Who's ready for another amazing LGBT read to celebrate PRIDE MONTH!?! 🏳🌈🌈 What have you been doing to show your pride so far this June? The Friday 56 is a weekly blog meme hosted by Freda’s Voice. There are only 4 rules:
As promised, for this week's Friday56, I've selected another fantastic LGBT read, this time it's the adorable YA novel, Noah Can't Even by Simon James Green. The sequel, Noah Could Never has just been released and I can't wait to get my hands on it!! Here's the synopsis for Noah Can't Even: Poor Noah Grimes! His father disappeared years ago, his mother's Beyonce tribute act is an unacceptable embarrassment, and his beloved gran is no longer herself. He only has one friend, Harry, and school is...Well, it's pure HELL. Why can't Noah be normal, like everyone else at school? Maybe if he struck up a romantic relationship with someone - maybe Sophie, who is perfect and lovely - he'd be seen in a different light? But Noah's plans are derailed when Harry kisses him at a party. That's when things go from bad to utter chaos. This book has an incredibly high cuteness level whilst also being hilarious and sweet. It's also unforgivably British, which I LOVE! Here's my chosen quote: "A body-type issue has come up," Noah repeated, "which makes it hard for me to come back down. Right? Very hard." It's a little longer than my usual quote length, but I love that it shows how cute and funny Noah and Harry are together!
What do you think? Would you keep reading? Thanks for stopping by and don't forget to leave your post links in the comments! Hey guys! It's Tuesday, and you know what that means! The #TopTenTuesday meme is hosted by The Artsy Reader Girl and this week's theme is 'Books That Awaken the Travel Bug In Me' Fun (read 'lame') fact about me: I have only travelled out of the UK twice in my 27 years 😭😭😭 I went to Disneyland Paris for a single day in high school and then a two week trip to Alcudia, Spain with my family when I was 14. I am looooooong overdue some travelling and I seriously need a good kick up the butt to get me started! So, on that slightly depressing note, here are 10 books that awaken the travel bug in me whether it's through their truly vivid settings or simply because I love the book so much that I just really NEED to go there! The Little Shop of Happy Ever After paints such a gorgeous picture of the Scottish highlands that it's impossible not to feel immersed. This entire book had me craving a converted barn on a working farm where I could wander the hills and attend Scottish parties. Fun fact: Did you know that my name, Kayleigh means warrior in Scottish but that it also means 'Party' (spelled: ceilidh) - Hell, yeah, I can be a party warrior! 😂 Under the Jewelled Sky is a tragic book in so many ways but the vivid setting is incredible. At times I swore I could even smell it, the flowers, the spices, it was immense and fuelled my burning desire to discover India. Beyond a Darkened Shore is packed full of Celtic and Norse mythology, it was my absolute favourite thing about this book. My second favourite thing was how vivid the Irish setting came off the page. The picture painted by the author was so complete that I could just imagine myself traversing the countryside, book in hand, searching for the perfect tree to read beneath, with the sound of the ocean surrounding me - bliss! Pride and Prejudice is my absolute favourite Austen novel. I LOVE it! It was the first classic novel that I ever read and I devoured it. Fun fact: When I first received a copy of this book from my mum (I was 7) I couldn't pronounce Prejudice upon first glance and said 'produced' instead - I still get stick for that to this very day (I was 7!) but the funny thing is that I actually read this book (AT AGE 7!!) and LOVED IT and I still have the very same copy that I was bought (which is now 20 years old!) I have visited the Peak District once for a few hours but I would love to go again and stay for much longer. My goal is to visit Chatsworth House in Derby which was used in the Keira Knightly film adaptation as Pemberley - if you're going to swoon over a house, it's probably going to be that one 😍😍😍 Sherlock Holmes, the complete collection is another classic that I absolutely love. I love that each 'story' can be read in a short time without the daunting task of reading the whole book at once. Fun fact (I'm full of these today): I found a leather bound version of this book with gold-leafed page edges and embossing for 50p at a car boot sale - I love a good book bargain!) Also, I know that every book I've mentioned so far is set in the UK but damn it, it's a beautiful place, I just need to visit more of it! I've only ever been to London for around 5-6 hours and all I saw was the inside of a drum show and a Pizza Express - I need to go back!!! The Fault in Our Stars is the first book in today's post that's actually outside of the country. Finally! I would LOVE to visit Amsterdam, not for the touristy side but for the architecture, the museums, the open air theatre, the canals...Is it time to go now? 😩 The Thief Lord was one of my favourite books as a child and yes, I loved the movie adaptation as well (it has Carson in from Downton Abbey - how could you not like it?!?) Since reading this book I have dreamt of Venice, of gondola rides, winding streets, Italian cuisine...take me away!
