January Wrap Up

We finally made it to the end of the month! I don't know about you but January always feels like a long month to me but, we've reached the end and with that my wrap up of the month. 

I managed to read 5 books this month, 2 of which I finished on the last day of January which I was really pleased with. Here are all of the books I read. 

Tangleweed and Brine by Deirdre Sullivan 

Published 18th October 2018 by Little Island

Star Rating - ***

Goodreads Challenge - 5/50

Review - Goodreads Review

James Clyde and the Diamonds of Orchestra by Colm McElwain

Published 1st February 2012 by Matador 

Star Rating - ***.5

Goodreads Challenge - 1/50 

Review - Blog Review

Origin by Dan Brown

Published 3rd October 2017 by Bantam Press 

Star Rating - ***.5

Goodreads Challenge - 2/50

Review - Blog Review

Gemina by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
Published 20th October 2016 by Rock to Boat
Star Rating - ****.5
Goodreads Challenge - 4/50
Review - Blog Review

The Wicked King by Holly Black

Published 8th January 2019 by Hot Key Books

Star Rating - *****

Goodreads Challenge - 3/50

Review - Blog Review

Currently Reading

• The Ruin of Kings by Jenn Lyons

Have you read any of these books? I'd love to hear your thoughts. 

Review - Origin by Dan Brown

Origin by Dan Brown

Published 3rd October 2017 by Bantam Press

Star Rating - ***.5

Goodreads Challenge - 2/50

Synopsis (from Goodreads)
Robert Langdon, Harvard professor of symbology and religious iconology, arrives at the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao to attend the unveiling of a discovery that ‘will change the face of science forever’. The evening’s host is his friend and former student, Edmond Kirsch, a forty-year-old tech magnate whose dazzling inventions and audacious predictions have made him a controversial figure around the world. This evening is to be no exception: he claims he will reveal an astonishing scientific breakthrough to challenge the fundamentals of human existence.

But Langdon and several hundred other guests are left reeling when the meticulously orchestrated evening is blown apart before Kirsch’s precious discovery can be revealed. With his life under threat, Langdon is forced into a desperate bid to escape, along with the museum’s director, Ambra Vidal. Together they flee to Barcelona on a perilous quest to locate a cryptic password that will unlock Kirsch’s secret.

In order to evade a tormented enemy who is one step ahead of them at every turn, Langdon and Vidal must navigate labyrinthine passageways of hidden history and ancient religion. On a trail marked only by enigmatic symbols and elusive modern art, Langdon and Vidal uncover the clues that will bring them face-to-face with a world-shaking truth that has remained buried – until now.

My Thoughts
I've read and enjoyed all of Dan Browns's other novels, especially the ones in the Robert Langdon series and I've been meaning to get to this one for a long time. I wasn't disappointed but it wasn't my favourite in this series, I felt it was a little lacking in some areas. 

If you've ever read any of the other books in this series then this plot will be very familiar to you. Most of Dan Browns books follow the same basic plot line and, for me, that's okay as that's what makes me enjoy his books. I did feel this one was a little bit lacking in some areas though. There wasn't as many puzzles and as much problem solving as there has been in previous books. We spent a lot of time in the same place and this meant it sometimes dragged a bit in places. As usual there are a lot of quite heavy historical, religious and scientific themes and sometimes these became a bit too technical for me. That being said, I felt the ending was adequate. There were a few twists and turns along the way and some of the outcomes were unexpected. 

I felt that the writing was quite slow to start which is a shame as I usually fly through Dan Brown's books. However, this did pick up about half way through and became a bit pacier and page turning. As I said earlier there is quite a lot of technical language used. As well as this at times the writing was quite fact heavy, again especially in the beginning. You were given a lot of information and explanations and sometimes I found myself getting a bit lost. I did manage to catch up though and I was okay in the end. 

I always enjoy Robert Langdon's character in these books. He's not your normal reckless protagonist, he's a logical thinker and often thinks before acting which you don't usually see in certain types of characters. I quite enjoyed the rest of the cast of characters too. There were a few morally grey characters and there were times throughout this novel where you didn't know who to trust. 

Overall I enjoyed this one for what it was which was your standard Dan Brown novel. It was nothing groundbreaking but if you've read and enjoyed his other books then I think you would like this one. 

