Tuesday 1 December 2015

Top Ten Tuesday: 2016 Debuts



Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by: The Broke and the Bookish.
This week's topic:  2016 Debuts Novels We Are Looking Forward To
 
Well I haven't got ten this week! I don't have many debuts on my 2016 shelf at the moment.
 
 
 
What debuts are you looking forward to?
I'm looking forward to checking out everyone's lists to add to my shelf!
Much Love!
Lettie
Xxx

Tuesday 3 November 2015

Top Ten Tuesday: Fabulous Debuts!


Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by: The Broke and the Bookish.
This week's topic: Debut Authors Who Have Me Looking Forward To Their Sophomore Novel

This is an interesting topic as I haven't read as many debut authors this year so I'm including 2014 debut authors and Sophomore Series!
 
 
I'm hoping read at least four of these before 2016- although I'm holding out on new series atm!
 
Let me know which 2015 debut authors you recommend!
Much Love!
Lettie
Xxx

Sunday 1 November 2015

October: A Review!

Two monthly reviews in a row! I'm hoping that I've got my blogging schedule back!
 
October in Numbers!
Total posts= 7
Books read= 6
Reviews Posted= 1
  
Completely back in the Throne of Glass world- so excited to start Queen of Shadows! Also loved my Sci-Fi read, This Shattered World, I can't wait for the final instalment!
 
 
  •  Flash and Arrow are back! I love Superhero films and programmes so I'm loving watching these two again. Especially because the Oliver and Barry are such different characters!
  • Once Upon A Time is back! I absolutely love this programme it's a recent find so I'm finding the weekly wait hard!
  • Redid all my display boards ready for my first term with Year 3!
  • Went to the Moscow State Circus- amazing as always!
  • Started planning 2016's adventures, possibly East Coast USA.
  • Attended a masked 1950s themed ball.
  • Watched The Blair Witch Project in a cemetery (I'm wimpy so this was a big deal!).
  • Dressed up as Circus Britney for my friend's Britney Spears themed Halloween Housewarming!
How was your October?
What was your favourite book?
Much Love!
Lettie
Xxx 

Friday 30 October 2015

Predictions: Queen of Shadows!


(Spoiler free except for Throne of Glass.) 

The bi-annual prediction post!
My only other prediction post was for Crown of Midnight so it must be a Sarah J Maas thing to leave so many theories and questions!
 
How did my predictions fare last time?
Crown of Midnight Predictions
  • Celaena is somehow related to Elena. They come from the same country and Elena is drawn to her....  Yes!
  • King has a big plan for Wyrdmarks. He seemed to be testing their limits in Throne of Glass and he disappeared with that army. Ooo definitely yes!
  • Philippa has some sort of magical ability. I definitely feel there is more to her than meets the eye! Can't even remember this character....
  • Chaol and Dorian will be locked in a love triangle of sorts for awhile yet! They remind me of George and Jon in the Song of the Lioness Quartet so I think it will be down to the last book or two! Hmmm they still remind me of George and Jon and Rowan now reminds me of Liam!
 Now for new predictions!
 
  • Dorian will be instrumental to Celaena somehow.
  • Marion's daughter Elide will turn up as an ally or an enemy (I did think she might have been Sorscha.)
  • Sam and his history with Celaena and Arobynn will be central (Which is why I'm reading The Assassin's Blade).
  •  Manon Blackbeak will align with Celaena.
Long Term
  • Rowan will die heroically at some point. I like him but I just feel like that's where his character is heading :(

What are/were your predictions? Could I be right?
No spoilers for QoS please!

Much Love!
Lettie
Xxx

Wednesday 28 October 2015

Challenge Update!

Finally time to update you all on my Challenge progress! I've made an infographic for change!


 
I also think I've made more even progress on all the challenges so fingers crossed I complete them all!
 
How are your challenges going?
Much Love!
Lettie
Xxx
 
 

Tuesday 27 October 2015

Bingo Challenge!










This is my first Winter Edition of my Bingo card!
After my lack of Summer Bingo full house, I have made a smaller card and I'm hopeful! I reused three of my leftover squares and then added in some more.



Potentials
Using my TBR and my Shelfers post I've got a few books in mind!
  • Court of Fives by Kate Elliott
  • A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas.
  • Their  Fractured Light by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner.
  • P.S I Still Love You by Jenny Han.
  • Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch.
  • Clariel by Garth Nix.

