Owlcrate Unboxing December 2019

In this post I am going to be unboxing the December 2019 Owlcrate. (What follows will contain spoilers so please do not read if you don't want to know what is in the box)

Owlcrate is a monthly book subscription box from the USA. Each month you receive a brand new young adult novel and 3-5 bookish items along with exclusive goodies from the author.

The theme this month was Tales of Trickery (Spoiler filled post under the cut)

Bookmas - Top 5 Duology's

Bookmas - Top 5 Duology's

December TBR

Generally unless I am taking part in a readathon I don't tend to set TBR's but below is a selection of books I am hoping to read by the end of 2019.

November 2019 Wrap Up

In November 2019 I managed to read a total of 20 books.

I read far more this month than I expected to which I think was in part thanks to the Beliveathon which I read 11 books for. And it was a pretty good reading month for me. Let's hope December is just as good.

Review: The Conspiracy of Magic by Harriet Whitethorn

Details:

Title: The Conspiracy of Magic

Author: Harriet Whitehorn

Publisher: Stripes Publishing

ISBN 13: 978-1788950367

Synopsis:

In a world where magic is so powerful it has been outlawed, Cass is a rare creature ­– an obtuse, someone who is unaffected by magic. But what has always felt like a handicap becomes a strength when sorcerers and magicians begin to perform magical deceptions with malicious intent. The Queen of Minaris is in grave danger and it’s up to Cass to protect her. But how can Cass defeat the sinister magician behind it all with no powers herself?

Review:

Review: Chasing the Shadows by Maria V. Snyder

Details:

Title: Chasing the Shadows

Author: Maria V. Snyder

Publisher: Maria V Snyder

ISBN 13: 978-1946381040

Synopsis:

Year 2522. Lyra Daniels is dead.Okay, so I only died for sixty-six seconds. But when I came back to life, I got a brand new name and a snazzy new uniform. Go me! Seriously, though, it's very important that Lyra Daniels stays dead, at least as far as the murdering looters, know.While dying is the scariest thing that's happened to me, it morphed my worming skills. I can manipulate the Q-net like never before. But the looters have blocked us from communicating with the rest of the galaxy and now they believe we've gone silent, like Planet Xinji (where silent really means dead).A Protector Class spaceship is coming to our rescue, but we still have to survive almost two years until they arrive - if they arrive at all. Until then, we have to figure out how to stop an unstoppable alien threat. And it's only a matter of time before the looters learn I'm not dead and returns to finish what they started.There's no way I'm going to let the looters win. Instead I'll do whatever it takes to save the people I love. But even I'm running out of ideas...

Review:

Review: Navigating the Stars by Maria V. Snyder

Details:

Title: Navigating the Stars

Author: Maria V. Snyder

Publisher: Maria V Snyder

ISBN 13: 978-1946381019

Synopsis:

"The answer is no, Lyra,” my mother utters her favorite—I swear—phrase.No means I have to travel with them to another planet—again.No means leaving all my friends fifty years in the past. Thanks, Einstein."

Seventeen-year-old Lyra Daniels can’t truly blame Einstein or her parents for their impending move across the Milky Way Galaxy. It’s all due to the invention of the Q-net, which made traveling the vast distances in space possible—with one big caveat: the time dilation. But that never stopped Lyra's ancestors from exploring the Milky Way, searching for resources and exoplanets to colonize. What they didn’t expect to find is life-sized terracotta Warriors buried on twenty-one different exoplanets.... Make that twenty-two. As the Galaxy’s leading experts on the Warriors, Lyra's parents are thrilled by the new discovery, sending them—and her—fifty years into the future. Her social life in ruins, she fills her lonely days by illegally worming into the Q-net. The only person close to her age is the annoyingly irresistible security officer who threatens to throw her into the brig.After the planet they just left goes silent—meaning no communications from them at all—security has bigger problems to deal with than Lyra, especially when vital data files go missing. But that's just the beginning, because they’re not as alone as they thought on their new planet... and suddenly time isn't the only thing working against them.

Review:

Review: Frostheart by Jamie Littler

Details:

Title: Frostheart

Author: Jamie Littler

Publisher: Puffin

ISBN 13: 978-0241355220

Synopsis:

Way out in the furthest part of the known world, a tiny stronghold exists all on its own, cut off from the rest of human-kin by monsters that lurk beneath the Snow Sea.

