Lately, I don’t really feel as though I can still call myself a blogger since I’m barely doing it.

As I’ve said so many times before, I do want to but other things keep taking precedence, so I’m going to cut it with the excuses and just do my best.

So, without further ado, here’s my September Wrap Up!

Don’t forget to let me know what books you read last month in the comments or on Twitter.
​
You click on the title to see the full review, if there is one, or to visit GoodReads:

Godsgrave by Jay Kristoff - Godsgrave was fantastic and a wonderful sequel to Nevernight. I absolutely adore the new characters introduced in this book and following the next leg in Mia's journey of revenge and blood was just as thrilling as book one. I can't wait to see how it all ends in Darkdawn!

Happy for You by Anyta Sunday - I love this series and was lucky enough to receive a free ARC copy from the author. It's a great continuation to a series I can't get enough of and whilst this book was a little problematic for me, I still love Anyta's ability to write adorable characters and sweet, excruciating slow-burn romance. 

Adulting 101 by Lisa Henry - ​This book was lots of fun. The MC is a little ridiculous and hopeless but in the best way and with a real heart of gold. He's eighteen-years-old trying to find himself, struggling against the path set out for him by his parents and rebelling, without really meaning to. His life takes an unexpected turn when he gets tangled up with twenty-five-year-old Jai and things get even more hilarious. If you're looking for a low-angst, fun and easy read, you can't go wrong with Adulting 101. 

​All Chained Up & Hell Breaks Loose by Sophie Jordan - I found myself in the mood for easy-to-read romance this week and dove back into some old favourites. I've read these two books a couple of times in the past and they were just as enjoyable the third time around. These books have strong heroines, sexy hero's and plenty of action and drama. 

​I’ve also started (but not yet finished):

Bear, Otter and the Kid by T.J. Klune - I started listening to this on Audible the other week when I was sick. I love the narration and the characters, especially the kid who makes me laugh so much. I’m still listening to this one and am around 50% of the way through it. I love the way TJ writes, I haven’t been disappointed yet, and this book is shaping up to be another amazing read.

Vengeful by V.E. Schwab – I started this but had to give up because I honestly couldn’t remember enough of Vicious and I just found myself feeling lost and confused. I guess I’m going to have to re-read Vicious before tackling Vengeful again.

Fury on Fire by Sophie Jordan – Continuing with last month’s Devil’s Rock series by Sophie Jordan, I’ve started to read North’s story for the second time. Truthfully, it’s because I picked up book 4 for £2.50 and just got an itch to re-read the series. They’re quick, fun and packed full of heat.

Darkdawn by Jay Kristoff – My partner has FINALLY finished reading this after stealing it from me a few weeks ago, so now it’s my turn to delve in and discover the end to Mia’s story. I’m only just about to start chapter two but it’s started thick in the middle of all the action at the end of Godsgrave and I am ready for answers!

Frostheart by Jamie Littler - I spotted this on my last book shopping trip to Waterstones and thought it looked perfect to read to my 5-year-old. She loves books but still prefers lots of pictures and since this book is packed full of amazing illustrations, I figured it's the perfect segway towards the more traditional novel, and we're both having so much fun reading it!
​
And that’s a wrap!

Let me know your recommendations in the comments below and feel free to chat about any of the books above too! 

Until next time, happy reading! x

Pride Month might be over now, but I will never stop reading all of the amazing LGBT+ books that keep on coming! 

So, whilst this is my pride month book wrap-up you can still, as always, expect to see plenty of LGBT+ content on my blog. 

I'm also thinking of posting reviews of the LGBT+ children's books that I keep buying for my offspring, so if you'd like to read those and hear more about our finds, just let me know in the comments! 

Right, onto the wrap-up. For those of you who haven't joined me for one of these in the past, this is a post where I quickly list and mini-review the books I read this month. It's also one of the only places you'll see me mention any books that I reviewed below 3 stars or DNF. 

Please note that any trigger warnings are in my full reviews so do feel free to check those out. 