Rules
One square per book! For example if I read a new release YA book it could go in either box so one square per book spreads it out!
This challenge will run from 22nd October to 1st January. (to include Half Term!)

Any suggestions of what I could read?
I would find some new YA SciFi or Fantasy! Ooo and a road trip book!

Much Love!
Lettie
Xxx

Sunday 25 October 2015

Stacking the Shelves: Summer/Autumn Edition

What is Stacking The Shelves all about?
Stacking The Shelves is hosted by Tynga all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks! 
 
I haven't posted a Stacking the Shelves post in ages! However since July I've been buying so many books I knew I needed to blog about it- makes me feel less like a crazy book buyer!
 

So many new releases and older ones turning up in my local Waterstones that my shelves are looking crowded...
I was thrilled to finally get This Shattered World by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner and Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch as I was determined not to Amazon them.
The Lost and Found by Cat Clarke was definitely a BOGOHP purchase but a great blurb.
Similar to Court of Fives by Kate Elliott  but Court of Fives was already on my Goodreads!
The rest are mainly sequels/companions or known authors!

Luckily my library has a great selection so I've managed to pick up two 2015 releases! Outcaste by Ellen Renner the sequel to Tribute which I loved and Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen which I read a teaser of and needed more.

I've got so many fabulous books to read that I don't know where to start!
Which would you recommend?

Much Love!
Lettie
Xxx

Monday 12 October 2015

The Year We Fell Down by Sarina Bowen.

The sport she loves is out of reach. The boy she loves has someone else.What now?
She expected to start Harkness College as a varsity ice hockey player. But a serious accident means that Corey Callahan will start school in a wheelchair instead.
Across the hall, in the other handicapped-accessible dorm room, lives the too-delicious-to-be real Adam Hartley, another would-be hockey star with his leg broken in two places. He’s way out of Corey’s league.
Also, he’s taken.
Nevertheless, an unlikely alliance blooms between Corey and Hartley in the “gimp ghetto” of McHerrin Hall. Over tequila, perilously balanced dining hall trays, and video games, the two cope with disappointments that nobody else understands.
They’re just friends, of course, until one night when things fall apart. Or fall together. All Corey knows is that she’s falling. Hard.
But will Hartley set aside his trophy girl to love someone as broken as Corey? If he won’t, she will need to find the courage to make a life for herself at Harkness — one which does not revolve around the sport she can no longer play, or the brown-eyed boy who’s afraid to love her back.

Thoughts
It's taken me awhile to get my thoughts together on The Year We Fell Down so this will be a short and sweet review!

I absolutely loved the take on the usual cliché especially the approach to disability.
Corey was a seemingly well-adjusted girl who just needed to work on her emotional side! I admired her determination to live out the life she had planned as closely as possible, it made it impossible to view her as a one dimensional extension of her wheelchair. Her self-decrepitating humour added to this although at times it was a bit much.
Hartley had broken his leg leaving him out of sport and in crutches which allowed for an interesting bond to form between Corey and him as she got to play an 'expert role'. Hartley was such a charming character, I loved how well he listened to Corey and read her hidden meanings- there was very little miscommunication! His secret background really added dimension to his character as it made him vulnerable.

Side casts are my favourite and The Year We Fell Down did not disappoint. 
Dana was a fun and social housemate to Coery who didn't even bat an eyelid at sharing with a disabled person in a different setup then everyone. I loved reading her interactions with Daniel and look forward to reading more of that.
Corey's family were all still adjusting to her new life. Her father in particularly seemed riddled with guilt which lead to overprotectiveness. Her brother was a typical big brother as well as a good friend.
Bridger was a great best friend to Hartley and very welcoming to Corey. He initially seemed a typical jock but he had a few issue under the surface. I found him intriguing and looked forward to reading his book!
Hartley's Mum was brilliant. I loved how welcoming and selfless she was to Corey and Bridger. I admired her more as Hartley's background was explored.

Corey’s disability although prominently portrayed throughout the book, was not a central part of the plot. It added to Corey by creating an unfulfilled athletic dream and created a bond between Hartley and Corey but it was never made to be a big issue. I also loved how in Corey 's case the wheelchair was a very fluid conception, sometimes she used crutches or scooted around etc.  
 
Rating!
 This is the first in a fabulous college companion series which gets better and better!
The fifth book releases tomorrow!

Have you read this series? Which is your favourite?
Much Love!
Lettie
Xxx

Thursday 8 October 2015

Bingo Wrap Up!









