Blog Tour: A Mighty Dawn

Today's post is a book review/blog tour and if you didn't know, a blog tour consists of various book bloggers reviewing the same book in a tour of sorts within a set period of time. I have taken part in at least two so far with this one being my third and my favourite! Today's book tour is with the lovely people over at Corvus for a review of Theodore Brun's debut fantasy, adventure read, A Mighty Dawn.

*A Mighty Dawn by Theodore Brun (608 pages) ★★★ (3.75...so so close)

Some of my favourite book genres include fantasty, historical fiction, magical realism and anything related of fairytales or folklore and this one includes quite a few of these genres so I knew I would like it but there were elements that I loved even more than I thought I would and then there were a couple of issues, for me personally.

We follow Hakan, son of the Lord of the Northern Jutes, who experiences a life changing tragedy which forces him to find himself, reevaluate his life and find his purpose. This section is the first part of the book and equates to maybe the first 15% to 20% and to me, it felt quite different to the rest of the book and I wasn't very happy with the rape in this section of the book; however the rest of the story follows his journey, the people he meets on the way and his hardships which I utterly adored!

The novel is set in a viking age world, similar to our own at that time; however it also has elements of folklore, norse myths and demonic, underworld like creatures which to be honest, was one of my favourite things about the book. During December I read a book all about norse myths and the norse gods such as Odin and Loki so I was familiar with the gods in the book and their backstories, relationships and the norse view of their gods which definitely helped in my understanding of the book so I think it would be useful to have a slight understanding of norse myths and their gods before going into this book.

It has a classic adventure storyline which I loved and at times it did remind me a little of the Seeds Of Destiny series by Andrew Livingstone (which I also loved). Another aspect of the book that was so endearing was the friendship between Kai and Hakan which I loved and the adventures they go on - the fight scenes were also amazing! So after it's slightly rocky and unpredictable start, it became such a wonderful, intriguing and fantastic adventure of a book with norse gods, demonic creatures and a fast paced journey with Hakan, Kai and some pretty vicious vikings!

Thanks so much to Corvus for putting together this blog tour and for kindly sending me an early copy of the book! This debut book was so incredibly close to being a solid four star read so I cannot wait to read the second book in the series, A Sacred Storm, which is being released on the 7th June 2018.

Will you be picking up this book? Are you a adventure and fantasy fan?

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Blog Tour: Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan

I haven't taken part in a book blog tour for a while as to be honest, there weren't any books that I was very interested in and with a blog tour, I feel even more obliged to finish the book than if I was just sent it from a lovely publisher. So I'm quite selective about the blog tours I ask to join as I don't want to read a book I'm not fully interested in, I don't want to have to DNF a book I was kindly sent and I don't want a publisher to waste a book on someone who isn't excited about it. However, when the opportunity arose to take part in the Girls and Paper and Fire blog tour I was very excited as I actually had this book on my Amazon wish list!

*Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan (304 pages) ★★★★ 

Set in a magical fantasy world where there are various castes of people, we follow Lei who is part of the lowest caste, paper, as she is brutally ripped from her hard and unremarkable life with her father to join the group of paper girls who are to become the concubines to the cruel demon king. Lei stands out not only because she's the ninth paper girl when usually there are only eight but also because she has an unusual feature, especially for a paper girl (the caste of people without any magic), her mesmerising golden eyes.

What follows is a tale of not only courtly rituals, power play, caste differences and rebellion but also friendship, camaraderie and forbidden romance. I have read a fair amount of fantasy but I haven't read anything quite like this before especially in terms of the magical asian inspired world and the castes of people who have various animal features depending on their clan and caste. For example, girls with deer antlers, men with lizard scales and others with bull, boar, eagle or tiger features.

One of my favourite things about this read was the world as it managed to be simultaneously rich, detailed, vivid and filled with information but it never felt overly detailed, info-dumpy or confusing. It was an enchanting fantasy read with an easily imagined and wonderfully magical world, vivid characters and fantastic themes of friendship and feminism.

I managed to read exactly half of the book in one day as I didn't want to put it down as it's just so easily consumable, entertaining and absorbing, from the striking part-animal characters, the cruel world of the paper girls and the F/F romance. Even though the paperback I have has fairly small text (which is a pet peeve of mine) it read very quickly and I loved exploring it's exotic, unusual world.

My only negative is the kind of insta-love between Lei and Wren. Some might not view it as insta-love as the book does take place over a few months but because we only see snippets of that time, their relationship felt rushed and with less emotion, in my opinion. Despite that one negative, I would highly recommend this fantastic dark YA fantasy filled with feminism, magic and friendship.

Have you read Girls of Paper and Fire? 

*Gifted

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Blog Tour: The Waking Land by Callie Bates

This year so far has been full of blog tours which I'm loving as I adore reading and working with publishers is a bonus! I've already published blog tour review posts for A Mighty Dawn, The Intruder, Culture Smart Travel Guides and Beautiful Star with a few more on the way, including this one which is in collaboration with the wonderful people at Hodder and Stoughton. 

*The Waking Land by Callie Bates (400 pages - available now) ★★★

I'm a huge fantasy fan, it's one of my favourite book genres along with magical realism, mystery/thrillers, quirky non-fiction and YA so I was very excited to be part of this blog tour for a new YA fantasy by Callie Bates which includes romance, paranormal and almost folklore elements. It's a little longer than most YA books I've finished recently but it is a very quick, easy and fun read! 

We follow Elanna who as a child was taken at knife point to live in another kingdom away from her family and magical culture but everything changes when she grows up and has to quell her magic, flee from the kingdom she was forced to live in and reunite with her family to save her kingdom and to ensure that magic is bought back to their lands. 

I liked the settings, most of the characters, the politics and the world in general but the best part has to be the magic! I loved the almost folklore attached to the magic, the magical abilities of the main character and the battle at the end of the book. The writing was also very quick and easy, not overly descriptive and definitely kept me turning the pages. However, I did find it a little predictable at times, the ending wasn't quite what I thought it would be (although I am happy with the ending) and it was quite slow in places. 

