01 Book Haul

This is the first time I have ever done a book haul before and I've actually taken my own pictures for it, even though they're not great but it'll get better..I hope! All but 3 of these are books that I got for Christmas. The other 3 which are The Winners Curse, Burn for Burn and This Song Will Save Your Life were bought at a different time in December. 

I feel very lucky to have received so many books for Christmas and can't wait to devour them all!

I am most looking forward to the four above out of all the books I received/bought. I'm actually currently reading My True Love Gave to Me and am really enjoying it so far! I have no idea what to read after though - any suggestions?

 

Happy New Year!

First of all, happy 2015 everybody!I hope you all had a lovely New Years Eve/Day! 2014 has been a bit of a roller coaster but I've enjoyed it! 

In 2014, this blog was born and since having started this blog, I have began to read a whole lot more than pervious years, paid more attention to book recommendations and have been introduced to plenty of other book blogs! Personally, I started a new job in June and then in September I quit it and started studying History at University. This was pretty big for me but I'm very happy with my decision. All in all, 2014 has been a life changing, but happy year for me. I'm hoping that 2015 will also be a great year - I already have a few concerts and a holiday to look forward too!

1. Read 60+ books - In 2014 I had a GoodReads Challenge of 40 books. I manage 36  which isn't great, but I know this is because of work and then starting University. I also didn't read anything for a whole month so that didn't help! My goal for 2015 is 60 however I would like to smash this and go further!

2. Read more of a variety - For the most part, I've noticed I tend to stick to Contemporary YA. I do own some Fantasy however I would like to read more. I'd also like to dip into Historical Fiction. 
3. Don't specify books to read for the month - As a mood reader, I can never stick to my TBR list that I create for each month. Instead of specifying 5+ books to read in a month, I would rather specify 1 or 2 books so that I'm not forcing myself to read books on my monthly TBR. 
4. Create reading goals per month - This relates to the resolution above. I'd like to create a target of how many books to read per month. This relates back to being a mood reader, as this allows me to be a lot more flexible with what I read.
5. Read 5 Classics - I've never enjoyed classics that much in the past, however I would like to read a few this year and get a taste for them especially as I'm a bit older before.

1. Blog more! - I started this blog in March of 2014 however I stopped posting for a few months. This year I'd like to blog a lot more and become more consistent.
2. Be more blog organised - Relating to the resolution above, I want to become a lot more organised with this blog and posting. 
3. Blog maintenance - I read plenty of other blogs and have noticed that many have very clean and tidy appearances. This year I'd like to take my blog design up a notch, and perhaps even learn a bit of HTML. I have already thought about paying for a blog design but feel I should wait until I am posting a lot more consistently!
4. Blog post formats - This year I would like to change the way I write reviews. I tend to feel that my writing is not that great in my reviews, therefore I would like to change the way in which I write each review post.
5. Blog memes/features - I would really like to get involved with more blog memes and features. I did participate for a bit in a few memes however this stopped when I took a break from blogging!

1. Be more organised - As I'm balancing uni, work, blog, life as well as my accounting studies, I feel like this year I really need to be a lot more organised. This year I actually have a planner that I feel will really help me to become a lot more organised! 
2. Pick up photography again - When I was at college, I did an A-Level in Photography which I really enjoyed. This year I would really like to pick up photography again. Maybe I'll take up book photography!
3. Be more thankful - This year I want to take the time to be a lot more thankful and appreciative of what I've got. I don't feel like I really take the time to appreciate my life and what I have enough.
4. Spend more time with family - Throughout my teens, I started to become distant from my family, spending a lot of time in my room. As I'm coming to the end of my teens now, I'm starting to realise just how important family is therefore I want to spend more time with my family this year.
5. Learn to save and budget - One of my problems since starting work almost 4 years ago has been learning to save my money and budgeting myself. Although I saved money when I was working full time, now I'm back in full time education and working part time, I'm realising just how much I need to save so this year I want to set a target of how much I'd like to save for the year and budget myself on how much I can spend per month. 

Here's to hoping that 2015 is another great year, for both me and you! 

And they lived Happily Ever After

Title: Isla and the Happily Ever After

Author: Stephanie Perkins
Pages: 375

Publisher: Usborne 

Source: Bought

Rating: 5/5

Good Reads // Amazon

Summary (from Good Reads): 
Love ignites in the City That Never Sleeps, but can it last?

