July Wrap Up

Hey guys!

So we’ve decided we’re going to do monthly wrap-up posts seeing as we’re not doing tbr posts anymore. We pretty much read the same books this month in preparation for the book signings we went to. This is just a post to tell you what we’ve read in July and also the signings we went to this month, which were great!

Caroline-

In July I managed to read the books for these book signings, but also got more books read for Gayle Forman’s as I hadn’t read If I stay or Where she went before which are AMAZING!!

Jen –

In July I read a total of 4 books which is more than I thought I’d get done so I’m delighted with myself because they were all really good!

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

Carrie –

I was so excited to read this book because I had heard so many great things and I was not disappointed!

Zélie remembers when the soil of Orissa hummed with magic. Everything changed the night magic disappeared. Now Zélie is sent on this quest to help restore magic before it is lost forever.

I loved the storyline of this book, honestly anything to do with magic and I’m hooked! It was such a good book, I loved the characters as well, and what happened at the end I’m hoping is cleared up in the next book!

Jen –

First things first…Tomi Adeyemi is a genius!!!

This book was honestly one of the best fantasy books I had read in a while! It was so action packed right from the very start, things were hectic straight away but it wasn’t rushed! The pacing was so well done. The magic system and characters are so well thought out, so is the plot! The representation this book involves is amazing! A strong black female character as the protagonist of a popular YA novel is such a special, heartwarming thing to see! I can’t wait for the next book 🙂

The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton

Carrie –

Camille Beauregard is a Belle. Belles control beauty and in Orleans, where people are born gray, a Belles is the only one that can help them be beautiful. beauty is everything.

I did find this book slow at the start, but then you discover the ugly truth in what is supposed to be this beautiful world that the Belles can create, and the story became so intriguing.

I also loved Remy in this book, so I can’t wait to find out what will happen in the next one.

Jen –

I really enjoyed this book! It was so brilliant and a fun read!

The story was so fun and pretty and normal enough for the most part but the twists and plot changes that take place were so crazy. They got me hooked and so bet into the story and what was going to happen next! It felt like a Disney princess story gone dark!

Dhonielle Clayton’s writing is so effortlessly beautiful , that woman has a way of teaching you something through her words!

The Weight Of A Thousand Feathers by Brian Conaghan

Carrie –

Bobby is a young carer who cares for his mam that suffers from MS. It’s a heartbreaking story of Bobby having to deal with caring for his mam, his little brother and trying to figure out his own life and being faced with an impossible choice.

This book was a beautifully written story, full of heartbreak and above all love. I also loved how the author included the poems that the main character wrote, it made this book even more heartbreaking and incredible.

Jen –

As sad as it was, this book was just what I needed after reading two fantasy novels!

I adored the character of Bobby in this story, something about him just made me want to be his friend! Brian has a real talent for writing such raw/real characters.

The family dynamic was lovely to see as they were very close but also the situation of the mother being sick is heartbreaking to read and to see the characters go through that!

I loved that Bobby’s sexuality wasn’t the main factor of this book, it was expressed in a way that it wasn’t made a big deal! I love the way Brian just left it open, not having a label put on it.

I Have Lost My Way by Gayle Forman

Carrie –

This story is about three different characters that have each lost their way, but by finding each other might be able to find it again.

“I have lost my way”. This sentence had me hooked from the beginning as I relate to it so much. I could feel each of these characters emotions and fears, and wanted them to just find their way and be happy.

I am so happy with how this book ended. We always get to where we are meant to be and who we are meant to be with even if it takes awhile. Even if we lose ourselves along the way.

“I have lost my way” but all these characters find it again.

Jen –

This was such a fun read!

Seeing these 3 characters coming together because of an accident that happens while all of them are in the same place is what kicks off this book which I thought was really cool! Unfortunate circumstances brings them together which I thought was really beautiful! The things they get up to, the realizations they make and the fears/struggles they overcome because of eachother was my favourite part of this book!

Also the representation in this book was really great to see!

Book signings

We were so excited to go to these book signings as we had loved all the books so much and these authors are honestly amazing! The book signings were so fun and it was great to see all of our bookish friends as well!

