January Wrap-Up.

January normally feels like a really long month to me, but actually I didn't feel that so much this time around! I got through a good few books though and I'm pleased with the four I managed.

1. 'Glimpse' by Kendra Leighton. A likeable paranormal retelling of Alfred Noyes's poem 'The Highwayman'. The glimpses and plot development were the most engaging aspects, though it felt like it ended without a complete resolution. 3.5/5 Stars.
2. 'The Long Way To A Small, Angry Planet' by Becky Chambers. It totally blew my socks off and I'm devastated I didn't start this book sooner. Great characters and relationships, and an interesting universe with so much detail! 5/5 Stars.
3. 'The Sisters Of The Winter Wood' by Rena Rossner. An enchanting retelling of Christina Rossetti's poem 'Goblin Market'. I liked the Jewish representation and historical setting mixed with all the magic, but felt there was far too much plot, too many words to look up and not enough likeable characterisation. 2.5/5 Stars.
4. 'The Last' by Hanna Jameson. I hadn't read a dystopian novel in a while and felt that the genre mixed with murder mystery was interesting. This would be a great read for a book club, it provokes a lot of thought and debate, but I think the characters were completely unlikeable and the plot did not conclude well. 3/5 stars.

This month I read three books for the Beat The Backlist Challenge, making my yearly total three.

- Glimpse

- The Long Way To A Small, Angry Planet

- The Sisters Of The Winter Wood

This month I read one book for the New Release Challenge, making my yearly total one.

- The Last

This month I read zero books for the Finishing The Series Challenge, making my yearly total zero.

As I move up the ranks I will change the badge accordingly, though I technically haven't earned this one yet...

This month I read two books for the Diversity Reading Challenge, making my yearly total two.

- The Long Way To A Small, Angry Planet

- The Sisters Of The Winter Wood *This fit the mini challenges theme: Diverse folktales/ culture/ mythology OR diverse retelling OR non western setting)*

And here is my updated Bookish Bingo card:

Planned Reads For January.

Guys, 2019 is here!!! I'm very excited to embark on another year of reading, and there are so many gorgeous looking books coming out this year! But I have picked out eight reads, some of which are older reads that I still need to catch up on.

I've actually already started Glimpse by Kendra Leighton and so far I'm enjoying the story. It's based on/a retelling of Alfred Noyes's poem 'The Highwayman', set in a world where the Inn referenced in the poem is real and passed down through generations. I look forward to finishing and reviewing this.

I'm so excited to get to Becky Chambers's 'The Long Way To A Small, Angry Planet' next, as it's been on my TBR for a while. Some readers have described it as a good read for fans of the game Mass Effect and I like the reviews that tell me that the world-building is REALLY good. I find science fiction/ space-set fics hard to get into but if I love them, then I tend to really love them.

I've written before why I am excited about this next read, 'The Last' by Hanna Jameson. I don't often get to read a good murder mystery, and this has all the elements of an Agatha Christie classic, mixed with a post-apocalyptic setting. I look forward to finding out 'whodunnit' as well as being immersed in the setting.

I'm a little gutted that I didn't get to my next choice during the Christmas month, seeing as that is when 'The Enchanted Sonata' by Heather Dixon Wallwork is set. A small part of me wants to save it until next Christmas! But it is a retelling of 'The Nutcracker' and I've been longing to read another one of those since Claire Legrand's 'Winterspell'. It's the perfect winter fairy tale!

Speaking of fairy tales, the first one that I think of upon first glance at 'Ash Princess' by Laura Sebastian is, of course, Cinderella. Something about the cover and synopsis tells me that this particular princess is no house-cleaning pushover though. I'm excited at the prospect of a strong heroine!

Jewish MCs, representation and folklore you say? An eastern European setting you say? A retelling of Christina Rossetti's 'Goblin Market' you say? Count. Me. In. 'The Sisters Of The Winter Wood' by Rena Rossner sounds like a combination of some of my favourite books - 'The Bear & The Nightingale' and 'The Goblins Of Bellwater' included! I can't wait to get stuck in.

I've seen 'Everless' by Sara Holland all over the blogosphere, but a recent plea from fellow Podcast host and good friend Kiara to read it was the final straw for me. I can't put this off any longer! I'm intrigued by the importance of time in this book, the cover is stunning, and I look forward to reading this.

