking the Shelves: The Yearly Edition 2015

Tags

A Court of Thorns and Roses, Alexandra Bracken, Alienated, All Fall Down, All the Rage, Ally Carter, Ambelin Kwaymullina, Amie Kaufman, Amy Ewing, An Ember in the Ashes, Barry Jonsberg, Because You'll Never Meet Me, Bright Before Sunrise, Brigid Kemmerer, Champion, Cloudwish, Courtney Summers, Cynthia Hand, Dawn Kurtagich, Dead of Winter, Demon Road, Derek Landy, Dreams of Gods and Monsters, Ellie Marney, Every Move, Every Word, Far From You, Fiona Wood, Fleur Ferris, Frostbite, Half Wild, Happily Ever After, Harry Potter, Harry Potter Illustrated Edition, Hold Me Like a Breath, Holly Black, Illuminae, Illusions of Fate, In the Afterlight, In The Skin of a Monster, J.K. Rowling, James Smythe, Jane Austen, Jay Kristoff, John Flanagan, Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell, Julie Kagawa, Justine Larbalestier, Kady Cross, Kathryn Barker, Kerstin Gier, Kiera Cass, Kiersten White, Kresley Cole, Laini Taylor, Lair of Dreams, Lauren James, Lauren Oliver, Leah Thomas, Legend, Leslye Walton, Libba Bray, Lisa M. Stasse, Maggie Stiefvater, Magnus Chase, Magonia, Margo Lanagan, Maria Dahvana Headley, Marie Lu, Meagan Spooner, Megan Miranda, Melinda Salisbury, Melissa Grey, Melissa Landers, Miss Mayhem, Pandora Jones, Panic, Percy Jackson, Pittacus Lore, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, Prodigy, Queen of Shadows, Rachael Craw, Rachel Hawkins, Ranger's Apprentice, Razorhurst, Rebel Belle, Red Queen, Renee Ahdieh, Richelle Mead, Rick Riordan, Risk, Rogue, Ruby Red, Sabaa Tahir, Sally Green, Sarah J. Maas, Sea Hearts, Shadow Kiss, Shiver, Sisters of Blood and Spirit, Skulduggery Pleasant, Soman Chainani, Sophie Jordan, Soulprint, Spark, Star Wars, Stephanie Oakes, Stray, Susanna Clarke, Tess Sharpe, The Darkest Part of the Forest, The Dead House, The Diviners, The Dream Thieves, The Fate of Ten, The Foretelling of Georgie Spider, The Forsaken, The Girl at Midnight, The Heir, The Iron Warrior, The Jewel, The Last Time We Say Goodbye, The Next Together, The Raven Boys, The Ruby Circle, The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly, The School of Good and Evil, The Scorpio Races, The Sin Eater's Daughter, The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender, The Wrath and the Dawn, These Broken Stars, Thicker Than Water, Tiffany Schmidt, Trish Doller, Uninvited, Vampire Academy, Vanishing Girls, Victoria Aveyard, Way Down Dark, Where the Stars Still Shine

Stacking the Shelves is a thing where we talk about the books we’ve collected in the past week. These can be bought, delivered, ARCs, ebooks, etc.. Pretty self-explanatory.
Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tygna’s Reviews

When I did this last year, it was so much fun I just had to do it again.

So, here are ALL the books I obtained throughout the year 2015.

Books Bought:

