The Weekend Post #17

April 12, 2015April 11, 201519 Comments

Join me as I look back over the last week (or more in this case) in blogging and books. This week I am linking up with the Sunday Post Meme @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer, Showcase Sunday @ Books Biscuits and Tea, and Stacking The Shelves by Tynga’s Reviews

Hello and welcome back to another Weekend Post here on Pages and Tea. How long is it since I last did a weekend update?! Far too long, but the upside to this is that I have plenty of bookish news to fill this post with.

I’m still playing catch up with some of my reviews, so haven’t had a chance to focus on creating new discussion posts for my blog yet, but once I’m up to date this is definitely something I want to focus on.

Onto the books…

New To My Shelves

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From the Library:

The Ship by Antonia Honeywell

The Strings of Murder by Oscar de Muriel

Paris for One by Jojo Moyes

Street Cat Bob by James Bowen

The Water Diviner by Andrew Anastasios and Meaghan Wilson-Anastasios

Books I’ve Reviewed

Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning

Bloodfever by Karen Marie Moning

Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo

Very Good, Jeeves! by P. G. Wodehouse

Books That Caught My Eye (Must Find Out More)

Finders Keepers by Stephen King – Not TOO long to wait now for this one to be released. I quite enjoyed Mr. Mercedes and this book follows some of the same characters, so am looking forward to reading it.

The Bazaar of Bad Dreams by Stephen King

H is for Hawk by Helen MacDonald – I don’t tend to read much non-fiction, but this book sounds interesting.

Ark by Stephen Baxter – I actually managed to resist taking this one out from the library, but only because I thought it was a follow-up to another book so thought I’d better check that one out first. I think the first book is Flood, but I’m not sure it would have mattered if I’d read this one first.

Events I’ve Participated In and Upcoming Events

#BookADayUK on Twitter, hosted by Borough Press.

Trees of Reverie April 2015 Read-A-Thon TBR List and Daily Updates

Trees of Reverie April 2015 Read-A-Thon Final Summary

Dewey’s 24 Hour Readathon

Reading Challenge Progress

I’ve made a little progress on most of my challenges and have written two more monthly updates –

February 2015 Reading Challenge Progress Update

March 2015 Reading Challenge Progress Update

I’m doing really well with my I Love Libraries Reading Challenge as I cannot seem to keep away form the library, even though I do start out with good intentions to read books I already own and there make some headway on my Mount TBR Reading Challenge. The thing with the library is that the books you take out always have to be returned, and I just don’t have the willpower to resist picking up something new when I go to return books I’ve read.
The Monthly Key Word Reading Challenge is proving an interesting challenge. I love that moment of completing an amazing book then finding that there’s a category it will fit into to count for this challenge.

Beyond the Books

I’ve discovered the joys of Netflix, so there are endless shows that I really would like to start watching including Damages, Orange is the New Black, Sons of Anarchy, Once Upon a Time, and I really want to rewatch all the series of American Horror Story they have on there while I wait (impatiently) for Freakshow.

For now my series of choice is Pretty Little Liars. I’ve only watched the first season so far but it’s become compulsive viewing. For those who don’t know, the basic plot follows four friends who all have their own secrets and are bound together by the disappearance and murder of their friend Alison. Someone calling themselves ‘A’ keeps sending their group messages, messing with their lives in various unexpected and creative ways. It’s WAY better than I’ve described it, but I’m keeping it vague so as not to spoil anything. It’s definitely worth a watch.

I’ve FINALLY started watching Outlander too, which is a series I’m really enjoying.

Poldark is great Sunday night family drama. I can remember watching the original series a few years ago and I enjoyed that, so this update is great watching for me.

The 100 Foot Journey was an absolutely lovely film. I loved every minute of it, from the location to the actors to the music. I would highly recommend it and certainly watch it again. And I absolutely adored every minute of Paddington. I can’t recall the last film that make me smile so often.

