Top Five Books I'm Looking Forward to in 2017

Another year almost over. Where has the time gone? I can't believe it's almost 2017. A lot has happened this year (beside from the obvious terrible stuff). I started my first job! And then after 11 months, I quit my first job with plans to do another degree, because obviously, I'm crazy (haha, I'm terrified. I'm signing up for it soon, fingers crossed everything goes okay. Why am I doing this to myself? Who knows). I also managed to reach my Goodreads goal again! I'm so happy with that, because I really thought I might not make it while working full time. I read a lot of great books in 2016 and have loads I'm looking forward to in 2017. Here's a list of the five I most want to read - enjoy! (A lot of them don't have proper covers yet, so I've just included placeholders.)

Top Five Books I'm Looking Forward to in 2017 (in no particular order):

1) By Your Side by Kasie West - I love Kasie West. She writes the cutest contemps, and I am particularly excited about this one because - wait for it - it's set in a library. Two characters get locked in a library over the weekend. Does this not sound amazing to you? I want to read it now! Luckily, it's out end of Jan, so not too much longer to wait. I think it will be the perfect wintery read and I'm really looking forward to jumping into another Kasie West novel! I do have to admit I wasn't the biggest fan of her last book, but, I'm hoping By Your Side will make up for it (because it really does sound amazing). I've been waiting to read it for so long, so hopefully the wait will have been worth it!

2) A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas - if you've read A Court of Mist and Fury, I don't need to explain this to you, because oh my God, the ending. THE ENDING! I am trying not to go into spoilers here, but just how is that going to work? How will they communicate? What is going to happen with the King? And you know all that other...stuff? I am slightly concerned that we are now getting like a bazillion books in this series instead of just three - I'm not a huge fan of shifting character focus in the middle of a series and dragging out things that don't need to be expanded upon - but I'll go with it until it starts to get rubbish (which I'm hoping it won't, as I'm still enjoying Throne of Glass!). Really looking forward to seeing how things play out for Feyre and Rhysand (I'm really hoping for a happy ending. Can we just have a happy ending. Please?)

3) The Empty Grave by Jonathan Stroud - book five in the Lockwood & Co. series. There's no cover for this book. There's no description. But oh, I am with this series until the end. I love the characters so much. And with every book, we learn new information about Visitors, or people we thought we knew, and it's all so intriguing. I am so excited for The Empty Grave. No clue what it will be about, but knowing Jonathan Stroud, it will be excellent. The Skull is one of my favourite characters (probably of all time), so I am very much looking forward to seeing if we will ever find out more about it. And here's to hoping we FINALLY see Lucy and Lockwood together (or any progress - I'll take anything at this point. I'll take a hug!).

4) The Ship of the Dead by Rick Riordan - a Rick Riordan book will probably always end up on this list. This time, I'm excited for Magnus Chase book three. So much happened in the last book, I honestly can't predict how book three is going to turn out (though I truly hope Otis plays a major part, because he's the best. Who doesn't like a constantly resurrecting talking goat?). Also...Percy? Yes? I mean, not that Magnus and the characters of this series aren't great, but I have a soft spot for Percy. We all have a soft spot for Percy. I'm just so excited for a Magnus, Sam, Alex, Annabeth, Percy team up. It probably won't happen. But it might. And it would be amazing.

5) Lord of Shadows by Cassandra Clare - yes, yes, another Shadowhunters book. What can I say? I really enjoyed Lady Midnight. It was really interesting following a new set of characters, and the way so many different worlds intertwined. I loved that we got to see all our old favourite characters (Tessa and Jem!), and yet got to really know the new ones too. I really loved Emma, and basically the whole Blackthorn family. And while the story was a bit weak in areas (Emma could totally just tell Julian about the parabatai thing), I am very intrigued to see what happens in the next book, because I just know something unexpected is going to occur and shock us all. There are so many unanswered questions, and at this point, anything could happen.

Notable mentions that didn't quite make it: if there were ANY information at all about the third book in the Trouble series by Stephanie Tromly, it would have made the list, but unfortunately, there isn't even a title, The Phobia of Renegade X by Chelsea M. Campbell, King's Cage by Victoria Aveyard, Untitled Throne of Glass #6 by Sarah J, Maas, The Silver Mask by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare, The Song Rising by Samantha Shannon (this was on last year's notable mentions too, but the release date got pushed back!), Flame in the Mist by Renée Ahdieh (this was so close to being on the list, it's apparently inspired by Mulan?!), Traitor to the Throne by Alwyn Hamilton and The Dark Prophecy by Rick Riordan.

