Tag: bloglife

#SixforSunday – Fictional Schools/Universities I’d Want To Go To

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Happy Sunday Bibliofriends!

I kind of neglected the Six for Sunday side of posts last month but September brings a brand new monthly theme and one that is so relevant to my current goings on – The School Month! Today’s six picks are all about fictional schools and universities which we’d want to go to. Surprisingly, despite being a teacher, it turns out I haven’t read that many books based in education settings so trying to put together this list was a little tricky. I’m loving the dark academia vibes of some upcoming and recent book releases so there may be a couple of them featured here too.

For those who don’t already know, Six for Sunday is weekly meme hosted by Steph over at A Little But A Lot. September’s theme is ‘The School Month’. 

Fictional Schools/Universities I’d Want To Go To

  1. Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry – Harry Potter
    The school that heightened my love for reading, Hogwarts is definitely one of the places I wish existed in real life!
  2. OASIS School – Ready Player One
    I love the whole idea of the OASIS world so getting to attend a virtual school is a must!
  3. Sunnydale High / UC Sunnydale – Buffy The Vampire Slayer
    Buffy is one of my favourite TV shows and I’ve read loads of the series books too. Imagine attending a school on the Hellmouth with Buffy and her pals!
  4. Jordan College / Lyra’s Oxford – His Dark Materials
    I’ve been to Oxford several times and always get swept away by the dreaming spires, beautiful architecture and the different colleges dotted all over the city. Lyra’s Oxford mixes the stunning educational settings with that extra bit of magic and mysticism I love in my fiction.
  5. Scholomance – A Deadly Education
    This is one of the Dark Academia reads currently on my TBR. It doesn’t sound like a conventional magic school setting but I love the plot premise.
  6. Dalloway School – A Lesson in Vengeance
    Dark. Twisty. Witchcraft. Hauntings. This book just found itself right at the top of my “need-to-buy” list.

What fictional schools, colleges or universities do you wish you could go to?
As always, leave your links below to your own posts or drop me a comment to chat!

T xx

The Wrap – August 2021

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Howdy Bibliofriends!

“August slipped away like a moment in time…” – wow, where have those holidays gone and how is it September already?! Looking back now it feels like it disappeared in the blink of an eye although actually feel like I reached the perfect balance of relaxation and recreation to prepare for the forthcoming month!

Life Update

It was really nice to get back into reading and blogging again Summer – it’s definitely been my most active month for a while. I spent a majority of my holidays by the sea in Cornwall. We had some beautifully warm weather and sunny days. Where we are there is a main beach where all the tourists congregate but if you walk about a kilometre further up you discover a little secret beach which I literally had to myself every single day bar the rare dog-walking local ambling past. It was bliss!

Away from Cornwall I managed to catch up with some wonderful friends; we had an indulgent afternoon tea that was filled with all sorts of goodies and even a cheeseboard! I felt like such a Snorlax afterwards. I went to the races a few times with our stable yard which in turn led to seeing UB40 perform. But by far, my highlight of the entire month was our DB BBQ. DB is one of my racehorses and in amazing style he managed to win his hat-trick race (his third back-to-back win) on a day when two of the other yard’s horses also achieved the same feat so it was a treble of trebles! The whole of our syndicate got together to celebrate and it was a night filled with fabulous food, friendship and fizz. We each got mugs with our lovely horse on it and I came away with a stunning framed picture of one of his wins which now takes pride of place in my Office.

As August drew to a close I prepared myself for starting my new job at a brand new school – unloading my car I just couldn’t help but look around in awe at the school settings and the disbelief that I actually get to work there! I’m finally feeling super excited and positive about starting work again and I can’t wait to meet my new class! Wish me luck for September though, I know it’s going to be such hard work! 😂🙈

The rest of this Wrap Post follows my usual format (Past Reads, Current Reads, Upcoming Reads, Films/TV, Music/Podcasts, Pokemon Go) so feel free to skip any irrelevant parts!

What I’ve Been Reading

August felt like I got my reading mojo back (slightly!) – I read 4 books in total and although I’m still 6 books behind my reading goal schedule, August’s progress has been the best since about March. Here’s what I read in August:

Troubled Blood by Robert Galbraith (Strike #5)
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I love the Strike novels. The plot just feels so well crafted and by the time I think I’ve finally figured out whodunnit, there will be a red herring or twist in the tale to make me have to rethink everything! This was edge-of-my-seat, page-turning crime and I loved every minute of it!

