Hello, hello, hello, and welcome back everyone! Today’s post is going to be a bit of a flash post as the purpose of this particular blog is to fill everyone in on the first winner of my International Women’s History Month and St Patrick’s Day giveaway! If you’ve been keeping tabs, you’ll have seen that I announced this fun little giveaway over here on my twitter account, with the rules being published on my blog over here. I am absolutely over the moon to announce that now that St Patrick’s Day is all done and dusted, I can finally announce the winner of the first portion of the giveaway.
Continue readingREVIEW; SUMMER OF SALT – KATRINA LENO
“A magic passed down through generations . . .
Georgina Fernweh waits with growing impatience for the tingle of magic in her fingers—magic that has been passed down through every woman in her family. Her twin sister, Mary, already shows an ability to defy gravity. But with their eighteenth birthday looming at the end of this summer, Georgina fears her gift will never come.
An island where strange things happen . . .
No one on the island of By-the-Sea would ever call the Fernwehs what they really are, but if you need the odd bit of help—say, a sleeping aid concocted by moonlight—they are the ones to ask.
No one questions the weather, as moody and erratic as a summer storm.
No one questions the (allegedly) three-hundred-year-old bird who comes to roost on the island every year.
A summer that will become legend . . .
When tragedy strikes, what made the Fernweh women special suddenly casts them in suspicion. Over the course of her last summer on the island—a summer of storms, of love, of salt—Georgina will learn the truth about magic, in all its many forms.”
4/5 stars.
TEN FIERCE FEMALES!
Hello, and Happy International Women’s Day everyone! What a stunning thing, to be able to dedicate an entire day to the celebration of all women, across the world! Women are the backbone of this entire planet, and even now in 2019 we are looked down upon, still fighting for rights and respect that should have been given to us from the get go. But we are fierce, and we keep on fighting, and we stand united together today, and every single day, and that in itself is nothing less than a miracle.
Continue readingREVIEW; THE LADY’S GUIDE TO PETTICOATS AND PIRACY – MACKENZI LEE
“In this highly anticipated sequel to the New York Times bestselling The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue, Felicity Montague must use all her womanly wits and wiles to achieve her dreams of becoming a doctor—even if she has to scheme her way across Europe to do it. A must-have for fans of Mackenzi Lee’s extraordinary and Stonewall Honor-winning novel.
A year after an accidentally whirlwind grand tour with her brother Monty, Felicity Montague has returned to England with two goals in mind—avoid the marriage proposal of a lovestruck suitor from Edinburgh and enroll in medical school. However, her intellect and passion will never be enough in the eyes of the administrators, who see men as the sole guardians of science.
But then a window of opportunity opens—a doctor she idolizes is marrying an old friend of hers in Germany. Felicity believes if she could meet this man he could change her future, but she has no money of her own to make the trip. Luckily, a mysterious young woman is willing to pay Felicity’s way, so long as she’s allowed to travel with Felicity disguised as her maid.
In spite of her suspicions, Felicity agrees, but once the girl’s true motives are revealed, Felicity becomes part of a perilous quest that leads them from the German countryside to the promenades of Zurich to secrets lurking beneath the Atlantic.”
5/5 stars.
DOUBLE GIVEAWAY!
FREE BOOKS, you say?! Yep, you heard that correctly! As it happens, i’m hosting my very first giveaway. Only, it’s not just ONE giveaway, but two! Yep, that’s two chances to win. So, if you’re still here, keep on reading while I explain just what’s up for grabs, and what you need to do to have a chance at winning!
Continue readingFEBRUARY ROUNDUP!
Pinch, punch, first day of the month! Happy March, everyone! We’ve made it through another month, so congrats on that. So, to kick off the start of a new month, i’m going to be doing a recap of February, with a round up of all the books and posts that made an appearance over the last 28 days! Plus, i’ll be capping it off by sharing some of my favourite posts from other bloggers, and giving a little teaser for the coming days!
Continue readingFAIRY TALE BOOK TAG!
Hi everyone! Yes, I know, I’m back with another tag, but they’re just so fun, aren’t they? This particular one is courtesy of the lovely Delly, who decided to create The Fairy Tale Book Tag. And, as somebody who loves a good fairy tale, I couldn’t resist taking part! Below you’ll find the rules, as administered by Delly herself, followed by a set of quotes and questions – all Fairy Tale inspired – and I’ll be doing my best to answer each and every one as honestly as I can!
Fairy Tale Tag Rules:
- Answer as many questions as you can!
- Tag five fairy tale lovers.
- Please tag Delly as the creator.
- Have fun!
REVIEW; DARE ME – MEGAN ABBOTT
“Addy Hanlon has always been Beth Cassidy’s best friend and trusted lieutenant. Beth calls the shots and Addy carries them out, a long-established order of things that has brought them to the pinnacle of their high-school careers. Now they’re seniors who rule the intensely competitive cheer squad, feared and followed by the other girls — until the young new coach arrives.
Cool and commanding, an emissary from the adult world just beyond their reach, Coach Colette French draws Addy and the other cheerleaders into her life. Only Beth, unsettled by the new regime, remains outside Coach’s golden circle, waging a subtle but vicious campaign to regain her position as “top girl” — both with the team and with Addy herself.
Then a suicide focuses a police investigation on Coach and her squad. After the first wave of shock and grief, Addy tries to uncover the truth behind the death — and learns that the boundary between loyalty and love can be dangerous terrain.
The raw passions of girlhood are brought to life in this taut, unflinching exploration of friendship, ambition, and power. Award-winning novelist Megan Abbott, writing with what Tom Perrotta has hailed as “total authority and an almost desperate intensity,” provides a harrowing glimpse into the dark heart of the all-American girl.”
3/5 stars.
BIRTHDAYS & BOOKS!
Hey everyone! So, today, in honour of the lovely Esme’s birthday, I’m going to looking at books that she loves! What you’ll find below is a list of 23 books – one for each year that she’s graced this planet! – that I know she loved, and that I’m dying to read! And who knows, maybe i’ll even get around to some of them this year! We’ll see. So, happy birthday, Esme! And here’s to you and your favourite books!
Continue readingLOVE, LIGHT, AND… WELL, LONELINESS.
This has been a little bit of a spontaneous, spur of the moment write up, so today’s post is a bit of a deviation away from the average book talk that i’ve grown accustomed to providing over on this here blog! Admittedly, I never wanted to set myself any rules on here, not really. It’s about posting what i’m comfortable with, and whatever springs to mind. So far, that’s fallen into book-territory, and that suits me perfectly well, huge book-lover that I am! However, there are no rules, and if a post works, it works, and if it doesn’t, well – too late! Regardless, I want to be open and talk about whatever springs to mind, and that won’t always be a fun, literary tag, or a fresh review, or anything vaguely within those margins. No, instead, today I’ll be talking about mental health.
Continue reading
a novel idea 