So, that’s my bookish news to date. Did you receive any great books recently, or has anything new and bookish caught your eye lately? As always, talk to me in the comments, it would be great to hear from you!

The Weekend Post #16

February 15, 2015February 14, 201526 Comments

I feel like this week has been a productive week for blogging.
I caught up with some reviews, and posted two news one on my blog (links are below).
I really enjoyed both of those book, so writing the reviews was a pleasure, especially for The Diviners which I cannot recommend highly enough.

I’ve also started a new feature on my blog called On Reading… which is basically all the thoughts and feelings experienced whilst waiting for a book to be released/reading the book which won’t really fit into a book review. It’s a bit more casual and conversational, and more along the line of things I would mention at a book club if I was a member of a book club (which I’m not at present). There will undoubtedly be spoilers, which is why I’ve created this separate feature and will put anything spoiler-ish under a Read More cut. It’s something new I’m trying out and probably won’t do it for every book I read and review.

And, when I’m not blogging I can currently be found laughing myself silly as I rediscover my love for the world of Jeeves and Wooster care of P. G. Wodehouse.

Onto the books…

New To My Shelves

From the Library:

Nothing! Can you believe it?! I’ve actually managed to resist the endless pull of the library in an attempt to take control of my spiralling-out-of-control TBR list/pile. That said, I do have a couple of books on request from the library, so this isn’t something I’ll be saying very often.

From my Shelves:

Very Good, Jeeves by P. G. Wodehouse

And in E-Books:

I had a gift card for Christmas which I hadn’t used yet, so decided to treat myself to a few new titles:

The Seven Sisters by Lucinda Riley

The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North

The Martian by Andy Weir

Joyland by Stephen King

Books I’ve Reviewed

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins – I loved this book, it was such an engaging, exciting read, but I must admit that it left me with something of a book hangover. For a while I just couldn’t seem to find a read that grabbed my attention quite as much.

Revival by Stephen King – As well as reviewing the book I took the opportunity with Revival to introduce the new feature to my blog – On Reading… which is something I’m hoping to add more often in the future.

The Diviners by Libba Bray – I know, I’m late in finding this book, and I’m certainly wondering how I managed to miss it for so long, because it’s wonderful, and features everything I love in a great book. That said, I don’t think I’d have been too patient waiting for the second book in the series, so maybe discovering it now, when Lair of Dreams is due out later this year is actually good for me.

Books That Caught My Eye (Must Find Out More)

The Coincidence Authority by John Ironmonger – This sounds like something a little different, and seems like it may offer an intriguing read.

The Blood Cell by James Goss- I’ve become such a big Doctor Who fan of late that I would like to check out some of the Twelfth Doctor novels and this one appeals to me most. I think I may have read a few some years ago, probably featuring Ten, so it’s almost like something new for me.

Events/Challenges I’ve Participated In and Upcoming Events

#BookADayUK on Twitter, hosted by Borough Press.

Reading Challenge Progress

I have progress to report, only a little progress, but every book counts.

I added another three books to my I Love Library Books Reading Challenge – The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins, Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo, and A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray.

The Mount TBR Reading Challenge is going fairly slowly, but I added another book to my total – Very Good, Jeeves by P. G. Wodehouse

While I’ve yet to read any Stephen King this year, which pains me greatly, I have now written my Revival review, which some people may be interested in checking out.

My Monthly Key Word Reading Challenge is going quite well as I added three books to my total. The Girl on the Train counts for January, where the keyword is Girl. Ruin and Rising counts for November (Rise) and A Thousand Pieces of You counts towards October (Number).

As for my Flights of Fantasy Reading Challenge – Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo and A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray both go towards this, although I’m not absolutely sure whether that second book would be classed as fantasy?

Beyond the Books

I watched The Giver on DVD and quite enjoyed it. I think it had a more definite conclusion than the book, which I thought was open to interpretation as to what had actually happened.

Revenge series 3 is offering up plenty of twists and turns and remains entertaining even though it’s into a third season. I think series 4 is on tv now as well, so here’s hoping they keep delivering on the story as I love this version of life in the Hamptons.

