Happy Thursday bookish people! I am so excited to be bringing you the information about the next readathon I am cohosting with @Plaid_readeriswriting in April.
This will be a week long readathon with seven prompts. Each prompt is based on an Easter egg with an ‘Easter’ themed item inside of it. As with the first readathon we hosted there will be a form where you can log your progress, how many pages and how many books you have read over that week. The prompts can be interpreted however you would like to.
The dates of the readathon are: April 10th -17th
The prompts of the readathon are:
Flower – The first book that you think of or the first book that you see.
Chocolate – Plot twist or a surprise
Cake – Multiple POV
Bunny – a short read
Sun – Non-book prompt – such as watch bookish videos, take a bath etc have some self care
Moon – a mystery
And finally carrot – a title that starts with a c
so that is the date of the readathon and the prompts, we will be talking more about the readathon on our twitter accounts: @oliviatempleto6 , @plaid_readeriswriting and @choppedread and if you need any more information you can message us on Twitter or in the comments below, I hope you will enjoy the readathon as much as we do!
Happy Tuesday bookish people! I hope you’re all having a good day today. It is already the end of March and so it is time to share my March wrap up with you all.
March has been a very busy month, a lot of work to be done and unfortunately not much reading happened. I am hopeful that my reading will be better in April because I’ve got a few long train journeys so books will be coming with me on those.
So, onto my March wrap up…
The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood – I did read this! For a genre I don’t usually read I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would, I will be putting my review of this book up very soon.
Last Chance Books by Kelsey Rodkey – I did not read this book
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern – I did not get around to reading this book but I am very excited to get to it hopefully soon
The Devil and the Dark Water by Stuart Turton – I didn’t get around to reading this book either
Kingdom of the Cursed by Kerri Maniscalco – I didn’t read this one either, I wasn’t in much of a fantasy mood this month
A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas – I did not read this
City of Brass by S A Chakraborty – I didn’t read this book either. I started this one a while ago but I haven’t been in the mood to pick it up yet
The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi – I am so excited to read this book but I didn’t get around to it this month
The Once and Future Witches by Alix E Harrow – again, another big fantasy that I just wasn’t in the right frame of mind for
The House in the Cerulean Sea by T J Klune – I was hoping I would manage this one this month but I didn’t
The girl in the tower by Katherine Arden – I did not read this
A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik – I did not read this
The Bone Spindle by Leslie Vedder – I didn’t read this either
Rooftoppers by Katherine Rundell – I did read this one and my review will be up for it soon
The Burning Page by Genevieve Cogman – I am currently reading this one and it should be finished by the end of march
House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J Maas – I did not read this one, I’m scared I’m not going to enjoy it as much as the first book.
I also read Kill Joy by Holly Jackson this month so overall I have, or will have by the end of march, read four books which isn’t too bad, I’m quite happy with it but as I said, I am hoping that I will read more in April.
That’s it for this wrap-up, I hope you all enjoyed it!
Happy Friday bookish people! I hope you are all having a good day today. I thought it might be fun today to share what some books I have, that I have signed, are.
I would just like to say that I am not trying to brag about the books that I have I just thought it might be fun to share which books and where I may have gotten some of them.
The Devil Makes Three by Tori Bovalino
I got this book as a wonderful signed edition from my monthly Illumicrate boxes
The Good Luck Girls by Charlotte Nicole Davis
I also got this book in a book box!
Dangerous Remedy by Kat Dunn
I also got this one in an Illumicrate box, I read it and loved it and now I own the second one in the series.
Daughter of the Burning City by Amanda Foody
My friend ordered me this book from online because they had found a hardback copy and then when it arrived it was a great surprise to find out it was also signed
The Court of Miracles by Kester Grant
I got this amazing book in my Illumicrate box too.
Mrs England by Stacey Halls
I managed to grab a signed edition of this book from my local waterstones
Haven’t They Grown by Sophie Hannah
I found this book in a charity shop and it turned out to be a signed hardback and it was an amazing bargain
A Line To Kill by Anthony Horowitz
I got this from a company called Forbidden Planet, I was just scrolling through their website and I ended up ordering a lot of books (oops!) and I managed to get a signed copy of this book from there.