The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender, by Leslye Walton
Illusions of Fate, by Kiersten White
Hold Me Like a Breath, by Tiffany Schmidt
An Ember in the Ashes, by Sabaa Tahir
Illuminae, by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
Magonia, by Maria Dahvana Headley
Red Queen, by Victoria Aveyard
The Ruby Circle, by Richelle Mead
The Diviners, by Libba Bray
Lair of Dreams, by Libba Bray
Way Down Dark, by James Smythe
The Darkest Part of the Forest, by Holly Black
Pandora Jones: Admission, by Barry Jonsberg
The Last Time We Say Goodbye, by Cynthia Hand
Razorhurst, by Justine Larbalestier
Alienated, by Melissa Landers
Sea Hearts, by Margo Lanagan
The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly, by Stephanie Oakes
These Broken Stars, by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner
The Wrath and the Dawn, by Renee Ahdieh
The Dead House, by Dawn Kurtagich
Vanishing Girls, by Lauren Oliver
Percy Jackson’s Greek Heroes, by Rick Riordan
All Fall Down, by Ally Carter
Ruby Red, by  Kerstin Gier
The Sword of Summer, by Rick Riordan
Rebel Belle, by Rachel Hawkins
Miss Mayhem, by Rachel Hawkins
The Fate of Ten, by Pittacus Lore
In the Afterlight, by Alexandra Bracken
Every Word, by Ellie Marney
Every Move, by Ellie Marney
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, by J.K. Rowling (new edition)
Star Wars: Verily, a New Hope, by Ian Doesher
Vampire Academy: Graphic Novel
Frostbite: Graphic Novel
Shadow Kiss: Graphic Novel
Legend: Graphic Novel
Sisters of Blood and Spirit, by Kady Cross
Far From You, by Tess Sharpe
The Sin Eater’s Daughter, by Melinda Salisbury
Uninvited, by Sophie Jordan
Soulprint, by Megan Miranda
In The Skin of a Monster, by Kathryn Barker
The Girl At Midnight, by Melissa Grey
The Raven Boys, by Maggie Stiefvater
The Dream Thieves, by Maggie Stiefvater
Risk, by Fleur Ferris
Ranger’s Apprentice #1, by John Flanagan
Because You’ll Never Meet Me, by Leah Thomas
Skulduggery Pleasant books, by Derek Landy
The School of Good and Evil, by Soman Chainani
Dreams of Gods and Monsters, by Laini Taylor
Rogue, by Julie Kagawa
Happily Ever After, by Kiera Cass
The Heir, by Kiera Cass
Half Wild, by Sally Green
Prodigy, by Marie Lu
The Foretelling of Georgie Spider, by Ambelin Kwaymullina
Queen of Shadows, by Sarah J. Maas
Box Set of Puffin Classics, various authors
Harry Potter Illustrated edition

The Shiver Trilogy, by Maggie Stiefvater
The Scorpio races, by Maggie Stiefvater
Champion, by Marie Lu

Books Won:

The Jewel*, by Amy Ewing
Spark*, by Rachel Craw
The Iron Warrior, by Julie Kagawa
Demon Road (signed ARC), by Derek Landy
Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell, by Susanna Clarke
Cloudwish, by Fiona Wood
In the Afterlight (signed), by Alexandra Bracken

I also somehow ended up getting a bowling ball.

*Won in 2014, received in 2015

Miscellaneous:

ARCs and Review Copies (requested and surprise):

Bright Before Sunrise, by Tiffany Schmidt
Where the Stars Still Shine, by Trish Doller
Stray, by Rachael Craw
The Next Together, by Lauren James
Thicker Than Water, by Brigid Kemmerer
A Court of Thorns and Roses, by Sarah J. Maas
The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly, by Stephanie Oakes
The Sword of Summer, by Rick Riordan

Books I got through BooksForTradeAU:

Pandora Jones: Deception, by Barry Johansberg
Pandora Jones: Reckoning, by Barry Johansberg
The Forsaken, by Lisa M. Stasse
Cinder (ARC), by Marissa Meyer (Not pictured)

Presents (Birthdays, Christmas, etc.):

Panic, by Lauren Oliver
Dead of Winter, by Kresley Cole
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, by Seth Grahame-Smith (and Jane Austen)

Books I got for free (through various means):

White Time, by Margo Lanagan
All The Rage, by Courtney Summers
The Lost and the Found, by Cat Clarke
This Raging Light, by Estelle Laure
Pompidou Posse, by Sarah Lotz
Dumplin’, by Julie Murphy
Running Like China, by Sophie Hardcastle
We All Looked Up, by Tommy Wallach
Hidden, by Marianne Curley
The Astrologer’s Daughter, by Rebecca Lim
Lifespan of Starlight, by Thalia Kalkipsakis
State of Grace, by Hilary Badger
Cooper Bartholomew is Dead, by Rebecca James

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So…that was all the books I got my hands on 2015.

How was every one else’s year?

What do you mean, it’s November?

