2020 Faves

2020 was a very strange year but I did manage to read some amazing books and watch a lot of great tv shows and movies!

Favourite books of 2020

Ugly Love- Colleen Hoover

House of Earth and Blood- Sarah J. Maas

Wicked- Jennifer L. Armentrout

Torn- Jennifer L. Armentrout

Brave- Jennifer L. Armentrout

Get Your Sh*t Together- Sarah Knight

From Blood and Ash- Jennifer L. Armentrout

Rage and Ruin- Jennifer L. Armentrout

Supernova- Marissa Meyer

The Savior’s Sister- Jenna Moreci

The Female of the Species- Mindy McGinnis

A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire- Jennifer L. Armentrout

The Brightest Night- Jennifer L. Armentrout

Crooked Kingdom- Leigh Bardugo

Moonlight Scandal- Jennifer L. Armentrout

Thomas Sanders- Youtuber Recommendations

This is a little different to what I'd usually post but I've become obsessed with the Youtuber Thomas Sanders and need to let out my pent up fangirling and excitement.
Thomas does mainly comedy and music on his channel and it's awesome! He's such a great advocate for expressing your identity and diversity- whether it be differences in ethnicity, sexuality and genders.

And he is also the first person to make many many people utter the words "I love anxiety." Yes, I'm not even kidding.


Sanders Sides
My favourite videos that Thomas produces is his Sanders Side videos. Sanders Sides is similar to the concept of Inside Out where parts of his personality are personified and he has discussions with them over a variety of problems that arise in his life. These videos are absolutely hilarious but are also really uplifting and helpful. The dialogue is brillantly funny and also packs in a bunch of different fandom references throughout. It's also hard to believe that Thomas acts each and every character because they're so well acted that I forget that it's the same person.

Book Recommendations for Spring Snow Days

Because the weather is crazy in the UK and has decided to mix up all the seasons (I'm convinced the apocalypse is upon us), I've decided to make the most of it and turn it into a book recommendations post. I'm going to recommend four books with wintery settings or covers that can get you into a wintery spirit even though it's spring... because that's how things are working this year.
(Also enjoy nice snowy photos of me along the way...)


Unravel Me- Tahereh Mafi
Unravel Me is the second book in the Shatter me series and I've picked it because it has a nice wintery cover which just happens to be stunning even if it has no regard to the plot whatsoever. This series follows Juliette who has a curse gift where everyone she touches dies. If that sounds interesting... read the books, because it is interesting. I love this series so much and can't wait for the fourth instalment, Restore Me, to come out this month.
Unravel Me Book Talk


This is What Goodbye Looks Like- Olivia Rivers
Switching to a contemporary stand alone, This is What Goodbye Looks Like, is actually set in winter for the most part. This means cute pictures and flirting with your ship in the snow. I've read this book twice and I loved it just as much both times. It has a lovely blend of romance, internal struggle and an edge of mystery that surrounds the whole thing.
The is What Goodbye Looks Like Book Talk

Irresistible Fictional Romances

And here's the obligatory Valentine's content for the year! I've decided to skip over some of the obvious ones that I always say (aka, ACOMAF) but here's a list of a few fictional romances that are perfect to read on Valentine's Day (or anytime of the year, to be honest).
I tried to keep these all contemporary romances but a supernatural genre slipped through anyway (and I'm not even sorry)- they still have great relationships though.


Fallon and Ben (November 9- Colleen Hoover)
November 9 was the first Colleen Hoover book I'd ever read and I hadn't expected such emotions!! This story had such a great premise and an all-consuming romance! You ship these two from the very start and, while there are a few obstacles that get in the way, they are absolutely perfect for each other. Even thinking of this pair makes me melt into a puddle of goo.
November 9 Book Talk




Lara Jean and Peter (To All the Boys I've Loved Before- Jenny Han)
Another of my favourite contemporaries had to make this list. The first book in this trilogy is easily my favourite and I absolutely adore Lara Jean and Peter Kavinsky together. They're a couple that wouldn't usually work but turns out adorably in this case. Both of the characters are super different (quirky vs cocky) and it's so entertaining to read. I promise, you'll have a large grin through the majority of this book.

Best Books of 2017

I don't feel like I read too many books this year but there are still a selection of my favourites. When I looked back over the books I reads this year, I'm quite disappointed with how little new books there were. I'm not a stranger to re-reading books but I found it really hard to comprise this list because there weren't actually that many new reads that really wowed me....  but hopefully next year will be better.

Sidenote: the books in the following list weren't necessarily released in 2017 but were read by me for the first time this year.