The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix
I got this one in my Waterstones, it didn’t say it was signed and I was very happy when I got home and saw it was signed
Once and Future Witches by Alix E Harrow
The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E Harrow
I got this book and Once and Future Witches by the same author in my monthly book boxes
As Good As Dead by Holly Jackson
I got this one in my local Waterstones
Under the Whispering Door by T J Klune
I found a signed copy of this one in my Whsmiths and I was really excited to find this one
Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff
I got this book in a recent Illumicrate box
The Desolation of Devil’s Acre by Ransom Riggs
I managed to preorder a signed copy of this book from waterstones
She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan
I got this book in my Illumicrate box too
Little Thieves by Margaret Owen
I got this beautiful book in my Illumicrate box
One Of Us Is Lying/One Of Us Is Next/Two Can Keep A Secret by Karen M McManus
I got these books signed when I met Karen M McManus at YALC in 2019 which was amazing!
A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik
I also got this in my Illumicrate box
The Mapmakers by Tamzin Merchant
My local waterstones luckily had a signed copy of this book
This Woven Kingdom by Taherah Mafi
I also got this one in my Illumicrate box
Terciel and Elinor by Garth Nix
I was looking everywhere for a signed copy of this book and I finally found one in Whsmiths
A Darker Shade of Magic by V E Schwab
I bought the special Illumicrate box for this book and along with some other items it got me a signed copy of this book
That’s it for this blog post, I hope you all enjoyed it! Do you have any signed books?
Happy Friday bookish people! I can’t believe it is March already! I thought it might be fun to share with you all some of the books I own that I think have beautiful covers.
The Once and Future Witches by Alix E Harrow
Shadow and Bone Collectors Edition by Leigh Bardugo
Where Dreams Descend and When Night Breaks by Janella Angeles
Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust
Traitors Ruin by Erin Beaty
The Devil Makes Three by Tori Bovalino
Chain of Gold by Cassandra Clare
Lily by Rose Tremain
The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E Harrow
The Court of Miracles by Kester Grant
Les Miserables by Victor Hugo
The Hatmakers and The Mapmakers by Tamzin Merchant
Little Thieves by Margaret Owen
Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim
That’s it for this post, I hope you enjoyed it. What are some of your most beautiful books?
Happy Friday bookish people! I hope you’re all having a good day today. It was recently Valentines day and I shared a few posts about different types of relationships and book couples so now I am sharing a few books that have no romance or very little in them.
I haven’t read all of these books so I can’t call them a recommendation but I am pretty certain that there isn’t any romance and I have heard good things about all of them.
Onto the books!
A List of Cages – Robin Roe
When Adam Blake lands the best elective ever in his senior year, serving as an aide to the school psychologist, he thinks he’s got it made. Sure, it means a lot of sitting around, which isn’t easy for a guy with ADHD, but he can’t complain, since he gets to spend the period texting all his friends. Then the doctor asks him to track down the troubled freshman who keeps dodging her, and Adam discovers that the boy is Julian—the foster brother he hasn’t seen in five years.
Adam is ecstatic to be reunited. At first, Julian seems like the boy he once knew. He’s still kindhearted. He still writes stories and loves picture books meant for little kids. But as they spend more time together, Adam realizes that Julian is keeping secrets, like where he hides during the middle of the day, and what’s really going on inside his house. Adam is determined to help him, but his involvement could cost both boys their lives…
The Black Flamingo – Dean Atta
A boy comes to terms with his identity as a mixed-race gay teen – then at university he finds his wings as a drag artist, The Black Flamingo. A bold story about the power of embracing your uniqueness. Sometimes, we need to take charge, to stand up wearing pink feathers – to show ourselves to the world in bold colour.
A Monster Calls – Patrick Ness
Conor has the same dream every night, ever since his mother first fell ill, ever since she started the treatments that don’t quite seem to be working. But tonight is different. Tonight, when he wakes, there’s a visitor at his window. It’s ancient, elemental, a force of nature. And it wants the most dangerous thing of all from Conor. It wants the truth.
Patrick Ness takes the final idea of the late, award-winning writer Siobhan Dowd and weaves an extraordinary and heartbreaking tale of mischief, healing and above all, the courage it takes to survive.
The Book Thief – Markus Zusak
It is 1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier, and will be busier still.
By her brother’s graveside, Liesel’s life is changed when she picks up a single object, partially hidden in the snow. It is The Gravedigger’s Handbook, left behind there by accident, and it is her first act of book thievery. So begins a love affair with books and words, as Liesel, with the help of her accordian-playing foster father, learns to read. Soon she is stealing books from Nazi book-burnings, the mayor’s wife’s library, wherever there are books to be found.
But these are dangerous times. When Liesel’s foster family hides a Jew in their basement, Liesel’s world is both opened up, and closed down.
Lirael – Garth Nix
Lirael has never felt like a true daughter of the Clayr. Now, two years past the time when she should have received the Sight that is the Clayr’s birthright, she feels alone, abandoned, unsure of who she is. Nevertheless, the fate of the Old Kingdom lies in her hands. With only her faithful companion, the Disreputable Dog, Lirael must undertake a desperate mission under the growing shadow of an ancient evil.
