It's The End of 2015 Read-A-Thon - Day 2

It's The End of 2015 Read-A-Thon - Day 2

We're on Day 2! And Day 2's challenge is hosted by Cheyenne so head over to here to see what it is.

Now as for my progress for yesterday, well let's just say it was a slight disaster. I read 15 pages yesterday, just 15 pages and it was of Winter by Marissa Meyer and I was dying to read more but by the time I got to sit down and read, I was just so exhausted that I only read the first chapter.

Concerning today's challenge, I won't be able to participate simply because I won't have the time and there are a lot of guests today so I wish you all well!

I hope you all had a fun day yesterday and there will be more twitter sprints later on today too so stay tuned!

2015 Challenge & Resolution Update

2015 Challenge & Resolution Update

Ya'll may remember way back at the end of last year, December 2014, I posted up a detailed challenge post about the challenges I was going to undertake in the year 2015. I had conjured up a list of books to read and everything. If you want to see that post again go here!

But anyway here's the post to tell ya'll what I did and didn't do in the year 2015:

A - Z Challenge:

Allies and Assassians by Justin Somper - X

Birthmarked by Caragh M. O' Brien - X (Unhauled)

Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas - X

Dreams of Gods and Monsters by Laini Taylor - Currently Reading :)

Eden by Keary Taylor - X

Fire & Flood by Victoria Scott - X

Gates of Thread and Stone by Lori M. Lee - :) 4 Stars

Halo by Alexandra Adornetto - X DNF (Read previous year and did not want to read again)

Infinite Days by Rebecca Maizel - X

Jonas by Eden Maguire - X (Unhauled)

Kitty Hawk by Iain Reading - X (Unhauled)

Long Reach by Peter Cocks - X 3 Stars (Read previous year and did not want to read again)

More Than This by Patrick Ness - :) 5 Stars!

Nocturne by Syrie James - X 2 Stars (Read previous year and did not want to read again)

Out of The Easy by Ruta Sepetys - :) 5 Stars

Prophecy of the Sisters by Michelle Zink - X 3 Stars (Read previous year and did not want to read again)

The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen - X

Raised by Wolves by Jennifer Lynn Barns - X

Slated by Teri Terry - X

Touch by Jus Accardo - X (Unhauled)

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin - X

VIII by H.M Castor - X

What's Left Of Me by Kat Zhang - :) 3 Stars

The Young Elites - :) 5 Stars

So out of the books that I had chosen to read I read a total of 5.... wow....

But in my A-Z Challenge anyway I completed a total of 18 out of 26 and I read from the following letters - A, B, C, D, E, F, G, I, M, N, O, P, R, S, T, U, W & Y.

10 From The List Challenge:

1. More Than This by Patrick Ness - Yes!!

2. Allies and Assassins by Justin Somper - No.

3. Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys - Yes!!

4. A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin - Yes!!

5. Fire & Flood by Victoria Scott - No..

6. Gates of Thread and Stone by Lori M. Lee - Yes!!

7. The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen - No.

8. Talon by Julie Kagawa - Yes!!

9. Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson - Yes!!

10. Say Her Name by James Dawson - No.

So in this challenge I read 6 out of 10 which isn't too bad really :P

Goodreads Challenge:

I conpleted my Goodreads Challenge of 60 books just a few days ago!! Yay!


Resolutions:
I have my TBR close to 80. It was 80 before Christmas and then well it spiked. You can see what it's at in my December Wrap Up.
I feel like I did get to comment more on blog posts that I read.
I'm sort of happy with the amount of blog posts I've posted this year. Yes there were times where I just dropped off but I'm getting slightly better.
I gave up on Project 10 Book....

For 2016 I plan on having a less rigid goals and challenges. Look out for that post at the beginning of January!!

It's The End of 2015 Read-A-Thon : Day 1

It's The End of 2015 Read-A-Thon : Day 1

Welcome to the first day of the read-a-thon!! 

Just as a little reminder the challenges we have for the read-a-thon are as follows:

- Read a Red or Green Coloured Book

- Read a Book You Wanted to Read All Year

- Finish Off That Series! Read a Concluding Book of a Series

- Read a Sequel Book

- Read a Total of 4 Books.

Remember if you want to be in with a chance to win a book of your choice up to the value of $15 from The Book Depository head over here and get your name in! The person who completes the challenges the best will win this prize. So also remember to keep your progress updated too!!

Also join us on twitter @Read_Endof2015 and by using the #Endof2015Readathon for sprints and fun games and mini challenges too.

Just like last year we have our daily challenge / game being posted up on each of the hosting blogs so keep an eye out for them.