American Horror Story: Coven – I am amazed I like AHS so much when I think of how weird it gets sometimes! There’s just something incredibly watchable about it, and Coven is no exception. I like the way they use the same actors throughout the various seasons, and Jessica Lange is definitely a highlight.

Also, I’m very excited for the upcoming release of season 4 of Game of Thrones on DVD. I hate having to wait for the boxsets but I never mind finding spoilers online about what has happened in the series so far as I’ve read the books so know roughly what to expect and I like finding out how they did certain scenes.

So, that’s my bookish news to date. Did you receive any great books this week or has anything new and bookish caught your eye lately? As always, talk to me in the comments!

The Weekend Post #15

February 1, 2015February 1, 201528 Comments

Hello and welcome to another weekend post.
What better way to begin a new month on my blog than with a round-up of all my latest bookish (and occasionally not so bookish) finds/borrows?

Onto the books…

New To My Shelves

From the Library:

Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo – I FINALLY get to find out how it’s all going to end. Can’t wait to get back to Ravka!

A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray – I’ll be the first to admit that the gorgeous cover first lured me into looking at this book, but the story sounds like it will really appeal to me, so I’m looking forward to this one.

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins – I’ve started this book and all I can say so far is WHAT A PAGE TURNER!!

And in E-Books:

Daugher of the Forest by Juliet Marillier

The Selection by Kiera Kass

Books I’ve Reviewed

The Strange Library by Haruki Murakami

Books That Caught My Eye (Must Find Out More)

Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter – Alice has to fight zombies? Um, yes please!

Events I’ve Participated In and Upcoming Events

#BookADayUK on Twitter had a break during January (and I missed it) but I believe it will be back next month, so that’s something to look forward to.

Bout of Books 12 – you can read about my progress here.

Reading Challenge Progress

It’s still early days in my year-long reading challenges, but I have made some progress, which is good.
I’m going to create a separate post each month, dedicated to my reading challenges, and here is my January 2015 Reading Challenges Update. I’ll probably write more each week about what I’ve read towards my challenges too, but I’m playing catch up again with my blog right now due to yet more computer problems, which are hopefully solved now.

Beyond the Books

I watched the movie Before I Go To Sleep. I really did intend to read the book way before I watched the film, but for some reason I never got around to it, so watched the film first. I really enjoyed it. I didn’t know what to expect, and it kept me guessing, although I had a vague sense there was something off about a certain character (I won’t go into details and risk spoiling it), and I was right, although I never imagined just how bad that person turned out to be. I will still definitely read the book, even though I’ve seen the film.

Finished series 8 of Doctor Who and just have the Christmas special to watch. I think Twelve has possibly taken over as my favourite Doctor by this point, although I do still really love Ten as well.

I also watched season 2 of The Following. What a brilliant, edge-of-your-seat type thriller that series is. There are so many twists and turns and you can never anticipate what’s going to happen next. James Purefoy and Kevin Bacon are both really good too.

And finally – Mr. Selfridge is back. I do love a good drama on a Sunday night, it’s the perfect way to end the weekend.

So, that’s my bookish news to date. How has your week been? Have you received anything you can’t wait to read, or do you watch any of the show currently catching my eye? As always it would be great to hear from you in the comments…

The Weekend Post #14

January 3, 201516 Comments

Happy New Year!

Here’s to all the book blogging to come in 2015…

It’s good to be back to blogging after the Christmas break. I hope you all enjoyed the festive holidays. It was nice to take a break from the blog and come back refreshed and ready to begin again, so I’m definitely glad to be back.