To Kill A Mockingbird – Harper Lee
The unforgettable novel of a childhood in a sleepy Southern town and the crisis of conscience that rocked it. “To Kill A Mockingbird” became both an instant bestseller and a critical success when it was first published in 1960. It went on to win the Pulitzer Prize in 1961 and was later made into an Academy Award-winning film, also a classic.
Compassionate, dramatic, and deeply moving, “To Kill A Mockingbird” takes readers to the roots of human behavior – to innocence and experience, kindness and cruelty, love and hatred, humor and pathos. Now with over 18 million copies in print and translated into forty languages, this regional story by a young Alabama woman claims universal appeal. Harper Lee always considered her book to be a simple love story. Today it is regarded as a masterpiece of American literature.
The Hobbit – J RR Tolkein
The Lie Tree – Frances Hardinge
The leaves were cold and slightly clammy. There was no mistaking them. She had seen their likeness painstakingly sketched in her father’s journal. This was his greatest secret, his treasure and his undoing. The Tree of Lies. Now it was hers, and the journey he had never finished stretched out before her.
When Faith’s father is found dead under mysterious circumstances, she is determined to untangle the truth from the lies. Searching through his belongings for clues, she discovers a strange tree. A tree that feeds off whispered lies and bears fruit that reveals hidden secrets.
But as Faith’s untruths spiral out of control, she discovers that where lies seduce, truths shatter…
That’s it for this post I hope you all enjoyed it!
Happy Monday bookish people! And Happy Valentine’s day! Today I wanted to bring you some of my opinions on the couples – or characters that are often shipped together in some cases- in some of the books that I have previously read.
There may be spoilers in this post so read at your own risk.
Dangerous Remedy by Kat Dunn – Camille and Ada
Camille and Ada are already dating when the book begins and there is a lot of tension growing between them throughout the book and I enjoyed the relationship because they seemed to be struggling through real problems that readers can relate to even though it is a fantasy book.
The Beautiful by Renee Ahdieh – Celine and Sebastian
These two have an enemies to lovers thing going on which I really enjoyed. They are both very strong and feisty characters that bounce off each other. I think their relationship fits well within the plot and doesn’t take over. I am looking forward to seeing how these two characters develop in the rest of the series.
Optimists Die First by Susin Nielsen – Petula and Jacob
This was one of the first books I read that fit properly within the contemporary romance genre. It has a simple enough story but it is full of heartache and delving into characters with mental health issues that are also trying to navigate a relationship. I liked the build up to Petula and Jacob getting together but their relationship throughout the rest of the book was difficult to read about because I didn’t completely understand the struggles they were experiencing.
The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels by India Holton – Ned and Cecelia
Again these two characters start off as enemies which I love in books, also the reason they meet was one of my favourites in the books that I read last year. Their personalities lend to some very sassy dialogue and I enjoyed their pairing. The only thing is that both of them love their freedom and don’t seem the type to be in committed long relationships.
To Kill A Kingdom by Alexandra Christo – Lira and Elian
To be honest this book didn’t get much emotion from me, it was an average rating from me and so I didn’t feel that much for either of these characters or their relationship. I feel that the two characters were thrown together to make it into a Little Mermaid retelling but actually neither of them fit together well in my opinion.
The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern – Zachary and Dorian
I don’t feel like I saw enough of this couple. The Starless Sea is my favourite book ever and I would enjoy any couple that was written into it. It was great to see LGBTQ representation in this book and the only way to describe the way this couple was portrayed is enchanting.
Not Here To Be Liked by Michelle Quach – Eliza and Len
This is another book that I struggled to get any enjoyment from. I felt that the whole romance was forgotten generally or just used to forward the author’s views on feminism and the place it has in relationships. I really like Len as a character but I didn’t feel that Eliza was fleshed out more than a 2D character.
The Upside of Unrequieted by Becky Albertalli – Molly and Reid
I love this pairing. Reid was one of my favourite male characters until I properly started reading fantasy and he’s nerdy and sweet and exactly the type of man I like in books, and in reality actually. Molly is a very interesting character and I enjoyed being taken along with her as she discovered so much about herself and what she wanted.
Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco – Thomas Cresswell and Audrey Rose Wadsworth
One of my all time favourite couples. Thomas Cresswell is charming and intelligent and completely annoying but I love him. Audrey Rose is also incredibly intelligent and full of fire and personality, she lets nobody stand in her way and that sets them up for very interesting moments.