Overall, even though I had to rush through it a little to have my review published on time, it was a thoroughly enjoyable, entertaining and fun fantasy read filled with magic, self discovery and a predictable but sweet romance - it's impressive for a debut YA fantasy read. I'd definitely recommend it if you like YA fantasy and I'm interested enough to want to read the second book which comes out in December 2018. 

Are you a fantasy fan? Are you going to pick up this YA fantasy read? What are you currently reading? 

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Blog Tour: The Stranger Diaries by Elly Griffiths

I haven't taken part in a blog tour for a little while but today's is a brand new thriller blog tour which was hosted by Quercus (thank you). I was very kindly sent the gorgeous hardback edition (the cover is so pretty!) which was published on the 1st November and it's available as a hardback edition or kindle book.

*The Stranger Diaries by Elly Griffiths (408 pages) ★★★ (3.5)

I personally love thrillers but I haven't actually read that many over the past few months so I was very excited to read this. I started it on halloween and it was a great option for my halloween read this year. It's a little longer than the typical thrillers I've read but it was a very quick read for me thanks to the intriguing mystery and the short chapters - yes to short chapters!

In The Stranger Diaries we follow Clare, a high school English teacher with a teenage daughter as one of her friends and fellow English teachers is found murdered. The police think that it's someone close to them that could have committed the crime and someone who is related to the school or the English teachers as there is a note with the body which relates to an author who once lived at the school.

This is my first thriller for a while and it reminded me why I love thrillers so much, as it was such a quick, compelling and easy read with a mystery that I didn't guess the ending of. I loved the quick pace, easy writing, the short chapters which kept me reading and the mystery which was a little creepy towards the end of the book. I didn't guess the ending or who the murderer was which is what I want in a thriller!

As I've said, I liked how short the chapters were and I also liked how each section of the book was from the perspective of a particular person, whether it was Clare, her daughter Georgie or the police officer, Harbinder. I found some of the characters perspectives, especially Harbinder to be quite judgmental and slightly annoying at times but overall, I did enjoy getting the numerous perspectives as they offer the characters opinions on the same events and their views on each other.

The only aspect of the book that I didn't love was the excerpts from the fictional author RM Holland throughout the book although it is a main point of the book in terms of the connection to the main character and the link to the school but I probably would have liked the book just as much without the excerpts, if I'm honest. I also didn't find the secondary mystery relating to the author to be interesting. Additionally, I thought that the motives of the murderer were a little tenuous, in my opinion.

Overall, it was definitely a compelling, fast paced and quick thriller that had me guessing until the ending. It had some creepy and eerie scenes, I liked the various perspectives and the short chapters which made for a quick, easy to follow read. I enjoyed reading about the numerous character perspectives, I liked the school setting and the variety of characters included in the book. However, I didn't like the focus on the fictional author, I realise that it made the book more unique and it did tie into the story but I think the book could have been equally as enjoyable and intriguing without the excerpts, in my opinion.

Do you like reading thrillers? Will you be picking up this book? 

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Blog Tour: Enchantee by Gita Trelease

I haven't published a book blog tour post for a while and I think that's because I've made a decision to stop reading books that I'm not 100% sure about so that means I've had to turn down or pass on various book tours because I don't want to use my time to read books that I don't know if I'll love (but will feel obliged to finish). However, when the opportunity arose to take part in the blog tour for Enchantee, I had to take part as the premise sounds amazing!

*Enchantee by Gita Trelease (480 pages) ★★★ (3.75)

In Enchantee we follow Camille as she struggles with her violent brother and sickly sister while trying to scrape a living during the poverty stricken times in which they live, while the aristocrats are throwing lavishly banquets and parties. Before her parents died, her mother taught Camille how to use magic which she is reluctant to use but she increasingly needs to use it in order to pull herself and her family out of poverty. Camille travels to Versailles where she transforms herself using magic into an aristocratic ancestor of hers to gamble and hopefully win enough money for a better future.

There are two elements of this book that I utterly adored and those include the vivid setting and the magic. The magic is easy to understand, enchanting (hence the name) and wonderful to read. I adored the revolutionary France time period and the setting of Paris and Versailles! Despite being almost 500 pages, it was a surprisingly quick YA read with an easy writing style that made me fly through most of this book.

It started off very intriguing and became more so but I felt as though from the half way mark until the last quarter, it was quite repetitive sadly. Additionally, I found the ending to be quite convenient. However I did throughly enjoy the process of reading through Camille's story, all of the magic elements and sweet romance (thankfully the romance wasn't the entire story). If you're looking for a YA novel set during an intriguing and tumultuous time period with magical elements, hot air balloons, gambling, beautiful dresses and switching identities then you'll love Enchantee.

Will you be picking up this book when it's released? What have you been reading recently? 

*Gifted 

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Blog Tour: Carnivore by Jonathan Lyon

I've been lucky enough to take part in quite a few blog tours already this year, so much more than last year and today's post is another with the lovely people over at HQ - Harper Collins UK (thank you!). I'll have a few more blog tour posts coming to my blog over the next few weeks as well so stay tuned for those. If you want to see my book ratings early and know what I'm reading, you can follow me on GoodReads.

*Carnivore by Jonathan Lyon (400 pages) ★★★

I partly read the arc I was kindly sent and I also listen to it partly on BookBeat as an audiobook (we all know how much I love BookBeat). In Carnivore, we follow Leander who seems to be suffering with some kind of chronic pain (myalgia) and synesthesia, among other issues as he leaves a trail of drug use and manipulation in his wake as a result. We have a glimpse into his incredibly chaotic and self destructive life in which pain is a kind of pleasure, self harm in various ways is a constant and his view of the world is very abnormal due to the issues and the crippling chronic pain he experiences. The main point I found interesting about the book was the characters life with synesthesia which is something I've never read about before, for example, how sounds could be associated with a colour or a scent.

This novel is described as 'the most controversial debut literary thriller of 2017' and I think that's a great way to describe it as it's definitely a polarising book - some will find it raw, unique and eye opening but ultimately well written and intriguing; however I think that others will view it as shocking and very uncomfortable. I fall in the middle as I found it to be very unique, shocking and interesting with regards to synesthesia which made for a very surreal read; however it was very disturbing at times and for most of the book it left me with an comfortable, uncertain feeling. Thankfully the more thriller elements, police involvement and the ending which was much more positive than I thought it would be, made for a more familiar read.