Can You Sign My Tentacle? by Brandon O’Brien
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
If you’re looking for a weird Sci-Fi, Poetry, Comptemporary fusion then look no further than this book! I received an eARC of this Carribbean author’s work from Netgalley. It takes Lovecraft and modern hip-hop influences and turns them completely upside down. I went into it on a bit of a whim but it was incredible and seriously made me consider the power of writing and imagination to send a message and challenge ideals without resorting to cancel culture. You can read my spoiler-free review here.

Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was a delightful Fairytale retelling of The Wild Swans. I was blown away by the magical world Lim created and can’t wait to read more of her writing. Check out my review here.

The Hawthorne Legacy by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (The Inheritance Games #2)
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Puzzles, secrets, invisible ink and a whole heap of family drama… I adore this series of books and have literally devoured each read in just a day! After the ending of The Inheritance Games, I had no idea where the sequel would go but I was SO HERE FOR IT! I couldn’t believe it when I got my ARC request accepted on Netgalley and now I’m left twiddling my thumbs until the final installation of this gripping trilogy. My review is up next week so swing back to check it out!

#CurrentlyReading

I’m still going with my Kafka On The Shore audiobook by Murakami – I have about three hours left but I’m finally starting to pull together some little threads about what I think is going on! Perseverance has definitely been the key with this read!

For now I have parked She Who Became The Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan. I’ve heard great things about it so I’m determined that it will not become a DNF (I’ve only ever done that once before!), but I found it so hard to get into a reading rhythm and found myself just abandoning it and turning to TV – so for now, to keep my reading motivations on track, it’s on the bench. Anyone else ever feel that way with this book or is it just me?

I have FINALLY started my Rick Riordan reading journey with Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief! I haven’t even seen the films so I’m completely unspoiled. I only picked it up last night but I’m already halfway through. I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to discover Camp Half-Blood, I love it!

Upcoming Reads

This month I am taking part in the Magical Readathon hosted by G (Book Roast). I loved this so much in it’s previous format with the Harry Potter OWLs/NEWTs theme but this time around it’s back… refreshed, rebranded, with it’s own unique magical world created specifically for readathon purposes! It’s like the readathon of all readathons and always helps me tick off my reading goals. G has put so much work into this, it’s epic! She’s epic!!
You can read my TBR for it here.

What I’ve Been Watching

Far too much TV in August to be honest but it was the holidays, so who cares?!

I have discovered the absolute joy that is Outer Banks on Netflix. If you’ve been following me for a little while you will know that treasure hunting is practically my favourite trope in the whole wide world. Hence why this treasure-hunting, mystery teen drama set in the Outer Banks of North Carolina and the Bahamas was one of my favourite summer binges!

Greys Anatomy has long been one of my favourite TV shows until I somehow stopped watching it around Season 13 – probably as everything moved to streaming services and my broadband signal back then was so poor I couldn’t even watch a YouTube vid without it buffering! For some reason I just seemed to ‘remember’ that it was on Disney + now so I steamrollered my way through Seasons 13, 14 and 15 – I’m forcing myself to take a little break before launching back into Season 16 but I don’t think I can really wait that long before curiosity eventually kills the cat! 🙈

I caught the second season of the French programme Lupin on Netflix. Assan is a the main character who fashions his escapades on the French literary character Arsene Lupin, a gentleman burglar and master of disguise, from the novels by Maurice Leblanc. I liked that it wasn’t a terribly long series and answered the big cliffhanger of a twist from season one. I’m not sure whether there’ll be a third season but the storyline kind of feels resolved for me know so who knows whether it’ll be back.

