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2018 New Year Resolutions Updates and What I Am Doing In 2019

In January I made some resolutions that I wanted to complete by the end of the year and I haven't seen them since last year so I thought I would do a reaction post to them. In terms of next year, I don't want to set myself goals but I know that I need to look after myself mentally and physically. I just it to be a year of self-care which will hopefully do me some good. So let's get started... 1. Continue to Learn French/German This is something that I did in my first year of university and would love to continue to do. I would like to do this at least 3 or 4 times a week so... So I haven't really done this. I think I started at the beginning of the year but DuoLingo which I was using changed its way of learning and I think that I kind of gave up.  2. Take better care of myself For this one I would like to just eat better, exercise more and drink more water but also give myself self-care when I need it.  Yeah. Again. This is something that I need to do this year. I

Popsugar Reading Challenge 2018 Wrap Up

For the last few years, I have been doing the Popsugar Reading Challenge which aims to diversify your reading but this year I decided to keep it on the down low and see if I can complete it while just reading whatever. I already know the result but shall we see how I did. Let's get started...  1. A book made into a movie you’ve already seen: The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth 2. True crime 3. The next book in a series you started: No Mercy Volume 2 by Alex de Campi 4. A book involving a heist 5. Nordic noir 6. A novel based on a real person: The Best That We Can Do by Thi Bui 7. A book set in a country that fascinates you: Black Water by Cormac O'Keefe 8. A book with a time of day in the title: Giant Days by Non Pratt 9. A book about a villain or antihero: As I Descended by Robin Talley 10. A book about death or grief: Scythe by Neal Shusterman  11. A book with a female author who uses a male pseudonym 12. A book with an LGBTQ+ prota

Three Hallows Book Club December: Dear Amy Powis (A Dear Evan Hansen Inspired Post)

This post is part of the Three Hallows Book Club that I do with Rachel from RacheLeanne and Alex from Alex Chappell . This month we all buddy read Dear Evan Hansen and are all creating posts surrounding it. For mine, I choose to write an open letter to myself which is what Evan does in the book and gets the plot rolling. So let's get started... Dear Amy Powis, This is really weird to say but we are going to do it anyway but today is going to be a good day. Maybe this is quite weird because it's already 2pm in the day which means that much of it has already happened but I hope that today will still be OK. Not just OK but good. Great? No just good. I can take good for now.  So this is weird right? It's Christmas. Boxing day when I am writing this but I have just been a mess lately. I mean there is the idea that Christmas is the perfect time of the year but for me this year? This is far from the case.  I've been anxious for the last couple of weeks and I wish

Announcement: The Three Hallows Book Club December Pick

A couple of months ago, a couple of friends and I created a book club which we called the Three Hallows Book Club. Last month we took part in the Ho Ho Ho readathon which I blogged about and this month we are reading a book altogether.  And That Book is... Dear Evan Hansen by Val Emmich  Here is a summary of the book... From the show's creators comes the groundbreaking novel inspired by the Broadway smash hit Dear Evan Hansen. Dear Evan Hansen, Today's going to be an amazing day and here's why... When a letter that was never meant to be seen by anyone draws high school senior Evan Hansen into a family's grief over the loss of their son, he is given the chance of a lifetime: to belong. He just has to stick to a lie he never meant to tell, that the notoriously troubled Connor Murphy was his secret best friend. Suddenly, Evan isn't invisible anymore--even to the girl of his dreams. And Connor Murphy's parents, with their beautiful home on the

Blog Tour: Distortion by Victor Dixen Book Review

*I am reviewing this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own. * Title: Distortion Author: Victor Dixen Publisher: Hot Key Books Source: Readers First/ Hot Key Books Rating: 4.5/5 stars ( Amazon | Goodreads ) Book Summary: After a speed-dating show that is literally out of this world, twelve young astronauts are set to become the first humans to colonise Mars. They are also the victims of the cruellest of plots. Léonor thought she was a pioneer on an extraordinary mission. She thought she had left all regrets behind her on Earth. But when memories are this painful, there can be no forgetting . . . Book Review: I really enjoyed Ascension when I first read it. It was by far one of my favourite books of the year and I was eagerly awaiting the sequel, Distortion, to released. Distortion was, therefore, a book that I loved from start to finish and devoured in a couple of hours. It was that good. I think that although I lov

Blog Avalanche: Paper Avalanche by Lisa Williamson Book Review

* I am reviewing this book that I received from the author but this in no way affects my review * Title: Paper Avalanche Authors: Lisa Williamson Source: Publisher Publisher: David Fickling Books Rating: 4.5/5 stars ( Goodreads | Amazon ) Book Summary: 'Bonnie. Never Mum or Mummy or Mother. Just Bonnie.' When it comes to flying under the radar, Ro Snow is an expert. No friends. No boys. No parties. And strictly NO VISITORS. It may be lonely, but at least this way the truth remains where it should – hidden. Then Tanvi Shah, the girl who almost died, comes tumbling back into her life, and Ro finds herself losing control of her carefully constructed lies. But if Ro’s walls come crumbling down, who’s going to take care of Bonnie…   Book Review: I had been interested to read one of Lisa Williamson's novels a long time before but when I was asked to join the Blog Avalanche I was super excited as this one seemed super inter

Ho Ho Ho Readathon Wrap Up

So Sunday marked the end of the Ho Ho Ho Readathon which I am taking part in. The readathon was hosted by  Caffeinated Reviewer  with the aim of reading as many Winter or Christmas reads as possible. The readathon started on the 9th November and ended on the 18th November, As it is only November I was planning to read three Winter themed books so let's get started with the Wrap Up to see how many I read... Book 1: Blankets by Craig Thompson  The first book that I completed for the readathon was Blankets which is a graphic novel which tells the story of Craig's first love set mainly over a Winter and the winters of his childhood. I was really excited about this one as it was hyped up so much and truth be told I really enjoyed it. It was a truly quite moving read and I didn't expect it to be about what it was about. It was also almost 600 pages and when I was into the book, it was so great and I do recommend it. I gave it 4 stars.  Book 2: A Shiver of Snow and

Ho Ho Ho Readthon TBR and Announcement!

