Books I need now (because next year is too far away!)

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by the ladies over at The Broke and Bookish.

There were a lot of amazing new releases this year, as well as lots of amazing books that I discovered for the first time. From all the blogs I've been reading there seem to be even more amazing books being released next year and this week I'm going to share the 10 books I'm most excited for in 2018. They are in no particular order because I really don't know which one I'm most excited for.

1- The Other Side Of Lost by Jessi Kirby

2- When My Heart Joins The Thousand by A.J. Steiger

3- A Thousand Perfect Notes by C.G. Drews

4- The Long Forever by Eugene Lambert

5- The Complication by Suzanne Young

6- Queen of Air and Darkness by Cassandra Clare

7- Restore Me by Tahereh Mafi

(and a couple of books that don't have covers yet!)

8- The Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy by Mackenzi Lee
9- On The Come Up by Angie Thomas
10- His Fair Assassin #4 by Robin LaFevers

What books are you looking forward to in 2018? Are any of them on this list?
Let me know in the comments below!

And until next time, keep reading!

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
Release Date: February 5, 2013
Pages: 452
Rating: 💜💜💜💜
Buy it: Amazon | Book Depository

Scarlet's grandmother is missing. The police has closed her case. The only person who can help her is Wolf, a untrustworthy street fighter.
In New Beijing, Cinder becomes the Commonwealth's most wanted fugitive when she breaks out of prison to escape the vicious Queen Levana.



I honestly don't know how to review this book without spoiling everything because I have so many emotions that I need to release and talk about! However, I'll try hard to not ruin anything for you.

I liked this book a lot more that Cinder; the world and plot felt more developed, there was more action and the characters were just as likeable. I loved that we got a split narrative between Cinder and Scarlet as it meant the world we are in grew and expanded more than it did in Cinder.

I loved all the characters; Scarlet has become my favourite character of the series, although Cinder still has a special place in my heart. I love all the boys in this universe as well because they are both fighters who protect what they care about, but they are also humans who have emotions. In fact every single character is so well written because there is not a moment where you can forget that they are humans with emotions, which often happens in books. It was also nice to see how much diversity is coming through in this book, with all different ethnicities coming together.

This book follows on immediately after the end of Cinder so I would recommend binge-reading this series so you don't get lost. The majority of the chapters do focus on Scarlet although there are a few that focus on Cinder, which was nice to see. It was fun to see how their story lines were becoming intertwined without them realising.

I love the sci-fi retelling of one of my favourite fairy tales because it was so well done. There were parts of it that stuck to the original plot (Scarlet does deliveries, there is a wolf) but the majority of it is a new concept that I've never seen before. I was getting major Red vibes though (if you watch Once Upon A Time you'll know what I mean).

Obviously you'd have to read Cinder before you read this book so it's a little hard to recommend this book to people. However I would recommend this series to anyone who loves retellings or sci-fi books.

Wonder by R.J. Palacio

Wonder by R.J. Palacio
Release Date: February 14, 2012
Pages: 315
Rating:💜💜💜💜
Buy it: Amazon | Book Depository

My name is August.
I won't describe what I look like.
Whatever you're thinking, it's probably worse.



This book was the perfect mixture of heart-breaking and heart-warming. It deserves all the hype that it has received because it was such a beautiful and thought-provoking read.

I loved the fact that the book was split up into different characters perspectives because it meant you got to see inside everyone's minds and discover what they are really thinking in a situation. It showed the reader that things aren't always as simple as they seem and that you really have to get into a person's head to understand what is going on. I especially loved the fact that the different sections were in different fonts so you could see the difference between characters (and the fact that the font matched the character's personality made me too happy).

The writing style was simple but effective. The book read like a diary and I felt immersed the entire time I was reading this book. There were times when I put down the book and forget that this story wasn't actually happening to me and that what I was reading was just a story.

I also loved the fact that each section was separated by a quote that related to what was going on. It was like playing pass the parcel and always winning a prize. My favourite quotes had to be the ones from Bowie because who doesn't love a bit of Bowie.