My friend recommended Sex/Life to me so I watched that on Netflix. Isabella Summers, the Machine part of Florence + the Machine, did the music for it so that also pulled me in (FATM are my all-time favourite band!). It was an interesting series although I got a little annoyed in the end by Billie’s character and the very, very final scene was a bit of a WTF moment! Love triangles irritate me slightly as I always end up changing my mind about who should end up with who – I know that’s kind of the point but I procrastinate enough in my own life, I don’t need to be overwhelmed by it in other people’s too! 😂

It’s been a bit of a quiet month at the cinema but I did manage to catch:

  • The Suicide Squad – I’ve decided I’m definitely a Marvel girl – the DC movies just don’t keep me entertained enough.
  • The Courier – This was an interesting film that was definitely worth the watch and whilst I appreciated the storyline (based on real events) I don’t think it’s one I’ll need to watch again.
  • Don’t Breathe 2 – This was an entirely different film to its predecessor and was more violence than horror. I enjoyed the story they created with the blind man’s character as it gave the film a little more depth than the first one.
  • Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins – A fun film but a little longer than it needed to be.

What I’ve Been Listening to

Not much other than my audiobook of Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami.

Pokemon Go Update

Eevee Community Day was the best event of the month – and not just because Eevee is one of my favourite Pokemons, it definitely helped in me completing the Eevee shiny dex! My favourite wild shiny catch was Clefairy! I wasn’t really paying full attention as I was walking to the cinema but when I caught sight of those shiny green ears I could have squealed!

August’s Shiny Haul
Kabuto
Eevee x 11
Clefairy
Caterpie

My Trainer Code: If any fellow Pogo players want to add me, my trainer code is: 8327 7170 2277

And that’s a wrap! How are you all doing? What are you looking forward to this September – are you taking part in Magical Readathon or any other Readathons? How are you doing with your 2021 reading goals now that we’re in the final quarter of the year?

As always, drop me a comment to chat! ☺️

T xx

The Inside and Out Book Tag

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Happy ThursTAG day Bibliofriends!

School officially starts again TOMORROW and my brain is full of a weird mix of excitement and nerves. So this final, final day of summer feels like the perfect time to have a go at The Inside and Out Book Tag which I was tagged in by the fabulous Riddhi over at Whispering Stories.

I loved the simplicity of this tag all about reading habits and preferences. It was great to take a break from book lists where I feel like I constantly just list the same books over and over again! 😂

  • Inside flap/back of the book summaries: Too much info? Or not enough?
    If it’s a paperback, I always read the blurb on the back of a book so it’s never too much info for me; if it’s a hardcover I tend to skip it – I’m aware there’s not necessarily any logic in that but that’s just what I do.

  • New book: What form do you want it in? Be honest: Audiobook, eBook, Paperback or Hardcover?
    I buy audiobooks and ebooks if I feel like I’m getting a good saving on the price. Most of my new books come from book subscription boxes so the majority are hardbacks but if I’m physically going into the bookshop I’ll buy paperbacks which is my preferred reading format.
  • Scribble while you read? Do you like to write in your books; take notes, make comments, or do you keep your books clean, clean, clean?
    AArrghhh! I can’t write in books – I think the only books I ever purposefully wrote in were my High School reading texts and even that was minimal. I can’t even bend a spine on purpose so there’s no way I’m taking the weapons of ink to those beautiful paper leaves.
  • Does it matter to you whether the author is male or female when you’re deciding on a book? What if you’re unsure of the author’s gender?
    Gender has never been a factor for me when buying a book and it’s not something I’m conscious of paying attention to, it’s the story that matters to me the most.

  • Ever read ahead? Or have you ever read the last page way before you got there?
    Guilty! I tend to flip to the final page of the actual story just to see what page number it finishes on without all of the acknowledgements and extra snippets etc… Sometimes though, I end up spoiling myself by catching sight of a word or character name and then my eyes just get sucked in!

  • Organised bookshelves or outrageous bookshelves?
    A mix of both! My organised bookshelf in my room is tidy and arranged mostly by size and TBR preference. The bookshelves in my office however are kind of organised, being in that they’re in alphabetical order according to genre but they’re also outrageously double stacked and crammed to bursting.

  • Have you ever bought a book based on the cover (alone)?
    Probably not – the cover or title definitely draws me in but I always tend to read what the book is about before buying it. The only exception is if it’s a book by one of my auto-buy authors, then it just goes straight in the bag with no knowledge of cover or blurb!

  • Take it outside to read, or stay in?
    Outside in summer, indoors in winter.

That’s a wrap! If this is the type of fun, easy tag that’s right up your street then consider yourself ‘tagged’ and drop me a pingback on your posts! I’d love to see how many of us have outrageous bookshelves or flip to the back pages for a sneak peek!

Enjoy the weekend ahead everybody and as always, drop me a comment to chat!