So back in July when I launched this I 100% overestimated how much I would read in the Summer!
I slept the majority of my flight to Australia and down under I was so busy soaking up BFF time and exploring as much as I could I read 4 books. However I think I did pretty well considering!


I've decided to make a 3x3 Autumn bingo card so I will be carrying the 4 empty squares over! Any book suggestions for them?

How did your summer of reading go? Were you more successful?
Much love
Lettie
xxx

Wednesday 7 October 2015

October!


Too right Anne October is the gateway to Autumn, Halloween and Christmas! It will also be a month of good blogging!


I've signed up to the Blog Ahead Challenge hosted by Anna@ herding cats & burning soup and Kimberly@ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. Mainly to shore up posts ready for when I go full time at work!
Goals
  • All Top Ten Tuesday posts scheduled
  • 4 Travel posts.
  • 5 reviews.
  • As many other posts as possible!
I already posted my Autumn TBR but these are the October releases I'm most excited for!
All are continuations of series' or worlds which I've really enjoyed so I'm allowing myself to buy them despite my shelves of unread books....
 
Which October Release will you be buying?
Are you Blogging Ahead? If so leave a link!
Much Love!
Lettie
Xxx
 

Monday 5 October 2015

September: A Review

  

I have missed these monthly reviews! September has been a month of rereading and settling in to my new job!
 

 When I looked at Goodreads I was shocked as I felt I'd been reading lots and then I realised I'd been rereading a lot! I love rereading, going back to your favourite passages or just opening on a random page and re-experiencing it all. Book Worm Alert!
 
Lots of TV catching up in September! Being away all summer and my PGCE before limited my TV watching. Enjoying the return of Orphan Black and Great British Bake Off (final next week!).
Series' that finished forever
Revenge~ Loved the ending and I will miss Emily and Nolan.
Under the Dome~ Not a great ending but a fab series.
Continuing series'
Pretty Little Liars~ I know who A is but I still have so many questions!
Fantastic Four was a great reboot and a fab cast!
I got to watch an advance preview with Maze Runner and Scorch Trials back to back which was great as I had forgot minor details of Maze Runner and I'm looking forward to the next instalment.
  • Started my first teaching job!
  • Taught Year 2 for two weeks solo.
  • Started a Yoga class.
  • Baked a successful Lime Meringue Pie.
  • Watched Michael McIntyre live.
  • Enjoyed a weekend in the Welsh Valleys.
  • Attended the annual end of summer party.
 
September wasn't as exciting as August or July but it was a good month with work life fun like celebrating Alice in Wonderland with Year 1, waffle catch ups with my favourites, lots of cocktails and a 'proper' job!

What did you love about September?
Much Love!
Lettie
Xxx

Tuesday 22 September 2015

Top Ten Tuesday: Autumn 2015 TBR


Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by: The Broke and the Bookish.
This week's topic: Autumn TBR.
 

 
Hello! Long time no post! But I love these TBR topics almost as much as I love Autumn!
 
 
The Lost and the Found by Cat Clarke
Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen.
The Boy Most Likely To by Huntley Fitzpatrick.
P.S I Still Love You by Jenny Han.
Spinning Starlight by R.C. Lewis.
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas.
The Heir by Kiera Cass.
Court of Fives by Kate Elliott.
Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas.
Gates of Thread and Stone by Lori M. Lee.
 
I've been off my reading game this year so my TBR is mainly books I already own and need to read! Spinning Starlight is my only new release which I am really looking forward to.
 
Let me know which book is top of your TBR this Autumn!
Much Love!
Lettie
Xxx.
P.S I am planning a full blog return for October so stay tuned!

Thursday 16 July 2015

Twitter Reviews: Back List

I'm trying out a different review format to switch up the blog, some reviews will be 'twitter' style others will be pros and cons!
This first edition of Twitter Reviews will be double reviews aka twice as long as I adjust to Twitter style!

All Lined Up by Cora Carmack, read May 2014 

 

In Texas, two things are cherished above all else—football and gossip. My life has always been ruled by both.
Dallas Cole loathes football. That's what happens when you spend your whole childhood coming in second to a sport. College is her time to step out of the bleachers, and put the playing field (and the players) in her past.
But life doesn't always go as planned. As if going to the same college as her football star ex wasn’t bad enough, her father, a Texas high school coaching phenom, has decided to make the jump to college ball… as the new head coach at Rusk University. Dallas finds herself in the shadows of her father and football all over again.
Carson McClain is determined to go from second-string quarterback to the starting line-up. He needs the scholarship and the future that football provides. But when a beautiful redhead literally falls into his life, his focus is more than tested. It's obliterated.
Dallas doesn't know Carson is on the team. Carson doesn't know that Dallas is his new coach's daughter.
And neither of them know how to walk away from the attraction they feel.