Tags

Amie Kaufman, Back to the Future, Derek Landy, Ellie Marney, Every Breath, Every Move, Every Word, Far From You, Happily Ever After, Harry Potter, Harry Potter Illustrated Edition, Hold Me Like a Breath, Illuminae, In The Skin of a Monster, J.K. Rowling, Jay Kristoff, Julie Kagawa, Kady Cross, Kathryn Barker, Kiera Cass, Magnus Chase, Pokemon, Rick Riordan, Skulduggery Pleasant, Tess Sharpe, The Girl With the Windup Heart, The Iron Warrior, The Selection, The Sword of Summer, Tiffany Schmidt

But…how…wait…Where did the year go??

So…October was a busy month

First of all, I FINALLY got to go to the YA Book Club that meets at Dymocks once a month 😀

Photo taken by Emily

(I’ve been trying to get there since the first one)
And so I got my copy of In The Skin of a Monster signed 🙂

And then there was a rerelease of the first Pokemon movie at Hoyts, so naturally, my brother and I HAD to go see it (we have it on video…VIDEO, PEOPLE), and my sister hadn’t seen it, so she came along too.
Much fun was had.

Also, the Back to the Future movies are now set entirely in the past. Please excuse me while I go lament the fact that I do not yet have a pink hoverboard.

And the Illuminae Book Launch happened! Aside from a disappointing lack of underwater jet skis, it was very enjoyable. And I got to meet the authors, which was pretty awesome.

Books Bought:

Hold Me Like a Breath, by Tiffany Schmidt
Far From You, by Tess Sharpe
Happily Ever After, by Kiera Cass
Every Word, by Ellie Marney
Every Move, by Ellie Marney
Illuminae, by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman

Many Skulduggery Pleasant books, by Derek Landy (seriously, though, this entire pile cost $20!! How was I supposed to not?)

Books Received:

Illustrated HP and Tote bag (which I preordered a very long time ago)

Magnus Chase (signed)

Dymocks had a twitter competition, and so I won The Iron Warrior, by Julie Kagawa

Books Read:

In the Skin of a Monster, by Kathryn Barker
Every Breath, by Ellie Marney
The Maleficent Seven, by Derek Landy
Every Word, by Ellie Marney
Every Move, by Ellie Marney
The Girl with the Windup Heart, by Kady Cross

Plans for November?

It’s November now…which means EXAMS ARE COMING!

And this time around, I get the added pleasure of having both my exams on the SAME DAY!

So…yeah…I’m gonna be disappearing for a little bit. I’ll post occasionally, but I will be mostly absent.

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So, how was your October? Any Plans for November? Let me know.

Review: The Sword of Summer

Tags

Magnus Chase, Rick Riordan, The Sword of Summer

Author: Rick Riordan

Series: Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard (Book 1)

Rating: 5 stars

Genre: Fantasy

Synopsis: Magnus Chase has always been a troubled kid. Since his mother’s mysterious death, he’s lived alone on the streets of Boston, surviving by his wits, keeping one step ahead of the police and the truant officers.

One day, he’s tracked down by an uncle he’s never met—a man his mother claimed was dangerous. His uncle tells him an impossible secret: Magnus is the son of a Norse god. The Viking myths are true. The gods of Asgard are preparing for war. Trolls, giants and worse monsters are stirring for doomsday. To prevent Ragnarok, Magnus must search the Nine Worlds for a weapon that has been lost for thousands of years.

When an attack by fire giants forces him to choose between his own safety and the lives of hundreds of innocents, Magnus makes a fatal decision. Sometimes, the only way to start a new life is to die…

How I got this book: ARC sent from publisher (THANK YOU PENGUIN TEEN AUSTRALIA) (this has in no way influenced my review)

Release Date: October 6, 2015

The Short Version:

This book made me ridiculously happy!!!

It was everything I hoped it would be, and more.

This is more-or-less a spoiler free review. If you wish to go into the book completely blind, then I would recommend going out and buying it now.
And then come back to tell me what you thought 🙂

Winter is Ending!

