15 Day Book Blogger Challenge: Day 15 - Who are your book blogging mentors?

I stumbled across the 15 Day Book Blogger Challenge hosted by April from Good Books Good Wine and it looks like so much fun that I have to take part. You can find out all about the challenge and how to join in HERE. Obviously the idea of the challenge is to take part 15 days in a row but I don't have enough time for that and since April is so relaxed over the rules I've decided  dedicate one day a week to the challenge.

The Day 15 topic is: Who are your book blogging mentors?

I've been blogging for nearly four years now and have come across a lot of fantastic blogs and bloggers in that time. It would be impossible to list all of the bloggers who have been mentors to me. I've already listed my blogging BFFs HERE and they have also helped keep me blogging for all this time so I feel they deserve an honourable mention again here but I think I'd like to point out a few of my other blogging influences.

Becky from The Bookette

Becky hasn't been blogging that much recently which is a shame & I really hope she'll be back on the scene more soon but I have to mention her because The Bookette was one of the first blogs I ever started reading. When I started my blog it was a new years resolution to keep track of the books I'd been reading and my thoughts on them. I had no idea that the whole book blogging community existed and Becky was one of the first bloggers I came across. She was so welcoming and always took the time to answer my questions and help newbie bloggers and it was thanks to her and other bloggers like her that I started reviewing books for publishers. Becky has always been a huge supporter of British authors, she was the blogger who set up the British Books Challenge and she even managed to get Katherine Robert's book Song Quest back in print after campaigning to find it a new publisher. If you haven't come across Becky's blog before then you really should check it out!

Jo from Once Upon a Bookcase

Jo's blog is another one I found not long after I started blogging and she was also incredibly supportive to me as a newbie blogger. Jo was the blogger who arranged the first UK blogger meet up way back in 2010 which was how I ended up meeting quite a few of my blogging buddies who I'm still really good friends with. Jo puts a huge amount of effort into organising themed events on her blog so far she has organised months on sex in teen lit, body image and self perception, death and bereavement and most recently LGBQT YA. Each of her themed months have a fantastic selection of reviews, author interviews and guest posts that are very insightful and bring important issues to light. Jo is taking a mini break from blogging at the moment but I'm sure she'll be back very soon.

Michelle from Fluttering Butterflies

I didn't discover Michelle's blog until a couple of years ago, although she's been around since 2006 so she's an old hand, but it has become one of my favourite places to visit. Michelle is another strong supporter of British authors and puts a lot of effort into creating a list of UKYA published every month. She has various different features that cover everything from awesome women, to spotlighting British bloggers and she has also run themed weeks/months on love, mental health awareness, fairy tales & retellings, dystopian and paranormal books. What I love about Michelle is the fact that she comes up with so many interesting discussion posts and ideas for personal posts, that's something I don't tend to do a lot of here but she always inspires me to want to try new things. She is also one of the friendliest people you'll ever meet, she is so good at replying to comments and taking the time to comment on other people's blogs (something I really suck at recently!). I just love Michelle's blog and think Fluttering Butterflies should be on everyone's feed readers!

I could probably list a hundred more bloggers that have inspired me over the years but I promised myself I'd keep this list down to my top 3 so there you have it. I'm sure most of you are already following all of these blogs but if there are any you haven't come across before I'd definitely recommend checking them out!

15 Day Book Blogger Challenge: Day 14 - What are your deal breakers?

I stumbled across the 15 Day Book Blogger Challenge hosted by April from Good Books Good Wine and it looks like so much fun that I have to take part. You can find out all about the challenge and how to join in HERE. Obviously the idea of the challenge is to take part 15 days in a row but I don't have enough time for that and since April is so relaxed over the rules I've decided  dedicate one day a week to the challenge.

The Day 14 topic is: What are your deal breakers?

I didn't think I had many deal breakers but then I started on this list and realised I had quite a few of them!

1. Badly Behaving Authors - I will never be put off reading a book by a few negative reviews, some of my best friends who I have loads of book loves in common with have loved books I've hated or vice-versa. What will put me off reading a book is if I think I'm at risk of being attacked by the author of a million of their fans if I don't happen to like it. I try to be polite in my reviews, even ones for books that I didn't particularly like, but we can't all like everything. Even the most popular authors are going to have negative reviews written about their books so id someone doesn't like your book suck it up, hold your head high and walk away. Attacking the reviewer is just going to make you look like a fool and is going to make most reviewers wary of even trying your books.
2. Cheating - I can not STAND books that have ongoing cheating in them, it just makes me want to punch the main characters and I'm more likely to throw the book across the room than I am to finish reading it. I can occasionally deal with cheating if it's a one time thing that they feel guilty over & don't carry on with but when they're just messing around behind their partners back with no intention of ever coming clean it's a definite no go!
3. Insta-Love - I'm so sick of insta-love! Insta-lust is a very different thing and I can completely get on board with that but love takes time to build and I want to see characters get to know each other before making declarations. If your characters are talking love on their third meeting I'm going to be rolling my eyes and wondering if there is any point in carrying on reading to the end of the book.
4. Boring Characters - I want characters that I can connect to, ones that make me feel invested in the outcome of the story. I don't have to like all of the characters, in fact a good author should be able to make me hate certain characters with a passion, but if I don't like anyone then I doubt I'll care enough about them to even want to know what happens to them.
5. Spelling / Grammar Errors - I can ignore these when I'm reading an ARC because I know they haven't gone through the full editing process yet but when I buy a finished book I expect it to be edited. I'm happy to read self-published novels but if you don't use a decent editor don't expect me to bother reading your next book.
6. Timeline Inconsistencies / Plot Holes - Small things can really bug me so if your character left the house wearing a dress but 2 hours later is suddenly wearing trousers just to make climbing a ladder easier I'm going to notice. I'm even going to flip back a few pages to double check it and if I'm right I'm damn sure going to mention it in my review.
7. Cliffhanger Endings - this isn't a deal breaker as such because if your series is awesome then of course I'm going to read it eventually BUT if the first couple of books have painful cliffhangers and don't offer any kind of resolution then I'm not going to carry on reading until AFTER all of the books have been published.
8. Love Triangles - OK, again this one isn't quite a deal breaker but it's not far off becoming one. Very few authors manage to write a believable triangle where I actually end up caring for all of the characters involved. Most of the time it's pretty damn obvious who is going to come out on top & I'm sick of them being added to practically every series just as a way to cause drama.