There, a boy called Ash waits for the return of his parents, singing a forbidden lullaby to remind him of them... and doing his best to avoid his very, VERY grumpy yeti guardian, Tobu.

But life is about to get a whole lot more crazy-adventurous for Ash.

When a brave rescue attempt reveals he has amazing magical powers, he's whisked aboard the Frostheart, a sleigh packed full of daring explorers who could use his help. But can they help him find his family . . . ?

Review:

Review: The Toll by Neal Shusterman

Details:

Title: The Toll

Author: Neal Shusterman

Publisher: Walker Books

ISBN 13: 978-1406385670

Synopsis:

It's been three years since Rowan and Citra disappeared; since Scythe Goddard came into power; since the Thunderhead closed itself off to everyone but Grayson Tolliver.

In this pulse-pounding finale to Neal Shusterman's internationally bestselling trilogy, constitutions are tested and old friends are brought back from the dead.

Review:

Faecrate Capturing the Devil Unboxing

In this post I am going to be unboxing the Faecrate Capturing the Devil box. (What follows will contain spoilers so please do not read if you don't want to know what is in the box)

The theme for this box was all dedicated to the Stalking Jack the Ripper series by Kerri Maniscalco.
Spoiler filled post under the cut

Review: Dead Spaces by Katherine Arden

Details:

Title: Dead Voices

Author: Katherine Arden

Publisher: GP Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers

ISBN 13: 978-0525515050

Synopsis:

Having survived sinister scarecrows and the malevolent Smiling Man in Small Spaces, newly minted best friends Ollie, Coco, and Brian are ready to spend a relaxing winter break skiing together with their parents at Mount Hemlock Resort. But when a snowstorm sets in, causing the power to flicker out and the cold to creep closer and closer, the three are forced to settle for hot chocolate and board games by the fire. Ollie, Coco, and Brian are determined to make the best of it, but odd things keep happening. Coco is convinced she has seen a ghost, and Ollie is having nightmares about frostbitten girls. Then Mr. Faland, a mysterious reporter and ghost hunter, arrives in the midst of the storm. Ollie, Coco, and Brian want to trust him, but Ollie's watch, which helped save them from the Smiling Man before, has a new cautionary message: BEWARE. With Mr. Faland's help, Ollie, Coco, and Brian reach out to the dead voices at Mount Hemlock who may need their help - but not all ghosts can or should be trusted.

Review:

October 2019 Wrap Up

In October 2019 I managed to read a total of 13 books.

I didn't get as much read as I wanted to but overall I read a lot of good books so I was pleased. Much better than how I felt last month.

Tears of Frost Blog Tour and Giveaway

Details:

Title: Tears of Frost

Author: Bree Barton

Publisher: Katherine Tegan Books

ISBN 13: 978-0062447715

Synopsis:

Mia Rose is back from the dead. Her memories are hazy, her body numb—but she won’t stop searching. Her only hope to save the boy she loves and the sister who destroyed her is to find the mother she can never forgive. Pilar is on a hunt of her own. Betrayed by her mother , and plagued by a painful secret, she's determined to seek out the only person who can exact revenge. All goes according to plan until she collides with Prince Quin, the boy whose sister she killed.

As Mia, Pilar, and Quin forge dangerous new alliances, they are bewitched by the snow kingdom’s promise of freedom and opportunity. But with the Winter Solstice drawing near, they must confront the truth beneath the glimmering ice, as lines between friend, foe and lover vanish like snowflakes on a flame.

Review:

Believathon TBR

For the whole of November (1st to 30th) I am going to be taking part in the Believe in the Impossible Readathon hosted by the lovely Gavin Hetherington (@theGavGav7).

I will leave a link to Gav's twitter post explaining it all here.

Without further ado onto my TBR...

End of the Year Tag 2019

I saw this on BooksandLaLa's YouTube channel and wanted to answer the questions!

So let's get to the questions!

Are there any books you started this year that you need to finish?

Once I DNF a book I don't tend to go back and try again to be honest. So in that way no. The book I am currently reading is The Toll and I plan on finishing that in the next week.

Do you have an autumnal book to transition into the end of the year?

I have a few books in the next few weeks which have a more wintery feel to them but I think its more coincidence than planned.

Is there a new release you're still waiting for?

