I thought I’d take a look back on some hauls that I made last year to see if I’d actually read – I’ve been crazily buying books lately and know that my hauls were smaller in 2020 so wanted to show (myself!!!) that I need to reel my buying in!

So May 2020:

The Final Empire: Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson

NOPE (this is still on my tbr, it’s a chunky read so have been putting it off!!)

Embracing Destiny by Amelia Hutchins – READ

Gemina by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman – READ

Halfway to the Grave by Jeaniene Frost – READ

(I know 2 of these have the wrong pics but WordPress still hates me and wont behave so i had to make do!!)

I think that’s quite good – 3 out of 4!

Do you ever look back on hauls to make sure you’ve read?

Title: City of Fallen Angels

Series: The Mortal Instruments #4

Author: Cassandra Clare

The Mortal War is over, and sixteen-year-old Clary Fray is back home in New York, excited about all the possibilities before her. She’s training to become a Shadowhunter and to use her unique power. Her mother is getting married to the love of her life. Downworlders and Shadowhunters are at peace at last. And—most importantly of all—she can finally call Jace her boyfriend.

But nothing comes without a price.

Someone is murdering Shadowhunters, provoking tensions between Downworlders and Shadowhunters that could lead to a second, bloody war. Clary’s best friend, Simon, can’t help her—his mother just found out that he’s a vampire, and now he’s homeless. When Jace begins to pull away from her without explaining why, Clary is forced to delve into the heart of a mystery whose solution reveals her worst nightmare: she herself has set in motion a terrible chain of events that could lead to her losing everything she loves. Even Jace.

Back with the Shadowhunters, the ‘this era’ Shadowhunters!

Again I couldn’t get enough when I started reading and galloped through the book at the rate of knots! These books are so easy to read!

So here we have Jocelyn and Luke getting married, secret sects, murders, angst and the Shadowhunters are right in the middle of it….again!

Jace is still his fabulous sarcastic self…..’I can see why you like it here, there’s a thin layer of nerd all over it.’ Of course more is up with him but I can’t help thinking that he has been through enough and now he will really get put through the wringer!

But the star of the show for me in this book was Isabelle. I’ve always been bleh about her but in this book she shone. Shone bright. Her character development was top notch!

So some highlights from me from this book were……

The Silent Brother, Zacariah, having just read The Infernal Devices I had a light bulb moment!

Learning about Praetor Lupus and more of the history, the backstory if you will to the Shadowhunters and Downworlders world was fab.

Really want to see what’s going to happen next after that ending!

• 

Happy July!!!

Just a short post to wish you a great month and leave you with a couple of quotes!

“If you’re not barefoot, then you’re overdressed.” – Unknown

“July: Just take me to the Ocean.” – Unknown

Welcome to Closing the Chapter! I hope you had a great reading month?

In my personal life, June was a normal-ish month, work, school for my son, a couple of family birthdays which we celebrated outdoors with food (yum) and I also had my 2nd covid vaccine which made me ill again!

In WordPress news, has anyone been having issues with making a post? Mine has been driving me potty, it just wont work properly!

Another bit of news, WordPress told me I had 50k views on my site so that was fab news!

I read 7 books in June and considering I had a bit of a slump, I’ll take that as a win!

Physical/E-books

The Queen of Gilded Horns by Amanda Joy
See my review here

For the Wolf by Hannah Whitten
See my review here

Witches Steeped in Gold by Ciannon Smart
See my review here.

Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber
Review closer to publication date (30th Sept)

City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare
See my review soon!

City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare
See my review soon!

• 

Ice Planet Barbarians by Ruby Dixon

See my review soon!

What did you read in June?

Top Ten Tuesday is featured by That Artsy Reader Girl It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

Theme = Most Anticipated Books of the Second Half of 2021

I’m sure I’ve forgotten some but…..