So today marks the start of the Ho Ho Ho Readathon which I am taking part in. The readathon is hosted by Caffeinated Reviewer  with the aim of reading as many Winter or Christmas reads as possible. The readathon starts today (9th November) and ends on the 18th November, As it is only November I am planning to read Winter themed books so let's get started in the TBR... Physical Book: A Shiver of Snow and Sky by Lisa Lueddecke   Graphic Novel: Blankets by Craig Thompson Audiobook: A Clash Of Kings by George R. R. Martin  So this is my TBR hopefully I will do a Wrap-Up post to do my progress. Announcement! So for the announcement, I can reveal that I am part of a book club which is called... The Three Hallows Book Club This is with my two friends Alex Chappell and Rachel so please check out their blogs if you can. This is our first venture as a book club but we are staying our first book in December. I am super excited about this and whe

Book Review: The Price Guide To The Occult by Leslye Walton

* I am reviewing this book that I received from the author but this in no way affects my review * Title: The Price Guide To The Occult Authors: Leslye Walton Source: Publisher Publisher: Walker Rating: 3/5 stars ( Goodreads | Amazon ) Book Summary: When Rona Blackburn landed on Anathema Island more than a century ago, her otherworldly skills might have benefited friendlier neighbors. Instead, guilt and fear led the island’s original eight settlers to burn “the witch” out of her home. So Rona invoked the privileges of a witch; she cursed them. But such a spell always comes with a terrible price, and in punishing the island's residents, Rona also bound her family ever tighter to them. Fast-forward to the present day and all Nor Blackburn wants is to live an unremarkable teenage life. And she has reason to hope that she may have escaped the thorny side-effects of the family matriach's curse. But then a mysterious book comes out,

Work In Progress

This was something I wrote a couple of weeks ago about my mental health  although I don't feel as low as I did in this blog post, this is still very much what  I feel about my own social anxiety. It shows how quickly this can change really but I am more than happy to share it on here as this is something I haven't  talked about before.  So here goes... I feel like I'm a Work In Progress. Like I never feel complete. That I'm never  going to be fully OK. Whatever OK is. Right now I feel like I'm struggling again. I had a couple of good weeks. The  thoughts came and went. Didn't invade my every waking and non-waking  moment . I got on with life. But I feel like I'm struggling again.  I feel like all of this happens when I'm not comfortable. I've started University  again. I have been exposed to people that I don't know and everyone knows how  important first impressions are. I know how important first impressions are

NaNoWriMo 2018: The Beginning Of The End?

So for the last three or so years, I have tried (and failed) to successfully complete NaNoWriMo and here I am again wanted to do it. Here is to hoping... As I am writing this NaNoWriMo starts in around 8 days. I have no idea what I am going to be doing on the 1st November except I have a lecture between 1 and 3. My only Lecture for the whole week.  I have been quiet about my idea for writing a novel. I think I have mentioned it twice on this blog but this seems a little bit different. Although I think that I say that to myself every time but alas. It feels different. I am 40,000 words into a novel that if I complete 50,000 words I could reach the end of a novel by the end of the book by the end of November. This both excites and terrifies me. I think that one of the reasons why I am so scared is because I have never finished a novel before and I don't know what to do after that. I know I have to edit but it terrifies me nevertheless. So this month feels different because my sch

Book Review: As I Descended by Robin Talley

* I am reviewing this book that I received from the author but this in no way affects my review * Title: As I Descended Authors: Robin Talley Source: NetGalley Publisher: HQ Stories Rating: 4/5 stars ( Goodreads | Amazon ) Book Summary: “Something wicked this way comes.” Maria Lyon and Lily Boiten are their school’s ultimate power couple—even if no one knows it but them. Only one thing stands between them and their perfect future: campus superstar Delilah Dufrey. Golden child Delilah is a legend at the exclusive Acheron Academy, and the presumptive winner of the distinguished Cawdor Kingsley Prize. She runs the school, and if she chose, she could blow up Maria and Lily’s whole world with a pointed look, or a carefully placed word. But what Delilah doesn’t know is that Lily and Maria are willing to do anything—absolutely anything—to make their dreams come true. And the first step is unseating Delilah for

Halloween Creatures 2.0 Book Tag

As Halloween is less than a week ago, I wanted to get in the spirit. A few weeks ago I was tagged by Laurie's Bookshelf to do this Halloween Creatures 2.0 Book Tag so here it is! It was created by Keep Reading Forward so check out their blog to see the original! But first the rules... • Answer all prompts. • Answer honestly. • Tag 1-13 people. • Link back to this post. • Remember to credit the creator. • Have fun!   Let's get started... Witch A Magical Character or Book. So an obvious one but the Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowing. I don't think anyone needs convincing to read this series! Werewolf The Perfect Book to Read at Night. Ascension by Victor Dixen because you will want to stay up all night to read it and you have all the time to do so... Frankenstein A Book that Truly Shocked You. Can I say, Frankenstein? I think I can. So obviously it's Halloween next week and everyone thinks that Frankenstein is something totally differen