T xx

The Ancient History Book Tag

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Happy weekend Bibliofriends!

I found this amazing book tag over at Stephen Writes and as a huge History fan I was immediately tagging myself to have a go! At University I did a Joint Honours degree in English Literature and History so this tag really does combine two of my biggest academic loves!

I think the origins of this tag came from Books Michelle’s channel over on BookTube so big thanks to her for creating it – go check it out!

The Stone Age: one of the first books you remember reading.

Reading was such a huge part of my childhood. I was so lucky to have parents who read to me every night and a Grandfather who would always buy me books from our weekly car boot sales. It’s so hard to pick just ‘one first book’ but some of my earliest reading memories involve Roald Dahl, Wizziwig by Geraldine McCaughrean and Care of Henry by Anne Fine.

Ancient Greece: your favourite myth-inspired book (doesn’t have to be Greek mythology), or retelling.

I’ve always been fascinated by myths and legends, they are the most historical stories of all time. As a child I used to think they were about real beings and creatures and I loved trying to find the balance in them between fantasy and reality. For me, Lore by Alexandra Bracken absolutely embodies this – I really liked the contemporary spin and clash between old meeting new.

The Roman Empire: a book featuring an impressive empire or kingdom.  

Lord Of The Rings is my favourite fictional empire in the whole book universe. I live in part of the world Tolkien was living and inspired by so I love seeing elements of the Middle Earth landscape every time I leave my house.

The Middle Ages, (or the Dark Ages): a book that is an absolute bummer.

This maybe a slight #unpopularopinion alert but I never really understood the hype surrounding Serpent and Dove by Shelby Mahurin. I don’t think Lou and Reed’s characters grabbed me enough to get swept away by their story.

The Renaissance: a book that you’ve learned a lot from, or that made you think.

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas definitely made a mark on me and made me think. Starr’s narrative and circumstances are so important at raising awareness of racial issues and how important it is that we come together rather than carry on tolerating hurtful segregation.

The Industrial Revolution: a book featuring an invention or concept that you would love to have in your own life.

Ready Player One is one of my all-time favourite novels ever so I have to pick the OASIS for this one. It’s so vast that possibilities are endless. I could definitely imagine spending countless hours inside this virtual world if it were a real concept.

World War I & II: your favourite historical fiction book about the World Wars (or if you don’t have one, your favourite historical fiction book in general).

I don’t tend to read too much World War Fiction as I much prefer Tudor England or Renaissance history. When I was studying War literature for my A-Levels I remember loving Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks. It was such a sentimental and lyrical read.

Present Day: a book everybody should read in present day according to you.

I found this prompt so difficult because I’m well aware that my tastes in fiction are completely different to everyone else’s so I chose a non-fiction book instead. A Life on our Planet by Sir David Attenborough really brought my attention to current environmental issues. Some of the facts and figures were quite shocking and devastating. I think it’s an informative book which seeks to give some different solutions and ways that the whole world can make changes to help each other look after planet earth.

That’s a wrap! Please feel free to tag yourself if you want to take part. Don’t forget to link it back to the original tag creator Books Michelle.

Do you like History? What are your favourite historical periods? Have you got a favourite historical read? As always, drop me a comment below to chat!

T xx

The Magical Readathon is BACK!

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Happy Saturday Bibliofriends!

I used to adore picking my wizarding world careers to study for OWLs and NEWTs as part of The Magical Readathon every April and August hosted by the fabulous G (Book Roast). Well now it’s back with a majorly exciting overhaul! I mean, there is a entirely new fictional world, characters, provinces… everything! It’s like it’s own unique fantasy saga and I cannot wait to get stuck in and set up my TBR!

This September, we are getting our first glimpses into the world of Aeldia because G is hosting an introductory Readathon for participants to make their way through The Novice Path to Orilium Academy before the familiar format begins with brand new magical races, affinities and careers. I am bowled over at G’s amazing attention to detail. This must have taken absolutely hours to craft and put together. There are additional character profile prompts and challenges to take part in before April 2022 as well but for now I’m just going to stick with the first part of this epic Readathon of all Readathons!

If you’re a former Magical Readathon participant or you’re wanting to take part in more readathons in the future, you should definitely check out G’s launch video here and access the G drive complete with all maps, trackers, prompts and guides here.