​Here goes, (you can click on the title to see the full review, if there is one, or to visit GoodReads) I read 15 books this month (somehow!) so this might be a long one: ​

Mud & Lace (Rainbow Place Book 4) by Jay Northcote - In my attempt to find more own-voices books for Pride Month, I stumbled across this whilst browsing Amazon. Featuring a gender fluid protagonist and written by a trans author, I was intrigued, especially as the main character moonlights as a drag queen. The relationship pairing was unique, as was the kink, which worked. I also loved that this was a British story and I do like the author's writing style and pace, it's certainly not the first book I've read by Jay that had me chuckling aloud. 

How to Howl at the Moon by Eli Easton - I was drawn to this one because it sounded a little like Wolfsong by TJ Klune, which is a truly stunning book. How to Howl at the Moon is a shifter book with a bit of an unexpected twist and truthfully, one that felt a little cringe-worthy at times but there were plenty of heartfelt moments and I adored the two main characters. 

Within Ash and Stardust by Chani Lynn Feener - This wasn't a Pride Month read but it's a book that I read as part of a blog tour, so the full review for this is coming later this month. I won't give much away except to say that I love this trilogy and so I was interested to finally see how it came to an end.

Blind Beauty by K.M. Peyton - This wasn't a Pride Month read but it was a book I loved as a teenager that I just desperately wanted to re-read. It's such a powerful book full of hope, determination and pain and it wrecked my emotions. It's one of the few books I've read that felt as though I was reading it for the first time all over again. 

Heartstopper Vol:One by Alice Oseman - I read two graphic novels this month which is a complete first for me as I've never really read any before. Heartstopper was a re-read as I'd forgotten to review it last time. I adore this boy meets boy love story, the characters are the absolute sweetest, the art is gorgeous and the storyline is perfectly mushy. I cannot wait for Volume Two to come out next week!! I'm so excited!! 

Fence Vol 1-3 by C.S. Pacat - Sadly, I didn't really enjoy this graphic novel. 1.) It didn't have as much LGBT+ rep as I'd hoped for and 2.) The plot was pretty limited, in that I felt there was hardly any. So, suffice it to say, this one just wasn't for me. 

Shrewd Angel by Anyta Sunday - Gah! I LOVED THIS! I don't care that it's a Christmas novel, it was so so so so good! So much cuteness, witty banter and adorable, clueless dorks. Anyta Sunday writes the most amazing slow-burn romance! 

Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson - I love it when a book that isn't tagged as LGBT+ turns out to have some rep, especially when that rep is your own!! Readers of all ages with love this story - it's full of magic, deception, danger, demons and above all, books. 

The Black Mage by Daniel Barnes - I struggled with this graphic novel. I almost didn't feel qualified to read it. It uses magic and adventure to clearly illustrate racism in a way that's completely uncomfortable to read, which is exactly the point. It was a difficult one to digest. 

Alex in Wonderland by Simon James Green - My favourite book of the year so far and my favourite pride month read, Alex in Wonderland deserved a spot on its own. This wonderful book made me laugh right from the very beginning. Alex is the perfect character - so awkward, romantic and downright hopeless at times. This book was such a pleasure to read and I can't wait to see what the author does next!

And that's it! 

What did you read during Pride Month? Let me know your recommendations in the comments below and feel free to chat about any of the books above too! 

Until next time x

Do you ever feel as though you're running, trying desperately to catch up but no matter how fast you go, you're never fast enough, so you keep running but you never get any closer to where you're supposed to be? 

So, this is pretty much how I feel right now. Work is crazy, I love my job but it's been a little up and down lately and trying to get things moving in the right direction is challenging. Homeschooling my daughter is an absolute whirlwind, I love it, but combined with running a business full-time it's draining to say the least and I honestly can't remember the last time me and my partner went out on a date and some days I just want to stay in bed and read (don't we all though?)

All of this is why, again, I haven't been seen around here or book Twitter much lately but I am trying, I promise!

Last weekend was fantastic, my daughter and I went to visit a family friend at her stables and we helped to groom the horses, collect chicken eggs and I even had a short ride (it's been a long time since I last sat on the back of a horse and it was a lot scarier than I remember!) 

For those of you who don't know, I'm sort of low-key obsessed with horses and have been devouring Heartland on Netflix. My gosh I love this show! The only way that I can describe the tone of the show (for those who haven't seen it) is sort of like Gilmore Girls but with horses and cowboys - in that there's a fair amount of drama but plenty of laughs and smiles too.