So those are my main deal breakers, I'm sure if I sat and thought about it for a bit longer I'd be able to come up with more but those are the first ones that spring to mind! What are your deal breakers? Are any of them the same as mine? More importantly, are there any I've missed?

15 Day Book Blogger Challenge: Day 13 - Describe one under appreciated book everyone should read

I stumbled across the 15 Day Book Blogger Challenge hosted by April from Good Books Good Wine and it looks like so much fun that I have to take part. You can find out all about the challenge and how to join in HERE. Obviously the idea of the challenge is to take part 15 days in a row but I don't have enough time for that and since April is so relaxed over the rules I've decided  dedicate one day a week to the challenge.

The Day 13 topic is: Describe one under appreciated book everyone should read

It took me a while to decide on just one book that I think everyone should read but in the end I had to go with my favourite book by one of my favourite British authors - Shadows on the Moon by Zoe Marriott. This is one of many books that I probably would never have discovered if I hadn't started blogging and although it was very popular with the British YA bloggers when it was first published back in 2011 I really don't think it was given the attention it deserved and I would LOVE to see people start talking about it again.

Suzume is a shadow weaver.
She can be anyone she wants.
Except herself.

Only one man sees through her illusions.
Only one man loves the girl within.
And he will not give her up.
Not even to a prince.

Visit Zoe Marriott's website more information.



Zoe is an amazing author with a beautifully descriptive writing style that pulls you into the story completely, I have loved all of her books but Shadows on the Moon is still my favourite. It's a retelling of Cinderella but the main character Suzume isn't the kind of girl who is sitting around waiting to be rescued by prince charming, in fact she's smart, brave and determined to get revenge for the things her family suffered. The story is set in feudal Japan but with a fabulous magical feel to it and it combines fantasy and history perfectly.

Shadows on the Moon touches on some difficult subjects but it does it in a way that fits the characters perfectly and it never feels like anything has been added for shock value. The characters are ones that will stick with you for a long time after you've finished reading it and I don't think it's possible for me to love a book more. I could rave on about the story for ages but I'm not going to, if you want tor read my full review you can find it HERE though. I will say that if you've not already got a copy then I'd highly recommend buying one immediately :o)

Have you read Shadows on the Moon or any of Zoe's other books? If you have I'd love to know what you thought of them. If you had to pick one under appreciated book to recommend which one would it be?

15 Day Book Blogger Challenge: Day 12 - How do you fight blogger fatigue?

I stumbled across the 15 Day Book Blogger Challenge hosted by April from Good Books Good Wine and it looks like so much fun that I have to take part. You can find out all about the challenge and how to join in HERE. Obviously the idea of the challenge is to take part 15 days in a row but I don't have enough time for that and since April is so relaxed over the rules I've decided  dedicate one day a week to the challenge.

The Day 12 topic is: How do you fight blogger fatigue?

This is actually a really relevant topic today because I've been really struggling to blog all of this week. Well it's not so much my blog that I'm struggling with more that the drama on Goodreads has made me want to do anything but write reviews and spend time chatting about books like I usually do. I'm not going to get into that whole sorry mess here though or I'll just end up raising my blood pressure again! What I'll do instead is talk about ways I usually fight blogger fatigue and hope that something clicks and helps me start reviewing again :o)

I think the most important thing to remember about blogging is that it's supposed to be fun, it isn't something I'm paid to do so if I'm not enjoying my hobby then there is something seriously wrong. I tend to put too much pressure on myself, I feel like I should have something going up on the blog every day but in reality I don't think anyone else is going to worry if I miss a few days or even a few weeks here and there. Once I finally figured that out I felt a bit more relaxed about things and if I need to take a break then I do. Sometimes it does us good to walk away from the computer and do something different for a change.

Another thing I try to do is schedule the blog in advance so that if I need to take a break I can do it easily without worrying. When I'm organised I can have posts scheduled for the next couple of weeks but it's been a LONG time since I've managed that. Recently it seems like every time I get a few days ahead something happens and I end up behind again! I currently have 15 reviews that I need to write so it's a good job I take a lot of notes when I'm reading or I'd never be able to write them.

Since I'm really struggling at the moment I'm obviously in dire need of some tips here so if you have any please do share them! How do you keep your enthusiasm for blogging?