I would recommend it, for me a three star read is a good book with a couple of flaws but one that I'd still recommend. However I'd recommend it with caution and only if you think you will be ok with the potentially triggering topics of chronic pain, illness, manipulative relationships, abuse/rape and drug use - there are some extremely graphic, disturbing scenes so just be aware of that. I'd recommend the audiobook but it definitely made for very difficult listening at times...well most of the time. I think you can tell how mixed my thoughts are about this book but ultimately I would recommend it as a very dark, unique read!

Will you be picking up this book? What are you currently reading? Do you like books featuring darker, controversial or taboo topics? 

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Blog Tour: A Sacred Storm by Theodore Brun

Earlier this year I reviewed A Mighty Dawn by Theodore Brun on my blog as part of a blog tour with the wonderful people over at Corvus and now I'm reviewing the second book in the series (thanks for the early signed copy)! We all know by now that fantasy is one of my favourite genres, along with historical fiction, so I knew I was going to love this two book series.

*A Sacred Storm by Theodore Brun (688 pages) ★★★ (3.75...so so close, again)

The first book in this duology had a stunning cover (thankfully so does the second) and it had a similar number of pages, although this second book is a little longer; however don't be put off my the length of the books as even though they're over 600 pages, they read like 400 page books as you don't want to stop reading, it's an 'easy' read and thankfully the text is pretty large - tiny text is one of my bookish pet peeves!

Within the first book we follow Hakan, son of the Lord of the Northern Jutes, who experiences a life changing tragedy which forces him to find himself, re-evaluate his life and find his purpose which leads him on an arduous adventure with hardship, friendship and peril along the way.

The second book carries on from the events of the previous book so I can't say too much about the plot as it would definitely spoil the first (go and read the first book, it's only 99p as an e-book on Amazon). However, I can say that it has the same tone, action, camaraderie and viking warriors as the first book along with forbidden love, power play between kingdoms, revenge and a fair few sex scenes (some were relevant/pertinent to the story but a couple were a little unnecessary) as well as some epic battles, gore and a rather gruesome sacrifice! The latter point reminded me of a few scenes from the History channel TV show, Vikings (which I love).

As with the previous book I loved the quick, easy and engaging writing style along with the viking age setting and the camaraderie, friendship and relationship between two of my favourite characters, Erlan and Kai. I loved the battles scene, general fight scenes and the elements of magic as well as the main characters and the classic adventure storyline/themes.

A Sacred Storm received exactly the same star rating as the first book which was incredibly close to a solid four star read or more but there were a couple of negatives for me including the apparent need of almost every woman that Erlan meets to sleep with him...really. Additionally, I wanted more! I loved the world Brun has created, the characters of Erlan, Kai and Lilia as well as the unexplored magic elements so I wish there were more books in this series. Considering both books, I think the first is my favourite but it's a very close call!

Have you read the first book, A Mighty Dawn? Do you like fantasy books, TV shows or movies? What are you currently reading? 

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Blog Tour: Wrecker by Noel O'Reilly

I have been lucky enough to take part in quite a lot of blog tours already this year with a range of wonderful publishers (which I'm very grateful for) but this book has to be one of the most beautiful books I've ever received! I was very kindly sent Wrecker by Noel O'Reilly from HQ (Harper Collins) so thank you! Today's book blog tour is featuring a newly released historical fiction and we all know how much I love historical fiction!

*Wrecker by Noel O'Reilly (384 pages) ★★★ (3.5)

I received this book from the wonderful people at HQ at Harper Collins and it has to be one of the most beautiful books I own as not only it is gorgeously designed but it's a naked hardback so the cover is printed onto the hardback book, no annoying dust jacket! I absolutely adore the cover, it's stunning! Anyway, enough gushing about the cover. Set in the wonderful, atmospheric and beautiful setting of Cornwall we follow Mary Blight who rescues a man from a shipwreck after a storm. Shipwrecks are a very common occurrence as is the practice of looting the washed up cargo and personal affects of the dead (I didn't know this was done until I read Sentinels Of The Sea in May).

The story unfolds as the identity of the rescued *handsome* man is unveiled as a minister and what follows is a look into the impoverished lives of the community, how religion plays a part in everyones lives and the intertwining lives of Mary and the rescued minister, Gideon as they struggle with their feelings for each other, the judgement of the community and religious beliefs. Oh also, there's supposedly a cannibal in their midst...

I loved the writing style which was quick and easy but had an eerie and darkly descriptive tone. It was a very quick read, I wanted to find out what would happen and I think the ending was as hopeful as it could have been given the events in the book so I was happy about that! I found Mary annoying at times but I also liked how she subverted the typical expectations and actions of women. There are  some scenes of domestic violence in this book which made for slightly uncomfortable reading but thankfully it is viewed as negative in the book rather than normal part of life, however I think it could have been dealt with even better, if that makes sense. I found some of the characters and their views frustrating at times and I'm not religious at all so some sections of the book were a little tedious but overall I really loved this novel! I'd definitely recommend it for fans of dark, bleak historical fiction.

Do you like historical fiction? Will you be picking up this book? 

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Blog Tour: Culture Smart Travel Guides

It's only the beginning of the year and I already have quite a few book blog tour posts scheduled for the upcoming couple of months which is so exciting and the first is with the lovely people over at Kuperard on their new Culture Smart! Travel Guides.

I love to travel and I've been lucky enough to have parents that have taken us on camping holidays around the UK as well as cruises all over Europe but there are still so many places that I want to visit, some of which include: Canada, Austria, Hungary, Greece and many, many others. You can read my 2018 travel wish list, if you want to know more.

*Kuperard Culture Smart Travel Guides (£7.99)

It can be a little overwhelming when choosing a country to visit or city to explore so travel guides are a great way of deciding where to go first and what to visit when you get there as well as providing you with a brief historical background on the country, the culture and customs as well as travel safety, traditions, weather, national holidays and colloquial terms.

