Challenges 2015!

After my surprisingly successful 2014 with challenges I'm looking forward to new challenges!

Everything YA.

 Hosted by Elyssa at Books and Iced Coffee

Objective: To keep reading more Young Adult books! This year Elyssa has added a monthly mini challenge which I am hoping to take part in.
Aim: 20! As I completed this challenge last year I've upped my aim.

First Reads Reading Challenge

hosted by b00k r3vi3ws

Objective: To keep reading and discovering new authors!
Aim: 26-50 Lover level. I've kept my aim the same as last year as I didn't quite reach it.

Netgalley & Edelweiss Reading Challenge

hosted by Emily of Falling for YA,

Objective: To keep up with my NetGalley requests!
Aim: 25, Silver level. The same as last year as I don't want NetGalley to account for a large proportion of my total.

 

TBR Pile Challenge

Hosted by Evie of Bookish

Objective: To make sure my TBR list goes down! I missed a few books in 2014 so I've got a few ready to read!

Aim: 11-20 books, A Friendly Hug. 2015 will be the year I reach this goal!

 

“Real” Book Challenge!

 hosted by Swoony Boys Podcast and Fic Fare.  

Objective: To read all the books on my shelves, I  often find myself reading more e-books as they are easier to multitask with!

Aim:11-20 - Real Book Enthusiast. I lowered the level as I didn't reach my goal last year.

Flights of Fantasy Challenge!

 hosted by Alexa Loves Books and Hello Chelly.  

Objective: To rediscover my favourite genre! This is replacing my yearly dystopia challenge as I found myself reaching for more fantasy based books.

Aim: 15. Hopefully not too ambitious!

105 Challenge!

  hosted by Nori of  Read Write Love 28. 

Objective: To read 105 books!

Aim: 105!
Categories:  12 companion books. 11 Arcs. 10 contemporaries. 9 New Adult. 8 2015 releases. 7 series' books. 6 books from my bookshelf. 5 2014 releases. 4 dystopias. 3 covers with dresses. 2 hardbacks. 1 Sci-Fi.
 What challenges have you signed up for this year?
Much love!
Lettie
Xxx

2014 Challenge Wrap Up!

I'm quite impressed by my challenge accomplishments, maybe my best ever despite reading less books overall! I will be posting my new challenges next week!

Everything YA.

 Hosted by Elyssa at Books and Iced Coffee

Aim: 15.
Status: Completed!
Comment: Yay! I'm glad I managed to get back into YA in 2014! 

A Year in Re-Reading

hosted by Lianne of caffeinatedlife.net,

Aim: 5-9, Re-Reading Pro.
Status: Completed!
Comment: I'm glad I completed this challenge but it was so hard to track as I just randomly reread scenes of books not cover to cover rereads. 

TBR Pile Challenge

Hosted by Evie of Bookish

Aim: 11-20, A Friendly Hug.
Status: 7.
Comment: I got the exact same result as last year! I need to work on TBR reading as I read some great books from there in 2014.

Dystopia

hosted by Bonnie of Bookish Ardour

Aim: 15.
Status: 5.
Comment: I read more fantasy and less dystopia in 2014. I think as well an issue I've had is distinguishing fantasy and dystopia books as they seem to be overlapping genres!

Netgalley & Edelweiss Reading Challenge

hosted by Emily of Falling for YA,

Aim: 25, Silver.
Status: Completed!

Comment: Yay! I've been good at keeping up with reading my requested books I just need to get back to my reviewing schedule!

First Reads Reading Challenge

hosted by b00k r3vi3ws

Aim: 26-50, Lover.
Status: 21.
Comment: So close! I really glad that 28% of the books I read this year were first reads as I discovered some great authors!

2014 “Real” Book Challenge!

 hosted by Swoony Boys Podcast and Fic Fare

Aim: 21.
Status: 11.
Comment: I have picked up more 'real' books this year as my overall reading level was down this challenge suffered!

Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge

hosted by The Book Vixen,

Aim: 140.
Status: 76.Comment: Well... I got halfway there! 2014 wasn't a great reading year for me.

8 challenges and 3 completed! Which is my all time best- I seem to be improving one challenge at a time!

How did you do in 2014? Any recommendation for 2015 challenges?
Much Love!
Lettie.
Xxx

2015!

Happy New Year!!

2014 was my least successful blogging year but years are full of highs and lows! I had a
great year career wise which unfortunately meant a low year blogging. I am proud of myself for sticking to blogging and this year my focus will be on consistency.

Last Year's Goals.

• Social Media. This is on-going I was better in 2014 than 2013.
• Diversity~ I was achieving this up until my blogging slump, I had interviews, discussions, behind the blog, and self challenges.
• Blog Design- This goal is rolling over as I'm in the final stages!
• Posts. I didn't reach my goal once even during my good blogging period so I may have been too ambitious.
• Books. Well.... I didn't even get halfway to 200!

2015 Goals.

My main focus is on consistency so my goals are realistic.

