Beatiful Disaster

As mentioned in my last post I have been reading!

And if you only read one book, Okay books for the year then I would recommend Beautiful Disaster by Jamie Mcguire.

 

This was recommended and bought for me by my friend who I visited Alton Towers with.

The story is engaging and compelling, however the part that intrigued me about this book or more the set is that Beautiful Disaster is from Abby’s perspective and then you get Walking Disaster from Travis perspective.

 

I first came across the concept when the first Twilight was being filmed and Midnight Sun was leaked, however when it failed to be published as a result I gave up all hope of reading a story like it.

Now before you cry but some books will flip character perspectives, Yes but not like this.

What I truly love about this is they say there are two sides to every story and with this concept you can see and understand both sides. Not only that its finally out of my YA/Fantasy reading at the moment.

"Abby Abernathy is a good girl. She doesn’t drink or swear, and she has the appropriate number of cardigans in her wardrobe. Abby believes she has enough distance from the darkness of her past, but when she arrives at college with her best friend, her path to a new beginning is quickly challenged by Eastern University’s Walking One-Night Stand.

Travis Maddox, lean, cut, and covered in tattoos, is exactly what Abby wants—and needs—to avoid. He spends his nights winning money in a floating fight ring, and his days as the ultimate college campus charmer. Intrigued by Abby’s resistance to his appeal, Travis tricks her into his daily life with a simple bet. If he loses, he must remain abstinent for a month. If Abby loses, she must live in Travis’s apartment for the same amount of time. Either way, Travis has no idea that he has met his match"

There are so many times in Walking Disaster I was blown away, not by a plot twist but at the way events occurring in Beautiful Disaster made me so mad at Travis I would really be mad until the plot moved along, made me want to cry for him in Walking Disaster as his actions, his feelings became clear.

Essentially these books are a love story, a big completed messed up love story. Its so reliable ok so most of us haven’t been having around the local underground fighting right, at least I hope not! but the all consuming logic defying start of a relationship, or just a person.

As amazing as theses books are part way thought Beautiful Disasters I did start to find myself turned off by the co-dependent

 nature of the characters. There is just something unappealing to the dysfunction of it,

Also there is one plot twist, I will wait till you have read it before I disclose what it is, but it feels so inorganic, like its was just there for the page count. At this point it didn't, even in both books, feel like it fit the characters personalities or the truth of what would happen in the situations, and I found myself both times a little disappointed. 

However this didn't change my enthusiasm and will be reading more of Jamies books.

Overall even with its minor flaws, I have fallen in love with these books,  I would give them 4.5/5 . 

xoxoxo

Update

Hello!
Sorry I have been so quite this month.
My friend visited last weekend and we went to Alton Towers :) Which was awesome but we also camped so I just couldn't think straight by the time I got home let alone blog.
Also I have been reading non-stop for the past couple of weeks, so I have been working on confessions of a book journal just not in a way you guys can see.

I feel every time I sit down I feel like am appologising to you for my lack of posts, so am now deciding to write a few over the weekend and post one a week, also am going to carry on writing, so hopefully every Sunday night there will be a new post up, if not more often.

I feel I should explain a bit, in my last blog I mentioned good work news, I can now tell you all that my contracted hours have increased which is great for me. Am on the road to full time work sort of, but mainly its good because at the moment I am loving my job. For the past few years I never thought I would get to the point where could go into work and well enjoy it. Feel engaged and not just like I was on auto-piote. Its great and wonderful, however it does mean that when i come home i want to write, have every intention to but that i loose energy.

The second reason is well me.
I am rubbish at communication, as in really pants. I have best friends who I love dearly and want to know all about their lives, but also can forget to call/text/email/snail mail/carry pigeon any form of communication for well months in some cases. Its not that I don't care, its just a failing in my brain! And every now and then they need to remind me to contact them. I can go thought really long good patches and then just drop of the face of the earth without meaning to. Am the same with social media, am just not great at uploading photos of my days out, or telling you all what a great/bad day I've have. Its gotten now to the point where I don't even understand how to use them.
I do have a twitter attached to this blog, and I do use it however I think it may have been about a month this a tweeted anything. I mean to, I really do, I just think am just not born at the right time. I could probley cope with having to send a letter a month to friends and family to update them with how things are but day to day I just cant seem to follow.
However if I could sit and talk face to face with people everyday I would be in heaven, as I can do that, and really prefer it.h

My long point is that this blog is essentially another form of communication and I can be driving along going "ooo I should blogs this and see if the blogosphere agrees with me" but then.....................well you get this post.