Hopeless romantic Isla has had a crush on introspective cartoonist Josh since their first year at the School of America in Paris. And after a chance encounter in Manhattan over the summer, romance might be closer than Isla imagined. But as they begin their senior year back in France, Isla and Josh are forced to confront the challenges every young couple must face, including family drama, uncertainty about their college futures, and the very real possibility of being apart.  

I finished this book a few days after it had come out however have been avoiding writing this (and all the other reviews of books I've read..) since. I don't know why, considering you should all know by now that I absolutely love all 3 books by Stephanie Perkins, it's no secret how much I adored Anna and the French Kiss!

Isla and the Happily Ever After is the perfect conclusion to the Anna and the French Kiss trilogy. Although I still can't decide which book I enjoyed the most, it's most definitely a tie between Anna and Isla.

I can't express to you how happy I was to finally get my mitts on this, neither can I express to you how much I enjoyed this book. There were so many different elements that I enjoyed - the starting location of the book which then moved to Paris and then from there to a few places. I enjoy planning my travels and reading about travel in books so the way this was incorporated was something that I really enjoyed and felt like it added another dimension to the story. 

One thing I can't understand, is how Perkins creates such dynamic and great characters. I really just don't get it, but I love it. I feel like I can really connect to the characters in Perkins' books, and Isla is no different. I particularly like the fact that our main male character is Josh who we were originally introduced to in Anna. Having been introduced previously to this character and already knowing some things about him, I felt that this book was interesting because it really formed Josh and helped us to see his background, which I thought was a great idea. If you've read Anna and Isla, you've probably also noticed that Isla is featured briefly in Anna, so seeing how Perkins has done a crossover between the stories is a great feature!

I absolutely loved Isla, the pace was perfect, there was just enough of everything from romance to comedy. Oh, and that ending! The ending was really perfect for me. I couldn't believe what I was reading but it really brought the story to a close and left me feeling satisfied. I am sad that the trilogy is over, but knowing that there is a short story out by Stephanie Perkins (My True Love Gave to Me) does ease the pain!

Bye November, Hello December!

Via Smashing Magazine

If you read my November update post, you'll know that lately I've been quite busy with University and assignments - I had three in for the same day so I haven't really read too much this month! I'm just waiting to get my last deadline (5th December) out of the way and then I'm going to be reading as much as possible, even though I do actually have 2 essays in for a few weeks after the Christmas break! Also, this month I finally started my Christmas shopping! It hasn't gone too well, I'm still stuck on what to buy people, especially Myles, my boyfriend, however I think I'm finally getting there!

This month I read a total of 5 books, those being...Christmas with Billy and Me by Giovanna Fletcher, The Rain by Virginia Bergin, The Hunger Games: Mockingly by Suzanne Collins, The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin and Solitaire by Alice Oseman.

I feel like this is pretty successful for me after looking back at previous months reading, so I'm really happy that I've read 5 books throughout November! I'm hoping to read above this in December - I have too really if I want to beat my Good Reads goal for this year! I must mention that I am currently reading Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell and Thirty-Thre and a Half Shenanigans by Denise Grover Swank!

I know I love to see people's TBR lists for the month, so here's mine! I've noticed that I don't tend to stick to mine very much as I'm starting to find that I pick books I want to read next based on what mood I'm in (unless it's a series), but hey ho! Here's my TBR list for December!

1) Christmas at the Cupcake Cafe|Jenny Colgan

2) Let's Get Lost|Adi Alsaid
3) A Mad, Wicked Folly|Sharon Biggs Waller
4) The Great Gatsby|F. Scott Fitzgerald
5) The Evolution of Mara Dyer|Michelle Hodkin
6) Siege and Storm|Leigh Bardugo
7) Code Name Verity|Elizabeth Wein

That's 7 books on my list to read this month. It's certainly doable, although I am kinda hoping that I read more than this number..we'll see! 

As said in my last post, I will be uploading my reviews of books I've read since...August, oh dear. It will be soon! As also said, I've got one more deadline to get out of the way, and then I am free to get back into blogging and reading more, yay! Anyway, how was your November? Are you excited for Christmas? I really cannot wait, although I am stressing a bit over Christmas presents and what to buy for people! 

November Update

Hi everyone!