• Posts. 100 posts is my goal! Roughly 8 a month which I think I can average over the year.
• Books. I'm aiming for 105 with a special challenge which I will detail in my challenge post.
• Diversity. My main aim here is consistency, even when I'm in a slump or busy I need to make sure my posts are diverse.
• Social Media. I need to get back in to tweeting and instagramming regularly!
• Schedule. I had a good scheduling plan going but I slipped and it disappeared! I have Feb and March in Uni so I want to schedule for April and May.
• Continuity. No matter how hard or

Fingers crossed I achieve my goals this year!

What are you hoping to achieve this year?

Much Love!

Lettie.

Xxx

2014 End of Year Survey: Part 1.

2014 End of Year Survey is hosted by Jamie at The Perpetual Page-Turner.

I found out about this survey too late last time that it was this year so I've been waiting for it to pop up this year. There are so many questions and I love including covers so  I'm splitting it up into sections.

Part One: Best in Books I

 

Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?

I love Lauren Barnholdt and while The Thing About The Truth was good it just wasn''t as good as I'd expected!

 

Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read in 2014? 

Vain  was so much more than I expected it was unexpectedly humbling, informative and entertaining!

 

Best series you started in 2014?

 I picked up Shadow and Bone on a whim and had to nip out on holiday to get Siege! Such an unique and interesting series!

 

Best Sequel of 2014?

I was initially unsure about a sequel to Nantucket Blue but Nantucket Red really adds depth to the characters and the series!

 

Best Series Ender of 2014?

 Addicted After All was a fantastic end to Loren and Lily's story it emphasised how much they'd recovered and matured plus they were babies!

Into the Still Blue ended one of my favourite dystopian series and I loved it!

 

Favourite new author you discovered in 2014?

Ellen Renner's Tribute is a beautifully written medieval style fantasy and I'm looking forward to more from her.

Sarina Bowen writes New Adult with extra depth and the 'drama/trauma' facing her lead characters is consistently a new to me plot!

 

Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2014?

Torn Away is an emotional and refreshing book that asks the questions what happens after the 'worst '? It really made me think about the aftermath of these disasters.

 

Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2014 to finally read? 

 My Life Next Door was on my TBR list for two years! I should of picked it up back in 2012, such a perfect summer book!

 

Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2014?
“I've always loved the first day of school better than the last day of school. Firsts are best because they are beginnings.” ― Jenny Han, To All the Boys I've Loved Before

Lara Jean has a point beginnings are the best!

 

Happy New Year!

 

Much Love!

Lettie

Xxx



 

December Plans!

So I've been very AWOL since starting my teacher training course haven't I? I honestly had plans to be a good blogger and trainee teacher but the reality is I leave for school at 7.30am and get home at 7pm with planning and assignments filling up my time! I'm struggling to figure out this work/study/blog/life balance thing that everyone else seems to have worked out :/
If you have any tips let me know!

However I am currently recovering from Norovirus so I'm housebound for 48 hours and will be trying to write up posts ready for the end of the year!

Much Love!
Lettie
Xxx

Top Ten Tuesday: 2015 Releases

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by: The Broke and the Bookish.

This week's topic: 2015 books I'm Looking Forward To.

2014 has flown by- I can't believe it's time to think about 2015 releases! I've tried not to include debuts or series I included in my last Top Ten post.

I Was Here by Gayle Forman. Gayle Forman wowed me with If I Stay and Where She Went!
Fuel The Fire by Krista and Becca Ritchie. Rose and Connor may just be my favourite Fizzle couple so I'm looking forward to their last book!
The Heir by Kiera Cass. My excitement for this series is well documented so I've for the release date memorised.
The Winner's Crime by Marie Rutkoski. I really enjoyed The Winner's Curse so I'm excited for the follow up.

No Covers!

Asa by Jay Crownover. I love this series and Asa is the most mysterious character!
The Forget-Me-Not Summer by Leila Howland. I enjoyed Nantucket Blue and Nantucket Red so I'm looking forward to more from Leila.
Boy Most Likely To by Huntley Fitzpatrick. I finally read My Life Next Door and I fell in love with Tim and Alice, excited for their story.P.S I Still Love You by Jenny Han. To All The Boys I Loved Before was simply a good book thrilled to get a sequel.
The Gift of Power by Tamora Pierce. Finally Numair's book! I'm a massive Tamora Pierce fan so this was the best news!

What are you looking forward to reading next year?
Much Love!
Lettie
Xxx

October: A Review!

October has been my first month of placement! I was in school in Year 6 for two weeks which included two trips, no pens day and a lot of World War I! I then went back to Uni for 3 days and started working on my first assignment. So all in all October has been jammed packed hence the poor blogging and reading!

 

October in Numbers!

Total posts= 3

Books read= 3

Reviews Posted= 0

 

What I read in October! 

 

October posts!

Cover Love: 2015 covers!
Top Ten Tuesday: New Series!
September: A Review!

 

October Goals...

Pre-Schedule, Reviews and Reading...

Well.... These goals kind of fell to the wayside this month as I mentioned above!  

 

November blogging goals!
Pre-schedule- This is key to my successful blogging and teaching I think. I need to get back on top of it this month.
Reviewing- I now have a big backlog of reviews so fingers crossed I get them out this month. I'm going for aim for a low 4 just in case!

Well November will see some pretty exciting changes on the blog! So be sure to keep a look out!

Much Love!
Lettie
Xxx