So am trying to do better, and am working on it, because the joke is I enjoy it, and I look at others blogs and aspire for my little blog to be like there, however like anything it takes time and practice.

Thank you all of you who are baring with me in my teething stage of Confessions of a book journal we will get there, and I hope in a year or so we can all look at this post and laugh

xoxox

Film and TV show adaptions

When I first started writing this post I have to be honest with you, it was just a ramble of complete annoyance.

As some of you who follow this blog may be aware I have been reading Charlaine Harris Sookie Stackhouse series, when I started I was only ruffly aware that they were the books True Blood was based on.
Well I loved the books and couldn't read anything else until I finished the series, then I could not wait to watch the TV show that everyone had raved about. Everyone seemed to love it, even people who read the books, which I think is sometimes a rarity.
It's safe to say that I had high hopes. So can you imagine my outrage when I realised that the TV show I was so excited about wasn't really what I expected!
I had the house to myself, and i sat down to watch it, giving my full attention, laptop away, ipad/phone ignored, just me and Bon Temps, and my commentary went something like this:
"What?!?! NO THAT'S NOT RIGHT?! WHY ARE YOU STILL ALIVE?!"
Now don't get me wrong, I expected some changes but it almost felt like someone had skimmed the books, and taken out the main events, it didn't matter if the characters where right, or if the events leaving up it were correct as long as they where there that's what counted.

I feel like there is a danger of turning this into a massive rant against True Blood, and I can promise you its not, as episodes pasted, I fell in love with the show in its own right, and once I regarded it as something in its own right I learnt to love it. Enjoy each characters development and just enjoy the show (I can't wait to see series 6)

However this did bring to my attention something that I find conflicted with.

I don't really enjoy Films and TV shows made out of books I enjoy, however am like a gold fish and every time I see they are getting made, I get really excited, bug everyone I know into going to the cinema with me or to come over and watch a show, to just leave disappointed.

I understand that with films where is a time constraint, you have 2 hours to tell a story that could last weeks, with TV shows I find it harder, because I think that you have to a certain about unlimited time to again tell the story.
However what frustrates me is the complete reworking of things, if something doesn't or wont translate to the screen that well then fine, remove it, and work it in somewhere else. But DON'T just remove stuff and then add random extra because if this is done it changes the main body of the film/show and it stops being part of an actuate representation of the book.

This is true in so many films, everyone has who has accidentally been stuck listening to my rant about this has agreed! I always get the response "Yeah I had that in *insert your film/show*"
The problem doesn't even just belong with book lovers, i find it with everyone who had read ANY book that has had a film/show.

My main problem with it is this, the fans of the book are the reason the film/show is being made in the first place, and what do they want to see? The story in the book! Not some story that someone else thinks is an improvement on the original.

Now am pretty sure i know where i am in this argument but i have two main problems:

First, I still want to see the Films/Shows because eventually I will get over it and enjoy them. And if am not reading I love watching films, I find now it almost replaces music if someone if over, I have a friend and when we get together we sit and chat and then just watch all the crappy telly that we shouldn't enjoy but do. If books I enjoy stopped being made into films we would loose some of you viewing!

Second and really more important is that even though it drives me crazy, it makes some people read. For example years ago I watched the film Chocolate and fell in love with it, this then drove me to read the book, at the time i has having a book funk and just couldn't get into reading, that one film, drove me back into the world of reading that i missed.
I think for some people it can broaden there reading, after all you are more likely to give up 2 hours of your time to watch a film, which you may not like, than depending on your reading speed, maybe a week, or longer on a book my may not like.

For this reason along I cant stop watching the films, in general I will try and read the books before the film as a personal preference, however if i watch a film, enjoy it and then learn there is a book you can almost guarantee I will read the book, because no matter what is it always better because its more fleshed out, you can understand the characters more clearly, some things in the film which just happen are put into better context!

Writing this post has been hard because in the moment it was so bitterly disappointing I wanted to tell you all that the films/shows are dull and week in comparison, and that I wouldn't watch any again. However that's just not true, Vampire Academy is being made into a film, and I know I will see it, along with countless others, there are books I still wish would be made into them. Also while writing this piece am on my second viewing of The Hunger Games which makes me want to read the books, which I would not have done if I had not stumbled across the film.

