I had a pretty good start to my reading year of 2022! I got off to a good start and attempted a Storygraph challenge of reading every single day. I found it hard, but it really prioritised reading – even for just a few minutes a day – and when I found on February 3rd I hadn’t read for two days, I’d already noticed a decline in my mental health. January was great for reminding me how much I love reading.
Continue reading “Reading Wrap-Up | January 2022! | a good start to the year”
Nottingham, 1906
Marietta Stelle longs to be a ballerina but as Christmas draws nearer, her dancing days are numbered. At the wishes of her family, she will be obligated to marry and take up her place in society in the New Year. But when a mysterious new toymaker, Dr Drosselmeier, purchases a neighbouring townhouse, it heralds the arrival of magic and wonder in her life. Although Drosselmeier’s magic is darker than Marietta could have imagined…
When he constructs an elaborate theatrical set for her final ballet performance, Marietta discovers it carries a magic all of its own. As the clock chimes midnight, Marietta finds herself walking through a land of snow-topped fir trees leading to a frozen sugar palace silent with secrets and must find a way to return home. In the darkness of night, magic awaits and you will never forget what you find here…
I was super excited to read this book, but I have to say I had a bit of a mixed reaction to it… It wasn’t my favourite Christmas novel, though some scenes absolutely delighted me!
Continue reading “Book Review | Midnight in Everwood by M. A. Kuzniar | a nutcracker retelling in a magical land!”
My January Books That Matter box landed on my doorstep last week, so of course I am going to share with you what we received this month!
This box was in collaboration with Jameela Jamil and the I Weigh campaign, designed to reevaluate what women & people in general consider their “weight”. Rather than saying “I weigh X lbs,” the campaign asks you to reconsider what you actually weigh – your friends, family, fears, hopes, dreams, what you love and hate. I have a very positive opinion of this campaign so I’m excited for this!
Continue reading “Unboxing | Books That Matter: I Weigh | January 2022”
Seven friends. One killer. You can run, but you can’t hide…
It’s Boxing Day and your friendship group has planned a hike.
You know tensions are running high. You’ve heard the rumours flying around.
But this trip is a chance for you to reconnect.
As you head into the reserve, everyone is quiet. It almost feels like you’ve imagined the rift.
But as the sun sets, you hear a gun shot.
One of your group is dead.
And someone you know killed them…
This book was a ride! I’m not normally a fan of multiple-perspective books, but Pattison utilised it so well to create a real action-packed thriller.
Continue reading “Book Review | Hide by Nell Pattison | a boxing day murder mystery!”
A couple of days ago, I discovered the Pondathon II, and I am here to tell you it is the CUTEST readathon ever and you totally need to join!
Continue reading “Pondathon II | the cutest readathon!”
It’s January, and like many of us, maybe you are looking to do a bit of organisation. I for one “sorted my life out” a month or so ago, and now I have moved onto our office/craft space to organise!
This area includes lots of books and bookshelves, so I am already thinking about how to organise these, as well as my three big bookshelves in my bedroom. I’ve tried a few different organisational ideas over the years, and here are a few ideas for you!
Continue reading “7 Ways to Organise Your Bookshelves!”
Many people in the book world do these lists – but a lot of people do the amount of books that the year ends in, so this year it would be “22 books to read in 2022!”
I have a couple of questions about this. First of all, where does it stop? Are we going to be in 2079 writing posts about “79 books to read in 2079”? Secondly, how do you cope with the guilt when you don’t hit your own self-inflicted goal?
Continue reading “12 Books to Read in 2022! | 12 Days of Blogmas”
It’s the end of another month! And not only that, but the final month of the year…
December was a pretty good reading month for me, even though I did most of my reading during term time! I really began to fall back in love with reading after a slight slump in November, mostly due to mental health issues, but it sucked at the time. Still, it’s given me lots to look forward to.
Continue reading “December Wrap-Up and January TBR | 12 Days of Blogmas”
I absolutely fell in love with my 2021 Reading Journal last year! I used it all the time, and thoroughly enjoyed it, so I started making my 2022 Reading Journal a week or so ago and I’m so happy to finally share it with you!
It did take a while to make these spreads, but I love it and can’t wait to use it. I’ve got so many pictures to show you, so let’s get into it!
Continue reading “A Flick Through my 2022 Reading Journal! | 12 Days of Blogmas”
I had a pretty good reading year – my average rating was over 4/5 stars! So when it came to finding my best and ‘worst’ books of the year, it was actually quite hard to choose. I enjoy looking back at the books that I enjoyed and didn’t – I just think it’s really interesting!
Below I have 15 books listed – 5 worst books, 5 best books, and 5 special mentions. Let’s get into it!
Continue reading “2021: My Best and Worst Books of the Year | 12 Days of Blogmas”
Sprinkled With Words 