15 Day Book Blogger Challenge: Day 11 - Show off 5 of your best blog posts!

I stumbled across the 15 Day Book Blogger Challenge hosted by April from Good Books Good Wine and it looks like so much fun that I have to take part. You can find out all about the challenge and how to join in HERE. Obviously the idea of the challenge is to take part 15 days in a row but I don't have enough time for that and since April is so relaxed over the rules I've decided  dedicate one day a week to the challenge.

The Day 11 topic is: Show off 5 of your best blog posts!

This has been a really hard topic for me, it's so difficult to choose five blog posts that I'm most proud of! Obviously we all like to think our posts are interesting but I don't particularly consider myself good at writing reviews. I've been incredibly lucky to attend some amazing events since I started blogging though, (I've actually been incredibly slack at writing event reports recently - it's something I really need to start doing again) so I thought this would be a good way of spotlighting some of my favourites. So in no particular order here they are:

Terry Pratchett

1. Going to the midnight signing of I Shall Wear Midnight by Terry Pratchett, I've been a huge fan of Terry's for years now and I can't tell you how excited I was to meet him! You can read all about it HERE.

Lara Adrian, me & Larissa Ione

2. Meeting some of my favourite authors (including Lara Adrian, Larissa Ione, Meljean Brook, Kristen Painter, Jess Haines, Jennifer Estep, Nicole Peeler and many more) at the Authors After Dark Convention in Philadelphia. It really was an amazing few days and I would love to do something like that again! Read my write up HERE.

Maggie Stiefvater

3. Afternoon tea with Maggie Stiefvater at what has to be one of the strangest restaurants in London (egg shaped toilet pods people - EGG SHAPED TOILET PODS!). The whole afternoon was completely surreal and absolutely unforgettable! My write up is HERE.

Jean M. Auel

4. I have been a fan of Jean M. Auel and her Earth's Children series since I was a teenager so getting the chance to meet her was a dream come true. Going to a special event to help design the main character Ayla for the virtual reality cover of The Land of Painted Caves was a lot of fun and a once in a lifetime event. Read about it HERE.

Bloggers outside Alnwick Castle

5. Last but by no means least was getting to spend the night at Alnwick Castle (the castle where they filmed Hogwarts in some of the Harry Potter films!!) to celebrate the release of Nightshade by Maryrose Wood and the Duchess of Northumberland. We got to tour the castle and abbey, visit the poison gardens, have afternoon tea with the Duchess and dinner in a treetop restaurant. An unforgettable, money can't buy trip that I shared with some fabulous friends. Read my write up HERE.

So those are some of my favourite blog posts! What are your favourites? If you have a review, event report or any other type of post you're particularly proud of leave me a link in the comments and I'll come and check it out!

15 Day Book Blogger Challenge: Day 10 - How do you choose what book to read next?

I stumbled across the 15 Day Book Blogger Challenge hosted by April from Good Books Good Wine and it looks like so much fun that I have to take part. You can find out all about the challenge and how to join in HERE. Obviously the idea of the challenge is to take part 15 days in a row but I don't have enough time for that and since April is so relaxed over the rules I've decided  dedicate one day a week to the challenge.

The Day 10 topic is: How do you choose what book to read next?

It can be so hard to pick what book to read next, especially when there are so many fantastic books that I want to read! So, how do I choose which one to start with? I guess my first consideration is are there any books that I have promised to review on a set date or that I need to read before a blog tour. I try to make sure I've read those in plenty of time so I can get the reviews scheduled in advance and don't have to rush them. If there are no deadlines looming (and I try not to tie myself down to too many of those) then I might jump into the latest release from one of my favourite series. I don't pre-order many books so I try to prioritise the ones that I do and there is nothing better than dipping back into a familiar world with some of your favourite characters.

If there are no new releases I've been dying to get my hands on then the first thing I have to decide what kind of book I'm in the mood for. Once I've narrowed it down to either YA, NA or Adult then I'll pick a genre (usually either urban fantasy, paranormal romance, fantasy or contemporary romance) and take it from there. I tend to suffer with reviewers guilt so although I buy myself a lot of books I feel bad about reading them when there are still review copies waiting for me to get to them. That was actually starting to make reading feel like a chore (even though most of the review copies I receive are ones I'm really excited about!) so I've tried to instigate a rule of alternating between review copies and books I bought myself. It doesn't always work out exactly but at least I'm reading more of my own books now.

Sometimes I'm just in the mood to binge though which is what I'm doing at the moment with Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark-Hunter books. I have been devouring these books and I'm not planning to stop until I've caught up :o) I love nothing more than discovering an amazing new series and I have a whole list of ones I want to start (I'm trying not to start new ones until I've caught up with the ones I'm already reading though!).

I can never decide too far in advance which book I want to read next though, I have such a massive to read pile (with over 1,000 unread books in my house) that it can be really hard to pick just one. I'll sit down and try to make a priority list of 4 or 5 books but when I'm ready to start the next book more often than not none of those books will take my fancy! I'm fickle and it all depends on my mood when I'm about to start reading. I love nothing more than wandering around my bookshelves waiting to see what catches my eye though. I'd hate to not have plenty of choices on hand!

So, how do you decide what you're going to read next?

15 Day Book Blogger Challenge: Day 9 - Why do you blog about books?

I stumbled across the 15 Day Book Blogger Challenge hosted by April from Good Books Good Wine and it looks like so much fun that I have to take part. You can find out all about the challenge and how to join in HERE. Obviously the idea of the challenge is to take part 15 days in a row but I don't have enough time for that and since April is so relaxed over the rules I've decided  dedicate one day a week to the challenge.

The Day 9 topic is: Why do you blog about books?