April Wrap Up

Hi guys, this post is coming to you a bit later than we would of liked but it’s finally here (sorry again😂)

Also for our TBR’s each month they might change to what we had originally planned to read. Thanks for your patience guys – Caroline and Jen x

Caroline-

For this month I didn’t read what I had originally planned to as I went to a book signing so I had to read the book for that author, and I was a tad bit ambitious with my tbr pile 😅 these are the books I did read:

Ignite Me- Tahereh Mafi

I love how Juliette finally realised the strength she has within herself in this book. She’s not the scared timid character we met in Shatter Me and it’s amazing to see how far she’s come.

To finally realise Warner’s intentions this whole time was a revelation and also heartbreaking as we see how broken he is but also how much Juliette makes him feel alive again.

Restore Me- Tahereh Mafi

OK THIS BOOK I WAS SCREAMING!!

In this book we see Juliette trying to be the leader of The Reestablishment and trying to figure out how to do that. Then unexpected twists and turns happen and she finally finds out the truth about her past.

She struggles to deal with what she’s been told by Warner, and ok I wanted to slap Warner in the head a few times throughout this because I was like just tell the truth goddammit!!

I love Kenji so much in this because he’s just real and he doesn’t bullshit around anything, and I’m legit in love with his character, and the moments in this with him and Warner.

The twist at the end that you think is it and then BAM another twist and you’re shook honestly. I don’t know how I’m going to wait for the next book, I NEED IT NOW!!

Clean- Juno Dawson

This book has trigger warnings before you read it and I think that’s a good thing to have, but also made me wary of reading it because I didn’t know how I would feel.

I do have mixed feelings about this book. At some stages I was getting a bit frustrated with Lexi who is the main character, but I knew it was her addiction that was making her be a bit of a bitch in it if I’m honest 😂 she was very reliant on people who were very toxic in her life.

I am glad how the story turned out and it didn’t trigger me as much as I thought it would which was a huge bonus. Lexi finally works out who she is and deals with her past. It was a really good read.

Jennifer-

So once again April was a flop for me in terms of reading. I only finished 3 books in total and those weren’t even my tbr books, I mean one was 🤷🏼‍♀️

The Upside of Unrequited- Becky Albertalli

The first book in read in the month of April was The Upside it Unrequited by Becky Albertalli. I really enjoyed this book, it was so nice to read something fun and fluffy because I had been reading so much fantasy. The representation was amazing in this book with Cassie being interested in having a relationship with a girl, Molly having what I think to be an un represented body type in YA…also…GAY MARRIAGE!!! Molly having so many crushes but not doing anything about them was so relatable 😂 The relationship between Cassie and Molly was fun to read about as it goes through stages over the course of the book. I thought Reid was so cute, his funny and nerdy personality reminded me a lot of my boyfriend. Also loved the fact that he didn’t care about what other people think of him. Seeing and hearing about characters from Simon vs the Homosapiens Agenda was so much fun. All around I thought this book was an enjoyable read.

Harry Potter and The Philosophers Stone- J.K. Rowling

The next book I completed was a re-read of Harry Potter and The Philosophers Stone. Being back in this world was amazing. I had missed it so much! I couldn’t put it down when reading it, literally felt like I was chilling in Hogwarts with Harry and the gang. Hagrid is my favourite character so him featuring heavily in this book is always nice, I feel so comforted when reading about him. The part where Harry is being taught about Quidditch by Oliver Wood was just like the movie scene playing out in my head which was so cool. The characters get up to mischief, learn a lot about spells, flying, quidditch (for Harry) and of course… Voldemort! I might do a review on this because I plan on doing a review for each book in the Harry Potter series just to have up on the blog.

Clean- Juno Dawson

Let me start of by saying wow! I loved this book so much! From the get go this book is gritty and intense which sets us up for quite the ride for the rest of the novel. Lexi is a rebellious teen that has no problems with money but has a problem with addiction which causes her to end up in a rehab centre which her brother brought her to. In this centre we are introduced to a group of likeable, funny and inclusive people who are also struggling with things such as: eating disorders, sex addiction, drug addiction and self harm.

The centres doctors are also very likeable characters, especially Mr Goldstein, I really enjoyed reading about him. I thought this was a very well written and compelling novel. Juno Dawson done an amazing job at writing such an inclusive, gritty and heart wrenching story. One of my favourite books this year so I’m adding that to my list of reviewsto do.

Reading Habits Book Tag!

Hey guys!