Overall Rating (3.5*)

My Perfect Library

I did a shout out on Twitter looking for bookish tags (still looking if you know of any) and Roxanne over at An Average Life shared this post with me where she told us all about her perfect library. I loved her answers and I thought it was a really great idea for a post so I thought I would share mine with you. 

Everyone will have their own things that they look for in a library or reading space and if I had an unlimited choice this is what mine would look like. 

Location

My perfect library would definitely be located in a really sunny country on the beach. Holiday reading is one of my very favourite things so I'd love to be right by the sea so I've got the option to sit outside but also to vacate indoors if it gets too hot but still sit by a large window overlooking the sea. 

Seating

A really big comfy armchair with lots of squishy cushions and a footstool so I can put my feet up. This would need to be right next to a big bay window. I'd also love some sort of outdoor seating like a swinging seat or a comfy sunbed. 

Lighting

A big bay window is a must so my reading spot gets as much natural light as possible. For the evenings I would need lots of candles, I love reading by candlelight. 

Sound

Nothing too noisy, I hate reading with background noise such as the TV or music, I find it makes me read slower as I have to concentrate more so none of that. As my perfect library is on the beach I'd love to be able to hear the sound of the sea. 

Scent

Again the smell of the beach and the sea would be lovely but I'd also like my candles to be scented. I particularly like Chirstmasy scents such as cinnamon and gingerbread. 

Snacks

I have a bit of a sweet tooth so anything like that would be great. I like things that I can eat one handed when I'm reading for ease. When it comes to drinks you can't go wrong with a cup of tea. 

Bookshelves

As many as possible! If I had the space I'd love to have lots of bookshelves filled with books so I can browse and choose books at my leisure. One thing I would like though is for all the shelves to be the same height and large enough for hardcover books as well as paperbacks.

Organisation
I like things to look aesthetically pleasing so I'd have all of my hardcovers together and all of my paperbacks together. I do love the idea of organising books by colour but I wouldn't be able to cope with series being split up so I'd have to have them organised by genre. I'm a mood reader so this will help when it comes to choosing what I want to read. 

So there we have my idea of my perfect library. I'd love to hear about your perfect libraries so if you do end up doing this tag then please link it down below. 

Mailbox Monday - Weekly Book Post

Mailbox Monday is a weekly meme that was started by Marcia of To Be Continued. The aim is simple, for people to share what books they received in their mailbox that week. To check out everyone else's posts head over to the Mailbox Monday blog.

This week I received...

The Anomaly by Michael Rutger

I requested this one from the publisher, Bonnie Zaffre, in exchange for review. It's recommended for fans of Dan Brown which I am. 

Sawkill Girls by Claire Legrand, Beneath the Citadel by Destiny Soria and Damsel by Elana K Arnold

I received these from a fellow book lover on Twitter in a books for trade. They are all late 2018 releases that I've been eyeing up for a while. 

Have you read and would recommend any of these? What books did you receive in the past week?

Children's Book Spotlight - Eleanor Hurl the Peculiar Girl by SL Kins

Eleanor Hurl the Peculiar Girl by SL Kins

Published 31st October 2018 by Blue Falcon Publishing 

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis (from the publishers website)

Eleanor Hurl is a peculiar girl with an extraordinary imagination, which unfortunately has a nasty habit of getting her into trouble! Children will love this beautifully illustrated tale with a very important message – even the kookiest kid has something special to give!

My Thoughts

This is another great picture book, with an important message from Blue Falcon Publishing. I enjoyed the illustrations however, they are of a darker colour palette and therefore more appealing to an older audience as opposed to my 4 month old. Sticking with the darker theme, this would be a great story to read to children around Halloween time that isn't necessarily scary. However, I think that my class of children (4-5) may be a bit young as there are a couple of pages that I would say maybe aren't suitable for them and therefore I would say it would probably suit the 5-7 age range. 

As I've said in previous reviews of children's books I enjoy picture books that rhyme as they help to engage children and to support their understanding of rhythm, as well as being fun to read. This one had a lovely flow to it and was very easy to read, I didn't find myself stumbling over any of the rhymes at all. I also enjoy books with a message and this one had just that too. This would be a lovely book to use with children to tackle the topic of bullying and understanding how all children can be different and unique in their own way. The was lots of opportunities for discussion throughout. 

