Tuesday 2 February 2016

My 100th Post!!

SO THIS IS MY 100TH BLOG POST!!




When I first made this blog to keep track of the books I was reading during my Summer break in my second year of University I didn't think that I would have carried on with it for so long! I would like to say a big thank you to all the authors and publishers who have provided me with wonderful books to review. I would not have been able to keep this blog going for so long without you all providing me with a constant stream of books! I would also like to say thank you to everyone who follows and reads my blog, you guys are awesome. I thought I would celebrate this by taking part in a little Q&A to share a little more about myself!


When did you start blogging?


I created this blog in January 2012, but as I had so much work to do at University I didn't really start using it properly until around June. I initially didn't intend for it to be a book blog, as I thought I would use it to not only review books, but also review movies and talk about my life in general. However once the summer break started, I decided that I would use my blog to keep track of and review books that I read over the break. Back then I wasn't aware that book blogging was a huge community, so I just did my own thing, reviewing books that I would pick up at the library and giving them a rating. This was purely for my own benefit, as I was planning on stopping once I returned to university and looking back to see what I had read, along with what I enjoyed and didn't enjoy. However, although the blogging did slow down once I returned to University, I decided to keep the blog for when I was able to find time to read again.


How many books do you review per month?

It all depends on the amount of free time I can find to read, and the length of the books. Also I am a slow reader, so on average it is around three to four.

How do you choose which books to review?


This is always a difficult decision for me. I tend to get around six requests per week, which sadly means that I can never accept them all. I usually look at the genre of the book and read the blurb to see if it interests me. However I will admit that sometimes I make assumptions. For example I tend not to enjoy heterosexual contemporary romance novels, with the exception of some exceptional authors such as John Green and Rainbow Rowell. The amount of YA contemporary romance novels that I have read that have been more or less the same storyline is shocking. I'm also not a huge fan of love triangles and I feel as if they are usually horribly cliché. However I do enjoy certain love triangles where it isn't the typical two boys and a girl with the boys hating each other. A good example of a love triangle I have enjoyed is found in The Infernal Devices series which I highly recommend! (Also read to the end of this post to find out how you can win a copy of the first book in the series, Clockwork Angel)

So what is it exactly that you're looking for from a book?

I have always loved the fantasy genre. It's always exciting to lose myself in a brand new world and get away from the mundane world. I also love when romance isn't a central plot in fantasy novels so that I can focus on the action rather than who has a crush on who. I would also love to see more diverse characters. All of the YA books I read tend to centre around white Americans, and I would love to read a book set in a different part of the world. I always love it when a novel is set in a British high school as they seem extremely rare to find. I would also love to see a more diverse range of sexualities. I always love it when a character is not heterosexual, but their storyline doesn't revolve around the fact that they're not heterosexual. I would also love to see characters who identify with lesser known sexualities, such as asexual and pansexual. I would also love to see love triangles that don't conform to the typical two boys and a girl.

What is your favourite book series of all time?

My answer to this question has always been, and will always be the same, and that is Harry Potter. I started the series when I was around nine years old and from that moment I have been obsessed with the wizarding world. I grew up reading the books and being the same age as Harry, and I don't think that I will ever enjoy reading a book as much as I have enjoyed reading Harry Potter. I am always torn between wanting to read new books and wanting to re-read this series.

You're 24 years old, why are you still reading YA books?

I just find that teenagers have more exciting lives! They never have to worry about adult problems such as taxes, jobs and looking after children. Overall they just seem more free to do what they want, which means that I always find the storylines more exciting than I do in adult books!

Can you recommend some books?


Yes I can! The book that i'm currently always ranting about is Carry On by Rainbow Rowell. This book has messed me up in so many ways. As you have probably seen by now i'm not a huge fan of romance, but the romance in Carry On seemed extremely real, and although it is a fantasy, it was far more believable than the majority of contemporary romance' that i've read. The relationship in this book literally brought me to tears it was that perfect. And not only was the romance beautiful, but the storyline was action packed and I was constantly on the edge of my seat!

I also recommend the Mortal Instruments series if you haven't already read it, as it is one of my favourite YA series of all time.

If you're not into fantasy, then I recommend the Book Thief by Markus Zusak. It's beautifully written and the storyline will have you in tears. I also have to say that the movie adaptation was brilliant, so if you enjoy the book then definitely give that a watch! 



As I am extremely close to reaching 100 followers, I thought this would also be a good time to announce that once this happens I will be doing a giveaway! I am going to be giving away a copy of Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare, the first book in the Infernal Devices series! I am going to try my best to make this giveaway international, but i'll give more details once I reach 100 followers. If you would love to win a copy of this book then please give my blog a follow!

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