When I first started by blog way back in January 2010 (has it really been nearly 4 years since I started blogging?!!) it was just because I wanted a way of keeping track of what I was reading. I've always been a bookworm who devours a ridiculous amount of books but I found myself picking up books in the shops, reading the back and struggling to remember if I'd already bought and read it or if it was one I'd just looked at and added to my wish list (you have to realise that was before I discovered the miracle that is Goodreads and was able to double check myself within seconds!). I had a personal blog at the time and thought this would be a good way of keeping track of the books I'd read and what I thought of them.

At the time I had no idea that the whole book blogging community existed so it was purely a personal thing and I never expected anyone would be interested in reading my rambling thoughts. But what do you know, before long I found this wonderful community of bloggers who were so incredibly supportive and welcoming. I found fellow obsessive bookworms who loved to chat about books just as much as I do and I was even lucky enough to meet up with a few of the UK YA bloggers so we could rave about books face to face.

I can't tell you how shocked I was when a publisher first contacted me about reviewing books for them, I'd only just started to learn about things like ARCs and review copies and was thrilled when I started receiving them for myself. I still get incredibly excited when a package comes through the post or I receive an email about an upcoming release but I can honestly say that even if I never received another free book I wouldn't stop blogging. I still buy an insane amount of books, swap books with friends, borrow books from the library and add them to every birthday and Christmas list so I'm not going to be running out of reading material any time soon! 

I feel privileged to be sent books and it's something I'll never take for granted but what I appreciate most is the people I've met since I started blogging. Other bloggers & Goodreads users who have now become amazing friends, the fantastic publicists who help feed my addiction and of course all the wonderful authors who have taken me on so many different adventures. I've been lucky enough to attend some amazing events and take part in things I'd never have done if I hadn't started my blog. 

I never expected to last more than a month but now, nearly 4 years and over 1,600 posts later, it feels like I've been doing it forever and I can't imagine ever stopping!

15 Day Book Blogger Challenge: Day 8 - 15 things that appeal to you on blogs

I stumbled across the 15 Day Book Blogger Challenge hosted by April from Good Books Good Wine and it looks like so much fun that I have to take part. You can find out all about the challenge and how to join in HERE. Obviously the idea of the challenge is to take part 15 days in a row but I don't have enough time for that and since April is so relaxed over the rules I've decided  dedicate one day a week to the challenge.

The Day 8 topic is: Quick! Write 15 bullet points of things that appeal to you on blogs!

1. A layout that is easy to read (no dark backgrounds with bright writing please it hurts my eyes and I won't be back for another visit!)
2. A master list of reviews already posted. If I find a new blog I like I love to look through some of their previous reviews to get a feel of whether we have a similar taste in books.
3. An easy way to follow you (my current favourite is bloglovin' but it's better to have a few different options available)
4. Reviews (I guess that should probably have been at the top of my list!) I love to find reviewers with their own style - whether the reviews are funny or serious as long as the writer has something intelligent to say about the book they've read I want to read it. 
5. Personal posts - I have to admit that I'm not very good at writing personal posts but I do love to read them. It's a great way of getting to know the person behind a blog!
6. Event write ups - I love to hear about book signings / publisher events or any other book related events you may have been too. It might make me green with envy if I wasn't able to go but I can live vicariously through my friends :o)
7. Info about new releases. I love to discover new books that I want to add to my wish list!
8. On the same note I also love to see reviews / spotlights for older books and series. I get bored when every blog I follow is all reviewing the same books so if you review something older I'm more likely to drop by to find out more.
9. A good balance between the amount of text versus the number of pictures. Too many pics can make a blog slow to load but a whole load of text with nothing to break them up is just boring.
10. Don't fill your sidebars with a million widgets (especially ones that make irritating noises!), it just makes your blog slow to load and I won't be coming back to visit.
11. Giveaways! I love both hosting and entering giveaways but please make it clear if your giveaway is international or not. I don't want to spend ages entering only to find out it was for US winners only! 
12. Reading challenges - I love taking part in reading challenges (I'm hosting the British Books Challenge this year) as a way of keeping track of the types of books I'm reading.
13. A range of different posts, if your blog is nothing but memes then I'm not going to follow you. There is nothing wrong with memes but you don't need to take part in hundreds of them and I want to see other content on your blogs too.
14. Discussion Posts, again this is something that I'm not very good at doing but I'm working on it and taking part in this challenge was a great way to get me started!
15. Be honest! I don't care if you don't have the same opinions as I do about every single book you read (although it helps if we have a few things in common LOL) but I do want to know I can trust you to give an honest review.

Wow it was harder than I thought it would be to come up with 15 answers! What are the things that most appeal to you on other blogs? Is there anything I've missed?

15 Day Book Blogger Challenge: Day 7 - Talk about your blogging quirks

I stumbled across the 15 Day Book Blogger Challenge hosted by April from Good Books Good Wine and it looks like so much fun that I have to take part. You can find out all about the challenge and how to join in HERE. Obviously the idea of the challenge is to take part 15 days in a row but I don't have enough time for that and since April is so relaxed over the rules I've decided  dedicate one day a week to the challenge.