Today we’ll be doing the Reading Habits Book Tag, we were tagged by our lovely friend Ross over at The Royal Bookshelf . You should check his blog out, he really puts a lot of effort into what he does and it definitely pays off 🙂

Now…onto the questions!

1. Bookmarks or random pieces of paper?

Caroline: I prefer bookmarks but if i’m out somewhere and get a new book then i’ll use a receipt or a ticket stub.

Jennifer: I use bookmarks most of the time but the odd time I’ll be reading somewhere else other than my house or so i’ll grab the first thing I see in my bag. Like right now i’m using my dentist appointment card 😂

2. Stop reading randomly or after a chapter/certain amount of pages?

Caroline: I tend to stop after a chapter.

Jennifer: I usually finish the chapter i’m on or finish a page that ends with a full stop.

3. Do you have a certain place at home for reading?

Caroline: I usually read in my sitting room.

Jennifer: I usually read in my room on my bed or on my sofa.

4. Do you eat or drink whilst reading?

Caroline: Sometimes I would eat whilst reading but I don’t wanna get food on the book 😂 I’m usually drinking water or having a cup of tea.

Jennifer: Whenever you see me with a book you’ll see me with a cup of tea/coffee.

5. Multitasking: music or Tv when reading?

Caroline: I usually have the tv on in the background when I’m reading and sometimes have my earphones in listening to music.

Jennifer: My mam does have the tv on when I’m reading in the sitting room or I’m either listening to music if I’m reading in my room.

6. One book at a time or several?

Caroline: I’m trying to read one book at a time as I had a habit of moving onto a new book before I’ve finished the other one.

Jennifer: I typically read one book at a time or i’ll read a physical book and then at night when I turn off my light I’ll read an ebook on my phone.

7. Reading at home or everywhere?

Caroline: I like to read anywhere.

Jennifer: I literally read everywhere!

8. Reading out loud or silently?

Caroline: Silently definitely.

Jennifer: I read silently.

9. Breaking the spine or keeping it like new?

Caroline: I hate breaking the spine but they tend to break whilst you’re reading the book.

Jennifer: I try my best to not break the spine, I don’t like it but it’s bound to happen.

10. Do you write in your books?

Caroline: No definitely not.

Jennifer: Hell no!

11. Who do you tag?

Plot monster , One thousand lives , Dreamy addictions.

We also tag anyone who wants to take part in this tag. Once again, thank you for reading! 🙂

Happy reading!

Caroline and Jennifer x

The Cruel Prince review and Book Signing!

Hi guys, this is our book review for The Cruel Prince and a little overview of what happened when we went to the book signing. Hope you guys enjoy it 🙂 – Caroline and Jen x

The Cruel Prince review and Holly Black book signing:

Caroline-

“Of course I want to be like them. They’re beautiful as blades forged in some divine fire. They will live forever. And Cardan is even more beautiful than the rest.”

I love anything to do with Faerie so I knew I was going to dive right into this book.

I honestly loved it so much!

Jude who is human sees her parents murdered by a Faerie who turns out to be her older sisters father, and she is brought to the world of Faerie. This world is completely unknown to Jude and she’s trying to figure out how to survive in it and how to protect the ones she loves most.

In this story we see a lot of ways that love is different. Jude comes to love the man that killed her parents as he is now the only parent she knows, and in a way he loves them all as well.

From the start it is a suspenseful thrill ride with twists and turns, deception, love and betrayal.

We see lots of different characters with lots of different character traits and it’s hard to figure out who is genuine and who isn’t. They all have their own game that they play and it’s intriguing to find out how it will play out.

With a Cruel Prince like Cardan in the story-who we hate to love at first but then I completely fell in love with- it adds intrigue into the story and we see many different sides to him. I completely fell in love with him and this story and I’d say many others did as well!

I need the next book immediately, Holly Black is a Queen.

Jennifer-

The Cruel Prince opens with a brutal murder taking place. Jude and her sisters are witness to their parents being killed my non other than Vivi’s biological father, Madoc. Madoc wants his daughter to come live with him in the world of faerie. Realizing that he’s left the other two girls without parents he now has to bring them along to live in a world that’s isn’t their own. Mortals in a world with the majority of the population being faeries? Not a great mix. Jude and her sister Taryn are mocked and tormented constantly by some of their classmates. In order to survive in this new world full of danger, betrayal, politics and treachery Jude comes to terms with needing to be just as smart and deceitful as the fey themselves.