I have four of their fantastic guides including: Austria, Canada, Greece and Hungary, all of which are handy paperback books but they are durable, handbag sized and packed full of so much useful information about the country that will be invaluable before and during your visit.

One of the main things I love about these little guides is the layout as it's structured well, easy to read and find the information you want without it being boring or confusing. Each guide also had various tables, photographs and bullet pointed sections which make it a quick, easy and enjoyably informative read.

Canada is very high on my list of places that I want to visit in the future so I think this guide in particular will be very useful. They'd make great gifts too, if you know someone heading off on a gap year, honeymoon or holiday. I have four of the guides but there are many more to choose from including countries such as China, Japan, Kenya, Mexico and New Zealand, all of which are some of their latest releases. There are so many more guides that I want so I might have to get a couple, especially Iceland, Ireland and Germany!

I cannot recommend these travel guides enough as they are well laid out, very useful without being dry, boring or tedious and it's easy to find the information you want. I love the size and design of the guides as well as the information included. I think they'd be perfect for any holiday abroad, a gap year student or anyone who loves travelling. Thanks to Kuperard for sending me some of their travel guides and I cannot wait to travel more as well as take part in more book blog tours this year!

Do you have any of these travel guides? Where do you want to visit this year? 

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Blog Tour: The Intruder by P. S Hogan

It's been a very busy month in terms of reading, book blog tours and various appointments but I'm now posting my final book blog tour of the month! I've already published a couple with Culture Smart and Corvus but today's post is all about a brand new sinister thriller which was kindly sent to me from the lovely people at Penguin Random House UK.

*The Intruder by P.S Hogan (288 pages - ebook available now) ★★★

I have the paperback version as an ARC which won't be available until May but the e-book is available to purchase now (£4.99). It's a fairly short thriller at less than 300 pages and the countless quoted reviews of this book describe it as sinister, witty, eerie, tension filled and deeply unsettling...so obviously I couldn't wait to read it! While thrillers aren't my favourite genre, I do love a good thriller every so often. 

We follow William Henning, an estate agent who happens to keep the keys to all of the houses he has sold and visits the residents without them knowing...we also look back on his life and childhood throughout the book. It quickly becomes apparent how unusual, disturbed and unfeeling the main character is which makes for an interesting, creepy and haunting experience of reading the book especially as it seems as though the author is narrating his life to you from the page. 

This is the first true thriller that I've read in a while and oh boy, did I start with one of the creepiest! The main character is so disturbing and the whole book has an eerie, tension filled and atmospheric feel to it which makes you want to keep reading to find out what will happen, if the main character will be caught and if there will be any consequences of his actions. 

As with the other thrillers I've read, it was a very quick and easy read as well as being entertaining and intriguing; however I did find a little slow at times and I felt as though the very end was a little anticlimactic, especially compared to the rest of the book which seemed to be building and building up to a cliffhanger or catastrophically dramatic ending. Although I would definitely recommend it if you are looking for a new thriller unlike any other your have read before! 

Will you be reading this new release? Are you a fan of thrillers? 

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2019 Highlights + Favourites

Happy New Year! Today's post is going to be my yearly wrap-up of my favourite moments, memorable events and a run down of my monthly lifestyle favourites from 2019. I've already posed my reading review for the year and I will also be posting my beauty favourites post soon, along with my 2020 goals. 2019 has been a bit of a mixed year from reaching blog milestones, having eye surgery, visiting new cities and switching to a fully vegan diet to reading slumps, gaining weight, new tattoos and everything in-between.

January: Fully vegan & ONE MILLION blog views 

The first notable event for 2019 was switching to a fully vegan diet in January 2019. I have taken part in #veganuary each year for the past three or so years now but I decided to switch fully in 2019 and I'm so glad I did. There were some amazing vegan food releases in 2019 such as the rather irresistible Greggs vegan sausage roll, Papa Johns pizza, the M&S Plant Kitchen range and even more coming in 2020.

The second notable moment of January 2019 was that my little blog reached over one million page views. When I started my blog back in 2012, I never thought anything would come of it but I've been so lucky to work with a tonne of amazing brands and PRs, I've been invited to incredible events, I've received gorgeous products and its something I love to do.

January Favourites: Clean Reserve Rain and Blond Rose fragrances, Freshly Hand Treatment, Maybelline Total Temptation Brow Definer and the Nightrunner book series.

February: Visiting London, first class train & lots of sponsored posts 

February had a few milestones too including reaching over 9,000 followers on Twitter and having the most sponsored posts I've ever had in one month! I also visited London in February with my mum, thanks to gifted first class train tickets from Virgin Trains. We visited a couple of sights I've been to before (Harrods, the Natural History Museum and the Science Museum) as well as the Victoria and Albert Museum and Kensington Palace which we hadn't visited before.

February Favourites: Grace by Lewis Capaldi, Caudalie Vinosource Sorbet, Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencils, Ink Master TV Show and Pizza Hut vegan pizza.

March: No eczema!

As a freelancer, money can be very inconsistent but thankfully my roll of sponsored posts continued into March. I also started loosing weight again and exercising more (ha, that didn't last). The biggest change that happened in March was that I hadn't had any eczema flareups on my hands or face for weeks. Since becoming fully vegan at the start of the year, after two months, I noticed that I didn't have any flareups (and the only thing I changed was to stop eating dairy) and thankfully I haven't had any eczema on my hands or face all year which is just incredible! I've suffered with eczema for over ten years, especially around my eyes, so to just not have to deal with it all year has been almost unbelievable!

March Favourites: Jenna Marbles Youtube channel, Parks and Recreation TV Show, Brooklyn 99, The Grand Tour TV Show, Holika Holika Moisturising BB Cream and Maybelline Brow Tattoo.

April: Visiting Edinburgh for the first time + best reading month ever

Edinburgh is a city I've wanted to visit for a while and back in April, the train tickets from Manchester to Edinburgh were really cheap so myself and my mum visited Edinburgh for a couple of days! We visited Holyrood Palace (which was amazing), Edinburgh Castle and the National Museum of Scotland (which sadly wasn't so amazing). I definitely want to visit Edinburgh again but maybe during the summer months when it isn't so cold!