Caraval by Stephanie Garber – Julian and Scarlett/ Tella and Legend
Okay so there are two main couples in the Caraval series of books. The first is Julian and Scarlett, which I think are probably my favourite book couple ever. They start as enemies – do you see the trend starting here?- and develop feelings later but I love that Scarlett struggles to trust him, it fits perfectly with the plots and if there was a lot of tricks happening I would have trouble trusting him too.
Then there is Tella and Legend. Currently, I haven’t read the third book yet, I don’t love them as much. I think they would make a good pairing, he offers her the enchantment and the mystery that she craves but they don’t have as much of a spark in my opinion.
Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell – Cath and Levi
I don’t usually like romance books but this one I ended up loving. Cath reminds me of myself in a lot of ways, particularly her shyness and then Levi is cheeky and cute and I would honestly love to find a Levi in real life to be with, you just know that no matter what he would be there for her.
Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco – Wrath and Emilia
Emilia is a headstrong witch who, when her sister is murdered, decides to investigate for herself and summons a demon, Wrath. Wrath is so morally grey that I never know if he’s on the good side or the bad and this just draws me to him, the same as it does for Emilia and I think they challenge each other both physically and mentally which is great to see in book characters.
The Lady in the Tower by Marie Louise Jenson – Eleanor and Phillip Stanton
Another pairing that starts off as enemies, I really can’t help but have a type. I love the historical nature of the relationship, the bending of the boundaries. He is so charming and charismatic that I can’t help but like him even when the main character doesn’t. I liked the way this was a slow burn and you saw the moment when it all changed for Eleanor and she realised her feelings.
I am going to leave this post here as I have included a lot of great pairings but if everyone enjoys this I have plenty more couples to make a part 2 or part 3!
Happy Friday bookish people! I hope you are all having a good day today. I am bringing you a list of books that I have either read, want to read or have seen recommended that have LGBTQ+ representation.
Pumpkin by Julie Murphy
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
The Merciful Crow by Margaret Owen
The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli
Dangerous Remedy by Kat Dunn
Girl Serpent Thorn by Melissa Basherdoust
The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern
Plain Bad Heroines by Emily M Danforth
Master of One by Jaida Jones and Dani Bennett
Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan
A Dark and Hollow Star by Ashley Shuttleworth
The Midnight Lie by Marie Rutkoski
Simon vs the Homosapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
Red White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
You Should See Me In A Crown by Leah Johnson
That’s it for this post, I hope you all enjoyed it! Let me know some of your recommendations in the comments below!
Happy Tuesday bookish people! I am here today to talk about Ashes of Gold by J. Elle, the second book in the duology. The first book being Wings of Ebony. I was sent an ebook copy by Chelsea Apple so thank you for that. Unfortunately, with everything that has been happening recently I wasn’t able to read the book completely in time to do this post. However, I would still love to share with you what the duology is about because I think it is an amazing fantasy duology that I would recommend to anyone who enjoys fantasy with brilliant worldbuilding and a strong, fearless female lead!
Wings of Ebony
“Make a way out of no way” is just the way of life for Rue. But when her mother is shot dead on her doorstep, life for her and her younger sister changes forever. Rue’s taken from her neighborhood by the father she never knew, forced to leave her little sister behind, and whisked away to Ghizon—a hidden island of magic wielders.
Rue is the only half-god, half-human there, where leaders protect their magical powers at all costs and thrive on human suffering. Miserable and desperate to see her sister on the anniversary of their mother’s death, Rue breaks Ghizon’s sacred Do Not Leave Law and returns to Houston, only to discover that Black kids are being forced into crime and violence. And her sister, Tasha, is in danger of falling sway to the very forces that claimed their mother’s life.
Worse still, evidence mounts that the evil plaguing East Row is the same one that lurks in Ghizon—an evil that will stop at nothing until it has stolen everything from her and everyone she loves. Rue must embrace her true identity and wield the full magnitude of her ancestors’ power to save her neighborhood before the gods burn it to the ground.
Ashes of Gold
In the heart-pounding conclusion to the Wings of Ebony duology, which #1 New York Times bestselling author Nicole Yoon calls “bold, inventive, big-hearted and deeply perceptive,” Rue makes her final stand to reclaim her people’s stolen magic.
Rue has no memory of how she ended up locked in a basement prison without her magic or her allies. But she’s a girl from the East Row. And girls from the East Row don’t give up. Girls from the East Row pick themselves back up when they fall. Girls from the East Row break themselves out.