Yes! I have four I am highly anticipating. They are:

What are the three books you want to read before the end of the year?

Honestly it's probably those above (I know there are 4 but what can I say?)

Is there a book you think could still shock you and become your favourite book of the year?

I think there are a few that could still make my top list but I think my top 5 would be hard to knock off.

Have you already started making reading plans for 2020?

Oh yes. I love a good spreadsheet and already have one set up for 2020 releases I want to get and read :)

Review: A Sky Painted Gold by Laura Wood

Details:

Title: A Sky Painted Gold

Author: Laura Wood

Publisher: Scholastic

ISBN 13: 978-1407180205

Synopsis:

Growing up in her sleepy Cornish village dreaming of being a writer, sixteen-year-old Lou has always wondered about the grand Cardew house which has stood empty for years. And when the owners arrive for the summer - a handsome, dashing brother and sister - Lou is quite swept off her feet and into a world of moonlit cocktailparties and glamour beyond her wildest dreams.

But, as she grows closer to the Cardews, is she abandoning her own ambitions... and is there something darker lurking at the heart of the Cardew family?

Review:

Fairyloot September 2019 Unboxing

This is the unboxing of the September 2019 FairyLoot box. (What follows will contain spoilers so please do not read if you don't want to know what is in the box)

FairyLoot is a monthly book subscription box mainly focusing on fantasy YA and YA crossovers. Each month you receive a new release book, mostly hardback and 4-6 bookish items which fit in with the theme.

The theme this month was Witches be crazy

 (Spoiler filled post under the cut)

Review: Into the Crooked Place by Alexandra Christo

Details:

Title: Into the Crooked Place

Author: Alexandra Christo

Publisher: Hot Key Books

ISBN 13: 978-1471408441

Synopsis:

Magic rules the city of Creije Capital and Tavia Syn knows just how many tricks she needs up her sleeve to survive. Selling dark magic on the streets for her kingpin, she keeps clear of other crooks, counting the days until her debt is paid and she can flee her criminal life.

But then, one day, with her freedom in sight, Tavia uncovers a sinister plot that threatens to destroy the realm she calls home. Desperate to put an end to her kingpin's plan, Tavia forms an unlikely alliance with three crooks even more deadly than her:

Wesley, the kingpin's prodigy and most renewed criminal in the realm

Karam, an underground fighter with a penchant for killing first and forgetting to ask questions

And Saxony, a Crafter in hiding who will stop at nothing to avenge her family

With the reluctant saviours assembled, they embark on a quest to put an end to the dark magic before it's too late. But even if they can take down the kingpin and save the realm, the one thing they can't do is trust each other.

Review:

September Wrap Up

In September 2019 I managed to read a total of 8 books.

It wasn't the best reading month for me at all and the first time I have been in single digits this year, but I had a lot happening so hopefully October will be better. 

Review: The Merciful Crow by Margaret Owen

Details:

Title: The Merciful Crow

Author: Margaret Owen

Publisher: Henry Holt and Co

ISBN 13: 978-1250191922

Synopsis:

As a future chieftain of the Crow caste, sixteen-year-old Fie abides by one rule: look after your own. Her clan of undertakers and mercy-killers takes more abuse than coin, but when her family is called to collect royal dead, she's hoping they'll find the payout of a lifetime. Instead, they find a still-living crown prince, his cunning bodyguard, and a common foe: a ruthless usurper queen who wants them all dead. Fie agrees to smuggle the prince across the nation in exchange for her people's safety. But with the queen's brutal hunters on their tail, she's forced to make the sacrifices that define a true leader.

Review:

The Autumn Tag 2019

Since we are now into Autumn I thought I would do the Autumn Tag!

Originally created by Jenniely, I saw it on the beautiful Becca's blog.

So without furher ado, let's get to the questions!

Book Hooked Box - September Unboxing

In this post I am going to be unboxing the Book Hooked Box September 2019 box. (What follows will contain spoilers so please do not read if you don't want to know what is in the box)

FairyLoot is a bi-monthly book subscription box that focuses on YA novels and self care. Each box is made to create an indulgent and relaxing bookworm experience whilst keeping the price low.