It's me again, you've probably forgotten all about me, but I'm still here, although I haven't been posting! Since starting University and a new job, I've been trying to get into the swing of assignments, which I'm almost past! I've got a portfolio of different essay things in for the 8th December which I'm going to try and get in for next Friday, so at the moment, all my attention is going on that..kind of! I've been reading a lot more, and I've got quite a few reviews lined up, although not totally finished, so those will hopefully be up after the 5th December!

Anyway, I've been reading a lot more lately which is really nice for me, I've been enjoying it a lot, and I feel like I may be in with a chance of completing my GoodReads reading challenge too! I am especially looking forward to reading more once my last assignment is in!

Other than University work, my job and getting back to reading more, nothing much has happened since my last update! Again, I am really looking forward to reading a lot more, as well as starting to blog again as I have been missing it. 

So with that being said, I will speak to you very, very soon! :)

An Update

Hi everyone,

As you may or may not have noticed, I haven't actually blogged at all over the past month. Well the reason for that is that I have been extremely busy and I shall tell you why now…

I've enrolled at University to study History! It's a bit different to what I was doing at work, which was accounting and as you may or may not have been aware, I was also studying an accountancy course. I have to admit though, this is one of the best decisions I have ever made. In September 2013 I was supposed to be attending University but decided in the February earlier that year, that I didn't want to go anymore, despite having applied and having my offers. I pulled out of my place in August 2013 on results day due to the fact that I had a full time job that I had started at the end of July. Since around that time, I had been regretting the decision to not go to university, especially after hearing how much fun all my uni friends were having and I was just unhappy where I was. 

Yes, I did get a new job, and yes the feelings of regret did go away, but they soon returned. So in September, during Freshers week, I decided to go for it and apply to study History, which is the subject I was going to study the previous year, and I got accepted. I then had to tell my place of work, where luckily I only had to give a weeks notice having been there less than 6 months. I then flung myself into University and here I am! I will admit, I didn't do any reading in September pretty much, which is shocking I know, but I just need the time to get used to my life as it is now! 

I'm very excited about this chapter in my life and have already had three weeks at University which I'm really enjoying so far! I am still getting used to this change as I've gone back from work into education and it's just getting used to taking notes and making sure I read all the material required for each lecture.

But so far I'm enjoying it! And I hope to get back into reading very soon so that I can start posting some more book reviews!

Please stick around as I hope to be back soon!

Vicky

Bye August!

Via Sarah Hearts

How is it the end of August and the beginning of September already? I can't believe it! August has been an ok month for me. I've been trying to get back into the swing of things with my Accounting course, AAT, as I've decided to self-study the last 1.5 modules left so I can get it done quicker, but it hasn't been working great - any tips on how to revise and getting it to actually stick in my mind are welcome! Other than that, I haven't really done much. I did start going to a local Hockey club though after watching the Commonwealth games, and I also did my first Parkrun on the 30th, hard but worth it!

So let's take a look back at August..

This month was another not so great month for reading. I read a total of three books out of six, and actually all the books I read weren't even on my August TBR list. I don't know why I didn't read so much. To myself, I feel like I read a lot more than I actually did. I don't know why..

Open Road Summer

Wish You Were Italian

Isla and the Happily Ever After

I've started to read The Sky Is Everywhere but I started it immediately after Isla and the Happily Ever After so I didn't really feel that interested in it..maybe it just needs a little more time! I also went to started Dangerous Girls but just couldn't as I really didn't feel like it!

No pictures this month as I haven't really done much other than start learning my next AAT module, start playing Hockey and Parkrun!

If you want to see what I want to read in September, please see my September TBR which will be up in a few days time!

In September, and I said this in my July recap, I want to get into making my blog better, posting more content, and making sure that it's at the best it can currently be at the moment. I know I won't have loads of time due to work, fitness commitments and studying, but in my spare time, I want to just spend an hour or two every few days writing posts and making this blog the best it can be right now!

I always think of September as a bit of a new start what with the school year starting, but even though I'm not in school, I want to make some changes to my bedroom. Not big changes right now, but just sticking up a photo frame, moving my pin board and getting a long mirror in!

Also, this coming month is when we say bye-bye Summer, and hello Autumn! I'm kind of excited as although I enjoy all the seasons for varying reasons, I'm really looking forward to being able to wear jumpers and jeans and also having the fire on downstairs!

I hope you all had a great August and that you have a lovely September!