Our two hosts are:

Jayne - http://www.booking-awesome.blogspot.ie/?m=1

Cheyenne - https://onceuponatimelover8.wordpress.com/

Challenge #1

Today's my day to start and this one is a simple one as always. Day 1 is your TBR! Make a post showing us what your TBR is, comment below, post a picture on instagram, twitter or wherever, just let us see those TBR's.

Here is mine:

- The Sin Eater's Daughter by Melinda Salisbury

- Drowning Instinct by Ilsa J. Bick

- Winter by Marissa Meyer

- Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

So what are you guys reading for this awesome read-a-thon??

'Tis The Season Tag

'Tis The Season Tag

I saw this on PeruseProject's Youtube channel so yay! It's nearly Christmas, what a perfect time to do this tag!

1. Do you have a favourite winter read?

Nope, I actually just don't read by season really and I just go with the flow.... *whoosh*

2. Find a book with blue on the cover!

The first book that came to mind was 'Asking For It by Louise O' Neill' and it was such a life-changing book that everyone should read, seriously read it!

3. A book that you would put as a star on top of your Christmas Tree.

Oh such a hard question... I don't know. What book will I put as the star....... Help me!! I'm just going to go with Illuminae by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff. Such an amazing book and pretty!! Really pretty.

4. Pick one winter place that would be perfect for a winter vacation.

The landscape and setting of The Wolf Wilder is such a fascinating winter location in Russia. There's so much snow, woods and wolves, just a magical setting. 

5. Pick a fictional character that you would want to go with you on that winter vacation.

Well if I'm going to Russia, Dimitri Belikov is my man to come with me. He could show me all the sights and all those hidden gems of places that only locals would know.

6. Name a book that you really want for Christmas.

Winter by Marissa Meyer!!! I need this book!!

7. Name your favourite movie, treat and activity to do during Christmas!

Movie - Any Harry Potter movie. It's not Christmas, if the Harry Potter movies are not marathoning during Christmas on TV.

Treat - Flan, hmmmmm. Sponge base, fresh cream layered on top and of course a crumbled flake on top. Only at Christmas do I get to have a flan.

Activity - Whatever is on occasion for that Christmas. There's breaking crackers, playing with toys, getting up at 6am, the whole shebang! I just love spending Christmas with my family.

Wishlist Wednesday #14

Wishlist Wednesday #14

Wishlist Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted over at Pen to Paper. This meme is where you showcase one book that is on your wishlist and that you can't wait to get off your wishlist and into your hands.

On my Wishlist Wednesday today is....

Confess by Colleen Hoover

Auburn Reed has her entire life mapped out. Her goals are in sight and there’s no room for mistakes. But when she walks into a Dallas art studio in search of a job, she doesn’t expect to find a deep attraction to the enigmatic artist who works there, Owen Gentry.

For once, Auburn takes a risk and puts her heart in control, only to discover Owen is keeping major secrets from coming out. The magnitude of his past threatens to destroy everything important to Auburn, and the only way to get her life back on track is to cut Owen out of it.

The last thing Owen wants is to lose Auburn, but he can’t seem to convince her that truth is sometimes as subjective as art. All he would have to do to save their relationship is confess. But in this case, the confession could be much more destructive than the actual sin…

Sticking with Colleen Hoover, this is the second book that I want to read from her. I've heard so much hype, praise and love for Confess and I really want to read it too. This book also won the Goodreads Choice Awards so I think it'll be a great all-rounder.

Have you read this book?? 
Is it on your wishlist??

What have you got on your wishlist??

Top Ten Tuesday #27

Top Ten Tuesday #27

Top Ten Books I Wouldn't Mind Santa Leaving Under My Tree This Year.

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and The Bookish and consists of them picking a topic each week for us bloggers to list our Top Ten.

Yay! A Christmas Wishlist list!!

1. Winter by Marissa Meyer
The final book in The Lunar Chronicles series and I literally can't wait to get my hands on it. (PS My little 7 year old brother has already gotten me this book for Christmas because I showed it to him and he said he'd get it for me, so it's already wrapped and waiting..)

2. Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
After reading Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys I really want to read more of her books and this one is her only other published work - her debut, so hint, hint Santa!!

3. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
I saw so much hype over this book since it was released a few years back and the concept behind the book just sounds do interesting. You guys might remember seeing this book featured in my Wishlist Wednesday just a few weeks ago :P




4. The Diviners by Libba Bray
I've heard such good things about this book that I really want to get it and read it. What do you say, Santa??

