Book Junkie Trials – Scribe TBR

Well hi there,

I haven’t posted on this blog in a year and a half? So, if you’re reading this, wow well done you found your way to me somehow- which I’m very happy about!!

I wanted to officially declare my Book Junkie Trials TBR in order to hold myself accountable to reading the books I said I would!

In case you’re not aware (somehow), The Book Junkie Trials is a month long readathon in July being hosted by Rachael Marie- so for details check out her announcement video and the readathon official Twitter!

I’m just going to cut to the chase- I took the personality test and got Scribe which I’m very happy with so sticking with my recommended group- so here are the challenges for Scribe and the books I will read for it!

1.Dwarf Mount: Read a book with a hint of romance to get you in the mood.

Cinder by Marissa Meyer – this has been on my physical TBR shelf for at least four years, clearly I missed the hype BIG time but something makes me not donate this book every time I look at it so now I will force myself to read it! yay?

2. Apothecary Towers: choose a book at random from your bookshelf.

We Are Okay by Nina LaCour – this will be my first Nina LaCour book, and whilst the blurb doesn’t give much away, it sounds very intriguing.

3. The Great Library: find and read a book that has been on your TBR forever.

Deathnote by Tsugumi Ohba – ok I think this is the book that’s survived the longest on my physical TBR shelf, I think I bought it in 2013? I watched some on the anime years ago as well so already know I’m gunna love this so why haven’t I read it yet? guess I’m just a piece of shit? 

4. The Drowning Deep: Read a book with rich world-building that will suck you into its own world, instead. (I’m incorporating the Scribe weakness of having to read one book over 500 pages in this!)

On a Sunbeam by Tille Walden – this is what I’m most excited for!! I saw Alice Oseman (my #1 queen) recommended this a while back and cannot wait to read it!

5. The Bookie Grail: 

Stardust by Neil Gaiman – For once, I actually already owned a group book for a readathon! I’ve seen the film about 100000 times so I’m hoping they’re a little different?!

So, there we go! I’m so excited for this TBR and wish I could start now honestly! Maybe I’ll even post a wrap-up (telling myself this so I can hold myself accountable again woops) but maybe not? We’ll see I guess!

Are you joining the Book Junkie Trials?! I want to know what team you are in and which book you’re most excited to read in July!

Thanks for reading

 

Victober 2017 Update

Hello again friends,

I wanted to just post a quick halfway update to show my progress in reading Victorian books in October- you can find my TBR here.

I work a full time job and commute 3 hours a day, so I find it hard to spend a lot of time reading because I don’t feel like I have that much time. But, I think reading is one of those things you have to consciously make time for instead of making excuses for not doing it.

That being said, I started the month with Cranford– I was told it was going to be a slow and not particularly engaging read and that ended up being the case- it took me almost 2 weeks to finish! I ended up giving it 3 stars because the majority of the book was interesting to read but some sections dragged more than I would have liked. I’ve definitely excited and keen to read other works by Elizabeth Gaskell. That completed the challenge of reading a recommended Victorian novel!

I finished Cranford on the 11th, and didn’t read anything for a few days because I wasn’t particularly inspired by any of the books on my TBR. But, I ended up taking A Study in Scarlet with me to work on Friday 13th and although I only managed to read about 20 pages, I fell in love with it immediately! As the timing fitted perfectly, I ended up participating in #ReadathonByZoe on Saturday and managed to finish reading A Study in Scarlet! I gave it 5 stars and definitely want to read more Sherlock Holmes in the future! As Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was Scottish, that completed the challenge of reading a Victorian novel by a Scottish, Welsh or Irish writer.

After finishing that book, I still had some time in the readathon to get onto another book and as the suggested theme was spooky, I decided to go with Carmilla. Although I fell asleep before finishing it, and therefore did not complete it in the readathon, I finished that last 30 pages this morning. I have really mixed feelings about Carmilla, I honestly expected to not really like it that much and was surprised by the first 70 or so pages that I really did enjoy it. However, I personally felt the end dragged out way too much and, for that reason, I ended up giving in 3 stars. That completed my supernatural Victorian novel challenge.

So, halfway through the month and I’ve read the 3 shortest books on my TBR with the longest 2 still to go! I think I’ll read Agnes Grey next, and I really hope to get to The Warden before the month ends. Although there are some other books I really want to read before Halloween so we’ll have to see!

Thanks for reading my babblings and let me know if you participated in ReadathonByZoe or are currently doing Victober- I want to know how everyone is getting on!

Until next time, Hannah x

 

Victober 2017 TBR

Hey friends!

I’m back to talk about one of my favourite things in life- readathons! And I’m super excited about this one because I’ve been getting more into classics so this is the perfect opportunity to knock some Victorian books off my list!

If you have no clue what this readathon is, it’s just challenges related to reading Victorian fiction in October! I found this through watching Lucy  the Reader’s video on it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSr3GZtdEkM

So, let’s get on with what I’d like to read for each challenge! There’s no way in hell I’m going to read all of them because I work a full time job but a girl can dream!

Challenge 1: Read a Victorian novel by a Scottish, Irish or Welsh author

A Study in Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle- I tried to read this maybe 5 years ago and just never ended up getting through it for some reason so I’m excited to start from the beginning with this story because I remember nothing!

