In 2019 I made some ambitious book plans for 2020 which I stuck to…..for about 2 months!

Then the world turned to crap starting with COVID, anxiety was high and it all went out the window! (and then I deleted my draft catch up post in disgust at myself!!!!)

I looked back at this year and examined! I’m still feeling a bit pressured and I think it’s because I read both YA fantasy and romance and that I need to change my reading habits as I just can’t read it all, even though I want to!!!

The genre I’m suffering more with is romance. Maybe suffering is the wrong word, but I’ve found I have dropped a lot of these reads in favour of YA because it just holds my attention and I actually look forward to read. So….

MAIN GOAL

For 2021 I’m going to read what I want!

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Only buy romance books from my unicorn authors

I might be shooting myself in the foot here, I mean what if I miss a gem from a new author? <—– and this is why I end up with a huge tbr!

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Fairyloot books

Read within a month of receiving. I had 11 books to catch up on by August and, whilst I loved the month I did to catch up, I don’t want them to pile up again.

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Read tbr

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

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Reading Challenges

I’m not going to say no challenges as I completely failed that this year but going to amend to if I do a challenge, don’t pick out books beforehand!

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So that’s it.

Too ambitious?

What are your reading goals for 2021?

I realised that I’ve taken part in #BestReadsof2020 on Instagram but not shared it here – what is happening?!!!!

Anyway….Best Reads of 2020 was introduced to me by Sophie at Beware of the Reader, she is running with some IG buddies. There is a list of prompts and basically you just post a Best Book of 2020 that fits!

You can follow me on Instagram by either @CJRTB_BB or here.

Here are my Best books so far….

Best Ugly Cry – King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo

Best Swoonworthy Hero – Wrath from KotW by Kerri Maniscalco

Best Beautiful Cover– Fable by Adrienne Young

Best LGBTQ – Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas

Best New to me Author -The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna

Best Fantasy – Crescent City by Sarah J Maas

Best Couple of the Year – Lou and Reid from Serpent and Dove by Shelby Mahurin

Best Series – The Illuminae Files by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman

If you liked these, come on over to IG and see what else I have going on!

You can follow me by either finding me: @CJRTB_BB or click here.

I wanted to look back at the books I said I wanted to read in 2020 and see if I actually read them!

Lets have a look and see how I got on………

The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller

READ!

See my review here.

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Crescent City by Sarah J Maas

READ!

See my review here

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Aurora Burning by Jay Kristoff

READ!

See my review here.

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Dream Maker by Kristen Ashley

READ!

See my review here.

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Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco

READ!

See my review here.

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Bridge of Souls by Victoria Schwab

Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff

Unforts these were put back to March and September 2021 so it was impossible for me to read them in 2020 (I was tempted to stalk the authors houses but not sure if stalking fits in with social distancing so didn’t bother!)

Did you read all the reads you wanted to in 2020?

Title: Truelife

Series: Lifelike #3

Author: Jay Kristoff

Best friends have become enemies. Lovers have become strangers. And deciding whose side you’re on could be the difference between life and death. For Eve and Lemon, discovering the truth about themselves–and each other–was too much for their friendship to take. But with the country on the brink of a new world war–this time between the BioMaas swarm at CityHive and Daedalus’s army at Megopolis, loyalties will be pushed to the brink, unlikely alliances will form and with them, betrayals. But the threat doesn’t stop there, because the lifelikes are determined to access the program that will set every robot free, a task requiring both Eve and Ana, the girl she was created to replace. In the end, violent clashes and heartbreaking choices reveal the true heroes . . . and they may not be who you think they are.

Yes, another dose of my fave Lemon Fresh, I love her! Im sad that it’s all ending though.
My fears before I started were that one of my faves was going to perish and also that Lemon and Grimm wouldn’t be partners in life. And those fears were real….you know that’s a mark of a great series when you have actual fears!
Fast paced and action packed, it was like a wave of emotions listening to this! Wars, characters we love and hate, mad people, things that shouldn’t exist all coming to a head.
Lemon and Grimm make my day, my month, my year, my life! They were so….omg let me find the word. Pure. Young love. Omg so utterly adorable.
Wow, what a conclusion to a absolutely brilliant series.

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!!!)

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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!)

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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!)

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Would you rather read The Nutcracker or dance in the Nutcracker

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

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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!)

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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!!

Happy Blogmas!

So here we are again and today is anticipated 2021 reads…..

There are many.

So many!

But I’ve picked out a few that I cannot wait for! In no particular order…….

A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J Maas

A Vow So Bold and Deadly by Brigid Kemmerer

A Queen of Gilded Horns by Amanda Joy

Bridge of Souls by VE Schwab

Rule of Wolves by Leigh Bardugo

Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff

What are your most anticipated books for 2021?

Title: The Iron King

Series: The Iron Fey #1

Author: Julie Kagawa

Meghan Chase has a secret destiny; one she could never have imagined.

Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan’s life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school or at home.

When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she’s known is about to change.

But she could never have guessed the truth – that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she’ll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil, no faery creature dare face; and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart.

Fabulous. I could not put this down!!!
I mean a book about Fae, a half human girl and a handsome Prince? Sign me up!!!

We start with Meghan Chase and weird goings on in her home, there are revalations and then the hunt is on to find someone that has been taken…..which takes Meghan and her companions into Nevernever and beyond……

All I can say is that this is just such a gripping read, I was hanging on every word, ready for the next part. I really didn’t think I’d enjoy it this much but I really did!

Meghan, Robbie and Grim were great characters (especially Grim) but Ash stole the show for me. I mean I really don’t want to say any more as you need to experience this for yourself:
‘Do not lose your heart to a faery prince. It never ends well.”

I mean I am a sucker for romance but this guy stole my heart! Ash is just delish.

So anyway, I won’t gush on about Ash because I’ve just finished this and I must immediately go and get book 2 because I need, yes need, to read more.

Thank Gawd I never read this book when it first came out because the wait for a second book would’ve finished me off!

Back with another Blogmas post!

I know this isn’t books but watching Christmas films is a staple in my household and really gets me and my son in the mood!

My utter faves……

National Lampoons Christmas Vacation

Home Alone and Home Alone 2

And every year we watch……

Elf

And a new entry for me and my son…..

Christmas Chronicles 1 and 2! We loved the first film and we have just watched the 2nd and we want to watch it again!

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