And there you have it! Which books are you looking forward to in 2017? Any from my list? 

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Top Five Books I'm Looking Forward to in 2016

So it's the end of 2015 and I still can't quite believe it. A lot happened this year - I passed all my exams, graduated from university, went on holiday and even found myself a job! (Though technically I don't start until 2016, but whatever.) I've also read a lot of books this year, and have many I'm looking forward to in 2016. Here's a list of the five I most want to read - enjoy!

Top Five Books I'm Looking Forward to in 2015 (in no particular order):

1) Half Lost by Sally Green - okay, after the ending of Half Wild, you can't blame me for wanting this book. Half Wild was one of my favourite books of 2015 (and probably one of my favourite books of all time) and I want to know how things end - I have no doubt it will be devastating and honestly, I am terrified. I am both extremely excited, and extremely nervous about this book. And Nathan and Gabriel - will they end up together? (SAY YES, SALLY GREEN.) Will one of them die? (SAY NO, SAY NO.) How am I supposed to wait? HOW? I know I said this list was in not order, but this probably is my most anticipated book of 2016. I just love this series that much.

2) Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard - can we just look at the tagline for a minute? "Kneel or bleed"? I just...Maven! Why! Why are these things happening! How could Red Queen end the way it did! What will Mare do? What will Cal do? Where is the romance going? Is theguywhoshallnotbenamed redeemable? Or will he spiral further on to the path of villainy? Why don't I already have a copy of this book? Why is life unfair? When will my questions be answered, damn it! I don't know how I've lasted so long, and I really don't know how much longer I can take it. I need this book! I have a feeling it's going to have another cliffhangery ending too, so who wants to take the bet that book three in this series is going to be on next year's list (and book four on the list after that!).

3) The Hidden Oracle by Rick Riordan - I think everyone was surprised when Rick Riordan announced a new series set in the Percy Jackson universe - about Apollo. The Trials of Apollo. Who has been made human by Zeus and cast down from Olympus. I was wary at first (it came out of nowhere!) - but then I read the first chapter, and it is hilarious. I can't wait for this book, I honestly can't. I think Apollo is going to make a fantastic main character, and Percy is in this book too, and he is my absolute favourite, and the interaction between them both is going to brilliant and oh my God, I am so happy this book is happening. Thank you, Rick. (I mean, as long as Percy doesn't die. Or Annabeth. Or Nico.)

4) Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare - okay, I wasn't a fan of City of Heavenly Fire. But, I did love being introduced to Emma and Julian and I'm really excited to follow up on their stories and find out how things have changed now they're a bit older! And to find out what's going on in the world of Shadowhunters (I still need to read the Shadowhunter Academy novellas as well - I know, I'm terrible). I know characters from previous series are going to pop up so looking forward to seeing that too. And it's Cassandra Clare, so it's probably going to be awesome and full of humour and drama and forbidden romance. Plus, look at that cover. Look at it! It's the best cover Cassandra Clare has had so far on any of her books.

5) A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas - still no cover for this one, so I'm using the US placeholder. I'm very very curious to find out what happens in this sequel. Mostly because I honestly have no idea. Usually I'm able to guess a few things but with Sarah J. Maas books, anything can happen. After the ending of book A Court of Thorns and Roses and the deal a certain person made with another certain person, I'm sure there's going to be some sort of conflict and this deal will play a big part in the events of book two. But apart from that, it's all a mystery. I'm wondering if this world will ever connect with the world of Throne of Glass too - it would definitely be interesting to see!

Notable mentions that didn't quite make the list: The Winner's Kiss by Marie Rutkoski (I was so torn between this and ACoMaF, but I went with the latter in the end), The Mirror King by Jodi Meadows, Tell the Wind and Fire by Sarah Rees Brennan (this was in last year's post too - the release date got pushed back), Untitled Throne of Glass #5 (this would be on the actual list if it had a title!), Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton, The Song Rising by Samantha Shannon, Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo and The Hammer of Thor by Rick Riordan.

And there you have it! Which books are you looking forward to in 2016? Any from my list? And, last of all, have a very happy new year, everyone!

(P.S. If you want to see what I got for Christmas, I posted some photos on my Tumblr here! Mostly for my own records so I can remember everything, but hey, I always enjoy looking through what other people got, so if you're as nosy as I am, have a look).