A Court of Wings and Ruin (ACOTAR #3)- Sarah J. Maas
These books may not be in order but this would definitely be at the top of any list. While ACOMAF still maintains my favourite, this instalment was an epic finale and, with Sarah, you can't expect anything less than perfection. I love the characters in this series with all my heart and am so happy we're getting another spin-off trilogy with them in because I was not ready to say goodbye.
A Court of Wings and Ruin Book Talk


The Struggle (Titan #3)- Jennifer L. Armentrout
I read this in the early months of the year but I can still remember how much I loved it. Jennifer L. Armentrout is one of my all-time favourite authors and this series gives me life every year. The Titan series is a spin-off of the Covenant series and they have a really big place in my heart. All of JLA's books are fantastic and this one is no exception. I can't wait for the final book in this series to come out next year.... although I'm nervous because I don't want anyone to die.
The Struggle Book Talk

Fantasy Recommendations!!!

It's been a while since I recommended any books and so I thought I'd jump into a fantasy edition. I find that, in the winter, I'm much more inclined to pick out a fantasy rather than a contemporary so this is your guide on what to dive into next!

(I'll try to stay away from obvious choices eg. Harry Potter)







The Covenant series- Jennifer L. Armentrout
JLA is such an underrated author and the Covenant series is such an underrated series. I have read these book so many times and each time is as epic and exciting as the last. It centres around Greek mythology which is a personal passion of mime and the characters are so sassy, bad-ass and... human! They feel so real! JLA has a talent for creating amazing characters and writing her books with such humour. Honestly, I would recommend any one of her books but, if you love fantasy, these are definitely the ones to go for first.

Top 10 Books of 2016!!!!

2016 has been such an amazing reading year and there's been loads of stunning books released. I'm going to list out my top 10 reads of the year. They may not necessarily have been released this year- it's simply the favourite books that I've, personally, read this year. My Book Talks for each of the books mentioned will be linked on the book title if you want to check them out!
In no particular order...

A Court of Mist and Fury- Sarah J. Maas 
Well, this one is in order. ACOMAF was by far my favourite read of this year and has assumed the position of my favourite book. ACOMAF is the second book in the A Court of Thorns and Roses series. While I liked the first book, I loved the second book and I am constantly- constantly- thinking about it and desperately waiting for the sequel, A Court of Wings and Ruin, to come out next year!





The Lunar Chronicles- Marissa Meyer
I'm fully aware that this is cheating but... they count as one book, okay? My favourite would be Winter, then Cress, then Cinder and finally Scarlet. So we'll count Winter as the favourite book. This is a series of fairy tale retellings with a sci-fi twist and this series is genius! These books are truly gold and absolutely blew me away. Don't be intimidated by the size (820 pages, Winter!) as it's so easy and quick to read- the pages turn themselves. Book Talks will be up soon, I promise!

Subject Book Recommendations (Part 1)

I had a thought the other day and it led me to thinking... If I had to recommend one book to my school teachers, what would it be? Then I thought that it'd probably be different depending what subject they taught. And this gave me the idea for this post! I'm going to recommend five books according to what subject I think they work well with. Think of your favourite subject and I'll have a book recommendation for it.
(This is only Part 1, so if your favourite subject isn't here, just comment it and I'll add it in the next one!)

English
Fangirl- Rainbow Rowell
I struggled to think of an English subject book because... well, 'reading' is an English thing to do. Anyhow, I picked this book because it centres around the love of reading and writing.
This story follows Cath- a shy, introverted booklover that writes fanfiction for the one and only Simon Snow novels. Cath moves to college with her polar-opposite, identical twin Wren and the book follows her experiences and struggles when trying to become an individual when all she wants to do is stay out the limelight.
I loved Fangirl because it's a very relatable read- everyone can identify with the anxiety that Cath feels. It's full of cutsie moments, relatable situations and funny lines.

Contemporary Recommendations!!!

Need a cute and fuzzy contemporary read to pick you up after summer? Perfect! I've listed five of my favourite contemporary reads that I'd definitely suggest you reading. Whether it be a cute romance or heart-breaking read, they're all below. The authors I've included also have many more books out that I love but I've picked out my favourite of theirs- so check out some of there other works as well!
Enjoy!

Undone- Cat Clarke
This book is, if I had to choose, my favourite ever contemporary. And I will forever recommend it because not enough people in this world has read it! It has such a raw and relatable concept and pulls me in with every single character, plotline and page. This story follows Jemima- Jem- as she seeks out revenge. Why? Because her best friend- the boy she loves- was 'outed' online as being gay. When Kai commits suicide she is determined to find out who is responsible, infiltrate their group and take them down from the inside. This book is stunning and it will always be a favourite of mine.   



Louder Than Words- Laura Jarratt
Laura Jarratt is one of my favourite contemporary authors simply because she is so consistent with amazing books. Unfortunately I can't list them all but I'd advise picking up any one of her books because they're all stunning. Her novels are the eye-opening, insightful and deep stories that are relatable to so many people. Louder Than Words touches upon so many difficult and relatable subjects and it's a must-read for all these reasons. It follows, among other things, a mute girl who is struggling to get through life and grow as an individual. It's such an inspiring read and I read the whole thing in one sitting.