Challenge 2: Read a Victorian novel that was recommended to you

Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell- I’ve never read anything by Gaskell before and I know some people say this might not be the best place to start, due to the way it was originally published, but the idea of a slow paced look at characters and society is right up my street!

Challenge 3: Read a supernatural Victorian novel

Carmilla by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu- I’ve watched the web series of Carmilla and it’s what made me buy this tiny book a few years back but I never got round to it. I’ve always loved vampires so I’m going to try really hard to get to this one!

Challenge 4: Read a lesser known Victorian novel

The Warden by Anthony Trollope- The definition of lesser known in this readathon is less than 12,000 Goodreads views and this has 9,000 so pretty near the limit but the scandalous plot (for the time) of this book intrigued me the most out of all the books I researched!

Challenge 5: Read a Victorian novel by a female author

Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte- I have never read anything by Anne Bronte, but I love multiple works by both Charlotte and Emily and I find, in general, most people who like one author’s works will like all three. Either this or Cranford are going to be the first book of the readathon I think!

As you may be able to tell, I’ve tried to pick some shorter works but I still probably won’t have time for too many of them because of starting my new job last week but wish me luck!

Is anyone joining in for this readathon? I’m especially interested as to what people are reading for the lesser known novel, let me know!

Until next time, Hannah x

18 to read before 2018

Hi friends!

Since my last (and first) post I’ve hit a huge reading slump, nothing is grabbing my attention! I’m in the middle of at least 3 books at the moment with no motivation to finish any of them. So, I thought it would be good for me to get a list of books I’m excited to read in the next few months in an attempt to release myself from the slump!

FICTION

1. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
2. Vicious by V. E. Schwab
   • ADSOM series are some of my favourite books at the moment, and I also enjoyed the TSS duology so I want to read Vicious before the sequel comes out next year!
3. Fate of the Tearling by Erika Johnson
4. Nevernight by Jay Kristoff
5. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
   • I’m so nearly finished reading this one but it’s been on the go for a while and I really just need to do it!
6. The Gunslinger by Stephen King
7. Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
   • Been desperate to read this one for such a long time but the size is so intimidating!

CLASSICS

1. Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
   • I’m really wanting to read more classics at the moment and with Pride and Prejudice being one of my favourite books, I NEED to get to this one!
2. Little Women by Lousia Alcott
3. Persuasion by Jane Austen
4. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
   • This will be a reread for me- I read it in 2012 for school and can’t really remember too much so I’m keen to give it another go!
5. Doctor Zhivago by Boris Pasternak
6. 1984 by George Orwell
   • Another one that I’ve started and not finished yet!

NON-FICTION

1. Russian History (VSI) by Geoffrey Hosking
2. In the Skin of a Jihadist by Anna Erelle
3. Ekaterinburg by Helen Rappaport
4. Vikings (VSI) by Julian Richards
5. Four Sisters by Helen Rappaport

I’m not under any illusions that I’ll get round to reading all of these but it’s a little bit of motivation to get my reading butt in gear before the end of the year and meet my goodreads goal!

How are people doing with their goodreads goals? I’m about 5 behind currently! Let me know!

Until next time, Hannah x

 

 

Tome Topple: Round 4

I am completely addicted to readathons so it seems fitting that my first ever blog post is about a readathon!

This is my first ever time participating in Tome Topple but I am very excited to read (or attempt to read!) some of the biggest books stacked on my TBR! In case anyone reading this does not know- Tome Topple is a readathon based on reading books over 500 pages and, this round, lasts August 4th- August 18th 2017! So, the challenges and my TBR are as follows:

Challenges:

1. Read more than 1 tome
2. Read a graphic novel
3. Read a tome that is part of a series
4. Buddy read a tome
5. Read an adult novel

TBR:

• The Walking Dead- Compendium One by Kirkman, Adlard, Moore and Rathburn- I read the first 6 comics in this series a few years back and liked them so I am hoping that this will not be as intimidating as it seems right now! Completing challenge 2- TOTAL 1088 PAGES
• A Game of Thrones by George. R. R. Martin- Ok, please nobody hurt me but I have only just started watching the TV series and (of course) have really been enjoying it so when I saw this book in Tesco the other day for £3.85, there was no way I couldn’t pick it up! Hoping to find someone on the GoodReads or Twitter to buddy read this one with me! Completing challenge 4- TOTAL 780 PAGES
• Outlander by Diana Gabaldon- Another one where I love the TV series but I have always been too intimidated to try and read the book! I have both the physical and audiobook for this one, and because I already know the story, I’m thinking it’ll be the easiest of the lot to get through. Completing challenge 5- TOTAL 863 PAGES
• The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson- I cannot believe that I still haven’t read this book! Everyone I know always tells me that I’ll love it but I somehow have just been staring at it sitting on my shelves for at least 3 years! Really hoping that this one lives up to its hype! Completing challenge 3- TOTAL 643 PAGES

So, there we go! Very ambitious for the 2 week span of the readathon but I’m going to do my best and I am hoping because I’ve picked well known and loved books that none will be slow or put me in a mini-slump!

If anyone is reading this then please let me know what you are reading!

Until next time, Hannah x