The only reason why I gave this book four stars is because I'm trying to define what a five star book is for me. For me this was a beautiful book that made me think about how I treat people, but it only really affected me in the moment. Since finishing this book I haven't thought about it much and I have liked other books more than this one, so for the moment I'm giving Wonder four stars.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone. My mum read it and loved it, my 11-year old friend read it and loved it, I read it and loved it. It is the kind of book that anyone of any background and age can read and enjoy because it is such a universal story of love, loss and friendship.

Jingle All The Way Tag

This tag was created by Lefty Reads so go give her some love!

4 days until Christmas! Who else is super excited?
I love listening to Christmas songs and basically just listen to them on loop throughout December. When I found a book tag that was all about Christmas songs, I knew I had to share a little festive cheer with all of you ! 

Jingle Bells

A fun, light hearted book/series

Although this book isn't my favourite book ever it was definitely a fun, light-hearted read. It does seem very long (500 pages!) but I flew through it in no time at all.

I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus

A book/series with a scandalous romance

I mean, this is the original scandalous romance. Everyone knows this story and everyone knows what makes this romance so scandalous.

I'll Be Home Again For Christmmas

A book/series that you are determined to re-read

I haven't read this book in 7 years but it still remains my favourite series of all time. I've been meaning to re-read it for years so hopefully I'll get to it soon!

Santa Claus Is Coming To Town

Your most anticipated read for 2018

His Fair Assasssians Book 4 is coming out in 2018! I haven't even finished reading the books that are out but I can't wait for this book to come out! Ahhhhhh!

Silent Night

A beautiful book/series that everyone knows

Both the cover and the writing is beautiful in this book. I'm pretty sure almost everyone in the book community has heard of this book, and love it or hate you can't deny that the cover is beautiful.

Winter Wonderland

A book/series with great worldbuilding

Basically all of Cassie's books have amazing world-building but City Of Bones was the book that started the awesome Shadowhunter adventures so I thought this one should get the spotlight.

Go Tell It On The Mountain

An under-hyped book/series that needs more attention

I meant this book in literally every post I write but Faceless is such a great book that I think more people should hear about it!

I Saw Three Ships

Favourite Triology

I know I've already mentioned this trilogy before in this tag but it is my favourite trilogy of all time currently. However The Infernal Devices is threatening to knock The Sign of One of the top spot!  

Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer

A book series with an underdog protagonist that rises up

I've only just finished this series but I absolutely love Violet as an underdog protagonist. I won't spoil anything in case you want to read this series but I love the character development she goes though.

Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

A book that helped you through troubling times

This book has become such an important book to me and I've read it so many times that my copy is actually starting to fall apart. 

What's your favourite Christmas song? Which is your most anticipated book of 2018?

Let me know in the comments below!

And until next time, keep reading!

Ten books I want to see under the Christmas tree

Christmas is next week!

Can you believe that Christmas is so close?! Where has the time gone?

Basically all I get for Christmas is books or bookish items so I'm pretty sure I'll get at least a few of the books on this list. My family have been asking me over the last few months what I want for Christmas, and I gave them this list.

1- Secrets for the Mad by Dodie

First of all, look how pretty this book is! It is actually gorgeous!

I absolutely adore Dodie; her videos are like a virtual hug and I love listening to her voice. She gives out all sorts of advice that I find really helpful, so hopeful I'll get this book!

2- Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy by Cassie Clare (and others)

In my quest to catch up with the Shadowhunter world I've been trying to read all the books that have been released so far. I have 7 books left (I know, I'm not doing great!) but I don't actually own this book or Lord of Shadows. Also I love Simon and can't wait to read more about him!

3- This Savage Song by V.E. Schwab 

I haven't read any V.E. Schwab books yet, but this cover is too pretty is pass by. I do want to get into V.E. Schwab, because all of her books sound interesting and right up my street. And of course it does help that the cover is gorgeous.

4- Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers

I read the first book in this series earlier on the year, and was instantly hooked. I loved Grave Mercy so much and I'd love to carry on with this series.