I also visited the Manchester Art Gallery to see their Da Vinci exhibit, Tatton Park and Gardens and saw The King and I in the Manchester Palace Theatre in April. April was a quiet blogging month but it was a fantastic reading month as I managed to read 20 books.

April Favourites: Holika Holika BB Cream, Follow Your Heart Vegan Ranch, Cicaplast Baume B5, Operative Live TV Show and Soaper Duper Yuzufruit and Fig Body Butter.

May: Laser eye surgery consultation 

Laser eye surgery is something I've wanted to look into for years but naturally the idea of eye surgery, not to mention the cost, is a little daunting but I had a consultation at the Laser Vision clinic in the Manchester Royal Eye Hospital in May (it's a private clinic in an NHS hospital). Thankfully I was suitable for the surgery but as my eyes were incredible dry, I had to rectify that with antibiotics and drops for a couple of months beforehand. May also included the EU vote (I voted to remain in the EU) which we all know the results of (still not over it and I don't think I will be until we remain in the EU).

May Favourites: Sabrina Netflix Show, Game Of Thrones Season 8, Omorovicza skincare, Rimmel and Hatari (Iceland's Eurovision entry).

June: New tattoos + heatwave

June was another quiet month but I did go to the Summer Fare at my old primary school, visited the beautiful Quarry Bank Mill and had a tattoo consultation. I received two new tattoos in June and I don't know why but it seems to be a habit for me of getting tattoos in pairs. Most of mine were done by the lovely Zu at Flesh Tattoo in Manchester.

Favourites: Amazon Prime, The Grand Tour, Ben and Jerrys Vegan Fudge Brownie Ice Cream.

July: Laser eye surgery + highest paid blog post

After a couple of months of eye drops, I was finally booked to have another laser eye surgery consultation and at the end of July I had the surgery. I've already published an in-depth post about my experiences of the consultation, the surgery itself and the recovery, if you want to read that for more information. The laser eye surgery option I decided on was very expensive (£3,800!) so it was very timely that I was paid the highest amount I've ever received for a single blog post in July!

However, before the surgery I visited the MOSI and the roman ruins in Manchester with a friend and I visited Leeds which is a city I've only been to once before - we went to the Royal Armoury which was well worth a visit. Also July 2019 marked 500 books read since January 2017!

July Favourites: Tour De France, Wimbledon, BareMinerals Good Hydrations Primer, Daisy London Estee Lalonde necklaces and Helmans Vegan Mayonnaise.

August: Laser eye surgery recovery, appointments + my birthday 

August is my birthday month so I caught up with friends and visited the beautiful Tatton Park and Gardens and visited Dunham Massey. I reached my reading goal of 100 books and I was lucky enough to get more sponsored posts in August. However, the main focus of the month was my recovery from laser eye surgery as I had the surgery on the 31st July so August was filled with eye drops, eye appointments and recovery.

August Favourites: Daisy London x Estee Lalonde sunburst shield necklace, Viscotears, Neom x LookFantastic box and Nordgreen watch.

September: Christmas planning, visiting sights around Manchester + new camera 

Following on from August with another eye appointment and more recovery time but I was discharged from the clinic in September which was fantastic! I visited quite a few sites around Manchester in September including watching the final stage of the OVO Energy Tour Of Britain (which was very exciting and the first sporting event I've been to), visiting the Pankhurst Centre (which is right next to the hospital I went to for my eye surgery) and I also visited the Greater Manchester Fire Station Museum before it closed for refurbishment.

I also started planning my Christmas content and bought a new camera in September. I have wanted a new camera for a while and I finally settled on buying the Sony A7iii which I'm very happy with and I cannot recommend it enough. Lastly for September, I made vegan speatzle for the first time and fell in love - it's almost a cross between fresh pasta and dumplings and it's incredible.

September Favourites: Rugby World Cup, Rimmel Super Gel Polish, Lush Soak and Float Shampoo Bar and Lush Cork Pots.

October: visiting Glasgow for the first time, gifted hotel stay, new tattoos, exploring Manchester + hair salon review 

October, for me, usually focuses solely on halloween makeup but I didn't have time to create any halloween looks as October was an incredibly busy and a surprisingly amazing month. I was gifted a free hotel stay in Glasgow so myself and a friend visited the Glasgow Museum of Modern Art and went on a tour the next day including Stirling Castle, Lock Lomond, the Trossachs National Park and the Glengoyne Whisky Distillery - I hadn't been to any of those places before. I cannot recommend the Hallmark Hotel in Glasgow enough or Rabbies tours! Check out my instagram stories highlights for more photos.

As well as visiting a few new cities in Scotland, there were more firsts in October including being tattooed in a private studio by a tattoo artist I never thought I'd be tattooed by (as she lives and works in New York). I couldn't be happier with my two new tattoos by Rachel Hauer, check out her instagram - you'll want to be tattooed by her too. Another first was a free haircut as part of a salon review from Melissa Timperley Salon in Manchester which was amazing and I cannot recommend the salon enough.

I'm not finished with my October highlights, as I said, it was a busy but fantastic month...I published a couple of posts about sites to visit around Greater Manchester in October so I visited Quarry Bank Mill (again), Jodrell Bank and Manchester's China Town. I also started my christmas gift guides in October and loved watching the Rugby World Cup but sadly it wasn't all good news as October was my worst reading month in three years.

October Favourites: Rugby world cup, Barry M Brow Wand, Ark Skincare Age Defend Replenishing Moisturiser, Ink Master TV Show, Benefit Roller Lash Mascara and SportFX Mascara.

November & December: Christmas gift guides, christmas planning + new favourite music  

I'm grouping November and December together as they were both fairly quiet months but I did have a stall at a christmas fare, I visited the Manchester Christmas Markets twice and voted in the general election - this year has been horrendous in terms of politics in the UK. It's not all doom and gloom though as I discovered a few new music favourites in the past two months including BTS (yes, years behind everyone I know) and a few new to me songs from one of my favourite brands, Panic At The Disco. November and December were months of new food discoveries too such as vegan sushi and gochujang, both of which I cannot get enough of.

