BOOKS AND GOOFY

This post is totally not sponsored! But continuing my desire to start blogging casually again, I wanted to share some of my bookish obsessions... I love the book phone cases from  chicklitdesigns (I got these from Etsy but you could google them to find their website). They have so many to choose from but this Jane Eyre one (with the patterns, not the pink one with the profile) is my latest one. I have 4 - 2 for previous phones and 2 for my current phone ... ok ok I admit I do have an obsession. If you are not in the US, they can be an investment! But the quality is great, especially with the new cases. They definitely have improved compared to the earlier the cases I have. They are also unique (so you can feel special that you're not sporting a standard leather/pleather/canvas case ... I like to pretend so anyway :-D).  Left is their original Jane Eyre design; Right is a 'newer' design.  

***Preface before the actual post*** I actually wrote this post, hmmm..., maybe 2 years ago now. I (obviously) I fell off the blogging bandwagon. But lately I have been thinking that maybe I need to do something  ... resurrect an old hobby or start something new. And then I started thinking of this blog. Maybe I'll start this up again? I might be more "freestyle" going forwards. Not so formal in reviewing books but still be book-related. We shall see...! -------------------------- Title: Strange the Dreamer Author: Laini Taylor Genre:  YA Fantasy Synopsis The dream chooses the dreamer, not the other way around - and Lazlo Strange, war orphan and junior librarian, has always feared that his dream chose poorly. Since he was five years old he's been obsessed with the mythic lost city of Weep, but it would take someone bolder than he to cross half the world in search of it. Then a stunning opportunity presents itself, in the person of a hero called the

And just like that, it is nearly the end of 2017 and the start of a new year! I haven't written a blog post in ages but with work, life and reading, I just never got around to drafting one.  Back to my favourite topic... I have been on quite the reading marathon this year! Mainly YA fantasy, which to be honest, can be a lot faster to read. There are however so many wonderful and exciting YA fantasy series available and constantly being released, it's a wonder why I haven't run out of books to read. So I thought I would pull together my thoughts on some of my favourite books or series I have read in 2017. Here is instalment 1. The Shades of Magic Series Author: V.E. Schwab Genre: Fantasy I started A Darker Shade of Magic  last year. While I enjoyed the first book, I didn't quite love it. I felt Schwab spent a lot of this book building the world(s) and maybe the characters got lost a bit in it. I loved the concept of the different Londons and how magic h

Frogkisser! by Garth Nix My rating: 3 of 5 stars Poor Princess Anya. Forced to live with her evil stepmother’s new husband, her evil stepstepfather. Plagued with an unfortunate ability to break curses with a magic-assisted kiss. And forced to go on the run when her stepstepfather decides to make the kingdom entirely his own. Aided by a loyal talking dog, a boy thief trapped in the body of a newt, and some extraordinarily mischievous wizards, Anya sets off on a Quest that, if she plays it right, will ultimately free her land—and teach her a thing or two about the use of power, the effectiveness of a well-placed pucker, and the finding of friends in places both high and low. My thoughts 3.5 stars... This fairytale with a twist is a wonderful tale for a younger audience. I think I would've rated this a bit higher as a younger reader because it at times felt too childish for my liking. That being said, I love Arya, the main character. I also liked the references to various fair

Stars of Fortune by Nora Roberts My rating: 3 of 5 stars Blurb (from Goodreads): To celebrate the rise of their new queen, three goddesses of the moon created three stars, one of fire, one of ice, one of water. But then they fell from the sky, putting the fate of all worlds in danger. And now three women and three men join forces to pick up the pieces…  Sasha Riggs is a reclusive artist, haunted by dreams and nightmares that she turns into extraordinary paintings. Her visions lead her to the Greek island of Corfu, where five others have been lured to seek the fire star. Sasha recognizes them, because she has drawn them: a magician, an archaeologist, a wanderer, a fighter, a loner. All on a quest. All with secrets.  Sasha is the one who holds them together—the seer. And in the magician, Bran Killian, she sees a man of immense power and compassion. As Sasha struggles with her rare ability, Bran is there to support her, challenge her, and believe in her.   But Sasha and Bran ar

All That I Am by Anna Funder My rating: 5 of 5 stars Blurb (from Goodreads): All That I Am is a masterful and exhilarating exploration of bravery and betrayal, of the risks and sacrifices some people make for their beliefs, and of heroism hidden in the most unexpected places. When eighteen-year-old Ruth Becker visits her cousin Dora in Munich in 1923, she meets the love of her life, the dashing young journalist Hans Wesemann, and eagerly joins in the heady activities of the militant political Left in Germany. Ten years later, Ruth and Hans are married and living in Weimar Berlin when Hitler is elected chancellor of Germany. Together with Dora and her lover, Ernst Toller, the celebrated poet and self-doubting revolutionary, the four become hunted outlaws overnight and are forced to flee to London. Inspired by the fearless Dora to breathtaking acts of courage, the friends risk betrayal and deceit as they dedicate themselves to a dangerous mission: to inform the British government