I’m making a few small alterations and additions to my Weekend Posts this year.
I’ve signed up for the Mount TBR reading challenge, so for some of my reading I’ll be sweeping through my vastly over-crowded bookshelves in search of new reading material. For this reason I’ll be mentioning them in my ‘New This Week’ even though they’re not strictly brand new purchases.
I’m also adding a Reading Challenges section where I will include any progress updates for the challenges I’m attempting.
The final new feature will be a small section at the end of my bookish news where I’ll give an honorary mention to any tv series or movies I’ve been enjoying over the last week or so.
Other than that it’s pretty much going to be business as usual here on Pages and Tea. I’m really looking forward to the reading year ahead, and hope everyone else is to.

Bout of Books begins in a couple of days time, which I’m going to participate in again. I did the last one and had a great time, I find I read more when I’m taking part on a Read-A-Thon, so this seems like a nice way to begin a new reading year.

Onto the books…

New To My Shelves

From the Library:

Bloodfever by Karen Marie Moning – After loving the first book in this series I really can’t wait to get started on this one.

The Strange Library by Haruki Murakami

Christmas in the Snow by Karen Swan

From my Shelves:

If Only They Could Talk by James Herriot – I’m currently working my way through the dvd boxset of the tv series of All Creatures Great and Small, and I love the gentle-paced drama, which made me think I should try the books the series is based on too.

And in E-Books:

The Line by J. D. Horn – A little Christmas treat to myself, and the first book in a series.

The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman – This is another book I saw some great reviews for which prompted me to add it to my TBR list. I was really pleased when it came up in the Christmas sale because it sounds really enjoyable.

Red Rising by Pierce Brown – I’ve been pondering on whether to get this one for a while now, so decided to treat myself for Christmas.

Books I’ve Reviewed

Nothing so far, but I have a few reviews lined up which I’ll post once the Read-A-Thon is over.

Books That Caught My Eye (Must Find Out More)

The Three by Sarah Lotz.

The Chimes by Anna Smaill – I really like the sound of this dystopian novel.

Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier – I probably shouldn’t think of starting another series right now, as I already have several that i’m reading, but this is definitely one I would like to read sometime in the future.

Events I’ve Participated In and Upcoming Events

#BookADayUK on Twitter, hosted by Baileys Prize.

Bout of Books 12 takes place next week. I am so excited for this event; I took part last time and really enjoyed challenging myself to read more and finding new blogs to follow.

Reading Challenge Progress

Nothing to report yet, but just to recap, the challenges I’m participating in are:

The I Love Libraries Reading Challenge

The Mount TBR Reading Challenge

Hail to the King Stephen King Reading Challenge

The Monthly Key Word Reading Challenge

Flights of Fantasy Reading Challenge

Beyond the Books

I’ve been catching up on series 8 of Doctor Who and am absolutely loving it. I still have about 5 episodes and the Christmas Special to watch.
Also, season 4 of Haven is brilliant (I’ve always loved Haven, but have yet to read The Colorado Kid).
I’m also really looking forward to the next season of The 100, which is starting next week.

So, that’s my bookish news to date. Did you receive any great books for Christmas, or has anything new and bookish caught your eye lately? Have you signed up for any Reading Challenges this year, and how many is too many? (I’m thinking of maybe joining one more, the Book Blogging Discussion Challenge, but I’m not sure yet). As always, talk to me in the comments!

The Weekend Post #13

December 14, 201416 Comments

I’m back!! It seems so long since I last wrote a Weekend Post.

I’ve had an enforced absence from blogging over the last week or two due to computer problems which saw my computer sent away for repairs. It’s so disheartening, that blank black screen that signals the beginning of computer troubles. Luckily, before it gave up entirely I was able to back everything up (I really should do that more often!) so I didn’t lose anything.
My blog hasn’t been totally inactive as I did have a few posts scheduled, which was more by luck than anything else.
It’s so good to be back to blogging.

This will probably be my last Weekend Post of 2014, mainly because I’m on a bit of a pre-Christmas book buying ban (because there are a few books I may have for Christmas), and losing the computer for so long has left me really behind in terms of reviews.
And then of course there’s Christmas and New Year.

So, my plan is to catch up with the reviews I still need to write, and finish at least one more book before the end of the year. I also want to write my Year End Summary as well. If I manage to get all that done over the next few days I will be pleased.