November & December Favourites: Hustle Butter, BTS, Panic At The Disco, ACDC, Latest In Beauty Boxes, Candy Kittens sweets, vegan sushi and gochujang.


Overall, 2019 was a pretty good year, with a few ups and downs but mostly positives and a lot of firsts, from having surgery for the first time and visiting new cities to blog milestones and becoming vegan. I was also able to work with a few new brands in 2019 including: Wing Yip, Daisy London, Scrivens, Yes To, Mitch's Kitchen, TJ Hughes, Hallmark Hotels, Melissa Timperley Salons, Megabus and many more which I'm very grateful for!

Stay tuned for more 2019 review posts, 2020 goals and my #veganuary content! 

What were your highlights of 2019? 

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Blog Tour: Alone Time by Stephanie Rosenbloom

Last month I was lucky enough to receive an early copy of Alone Time by Stephanie Rosenbloom and recently I was sent a finished hardcover copy which I'm very thankful for as I loved this book. The finished copy cover is so simple but it's so beautiful! You can check out a shorter version of my review in my May Reading Wrapup post.

*Alone Time by Stephanie Rosenbloom (288 pages) ★★★ (3.75) 

Alone Time is categorised as 'travel writing' which it is but I'd also categorise it as a travel memoir, guide book and self help read interspersed with statistics, experiences and travel recommendations focusing on four beautiful cities including Paris, Istanbul, Florence and New York. I visited Florence back in 2014 and adored it but after reading Alone Time, I wanted to book a hotel immediately to re-visit the city!

I haven't visited any of the other cities but I'd love to particularly New York and Paris, especially after reading this book. It follows the authors experiences of solo travelling within each city during a different time of the year which made for a very rich, immersive and informative read, so much so that if I visit any of these cities in the near future then this would be the perfect companion.

To be perfectly honest, I think if it was solely a travel memoir then I wouldn't quite have liked it as much but thankfully it's filled with interesting and new to me facts all about solitude, solo travelling and more which I definitely appreciate. I loved the laid back, relaxed writing style, the leisurely and strolling pace and the recommendations of places to visit.

Sadly I do have a few negatives about this read, the first being the repetition of sentences such as 'slipped my finger into the handle of my coffee cup', 'slid my finger through the tasseled keychain' and 'slipped out of the door', which I did find a little annoying. Additionally, on occasion it felt forcefully wistful which came across as cheesy at times and the tips at the end of the book appeared to be sponsored by the websites and apps mentioned (maybe not?), but to me it felt a little inauthentic.

Despite the negatives mentioned, I did thoroughly enjoy the book and it gave me so much wanderlust, especially to visit the incredibly beautiful and historic city of Florence again as well as New York which is a city I've yet to visit but I need to! I highly recommend this book not only as a general summer read about some of the most visited cities in the world but also as a travel book if you're visiting any of the four citifies mentioned as I think it would be a valuable resource. Thanks for much to Transworld for the early copy, finished copy and for putting together this blog tour! Don't forget to follow me on GoodReads!

What do you think of this read? Have you visited any of the four cities mentioned? Will you be picking up this part travel memoir, part self help guide and part travel guide? 

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Blog Tour: What Lies Within by Annabelle Thorpe

I'm definitely a seasonal reader, I like to read certain books at specific times of the year and for me mystery thrillers are for either halloween or as quick spring/summer reads - this novel is ideal for the latter! Today's post is a little late but it's another blog tour with the lovely people over a Quercus.

*What Lies Within by Annabelle Thorpe (352 pages) ★★★

On Amazon this book is categorised as a psychological thriller and a crime/mystery novel. The novel has a stunning cover and matches perfectly to the sun drenched, colourful country of Morocco which is where our three main characters come together again after ten years. We follow Paul, Freya and Hamad who've been the best of friends since their university days but when Hamad offers husband and wife Paul and Freya an offer they can't refuse, they move to Morocco; however it brings up family tension, doubts, a web of tangled lies and a plethora of devastating secrets...and a body.

I think this is the first novel I've read that is set in Morocco and the setting was perfect not only for the story but the atmosphere. The colourful, humid setting was fantastic, vivid and added so much to the novel. Another aspect that I loved was the mystery that became increasingly complex and intriguing as the novel progressed with more secrets unveiled. The writing was fairly quick and easy, it was definitely an enjoyable and interesting read and I would definitely recommend it as the perfect summer mystery thriller set in a beautifully colourful and intriguing country!

Will you be picking up this novel (it's only 99p on Amazon)? Do you like mystery thrillers? 

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Blog Tour: My Sister by Michelle Adams

Today's post is a blog tour with the wonderful people over at Headline Publishing for the newly released thriller, My Sister by Michelle Adams. It's categorised on Amazon as: crime, mystery, thriller which I'd definitely agree with. I have the paperback version which was released earlier this month but it's also available as an ebook now for only 99p!

*My Sister by Michelle Adams (382 pages - 8th March) ★★★ (3.5)

Within this book we follow Irini who was taken away from her parents and sister, Elle, when she was very young to live with her aunt. Irini has always wondered why she was sent away, what secrets do her family hold and what's the truth behind her parents decision to keep one daughter with them and send one away. I don't want to give too much of the plot away but I'll mention some of the potentially triggering topics within the book: death, cancer, mental illness, abuse, dysfunctional relationships and disability.

The story does delve into some very deep and dark topics and overall the book has a very sinister, eerie and unnerving feel to it, not just in the actions of the characters but the tone as well. It began a little slow but it definitely picked up and the very dark secrets began to unfold which was compelling and had me turning the pages even though some of the scenes were a little creepy, disturbing or cringing, to be honest.

There are so many unlikeable characters with a few rays of hope in the form of Matt, Joyce and a couple of others but on the whole, it's told in a way in which everyone is a suspect, everyone has secrets they're unwilling to share and everyone has a dark side to an extent. I loved the mystery element as well as the setting at the family home and I liked uncovering the mysteries, even though for me personally, they weren't very shocking as it was a little obvious but the final mystery concerning the main character was shocking and a great twist.