Anyway, since my visit I'm sort of feeling the need to re-read Blind Beauty by K.M. Peyton. I adored this book growing up; the drama, the tragedy, the love and, of course, the horses, and I keep eyeing it on my bookshelf so I'm guessing I'll be reading this again soon. 

I recently invested in Kindle Unlimited and I've been reading an absolute ton of M/M romance (I don't know why I love it, but I do). Some of it good and some of it just wasn't my cup of tea. Here's a quick run-down of a few titles I've read so far this month:

How to Howl at the Moon by Eli Easton - I was drawn to this one because it sounded a little like Wolfsong by TJ Klune, which is a truly stunning book. How to Howl at the Moon is a shifter book with a bit of an unexpected twist and truthfully, one that felt a little cringe-worthy at times but there were plenty of heartfelt moments and I adored the two main characters. 

Stuck With You by Jay Northcote - not too sure why I decided to read a Christmas novel in the middle of June, but hey, the weather in the UK is so utterly rubbish at the moment that it may as well be the middle of winter. This book just didn't do it for me. It started off really well with an enemies to lovers romance that was fun but then it took a turn for the far too predictable and whilst I did read it to the end, I found myself skipping pages just to get it over with.

I'm currently reading Light Years by Kass Morgan, the second sci-fi book that I've read this month (which is bizarre for me as I don't usually read sci-fi) and I'm really loving it. I'm only 124 pages into this 372 page novel but I can't get enough. The pacing is fantastic, I love the 4-way split narrative and that each character is distinct and different enough that it's never difficult to tell them apart. 

This book does feature one queer character (so far) and so fits nicely with my Pride Month reading goals and I can't wait to see how his storyline develops.   

I haven't been so quickly invested in a new book for a while so I'm excited to see where this one goes! 

Have you read it? Let me know what you think, but please, no spoilers!!

I do have a couple of exciting blog tours on the horizon, one is the final book in a trilogy that I've loved since I read the first one two years ago and the second is a new LGBT novel that I'm really excited to get my hands on so do keep your eyes peeled for those. 

In the meantime, I'd love to know what you're currently reading? Are you reading any books specifically for Pride Month? Send me your recommendations! 

As you know, I'm doing my best to catch up on all of the things I've missed lately and so today, I'm catching up on The Unique Blogger Award!

I was nominated by the incredible and lovely Noly over at The Artsy Reader (seriously, go check out her stuff!) last September (has it really been that long??) and I really love these tags. They're just short, fun little ways for you us all to get to know each other a bit better. 

First up, the rules:

• Share the link of the blogger who nominated you
• Answer their questions
• Share some love with the blogging community by nominating 8-12 people
• Ask three questions for your nominees

So, without further ado, here are Noly's questions and my answers:

1. If you could pick three book characters to have as close friends, who would they be and why?

OMG, why is this so hard? Okay, so here goes, off the top of my head: 

- Amren from A Court of Thorns and Roses so that we can drink the blood of our victims together and adore all the shiny things. 
- Reichis from Spellslinger because who wouldn't want a cute and furry yet bloodthirsty squirrel cat as a close friend?
- Sam of Wilds from The Lightning Struck heart because you'd always end up on the best adventures, laughing your head off and receiving the all-time best hugs ever!!

2. What makes a good book for you?

Good question, difficult to answer because it depends, mainly on what mood I'm in. Sometimes the book I need is a delicious and hilarious slow-burn enemies to lovers romance where the plot focuses on their relationship. Other times, I fall in love with books that make me cry with laughter and are filled with oblivious wizard's apprentices, occasionally douchey knights, monologuing evil wizards, gay unicorns and disturbingly sexually active dragons. And then sometimes, I'll enjoy a book about two boys who meet by chance, become friends and fall in love over the course of single day and then both die in equally horrific ways while I cry my eyes out - NO, ADAM SILVERA, I AM STILL NOT OVER IT NO MATTER HOW MANY TIMES WE WERE WARNED!! 