All images, logos and graphics are G’s content from The Magical Readathon Google Drive.

Magical Readathon: Orilium – The Novice Path TBR

To complete the first challenge you only need to complete two of the prompts which is going to be super helpful to me as I start my new job in September and I’m slightly anxious it’s going to affect my reading whilst I get my head around everything! 🙈 That being said, of course I’ve still gone and mapped out a TBR for all 7 prompts! 😂

The Novice Path Entrance
Prompt: Read a book with a map
Book Choice: Redemptor by Jordan Ifueko
I can’t wait to read the sequel to Raybearer and discover what happens to Tarisai – the map in this book is pretty spectacular too.

Ashthorn Tree
Prompt: Read a book that keeps tempting you (or is on top of your TBR)
Book Choice: Dune by Frank Herbert
This book has been tempting me for so, so long! I’m totally in the mood to get stuck into this space opera before the movie comes out.

The Mist of Solitude
Prompt: Read a standalone
Book Choice: Midnight in Everwood by M.A. Kuzniar
I adore the Nutcracker so I was thrilled to get this retelling as an eARC from Netgalley.

Ruin of the Skye
Prompt: Read a book featuring ghosts/haunted house, or other supernatural elements
Book Choice: Never Have I Ever by Isabel Yap
I heard about this haunting collection of short stories and legends from a Book Riot podcast and knew that I immediately had to purchase it.

Obsidian Falls
Prompt: Read a thriller or a mystery book
Book Choice: The Violent Season by Sara Walters
I read an early extract of this book from a Sourcebooks Fire newsletter and thankfully got approved for an eARC. It’s had some great reviews already and I’m hoping it’ll fit the ‘thriller’ part of this prompt perfectly.

Tower of Rumination
Prompt: Read a five star prediction
Book Choice: Useless Magic by Florence Welch
Florence Welch is one of my absolute idols! Her music tells so many stories and I love the macabre, mythological spells they weave. I’m so excited to get my hands on this and read it!

Orilium Academy Arc
Prompt: Read a book with a school setting
Book Choice: Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
I’ve said many a time that I really need to read this series – well here’s hoping this readathon kicks me in the butt to actually do it!

And there is my September / Magical Readathon TBR! I definitely don’t think I’ll get round to reading all of them but at least the motivation to even attempt it will be there! 😂

Are you, or do you plan to take part in the Magical Readathon this September? Feel free to leave me your TBR links below or as always, drop me a comment to chat!

T xx

#Friday56 – Six Crimson Cranes

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Happy FriYAY Bibliofriends!

This week’s Friday 56 comes from Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim. I was blown away by the magical storytelling in this refresh of The Wild Swans! The attention to detail in descriptions was exquisite and I particularly love Kiki the sentient origami crane which was one of my reasons for choosing this part of my Friday 56 extract today!

Hosted by Freda’s Voice, the Friday 56 is a weekly bookish prompt. It’s quite easy to do and could cover no end of different books and genres so seems great if you’re looking for a quick snippet to discover something new!

Rules:

*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader (If you have to improvise, that’s ok.)
*Find any sentence, (or few, just don’t spoil it)
*Post it.
*Add your (url) post here in Linky. Add the post url, not your blog url.
*It’s that simple.

A fine, silvery-gold thread of magic rushed out of my lips and twisted across the bird’s wings before settling there, as if stitched onto the paper. Then her wings flapped once. Twice. And she lifted, circling my face.
“Kiki!”

Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim

You can check out my full, spoiler-free review of Six Crimson Cranes here.

Drop me a comment below or connect with me here:

Twitter | Goodreads | Book Sloth: @thebiblioshelf |Email: thebiblioshelf@gmail.com

Zodiac Sign Book Tag

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Howdy Bibliofriends,

I was browsing the book blogosphere the other day, when I came across this fabulous Zodiac Sign Book Tag over at And On She Reads and knew that I just had to do it! I wasn’t actually tagged but I’ve been needing to start my tagging game again.

I absolutely love the zodiac and am so into star signs and horoscopes! I read mine daily from Oscar Cainer (nephew of the fabulous Jonathan Cainer who sadly passed away several years ago). His readings are so spookily accurate that I had one of those in-depth charts drew up and everything. I am a typical Taurean bull – sometimes stubborn and argumentative but also stupidly loyal, generous and laid-back at the same time.