Why?
  •  Compared to Friday Night Lights- one of my favourite programmes!
  • Love Cora’s Losing It series.

Thoughts
I loved the FNL vibe with the American Football 'family' and the insane enthusiasm for the game. I loved Cora's characterisation yet again, her characters are unique and well written. Most importantly All Lined Up never reads like a cliché New Adult book with the ‘typical dramas’.  I’m slowly reading my way through this series and loving it!

Rating


 
 
Shatter by Erin McCarthy , read August 2014

Kylie Warner prides herself on being optimistic, but after finding her best friend in bed with her boyfriend and flunking chemistry, her upbeat attitude has taken a dive. Even an impromptu hook-up with her sexy new chemistry tutor only brightens her mood slightly. After all, it’s not like she’ll ever see the tattooed scholar again…
While he’s a whiz at complex equations, Jonathon Kadisch has trouble when it comes to figuring out women. So when Kylie tells him that she’s pregnant after their night of passion, he’s at a complete loss. He’s prepared to be a good father—unlike his own deadbeat dad—but he’s less prepared to fall for the genuine and alluring blonde bearing his child.
With emotions running high, Kylie wonders if Jonathon’s devotion is out of growing love or looming obligation. And when heartbreak threatens to tear them apart, Jonathon will have to fight for the only girl who’s ever made him feel whole…


Why?
  •  I really enjoyed the other instalments of this series.  
  • Not sure about Kylie as a character.
Thoughts
Again I found the plot circumvented being cliché by adding twists and well developed characters. Kylie despite her ‘dumb blonde’ facade actually proved herself as resilient and independent. Jonathan was a great male lead with an interesting backstory. I enjoyed catching up with the cast at the end, tying up loose ends. It was a good end to a fab series!
Rating

 

Slowly We Trust  by Chelsea M Cameron, read April 2014


Audrey Valdez didn’t mean to fall for Will Anders. He isn’t her type. At all. But his goofy smile, Star Wars quotes and athletic body make it impossible. She's lived so long in the darkness and Will is like the sun. He makes her laugh more than she has in years and cares for her more than her own family.

But there are things about Audrey that Will doesn't know, things he can't know. She tries to push him away, but he just ends up getting closer to her, and to her secret. Is the risk of losing him forever worth the chance a being with the only person she's ever loved who has loved her back?
 
 
 
  
 

Why?
  •  I love Faster We Burn!
  • Desperate to know Audrey's secret!
Thoughts
Audrey’s secret was predictable but so much more layered than I had expected! Without spoiling Audrey’s character was softened by her secret making her more likeable and allowing the story to flow easily. I loved Will and how determined he was to be the right guy for Audrey. Eddie was definitely my favourite new character, I hope to read his story later on!
 
Rating
 
 
What do you think of these Twitter style reviews?
Have you read any of these books?
 
Much Love!
Lettie
Xxx

Wednesday 15 July 2015

Summer Bingo Challenge 2nd Edition!









I was inspired last year to do my own Summer Bookish Bingo Challenge and I loved the extra challenge during the Summer months!
As I mentioned in my update post my reading and blogging time has been hugely increased yay! So I should get a full house!


Rules
  • One square per book! For example if I read a new release YA book it could go in either box so one square per book spreads it out!
  • This challenge will run 1st July until 1st October.


Let me know if you want to join in or if you have your own challenge!
Much love
Lettie
xxx

Blog and Life Update!

 









So I survived my PGCE and I've got myself a job for next year!
Yay! I'm focussing these next few weeks on my blog as I've been reading my way through my massive haul of books! I feel like I've missed lots of releases and dramas so I'm looking forward to getting back in to it!
 

However in August I will be jetting down under to travel Australia with my best friend (who lives in Melbourne) for 3 weeks! I'm hoping to schedule at least ten posts and use the long lonely flight as reading time!

Stay tuned this week for my Summer Bingo Challenge and a few Twitter reviews!
If you have any Australian books to recommend please comment below!

Much Love!
Lettie
Xxx