So, I guess, any book can be a good book for me if I fall in love with it. Here are some of my favourites to help demonstrate my answer:

- Jed Had to Die by Tara Sivec (romantic comedy/murder mystery)
- Eragon by Christopher Paolini (epic fantasy with dragons)
- A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas (epic female-led fantasy with magic)
- Nevernight by Jay Kristoff (epic female-led fantasy with magic, murder, sex and shadow cats)
- They Both Die in the End by Adam Silvera (heart-breaking contemporary)
- Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo (heist-style fantasy with magic)
- The Bones Beneath My Skin by TJ Klune (sci-fi m/m romance )
- The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzie Lee (historical LGBT romance/fantasy - it has pirates!)
- Children of Blood and Bone (epic female-led fantasy with incredible magic and battle scenes) 
- Clean by Juno Dawson (gritty YA contemporary)

Okay, so writing that list sort of gave me an answer because each book title I wrote was inspired by a character (that I love) from said book popping into my head and so I guess, yeah, it's the characters who make a good book for me. It doesn't matter what the genre is or the setting or whether or not it has romance. If the character is compelling and amazing, that's usually what hooks me. 

Sorry for the massive answer!

3. What is the first book you remember to have read by yourself as a child? 

It was either The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe or Lyrico. I loved both as a child and found both in my grandparents attic but I don't remember which came first. I do know that they sparked my love of reading, particularly fantasy. I'm currently reading Lyrico to my daughter so I've gone full circle. 

My three questions for you: 

1. What's the one food item from a book that you'd love to eat right now (real or fictional)?
2. If you could jump into any book which would it be and at what moment? 
3. If your life was an 'A Court of Thorns and Roses' novel, using the last thing you ate and the object to your right, what would the title be? Here's mine as an example: A Court of Cheese and Cushions 🤣

Thanks for reading lovelies, I'll tag a bunch of accounts on Twitter but feel free to join in via the comments (you don't need to be a blogger to take part). Let me know your answers to my questions and what you think of my own (slightly lengthy) answers. 

Want to know the number one secret to writing the perfect book review? 

There isn't one. 

That's it, blog post over! Just kidding...

The truth is, a book review is an extremely personal, subjective thing, as is the process of actually reading a book. 

Think about it, how many times have you spoken to someone about a book you've both read and found that you've had differing opinions/feelings?

Maybe you even both loved the book but your favourite character was someone different or there was a particular thing that you both had contrasting opinions about. 

Whilst you've both, in theory, read the same book, your own personality, experiences, mindset (and a whole load of other things) have shaped how you read and processed that book in a completely different way than the other person did, so in essence, you've both actually read a different book. 

That leads me to the trickiness of writing a book review, especially when it comes to 'negative' reviews because what's negative to you (or positive for that matter) might not be for someone else.

Your thoughts and feelings towards a book and whether it was good or bad, what worked or what didn't is subjective to you and your preferences. Those same preferences might not apply to someone else and so the truth is, or at least this is the way that I see it, you can only be as honest as you can when writing a review. 

If you say that something didn't work for you, say why i.e. writing, 'I prefer a faster plot' is much more helpful to readers than 'the plot pacing was terrible' - the second phrasing leaves too many questions, why was it terrible? Was it too fast, too slow? etc.

With the first phrasing, other fast-paced book lovers might choose to steer clear of this particular book but other readers who enjoy or prefer a slower-paced book might find their next favourite author. 

So, in summary, the secret to writing the perfect book review is to simply write how you feel, be honest but be descriptive. Simply writing that you don't like something, or that you do like something isn't much help because you're you and we're not, but maybe we share some reading interests/preferences and it'd be really helpful as readers to understand why you did/didn't like something. 

Oh, and just a personal preference from me, where possible, try to keep your reviews spoiler free. I HATE SPOILERS! For example, before watching any big movie (i.e. End Game) and TV Show (i.e. GOT) I avoid the internet and social media like the plague (as much as I can since I have to use it for work) and even with my efforts, some careless twit managed to ruin yesterday's episode for me, and it completely spoiled my mood. Surely the last thing you'd want to do is ruin a book for a reader? On My Endless Shelf, I try my hardest to keep reviews spoiler-free whilst still sharing my thoughts and feelings (and the occasional out-of-context snippets) and, in the case of sequels, I always put a warning at the start in case you haven't read the previous installment. Saying that, I'm only human and if you do spot a spoiler in any of my posts, feel free to let me know!

What about you? What are your tips for writing the perfect book review and how do you feel about spoilers? 

I read 9 books in April and all but one of them was m/m romance - it wasn't an intentional choice, I guess I just subconsciously chose a reading 'theme' for this month. 

