Christmas is my favourite time of year. For me I start planning and buying gifts in September. Sue me! If I could put my tree up then and not look like a nutter then I would!

Anyway, here are my families Christmas traditions:

Seeing Father Christmas

I think this will be our last year as my son is growing out of it. It makes me so sad 😭

After we see Father Christmas we come home and put our tree up.

At school and work we have Christmas jumper day and it would be rude not to get a new one each year!

Works Christmas do (hello hangover!)

It always alcohol fuelled and it’s always messy. Say no more!

Christmas Eve – the making of the mince pies. This year it will be with gluten free pastry so cross fingers they dont crumble like all the other things we have made do! And of course one gets left out for Father Christmas!

Christmas Day we spend with my parents. Good food, good wine, good company! And also the small nap after lunch!!!!

Boxing day with all my family – every Boxing Day my family gets together, my parents, my aunties and uncles, my cousins and we just spend quality time together eating, drinking, swapping presents and playing board games!

What are your traditions over Christmas?

I’ve had a pretty tough reading 2019.

Book slumps have come more frequently and have lasted longer than any year before and it makes me so sad! Then I over analyse why…..and it’s a vicious circle of all the WHY’S!!!!

For 2020 I’m having a year off my normal schedule!

• No arcs (only review teams I am on),
• No Netgalley requests
• No reading lists,
• No challenges,
• Try and read 1 book a week,
• Get the joy of reading back!

I have quite a large tbr so I plan on picking books off there, reading my Fairyloot books I receive and gorging on new releases I fancy……all guilt and pressure free!

Honestly it feels so great just typing this so I know I need it!

What are your book plans for 2020?

It’s just before Christmas and I am nearly skint but…….I loved A Curse So Dark and Lonely so when I heard that Fairyloot were doing a limited edition, I HAD to have it (got to have those matching copies eh!) You can see my review here.

Here is what the book features:

Sorry, just a short and sweet post as i wanted to shout about it!

LOOK AT IT!!!!!

 

Here we go with another Blogmas post…..favourite Christmas foods

It’s going to be a bit different in my household this year as my son and I have both been diagnosed with celiac disease so anything with wheat, barley or rye is out! But luckily there does seem to be gluten free versions of most things (at double the price!)

Here is our list:

• A tub of chocolates, Heroes for us this year (the Dinky Deckers are going in the bin!) 🍫

• Cheese. In bucket loads. We love the cheese! We are getting cheddar, brie, stilton, applewood and I’m also partial to a bit of marmite cheddar! 🧀

• I’ve ordered these pine cones for a chocolatey dessert…..

• And veg. Omg loads and loads of veg. I’m a definite veg fan but at Christmas I go overboard! Swede, carrots, parsnips, dried peas, cauliflower cheese, red cabbage and loads of lovely brussel sprouts! 🥕🥒🍠

What foods do you get in for the Christmas period?

Top 5 Tuesday is brought to you by Shanah at the Bionic Bookworm, see her original post here.

Theme =  Top 5 books I didn’t get to in 2019

This was not a hard topic to do…..well maybe it was because I had to narrow it down to 5!!

Anyway, here are the books I promised myself I would read in 2019…..but haven’t!

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

 

Echo North by Joanna Ruth Meyer

 

Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

 

The Last Namsara by Kristen Ciccarelli

 

And I Darken by Kiersten White

(And about 80 others from my tbr!)

 

What books would be on your list?

 

Some of my favourite romance authors joined forces and released a limited time, free Christmas anthology so of course I had to get it!!!

It’s taken me a couple of weeks to get to it and I have only read a couple of stories so far. I’m not sure I’ll get to the rest before Christmas so wanted to post now!

A Rock Chick Christmas – Kristen Ashley

I will literally read anything Rock Chick….and the RC’s mixed with my fave time of the year….hellz yeah!

Luke, Ava and a smattering of the Hot Bunch. Perfect.

The Merry Mistake – Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward

The first chapter was just utter perfection as was this story….would love to know more about their story!

And that dedication: ‘We hope you get a bag of dicks and more under your tree this year!’

Whilst looking at blog posts I came across this post by Jenniely from 2017 and I knew it would be perfect for a Blogmas post!

As you can see from my results, it appears I am smugly virtuous when it comes to books 😂😂😂

So who’s on the naughty list this year? Well the good news is you’re not alone! Shall we try and do better next year?

Received an ARC and not reviewed it

Oh god yes.

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Have less than 60% feedback rating on Netgalley

I am proud to say I am at 90%….go me!

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Rated a book on Goodreads and promised a full review was to come on your blog (and never did)

Paaahahaaaa I expect so! My memory is shot!

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Folded down the page of a book

No. Never. Using a receipt in place of a bookmark even though I have 35764357643667 actual proper bookmarks, yes totally!

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Accidentally spilled on a book

You know I don’t think I have!

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DNF a book this year

Yes. And the guilt still eats at me!

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Bought a book purely because it was pretty with no intention of reading it

No. I only buy books I want to read. Do people really do that?!

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Read whilst you were meant to be doing something else (like homework)

Once I booked a meeting with myself at work and went and read in the toilet 😂

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Skim read a book

Yes! When I dnf the guilt is too much so sometimes I skim it so I know what goes on (and also to see if it gets better!!)

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Completely missed your Goodreads goal

I’ve always hit my Goodreads challenge *incoherent mumbles about not hitting other challenges*

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Borrowed a book and not returned it

I don’t think I’ve done this either. Omg I am a book-ish goodie 2 shoes!

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Broke a book buying ban

Always. Every month.

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Started a review, left it for ages then forgot what the book was about

I always write my reviews as soon as I’ve finished the book so I’m golden on this too!

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Wrote in a book you were reading

WHAAAAAAAT? NO! People do this?

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Finished a book and not added it to your Goodreads

Omg I don’t think I’ve done this either.

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I am well in my way to Santa’s nice list!

The Queen of Nothing Collectors Edition by Fairyloot

(All items are officially licensed and approved by Holly Black)

This series is one of my favourites of all time so getting this box was a no brainer!

(Sorry for the dark photos, by the time I get home from work and sort out my son, its dark, roll on those lighter nights!)

Cardan and Jude mug

Featuring artwork by @monolimeart

Mugs are always a hit with me and this is just beautiful!

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Woodland Book Sleeve

Artwork from @stellabookishart

So, so fabulous!

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Wooden Bookmark

Artwork by @monolimeart and lettering by @stellabookishart

Another woodmark for my collection!

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I Left My Heart In Elfhame Enamel Pin

Designed by @dustandpages

LOOOOOOOOVE!

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Reading Blanket

Designed by @arz28

This baby is soft. I mean so soft. Softer than a babies bum (it’s an English saying!) and now means I can snuggle with Cardan all I want! Jude who?!!

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Art Print

Art by @merwildandco

I LOVE this!

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The star of the box……….

Redesigned cover ✔

Foiled snake ✔

Stenciled sprayed edges ✔

Ribbon bookmark ✔

Signed bookplate ✔

I actually couldn’t wait and read this already….but this book is just stunning!

Welcome to another Blogmas post!

Today I want to tell you what my anticipated January 2020 book releases are.

After the humongous amount I spent on books in November I did say that I was going to try to read more books than I buy for 6 months….but I cant see that happening with all these bad boys coming out!

 

 

A Heart So Fierce and Broken by Brigid Kemmerer

 

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The Night Country by Melissa Albert

 

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Beyond the Shadowed Earth by Joanna Ruth Meyer

 

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Riven Knight by Devney Perry

 

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What books are you looking forward to in January?