A new beginning?

This last year has been tough...in so many ways. For everyone. And, despite desperately trying to keep up with this blog for a number of years, I began to find that doing so was too overwhelming for me.

I was finding it hard to enjoy reading, finding it hard to see this blog as anything but a chore, and putting far too much pressure on myself to complete. reading challenges. My output was becoming quantitative with no real quality. And I was feeling very downtrodden because this blog provided my life with a lot of structure and purpose, and when the enjoyment of that left, it affected my mental health quite badly.

I realised I had to do something drastic, and so that unfortunately resulted in me jumping ship without saying 'goodbye' or 'see you soon'. I am sorry about that. I don't think I expected to be gone quite so long. And I won't pretend that 2020 has been the amazing year that has offered me a fresh perspective on everything.

It has got me to a place where I am ready to return to this blog, and have finally found that I am missing it! What I want to do, and know I can be much better at doing now, is do so at a more relaxed rate.

- I will post not because I have to, but because I want to.

- I want my content to be exciting, different, and worth reading.

- I will not put pressure on myself. Period.

So that said, you may not see a review for every book on here, or an update on any challenges I decide to join. I'm going to ease myself back in. But I am excited to see how this progresses!

June's Shenanigans (1st June - 23rd June)...I'm back, and a Mrs!

The hiatus is over and I am back on this blog! I've had a really lovely time away making so many special memories, but it certainly feels good to be back!

So what was I doing?

Getting married!

It has honestly been a stressful but exciting few months leading up to June 17th, but all totally worth it as our day was so beautiful and everything we had ever dreamed. I'm a little sad that it's all over, but grateful that everything worked out and I feel truly blessed to have so many friends and family members that wanted to share our big day with us. It was truly special!

We are now also on a wonderful trip away to Croatia, which is absolutely stunning!

It is lovely to get some time to ourselves after such a hectic period in our lives and I know that my mind and body really appreciate the downtime, as well as the chance for Mat and I to spend some time to ourselves.

I Read...

I Received...

- 'We Hunt The Flame' by Hafsah Faizal: NetGalley (11/06/19)
- 'All The Better Part Of Me' by Molly Ringle: NetGalley (12/06/19)
- '[Dis]Connected [Vol. 2]' cur. by Michelle Halket: NetGalley (12/06/19)
- 'The Sea Witch Rising' by Sarah Henning: NetGalley (23/06/19)
- 'Kingdom Cold' by Brittni Chenelle: NetGalley (23/06/19)

I Posted...

Planned Reads (& Hiatus) For June

Top Ten Tuesday: Most Anticipated Releases For The Rest Of 2019

Planned Reads (& Hiatus) For June.

Once again, I'll keep this post and my expectations short as I'm going to pretty much be book-free in the first couple of weeks of June thanks to all the wedding bits I need to do! Afterwards I'll be on my Honeymoon and do have plans to relax and get some reading done then, but we'll see how it goes!

I've talked many times about 'Enchantée' by Gita Trelease, and I think it's pretty clear how much I need to get cracking with this book. I am part-way through it and enjoying it so far!

Another book I've been eyeing up? 'Shadow Of The Fox' by Julie Kagawa. It was on last month's TBR and I am a bit disappointed I didn't get to it yet, it looks like a cool concept. The mixed reviews are making me pause but I look forward to immersing myself in a book set in Japan.

I wanted to read more LGBTQ+ books this month, seeing as it is the month of Pride. I've picked 'Trans Power' by Juno Roche as I'm taking the opportunity to educate myself on a subject that I really should know more about.

I have also picked a few LGBTQ+ fictional reads and the first is 'The Love Interest' by Cale Dietrich. I love the idea of spies and Government agencies mixed with a typical sweet boy falling for a bad boy scenario. I can't wait for this one!

Madeline Miller's 'The Song Of Achilles' has been recommended to me by a vast pool of people, and I love that it's historical fiction, a retelling of Greek mythology and LGBTQ+.

I don't know huge amounts about 'What If It's Us' by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera other than the fact that it's an M/M romance but I'm already digging it! This was actually gifted to me on a Secret Santa wish-list group which was pretty cool!

Hiatus...

So now that I've given you guys an idea of my reading plans for this month, I guess I'll spend a minute informing you all that I am getting married on 17th June and so will be on hiatus until then! This means no posts from me until after the wedding. I plan to take my laptop with me on my honeymoon in Croatia and it would be nice to really spend some time catching up but I won't promise anything as it will be...you know...my honeymoon. Thanks for taking the time to read my posts and invest in my blog, I'll try not to be away too long and will organise a big catch-up post when I am back in the UK on the 26th, but you can probably expect to see posts from the 18th onwards!

Last TWO Week's Shenanigans (23rd May - 5th June)...I'm back!

It's been a very busy couple of weeks off, but I'm back! I thought it would be better to do a big summary of the whole two weeks I've been off, and it makes it easier for me too in terms of organisation. So, without further ado, let me tell you all about my time off of work! On Monday 23rd, Mat and I went back to Ashford to meet up with some of Mat's family. We spent the day bowling and having a fun time out for dinner, which was a lot of fun! On Wednesday 25th, Mat and I decided to head off to the cinema to go and watch the newest X-Men film: 'X-Men Apocalypse'! Everyone knows that the continuity in those films is not fantastic, but it was still a very enjoyable watch and I'm glad we went.

The next day, we headed off in the afternoon to the Premier Inn by Gatwick Airport, ready for our holiday! It was a lovely short stay, and we headed to Giraffe for dinner that evening before an early night ready for or 3AM start the next morning. Getting up was actually no where near as difficult as I thought and the airport wait wasn't too bad, though our flight was delayed. We ended up reaching our hotel in Italy early afternoon, giving us the rest of the day to explore and get our bearings. First impressions of Sorrento were lovely, and the views were beautiful! I'm honestly so glad we picked this as our place to stay, it's definitely the most interesting and lively accommodation area we've had.

On Saturday, our first full day, Mat and I took the plunge and made our way to Naples on the train. So many people have told me what a lovely city Naples is, and I really liked it! Especially the older areas (the new being like a very hot London). There were so many pretty little shops to visit and narrow streets to work our way round. We had pizza, which was delicious (pizza from Naples is famed for being the best) and spent a lot of time pottering around, though the bulk of our time was spent underground. Napoli Sotterranea is a 10 Euro underground tour of a very old Aqueduct (dating back to the Roman era) that came well recommended and it was easy to see why! The tunnels were narrow and dark, but the tour was so interesting and we loved it! I advise anyone touring Naples to make time for this cheap two hour tour that even includes an interesting walk around a very old Theatre.

Sunday was our most relaxing day in that we spent it all in Sorrento! In the morning, we went on a tour with our holiday reps around the town and learnt a lot about it's history, as well as seeing some amazing views and eating/drinking plenty of free samples! It was certainly a lot of fun learning about the local culture and proved to be a very relaxing trip. Later in the evening, Mat and I went on our own little walk down to the local fishing port and found it a very interesting, refreshing jaunt which allowed us to watch the sun setting. Bliss!

Monday marked the first of many excursions for Mat and I, and our chosen destination was the small island of Capri! There wasn't a whole lot to do on the Island itself but it was certainly spectacular in it's beauty and views. To start with, we visited the town of Anacapri, at the top of the Island. It contained a lot of very nice shops and stalls to look at and I bought a bar of Lemon flavoured chocolate, which is delicious! There was a lift up to the highest point of the Island for a great view, but Mat and I opted to pay 1 Euro to visit some small, pretty gardens instead. Then, in the lower area of Capri, we boarded a boat and made a trip around the whole Island where we saw a great deal of sights including the famous Faraglioni rocks, before some free time by the port and then back to the hotel!

Tuesday was probably our favourite day as it contained the excursion we'd been most looking forward to: Vesuvius and Pompeii! We went to the volcano first (there was a rather large group of us) and though the climb to the very top was very steep and tiring, I'm glad we did it. The crater is truly something to behold, and it's scary to thing that under all the rocks and ash, there's a whole lot of lava just waiting to explode. We could even see the steam to prove it! Pompeii, the town that was famed for being destroyed by Vesuvius in 79AD, was equally as stunning to behold in how well preserved it was. Viewing the Roman city as if it had only been inhabited yesterday was both fascinating and more than a little creepy. An amazing chunk of history that I'm so glad I finally got to see.

Wednesday was the day for a drive around the Amalfi coast, which was exactly what we did. It rained a little, but of course it was still hot, and we visited three beautiful towns on our trip round: Positano, Amalfi and Ravello. At Amalfi, we also boarded a boat for a tour of the coast which I really enjoyed, and provided a much needed break from the coach. This trip was mostly spent driving around and enjoying free time in each time, but it was still very enjoyable, with some pretty views and memorable moments.

Thursday was our last trip before returning home but while we were mostly left to our own devices, I loved it. We went to Ischia, another small Island about an hour away from Sorrento by boat (the journey on which was nothing short of horrendous) which is home to a famous Thermal Spa and the Mortella Gardens. We went to these gardens for a few hours and they were nothing short of stunning. So many gorgeous plants, fountains, ponds and statues and I couldn't believe just how big and beautiful the whole garden actually was! I also had a lovely afternoon cup of tea to round the whole trip off as something really special.

Sadly, Friday was another day of travelling. We left Sorrento early in the morning and arrived home mid-afternoon with a lot of unpacking and other bits and bobs to do. I was glad that I had booked off the entire week off so didn't have to go back to work the very next day because I was so tired. Not only that, but Saturday was actually a very special day in itself, because my sister came to visit us with her boyfriend! We all spent the day first at Sweet, the nearby dessert cafe, and then at London Zoo which was a whole lot of fun! I'm a big fan of animals, and I have to say the 'In With The Lemurs' exhibition was the highlight for me!

And there ends my rather exciting two weeks! I've had a fabulous break, but I ave missed blogging a lot (and reading of course) so can't wait to really get stuck into June!

I Read:

I Received:

- 'The Inquisition' by Taran Matharu: Approved by Netgalley (24/05)
- 'The Bone Sparrow' by Zana Fraillon: Approved by Netgalley (24/05)
- 'The Muse' by Jessie Burton: Approved by Edelweiss (25/05)
- 'Crow Moon' by Anna McKerrow: Bought on Amazon (25/05)
- 'Memories Of Ash' by Intisar Khanani: Pre-Ordered on Amazon (31/05)
- 'Notes On Being Teenage' by Rosalind Jana: Approved by Netgalley (05/06)

Memes:

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Feel Differently About After Reading Their Sequels

I Posted:

May Wrap-Up
Planned Reads For June

I'm off to Italy! = Hiatus...

That's right everyone, I'm off on holiday! To Italy in fact, for a week from Friday 27th May. What that means is I won't be around to do much in the way of posting, so this is my official Hiatus post!

This holiday falls at the difficult crossover time of the end of May/beginning of June. While this month hasn't been overly productive on the reading front, I have no idea what I will and won't have finished by the time May actually ends, but I will continue with my May planned reads into June and see how I get on. I have plans to schedule a couple of posts in preparation for my time off but I'm not sure how well I'll achieve this as I have a lot to do in the next couple of days. Anything I don't get done I shall have to do upon my return!

Of course I will be posting all of my shenanigans when I return, and I'm excited to have a really nice, relaxing holiday after a stressful week and hopefully get a lot of reading done on the plane! Here's hoping and I'll see you all next week!

Ciao everyone!

The Last Few Day's Shenanigans (27th April - 2nd May)...I'm Going On Holiday!

Hello lovely readers! Some of you may be aware that I'm jetting off for the next couple of weeks, first to Crete and then to Paris so I will be going on a bit of a hiatus unfortunately! So I'll quickly let you all know what I've been doing over the last few days so I can have a fresh slate for when I get back!

So firstly, on Monday Mat and I were still in Ashford with my parents and we decided to go out to Canterbury for the day. We got plenty of shopping done for our holiday which was very productive of us and I actually ended up getting an impromptu haircut which is something I have wanted to do for a while. My locks are quite a bit shorter now but I feel a lot better for it! We then spent the rest of the evening chilling with my parents and sister, before returning to London to watch the next episode of 'Game Of Thrones'. The next few days consisted of work, punctuated with a few other bits and bobs that needed doing ready for the holiday.

Now I'm at Saturday and today has been nothing but chores for me! I have a huge to do list, and this blog post is one of them, as we're leaving for the airport tonight and I am not going to be able to do any posting on this blog until I get back on the 16th May from Paris (and I'll still be very busy, so maybe expect a later post than that)! Of course I'm going to miss you all, but then I also feel that I have been slacking as of late with this blog. I have a plan to start afresh when I arrive in England again, but for now I'm going to take some time to chill out and enjoy my time in other countries. I will happily give you all the details upon my return!

I Read:

Memes:

Top Ten Tuesday: Books Which Feature Characters Who Defy Their Parents

Six Degrees Of Separation: Elizabeth Is Missing, Emma Healey

I Posted:

April Wrap-Up

Planned Reads For May

Daily Shenanigans, 17/07/2014: Going on Holiday for a week! Potential hiatus!

I've mentioned a couple of times that I'm off to Wales for a week or so, and what I actually failed to mention is that this means I won't have access to my Laptop or Wi-Fi. Therefore, the only way I'll be able to post to this blog is via Mobile Data, if I even manage to get that. Here is the plan: I will be reading while I am there. I will keep copious notes of my thoughts and try to write mini reviews on Goodreads. The proper reviews will probably have to wait until I return however. With regards to the various Memes I take part in, I will try to have scheduled posts up but no promises. In fact without knowing of Llangollen's 3G signal, I can't even promise Daily posts. All I can say is I'll do my best! I am really looking forward to this Holiday though, and maybe some time away from the blog will do me some good!

My day generally was a good one, and very productive actually! I managed to do a lot of packing, read a whole book, write my reviews and Life Of A Blogger post, and a whole bunch of other things. I also got hold of the two books I'd bought from Tesco, so I can't wait to find time to get stuck into those! My next read will be 'Queen Of The Tearling', followed by 'Poison Study'. I look forward to starting those. Obviously tomorrow I'm off to Mat's, then to Wales, so in case I end up leaving the Blog alone, I hope you all have a nice week!

Daily Shenanigans, 08/05/2014: Misinformation.

Okay so it turns out I didn't communicate my intentions to you guys very well! When I said I was going on a brief hiatus, I did not mean from the blog completely! I meant that I was going on a bit of a reading/reviewing/challenge hiatus until all the work I need to do for Uni has died down. That being said, I won't be abandoning that completely, I'll just be slowing down. I hope that has made it clearer! I'll give a quick update, I'm mid essay. Today has been pretty work-filled, and a bit stressful. I have completed one essay but still have another to finish (I'm working on it now) as well as a folder to complete and a few bits and bobs here and there. I have to help tech a show tomorrow so I'm a bit short on time, it's looking like I'll be pulling a bit of an all-nighter tonight to get this stuff done so I can be back on track and ready to update for you guys! I really hope you all understand, I wish I had a T.A.R.D.I.S so that I had more time on my hands to get everything done but I have to prioritise!

Daily Shenanigans, 06/05/2014: Time to prioritise.

This is going to be a short post because I'm still doing work on this essay. An essay that I have been working pretty much all day on. Of course before I started facing the beast, I made sure my 'Top Ten Tuesday' went up all right and was really happy about this week's topic. So much fun to do! Since then it's just been a mix of eating, listening to music and typing. Oh and plenty of staring at a screen blankly too. Hopefully I can have more luck over the next few days, I really want to feel like I've done a lot of work by this weekend. I have kept away from reading today, Uni really needs to be the priority right now (as much as it pains me to say it because I enjoy this a whole lot more). I can't get much more done feeling this tired so I'm going to crack on with a bit more tomorrow morning before my tutorial and see what my tutor has to say on my efforts. I'm in Uni all day tomorrow too so there won't be much time for me to do anything other than work! Forgive me for this slight hiatus over the next couple of weeks!