For those of you who haven't joined me for a monthly book roundup before, here's where I list all of the books I read over the last month and give much smaller 'micro' reviews. 

It's also probably one of the only times you'll read about any of my DNF's and books I rated less than 3 stars etc. 
​
​Here goes (you can click on the title to see the full review if there is one or to visit GoodReads): 

Downtime by James Allen - This book was so interesting! I read it because of a recommendation by one of my favourite m/m romance authors, Anyta Sunday, who recommended it as a slow-burn romance. Whilst, I wouldn't actually agree that it's a slow burn, it was definitely an interesting read. This book had a bit of everything really, time travel, magic, murder mystery, ghosts and a truly sweet love story. The direction of the book and some of the elements took me by surprise but I really enjoyed it. Here are two of my favourite quotes:

Words I live by - "I can put up with anyone who comes bearing cinnamon rolls."

Words everyone should live by - “Any fellow who’s not on the side of love—” Derry’s voice went soft. “He’s to be pitied.”

IRL by Lucy Lennox - This book was so much fun, making it quite different from the book above, which was more serious. This book had me giggling throughout and I did not put it down until I'd read the whole thing from start to finish. I loved how the relationship between the two characters started via a misunderstanding and it grew to be something amazingly funny and touching. The boardroom scene will forever be etched into my memory!! I don't usually buy into the whole billionaire romance thing but this was fab!

How to Be a Normal Person by TJ Klune - I don't know how TJ Klune keeps pulling off these great books that are all so very different. This book gets bonus points for its fantastic asexuality rep. The characters are adorable, quirky and so likable it's hard to leave them once you've gotten to know them. A great start to the series! 

The Deal by Elle Kennedy - Looking at other reviews, I seem to be the minority with this one as I just didn't enjoy it at all. Maybe it was the lack of trigger warnings, the stalker-like/controlling behaviour of the main character or the fact that the plot just seemed to fizzle out at one point, but this was definitely not my kind of romance. 

Looking for Trouble by Riley Hart - This book on the other hand, I really did enjoy. The characters are complete opposites in lifestyle, personality and age but their excruciating, slow-burning connection was beautiful, especially in how it changed both men for the better.

Deke by Eden Finley - Like the other books in the Fake Boyfriend series, Deke did not disappoint. "Sweet Neil Patrick Harris, I’m fucked." It was fun, surprising and sweet, all at once. 

Blindsided by Eden Finley - This book was a little different to the previous in the series as it didn't actually contain a fake boyfriend trope. However, it is another great coming out story this time featuring bi rep (whoop!!!) and two very clueless but very sweet and sexy characters. I'm now really itching to get my hands on Jet's book - he's quickly become my favourite character!

Made for You by Anyta Sunday - This was easily my book of the month. Anyta Sunday is the queen of slow-burn and this book was so dreamy and sweet. I love each of the characters individually and their relationships with each other were perfect. I read this book in one sitting with a big grin on my face from start to finish. 

Family Camp by Eli Easton - ​​This was a lovely book, dealing with some tricky themes i.e homophobia, anxiety and adoption. The two main characters were great and I loved their building romance but what really made this book special was the kids and the transformative relationships that were just super sweet and moving to read. 

Have you read any of these books? What did you think? 

I'd love to hear from you in the comments, especially if you have some recommendations for me! 

Long time, no see. 

If you follow me on Twitter, you might have seen a few posts from me over the past month or so saying how hectic my life has been lately and that completely coincides with the fact that I haven't posted here in over a month!! 

My family have had a pretty rocky start to the new year, suffering losses and illness and then to top it off my daughter really struggled with her mental health which resulted in her needing to be removed from school. So, in short, I'm running a small business, homeschooling my daughter and trying desperately to finish my book. Which, hopefully gives some indication as to why I've been MIA from blogging lately. As much as I love reading and writing, my daughter and my work have to come first. 

But, saying that, I have been reading when I can and since my last book review, I've read nine books - I just haven't gotten around to writing reviews for them, but I'm really hoping to try and get back into blogging a little more, especially since I recently earned my 80% badge on NetGalley (something I've been working towards for a year!)

Which brings me to my next topic: My Endless Shelf Turned 1!!!!!

I know, right? You want to hear the best part? 