'Crooked Kingdom' by Leigh Bardugo might actually be my most anticipated on the whole list. I am one of those idiotic people who waited a long time to read 'Six Of Crows' and absolutely loved it when I got round to it. I received this, the sequel and finale of the duology, for Christmas from my wonderful fiance and I can't bear the thought of waiting to find out what happens to my favourite characters! I can't wait to feel the feels once more!

January Wrap-Up.

Wait...what? January is finally over? I've never known a month to go on for so long! Not that I haven't had a good month, but it certainly hasn't been as productive as I'd hoped and I've been looking for a fresh 'start' in February. Reading-wise, I've done pretty well though! I managed five reads, and it's put me ahead of schedule for my 2018 reading target!

1. 'In The Pines' by Erik Kriek. I hadn't originally planned this read in, but I'm a sucker for graphic novels and this one is actually a collection of short strips based on famous murder ballads which sounded pretty cool. I thought the art style was nice enough, and the stories were good too. I have to say they were a little bit drawn out at times though and this really isn't my usual type of read. 3.5/5 Stars.
2. 'Six Of Crows' by Leigh Bardugo. Just thinking about this book still hurts a little bit, the feels hit me so hard. I adored this read, far better than Bardugo's 'Grisha Verse' trilogy because the characters felt a lot better developed, likeable, and I was a huge fan of the ships for me to fall in love with in this one! 5/5 Stars.
3. 'Matilda' by Mary Shelley. Hmm. I really wanted to be bowled over by this, particularly because her Shelley's more famous work 'Frankenstein' is so popular that I liked the idea of reading a less well-known short story by her first. The strange little story had a few good moments and nice quotes, but the language was so frilly and monologue-ish that for the most part I got bored and ended up skimming it. Shelley definitely has personality and a sense of humour though! 3/5 Stars.
4. 'The Cruel Prince' by Holly Black. This book almost ended up being a disappointment to me. It took so long to get into the action and not an awful lot happens for the first 60%. But then, the last 30% is so perfect that it almost sort of makes up for it. I think Black wanted to build her world and that's okay. I'm counting on book two being phenomenal because she won't need any of the introductions. 4/5 Stars.
5. 'Wolf Winter' by Cecilia Ekbäck. I'm a little gutted that I couldn't go out with a bang for the end of January. This historical thriller had some great moments - atmosphere and setting were perfect and I liked not knowing whether the supernatural or humans were behind it all. I just think that a lot of loose ends were left unexplained and I didn't like the pacing much. 3/5 Stars.

This month I read four books for the Beat The Backlist Challenge, making my yearly total so far four.

- In The Pines

- Six Of Crows

- Matilda

- Wolf Winter

This month I read zero books for the Finishing The Series Challenge, making my yearly total so far zero.

I read one book for the New Release Challenge, making my yearly total so far one.

- The Cruel Prince

I read three books for the Netgalley & Edelweiss Challenge, making my yearly total so far three.

- In The Pines

- The Cruel Prince

- Wolf Winter

Here is my update for Pretty Deadly Blog's Bookish Bingo Card.

2018 Debut: The Toymakers; Robert Dinsdale
Death: Matilda; Mary Shelley
Winter Release: Ghost Stories; Whit Taylor
Sci-Fi: Fairest; Marissa Meyer
Numbers In Title: Six Of Crows; Leigh Bardugo
Freebie: --
Friend's Fave: The Happy Prince & Other Stories; Oscar Wilde
Fae, Fairies & Fair Folk: The Cruel Prince; Holly Black
Trees On Cover: The Gifts Of Reading; Robert MacFarlane
Wintry Title: In The Pines; Erik Kriek
Music Themes: Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki & His Years Of Pilgrimage; Haruki Murakami
Cold Setting: Wolf Winter; Cecilia Ekbäck
Book That Was A Gift: The Worm & The Bird; Coralie Bickford-Smith
Holiday Theme: A Christmas Carol; Charles Dickens
Villainous: Renegades; Marissa Meyer

Planned Reads For January.

Happy new year everyone!

Some of you guys are definitely going to recognise these from last month! I am really hoping for January 2018 to be just as productive as December 2017 was in terms of reading, but I have a couple to catch up on.

As I said last month, I really want to read something by Mary Shelley. While 'Frankenstein' would be a lot of people's choice, I would really like to read something a little less well-known first. I might not start with this 'Matilda', as it's topic of death is not exactly uplifting for the new year. But I'll definitely get to it.

Now here is a book that I ought to have read by now. 'Six Of Crows' by Leigh Bardugo has been evading me since the dawn of time (or that's how it feels anyway)  but I'm finally getting to it. It's next to my bed, waiting for me to open the pages and get to it!

'Wolf Winter' by Cecilia Ekbäck really does look stunning and I'm pretty disappointed that I didn't get to it last month. I don't think I've ever read a book set in Sweden before either, so that should be fun! Plenty of snow and harsh, icy wilderness to really remind me that it's Winter!

Well, what better time of year to read 'The Ice' by Laline Paull than January? I loved her debut novel 'The Bees', which I read a while back, and so have high hopes for this one!

Yay! Goblins! I love to read a bit of Fantasy during the Winter, and this one has a very fitting title, 'Wintersong'. Also, the fact that this is giving me Labyrinth vibes, even if the story is not the same, is enough to convince me that I'll probably love this one!

'The Cruel Prince' by Holly Black was on so many lists for most anticipated 2018 reads, including my own. I love her writing and imagination and I'm looking forward to being blown away by more amazing depictions of the world of the fae!

This next choice has been on and off the monthly TBRs but I'm desperately hoping I'll get to it this month! 'The Novice' by Taran Matharu has been recommended to me so many times as a really good Fantasy read! I like the idea of a magic school of sorts, it's been a long time since I've read a book with one of those.

My last pick is actually a sequel. Alison Goodman's 'The Dark Days Pact' follows 'The Dark Days Club', a demon-filled retelling of 'Pride & Prejudice' that I really enjoyed! I'm totally hoping that the sequel impresses me as much as book one did!

January Wrap-Up.

Of the 7 picks for January, I actually managed 5 which is not bad considering the terrible start I got off to! I've read a lot in the past couple of weeks and I'm really pleased with all of my reads this month!

1. 'The Bear & The Nightingale' by Katherine Arden. This was a real anticipated read on my part that I'd been hoping to read during December, but I'm pleased I got to now. It focuses on Russian Folklore and provides a re-imagining of that world and way of life. The historical research was phenomenal and paired nicely with some gorgeous world-building. Whatsmore, the story and characters were really nicely explored. I can't wait for book two! 5/5 Stars.
2. 'A Quiet Kind Of Thunder' by Sara Barnard. Definitely my favourite read of the year so far, I'm shocked and amazed at how much I enjoyed this despite adoring Barnard's debut 'Beautiful Broken Things'. Guys, this is not just any old YA contemporary romance. This one grabs you in the feels. I loved the relationship between Rhys and Steffi, and also there is so much diverse representation in this book for BAME, the deaf community, those who suffer from anxiety and many more. 5/5 Stars.
3. 'Rebel Of The Sands' by Alwyn Hamilton. I've had this on the list for a while now, and looked forward to a possible combination of books such as 'Vengeance Road' and 'A Thousand Nights'. I was certainly not disappointed on that front as I saw a whole host of magical creatures as well as shooting action. I felt like the pacing was much faster than I'd have liked and didn't leave time to explore relationships in the way I'd have liked. Nevertheless, this looks to be a promising series. 3.5/5 Stars.
4. 'Saint Death' by Marcus Sedgwick. Even now I'm a bit unsure of my feelings on this one. There's no doubt that it's a powerful read with a serious message on the way that Mexico is frequently exploited by the USA and the sad lives that the people there lead. It feels especially relevant now and I liked the styling of it. I would have liked more of a story and better developed characters to get attached to but this has a feel of a classic in the making. 3.5/5 Stars.
5. 'The Bone Sparrow' by Zana Fraillon. While I didn't rate it as highly as my first two reads, this is definitely the book that has stuck with me. It's setting of an Australian detention centre, and similarities to the classic 'The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas' is harrowing considering how current this situation is. There were a couple of pacing issues that I had to look past, mostly due to the target audience between that fine line between Middle Grade and YA. 4/5 Stars.

Now it's time to see how I did with my challenges this month!