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Top Five Favourite Books and Top Five Least Favourite Books Read in 2015

Once again, it's almost the end of the year (2015 just flew by, didn't it), so I thought I'd do a post of my favourite and least favourite books. They'll be books I read in 2015, regardless of release date - please let me know your favourite/worst books of 2015 too!

And just to keep you updated on future plans for this blog, I might not be able to post as often now as I've managed to get myself a job (well, subject to references, but assuming my uni professor didn't hate me with the fire of thousand suns, hopefully everything will be okay!) but I won't be abandoning my blog, so I'll still be around.

Anyway, getting back to the books, here are my lists!

Top Five Favourite Books Read in 2015 (in no particular order):

1) Half Wild by Sally Green - oh this book. I still don't have words. I mean, it was just so good. You know when you finish a book and you actually just don't know what to do with yourself afterwards? This was one of those books. I mean, I gave it five stars, so you know I must have been impressed by it, because I don't give out five stars lightly. If you haven't started this trilogy yet, get on that. Seriously. 

2) The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss - so here's a story: I got this book In February, maybe? Or possible even before (I have a memory like a sieve) and it was sitting on my shelf for months until I picked it up earlier this month. And oh my. Why did I wait so long to read it? Why did past me not also buy the sequel so I could read it immediately after? Ugh! I still don't have a copy, that's going to be the next thing I buy. I now understand why so many people love this book.

3) Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas - I doubt this surprises anyone. This series is amazing. And the characters! The CHARACTERS! Rowan and Aelin and Aedion and Dorian and Lysandra - I just. I love them all so much. Even Manon grew on me in this book! And Chaol is all right too, I suppose. I cannot wait for book five, I really, really can't. Who knows what's going to happen at this point? I certainly don't. Sarah J. Maas, you hold so much power.

4) Carry On by Rainbow Rowell - okay so I loved Fangirl so, so much and I honestly didn't think Rainbow Rowell would ever be able to top it but she somehow did because Carry On was fantastic! I was just so absorbed in the world and I didn't want it to end and Simon and Baz! I loved them both, but Baz especially, he was my favourite. And this is one of those books that I know I will reread again (because I already reread it like, two days after the first time I finished it) - it has that comforting sort of feeling, you know?

5) Beyond the Red by Ava Jae - so this isn't out 'til March, but what a book! It surprised me, I didn't expect it to be so good, but it really was and I'm so glad I had the chance to read it! It's a sci-fi with fab characters, an amazing romance and great world-building - I'll post my review in February, so if you're interested, look out for it! And definitely keep your eyes peeled for this book in 2016 - it really is excellent.

Notable mentions that didn't quite make the list: End of Days by Susan Ee, The Orphan Queen by Jodi Meadows, Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo, A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas, The Betrayal of Renegade X by Chelsea M. Campbell, Magnus Chase and the Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan and Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff.

Top Five Least Favourite Books Read in 2014 (in no particular order):

1) The Predicteds by Christine Seifert - that I even manage to finish this book, even after skimming the last 100 pages, shocks me. It was truly, truly awful - the characters were ridiculous, the plot was ridiculous and I have nothing good to say about it. I recommend reading my Goodreads status updates if you want to know why I disliked it so much (see here), but I'm not even going to waste anymore time talking about it.

2)  The Wicked + The Divine, Vol. 1: The Faust Act - you might have read my review of this and if so, you will know I have absolutely no idea why the The Wicked + The Divine is so popular. While the art was admittedly very good, the story was a joke. The main character was obsessed with these random people she didn't know - it was so unhealthy, and the story didn't make sense and ugh. It was just terrible.

3) The Bell Between Worlds by Ian Johnstone - now this was disappointing because I really thought it would be good. I'd seen people rave about it, but it was a struggle to get through! It was way too descriptive with too many sentences starting with "he did this" and "he did that". It got so boring in parts that I would actually just skip three pages and it would have no effect on my understanding of the story because they were three pages of pointless description. The story was fairly interesting at times (when we actually got to read about the story and not the various fragrances smoke could give off). But there was a lack of character development, and just so many other problems and it took too long for anything to happen. Another book I had to skim to finish.

4) Until We Meet Again by Renee Collins - two words: nonsensical cheesefest. This book was so cheesy and sappy and paradoxical. I really did not like either of the main characters, and the story was based on a time travel concept that was confusing and full of holes! It honestly didn't make sense, and contradicted itself in the end, and the whole "murder mystery" part was not mysterious in the slightest. Perhaps I should have expected this, with a title like "Until We Meet Again"...