5. Drowning Instinct by Ilsa J. Bick
Another book I've been wanting for a while now. I've read Ilsa J. Bick's Ashes trilogy and loved it and this is her Contemporary / Realistic Fiction about a student / teacher relationship. I'm intrigued. Come on Santa, please!!

6. Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
I love Historical Fiction and from everything that I've heard about this book, this is a great one, so Santa, nudge, nudge....



7. Not A Drop To Drink by Mindy McGuinnis
I really, really, really want to read this book. I've wanted to read it since it's release and then the sequel came out and then Mindy's new book came out an I am still here waiting to read the first one. *sigh*. I think Santa might be nice and drop this book in my stocking :P

8. Soundless by Richelle Mead
I love Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy and Bloodlines series so when I found out she had written a standalone fantasy novel, I was like hell ya. I know this book is really short but still I really would like it for Christmas, Santa.

9. In The Shadow Of Blackbirds by Cat Winters
I had heard about Cat Winters in passing a few time in my trolls through blogs, booktube and Goodreads so one day I just decided to look her up and see what type of books she's written and I can honestly tell you they are right up my alley. I just really want to read Cat Winters now and I believe this is her first book (I could be wrong) but I definitely just want to see this book or any one of her books under my tree this year.



10. An Ember In The Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
This book has been everywhere since its release, but amazing and well not unsurprisingly either I have not seen it in one bookshop in this entire country, so Santa, maybe I can get it from you!!





What books do you hope to find under your Christmas tree this year?

Book Review - Monsters by Ilsa J. Bick

Monsters

(Ashes Trilogy #3)

Author: Ilsa J. Bick

Genres: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Dystopia, Zombies. 

Published: September 26 2013

Pages: 688 pages (Paperback) (Quercus)

Read: November 2015

Rating: 5 Stars

(SPOILERS FOR PREVIOUS BOOKS BELOW!!)

The Changed are on the move. The Spared are out of time. The End...is now.

When her parents died, Alex thought things couldn't get much worse-until the doctors found the monster in her head.

She headed into the wilderness as a good-bye, to leave everything behind. But then the end of the world happened, and Alex took the first step down a treacherous road of betrayal and terror and death.

Now, with no hope of rescue-on the brink of starvation in a winter that just won't quit-she discovers a new and horrifying truth.

The Change isn't over.
The Changed are still evolving.
And...they've had help.

With this final volume of The Ashes Trilogy, Ilsa J. Bick delivers a riveting, blockbuster finish, returning readers to a brutal, post-apocalyptic world where no one is safe and hope is in short supply.

A world where, from these ashes, the monsters may rise.

Book 52/60 - 2015 Goodreads Reading Challenge

Monsters is the final book in the Ashes Trilogy by Ilsa J. Bick and what a conclusion it was!

I can honestly say that I loved this concluding book to this trilogy.

One very, very useful and key point to this book was that at the beginning was a list of the main characters and the predicaments they had found themselves in at the end of Shadows, the second book. I found this handy and useful to just get the brush up in a quick page of what was happening with everyone. This is something that a lot of books could really do with. 

Monsters was a monster of a book (no pun intended!). It was quite a large and slow burning read. We got to see the same times and events through a number of different eyes and I know this can become quite tedious at points but I can honestly say that it wasn't here because every point of view added more and more to the story. I personally loved the fact that there were so many points of views because it felt like I was getting the full, whole story, not just snippets from a few or even one character. 

Even though this book was slow burning, it was still intense. There was just as much action and survival grittiness in this book just like we'd seen in both previous books. 

A problem I've seen that many people had with this book was the ending, but I personally loved it. The ending of this book was left open. It was left for you to figure out where things go from that point on. It wasn't tied up in a pretty little bow and it certainly didn't answer all of the questions in the book but it was realistic. 

I literally just fell in love with this series from the get go and I know for certain that this series is and will stay as one of my favourite series that I have ever read. 

I look forward to reading more from Ilsa J. Bick especially if she comes out with another dystopia / horror / zombie type book but I will be certain to look into everything other genre book she writes also.

It's The End Of 2015 Read-A-Thon

It's The End Of 2015 Read-A-Thon

Here we go again! It's that time of year for the 'It's The End of 2015' Read-A-Thon!

This year the read-a-thon is running from December 25th to December 31st!

We also have some new challenges and games this year too.

The challenges are:

- Read a Red or Green Coloured Book

- Read a Book You Wanted To Read All Year

- Finish Off That Series!

- Read a Sequel

- Read a Total of Four Books

The games you will here about closer to the time!

We will also have graphics closer to the time too, they are being created as I speak!