The Day 7 topic is: Talk about your blogging quirks

• I used to write my reviews as soon as I finished a book (I wouldn't let myself start the next book until the review had been written) but that all fell by the wayside and I currently have about 15 reviews waiting for me to write and schedule them. Oooops!
• I take loads of notes while I'm reading, I never used to have to do that but now I'm so far behind it's the only way I'll be able to remember everything I want to say.
• When I sit down to write a review I always complete the post layout first. I have a very set way of doing things and it would really bug me if the layout was wrong.
• I have a shelf on Goodreads for books that are waiting to be reviewed but I also have a notepad that I use to keep a list of all the blog posts I want to write that I tick off when they're done like a to do list.
• I have a blog diary that I use to schedule blog tours and keep track of books that need to be read by a specific date. 
• I love taking part in reading challenges as a way of keeping track of the kinds of books I've been reading.
• I find nothing more satisfying than knowing that I have at least a weeks worth of blog posts scheduled. Unfortunately I'm rarely in that position LOL.

I actually have loads more blogging quirks but I don't want to come across as too crazy so I'm going to save them for another day LOL. What are your quirks? Do you have any of the same habits as me or are your methods completely different?

15 Day Book Blogger Challenge: Day 6 - Describe how you shop for books

I stumbled across the 15 Day Book Blogger Challenge hosted by April from Good Books Good Wine and it looks like so much fun that I have to take part. You can find out all about the challenge and how to join in HERE. Obviously the idea of the challenge is to take part 15 days in a row but I don't have enough time for that and since April is so relaxed over the rules I've decided  dedicate one day a week to the challenge.

The Day 6 topic is: Describe how you shop for books

I'm trying to keep my book buying to a minimum these days because I have so many unread books already sitting on my shelves waiting for me to get to them. I do have certain series that I just HAVE to buy as soon as any new books are released though and those books tend to be pre-ordered from Amazon so they'll be sent to my door as soon as they are available. I try to order them as soon as they appear on the website to take advantage of the Amazon pre-order guarantee (where you get them for the cheapest price between the day you placed the order & the day the book is shipped out to you) so that I get them for the best possible price. I keep my pre-orders to a minimum though so for a book to make it's way onto my "ordered" shelf on goodreads I have to be a huge fan of the author.

As much as I love to browse the bookshelves in an actual store it isn't something I get to do very often. That's probably a good thing for my wallet but it does mean I can get a little overexcited when I do actually get into a book shop and I have a tendency to go a little crazy. I'm completely drawn to covers so I will often pick up books I've never even heard of just because I like the look of it (am I the only one who doesn't always even read the blurbs on books with pretty covers?). Most of the books I buy are ones that have come recommended by friends or other bloggers though. I have a very wide range of tastes so I can happily spend time browsing any section of the book store but you're most likely to find me checking out the YA books or the adult fantasy section.

I also have a bit of a thing for signed books so that is something I'll always keep an eye out for when I'm in stores or if I'm going to a signing then I'll usually end up taking with me (or buying!) as many of the author's books as I can get my hands on! Both Foyles and Forbidden Planet are fabulous places for picking up signed copies (and for author events), I just wish they were closer to where I live so I could visit them more regularly.

The only type of books I don't really like buying is ebooks, as much as I've grown to love my kindle I still begrudge paying the same amount for ebooks as I would for a print copy. It's annoying really because I'm running out of space for real books so my kindle should be the perfect solution to that! I will occasionally buy ebooks when they're on sale or if it's a novella for a series I love that can't be purchased in print but I mainly keep my kindle for review copies (I'm addicted to netgalley!). I also have an unhealthy obsession with downloading free ebooks from Amazon, I'm sure I'll probably never read the majority of them but if I see it and it's free then I have to have it LOL.

How do you buy your books? Do you prefer print or ebooks? What is your favourite book store?

15 Day Book Blogger Challenge: Day 5 - Recommend a tear jerker

I stumbled across the 15 Day Book Blogger Challenge hosted by April from Good Books Good Wine and it looks like so much fun that I have to take part. You can find out all about the challenge and how to join in HERE. Obviously the idea of the challenge is to take part 15 days in a row but I don't have enough time for that and since April is so relaxed over the rules I've decided  dedicate one day a week to the challenge.

The Day 5 topic is: Recommend a tear jerker

When I'm in the right mood I absolutely love a good tear jerker so I found it impossible to pick just one book to recommend. In fact I'm going to recommend 3 very different books, each of which is absolutely amazing in a very different way, so in no particular order here are my recommendations:

Before I Die (recently re-released with the title Now is Good) by Jenny Downham:

It's really going to happen. They said it would, but this is quicker than anyone thought.

Everyone has to die. We all know it.

With only a few months of life left, sixteen-year-old Tessa knows it better than most.

She's made a list though - ten things she wants to do before she dies. Number one is sex. Starting tonight.

But getting what you want isn't easy. And getting what you want doesn't always give you what you need. And sometimes the most unexpected things become important.

Uplifting, life-affirming, joyous - this extraordinary novel celebrates what it is to be alive by confronting what it's really like to die.

Read my review HERE

Before I Die is a beautiful but heartbreaking story about a 16 year old girl who is dying of leukaemia, the title and blurb give away the fact that there is no miracle happy ending for Tessa so you know right from the beginning that you're going to need tissues to read this one. Having said that I still found it a beautiful story, one that teaches you to live your life to the fullest because you never know how long you've got. This one hit a bit close to home for me because there were a lot of parallels to when my Nan died of cancer, it was very realistic, very hard hitting and I don't think I've ever cried so much reading any other book.

********************

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

Have you ever wondered what a human life is worth?  That morning, my brother's life was worth a pocket watch . . .