Onto the books…

New To My Shelves This Week

You know that pre-Christmas book buying ban I just mentioned? It didn’t exactly get off to the best of starts, because I did treat myself to a couple of e-books:

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

The Magicians by Lev Grossman

Hollow City by Ransom Riggs

Books I’ve Reviewed This Week

The Collected Works of A. J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin

Want You Dead by Peter James

It Must Have Been The Mistletoe by Judy Astley

From Notting Hill With Four Weddings… Actually by Ali McNamara

Books That Caught My Eye This Week (Must Find Out More)

Red Rising by Pierce Brown – To buy or not to buy, that is the question?

The Seven Sisters by Lucinda Riley – This one caught my eye on a recent library visit mainly because of the striking cover, and I’m pretty certain it had coloured page edges too. The story sounds interesting, and different from the kind of book I would usually choose, so onto my TBR list it must go.

The Line by J. D. Horn – This one really done sound great, and yet again – what a gorgeous cover!! It’s all about witches and magic and is the first in a series. I don’t think I’ll be able to resist this for long.

Events I’ve Participated In This Week

#BookADayUk on Twitter, hosted by Baileys Prize.

I also participated in the latest Trees of Reverie Read-A-Thon but I must confess, due to the absence of my computer throughout the event it’s my least blogged about event, which is a great shame because I always enjoy taking part. I did manage to get plenty of reading done though, so it’s not all bad.

Sunday Post #12

November 23, 2014November 23, 201425 Comments

The Sunday Post is hosted @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme
Showcase Sunday is hosted by Vicky @ Books Biscuits and Tea. For more information click here.
Stacking The Shelves is hosted by Tynga’s Reviews. To find out more please visit the official launch page!
It’s Monday! What Are You Reading is hosted by Bookjourney. More info here.

I wasn’t originally planning to do a weekend post this week; it’s been quite a quiet time really.

But…
Apparently I have absolutely NO self-control when it comes to e-books and price drops, and somehow (I’m sure I have no idea how) I seem to have had a little pre-Christmas book buying spree.
I am really pleased with the books I’ve bought so that convinced me I really should do my weekend update and share the goodness.
Aside from books I’ve purchased, I also couldn’t resist the library, and once again found some great books there, so I have quite a few new books to share.

Onto the books…

New To My Shelves This Week

The following are books I purchased for my e-reader:

Revival by Stephen King – I was SO excited to get this book. I’ve been looking forward to it for months now, ever since I first heard it was going to be published. As soon as I bought this, all other reading plans went straight out the window, because I must read this next.

The Strain by Guillermo del Toro – Since reading The Stand by Stephen King and The Girl With All The Gifts by M. R. Carey I have developed a taste for post-apocalyptic themed books.

Enchantress by James Maxwell

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel – This one sounds brilliant.

I also treated myself to some new Gorjuss magnetic bookmarks, which are really good, and are in my photo below. I love bookish items almost as much as I love books themselves.

And from the library I picked up:

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The Oversight by Charlie Fletcher

The Christmas Party by Carole Matthews – It’s definitely the season for a couple of lovely festive reads, and I read a previous book by this author so decided to try this one. Bonus points for the lovely cover.

Afterworlds by Scott Westerfeld

The Hawley Book of the Dead by Chrysler Szarlan – The description of this book likens it to The Night Circus and A Discovery of Witches. That was as much info as I needed to decide I wanted to read it.

Books I’ve Reviewed This Week

The Giver by Lois Lowry

Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo

Books That Caught My Eye This Week (Must Find Out More)

Razorhurst by Justine Larbalestier – This book sounds so good. I love the 1920s – 30s, so am definitely drawn to anything set during that period. I saw this book whilst reading reviews about The Diviners, which I really enjoyed, so if this is similar then I really can’t wait to read it.

A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray – Gorgeous cover alert!