Plus we have a twitter! Where awesome sprints will be running - @Read_Endof2015 Go follow it!!

And there is also a Goodreads Group too! -

If you plan on joining us this year, post a comment down below with a link to the main place you'll be commenting / doing the challenges from whether it is your blog, twitter, youtube so on and so forth.

We also have some prizes to give away this year. There will be an overall prize and some mini prizes too. For the overall prize though you must have commented HERE to sign up and your name must be on the list below!

The awesome Jayne and Cheyenne will be co-hosting this with me again this year. Their info and schedule again will be posted soon at a later date.

And that is it for now! More info to come soon. I hope you will all join us for this :D

Participants:

Wishlist Wednesday #13

Wishlist Wednesday #13

Wishlist Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted over at Pen to Paper. This meme is where you showcase one book that is on your wishlist and that you can't wait to get off your wishlist and into your hands.

On my Wishlist Wednesday today is....

Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover

When Tate Collins meets airline pilot Miles Archer, she knows it isn’t love at first sight. They wouldn’t even go so far as to consider themselves friends. The only thing Tate and Miles have in common is an undeniable mutual attraction. Once their desires are out in the open, they realize they have the perfect set-up. He doesn’t want love, she doesn’t have time for love, so that just leaves the sex. Their arrangement could be surprisingly seamless, as long as Tate can stick to the only two rules Miles has for her.

Never ask about the past.
Don’t expect a future.

They think they can handle it, but realize almost immediately they can’t handle it at all.

Hearts get infiltrated.
Promises get broken.
Rules get shattered.
Love gets ugly.

I have heard so much about Colleen Hoover and well now I've decided that I'm going to give her a shot. Since this year alone I read and loved so many Contemporary / Realistic Fiction novels which wouldn't have happened in the years before this year and I've decided to now branch out into Colleen Hoover's New Adult too. I really want to read Ugly Love because the concept interests me so much.  

Have you read this book?? 
Is it on your wishlist??

What have you got on your wishlist??

Top Ten Tuesday #26

Top Ten Tuesday #26

Top Ten Books I Read In 2015.

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and The Bookish and consists of them picking a topic each week for us bloggers to list our Top Ten.

This is also going to be another tough topic! I had an awesome reading year this year and well even though I'm not finished reading yet for the year here are my favourites so far:

1. Illuminae by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff
Oh my God! Oh my God! Oh my God! This book was such a rush! It was an amazing book and I was just hooked from the get go in this one and of course it made it to my top 10 favourites.

2. More Than This by Patrick Ness
This was a book that I read at the beginning of this year and it blew me away! I knew nothing walking into More Than This and it just blew my mind. I was constantly reading and thinking about this book. Just pure amazing.

3. I'll Give You The Sun by Jandy Nelson
I also read Jandy's debut novel this year and have to admit that I didn't like it so I was hesitant to pick this one up but I'm glad I did because wow! This book again was breathtaking and I loved every inch of it.




4. Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys
My first read from Ruta Sepetys and she became an auto-buy author after it. I really, really loved this book. It was just extraordinary and I literally couldn't put it down when I was reading it.

5. Unbecoming by Jenny Downham
This is another contemporary book that just blew me away because it was so moving that it even left me in tears. I fell in love with the characters in this book and of course it was an ultimate favourite of mine this year.

6. Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson
This was the book that started me reading Contemporary / Realistic Fiction, so of course it is definitely an absolute favourite. I loved the story of friendship and finding yourself in this book.



7. The Young Elites by Marie Lu
I love Marie Lu and I got to read her first book in her new series this year and it just solidified my love for this author. The Young Elites was just such a  unique and dark book and I just loved the concept that our main protagonist in this book was an anti-hero.

8. Conversion by Katherine How
I had been looking at this book for a while and then it got re-released this year so I picked it up nearly immediately and loved it! I loved the Salem and witch and historical fiction and high school aspects of this book and I just fell in love.

9. Asking For It by Louise O' Neill
This book was so intense and gripping and revolved around such a 'taboo' topic really. It's hard to say I loved this book because of the subject but it had me so compelled. I admire the way the author told the story as the truth. There was no sugar coating in this and that is why I have added this book to my favourites.



10. The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows by Ava Lavender
Ya'll know I love this book. It was just so beautiful. The writing was incredible and loved the magical realism in this story. This was the first magical realism book I read and cannot wait to discover and dive deeper into this genre.

11. Cress by Marissa Meyer
I cheated, I know, but I couldn't leave out this book! Cress was just so amazing and I cannot wait to get Winter and read it but I don't want this series to end!!!




What were some of your favourite reads of 2015?