5) The Jewel by Amy Ewing - this could have been good. It really could have. The premise was pretty decent and I really think it had potential! But instead we were left with a bland main character who I couldn't care less about by the end of the book and an insta-lovey mess that made me want to facepalm and an ending that was supposed to entice me to read the next book, but instead just made me glad the whole thing was over. WHY. I had hopes for this book, and I shouldn't have. I think that's what made it even more disappointing. It's such a shame, really.

And that is that! What were you favourite/least favourite books of the year? Do you agree with anything on my lists? I'm off to read a book I got for Christmas now - hopefully it'll be a good one!

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Top Five Books I'm Looking Forward to in 2015

It is the last day of 2014, and looking back at the year I accomplished...pretty much nothing. My biggest hope for 2015 is that I actually manage to graduate - fingers crossed for that! I'm also looking forward to a lot of books in 2015, so I thought I'd make a list of the five I most want to read.

Top Five Books I'm Looking Forward to in 2015 (in no particular order):

1) The Sin Eater's Daughter by Mel Salisbury - erm. I can't even tell you how excited I am for this book. Have you read the blurb? Because it sounds freaking AWESOME. Girl who kills anyone she touches, a prince who is immune, a guard who likes her for who she is, a kingdom that needs to be protected - I mean, how can you not love the sound of this? I need it. I need this book now. Plus, the cover is amazing. And all the early reviews I've read so far have been very positive so...excitement!

2) Half Wild by Sally Green - I absolutely loved Half Bad and cannot wait to read this sequel. First of all, because I just have to know what is going to happen, and second, because I love the characters and I miss them! Nathan and Gabriel are definitely my favourites, and ugh I want to read this book so much! March seems so far away. I have't read the short story, Half Lies, yet so maybe I'll give that a go and see if it can tide me over until Half Wild is released (though I have a feeling it will just leave me wanting this book even more).

3) Royal Wedding by Meg Cabot - the eleventh Princess Diaries book! For adults! Omg! Guys I grew up with the Princess Diaries series. Book one was one of the first YA books I ever read. I am so incredibly excited to read this book. Mia and Michael are getting married, there's a scandal to deal with (of course) and nothing is going to plan - ah! It's been ages since the last PD book (2009!) and I'm so happy we get to revisit these characters (it'll be weird to see everyone older and grown-up, but I am definitely curious to see what's changed).

4) Shadow Scale by Rachel Hartman - I have talked about this book before and I will continue to talk about it, because I have been waiting for it for so long. Sooo long. Seraphina was one of my favourite books of the year...back in 2012. 2012! I don't even know how I've managed this long without the sequel. I am desperate to find out what happens, especially between Kiggs and Phina because the way Seraphina ended...ugh! Finally I will have the answers and I don't have the words to explain how much I want this book.

5) A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas - I love Sarah J. Maas's Throne of Glass series, so I am very interested to see what I think of this book. To be honest, I'm already convinced I'll love it. Sarah's writing style is addictive, her characters are awesome, and the synopsis already has me intrigued. Plus, it seems that pretty much every (incredibly lucky) person who's already read this book has said that it's fantastic. I have heard some very good things about the character Tamlin already, so obviously I'm dying to read this book and I can't believe it's not out until MAY. How will I live?

Notable mentions that didn't quite make the list: Carry On by Rainbow Rowell, The Orphan Queen by Jodi Meadows, Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo, Tell the Wind and Fire by Sarah Rees Brennan, Untitled Throne of Glass #4 by Sarah J. Maas and The Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan.

Books that would be on this list/in the notable mentions had I not already read them: Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard, The Mime Order by Samantha Shannon and The Winner's Crime by Marie Rutkoski.

And there you have it! Which books are you looking forward to in 2015? Any from my list? And, last of all, have a very happy New Year, everyone!

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Top Five Favourite Books and Top Five Least Favourite Books Read in 2014

So since it's almost the end of 2014 (I can't believe how quickly this year has gone), I thought I'd do a post of my favourite and least favourite books. They'll be books I read in 2014, regardless of release date - please let me know your favourite/worst books of 2014 too!

I'm also thinking of what types of posts I'll be doing in 2015 (because let's face it, once I graduate, I'm going to be unemployed for a whiiile, so I'll probably have a lot of free time on my hands - this is of course assuming I don't fail and have to retake the year). I will of course be continuing with reviews and other bookish posts, but I was thinking of maybe doing some more personal ones as well. I did a few this year and no-one seemed to hate them too much. Does anyone like this idea? I'm interested in TV/film and some aspects of beauty so that's probably the kind of stuff I'd talk about, as well as general complaining because I just do that so well.