I completely missed it! ​? That's right, I completely missed my own bloggerversary! 

But, to make it up to you guys for sticking with me, even though I've been completely rubbish lately, I'm holding a giveaway to celebrate (more info below). 

Anyhow, I'm going to be posting a few mini reviews of some of the books I've been reading lately as well as what's on my TBR right now.

As mentioned above, I am still working on my first book, a paranormal romance that I'm so, so excited to share with you. It's been my baby for so long now. I finished the first draft over a year ago and I'm currently working on story edits before going back to tidy up those pesky line edits. Eeek! I love these characters and I hope you will too! 

If you enjoy teasers, feel free to follow me on Twitter, where I sometimes share snippets on Wednesday's under the #1linewed hashtag.

Thanks for sticking with me! If you'd like the chance to win the book of your choice (under £10), enter below!

Giveaway is open worldwide as long as Book Depository ships to you. Giveaway closes at midnight on 31st May. Winner will be announced here and on social media within 48 hours. Giveaway t's and c's apply! No giveaway accounts!

A big thanks to everyone who enters! 

I'm sorry! 

I can't believe it's been a full month since I last blogged! To give you the short version, my family and I had a pretty rocky start to the year with family stuff and illnesses. 

On top of that my business is currently the busiest it's ever been, which is a really good thing and something I'm so happy and proud of, but it does often mean that I'm working longer hours and haven't been able to read/blog as much especially because I've been spending more quality time with my family on weekends. 

​This does mean that I've been neglecting My Endless Shelf and you wonderful readers. I am hoping to get back into a more regular blogging schedule now and also to catch up on the many unread emails in the My Endless Shelf inbox.

The other reason brings me to my first bit of 'news' - I'm writing again (YAY!) 

In other news, the NYALitFest is taking place in two weeks and I'm so excited!! After the incredible time I had at their Supernatural and Fantastical in YA event last year, I cannot wait to attend their main festival on March 16th!

I've booked tickets for pretty much every panel, and it's not too late if you want to come along. You can book your free tickets here! 

The theme this year is Mental Health & Inclusiveness in YA and the author line-up is just fantastic including; Melinda Salisbury, Alice Broadway, Samantha Shannon, Bali Rai and Alexandra Sheppard. 

There will be panels and workshops covering; Creative Writing, YA Thrillers, Inclusiveness in YA, Mental Health and Feminism in Fantasy. 

There will also be author signings throughout the day and stalls filled with bookish goodies and run by several fantastic publishing houses including Bloomsbury, Macmillan, Walker and, of course, the organisers of the event, UCLan Publishing (I have everything crossed that I can grab some beautiful books for review and/or to giveaway on the blog!)

There's loads more going on in the day too - click here for the full programme! 

I'll be updating Instagram and Twitter throughout the day if you want to follow along with what's happening and I will do a blog recap after the event.

​I can't wait to meet everyone and catch up with the fantastic people I met last year (although I will try not to turn up 4 hours early this time!!) 

In other news, thanks to the lovely folks at Penguin Random House, I'll be hosting a giveaway very shortly for a paperback copy of Jack of Hearts by L.C. Rosen. This unapologetically honest LGBT YA is a great read and you can find out exactly what I thought of it in my review.

​Stay tuned for the giveaway coming soon!

I think that's all for now - this turned out to be a much longer post than I'd intended!

So, over to you! What are you reading at the moment? I'd love to know your recommendations!

As always, happy reading! 

Last month I went on a bit of a 'requesting' spree on NetGalley and requested a bunch of books, with little hope of being approved, but it turns out that I was accepted for almost all of them, so I thought it might be fun to share with you the books that I'll be reading over the next month or so. 

They're mostly YA with one exception and all completely different!

As always, just click on the cover to add it to your TBR:

What do you think? Do any of these books take your fancy? 

Keep checking back for my reviews of these four books over the next month or two. I'm particularly excited for Proud and We Are Blood and Thunder!

Welcome to my very first book roundup of 2019! 

How is 2019 treating you so far?

I'm guessing it's not just me who feels as though January lasted forever! Honestly, it was not the best start for me and my family this year and so I just have to hope that the rest of the year will take it easier on us. 