The Rules:

  • Link back to the creator, Just Dreamland – their blog has been taken down but they may still be active on Pinterest.
  • Link back to the person who tagged you! Thanks you And On She Reads ☺️
  • Answer all the prompts.
  • Use the original graphics and credit the creator (I couldn’t find them!)
  • Tag at least 5 bloggers and provide links to their blogs.
  • Name your Zodiac sign!
  • Don’t forget to add #ItsAZodiacThing tag.
  • Enjoy!

The Prompts:

ARIES: A wild and powerful book, compelling from start to finish. Every page intoxicated your heart with incredible imagery.

The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow – Alix’s writing just created this intoxicating atmosphere in my brain from the very first page; it’s a stunningly written book.

TAURUS: A heart-wrenching story of a forbidden love that could tear a family apart

Romanov by Nadine Brandes – a Bolshevik soldier and a Romanov princess… this one definitely had me reaching for the tissues!

GEMINI: A book that is cheeky, quippy, and witty

Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman – I laughed so much during this book. It appealed to my sense of humour so much.

CANCER:A bittersweet book that spoke to your sensitive heart

The Invisible Life of Addie La Rue by V.E. Schwab – This book! 💗💔💗 I adore Addie and Henry, I’m still not really over that ending to be honest!

LEO: A book with drama, love, fancy wear, and hope

The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller – As soon as I read this prompt, this was the first book to pop into my head. The attention to detail on the dresses and the sassy attitudes of the characters was brilliant.

VIRGO:A tender story of self-love, self-determination, self-discovery, perseverance, romance, friendship, and family

The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien – I mean, that’s a pretty big list of things to have in one book and LOTR seems to have all of them in buckets!

LIBRA: A book that has a remarkably refreshing and frank outlook on life. One of the realest books you’ve ever read.

Remember This When You’re Sad by Maggy Van Eijk – A memoir which is so honest and moving. It was so powerful and really put some of my own issues into perspective.

SCORPIO: A book with a good plot twist. A book that is psychologically thrilling and emotionally chilling, and haunted you from the first page to the last.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince / Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
OR
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

This prompt was tricky. Those final two Harry Potter books had my head in an absolute spin so that’s the plot twist part – but then Gone Girl fulfils the psychologically thrilling, chilling and haunting vibes.

SAGITTARIUS: An adventurous, summer read

Angels and Demons by Dan Brown

I hear summer and I immediately think of the beach, therefore I first thought of Beach Read by Emily Henry – which, whilst being a great summer read, I wouldn’t consider it my type of ‘thrills and spills’ adventure so my other choice would have to be Angels and Demons by Dan Brown. I love the whole treasure/clue hunting vibe.

CAPRICORN: A book that has everything to do with friendship

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo – I love the way the Crows all stick together, I don;t think there’s any way they would have pulled off half of their stunts had their friendship not been as strong.

AQUARIUS: A quirky and unique book

Pretty Little Mistakes by Heather McElhatten – It’s one of those ‘choose your own path’ books. I only ever found this one for adults so it’s definitely unique on my shelves!

PISCES: A book that bewitched and enchanted you with its lyrical words, and transmuted your imaginative mind

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon – One of my all time favourite authors. His writing just transports me to another dimension. It’s beautiful!

I’m not great at tagging people but if you’re reading this and want to give it a go then consider yourself tagged!!

Do you believe in star signs? What are some of your favourite books featuring stars and planets? As always, drop me a comment below to chat!

Have a great week Bibliofriends!

T xx

#SixforSunday – 2021 Books on my TBR!

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Happy Sunday Bibliofriends!

August’s Six for Sunday theme is 2021 Books! I missed last week’s prompt about Favourite 2021 Reads So Far but yesterday I posted about this year’s favourite reads as ice cream flavours that kind of fits right?! You can out that post here!

This week we are listing 2021 Book releases which are on our TBRs. I could so easily do 60 of these rather than just 6 so this was a really tricky one this week!

For those who don’t already know, Six for Sunday is weekly meme hosted by Steph over at A Little But A Lot. July’s theme is ‘Sounds of Summer’ which I am living for at the minute – bring it on! 

