Favorites Giveaway Hop!

Welcome to the Favorites Giveaway Hop, hosted by Stuck In Books! Up for grabs is the chance to win one of my favorite books, you can choose from one of the titles that I've picked below or if you've read them all/don't like them you can choose any book you like, up to the value of $15 from The Book Depository providing you live in a country that they ship to - check the list here! The hop runs from now through until midnight on February 14 2015.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Check out this link for lots more chances to win, thanks for entering and good luck!

Book Haul #99

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly event hosted on Tynga's Reviews where we can share what new books we've picked up this past week be they bought, borrowed or downloaded. There are also lots of other 'book haul' memes out there for you to choose from!

Last book haul post of the month and I have to say I'm impressed with myself! I haven't bought a book for 31 days... I don't know how I managed it but I have and both my bank balance & my bookshelves are thanking me! I'm sure a lot of it has do with the amazing review titles I've got this month and the great books I've picked up from the library have helped too. I'm wondering how February is going to go when I start my plan to ease way back on browsing Netgalley/Edelweiss which will (hopefully) cut my number of requests down to zero and allow me to catch up on the stupid number of books I have to read from both. I somehow managed to avoid both of them this week but that was mostly because I was away and so not sitting at my computer or using my tablet! Next week? Might be a different story.

A small haul today, a book that I won from one of the challenges in Bout of Books 12 and a couple of review books that I can't wait to read!

Won

Dust Girl

For Review

Uprooted

A School For Unusual Girls

Waiting On Wednesday #106 - Daughter of Deep Silence

Waiting On Wednesday, where we put the spotlight on upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating, is hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine.

This week's choice is -

Daughter of Deep Silence - Carrie Ryan

ISBN - 9780525426509

Publisher - Dutton Juvenile

Expected release date - June 2 2015

Find - Goodreads | Book Depository

A delicious tale of revenge and identity from Carrie Ryan, the bestselling author of The Forest of Hands and Teeth.

'In the wake of the deadly devastation of luxury yacht Persephone, just three souls remain to tell its story - and two of them are lying. Only Frances Mace, rescued from the ocean after torturous days adrift with her dying friend Libby, knows that the Persephone wasn’t sunk by a rogue wave as survivors Senator Wells and his son are claiming - it was attacked.

To ensure her safety from the obviously dangerous and very powerful Wells family, Libby’s father helps newly orphaned Frances assume Libby’s identity. Frances has spent years in hiding, transforming herself into Libby, and she can no longer allow the people who murdered her entire family and Libby to get away with it. After years of careful plotting, she’s ready to set her revenge plans into motion - even if it means taking down the boy she’d once been in love with: the senator’s son.

The game has just begun, and Frances is not only playing dirty, she's playing to win.' - Goodreads

Daughter of Deep Silence sounds amazing. I want to know what's going, just from those few lines and I'm intrigued by the girl effectively becoming her best friend with the help of the dead girl's father. The sooner I get to read this the better, otherwise I may implode!

Top Ten Tuesday #80 - Books for my Book Club!

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the fabulous gals cover at The Broke & The Bookish. This week's topic is - 
 
Ten Books I'd Love to Read With My Book Club

I don't belong to a real face-to-face book club, I.m not really sure I want to but it would be nice to read/re-read some of these books and talk about them afterwards. Some of these books are new to me, some are re-reads *cough* GRRM *cough*

Daughter Of Smoke & Bone

Red Rising

Lock In

Burial Rites

The Martian

A Song of Ice & Fire

The Lies of Locke Lamora (and sequels)

The Snow Child

Station Eleven

IT/The Stand/Salem' s Lot (or anything by Stephen King!)

Book Haul #98 - The Library/Birthday Edition

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly event hosted on Tynga's Reviews where we can share what new books we've picked up this past week be they bought, borrowed or downloaded. There are also lots of other 'book haul' memes out there for you to choose from!

It's my birthday! And I've received no books :( I've not bought any books either so... Thankfully it was library day this week so I have a nice shiny stack of library books and a couple of review titles I've been wanting to read :) I got quite a bit of birthday money but instead of splurging I'm using some to renew my passport, can't believe how expensive it is! Off out for lunch later, and a special birthday dinner tonight - one where I don't have to clean up afterwards!