Tags

Cat Clarke, Demon Road, Derek Landy, Estelle Laure, Fallen, Holly Black, Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell, Kathryn Barker, Lair of Dreams, Lauren Kate, Libba Bray, Lisa M. Stasse, Magnus Chase, Passion, Percy Jackson and the Greek Heroes, Rapture, Rick Riordan, Running Like China, Skulduggery Pleasant, Sophie Hardcastle, Susanna Clarke, Sweet Evil, The Darkest Part of the Forest, The Diviners, The Forsaken, The Lost and the Found, The Skin of a Monster, This Raging Light, Torment, Wendy Higgins

So, it is the end of August, which means that Spring is upon us.

This makes me happy.

So…What Happened in August:

Books were bought:

I know…only four…I’m concerned, too.

Books were received:

MAGNUS CHASE ARC! Excuse me while I continue to flail in excitement.
(It was just as good as I hoped it would be).

And my Date A Book YA night Book Haul…The pile on the right (i.e. all the black books), came from Keely, Sweet Evil (which I got for my sister) came from Jaz, and the rest came in the goody-bag.

Books were won:

So, Dymocks did a twitter giveaway for a signed ARC of Demon Road…which I managed to win 😀
I haven’t read it (yet), but I am SO EXCITED!!!

I had also forgotten that I’d entered a BBC-Aus giveaway for Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell, and so when I got an email telling me I’d won, I was pleasantly surprised. (And also super excited, because my good friend Elspeth adores this book).

Books were read:

Only 6, but they were a fabulous six. Also, I spent a long time on The Dying of The Light, because it is 600 pages of very intense emotions and the only time I had to read it was on the train.

Authors were met, books were signed:

At the blogger night I got to meet Holly Black, and get my copy of The Darkest Part of the Forest signed. So that was awesome.

And my dogs were cute:

I mean, they’re always cute, but still…look at them.

Tomorrow it will be September

Where has the year gone? I would seriously like to know.

I mean, I’m thrilled winter is over, but still…

Anyway, this September, I have a plan:

For September, in honour of my sister’s birthday, I shall be attempting to read all the books she has been begging me to read for years.

These books will likely include:

– The Gallagher Girls books
– The Heist Society books
– The last two Kane Chronicles

And while reading as many of these as I can, I also hope to catch up on some review-copy reading and reviews…

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So, how was your August? Any plans for September? Let me know.

TTT: Authors I’ve Read The Most Books From

Tags

Brigid Kemmerer, Cassandra Clare, J.K. Rowling, Julie Kagawa, Kiersten White, Lauren Oliver, Maggie Stiefvater, Rachel Hawkins, Richelle Mead, Rick Riordan

Top Ten Tuesday is a thing where we get given a topic, and we have to list our ‘top ten’ things for the topic. Pretty self-explanatory.
Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

This Week’s Topic: Top Ten Authors I’ve read the most books from

1. Richelle Mead: 12 books + 1 extra + 3 graphic novels

2. Rick Riordan: 12 books + novellas

3. Julie Kagawa: 11 books + 3 novellas + bonus scenes

4. Cassandra Clare: 9 books + extras

5. Maggie Stiefvater: 9 books

6. J.K. Rowling: 7 books + 3 ‘textbooks’

7. Kiersten White: 7 books

8. Rachel Hawkins: 6 books

9. Brigid Kemmerer: 5 books + 3 novellas

10. Lauren Oliver: 5 books

July: A Summary

Tags

Aimee Carter, Alienated, Ambelin Kwaymullina, Blood Of Olympus, Captive, Dark Days, Dead of Winter, Debra Driza, Derek Landy, Dreams of Gods and Monsters, Frostbite, Holly Black, Illusions of Fate, James Smythe, Julie Kagawa, Kiera Cass, Kiersten White, Kresley Cole, Laini Taylor, Legend, Marie Lu, Melissa Landers, Mila 2.0, Mortal Coil, Pittacus Lore, Rachael Craw, Renegade, Richelle Mead, Rick Riordan, Rogue, Skulduggery Pleasant, Stray, The Darkest Part of the Forest, The Fortelling of Georgie Spider, The Heir, The Revenge Of Seven, Way Down Dark

I’m back at uni and with the return to uni comes what can only be described as a need for procrastination. As some of you may have noticed, I disappeared around the middle of July, but it’s ok. I’m back now.

So, why did I disappear?