But reuniting with her friends is only half the battle. When she finds them again, Rue makes a vow: she will find a way to return the magic that the Chancellor has stolen from her father’s people. Yet even on Yiyo Peak, Rue is a misfit—with half a foot back in Houston and half a heart that is human as well as god, she’s not sure she’s the right person to lead the fight to reclaim a glorious past.
When a betrayal sends her into a tailspin, Rue must decide who to trust and how to be the leader that her people deserve…because if she doesn’t, it isn’t just Yiyo that will be destroyed—it will be Rue herself.
Also, here are some links where you can grab yourself a copy of Ashes of Gold:
Happy Friday bookish people! Today I am bringing you something extremely exciting. Earlier this month I teamed up with @Plaid_Reader is writing on Twitter to create a readathon. This readathon is based off the TV show Chopped and we have created book prompts to match different items of food and drink that could be found at a romantic dinner. The point of the readathon is to choose prompts by picking foods that you would have at your dinner. The readathon will run from February 1st – February 28th with a celebration on March 1st.
The Rounds
Like the real show the readathon will be broken into three rounds: Appetiser, Entree and dessert. You are welcome to take the rounds in whichever order you like but we have built them so the prompts get tougher as you go along.
Appetizers
1) Pizza
2) Strawberry
3) Milkshake
4) Leftovers
Entree
1) Steak and Lobster
2) Edible Glitter
3) Spaghetti
4) Dark Chocolate Truffles
Dessert
1) Champagne
2) Ring Pops
3) Baked Alaska
4) Yuzu
The Prompts
The Prompts
Spaghetti
Good Friendships or Multiple Points of View
Champagne
A Protagonist with Anxiety
Steak and Lobster
An expensive book or one that looks fancy
Ring Pops
A book where someone gets married or a wedding shapes the plot.
Yuzu
A book with a sweet and tart protagonist.
Dark Chocolate Truffles
A book from a ‘darker’ genre horror, mystery, thriller.
Leftovers
A book you started but didn’t finish
Baked Alaska
A book with a surprise
Edible Glitter
A book about magic or a fantasy
Milkshake
Two people must go on a quest
Pizza
A comfort read
Strawberry
Red Cover
The Reading:
We will be counting the pages that you (and we) are reading so make sure to enter the pages you read each day and make note when you finish each book. There will also be some cute prizes along the way…but remember everyone is a champion no matter how many pages or books you read.
The Points and prizes
Everyone will get a prize for participating but the top 3 readers may get a special prize. There will be two top winners, one from the US and one International, we will be doing a random draw for both. The US winner will receive a signed copy of A Place At The Table by Laura Shovan and Saadia Faruqi. The International winner will get £20 in Book Depository credit as long as it ships to your country.
And if you have any questions leave a comment below or contact me on Twitter at @oliviatempleto6 or my co-host at @Plaid_Reader is writing. All of this information and the sign up form is on the Chopped Readathon Twitter: https://twitter.com/choppedread
Also, we would love to see your TBR’s for this readathon!
Happy Friday bookish people! I hope you are all doing well. Today’s post is more of an information dump than what I usually post. I wanted to let you all know about what my plans are for this blog in December – and yes, I have given myself a lot of work to do because I plan to post every day in December. I’ve already started making and scheduling the posts so I won’t have to be stressed every day in December about whether or not I can make the posts in time, so as long as technology works as it should there will be a post from me every day. Fingers crossed.
I am going to list here what is currently the plan to be posted each day!
My December TBR
Bookish Advent Calendars – ones I saw on Etsy that looked interesting
Fun christmas bookish trivia – a quiz!
A collection of Night Before Christmas parodies
The best drinks to curl up with in winter – including some recipes
The Christmas Stocking Book Tag
The best books of 2021 – I love looking at these so I had to include my own
Cosy books to read at Christmas
Which book should I read over Christmas? – another quiz!
Bookish Christmas gifts
Books that surprised me this year
The Christmas song book tag
The best and worst books of each month in 2021
Books I wish I had got to this year
Goals and things I’m looking forward to in 2021
Books on my Christmas wishlist
Bookmas trees
Bookish naughty or nice tag
Bookshelf tour – I am still debating if I should just take pictures or if I should try and video it, what do you think?
Bookish Christmas quiz – yes another one!
Christmas cuisine book tag
Christmas films I reccomend
Books with a Christmas theme
Christmas Family traditions
Book Characters Who I’d love to spend Christmas with
Winter book tag
2022 most anticipated books
The jingle bell book tag
End of year book tag
My book of the year for 2021
My stats for 2021
So, that’s what my December posts are going to look like! Are you excited for them? What post are you most looking forward to seeing on my blog?
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