Review 

The Girl in the Red Coat - Kate Hamer

No Man's World - Pat Kelleher

The Last Leaves Falling - Sarah Benwell

Library Haul

Angels of Destruction - Keith Donohue

Deep Blue - Jennifer Donnelly

The Ghosts of Heaven - Marcus Sedgwick

Hard Magic - Laura Anne Gilman

The Secrets of Life & Death - Rebecca Alexander

Tribute - Ellen Renner

The Evolution of Mara Dyer - Michelle Hodkin

The Retribution of Mara Dyer - Michelle Hodkin

Circus of the Unseen - Joanne Owen

Rooftoppers - Katherine Rundell

Florence & Giles - John Harding

The Last Wild - Piers Torday

The Boy in the Cemetery - Sebastian Gregory

The Boy in the Cemetery - Sebastian Gregory

Publisher - Carina

Release date - October 29 2014

Find - Goodreads

This is the story of a girl who didn’t want to live...

Carrie Anne is desperately unhappy. Tangled in a web of abuse, she seeks solace in the cemetery that backs onto her garden. But something creeps between the gravestones. Carrie Anne is not alone

...and a boy who cannot die.

The cemetery is home to a boy. He has guarded these forgotten bones since meeting a gruesome end two hundred years ago. Neither dead nor alive, he has been watching for a long time. And now, he finally has the visitor he’s been waiting for...

Before I say anything about The Boy in the Cemetery I think it's important to point out that this book is about a main character who is abused, mentally & physically by her parents. If that is any way hard for you to read about (the abuse is off-page for the most part but talked about) then I would suggest avoiding The Boy in the Cemetery.

The story of Boy starts off badly and doesn't get much better, losing first his mother whom he regards as an angel and then his abusive father after a grave-robbing incident gone wrong, Boy finds a new home in a cemetery. He never leaves... Fast forward 200 years and Carrie Anne arrives, withdrawn and quiet, drawn to the very cemetery where Boy has been standing guard for the last two centuries and you could say all hell breaks loose!

The Boy in the Cemetery intrigued me as soon as I read the synopsis, it's the sort of book that makes you feel like you're watching a Tim Burton movie. The overall tone of the whole book is so very dark but there are moments of hope and some touching interactions between Boy and Carrie Anne that lighten the book. What really made the book for me though was Sebastian Gregory's writing. It was beautiful, lyrical and descriptive to the point I could 'see' everything. It's rare that I get so immersed in a book (and a short one at that, Boy in the Cemetery is a scant 120 pages) that by the the time I turn the last page I feel like I've lived through the book

There's a deep seated need for revenge on Boy's part and meeting Carrie Anne gives him the perfect canvas to do so. Without giving spoilers away let's just say that everyone who wrongs Carrie Anne is punished in one fashion or another without a second thought. The only thing that took me completely by surprise was the ending, I was not expecting what happened at all. Looking back now though it was probably the only realistic ending for both Boy & Carrie Anne, obviously the law in the 21st century is far more efficient than it was in Boy's time (except it would appear, in Carrie Anne's case, serious child abuse and the fact that the family were able to move away without any consequence). I feel sad that there was no happy ending, no fairy godmother to wave a magic wand. maybe it was inevitable that things would end this way, from the moment Boy became more in the cemetery centuries ago.

Thank you to Carina, via Netgalley, for providing me with a copy of The Boy in the Cemetery!

Waiting On Wednesday #105 - Voyage of the Basilisk

Waiting On Wednesday, where we put the spotlight on upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating, is hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine.

This week's choice is -

Voyage of the Basilisk (Lady Trent's Memoirs #3) - Marie Brennan

ISBN - 9780765331984

Publisher - Tor

Expected release date - March 1 2015

Find - Goodreads | Book Depository

'Devoted readers of Lady Trent’s earlier memoirs, A Natural History of Dragons and The Tropic of Serpents, may believe themselves already acquainted with the particulars of her historic voyage aboard the Royal Survey Ship Basilisk, but the true story of that illuminating, harrowing, and scandalous journey has never been revealed - until now. Six years after her perilous exploits in Eriga, Isabella embarks on her most ambitious expedition yet: a two-year trip around the world to study all manner of dragons in every place they might be found. From feathered serpents sunning themselves in the ruins of a fallen civilization to the mighty sea serpents of the tropics, these creatures are a source of both endless fascination and frequent peril. Accompanying her is not only her young son, Jake, but a chivalrous foreign archaeologist whose interests converge with Isabella’s in ways both professional and personal.