Well, some of you may recall this post where I talk about my plans for July: namely, much reading during the uni holidays.

And I quite succeeded in this challenge: I read 11 books! And while that doesn’t really feel like much (especially since I had a 5 week break from uni), it does sound rather impressive when I say that 7 of those books were read within a 6 day period.

I’m actually really proud of that.

Of course, in order to do that, I decided it was best to disappear from the internet (almost) completely. I went a whole week without twitter (*shock horror gasp*), and only went on goodreads to update the books I was reading. Though I did continue to check instagram.

And did I miss twitter? Well, yes and no. I did miss talking to people, and generally shouting random things into the void, but I spent practically an entire week doing nothing but reading.

The last time I was able to do that, I was probably 13 and the only thing I would read back then was Harry Potter.

But then I returned, just in time to find out something very exciting

THIS BEAUTY WAS RELEASED INTO THE MAIL!

And it was glorious!

My review is coming…I just need time to get over all THE EMOTIONS!

And what I find hilarious about all this, is that if I’d stayed away from twitter for one more day, I would have never known it was coming…which meant there would have been much less running around screaming with excitement as I grabbed my keys and jumped into my car to race to the post office to get the package.

And where’s the fun in that?

Despite returning to twitter, I remained absent from the blog

Like, seriously, as of the time when I am writing this, I have done zero blogging for 2 weeks…at least.

And, honestly, I didn’t really miss it.

I mean, don’t get me wrong, I love blogging, but to just read/do nothing for 2 weeks without writing a single word has just been so relaxing. I’ve actually missed not blogging.

But that does not mean I’m planning on quitting any time soon.

Ok, musings over, what have I been reading?

Frostbite Graphic Novel
Legend Graphic Novel
Blood of Olympus, by Rick Riordan
Rogue, by Julie Kagawa
Captive, by Aimee Carter
The Heir, by Kiera Cass
Dead of Winter, by Kresley Cole
Renegade, by Debra Driza
The Revenge of Seven, by Pittacus Lore
Illusions of Fate, by Kiersten White
Stray, by Rachael Craw
Dark Days, by Derek Landy
Mortal Coil, by Derek Landy

And what books did I buy/receive?

Bought:

Frostbite Graphic Novel
Legend Graphic Novel
Dreams of Gods and Monsters, by Laini Taylor
Alienated, by Melissa Landers
Way Down Dark, by James Smythe
The Darkest Part of the Forest, by Holly Black
The Foretelling of Georgie Spider, by Ambellin Kwaymullina

Received:

Stray, by Rachael Craw

What can you expect in August?

Due to time constraints, because of various stuff happening, I probably won’t be posting much variety (unless I can come up with and write a brilliant discussion post within, like, an hour), but there are several reviews I’ve been meaning to write, so expect those.

TTT: Most Anticipated Books for the Next 6 Months

Tags

Ambelin Kwaymullina, Amie Kaufman, Black Widow: Forever Red, Fleur Ferris, Illuminae, James Smythe, Jay Kristoff, Julie Kagawa, Margaret Stohl, Queen of Shadows, Rachael Craw, Richelle Mead, Rick Riordan, Risk, Sarah J. Maas, Soundless, Stephanie Oakes, Stray, The Foretelling of Georgie Spider, The Iron Warrior, The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly, The Sword of Summer, Way Down Dark

Top Ten Tuesday is a thing where we get given a topic, and we have to list our ‘top ten’ things for the topic. Pretty self-explanatory.
Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

This Week’s Topic: Top Ten Most Anticipated Books for the Rest of 2015

 1. Risk, Fleur Ferris

2. Queen of Shadows, Sarah J. Maas

3. Stray, by Rachael Craw

4. The Sword of Summer, Rick Riordan

5. Foretelling of Georgie Spider, by Ambelin Kwaymullina

6. The Iron Warrior, by Julie Kagawa

7. Soundless, by Richelle Mead

8. Illuminae, by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

9. Black Widow: Forever Red, by Margaret Stohl

10. Way Down Dark, by James Smythe

Bonus: The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly, Stephanie Oakes
This is the bonus because I’ve already read it, but YOU PEOPLE NEED TO! This book NEEDS to be released into the world!