Below Deck is a fun, steamy romance from my all-time favourite romance author. This is one of those books that you fly through in just a couple of hours, losing yourself in the characters, the sexual tension and the stunning Mediterranean setting. Cruising through crystal clear waters, snorkelling in the shallows, horseback riding on the beach, swimming with dolphins - what's that, my flight is boarding? The Brother's Grimm bought to life the first fairy tales, the dark, twisted foundations for the slightly more sugar-coated stories that we now all know and love. Since I'm a bit dark and twisted myself I would love to discover the birthplace of these stories and maybe even discover a story or two myself! Visiting Germany is definitely on my bucket list! Northern Lights is a book that I remember loving as a child but I'm not sure now that I'd want to read it again. What I remember the most about it is my desperation to see the Northern Lights, preferably in Iceland which is such a magical looking place. Every single photo on Google images looks like a cross between a fairy tale, a sci-fi and a really crazy trip. It looks amazing!! We've reached the end of this week's #TopTenTuesday. I hope you've enjoyed my somewhat rambling tour around a very small part of the world. Who knows, maybe one day.... Have you visited any of these places? Where would you love to travel to? 🌎 Don't forget to share your post links in the comments below 😊 Welcome back for another #Friday56! As it's PRIDE MONTH 🏳🌈 - I've decided to use only LGBT books for every #Friday56 post this month (last week excluded because I forgot 🤦) The Friday 56 is a weekly blog meme hosted by Freda’s Voice. There are only 4 rules:
This week I've chosen a book that I read and absolutely loved back in January, Clean by Juno Dawson. It's a gritty YA drama about addiction in all it's forms and it has fantastic LGBT rep. Here's the synopsis: I can feel it swimming through my veins like glitter ... it's liquid gold. When socialite Lexi Volkov almost overdoses, she thinks she's hit rock bottom. She's wrong. Rock bottom is when she's forced into an exclusive rehab facility. From there, the only way is up for Lexi and her fellow inmates, including the mysterious Brady. As she faces her demons, Lexi realises love is the most powerful drug of all... It's a dirty business getting clean... Here's my quote from page 59 (pages 56-58 don't exist in the book as they're blank divider pages): "It's all so improbable. How can I be 'an addict'? I'm seventeen years old. I always aspired to a coke problem as I turned thirty, but never this. This is mortifying. When Nik sat me down about six months ago, after....well, when he sat me down to lecture me about my behaviour, I thought it was cute in an unnecessarily concerned big brother way. I didn't realise he saw me. He really saw me. Why didn't I see it too?" I absolutely love this book. It's gritty and real yet still funny and compassionate.
What do you think? Would you read it? Don't forget to include your post links in the comments 😊 Happy Tuesday! How's June treating you so far? The #TopTenTuesday meme is hosted by The Artsy Reader Girl and this week's theme is 'Books I Decided to DNF (did not finish) too Quickly'. I always try my hardest to read a book to the very end, but sometimes my head isn't in the right place for a particular book. It could be that I'm not in the mood for that particular genre, I've read too many similar books/tropes etc recently or occasionally, it's just not a book for me. Here are some of the books that I've started but intend to come back to eventually. Nevernight by Jay Kristoff - This is a big one for me. I've started this book 3 times and only made it to chapter two. What's strange is that it has absolutely nothing to do with the book itself, I just kept getting distracted by other things and forgetting about it. The Sin Eater's Daughter by Melinda Salisbury - I don't feel as though I gave this book enough of a chance. I was really put off by the main character, at the time she seemed really dull, self-obsessed and somewhat dim, I also got sick and tired of the constant praying. But, I stopped reading at around 27% and probably should have waited to see if things improved. Sister, Sister by Sue Fortin - I think the main reason I stopped reading this was because it's not my typical genre. I struggle a little with getting into Thrillers as I don't particular like the darker subject matter found in most. However, my sister still won't stop raving about how good this book is and so I feel like I should give it another chance. The Soul Mate by Kendall Ryan - I love Kendall Ryan, and have enjoyed every other book in this contemporary romance series, but for some reason, I really struggled getting into The Soul Mate. Fingers crossed I'll do better on the second try! Neanderthal Seeks Human by Penny Reid - Sadly, I barely remember this book at all. Aside from thinking that it was too long and I stopped reading at 50%. Maybe I should try again.... Allegiant (Divergent #4) by Veronica Roth - I got all the way to 74% when I stopped reading this book. I just hit a wall and completely lost interest and so I have no idea how the series ends. I'll probably give it another shot at some point to try and wrap it up. The Sky Beneath by Jason Warne - This story started off really well, I just had a slight problem with pacing at the time which was the main reason I chose to stop reading. But, I'm still left with lots of questions so I'll try to revisit it soon.
Stay by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy - I have no idea why I stopped reading this at 64%, but I do remember really enjoying it at the beginning. It was strange to finally read it book that featured my job (even if it was an exaggerated version of it). I'm going to have to try to finish this one. Eye Candy by Multiple Authors - I bought this book solely for Tara Sivec's contribution, The Pumpkin Was Stuffed, which I really enjoyed. However, I'd really like to read the others and hopefully can go back to it at some point. Tempting Alibi by Savannah Stuart - I was not in a good head space when trying to read this book and so I put it down without really giving it a chance. I'm determined to give it another try! Have you read any of my choices for this week's #TopTenTuesday? Which would you suggest that I try again? Don't forget to leave your post links in the comments! Welcome back to this week's #Friday56 - What are you reading this week? The Friday 56 is a weekly blog meme hosted by Freda’s Voice. There are only 4 rules:
As I'm reading two books at the moment, I decided to incorporate both into this week's post. Up first is Legendary by Stephanie Garber - I was so excited to get this a day before the release (THANKS AMAZON!) and I'm so glad to be diving back into this rich, fantasy world. If you're interested, feel free to check out my review of Caraval and click on the photo below for the synopsis of Legendary! Warning: If you haven't read Caraval, the quote below is a bit of a spoiler! Here's my chosen quote from page 56: "Tella considered telling Scarlett the real reason she needed to play and win, but she doubted mentioning their mother would help her cause. Scarlett didn't talk about their mother. Ever. Whenever Tella had tried to talk about Paloma, Scarlett either changed the subject or ignored her completely. Tella used to think it was too difficult for Scarlett, but now Tella thought Scarlett's hurt had turned to hatred for the way their mother had left them." I'm so happy to be back in Caraval and can't wait to see what happens next. How do you feel about Caraval? Are you reading Legendary? My second book this week is Killing It by Asia Mackay. Here's the synopsis: Every working mum has had to face it. The guilt-fuelled, anxiety-filled first day back in the office after maternity leave. But this working mum is one of a kind. Meet Alexis Tyler. An elite covert agent within Her Majesty's Secret Service. Her first project back is a high-stakes hit of global significance and the old boys network of government espionage is far from ready for the return of an operational mother. But woe betide anyone who ever tells Alexis Tyler 'you can't'. She will have it all. Or she'll die trying . . . And yes, she damn well will be home for bath time. Here's my quote from 56%: He had been my anchor. Holding me down, stopping me getting swept away in a flurry of big guns, bloodshed and baddies. And look at us now. We were a family. What do you think? Would you read this?
Don't forget to leave your links in the comments (they're working again now!) 😊 Hi all, welcome back for this week's #TopTenTuesday! The #TopTenTuesday meme is hosted by The Artsy Reader Girl and this week's theme is 'bookish worlds I'd want to/never want to live in.' I decided to split this into two halves, so first up are 5 bookish worlds I'd want to live in!
I would love to explore the world of Throne of Glass...fingers crossed I could get my own wyvern!! Now it's time for 5 bookish worlds I would NOT want to live in!
Truth time, I am terrified of flying, and the thought of jetting off into space really freaks me out, so no. I wouldn't be jumping aboard this ship... That's it until next week folks!
Don't forget to leave your links in the comments so I can check out your choices! Happy Friday! I hope you have plans for a bookish weekend! I'm just glad that tomorrow I have the day off work, I'm exhausted! 😴😴😴 Thanks for coming back for this week's Friday 56. I have so much fun doing these!! The Friday 56 is a weekly blog meme hosted by Freda’s Voice. There are only 4 rules:
The book that I've chosen for today is The Queens of Innis Lear by Tessa Gratton which came in my May Book Box Club! The cover is stunning, the stars and gold foiling are just too pretty, and the story sounds fantastic! This book is huge and I can't wait to dig in! Here's the synopsis from Goodreads: The erratic decisions of a prophecy-obsessed king have drained Innis Lear of its wild magic, leaving behind a trail of barren crops and despondent subjects. Enemy nations circle the once-bountiful isle, sensing its growing vulnerability, hungry to control the ideal port for all trade routes. The king's three daughters—battle-hungry Gaela, master manipulator Reagan, and restrained, starblessed Elia—know the realm's only chance of resurrection is to crown a new sovereign, proving a strong hand can resurrect magic and defend itself. But their father will not choose an heir until the longest night of the year, when prophecies align and a poison ritual can be enacted. Refusing to leave their future in the hands of blind faith, the daughters of Innis Lear prepare for war—but regardless of who wins the crown, the shores of Innis will weep the blood of a house divided. This is the quote I've chosen from page 56: She died at dawn on her first daughter's sixteenth birthday, twelve years ago this winter. I literally chose the first line from the page, trying to divert my eyes from anything else as I'm really looking forward to reading this and don't want to spoil anything.
I feel like it's quite a good quote though. Sad with a tinge of mystery. I have so many questions now... Are you intrigued? Would you keep reading? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below and feel free to leave the link to your Friday 56 post 😊 After the epic fail where I forgot to post last week, I'm doing my best to get things back on track! The #TopTenTuesday meme is hosted by The Artsy Reader Girl and this week's theme is 'best character names'. I found this week's theme pretty tough, because, to quote the bard, 'What's in a name?' How do you decide which name is better than another? So, I'm putting my own spin on this and picking ten names of characters I loved or who's names I found particularly interesting. Here goes: Mateo - They Both Die at the End - I absolutely love how sweet and pure Mateo is. He's the epitome of pure of heart. I also love the sound of his name! Monty - The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue - I can't tell you how much I love Monty's narration and his inner monologue, but I can certainly try. He's witty, roguish, self-deprecating and at times, down-right hilarious but he's also one of the sweetest characters I've ever had the pleasure of reading. As an aside, the audio book, which is read by Christian Coulson (a.k.a TOM RIDDLE!!) is one of the best audio books I've ever heard. I usually have trouble listening to audio books but this narration is amazing! Manon - Throne of Glass Series - I absolutely LOVE Manon. She is my favourite character in this series so far (tied with Abraxos). She's ferocious, wicked and bloodthirsty, with an inner softness I can't help but be drawn to. Jesper - Six of Crows - I love all of the characters in Six of Crows & Crooked Kingdom, but Jesper is one of my absolute favourites. He's quick with his words, his guns and his feelings, and he really made these books extra special for me. Lira - To Kill A Kingdom - Lira is fantastic!! I have to admit that I was never a huge fan of The Little Mermaid growing up, and I'm still not. I found Arial and Eric to be a pretty boring couple and hated that Ariel was willing to give up her entire life for a man. So, I can only praise the ground that Alexandra Christo walks on for giving me a Little Mermaid retelling that completely eradicates everything I hated about the Disney fairytale. These 'mermaids' are bloodthirsty, vicious and cunning. Prince Elian is brave, loyal and NOT THE HERO OF THE STORY! I LOVE THIS BOOK! Roran - Eragon - Roran is my favourite character in this amazing series, yes, even besides the dragons. He's amazing and incredibly understated. He's one of the very few humans in this series and he's completely badass. He quickly comes into his own, thrives in the face of danger and is so completely loyal to his family that I can't help but love him. Reichis - Spellslinger - I could not make a list of my favourite character names without including my little blood thirsty, squirrel cat. I adore Reichis. He's a loyal friend, a brawler and he won't say no to a relaxing bath and a tray of of butter biscuits. In fact, I think he'd take your eyeballs for it. Ferius - Spellslinger - Ferius is amazing. I love her name, her spirit, her devotion. She's fierce, wise and caring and I can't wait to see more of her as this series continues. Hermione - Harry Potter - Probably one of my first feminist heroes, how could I not include Hermione on this list? I related to her so much growing up that I wanted to be her! She is, and always will be, one of my favourite female characters because, let's face it, without Hermione, Harry and Ron would never have defeated Voldemort. Minerva - Harry Potter - Like Hermione, I love how strong and intelligent Professor McGonagall is. I love that she takes part in the battle, that she guides our three heroes whilst remaining fierce, and yet she also has moments of pure tenderness that break your heart. She really is the perfect teacher. There you have it, my #TopTenTuesday character names. Who would you choose?