Science is, of course, the primary objective of the voyage, but Isabella’s life is rarely so simple. She must cope with storms, shipwrecks, intrigue, and warfare, even as she makes a discovery that offers a revolutionary new insight into the ancient history of dragons.' - Goodreads

This should be fairly self-explanatory! I love Marie Brennan's writing and the Lady Trent Memoirs are some of my most favorite books. I'm beyond excited that there is a third 'memoir' coming and can't wait to get my hands on a copy although I could have passed away quietly when pre-ordering as it's one of the most expensive books I've bought for a while.

Top Ten Tuesday #79 - Books To Read For My Fairy Tale Challenge!

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the fabulous gals cover at The Broke & The Bookish. This week's topic is -

A FREEBIE!!!

Therefore I have decided to do -

Retellings To Read For My Fairy Tale Challenge

And I expect everyone is now either rolling their eyes and/or thinking 'how predictable'!!! Well, I'm treating this week's TTT as an organizational post. In view of the fact we are almost through the first month of the year yet I still haven't read any fairy tale retellings yet this year and my goal for this challenge is 21 to 25 books (second highest level, I'd really like to go for the highest...) I'm getting into gear and also hoping that you may have suggestions for me that aren't on my list - especially adult retellings. I seem to have dozens of YA suggestions but not many adult that I haven't already read. I'm also hoping that a re-read of a couple of Juliet Marillier's books will boost that number! And of course, they all have to be books I own, or can borrow from the library...

Cover Reveal: Hidden Huntress by Danielle Jensen!

Angry Robot are back and not only are they back, they're back with the sequel to one of my favorite books of last year! I adored Stolen Songbird so I'm excited I get to share the cover reveal with you all! Without further delay, here's Hidden Huntress!

Hidden Huntress - Danielle L Jensen

Publisher - Angry Robot

Release date - June 2 2015

Find - Goodreads | Book Depository

Sometimes, one must accomplish the impossible.

Beneath the mountain, the king’s reign of tyranny is absolute; the one troll with the capacity to challenge him is imprisoned for treason. Cécile has escaped the darkness of Trollus, but she learns all too quickly that she is not beyond the reach of the king’s power. Or his manipulation.

Recovered from her injuries, she now lives with her mother in Trianon and graces the opera stage every night. But by day she searches for the witch who has eluded the trolls for five hundred years. Whether she succeeds or fails, the costs to those she cares about will be high.

To find Anushka, she must delve into magic that is both dark and deadly. But the witch is a clever creature. And Cécile might not just be the hunter. She might also be the hunted…

The Bone Season - Samantha Shannon

The Bone Season - Samantha Shannon

ISBN - 9781408836422 (Hardcover) 

            9781408836453 (Paperback)

Publisher - Bloomsbury

Release date - Out now

Find - Book Depository | Goodreads

'It is the year 2059. Several major world cities are under the control of a security force called Scion. Paige Mahoney works in the criminal underworld of Scion London, part of a secret cell known as the Seven Seals. The work she does is unusual: scouting for information by breaking into others’ minds. Paige is a dreamwalker, a rare kind of clairvoyant, and in this world, the voyants commit treason simply by breathing.

But when Paige is captured and arrested, she encounters a power more sinister even than Scion. The voyant prison is a separate city - Oxford, erased from the map two centuries ago and now controlled by a powerful, otherworldly race. These creatures, the Rephaim, value the voyants highly - as soldiers in their army.

Paige is assigned to a Rephaite keeper, Warden, who will be in charge of her care and training. He is her master. Her natural enemy. But if she wants to regain her freedom, Paige will have to learn something of his mind and his own mysterious motives.'

The Bone Season introduces a compelling heroine - a young woman learning to harness her powers in a world where everything has been taken from her. It also introduces an extraordinary young writer, with huge ambition and a teeming imagination. Samantha Shannon has created a bold new reality in this riveting debut. - Goodreads

I read The Bone Season shortly after it came out. I went to an event where Samantha was talking about the book along with its planned (six!) sequels and I knew I had to read it. I went home that night, started the book, finished it about 24 hours later but even though I completely fell in love with Paige, Nick, Warden, London, Oxford and Samantha's writing I just couldn't write a review. A draft sat in my dashboard for months until I deleted it earlier this year. I cheekily decided to request The Mime Order and somehow (despite my appalling percentage on there!) I was approved, promptly started reading The Bone Season again and this time had a completely different reading experience. And the same reviewing experience, this has been sitting for nearly two months now..