One night fifteen-year-old Lina, her mother and young brother are hauled from their home by Soviet guards, thrown into cattle cars and sent away. They are being deported to Siberia.

An unimaginable and harrowing journey has begun.  Lina doesn't know if she'll ever see her father or her friends again.  But she refuses to give up hope.

Lina hopes for her family.

For her country.

For the future.

For love - first love, with the boy she barely knows but knows she does not want to lose . . .

Will hope keep Lina alive?

Set in 1941, Between Shades of Gray is an extraordinary and haunting story based on first-hand family accounts and memories from survivors.

Read my review HERE

Between Shades of Gray touches on a part of history that tends to get brushed under the carpet, we all know about the atrocities committed by Hitler but if you're anything like me you won't have heard so much about the millions of people who were sent to concentration camps in the Arctic Circle thanks to Stalin. Ruta Sepetys has written the harrowing story of a young girl called Lina whose life is turned upside down when her family is taken by Soviet guards and deported to Siberia. This isn't a biography but a lot of the events that take place were inspired by the interviews Ruta carried out with survivors of the concentration camps. This is a book that I think everyone should read, one that should be part of every school curriculum to bring this hidden side of history to life. There is just no way I can do this book justice but please, please watch this interview with Ruta to find out more about the book, I'll warn you now you're going to need tissues to hand before you press play!


Ruta Sepetys discusses her upcoming novel, Between Shades of Gray from Penguin Young Readers Group on Vimeo.

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Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma

"You've always been my best friend, my soul mate, and now I've fallen in love with you too.

Why is that such a crime?"

She is pretty and talented - sweet sixteen and never been kissed.

He is seventeen, gorgeous and on the brink of a bright future.

And now they have fallen in love.  But... They are brother and sister.

Read my review HERE

My third and final recommendation is a book that I wasn't even sure I wanted to read. When I was sent a copy of Forbidden for review and realised it was a book about a relationship between a brother and sister I had absolutely no interest in picking it up. Then I started seeing some fantastic reviews for it and decided to see for myself if it was worth the hype it was getting. I'm so glad I gave it a chance because it absolutely blew my mind and three years on it's still one of the best books I've read since I started blogging. I know this is a tricky subject matter - I felt uncomfortable about it myself! - but the story is written in a way where you can completely understand how Maya and Lochan ended up developing such forbidden feelings for each other. Teenagers who are dealing with a very difficult home life they are basically acting parents to their 3 younger siblings, they are the glue that is holding their family together and they only have each other to rely on. Neither of them are able to share their home life with their friends and Lochan is painfully shy and unable to cope in any social situation. I never expected to find myself rooting for them as a couple but they so badly deserved a happy ending after everything they'd been through. This is one of those books that challenged my opinion on a lot of things and I love a book that makes me think.

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So those are my favourite tear jerkers! Have you read any of them? If you have I'd love to know your thoughts on them! Which books would you recommend if you were making this list?

15 Day Book Blogger Challenge: Day 4 - What's the last book you flung across the room?

I stumbled across the 15 Day Book Blogger Challenge hosted by April from Good Books Good Wine and it looks like so much fun that I have to take part. You can find out all about the challenge and how to join in HERE. Obviously the idea of the challenge is to take part 15 days in a row but I don't have enough time for that and since April is so relaxed over the rules I've decided  dedicate one day a week to the challenge.

The Day 4 topic is: What's the last book you flung across the room?

I'm quite stubborn when it comes to finishing books, I hate not knowing how a story finishes so I have always tended to hang on until the bitter end even with books I wasn't enjoying that much. I have become more picky since I started blogging though, with the sheer number of books that I desperately want to read I've come to realise there is no point wasting time on something I don't like.

The percentage of books I DNF is still very small though, only 29 books out of over 1,000 I've read in the last 3.5 years! I don't usually mention the books I don't finish on my blog, I just don't think it's fair to the author to review a book that I didn't finish reading - who knows the part I didn't finish could have been amazing! - but I do include everything I read on Goodreads. I have a "Did Not Finish" shelf where I try to write at least a brief paragraph about why a book didn't work for me so that other people can make an informed decision about whether they'd have the same problem or not.

Since I signed up to this challenge and the question is about books I've flung (or wanted to fling in my case - I couldn't bring myself to throw a book no matter how much I hate it LOL) across the room here is a peek at my DNF shelf.

Sarah's did-not-finish book montage

Sarah's favorite books »

A lot of these books are incredibly popular but for some reason I failed to gel with each of them. I would never tell anyone not to try reading a book though - no book is ever going to be loved by everyone, it's just a case of finding it's right audience.

Have you read any of the books on my DNF shelf? What did you think of them? Do you find you give up on books quite quickly or do you always force yourself to finish them? Which books are on your DNF list?

15 Day Book Blogger Challenge: Day 3 - Who are your blogging BFFs?

I stumbled across the 15 Day Book Blogger Challenge hosted by April from Good Books Good Wine and it looks like so much fun that I have to take part. You can find out all about the challenge and how to join in HERE. Obviously the idea of the challenge is to take part 15 days in a row but I don't have enough time for that and since April is so relaxed over the rules I've decided  dedicate one day a week to the challenge.

The Day 3 topic is: Who are your blogging BFFs?

I have met so many fabulous people since I started blogging, not just other bloggers but also authors and publicists who have all helped make blogging such an amazing, fun experience. I could spend all day and write a huge, huge list of wonderful bloggers but I'm going to try to keep this post relatively short so I'm narrowing it down to just 3 names. Please don't feel upset if you're not included - I love all the British bloggers I've met up with face to face (and many other bloggers from all around the world who I've only spoken to online) I just would have been here all day if I'd tried to include everyone!

Kirsty from The Overflowing Library

Kirsty & me

I can't even remember the first time I met Kirsty (although I suspect it might have been at a Random House blogger brunch!) but we've had many, many adventures together since then. Kirsty has become one of my closest friends, we spend a crazy amount of time texting or emailing each other and although we don't live nearby we usually manage to squeeze a few trips to visit each other throughout the year. We always have a lot of fun whether we attending bookish things like signings and publisher events or just randomly exploring London hunting for Wenlocks and Mandevilles! It's great to have a friend who is as crazy about books (and as completely bonkers!) as I am and her OCD tendency comes in very handy because it means she re-organises my library every time she visits!

Sammee from I Want To Read That

Sammee & me

Sammee was one of the first bloggers I ever met in person (way back when I'd only been blogging for a couple of months) and we have spent countless hours sitting in coffee shops nattering about books and life in general since then. When we're not eating cake we're inevitably book shopping (I can always trust Sammee to encourage me to buy more books) and I love the fact that out of all my UK blogging buddies she is the one whom it is easiest to convince to read adult books as well as YA. We have so much in common (right down to the same birthday!) that sometimes I'd swear we were separated at birth and I always look forward to our marathon catch ups!

Carly from Writing from the Tub

me & Carly

Carly is another one of the bloggers I have known since not long after I started blogging and I have to say I love her! Unfortunately I don't get to see her as often as the others but whenever we do get together I can count on a fabulous gossip session and a LOT of giggles. It's funny because in a many of ways Carly and my taste in books tends to be the complete opposite, where I've always swayed towards the paranormal (although contemporary romance has definitely made a come back in the last year or so) Carly is definitely a contemporary girl at heart. She loves the kind of books that I usually avoid like the plague - all the bitchy gossip girl type stories full of drama and cat fights - but in spite of (or possibly because of) that we get on incredibly well in every other way. One day we're actually going to manage that evening full of cocktail drinking that we always talk about!

So those are my blogging BFFs and it just wouldn't be the same without them. I only wish we all lived closer and were able to spend more time together away from the bookish events we get to go to. They are all fabulous friends and wonderful bloggers so if you aren't already following them please do go and check out their blogs!

15 Day Book Blogger Challenge: Day 2 - What's your bedtime reading ritual?

I stumbled across the 15 Day Book Blogger Challenge hosted by April from Good Books Good Wine and it looks like so much fun that I have to take part. You can find out all about the challenge and how to join in HERE. Obviously the idea of the challenge is to take part 15 days in a row but I don't have enough time for that and since April is so relaxed over the rules I've decided  dedicate one day a week to the challenge.

The Day 2 topic is: What's your bedtime reading ritual?

I'm not sure that I have a bedtime reading ritual as such but I do tend read every night before I go to bed! I might read throughout the evening downstairs curled up on my sofa (or at the moment out in the garden trying desperately to cool off after the sun goes down and the temperature starts to drop - this heatwave is killing me!) but I always read in bed before I go to sleep.

To be honest I probably shouldn't read in bed because I suffer with terrible insomnia and I know that I sometimes end up making it worse by getting hooked into a story that I just can't put down! I've lost count of the number of times I've ended up staying up ridiculously late just so I can finish a book LOL.

At bedtime I'll go upstairs, do all the things you have to do before bed (wash, brush teeth etc) then I'll sometimes listen to a chapter of two of an audiobook while I do my cleanse, tone and moisturise routine sitting on the bed. Once I'm actually in bed I'll go back to whichever book I'm currently reading. If I'm reading a print book then I have to keep the bedside lamp so I have to admit I tend to prefer reading ebooks in bed because my kindle cover has a light attached. It means the room is much darker and I'm more likely to feel sleepy sooner.

I usually only aim to read for an hour or so but if the book I'm reading is really good then I'll often be reading much longer. Very rarely I'll end up being too tired to read more than a chapter or two but that doesn't happen often and I'm more likely to fall asleep with the book still in my hand because I'm desperately trying to carry on reading LOL.

So what is your bedtime reading ritual? Do you read in bed or do you prefer to read earlier in the day?

15 Day Book Blogger Challenge: Day 1 - Make 15 book related confessions

I stumbled across the 15 Day Book Blogger Challenge hosted by April from Good Books Good Wine and it looks like so much fun that I have to take part. You can find out all about the challenge and how to join in HERE. Obviously the idea of the challenge is to take part 15 days in a row but I don't have enough time for that and since April is so relaxed over the rules I've decided  dedicate one day a week to the challenge.

The Day 1 topic is: Make 15 book related confessions

It's actually surprisingly hard to come up with 15 different confessions but here we go:

1. I can't stop buying new books - I have five whole book cases of unread books in my house (and that's not even thinking about the number on my kindle!) yet I keep finding new books that I just HAVE to have!
2. I can't resist a pretty cover - if I see a cover I love then I'll often end up buying the book without even reading the blurb! On the other hand if a book's cover doesn't appeal to me then I don't even consider picking it up. I know I shouldn't put so much weight on what the cover looks like - I've been burnt by way too many books with amazing covers and a rubbish story and I'm sure I miss loads of great stories by being so selective but first impressions count people and I just can't help myself!
3. I always wanted to own a library - I actually turned my spare bedroom into a library and it's my favourite room in the house. My only disappointment is that the bookshelves aren't big enough to need one of those sliding ladders! In my dream house (when I've won the lottery) I'm going to have a huge multi-story library with ladders, balconies and huge big squishy sofas in front of an open fire. Yes, I know it will probably never happen but a girl can dream can't she?
4. I hate that books come in different sizes - come on publishers how difficult is it to have one size for paperbacks and one for hardbacks? Just looking at one shelf of books in my front room I can see 4 different sized paperbacks on there and it drives me crazy! What is even worse is when you end up with different sized books in the same series - I have actually been known to buy the same book more than once just so I can end up with a matching set.
5. I wish publishers wouldn't change the covers mid way through a series! - in a similar vein to confession number 4 I get so annoyed when the covers for books in a series don't match. I hate that I've spent money buying books and then the publisher decides to change the covers and I have to buy them for a second time. It actually makes me less likely to buy the rest of the series - if I can I'll borrow them from the library and I'll end up giving away the books I already owned. The only exception to that is books that are absolute favourites, for those I might end up re-buying the new covers but it doesn't happen often.
6. I have a spreadsheet where I list all the books I own - OK I'll admit it, I'm a bit OCD when it comes to my books! I have a spreadsheet that lists all of the books I own, what format they are in (paperback / hardback etc.), whether I've read them or not and their location in my house so that I can always find the book I'm looking for. I also use it to keep track of the books I have loaned out to friends. There are a few people who know they can always borrow any of my books they like but I've lost too many books over the years because I never got them back so now I'm more careful about it.
7. I grew up on horror stories but now I'm too scared to read them - I adored the point horror books when I was a teenager and was reading Dean Koontz and James Herbert by the age of 13 but now that I'm older I seem to have turned into a complete wimp! On the rare occasions I do read a scary book I have to read it in daylight and have to read something lighter before bed so I don't have nightmares!
8. I hate hardbacks - I will never, ever buy a hardback no matter how much I love the author or have been dying for the next instalment to a series. The only hardbacks I own are ones I have been sent for review or given as gifts. I just don't find them comfortable to sit down and read because they are so heavy and would much rather curl up with a paperback or my kindle.
9. I'm scared to start long series of books - There are some book series that I just know I'm going to love but I keep putting off starting them because there are so many books already published. I've heard so many amazing things about J.D. Robb's In Death series and I'm dying to try it so I can finally meet Eve and Roarke but even though I bought the first book over a year ago the fact that there are already 37 books (not including short stories / novellas!) in the series and no end in sight scares me too much. I have a similar problem with Rachel Caine's Morganville vampires series. I read and really enjoyed the first book but even though I already own the first 12 books I keep putting off reading them. I love her adult series and I know I'm going to enjoy these ones just as much so I just need to bite the bullet and read them!
10. I love my kindle but I still buy print copies of my favourites - I have to admit I wasn't sure about the idea of reading ebooks but now I have my kindle I can't imagine being without it. I don't buy a lot of ebooks though, there is something about spending money and not getting something physical to show for it that really annoys me. I wouldn't mind if ebooks were cheaper than print copies but when they cost as much (or more!) then I'm going to spend my money on the paperback. I mainly use my kindle to read books or ebooks I've bought when they've been reduced to a ridiculously low price (I can't resist a bargain!) but if I discover a book or series that I love then I often end up buying print copies too so I can see them sitting on my shelves.
11. I'm reading so many series that I find it hard to keep track of the details - This didn't used to be such a big problem before I started blogging because my to read pile was so much smaller and I would often re-read my favourite series in anticipation of the next instalment being released. I no longer have the time to re-read everything that I'd like to though and I find it really hard to keep up with all the series that I'm already part way through.
12. I'm sick of reading about love triangles - I know I'm not the only one to say this but I really am bored of authors using triangles as a way of creating conflict in a story. It's very rare that an author can pull it off in any kind of realistic way (the only one I can think of off the top of my head is Cynthia Hand and her Unearthly series) and most of the time they just make me want to scream & throw the book across the room! Does anyone actually like triangles? I'd love to know if there are people out there who actively go looking for stories containing them because I'm the complete opposite and will put aside books I've been dying to read because friends tell me there is a triangle in them!
13. I love romance - My reading goes in phases, over the years I've gone through cycles of devouring horror, crime, thrillers, fantasy, dystopian and many more. The longest running cycle has been paranormal romance / urban fantasy but I've recently been devouring contemporary romance. I think as I get older I like to pick up a book knowing I'm going to get a happy ending, I read for fun and as much as I sometimes really enjoy a heartbreaking book that will make me bawl my eyes out most of the time I want something that will make me smile. Give me a hot guy and a HEA and I'm 
14. I'm intimidated by large books - I used to love reading long books and getting completely lost in a complicated world where the author takes time to really develop the characters but now I find myself putting off reading them. Even books that I'm really excited about end up being put to one side because they have over 500 pages.
15. I'm almost as addicted to Goodreads as I am to books - I LOVE chatting about books and Goodreads is a great place to do that. It is also a great way of keeping track of the books I own and I use the app on my phone all the time when I'm in a bookshop to make sure I don't buy duplicates (I have to admit I used to buy books all the time and then get home only to realise I already owned them LOL). The only problem I find with Goodreads is that it adds so many new books to my wish list!

So what are your reading confessions? Do you share any of mine? If you're taking part in the challenge leave me a link to your day 1 post and I'll come and check it out!