Overall I thought this was another lovely book with some great illustrations. I think it would definitely appeal to children in the 5-7 years age bracket and, although I don't think I could necessarily use it with my class, I will be recommending it to my fellow teachers. 

Review - A Curse so Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer

A Curse so Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer

Published 29th January 2019 by Bloomsbury Children's 

Goodreads Challenge - 25/50 

Star Rating - ****

I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

Fall in love, break the curse.

It once seemed so easy to Prince Rhen, the heir to Emberfall. Cursed by a powerful enchantress to repeat the autumn of his eighteenth year over and over, he knew he could be saved if a girl fell for him. But that was before he learned that at the end of each autumn, he would turn into a vicious beast hell-bent on destruction. That was before he destroyed his castle, his family, and every last shred of hope.

Nothing has ever been easy for Harper Lacy. With her father long gone, her mother dying, and her brother barely holding their family together while constantly underestimating her because of her cerebral palsy, she learned to be tough enough to survive. But when she tries to save someone else on the streets of Washington, DC, she’s instead somehow sucked into Rhen’s cursed world.

Break the curse, save the kingdom.

A prince? A monster? A curse? Harper doesn’t know where she is or what to believe. But as she spends time with Rhen in this enchanted land, she begins to understand what’s at stake. And as Rhen realizes Harper is not just another girl to charm, his hope comes flooding back. But powerful forces are standing against Emberfall . . . and it will take more than a broken curse to save Harper, Rhen, and his people from utter ruin.

My Thoughts

I'd seen this book all over Twitter and I love a good retelling so I was really keen to pick this up. I was excited when I was accepted to review this one via NetGalley. It's taken me a while to get to because in the recent couple of months I have both moved house and had a baby so my reading definitely slowed down (or stopped 🙈) but I'm getting back into the swing of things now and this was just what I needed to get me back into the reading groove.

Here are my thoughts...

What I liked
• It's a retelling of Beauty and the Beast and as I've already said I love a good retelling. In my opinion this was a good example of a retelling as there were clear nods to the original story and key plot points but enough individuality to the story to keep it interesting. 

• The representation. The main character has a disability and there were LGBT side characters. Neither of these aspects were handled badly but they could of been done better (I'll explain below). 

• There were several strong characters all of which had strong morals. Harper was a strong, independent female who didn't want to be treated any differently. Grey demonstrated loyalty and showed what it meant to be a good friend. Rhen had quite a complex personality. This developed well over the novel and he definitely grew as a character in a good way. 

• I enjoyed the romance. It was very slow burn and I loved the way both Harper and Rhens feelings developed over the course of the novel. 

What I thought could be better 

• I would of liked a bit more world building. It felt very much just like a medieval version of our current world. Which was fine but there was often mentions of magic and I would of liked this explained a bit more. 

• The representation of Harper's disability, although good and not problematic, could of been done a little bit better. At times it felt like it was an afterthought but that's just my opinion. This could be interpreted as it not being a problem to her, which is obviously a good thing. I think there's a fine line between good rep and bad and I might just be being a bit picky. 

Overall a really enjoyable read. I would definitely recommend picking this one up when it comes out.

Overall Rating

Top 5 Wednesday - Top of Your TBR

Top 5 Wednesday is a weekly meme where you discuss your 'top 5' in a variety of different topics on, guess what, a Wednesday. Full list of topics and more information can be found here on the Goodreads group.

This weeks topic is simply the top of your TBR so today I'm going to be sharing 5 books that I'm hoping to read very soon. 

Gemina and Obsido by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

I've put these two together as I'm hoping to at least of started Gemina, if not finished it, by the time this post goes up. I read Illuminae at the end of last year and loved it so I'm excited to continue with the series. 

Enchantee by Gita Trelease

This one is published on 21st February so I'd like to read and review my Netgalley copy before release. 

James Clyde and the Tomb of Salvation by Colm McElwain

I was sent this one and the first book in this series by the author. I read and enjoyed the first on so I'd like to get to this one soon. 

In Fallen Woods by R N Merle

Another one I received from the author that I really need to get too soon. 

The Boneless Mercies by April Genevieve Tucholke

I've had my eye on this one since it came out and I picked it up last week from my library so I would like to get it read. 

Have you read any of these and are there any you would recommend me bumping up my TBR? 

What books are at the top of your TBR? Let me know.