So what makes The Bone Season so difficult for me to review? I honestly have no idea. I love Samantha's writing, it doesn't feel like first book writing if that makes any sense? And her characters? Are fantastically written and alive, to me anyway. I wanted to get to know all of them, even the bad ones. The Bone Season has been marketed as an adult novel but I can certainly see why there is so much YA appeal. There is stunning, meticulous world-building, slang and vocabulary you won't have heard of anywhere else and a raft of ideas that I've not really seen woven together anywhere else.

I love that Paige's world is our world essentially, what our world could be, what our world might be if you consider the possibilities of the alternate timeline. I spent my late teens and most of my twenties living in London and Oxford so it was fun to read these alternative pictures of them and imagine what it would have been like with Voyants, the Scion Guard and the threat of death or being locked up hanging over your head if you even show a tiny bit of talent.

Paige is probably one of my favorite characters, just as well really, living and working in London for one of the Mime Lords (Jax, not one of my favorites) whilst still finding time to visit her father. It's on one such visit that she is captured and delivered to the Rephaim, prized because of her (so far) unique talent and handed over to Warden, one of the Rephaite Keepers. From the start though, her relationship with Warden is not what she expects or what we expect from the story and although he is at times cruel you can see the bond between them growing. Paige is headstrong, stubborn and independent and of course not going to settle for being locked up in Oxford with her life being threatened every day, either by other voyants or the humans living & working as Rephaite slaves. She is determined to get out of there, soon, and take as many people possible with her. First though she has to deal with a bigger threat than the Rephaim, a race called the Emim. This is why the Rephaim use the voyants and why the Scion government is only too happy to keep sending them so that the Emim don't become more of a threat.

The action starts on page one and really doesn't let off until the last page, an awful lot happens, people die (or go missing) so don't get particularly attached to anyone because you just never know! By the end of The Bone Season some of the most beloved characters are nowhere to be found, with no-one knowing if they're dead or alive. Definitely worth a read for an amazing futuristic fantasy but also completely understandable why people either seem to love it or hate it, it's a long book for some at 466 pages and there is an awful lot to take in - between the history, the different voyants, the language, you're always learning something new especially in the first half of the book but that was part of the appeal for me. If someone was writing my perfect book, tailored to what I love? I suspect it would look an awful like The Bone Season. And on that note, I'll finish. I get the feeling this is going to be the most rambling of my reviews... Coming soon, The Mime Order!

Book Haul #97

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly event hosted on Tynga's Reviews where we can share what new books we've picked up this past week be they bought, borrowed or downloaded. There are also lots of other 'book haul' memes out there for you to choose from!

Seventeen days! That's how long I have gone without buying a book, this must be a new world record for me... I think my postman is worried I've had some sort of breakdown because he knocks on the door even though there's not a prolific amount of parcels to hand over! I forgot Ensnared was out this week so was very happy when that was the one new book that arrived, the good thing about pre-ordering from Book Depository is that you pay at the time of ordering so this was paid for last year and doesn't count! More great review books this week, mainly because a lot of publishers seem to be checking out requests that have been in weeks (or months in a couple of cases) and saying yes!

Next Saturday is my birthday so if I'm going to slip it will be then, especially knowing that I'll have birthday money!

PreOrder

Ensnared

 Review - Netgalley/Edelweiss/Publisher

Conspiracy Girl - Sarah Alderson

The Death House - Sarah Pinborough

Flex - Ferrett Steinmetz

A Reunion of Ghosts - Judith Claire Mitchell

The Pocket Wife - Susan Crawford

The Damned - Andrew Pyper 

Normal - Graeme Cameron

The Uninvited - Cat Winters

Blackout (Annum Guard #2) - Meredith McCardle

The Eighth Guardian (Annum Guard #1) - Meredith McCardle

The Creeping - Alexandra Sirowy

Dead To Me - Mary McCoy

The Fire Sermon - Francesca Haig

Invasion of the Tearling - Erika Johansen

Dreaming of Books Giveaway!