This month I have read four books for the Netgalley & Edelweiss Challenge, bringing my yearly total so far to four. My reads were:

- The Bear & The Nightingale

- A Quiet Kind Of Thunder

- Saint Death

- The Bone Sparrow

This month I have read two books for the 2017 New Releases Challenge, bringing my yearly total so far to two. My reads were:

- The Bear & The Nightingale

- A Quiet Kind Of Thunder

This month I have read zero books for the LGBTQIA Challenge, bringing my yearly total to zero.

This month I have read five books for the Diverse Reads Challenge, bringing my yearly total to five. My reads were:

- The Bear & The Nightingale [Optional Mini Challenge]

- A Quiet Kind Of Thunder

- Rebel Of The Sands

- Saint Death

- The Bone Sparrow

And I'm getting along nicely with my Bookish Bingo and Story Sprites cards too!

Alternative Format: Dragon Slayer Number Nine; Intisar Khanani

Set Abroad: Saint Death; Marcus Sedgwick

Sequel: Memories Of Ash; Intisar Khanani

2017 Debut: A Girl Called Owl; Amy Wilson

GR Choice Nominee: Heartless; Marissa Meyer

Pink Cover: A Quiet Kind Of Thunder; Sara Barnard

White Cover: Stealing Snow; Danielle Paige

Survival: The Bone Sparrow; Zana Fraillon

Blue Cover: Rebel Of The Sands; Alwyn Hamilton

Nature On Cover: The Bear & The Nightingale; Katherine Arden

Book With Multiple POVs: The Bear & The Nightingale; Katherine Arden

Story Regarding Anxiety: A Quiet Kind Of Thunder; Sara Barnard

Story Centred Around Social Issues: The Bone Sparrow; Zana Fraillon

Mostly Blue Cover: Rebel Of The Sands; Alwyn Hamilton

Book Addressing Socioeconomic Topics: Saint Death; Marcus Sedgwick

Planned Reads For January.

Hooray, a new year means a new set of books to read! I'm excited about this month's reads too, because there's a few 2017 releases as well as some books I had meant to read in 2016 that I'd been really looking forward to!

1. 'The Bear & The Nightingale' by Katherine Arden. I've already started a little of this one and I'm loving it already! It's based around Russian folklore which is something I don't delve into often, and has some gorgeous imagery, intriguing characters and the promise of a magical story. I can't wait to read it all and see what it holds!

1. 'A Quiet Kind Of Thunder' by Sara Barnard. I had really hoped to read this book in December, but during the month it's due to be released is also fine! I loved 'Beautiful Broken Things' at the start of 2016, so I'm sure this will be an equally gorgeous read that focuses on mental and physical handicaps, friendship (my favourite thing to read about) and teenage issues.
2. 'Rebel Of The Sands' by Alwyn Hamilton. Finally I get to read this book! I'm not going to pass up the opportunity again, as I kept missing it last year despite it being my most anticipated read. 'Traitor To The Thorne', it's sequel, is out soon so I desperately need to catch up and I'm looking forward to a gun toting heroine racing across the hot desert sands!
3. 'The Loneliness Of Distant Beings' by Kate Ling. I had been hoping to read a science fiction book this month and was originally going to reach for 'Illuminae' when I remembered about this little read that has been sitting on my Netgalley shelf for quite some time and I've never got round to. Such a shame because it looks like a lovely read and I think it might be a nice stand-alone to get into.
4. 'Saint Death' by Marcus Sedgwick. I have never read anything by this guy, despite the fact that I own a copy of two of his books! Seeing as I'm making a concerted effort to be more diverse in my reading, this Mexican set YA contemporary looks like a good read and I'm looking forward to learning about some of the social issues surrounding a culture I actually know very little about.
5. 'The Bone Sparrow' by Zana Fraillon. A book about refugees is bound to highlight some very important issues that our world is currently facing, and I think that this will be a sweet, heart-warming read. The fact that it is a Middle Grade book aimed at a younger audience is even better because I feel that education on these matters from an early age is important.
6. 'Under Rose Tainted Skies' by Louise Gornall. This was another December read that I didn't quite get round to, but that's okay. I am looking forward to this one because it covers a topic fairly close to my heart, anxiety. In fact it focuses specifically on Agoraphobia, which I don't actually suffer from but enjoyed reading about in Michael Christie's 'If I Fall, If I Die' so I'm hoping that this read will be a little more serious about the matter and a great story all in one.