Anyway, getting back to the books, here are my lists!

Top Five Favourite Books Read in 2014 (in no particular order):

1) Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard - I was lucky enough to receive a copy of this book from NetGalley and oh my God, guys. This book was amazing. My review isn't on the blog yet, but I've given it five stars. Which is something I rarely ever do. A book has got to be really, REALLY good for me to give it five stars. So trust me when I say that you need to pick this book up when you can, because honestly, it was brilliant. The characters, the plot...I can't even tell you. Just trust me on this. Also, don't you just love the cover?

2) The Perilous Sea by Sherry Thomas - I loooved this book. Loved it. Such a great sequel to The Burning Sky (which I also loved). The characters were my favourite part. Titus and Iolanthe are probably two of my favourite characters of all time. The chemistry between these two - ugh! Please just read this series.

3) The Princess in the Opal Mask by Jenny Lundquist - here's another book with a very pretty cover! But that's not even the best part. Who doesn't love a story where twins switch identities? It's especially interesting when one of them is a princess who has lived her life behind her mask, and the other is just a regular girl who has no idea who she really is.. This was such a fun read, and the sequel is on my Christmas wishlist. Definitely recommended if you like dual POVs and fairytale-esque stories with a little bit (but not too much) of romance thrown into the mix.

4) The Winner's Crime by Marie Rutkoski - okay it might be a bit early to mention this one, but this book blew me away. I was not expecting it to be so good for some reason. No idea why, but it definitely surpassed my expectations. If you liked the first book, you will definitely love this one. I absolutely cannot wait for book three, I just have to know what happens next. Sometimes I wish I could time travel to the future so I could get my hands on all the sequels...

5) Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas - Celaena! Rowan! This book! My favourite of the series so far, hands down. Sarah J. Maas somehow managed to convert me to Team Rowan after a long run with Chaol (er sorry about that, Chaol. We had a good time, but it's over). And Celaena's character development was just fantastic. She's changed a lot since book one and I like her character a lot more. Don't know how I'm going to cope with waiting for book four.

Notable mentions that didn't quite make the list: Hold Me Closer, Necromancer by Lish McBride, Half a King by Joe Abercrombie, Cracked by Eliza Crewe, Half Bad by Sally Green, The Turn of the Story by Sarah Rees Brennan and Cress by Marissa Meyer.

Top Five Least Favourite Books Read in 2014 (in no particular order)

1) The Witch of Salt and Storm by Kendall Kulper - this book had so much potential, but no. The characters were ridiculous. Nothing made sense. Everyone made terrible decisions. It was just painful to read. I seem to be in the minority though so who knows. Perhaps I am just missing something that everyone else has understood.

2) After Eden by Helen Douglas - I just couldn't get past all the inaccuracies. And the poor writing. And the lack of character development. One of the characters was just a name on a page. He literally had NO personality. Maybe things get better in the sequel, but I don't think I could bring myself to read it.

3) Split Second by Sophie McKenzie - oh dear, this book was awful. The characters were so stupid I can't even tell you. It was honestly laughable. And the world building was "oh the government did this and now baaad things are happening, and eviiil people are about". There was basically no further explanation. I am surprised I even managed to finish this book, to be honest. However, I again seem to be in the minority. This book has a pretty high rating on Goodreads so maybe it's just me!

4) The Dark World by Cara Lynn Shultz - this wasn't terrible, but it was pretty cliche and I had issues with some of the characters, especially the male lead whose name escapes me. I just didn't like some of the things he said. The plot was also pretty weak and I didn't really understand how anything worked. It's a shame, because the synopsis sounded pretty good.

5) City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare - this might surprise some people, which is fair enough. This book is mainly on this list because it was a massive disappointment. It wasn't necessarily bad, but it just left me wishing that the Mortal Instruments series ended at book three. Honestly, I could have done without this second trilogy. I didn't enjoy it as much, and the way things ended...eh. It just wasn't what I expected, or wanted. Will still be reading the next trilogy though (The Dark Artifices) and the next Magisterium book, because I liked the first one.

And that is that! What were you favourite/least favourite books of the year? Do you agree with anything on my lists? I'm off to watch more of White Collar now (oh Netflix, you are my downfall), but I shall hopefully have more posts (including reviews) soon!

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