I absolutely adore this magical world and characters which Holly Black has so cleverly created. That woman is a genius I swear! The storytelling in this book was amazing and transported me to a completely different place which is what I especially love about fantasy worlds like this. I was so impressed with the writing style and how it was told through Jude’s perspective as a mortal in the world of faerie.

I liked how romance wasn’t the main focus but was an underlying factor within the story.

What I most enjoyed was the political aspect within the courts and how certain people within them would be willing to do anything for power. We see some characters work together behind others backs but it isn’t what you think in some cases. The ending of this story was such an unexpected turn for me which I quite enjoyed.

Holly Black book signing-

We went to the Holly Black signing for The Cruel Prince the 22nd of March, in Easons in Dublin. It was so nice to hear her talking about the book and what her inspiration is for writing. People were able to ask her questions about The Cruel Prince and her other books and it was great to hear what she had to say.

While we were waiting to get our book signed, the lovely people of Easons gave us free book merch, which consisted of; a snippet of her next book in the series- The Wicked King, a black candle (that smells amazing!), black heart lollipops, a bookmark and a small postcard size painting. Who doesn’t love free book merch though! We were able to get an individual picture with her after we got our book signed and a group one of both of us with her to show you guys on this!:) It was such a great evening, and she has fabulous blue hair!!

Rapid Fire Book Tag

Hey guys! Jennifer here 🙂 Just thought i’d do a fun book tag to have up before my next post. I’ve seen this go around booktube over the past few years and got the inspiration from JesseTheReader and ReadByZoe. Enjoy! 😊

E-book or physical book?

Definitely physical!! I love the feeling of having the book in my hand and seeing how far I am as I go on.

Paperback or hardback?

Paperbacks are a lot cheaper which suits me best but I do get the occasional hardback 🙂

Online or in-store book shopping?

In-store 100%! I like to see all the books laid out and the deals/sales they do have.

Trilogies or series?

Series as I get a more fleshed out world/characters. I tend to want that little bit more from trilogies even though I enjoy them.

Heroes or villains?

Villains. Don’t get me wrong I love a good ‘hero saves the day’ moment but it’s so much fun to learn about villains and how they came to be what they are.

A book you want everyone to read…

A book I want everyone to read is History Is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera and the Hate U Give by Angie Thomas.

Recommend an underrated book..

If I Stay & Where She Went by Gayle Forman.

The last book you finished…

Everless by Sara Holland

The last book you bought…

Kings Cage by Victoria Aveyard

Weirdest thing you’ve ever used as a bookmark…

A pringles lid

Used books – yes or no?

I’m definitely open to reading used books, I’ve done it before 🙂

Top three favourite genres…

Urban Fantasy, Dystopian and Contemporary.

Borrow or buy?

Buy, I’m a book hoarder.

Character or plot?

Character driven stories make the story into what it is, but I do love a good plot so I’m going to have to say both.

Long or short books?

Both!

Long or short chapters?

Somewhere in-between.

The first three books you can think of…

City of Glass, Fangirl and Clockwork Princess.

Books that make you laugh or cry?

Books that make me cry, they have a bigger impact on me.

Our world or fictional world?

Fictional!

Audiobook – yes or no?

I never really listen to them.

Ever judge a book by its cover?

I know they say not to but of course I do! I just seen such a pretty cover and I already have it on my tbr.

Book to movie or book to tv adaptation?

Book to movie.

A movie or tv show you prefer to its book.

Mockingjay (both parts were amazing!)

Series or standalones?

Depends on the genre. I prefer series for fantasy books and contemporary/mystery books for standalones.

If you got this far I applaud you. *high five*. Hope you all enjoyed! Feel free to do this tag if you haven’t already 🙂 As always thank you for reading.

– Jennifer ✌🏻

Get to know us

3 facts about you (non bookish) –

Caroline:

Ok the first one is that I am obsessed with tattoos! The majority of my body is nearly covered in them! I just love being able to add beautiful art to my skin. Second one is that I have two dogs, one is a Yorkshire terrier and the second is a Frussel who is a mix between a Jack Russel and a French Bulldog, his name is Kaz. Finally the third fact is that I love singing and music, it’s got me through a lot.