Oddly, despite all of that, I somehow managed to finish 9 books in January. I can only guess that we somehow had what felt like a 3-month, month. In addition to that, I actually started 12 books last month, which gives you an idea of the kind of head space I've been in lately. 

Anyway, for those of you who haven't joined me for a monthly book roundup before, here's where I basically list all of the books I read over the last month and give much smaller 'micro' reviews. 

It's also probably one of the only times you'll hear me saying anything negative about a book as I also list any DNF's and books I rated less than 3 stars etc. 

​Here goes (you can click on the title to see the full review if there is one or to visit GoodReads): 

The Princess of Baker Street by Mia Kerrick - As my first book (and first ARC) of the year, this was a great way to start. This is a really powerful story about true friendship and being true to yourself, and it was definitely not an easy read. There was a lot of pain in this book, these two extremely young characters have so much to deal with that it's heartbreaking to witness. But, all the more important because of it. 

Tell Me It's Real by TJ Klune - My first audiobook of the year was so much fun! TJ Klune is now one of my absolute favourite romance writers and it's all because of his fantastic characters. This book is the perfect mix of light, sweet romance alongside real sadness and heartache. 

Match Me If You Can by Tiana Smith - Admittedly, I felt a little let down by this book. I was excited by the synopsis but didn't like or feel any connection with the main character. There were so many clichés and so much drama that I did become slightly irritated. However, the writing and pace were great and I loved Logan, who was my saving grace! 

Fake Out by Eden Finley - This is my first ever book by Eden Finley. I actually had really low expectations for this book but it was so much fun! Plenty of humour, great chemistry and a really sweet story. 

Let's Get Textual by Teagan Hunter - Ah, this book was so cheesy but in the best possible way. I absolutely loved this book. Get ready to grin, laugh out loud and swoon! 

​The Wicked King by Holly Black ​- This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2019 and it did not disappoint. If anything, it drove me pretty crazy with all of the plot twists. If you enjoyed The Cruel Prince, you'll devour The Wicked King!

Trick Play by Eden Finley - Since I enjoyed the first book in this series (Fake Out) so much, I guess it's no surprise that I decided to read the second. Picking up where the last book ended, this one focuses on a different couple and I loved their dynamic. Funny, cute and sexy - this book checked all the boxes. 

Kissing the Teacher by Nora Phoenix - So, it turns out that I'm really not into reading about BDSM. I guess I should have figured that much out when I tried (and spectacularly failed) to read Fifty Shades of Grey. Don't get me wrong, there were some really sweet moments in this book, Baxter is just precious but the trope/relationship just wasn't my thing. Baxter also came off waaay younger than he was supposed to be which made me feel a bit uncomfortable given the age difference. 

Captive Prince by C.S. Pacat - Yeah, so I think when this book was recommended to me as an "amazing m/m romance" I was intrigued. Sadly, this book left me feeling absolutely sick to my stomach. I won't sugar coat this for you. This book strongly features; slavery, abuse, torture, rape, sexual abuse and paedophilia. To me, it felt glamorised and, even if the main character Damen abhorred most of what he witnessed, he still condoned slavery. To put it lightly this book horrified me and I massively regret the £8 I spend on the eBook. 

The books that I started but haven't yet finished are:

Fairies, Robots and Unicorns - Oh My! by Sarina Dorie - I spotted this book (a collection of short stories) on NetGalley last month and was drawn to the humour. The first story was great but sadly, for me, it's gone a bit downhill from there. I blame the story that seemed to be only relevant to Star Trek fans (I am so not a Trekkie) which really threw me off. 

The Lost Witch by Melvin Burgess - I really don't know how to feel about this book right now. I'm around 1/3 of the way through and struggling with the narrative. I just don't feel any connection to the characters and it's written almost passively which is making it really hard to be invested in the story. I'm going to give it another try because I loved the opening scene which gave me huge Watership Down vibes. Fingers crossed I fall into it soon. 

Godsgrave by Jay Kristoff - This book I am 100% into and eager to keep reading. The only thing stopping me has been the ridiculous illness I've been trying to deal with over the past two weeks. The first couple of chapters already have me fully immersed in the story and more than a little hot under the collar. How anyone could mistake these books for YA is beyond me! 

Have you read any of these books? What did you think? 

In my next blog post, I'll be sharing the books that are currently on my ARC shelf. What 2019 release are you most looking forward to?