Welcome to the Dreaming Of Books Giveaway Hop hosted by I Am A Reader Not A Writer! The giveaway runs from now until midnight on January 26 2015 and all you have to do is pick a book that you want to read! The winner can choose one paperback up to the value of £10/$15 - from the Book Depository as long as they deliver to your country - find the list here. All you have to do is follow the instructions on the Rafflecopter below and you could be the lucky winner!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Check out the list below for all the other blogs taking part, thanks for entering and good luck!

The Squickerwonkers - Evangeline Lilly

The Squickerwonkers - Evangeline Lilly & Johnny Fraser-Allen

ISBN - 9781783295456

Publisher - Titan Books

Release date - November 18 2014

Find - Goodreads | Book Depository

Meet Selma of the Rin-Run Royals, a clever little girl who is spoiled to the core. One day Selma stumbles upon a band of colorful marionettes, and gets more than she bargained for. The remarkable Squickerwonkers of the fabulous Squickershow are about to teach Selma that she’ll not always get her way.

I'd heard a lot about Lilly's debut picture book and, as with all celebrity penned books, was a tad on the sceptical side. I was still excited to receive a copy from Titan for review though as the illustrations look fabulous. The ultimate test for The Squickerwonkers and whether it was any good wasn't going to be my choice this time though, I decided to let the twins decide!

The Squickerwonkers (I wish there was a way of abbreviating that title, lets try SW's for now) is about a little girl, supposedly well mannered and known to most as Selma of the Rin-Run Royals. Selma is watching a marionette show, darker in tone than your average show, with an amazing array of characters including Papa the Proud, Meghan the Mute and Gillis the Gluttonous. Having realized that maybe not all is as it seems Selma's balloon is popped by one of the SW's and there ensues a tantrum that any self-respecting child would be proud of. Being a member of the Rin-Run Royals, Selma is not about to let anyone get away with that and threatens them all with her Gramps! Suddenly, through tear-filled and blurry eyes, there he is and Selma demands he take action over this horrible deed... I'll leave the rest to your imagination as I don't want to spoil the end for anyone.

The book is marketed at slightly older children than Frem (they're almost five) but they actually quite enjoyed the story. The one that I thought would be a bit frightened loved the illustrations & the story and the one that I thought would be fine really didn't like the illustrations but was quite happy to listen to the text. It's written in slanting rhyme so probably could have been written just as well in prose but it was this clunky sort of rhyming that held Frem's attention. What made the book for me were the luscious illustrations, they're exactly the sort of thing I love both now and when I was a child, they are suitably creepy and murky, with the same sort of appeal as Coraline. Considering they're done by WETA Workshop artist Johnny Fraser-Allen they probably couldn't be much better!

I've since discovered that there are going to be a whole series of Squickerwonker books so it will be interesting to see how they develop and whether they continue to follow the same format. What I learnt from reading the SW's was to not dismiss a book out of hand just because it's written by a celebrity and I ended up thoroughly enjoying it. Frem wanted to give it a five clock rating and I wanted to give it a three clock rating so 'Stay Up Late' was the 'almost 5yo's old's' compromise!

Many thanks to Ella & Chloe at Titan for providing me with a copy of The Squickerwonkers which I've had to give to Em as she wouldn't let me leave with it!

January 2015 New Release Giveaway! - Closes Midnight 1/31

Welcome to the January New Release Giveaway Hop, with a new host, Librarian Lavender! The hop runs from today through to midnight on January 30 2015. Up for grabs is any new release this month up to the value of $20 from the Book Depository as long as they deliver to your country - find the list of countries here.

All you have to do is choose any new release published in January and leave me a comment stating what book you would like (you can change your mind later!) and fill out the rafflecopter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Check out the list below for all the other blogs taking part, thanks for entering and good luck!

Waiting On Wednesday #104 - Shadow Study

Waiting On Wednesday, where we put the spotlight on upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating, is hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine.

This week's choice is -

Shadow Study (Soulfinders #1) - Maria V Snyder

ISBN - 9780778317401

Publisher - Mira/ Harlequin Teen

Expected release date - February 24 2015

Find - Goodreads | Book Depository

New York Times bestselling author Maria V. Snyder wowed readers with Poison Study, the unforgettable story of poison taster Yelena. Now she's back with a new tale of intrigue.

Once, only her own life hung in the balance.

Oddly enough, when Yelena was a poison taster, her life was simpler. But she'd survived to become a vital part of the balance of power between rival countries Ixia and Sitia. Now she uses her magic to keep the peace in both lands and protect her relationship with Valek.