5- The Princess Diarist by Carrie Fisher

Growing up, Leia was a major role model for me. I have always looked up to her because of how strong and badass she is, and the fact that she always stands up for herself.  Now, since Carrie Fisher passed away, I've been wanting to learn more about the actress who played my biggest role model, and I figure this is the place to start.

6- Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco 

I love the legend (is it a legend?) of Jack the Ripper and whenever an author puts a twist on it, I have to read the book. This book sounds that it could be a really interesting twist, especially as it has a strong female lead in a male driven era of history.

7- The Murder Complex by Lindsey Cummings

This book is quite dark, especially for the Christmas season, but it does sound amazing. The whole idea that a murder rate could be higher than the birth rate seems very different from all the other dystopian books I've read. And this cover is pretty awesome.

8- Everyday Sexism by Laura Bates

Feminism is a very important subject to me; I believe that everyone should have equal rights and opportunities. As a result, I am constantly looking for ways to expand my knowledge of feminism and sexism, and this book is just one of many that I would like to read.

9- Girl in Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow

Once again, another dark book but it does seem like an important subject to me. If a book has a mental health sub-plot in it then I try to read it. Mental health has played a big part in my life, so I enjoy seeing other people's interpretation or experiences of mental health.

10- Stardust by Neil Gaiman

Stardust is one of my favourite films of all time, so I want to read the original book version to see how similar it is to the film. And, one last time, look at that cover!

Do you celebrate Christmas? What books would you like to get this holiday season?

Let me know in the comments below!

And until next time, keep reading!

'Tis the Season Tag

My first Christmassy tag of month is definitely one of my favourites; it is such a simple introduction to one of the best seasons.

This tag was created by Richard so go check him out!

Do you have a favourite winter read?

I don't really have a specific book that I read in Winter although I do tend to read a lot of Christmas themed books. At the moment I'm reading Let It Snow and feeling very Christmassy!

Find a book with blue on the cover.

There are so many books I could choose for this one but to stay with a Christmas theme I'm going to choose My True Love Gave To Me. It is such a beautiful blue colour!

Find a book you would use as the star on top of the tree.

Fun random fact about me: our family has a koala star that we always place at the top of the tree.
I think Apple and Rain would make a good tree star because it is such a bright yellow.

Pick a fictional place that would be perfect for Christmas holidays.

My first thought was Narnia because have you seen Narnia in Winter? However I would love to visit Hogwarts at Christmas to see all the Christmas decorations. Plus there would probably be time for me to visit a snowy Hogsmeade!

Pick a fictional character you'd take on holiday with you.

I'd take Dash from The 12 Days of Dash and Lily because I think he would be perfect to help me stay in the Christmas mood all holiday.

Name one book on your wishlist this year!

Only one?! My entire wishlist is made up of books; how am I meant to choose my favourite?!
If I had to choose one I'd go with Secrets for the Mad by Dodie Clark because I honestly can't wait to get my hands on that book!

Favourite Christmas drink, treat and movie?

Favourite drink: Hot chocolate! Is there any other answer for that question?
Favourite treat: Being Austrian we always have an Austrian food on Christmas Eve which is a special treat for us.
Favourite movie: Father Christmas or The Snowman or Arthur Christmas.


What holiday do you celebrate? Which fictional place would you like to visit this Winter?
Let me know in the comments below!

And until next time, keep reading!

December TBR

100 points to your Hogwarts house if you can guess what this month's theme is.

...

...

If you guessed Christmas than well done! You're correct!

I love the Christmas period so much. For me Christmas has always been a happy occasion (apart from one year when my uncle went to hospital and I had a 3 hour nose bleed), so I'm always especially happy when December comes around. This month I trying to read lots of happy festive books to keep in line with the festive spirit.

On to the books!

1-Angels at the Table by Debbie Macomber

2-The Chocolate Lovers' Christmas by Carole Matthews

3-My True Love Gave To Me edited by Stephanie Perkins
4- Let it Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson and Laurie Myracle

 I feel like there will be so much going on that I won't have time to read (which probably isn't true)! However I excited for all these books and I can't wait to read them!

Have you read any of the books on my list? Do you celebrate Christmas?

Let me know in the comments below!

And until next time, keep reading!