2021 Book Releases on my TBR!

  1. She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan
    I received a gorgeous special edition of this in one of my recent book subscription boxes. I know I keep harping on about it but it’s giving me such good vibes that I can’t wait to read it!
  2. The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri
    This is another book I’ve had from one of my subs. I have read so many good things about it and I’m really intrigued by the Indian inspired world.
  3. Redemptor by Jordan Ifueko
    I feel like I have been waiting for this sequel for so long! I’m dying to return to the world of Aritsar after the ending of Raybearer although thankfully the wait is nearly over!
  4. House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J Maas
    I can’t help but get swept away into the worlds of Sarah J Maas’s books – I’m so curious as to where this sequel will go (and if it’ll beat War and Peace on the page count!).
  5. The Hawthorn Legacy by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
    I binge-read the first in this series in one day. I’m such a nerd for any kind of clues/treasure hunt style plot line. The ending of the first one wasn’t quite as I anticipated but I’m still keen to see how the story concludes.
  6. Rainbow in the Dark by Sean McGinty
    I saw this plugged as The Wizard of Oz meets Ready Player One (one of my all-time favourites EVER!) and immediately add this onto my TBR. It’s supposed to be out on August 10th but I haven’t heard too much about it around the book socials so I’m keeping my eyes peeled to get my copy!

What 2021 books are on your TBR? Are you anticipating the start of a new series or are you hoping for some sequels and story conclusions?
As always, leave your links below to your own posts or drop me a comment to chat!

T xx

#SixforSunday – Books with sun in the title!

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Happy Sunday Bibliofriends!

I initially thought this was going to be quite easy to complete this week’s prompt – but actually, turns out I’ve only read 3 books with word ‘sun’ in the title so the others had to come from my ‘want-to-read’ pile! ☺️

For those who don’t already know, Six for Sunday is weekly meme hosted by Steph over at A Little But A Lot. July’s theme is ‘Sounds of Summer’ which I am living for at the minute – bring it on! 

Characters I’d go on holiday with!

  1. She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan
  2. Ignite the Sun by Hannah Howard
  3. The Sunshine and Biscotti Club by Jenny Oliver
  4. Under the Pendulum Sun by Jeanette Ng
  5. Smoke in the Sun by Renee Ahdieh
  6. The Sun and her Flowers by Rupi Kaur

What books have you read that contain the word sun or have sun in the title?
As always, leave your links below to your own posts or drop me a comment to chat!

T xx

#SixforSunday – Characters I’d go on holiday with!

The Biblioshelf1 Comment

Happy Sunday Bibliofriends!

This week’s prompt really got me thinking – who on earth would I want to go on holiday with? My own holidays have been pretty varied: from relaxing on a beach in Cape Verde to visiting (what felt like) every single Church in Florence, Venice, Rome and Milan… Not forgetting my action-packed trip to Disney World too. With that in mind, I’m not entirely sure I’ve read a lot of characters who would do all of those things. I’ve settled on a whole combination with the hope that we can go on six different holidays! Hey, with international travel being put on the back-burner for the foreseeable future, I can still dream can’t I? ☺️

For those who don’t already know, Six for Sunday is weekly meme hosted by Steph over at A Little But A Lot. July’s theme is ‘Sounds of Summer’ which I am living for at the minute – bring it on! 

Characters I’d go on holiday with!

  1. Addie from The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
    We all know Addie is pretty much my go-to girl – I think we could definitely make our own fun in any destination!
  2. Bridget Jones from Bridget Jones’ Diary by Helen Fielding
    I know I’m probably basing this more on Renee Zellweger’s portrayal rather than the books but who wouldn’t go on holiday with Bridget!
  3. Magnus Bane from The Infernal Devices series (amongst others) by Cassandra Clare
    He would definitely put the extra into our extravagant holiday!
  4. Daniel from The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
    I need someone to visit all those libraries and museums with!
  5. Wade Owen Watts from Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
    I can just imagine Wade being happy to wait in a three hour line for the Avatar Flight of Passage ride with me (whilst sipping on a Night Blossom from Pongu Pongu!)
  6. Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
    For two reasons, if we ever got stranded somewhere Katniss could definitely help me to survive but also, she’s probably be happy with taking some chill time on a beach after everything that happened to her in THG!

Which character are you wanting to take on your holidays with you?
As always, leave your links below to your own posts or drop me a comment to chat!

T xx