Overall, I did have a couple of issues, for example, the main character seemed a little inconsistent at times and she made unrealistic decisions; in addition the twists and turns weren't fully shocking or unpredictable for me. However, if you like novels concerning dark family secrets, dysfunctional families and deeper and darker topics with an atmospheric, sinister setting then definitely pick up My Sister by Michelle Adams. I found the book on the whole to be very compelling, fairly quick, easy and very eerie!

Will you be reading My Sister by Michelle Adams? 

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Blog Tour: Ravencry by Ed McDonald

Today's post is another blog tour, my previous was Alone Time which I loved and this book is equally as loved. I was very kindly sent this second book in the Raven's Mark series by Ed McDonald from the super generous people over at Gollancz (thank you!). For those who don't know, this book is a fantasy read and it's more within the grimdark or dark fantasy genre so if you like books within those categories, you'll love this!

*Ravencry by Ed McDonald (432 pages) ★★ (3.75)

I read the first book in this series, Blackwing, earlier this month and I loved it as within it we follow one of my new favourite fantasy characters, Ryhalt Galharrow who is a rugged, foul mouthed but kind hearted (deep down) killer, soldier and bounty hunter. Ryhalt Galharrow who is one of the most unique and vivid characters I've met. He is a Blackwing captain in command of a ragtag group of killers and soldiers who kill whoever they're ordered to by his master, Crowfoot who is one of the Nameless, powerful sorcerers who held back the Deep Kings long ago. In that conflict an engine was created to protect the cities along the eastern empire from the Deep Kings and a disturbing, harrowing place called Misery was also created in the process. I'll have a full review of the first book within my upcoming June reading wrap-up post so stay tuned.

The first book was filled with conflict, fight scenes, a slight rekindling of a romance, sarcastic and dark humour and magic as well as a very easy writing style to follow, a very unusual world and even more unusual characters that will probably give you nightmares for a while! The first book also has a stunningly gorgeous cover and the second book in the series shares all of these traits but ramped up to even more bizarre levels!

I can't say too much about this read as it is the second book in the series and I wouldn't want to spoil the first book as it's definitely better if you go into it blind (like Maldon...?) but I will say that if the gruesome scenes, very disturbing characters and bizarre locations were a five out of ten in the first books, then this second is a ten out of ten, perhaps 11/10.

I loved the writing style, the incredibly unique world, characters and the relationship between Ryhalt, Maldon, Nenn and obviously Ezabeth (cries). I loved the drunken, constantly swearing and fighting nature of Ryhalt, he's a damaged and battle worn character that you can't help but love (I do hope he gets a happy ending in the third book). If you love fantasy, especially dark fantasy with guts, strange creatures and an even stranger setting then this series is definitely for you! While I loved both books, I do prefer the first book but they're both fantastic and well worth reading!

Will you be picking up Blackwing and Ravencry? Do you like fantasy books or TV shows?

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Blog Tour: The Binding Song - An Eerie Thriller

I have been reading so much this year already and one of the quickest books has to be The Binding Song which I was very kindly sent by Mulholland Books which is an imprint of Hodder and Stoughton. Today's post is another book blog tour so I'm reviewing The Binding Song along with a group of other fantastic book bloggers.

*The Binding Song by Elodie Harper (304 pages - available now) ★★★

The hardback, which has an amazingly creepy cover, has been available for a while but it is now out in paperback form. It's categorised on Amazon as a horror ghost story and it is to an extent but I'd categorise it more as a creepy thriller. The book is fairly short at just over 300 pages and is claimed to be perfect for fans of Mo Hayder and Sharon Bolton, both of which I've never read.

We follow Dr Janet Palmer as she starts a new job as the psychologist at HMP Halvergate, a prison with a questionable past, disturbed inmates and secrets that are being hidden by the staff. The premise sounded fantastic, eerie and like a quick, page turning thriller with creepy horror elements which is something I haven't read for a while.

The book, for me personally, started off a little slow but thankfully it definitely picked up the pace as we find out about the prison, it's inmates and Dr Palmers past. The writing was quick, easy and the mystery was definitely compelling, if more than a little unbelievable at times. I liked the setting as it added an element of eerie suspense, claustrophobia and sinister tension to the story.

I liked the mystery and the secrets that the prison and it's inmates hold - that element of the book definitely carried me through but I found the ending a touch predictable and not quite as dramatic or shocking as I thought it would be. However, the story overall was entertaining, eerie and page turning with an LGBT character, a compelling mystery and quite a few unlikeable characters. To me, this book felt like a crime drama TV show and it would be fantastic if it was adapted for the screen in some way. I think it will be a hit for so many people especially if you like an eerie, quick thriller!

Will be you picking up this chilling thriller? Are you a fan of thrillers? 

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Blog Tour: The Devil's Dice by Roz Watkins

I have been loving thrillers and mystery novels recently, they'll be quite a few mini reviews within my monthly wrap-ups but today's post is a blog tour of a fantastic debut by Rox Watkins with Harper Collins. It's been shortlisted for the CWA Debut Dagger Award and it's the first book in a new crime series. Additionally, it's been optioned by ITV for a potential TV series.

*The Devil's Dice by Roz Watkins (384 pages - 8th March) ★★★ (3.5)

It's set within the Peak District and we follow detective inspector Meg Dalton who has moved from Manchester to the Peak District. The novel starts with a very unusual, grisly and very strange death within the local landmark of caves known as The Labyrinth and The Devil's Dice. I don't want to say much more about the plot because that's the point of a thriller or mystery novel, to have the element of surprise but I feel as though I need to mention a couple of potentially triggering topics within the book such as abuse, illness, drugs, euthanasia and more.

While I haven't read all of the thrillers out there, this one didn't read like a debut! The writing was fantastic, it was gripping on the whole, easy to read and while it wasn't a very quick read, it was entertaining, compelling and as descriptive as it needs to be. You have the initial mystery of the death, which is the main focus of the book but there are numerous twists, turns and other mysteries along the way that will keep you turning the pages to uncover the answers.