The theme this month was Claiming the Crown
Spoiler filled post under the cut

Illumicrate Blood and Blades - The Darkdawn Edition Unboxing

In this post I am going to be unboxing the Illumicrate Blood and Blades box. (What follows will contain spoilers so please do not read if you don't want to know what is in the box)

The theme for this box was all dedicated to the Nevernight series by Jay Kristoff
Spoiler filled post under the cut

Review: The Girl the Sea Gave Back by Adrienne Young

Details:

Title: The Girl the Sea Gave Back

Author: Adrienne Young

Publisher: Titan Books

ISBN 13: 978-1789091298

Synopsis:

For as long as she can remember, Tova has lived among the Svell, the people who found her washed ashore as a child and use her for her gift as a Truthtongue. Her own home and clan are long-faded memories, but the sacred symbols and staves inked over every inch of her skin mark her as one who can cast the rune stones and see into the future. She has found a fragile place among those who fear her, but when two clans to the east bury their age-old blood feud and join together as one, her world is dangerously close to collapse. For the first time in generations, the leaders of the Svell are divided. Should they maintain peace or go to war with the allied clans to protect their newfound power? And when their chieftain looks to Tova to cast the stones, she sets into motion a series of events that will not only change the landscape of the mainland forever but will give her something she believed she could never have again-a home.

Review:

Review: Tiger Queen by Annie Sullivan

Details:

Title: Tiger Queen

Author: Annie Sullivan

Publisher: Z Kidz Books

ISBN 13: 978-0310768777

Synopsis:

In the mythical desert kingdom of Achra, an ancient law forces sixteen-year-old Princess Kateri to fight in the arena to prove her right to rule. For Kateri, winning also means fulfilling a promise to her late mother that she would protect her people, who are struggling through windstorms and drought. The situation is worsened by the gang of Desert Boys that frequently raids the city wells, forcing the king to ration what little water is left. The punishment for stealing water is a choice between two doors: behind one lies freedom, and behind the other is a tiger. But when Kateri's final opponent is announced, she knows she cannot win. In desperation, she turns to the desert and the one person she never thought she'd side with. What Kateri discovers twists her world-and her heart-upside down. Her future is now behind two doors-only she's not sure which holds the key to keeping her kingdom and which releases the tiger.

Review:

August Wrap Up

In August 2019 I managed to read a total of 16 books.

Overall it was a strong reading month and I read some real gems. 

Hogwarts-a-thon TBR

For the whole of September (1st to 30th) I am going to be taking part in the Hogwarts-a-thon hosted by the lovely girls who run Lost Between the Covers.

I will leave a link to Georgi's post explaining it all here.

Without further ado onto my TBR...

Illumicrate Unboxing August 2019

In this post I am going to be unboxing the Illumicrate August 2019 box. (What follows will contain spoilers so please do not read if you don't want to know what is in the box)

The theme this month was Armed and Dangerous
Spoiler filled post under the cut

Fairyloot Unboxing August 2019

This is the unboxing of the August 2019 FairyLoot box. (What follows will contain spoilers so please do not read if you don't want to know what is in the box)

FairyLoot is a monthly book subscription box mainly focusing on fantasy YA and YA crossovers. Each month you receive a new release book, mostly hardback and 4-6 bookish items which fit in with the theme.

The theme this month was Things Are Not What They Seem

 (Spoiler filled post under the cut)

Review: Under A Dancing Star by Laura Wood

Details:

Title: Under A Dancing Star

Author: Laura Wood

Publisher: Scholastic

ISBN 13: 978-1407192406

Synopsis:

In grey, 1930s England, Bea has grown up kicking against the conventions of the time, all the while knowing that she will one day have to marry someone her parents choose - someone rich enough to keep the family estate alive. But she longs for so much more - for adventure, excitement, travel, and maybe even romance.

When she gets the chance to spend the summer in Italy with her bohemian uncle and his fiancee, a whole world is opened up to Bea - a world that includes Ben, a cocky young artist who just happens to be infuriatingly handsome too. Sparks fly between the quick-witted pair until one night, under the stars, a challenge is set: can Bea and Ben put aside their teasing and have the perfect summer romance?

With their new friends gleefully setting the rules for their fling, Bea and Ben can agree on one thing at least: they absolutely, positively will not, cannot fall in love...

A long, hot summer of kisses and mischief unfolds - but storm clouds are gathering across Europe, and home is calling. Every summer has to end - but for Bea, this might be just the beginning.

Review: