Tag: leighbardugo

S4S – 2018 in books

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HELLO AND WELCOME TO THE SECOND LAST #SIXFORSUNDAY OF THE YEAR. 

I’m so incredibly thrilled it’s Sunday again because I love a good #SixforSunday post! 

Today’s prompt is:

2018 in books

What did I mean by this? WHO KNOWS! I’m going to go with some facts about the books I read in 2018 (so far away!). I’m stealing some of these facts from Goodreads. Thanks boo.

  1. The longest book I read was Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo. 
  2. The shortest book I read was Shona, Word Detective by John Agard
  3. The author I read the most of was Harriet Whitehorn. I adored the Violet series and we all know I loved Company of Eight.
  4. I read (so far…) 154 books.
  5. I’ve read 40,706 pages this year (so far..).
  6. I read loads of picture books that I didn’t count to my total.

And there you go. #SixforSunday does 2018 a week too early! These numbers will hopefully change by next week. I have 2 weeks off school and I am EXCITED TO READ ALL OF THE BOOKS (no, I’ve still not read THUG. Soz)

See you next week for the final #SixforSunday of 2018! AHHHH. 

S x 

 

Christmas Cracker Tag

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Hello there! It’s Friday again… it’s FINALLY ALMOST THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS. There’ll be a “first term wrap up” post coming… but today just a bit of fun. I’m taking on the Christmas Cracker Tag, which I first saw on my friend Cora’s blog. Check out her post here.

christmas cracker tag

Lets get on!

Pick A Book With A Wintry Cover

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Sky Song by Abi Elphinstone: you don’t get much more wintry than actual ice and the Northern Lights. This book is BRILLIANT too. Would recommend!

Pick A Book You’re Likely To Buy As A Present

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The Truth Pixie by Matt Haig: there is something incredibly special about this book. I definitely think everyone needs to read this book.

Pick A Festive Themed Book

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The Night I Met Father Christmas by Ben Miller: I finished this last weekend and it is SO BRILLIANT. It’s like the most brilliant version of a Christmas story ever. I wish I’d read it before now, cause I’d love to share it with the kids I teach.

Pick A Book You Can Curl Up With By The Fireplace

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A Quiet Kind of Thunder by Sara Barnard: for me sitting by the fireplace is dedicated to romance and loveliness. This book is one that’s stuck with me. I will need to find time to reread it. I just adore Steffi and Rhys.

Pick A Book You Want To Read Over The Festive Period

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Dry by Neal and Jarrod Shusterman: the absolute angels of Walker sent me a copy of this last week… in perfect time for my Christmas holidays!

Pick A Book That’s So Good It Gives You Chills

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A Darkness of Dragons by S.A.Patrick: I recently finished this and man, I just loved it! As a massive MG fan, it’s really great to come across a book that ticks so many boxes!

Pick A Book Going On Your Christmas Wishlist

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Six of Crows Collector’s Edition by Leigh Bardugo: I’ve not actually told Santa this is on my list… so I might have to treat myself post Christmas!

Let me know your thoughts!

S x

S4S – Please Santa!

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Good afternoon friends! 

How are we all this chilly yet sunny Sunday?! What are you reading? How is December going for you?

Today I’m coming at you with a #SixforSunday with wishes from the North Pole. Yes we’re talking:

Six books you wish Santa would bring you

Now we all know that Santa can bring pretty much ANYTHING don’t we? My choices clearly reflect that! 

  1. Six of Crows Collector’s Edition – Leigh Bardugo
    This is actually on my Christmas list, so fingers crossed!
  2. Pages and Co sprayed edges edition – Anna James
    This is actually sold out… but Santa can work miracles, yeah?
  3. Song of Sorrow – Melinda Salisbury
    COME ON SANTA. IT IS SO CLOSE TO NEXT YEAR. IT MUST BE TIME.
  4. Against all Gods – Maz Evans
    AGAIN. HOWARE. I’ve been waiting forever.
  5. The Day I Was Erased – Lisa Thompson
    NOW would be nice Santa.
  6. The Boy: His Stories and How They Came to be – Oliver Jeffers
    I am a MASSIVE fan and would LOVE this thanks.

So there we go… challenge set Santa!

Share your #SixforSunday choices with me! I’d love to know what is on your list! 

See you next week! Keep your eyes peeled in the next few weeks for 2019’s #SixforSunday topics!

S x

S4S – Characters you’d love to see together

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Happy Sunday friends! 

How are we all? Are we all ready for more #SixforSunday? 

Today’s challenge is a TOUGHIE. Just as I have the past few weeks, I have TOO many options for the 6 I’m allowed to choose! Today I have to only find 6:

Characters you’d love to see together

  1. Jack (from Jack of Hearts and Other Parts) and Simon (Simon vs the Homosapiens Agenda)
  2. Jupiter (Nevermoor) and Felix (The Polar Bear Explorer’s Club)
  3. Stella (The Polar Bear Explorer’s Club) and Owl (A Girl Called Owl)
  4. Twylla (The Sin Eater’s Daughter) and Sorrow (State of Sorrow)
  5. Twylla (The Sin Eater’s Daughter) and Kaz Brekker (Six of Crows)
  6. Tilly (Pages and Co) and Property Jones (The Bookshop Girl)

There we go, some MG and some YA choices! This was a lot of fun! My list surprises me… I definitely have a whole chunk of others I’d love to see. If you’re interested, talk to me! I’d love to share more of my ideas! 

S x

S4S – Authors I’d love to see collaborate…

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STOP, COLLABORATE AND LISTEN! 

Hello there! Wecome to another installment of #SixforSunday! This week sees me take on something that took an AWFUL LOT OF THOUGHT. Mainly because I needed to get it right. And I didn’t want to miss out anyone who I loved. Mainly, I have too many choices! 

Today we take on:

Authors you’d love to see collaborate

Now… the majestic book that is Floored came along and saw many of my faves ACTUALLY collaborate in an EPIC way, so if you’ve not got on that yet, I’d really like you to. 

  1. Melinda Salisbury and Sara Barnard
    This is a YA collab I will shout about forever. LADIES I NEED THIS TO HAPPEN. (C’mon, none of you will be surprised by this at all)
  2. Kiran Milwood Hargrave and Piers Torday
    I think this MG book would break my heart and be the most beautiful book ever!
  3. Sara Barnard and Alice Oseman
    This one literally just came to my brain and I think my brain is a genius. I think this could be such a brilliant combination!
  4. Sara Barnard and Laura Steven
    GUYS. I need this to happen… I just think these 2 would boss a YA contemporary that punched me in the face and made me cackle with laughter.  
  5. Maz Evans and Lisa Thompson
    I just think this would be a BRILLIANT MG book pairing… happy to read WHATEVER!
  6. Melinda Salisbury and Alice Broadway
    I think this would be such a brilliant meeting of minds… 

So if there’s anyone reading this who can make these things happen, that’d be amazing thanks!

Remember to share your #SixforSunday posts with me and I look forward to going “OMG YES THAT WOULD BE A MINT PAIR THANKS!” at all of your suggestions! 

S x 

S4S – Ultimate panels

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Hello everyone!

Sorry for the hiatus this week… there was just a little need for my brain to take a break after a very busy half term! I am back though! And today’s #SixforSunday sees me taking on:

Dream panels/events

So, my dream panels? WELL THIS IS GONNA BE FUN. I’m gonna go 3 MG and 3 YA because LOVE.

“Contemporary YA: Why it matters” with Laura Steven, Alice Oseman, Sara Barnard and Katherine Webber.

“Writing badass characters” featuring Leigh Bardugo, Melinda Salisbury, Alice Broadway and Alwyn Hamilton.

“Writing stories that make our readers cry (we love it)” featuring C.G.Drews, Karen Gregory, Lisa Healthfield and Adam Silvera.

“Creating worlds kids want to read about” featuring Helena Duggan, Maz Evans, Ross Mackenzie and Kiran Milwood Hargrave.

“Writing incredible characters” featuring Peter Brown, Lisa Thompson, Alex Bell and Jessica Townsend.

“Books: an ode to books” featuring Anna James and Piers Torday in conversation.

Side note: I am still waiting for a Floored Seven panel. 

There we go! I LOVE hearing authors talk about their books, so please GET ME MORE EVENTS IN THE NORTH. I’m more than happy to host any of these *wink*

Remember to share your dream panels using #SixforSunday! I can’t wait to see what you all think! 

S x 

S4S – Rereading books?!

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Morning friends!

How are you all on this here Sunday morning? What are you up to today? Anything nice? What are we all reading?

Today’s #SixforSunday is all about:

Books I want to reread

Now, I’m not a regular rereader of books. I am a keeper of books that I love, but I don’t often reread them.

1. The Sun Eater’s Daughter trilogy – Melinda Salisbury

2. Six of Crows – Leigh Bardugo

3. Nevermoor – Jessica Townsend

4. The Explorer – Katherine Rundell

5. The Exact of Opposite of Okay – Laura Steven

6. A Quiet Kind of Thunder – Sara Barnard

Easiest #SixforSunday in a long time. I love each of these books with all of my heart and for different reasons. The magic of all of them, experiencing them for the first time was just great. Reading them a second time, I might get to witness something new! (Will I ever get round to reading them again? Who knows!)

Thanks so much for popping along! Don’t forget to check out my other posts this week and join me next week for more #SixforSunday! Share your post using the hashtag!

S x

The Bank Holiday Tag

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Happy bank holiday everyone! Last one of the year! 

Today I’m taking on the Bank Holiday Tag, made up by my lovely friend Cora. Check out her original post here. I’ve actually done this post before, back in April – if you’d like to see my answers and compare them, you’ll find that post here. I’m going to try and complete this based on the books I’ve read so far in 2018!

Have a lie in.
Which book could you lounge in bed with all morning?

40203682Snowglobe – Amy Wilson
This is a lush story with magic and lush friends. It’s one I’m definitely going to reread!

Oh my goodness, it’s actually sunny outside!
A book that makes you feel optimistic.

19547856Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda – Becky Albertalli
Simon and Blue are EVERYTHING. But also, Simon’s parents and his sister.

Spend some time outdoors.
A book that reminds you of nature.

38210965When The Mountains Roared – Jess Butterworth
I’ve never been transported to the mountains in India surrounded by big cats before this book and it was incredible.

Make some punch.
A book that you find difficult to classify into one genre.

38600182The Secret Deep – Lindsay Galvin
This book is so intricate and brilliantly written that it would happily sit in many different places in a bookworm’s world.

Pass some food around.
A book you want to share with everyone.

26030734The Wild Robot – Peter Brown
I ADORE this book with all that I am. I have read the sequel now too and I just… it is such a love. Roz is an excellent main character. (This could also be the answer to the nature question!)

Light the BBQ.
A book that took a while to get going.

39127492The Smoke Thieves – Sally Green
It’s a shame this book takes like 60-70% to get going, because once it’s going I quite liked it! 

Failed BBQ.
A book that ultimately disappointed you.

35068735All of this is True – Lygia Day Penaflor
Oh friends. 

It’s raining. Of course.
A book to curl up with when it’s raining outside.

23437156Six of Crows – Leigh Bardugo
I can’t wait to reread this book. I love Kaz Brekker so much. This is the perfect rainy day read because let’s be real, it’s always raining in Ketterdam.

Let’s just eat the chocolate.
A book that’s super sweet.

34615412Theatrical – Maggie Harcourt
I love Maggie’s books. They always just make me smile and that’s what you need sometimes!

There we go! Join in the fun, and do the tag yourself! Enjoy your bank holiday everyone!

S x

S4S – books on my TBR forever

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Morning pals!

How are we all today? What does this Sunday have in store for us all? Is anyone up to anything fun? I shall probably be spending my Sunday doing some planning as it is almost back to school time!

Today’s #SixforSunday post queries:

Books that have been on my TBR forever

See last weeks post for even more books that have been on my TBR forever too! I’m actually consulting my bookshelves and my Goodreads to aid this week!

1. The Next Together – Lauren James

2. Shadow and Bone – Leigh Bardugo

3. Trouble – Non Pratt

4. The Upside of Unrequited – Becky Albertalli

5. They Both Die At The End – Adam Silvera

6. Flight of a Starling – Lisa Heathfield

Whats on your TBR? Share your books on your TBR using the hashtag #SixforSunday!

See you next week!

S x

The Superlatives book tag

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Hello! Happy Tuesday everyone. 

Today, I’ve been tagged by the lovely Kelly (of Kelly’s Rambles) to take part in the ‘Superlatives book tag’. Now, as many of you know Kelly is one of my best friends and we share quite a similar bookish reading taste, so when I read her post I was like “YOU’VE STOLEN SO MANY OF THE BOOKS I WOULD CHOOSE”… so if you’re interested in knowing other choices that I would’ve made, then check out Kelly’s post. 

I’m a big fan of a tag because I think they’re super fun! Don’t forget I’ve created my own tag – The Friends Tag – that you can join in with, or you can guest post on my blog too!

Here we go… I’m going to go with books I’ve read in 2018 to fulfil these prompts!

MOST LIKELY TO BE IN THE MOVIES: THE BOOK THAT WOULD MAKE THE BEST MOVIE

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I can’t not say Six of Crows. I would ABSOLUTELY love to see this made into a film. It’s one of the best books I’ve read this year and I would love to see Kaz on screen. Kaz and his merry bunch of Dregs. I think Six of Crows would make an incredible film. Can someone make this happen please?

BIGGEST DRAMA QUEEN/KING: THE MOST (OVERLY) DRAMATIC BOOK OR CHARACTER

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There’s characters in All of this is True that I couldn’t get away with because they were just a bit OTT for me. Like, this book never did quite catch up for me. 

BEST DRESSED: THE BOOK WITH THE BEST COVER

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I can’t not go for Clean. I mean, look at that rose gold goodness. *swoon*

MOST CREATIVE: THE BOOK WITH THE MOST UNIQUE PLOT, CHARACTERS, & STRUCTURE

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I don’t think I’ve read anything quite as spooky, sciencey and underwater-y as The Secret Deep. I absolutely adored it. Lindsay Galvin has written an ABSOLUTE winner here. I implore you all to read it. 

MOST POPULAR: THE BOOK WITH THE MOST RATINGS ON GOODREADS

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I finished Northern Lights recently and it has a whopping 1,082,925 ratings on Goodreads! 

MOST LIKELY TO SUCCEED: THE BOOK THAT IS GOING TO BE APPRECIATED FOR MANY YEARS TO COME

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Matt Haig writes the most amazing books. I think his books have incredible staying power and as long as there’s technology in our lives, Notes on a Nervous Planet also has a place in our lives. 

CLASS CLOWN: THE BOOK THAT MADE YOU LAUGH OUT LOUD

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Maz NEVER fails to make me laugh. Who Let The Gods Out? series is one I could’ve used to answer the prompt before too. Beyond the Odyssey is hilarious. Everyone I know who I’ve made read the series have said they’ve loved them. Please go out and check them out. They will, I promise, make you laugh, a lot. 

MOST IMPROVED: THE BOOK THAT STARTED OFF SLOW, BUT REALLY PICKED UP

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It took me a WHILE to get into The Smoke Thieves, but once you’re into the action, it’s very much there. There’s a lot going on in this book, with many points of view, but stick with it… 

CUTEST COUPLE: CUTEST COUPLE IN A BOOK

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Holly and Ed from My Box-Shaped Heart are just lush. I can’t say any more than that. Their whole situation made me smile a lot. 

BIGGEST HEARTBREAKER: THE BOOK THAT BROKE YOUR HEART

(LOL, they all do, all the time)

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Ah man. A Thousand Perfect Notes? More like a thousand tears of sadness. Even now thinking about it makes me a bit emotional. It’s just harrowing. 

And there we have it! My 2018 books I’ve read superlatives list! 

I’m not going to tag anyone because everyone I know has already been tagged… but if you fancy it, have a go!

Let me know in the comments if you agree with any of my choices, or what you’d change!

S x