Don't forget to share the link to your post in the comments below! Hey 😊 I hope everyone's having a fantastic Friday! Welcome back for another Friday 56! The Friday 56 is a weekly blog meme hosted by Freda’s Voice. There are only 4 rules:
Today's book is The Love Interest by Cale Dietrich. I just started to read this two days ago and I admit, the concept has me fascinated. Check out the synopsis for this LGBT YA below: There is a secret organization that cultivates teenage spies. The agents are called Love Interests because getting close to people destined for great power means getting valuable secrets. Caden is a Nice: the boy next door, sculpted to physical perfection. Dylan is a Bad: the brooding, dark-souled guy who is dangerously handsome. The girl they are competing for is important to the organization, and each boy will pursue her. Will she choose the Nice or the Bad? Both Caden and Dylan are living in the outside world for the first time. They are well-trained and at the top of their games. They have to be—whoever the girl doesn’t choose will die. What the boys don’t expect are feelings that are outside of their training. Feelings that could kill them both. Here's my quote from page 56: "Don't play Nice with me, Caden. I've been inside your head and I know you're not the boy you pretend to be." What do you think? Are you intrigued?
Let me know what you think in the comments and don't forget to share your own Friday 56 link 😄 Hi *pops head out from behind this book for 2 seconds*, thanks for coming back for this week's Friday 56! I'm really loving the community of bloggers who take part in this weekly meme - everyone's so lovely! 😊 The Friday 56 is a weekly blog meme hosted by Freda’s Voice. There are only 4 rules:
I had to choose Beyond a Darkened Shore for today's post because I'm having so much fun reading it right now. I'm currently only on page 38, so I have my fingers crossed that page 56 doesn't give too much away for me! 🙈 (Side note: I hate spoilers and will try my hardest never to post anything that could ruin a book for someone!) Even though I'm only 3 chapters in, it feels as though this book is building towards something pretty epic. I received Beyond a Darkened Shore in my April FairyLoot box. You can check out the un-boxing for April's theme - Whimsical Journeys - here. You can check out the synopsis for this book below: The ancient land of Éirinn is mired in war. Ciara, Princess of Mide, has never known a time when Éirinn’s kingdoms were not battling for power, or Northmen were not plundering their shores. The people of Mide have thankfully always been safe because of Ciara’s unearthly ability to control her enemies’ minds and actions. But lately, a mysterious crow has been appearing to Ciara, whispering warnings of an even darker threat. Although her clansmen dismiss her visions as pagan nonsense, Ciara fears this coming evil will destroy not just Éirinn, but the entire world. Then the crow leads Ciara to Leif, a young Northman leader. Leif should be Ciara’s enemy, but when Ciara discovers that he, too, shares her prophetic visions, she knows he’s something more. Leif is mounting an impressive army, and with Ciara’s strength in battle the two might have a chance to save their world. With evil rising around them, they’ll do what it takes to defend the land they love…even if it means making the greatest sacrifice of all. 😱😱😱 OMG, it sounds so good! Here's the quote I've chosen from page 56: I'd been in many people's heads, seen their darkest thoughts, been in battles that were gruesome and violent, but nothing was as soul-crushingly terrible as the Morrigan's vision. What do you think? Would you/have you read this?
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About Kay (She/Her)
Book addict, film mad, music lover, business owner, writer and mum (not necessarily in that order), living in the UK. About Sophie (She/Her)
Sophie loves books (obviously). She has a passion for photography and spotting wildlife, and is interested in anything made with passion and creativity. THIS BLOG IS SPOILER FREE!
Rating system: 5 Stars - AMAZING!! 4.5 Stars - Almost perfect! 4 Stars - I really loved it 3.5 Stars - I liked it alot 3 Stars - I liked it (I don't typically review books that I rate below 3 stars)
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