One of my favourite things about the book was definitely the feel of the book and the setting as the setting of the Peak District with it's rugged caves and exposed landscape made for an atmospheric, sometimes claustrophobic and sinister read. Additionally, along with the atmospheric landscape, the folklore attached the characters and the landmarks of The Devil's Dice was very eerie and compelling.

Overall, I found The Devil's Dice such an interesting, compelling and mysterious read with elements of folklore, potentially paranormal occurrences and a deadly family secret. There are so many unlikeable and unusual characters and others that were very familiar and vivid, such as the main character, Meg. I liked the writing, the twists and turns and the fantastic, atmospheric and eerie setting as well as the sinister events. It was so close to four stars but it was a little too slow at times for me personally but if you're looking for a new eerie thriller than look no further than The Devil's Dice.

Will you be picking up The Devil's Dice? Are you a fan of thrillers or mystery novels? 

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Blog Tour: The Teahouse Detective: The Old Man In The Corner

Today's post is a new blog tour review which is being hosted by the lovely and generous people over at Pushkin Press who I've been lucky enough to work with previously. I was very kindly sent a paperback copy of The Teahouse detective: The Old Man In The Corner by Baroness Orczy from Pushkin Press and scroll to the end of the post where you can enter to win a copy yourself!

*The Teahouse Detective: The Old Man In The Corner by Baroness Orczy (288 pages) ★★★ (3.5)

One of my favourite book genres includes mysteries and this one is classic mystery collection which was originally published in early 20th century but it's been complied by Pushkin Press into a beautifully designed collection. The Teahouse Detective is a contemporary of Sherlock Holmes and you can see where the comparisons and similarities arise as they both have an intelligent manner that definitely leans towards arrogance, in my opinion.

This is my first book from Baroness Orczy although The Scarlett Pimpernel has been on my Amazon 'saved' list for at least a year; however I haven't got round to buying it yet! The writing within this collection, despite its age, is very quick and easy to follow so don't be afraid if you haven't read any classic mysteries as the language is easy to understand. Although there are some instances of terms that we don't use now which shows the time in which it was written.

The book is quite formulaic in it's style and set up which has it's advantages and disadvantages, for example, the repetative style makes it a very speedy read; although on the other hand, it makes it a little too repetitive. However, I did throughly enjoy the numerous mysteries through the book which definitely had a classic, Sherlock Holmes feel to them! If you like classic mysteries then definitely check out The Teahouse Detective: The Old Man In The Corner by Baroness Orczy and enter my giveaway below!

This giveaway is UK only, it ends on the 17th December so hopefully it might arrive before christmas (but maybe not because everything is a little busy right now). Pushkin Press will be sending out the prize and all personal data collected (names/emails etc) will be deleted by myself and Pushkin Press when the competition ends. To enter all you have to do is fill out the form below (the more options you fill out, the more chances you have of winning a copy):

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Book Review: PayBack by R.C Bridgestock

 
Today's post is a belated book review as part of the blog tour for the newly released Payback by R.C Bridgestock. I haven't taken part in a book blog tour for a while as I've been in such an awful reading slump for the past three or so months but thankfully my reading is far better already in 2020! Follow me on GoodReads to find out what I'm currently reading and ratings for all of the books I've read since January 2017.

*Payback by R.C Bridgestock (323 pages) ★★★

The author duo of R.C Bridgestock have a wealth of police experience between them and have a selection of books already related within the crime, mystery and thriller genres. I have such an eclectic taste in books so I'm always reading from wide range of genres, particularly fantasy and non-fiction but I haven't read a mystery, crime or thriller focused book for a while! The last mystery thriller that I loved is probably a tie between Wychwood by George Mann and Lethal White by J.K Rowling.

Payback is the first in a new series (the DI Charley Mann series) that was released recently by The Dome Press (I reviewed two of their books previously and enjoyed both - reviews here). Within Payback we follow Charley Mann, who has travelled back to her home region of Yorkshire, as the areas first young female DI as a brutal murder is discovered which makes the new DI question everything.

I loved the premise and the setting as well as the main character. It seems very rare, in my somewhat limited experience, to come across a crime/police centred read that has a young woman as the focus. I thought her character was very believable, realistic and impactful. I liked how detailed and informative the investigative aspects of the book were which you'd think I'd expect from a book written by two individuals with years of experience in the police force...

I haven't read a crime or investigation focused read for what seems like forever so it was a refreshing and compelling change from my unusual non-fiction and fantasy reads. It did take me a while to get into the book and the proof copy has teeny tiny text (which always pits me off a book) but it was definitely an interesting read and has made me want to look into more police, crime and mystery focused books - when I finally get my TBR down to a more manageable size! If you like detective and investigative reads then definitely pick up this newly released read!

Have you read this book? What are you currently reading? 

*Gifted

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Blog Tour: Juliet and Romeo by David Hewson

As most students in England, I've studied some of Shakespeare's plays and sonnets, one of which was Romeo and Juliet. While Shakespeare's plays and sonnets were a little too advanced for a teenager, I did like the overall story of Romeo and Juliet so I was interested to read a retelling in the form of a romantic thriller(esque) novel. It's just over 350 pages and it is published by The Dome Press (thanks for the arc!).

*Juliet & Romeo by David Hewson (352 pages - blog tour: 24th May) ★★★

Within this retelling we follow Juliet Capulet and Romeo Montague who are part of rival families living in sunkissed Italy during a time of change and disease. Juliet is a headstrong (somewhat) character who wants read and study rather than go through with an arranged marriage with a handsome, accomplished rich man but he isn't for Juliet. Meanwhile Romeo is an aspiring poet and romantic who is in the throws of infatuation but everything changes when a few Montague cousins, including Romeo, gatecrash a Capulet party.

We all know the general story of the star-crossed and ultimately tragic relationship between Romeo and Juliet and this story follows in the same vein although I wish the story didn't follow the general storyline of original as it made the story predictable but I did enjoy this read. The main positives of this read for me have to include the novel format, the historical fiction genre (I've becoming more and more in love with historical fiction recently) and the setting of Italy which made for a perfect summer read, especially as it's such as quick, easy read.

Author Q&A 

Did you study Shakespeare at school? Will you be picking up this retelling?

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