Suddenly, though, they are beset on all sides by those vying for power through politics and intrigue. Valek's job - and his life - are in danger. As Yelena tries to uncover the scope of these plots, she faces a new challenge: her magic is blocked. She must keep that a secret - or her enemies will discover just how vulnerable she really is - while searching for who or what is responsible for neutralizing her powers.

Yes, the days of tasting poisons were much simpler. And certainly not as dangerous.

"Doing full justice to the plot of this original and entertaining epic fantasy is impossible. Suffice it to say that the action is nonstop. The many characters leap to life, particularly Yelena, whose first-person narrative is riveting."
~ RT Book Reviews on Fire Study

I devoured Poison Study and its sequels so when I heard that the story was continuing I wasn't sure whether to be ecstatic or worried. I'm hoping that Shadow Study is going to do the first six books justice and I can't wait to get my hands on a copy. Having said that I'll probably dither over reading it for six months before running the risk of reading it... 

 

Top Ten Tuesday #78 - 2014 Releases I Meant To Read But Didn't Get To

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the fabulous gals cover at The Broke & The Bookish. This week's topic is -

Top Ten 2014 Releases I Meant To Read But Didn't Get To

There are a lot of 2014 releases that I didn't get round to last year. I've been getting together my statistics for last year and if I've worked it correctly, just under a third of the books I read last year were published last year! Which means two thirds weren't... Here's a sample list of 2014 releases that I didn't read last year, kicking myself about not reading them last year and will read, soon hopefully. Especially Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy because I've heard so many good things. Maybe not Gods & Monsters because that's it, series over - same for Book of Life.

Cover Reveal: A Whisper of Wolves by Kris Humphrey

I'm super excited today to be taking part in the cover reveal for Kris Humphrey's debut book, A Whisper of Wolves. It's the first book in the series, Guardians of the Wild, and fits in perfectly with my goal to read more middle grade books this year. Anyway, here's the (gorgeous) cover!

A Whisper of Wolves (Guardians of the Wild #1) - Kris Humphreys

ISBN - 9781847155962

Publisher - Stripes Publishing

Expected release date - March 2 2015

Find - Goodreads | Book Depository

When a raven drops a white feather at the doorstep on the day of your birth, it is a symbol of your destiny. You are a Whisperer – a guardian of the wild. After many years of peace in the kingdom of Meridina, rumors are spreading of a planned invasion – could the demonic Narlaw be returning from the darklands? It is up to the Whisperers and their animal companions to defend Meridina, protect Princess Ona and stop the Narlaw from destroying their world.

When hunters from her village disappear without a trace, Alice suspects that something sinister is at work. With the help of Storm, her wolf companion, Alice fights to save her village. The Narlaw are on the attack and it’s up to the Whisperers to stop them…

Kris Humphrey grew up in Plymouth, where he spent most of his time reading books, riding around on his bike and daydreaming about writing a book himself. Since then, Kris has had more jobs than he cares to think about. He has been a cinema projectionist, a bookseller and worked at an animal sanctuary in the Guatemalan jungle.

Find Kris on Twitter here and Stripes Publishing here. Look out for my review in March where I'll also be giving away a copy of this fab middle grade book via the Book Depository!

Last but not least, look how the proof of A Whisper of Wolves arrived! It was so cute I didn't want to open it!

Bout of Books 12 Day 7 & Final RoundUp

The final day of BoB 12 is here and for the first time I feel more than satisfied about my reading and my challenge participation. The socializing? Not so much... Funny isn't it that I've been blogging for three years and still can't get round my crippling shyness. Maybe next time :)

I'm reading my final Bout of Books choice

mostly because I've been trying to sort out at least one set of shelves in my house and I found this tucked away at the back. It fits my criteria for my TBR Pile challenge and it's definitely one that can be donated to the library later this month.

Progress on Day 12

Number of pages I've read today: 352
Total number of pages read: 2559
Number of books read today: 1
Total number of books I've read: 9

Final RoundUp

I read 9 books, took part in 5 challenges and won a challenge too! I didn't set any goals for myself, I didn't pick out any books beforehand and I didn't stress about making time to read. Admittedly, being ill means I've had far more time than I probably would have to read. Being awake most nights coughing means I was
reading quite a bit in the middle of the night so flu does have its plus points!

What I Read

Now I can't wait for Bout of Books 13 in May! See you then :)