HAPPY BOXING DAY!!!

Boxing Day in the UK

Boxing Day in the UK is the day after Christmas Day, December 26, and is a public Bank Holiday.

Traditionally, it was a day when employers distributed money, food, cloth or other valuable goods to their employees in boxes.

Now it’s a day that brings the start of the post-Christmas sales and also is a time to recover from the excesses of Christmas Day!!!!!

Boxing Day is the day me and my whole family get together to celebrate Christmas (even though last year was a Zoom get together!) We swap gifts, have food and have a drink together.

Happy Christmas to you all!

“I hope the magic of Christmas fills every corner of your heart and home with joy — now and always.”

I’ll probably be off here until the 27th as we have stuff planned so hope you all have a lovely time filled with fun, family and food! 🎅

Happy Blogmas!

Here we are with the end of the year fast approaching and a time to reflect on the best reads of the year!

We all love books here so wanted to spread the love and post about them!

I did a post halfway through the year which you can see here and these are the rest of the fabulous books I’ve loved this year (not necessarily released then, I read then!)

I’ve read so many great books this 2nd half of the year but these are the ones that really stood out to me:

Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber

---

Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune

---

Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim

---

The Extraordinaires by TJ Klune

Flash Fire by TJ Klune

---

What are some of your best books of 2021?

Happy Blogmas!!!

Here we are nearly at the end of the year and I am here with a closure on the Beat the Backlist Challenge! Did I do it??!!

My original post – here, Q1 update – here, Q2 update – here. and Q3 update – here.

I wanted to read 40 backlist books even though I thought that might be a challenge for me!

At the end of Q3 I had read 34 so only needed 6 to reach my next goal….and I just scraped in with 42 backlist books read!!!!

So these are the books that completed my challenge!!!

Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

---

The Rising by Kristen Ashley

---

A Touch of Darkness by Scarlett St Clair

---

Gild by Raven Kennedy

---

Lady Midnight and Lord of Shadows by Cassandra Clare

---

And not pictured but still loved….

Until December by Aurora Rose Reynolds

Until Talon by Aurora Rose Reynolds

---

Did you participate in this challenge?

How did you do?

• 

Happy Blogmas!

I thought it might be fun to look back to a post with books I didn’t read in 2020 but wanted to read in 2021…..lets see how I did!

You can see my original post here

• 

Rhapsodic by Laura Thalassa ✔

• 

Skyhunter by Marie Lu ✔

• 

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare ✔

• 

The Poppy War by RF Kuang (NOT READ)

• 

City of Brass by SA Chakraborty ✔

• 

Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness ✔

• 

From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L Armentrout ✔

And the last two……..

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo ✔

The Bone Houses by Emily Lloyd-Jones ✔

8/9 is not bad for a mood reader like me, I’m happy! Better make sure I read that last one in 2022!!!

Happy Blogmas!

I think it’s always nice to look back and see that I’ve accomplished something in the year so thought I’d see if I finished any series in 2021!

I was actually surprised how many series I’d actually finished! I didn’t think it would be that many!

(Let’s not talk about how many series that I haven’t finished and also new ones I’ve started this year *incoherent mumbles* )

So here we go……

Aurora Cycle by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman

Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare

Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare

River of Royal Blood by Amanda Joy

King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo

Cassidy Blake by Victoria Schwab

All the Stars and Teeth by Adalyn Grace

Penryn and the End of Days by Susan Ee

Cursebreakers by Brigid Kemmerer

The Rising by Kristen Ashley

• 

In 2020 I made some ambitious book plans for which I stuck to…..for about 2 months so I decreased the level of my plans for 2021!!!!

So now I’m looking back at this year and examining and seeing if I can tweak for 2022!

MAIN GOAL

For 2022 I’m going to read what I want!

This worked well for me in 21 so am going to continue! Reading should be enjoyable and this goal made it fun!

---

Don’t go mad with arcs!

I say this every year and always succumb to the fomo at least twice a year!!! I got caught by this in 2021 again so I need to learn some willpower!

---

Fairyloot and Illumicrate books

Read within 2 months of receiving.

I had this as 1 month for 21 and didn’t always stick to it! Now me and Sophie from Beware of the Reader are going to buddy read so this should help!

---

Read tbr

Here we go again, same old, same old….but I had to put it in!

---

Reading Challenges

I do love a reading challenge but because I’m such a mood reader, I can’t name books. This worked well in 21 so will carry this on for 22!

---

So that’s it.

Too ambitious?

What are your reading goals for 2022?

Happy Blogmas!

Thought I would give you a closing update on my Audiobook Challenge for 2021!

You can see my original post here. and my halfway update here.

The achievement I went for is Socially Awkward which is 15-20 listens and I just scraped in with 15!!!!

I didn’t listen to many audiobooks over the summer, not quite sure why. Maybe it was my slipped disc? Who knows!!

Here are the audiobooks that finished off my challenge!

The Wolf and the Woodsman by Ava Reid

Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff

Sunreach by Brandon Sanderson

Redawn by Brandon Sanderson

The Extraordinaires by TJ Klune

Flash Fire by TJ Klune

Wolfsong by TJ Klune

Also…..

Jade City by Fonda Lee

• 

Me and my son pose ‘would you rather’ questions to each other all the time so thought I’d add a post into my Blogmas offerings!

Let me know what your answers are (mine are below each question!!!)

---

Would you rather have to eat a whole turkey in one sitting or never be able to eat turkey again?

(This was an easy one for me as I’m not really a fan of turkey so….never eat turkey again!)

---

Would you rather get the best book you ever received again and again as a present or get a new book (but have no idea if it will be good or bad)?

(I’d rather get a new book as there will undoubtedly be some gems in there!)

---

Would you rather read The Nutcracker or dance in the Nutcracker

(For me, read most defs. No one wants to see me dance that 😂)

---

Would you rather read a book in a gingerbread house or read a book on the Polar Express

(Me = Polar Express, plus you get to see Santa at the end!)

---

Would you rather spend a day watching Christmas films or spend a day reading Christmas books?

(Me = I love books, I really do, but watching Christmas films all day is my idea of heaven!)

Hope you enjoyed this!!