Not a Drop to Drink by Mindy McGinnis

I must also give an honorary mention in this section to Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell.
I read this book a few years ago, and really enjoyed it. There’s going to be a tv adaptation, which I believe is due sometime next year, and this week I saw one of the promo pics. I’m really excited for this show, because the book was so good. The appearance of the tv show also gives me the perfect excuse to pick up the book for a re-read as well, although I can’t decide whether to wait until the show has aired, otherwise I’ll be comparing every little detail to the book and I do think that takes away some of the enjoyment.

Events I’ve Participated In This Week

#BookADayUk on Twitter, hosted by Headline. My first summary post can be found here.

Sunday Post #11

November 16, 2014November 15, 201420 Comments

It’s been a week of cold days and the nights drawing in ever earlier, and I must confess, there’s nothing I love more than settling down to read as Winter draws closer, shutting out the cold, getting under a warm blanket and losing myself in some fictional world. I do enjoy this time of year.

I’ve ended up with quite a good hoard of books this week, mostly courtesy of my wonderful local library.
It happens all the time, I go in there to browse, or to take something back, and I seem utterly incapable of leaving the building without having checked out at least one book.
So, without further ado, onto the books…

New To My Shelves This Week

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The Returned by Seth Patrick – I saw the tv series a while ago and quite fancy giving this book a go.

Dark Witch by Nora Roberts – SO excited to see this one in the library as I’ve had it in mind as a possible read for a while.

Northanger Abbey by Val McDermid – I’ve never read the original version, but I was instantly drawn to this cover and am looking forward to reading the book. I might even read the original story sometime.

Trophy by Steffen Jacobsen

Books I’ve Reviewed This Week

The Girl With All The Gifts by M. R. Carey – I LOVED this book and definitely recommend it to anyone in search of a good post-apocalyptic tale.

I’ve managed to catch up a little bit this week too, so will have more reviews up on the blog in the coming week.

Books That Caught My Eye This Week (Must Find Out More)

The Oversight by Charlie Fletcher – I saw this whilst window shopping last week and it really does appeal to me. I don’t think it will be long before I end up with a copy of it, because it’s just the kind of theme that I love to read.

The Hawley Book of the Dead by Chrysler Szarlan.

Events I’ve Participated In This Week

#BookADayUk on Twitter, hosted by Headline.

The Ho-Ho-Ho Readathon

New To My Shelves

From the Library:

Books I’ve Reviewed

Books That Caught My Eye (Must Find Out More)

Other Posts on my Blog This Week

Events I’ve Participated In and Upcoming Events

Reading Challenge Progress

Beyond the Books

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New To My Shelves

From the Library:

From my Shelves:

And in E-Books:

Books I’ve Reviewed

Books That Caught My Eye (Must Find Out More)

Other Posts on my Blog This Week

Events/Challenges I’ve Participated In and Upcoming Events

Reading Challenge Progress

Beyond the Books

Share:

Like this:

New To My Shelves

From the Library:

And in E-Books:

Books I’ve Reviewed

Books That Caught My Eye (Must Find Out More)

Other Posts on my Blog This Week

Events I’ve Participated In and Upcoming Events

Reading Challenge Progress

Beyond the Books

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New To My Shelves

Books I’ve Reviewed

Books That Caught My Eye (Must Find Out More)

Other Posts on my Blog This Week

Events I’ve Participated In and Upcoming Events

Reading Challenge Progress

Beyond the Books

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New To My Shelves This Week

Books I’ve Reviewed This Week

Books That Caught My Eye This Week (Must Find Out More)

Events I’ve Participated In This Week

Other Posts on my Blog This Week

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New To My Shelves This Week

Books I’ve Reviewed This Week

Books That Caught My Eye This Week (Must Find Out More)

Events I’ve Participated In This Week

Other Posts on my Blog This Week

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New To My Shelves This Week

Books I’ve Reviewed This Week

Books That Caught My Eye This Week (Must Find Out More)

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Other Posts on my Blog This Week

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