Jennifer:

I have 3 dogs, 2 cats and a fish, can you tell I like animals?  I’m a vegetarian and have been for 12 years now.  I made the decision very early on in life at the age of 9.  I love all things music, it’s something that I hold very near to my heart.  It impacts my mood greatly.  I’d go crazy if I didn’t have it in my life.

What is your first memory of reading-

Caroline:

My first memory of reading was when I was in primary school, I think I was 6 or 7 and all I asked my mam for my birthday was a book.  The first proper book I read and finished was The Witches, by Roald Dahl.  I remember telling everyone that I finished a book, I was so happy.

Jennifer:

It would have to be when my mam would take me to the library when I was about 6 and let me pick out a few books at a time every 2 weeks.  She also used to bring me to the bookshop sometimes and let me buy a book as a treat, I’ve been in love with books since.

Favourite book(s) as a child-

Caroline:

This would have to be The Wishing Chair Collection by Enid Blyton.  I remember is was the first huge book that I had managed to finish and I was so proud of myself.  Also anything by Jaqueline Wilson, I loved her books.

Jennifer:

I remember my favourite books being anything by Roald Dahl or Dr Seuss.  I couldn’t get enough of them!

Favourite/Least Favourite genre-

Caroline:

My favourite genre would have to be young adult, fantasy and dystopian. My least favourite is Crime.

Jennifer:

My favourite genre would have to be urban fantasy and dystopian.  I’d say my least favourite is historical fiction, mainly because I haven’t read much of it.

Biggest Book Influences-

Caroline:

My biggest book influences would have to be The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare.  All her books are full of bravery, sacrifice and love.  It has everything  in it them makes a story real!  Also All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven.  That book broke my heart but it has such an  important issue that I’m glad was discussed.  Also The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.  It wasn’t a book I would normally read, but I fell in love with the characters so much and in the end it broke my heart.  And finally Stephanie Meyer.  Twilight was the first proper ‘adult’ book that I read and what got me hooked to reading, it still means a lot to me to this day.

Jennifer:

My biggest book influences would have to be The Harry Potter series by JK Rowling (cliché I know but I grew up with that series).  Twilight by Stephenie Meyer of course (it holds a special place in my heart), The Manifesto on How to be Interesting by Holly Bourne, that book helped me through a really tough time.  Last but not least  The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare.

Your favourite author-

Caroline:

Ok this is so hard to choose because there are so many.  I love Cassandra Clare she is a queen!  Also Leigh Bardugo, I love all her books so much, and last but not least, Tahereh Mafi.  The Shatter Me series is just amazing!

Jennifer:

My favourite author is without a doubt is Cassandra Clare!! Her books have taught me so much and has everything I could ever want in a story. She is dedicated to her world building and her fans. I’ve met her twice and I have to say she’s the loveliest woman, she had so much time for me which was amazing. It showed she genuinely cared.

Last book you read-

Caroline:

Traitor to the Throne by Alwyn Hamiton.  I re read the book in preparation for the last book in the series.

Jennifer:

The last book I read is Everless by Sara Holland (review coming out soon!).

What book are you currently reading-

Caroline:

I’m currently reading Hero at the Fall also by Alwyn Hamilton.  It’s the last book in the series and I’m so sad it’s going to be over.

Jennifer:

I am currently reading Simon Vs. The HomoSapiens Agenda.  I am loving it and cannot wait for the movie coming out soon :).

What inspired you to start blogging?-

Caroline:

The reason I wanted to start blogging is because I have a huge love for books and anything book related. I’ve seen people using certain platforms to talk about their love of books and give reviews on them for other people to see and I thought that was a really interesting thing to do, and something I wanted to do.

Jennifer:

I had always read blogs and watched many booktubers and always loved how they were sharing their views and opinions for books with other people in the book community so that definitely striked something in me as I wanted to be a part of that.

What to expect from us?-

Book tags and hauls of all the books we buy.  Reviews of all genres and book to movie adaptations.  Monthly TBR’s and wrap ups.  Book event coverage, we’ll be attending a lot of book signings and launches this year, so expect a rundown of what went down at those! We hope to eventually do the occasional author interview in the future (fingers crossed!). Well we hope this has given you an insight into what we are all about and what to expect from our blog in the future:)