Untethered by Kaylynn Flanders

God’s and Monsters by Shelby Mahurin

Cazadora by Romina Russell

Redemptor by Jordan Ifueko

Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff

Steelstriker by Marie Lu

Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber

Kingdom of the Cursed by Kerri Maniscalco

Gilded by Marissa Meyer

And my last book is Cytonic by Brandon Sanderson but I had issues getting the cover on here (why WordPress, why?!!)

This is 100% the biggest haul I’ve ever had! 17 books!  Considering my tbr is already huge its probably not the best but I have zero regrets!!!!

Anyway….one of the reasons it’s large is because it was my birthday at the end of May and some lovely book friends bought me presents….BOOKS! I was so happy because my friends and family never ever buy me books or bookish things so I was like a kid at Christmas!

I must apologise for the layout of this post – WordPress hasn’t been playing nice so I can’t scale pictures down, I can’t even add some pictures and I cant add some blocks in – my vein is about to pop out my head!!!!

BIRTHDAY PRESENTS

• 

The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden
Crave by Tracy Wolff
Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson
The Bridge Kingdom by Danielle Jenson
Josh and Hazels Guide to Not Dating by Christina Lauren
Tunnel of Bones by Victoria Schwab
Renegades by Marissa Meyer

Physical/Ebooks

• 

Threadneedle by Cari Thomas

• 

Realm Breaker by Victoria Aveyard

Tryst Six Venom by Penelope Douglas
In the Ravenous Dark by AM Strickland

Arcs

These Hollow Vows by Lexi Ryan
A Dark and Hollow Star by Ashley Shuttleworth

For the Wolf by Hannah Whitten

Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber

Fairyloot

Witches Steeped in Gold by Ciannon Smart

• 

What did you haul in June?

Here we are with the halfway update of the Audiobook Challenge for 2021!

You can see my original post here.

The achievement I went for is Socially Awkward which is 15 to 20 listens!

So far this year I have listened to 8 audiobooks which is a bit behind where I wanted to be really so I need keep up the momentum so I can complete.

Here are the books I’ve listened to:

The House on the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

See my review here.

---

Mathilda, Superwitch by Kristen Ashley

See my review here.

---

A Vow So Bold and Deadly by Brigid Kemmerer

See my review here.

---

One Foot in the Grave by Jeaniene Frost

See my review here.

---

Set Fire to the Gods by Sarah Raasch and Kristen Simmons

See my review here.

---

Pause by Kylie Scott

See my review here.

---

Rule of Wolves by Leigh Bardugo

See my review here

---

Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

See my review here.

Title: Ice Planet Barbarians

Series: Ice Planet Barbarians #1

Author: Ruby Dixon

You’d think being abducted by aliens would be the worst thing that could happen to me. And you’d be wrong. Because now, the aliens are having ship trouble, and they’ve left their cargo of human women – including me – on an ice planet.

And the only native inhabitant I’ve met? He’s big, horned, blue, and really, really has a thing for me…

• 

Well that was…..ummm different to what I normally read but I needed to read it as it the fomo was burning a hole in me!

So a little run down…Georgie, human, abducted  by aliens who drop them off on a random planet after engine issues, goes out to seek food/help but meets Vertak, blue skinned alien with horns and glowing blue eyes and he certainly wants to help her!!!!!!

This is probably one of the weirdest things I’ve probably read apart from the caveman book (which I loved!) but I needed a bit of smut and I got it! It was fab!!!!

Beat the Backlist Challenge!

Here we are with my 2nd update of 2021 for Beat the Backlist Challenge!

You can see my original post here and my 1st update post here.
At the beginning of the year I said I wanted to read 25 backlist books. For the first quarter of 2021 I went great guns with 15 books read and in this quarter, 10, making a total of 25 so I have upped my total!!!

My new total to read by the end of the year is 40 books!

Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

See my review here.

---

Set Fire to the Gods by Sarah Raasch and Kristen Simmons

See my review soon!

---

City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare

City of Glass by Cassandra Clare

See my reviews here and here.

---

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare

See my reviews here, here and here.

---

The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden

See my review here.

---

Ironside by Holly Black

See my review here.

---

Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor

See my review here.