And above all else I love that they can make myself and others read books, and this is something I hope continues.

Do you always see films based on books? Have any films inspired you to read? Any books to films that you like?

Buy books and Save the world!

Hello fellow book people!

First off I have to admit this is a really really cheeky post, so for taking advantage of you am very sorry in advance.
Now that's out the way lets get on with this....

While at work (I know sometimes I have to stop reading) I came across the Give as you Live campaign.
You sign up and download it, from then the charity you choose will receive a percentage of what you spend online as a donation.........the best part of it is it doesn't cost you anything.
For example Waterstones have pledged to donate 3% and The Works 6% of what people spend to their chosen charity though this scheme.

Am working on launching this for League of Friends in Sheffield, all there donations go to providing equipment and services for Sheffield Teaching Hospitals (That's all 5 hospitals across the city)
So the cheeky part would be can you please spare 5 mins on this link and help me raise some money for us.

http://www.giveasyoulive.com/join/leagueoffriendssheffield 

Also you can change the charity at any time, so you can raise money for a specific charity or just a cause, so you can help your local area too.

This way we can all buy books (And loads of other things) And save the world! Also helps ease my book buying guilt :P

Thanks for taking the time to read this post!
xx

PS Sorry this is a bit of a plug for the charity that I work for! However you can use it to support anyone!

Weird Book Habits and General Update

I think I've written this post twice already and seem to be having a bad writing week, so here it goes this is being posted no matter what.......

This week has been a bit of a whirl wind. I have good news regarding my job, but am sworn to secrecy at the moment. Am hoping next week I can tell you all, though its safe to say after a mad year things are finally looking up.

I hate to be super cheesy but I feel I can tell you guys, I really am having one of those, so this is my life moments, and am happy about it. When I left uni its was the first time really I had no plan. Don't get me wrong things didn't always turn out how I thought they would, for starters am not some wacky scientist, who is a also a rock star with a part time job at Woolworths! (yes you read that right, don't ask me why but when I was 8 it was what I wanted to be "When I grew up")

However when one thing ended I ALWAYS knew where I wanted to go next, and this time I couldn't. And honestly it was terrifying,

So continuing this theme of properly sharing too much, I realise the more I talk about books to people and while trying to work out what to write for the blog, I have some really odd Book habits.

Therefore here at my Top Ten Weird Book Confessions in no particular order............

1.My book shelves are organised; my favorite books are the top, least favorite at the bottom. A book series has to be all on the same shelve, it can't be divided over a couple of shelves. 

Authors work has to be in chronological order from when published and on one shelve.

2. I LOVE new books, because I can break the spine myself. which means when I read it at again I can see where I stopped before.

3. All my books I dog ear the pages.

4. Unless its a second had book, then I avoid it like the plague.........why?

5......because its known another life and its not fair........

6......yeah in case you didn't get it from number 5 I seem to personify books sometimes.

7. I try to keep my TBR pile to a maximum of 10,but a minimum of 2 

8. I always have to finish a book I start, even if am not enjoying it, though I have been know to cheat and start reading another book, and keep the other one out beside it, so I can say am just reading a different genera.

9. I feel guilty if I start a series of books and don't finish all the books

10. My mood tends to reflect where I am in a book, if something bad happens to a character it tends to upset me for the day until I get to a happy bit, therefore I always try to finish reading on happy bits, so people don't have to put up with me.

Am sure there are plenty more, and as I think of them I will try to update/add them.

How about you? Do you have any book confessions?

Tethers

There is sooo much I want to say in this post I feel I should apologizes now if I waffle a bit.

"In the wake of a cold Victorian winter, Karl Scheffer and Esther Emerson discover an anonymous journal filled with strange passages and bizarre scribblings. The journal soon draws them into a covert and sinister conspiracy, a conspiracy centred around an otherworldly artefact with the power to change everything"

When I first read about this book its concept grabbed me and straight away it was one of those books I just wanted to read. 

Having received my copy I was planning on reading it straight after I finished my current book however then the book funk hit. I didn't open it for a good few weeks, partly because I wanted to give it a just and fair chance, and knew at that time anything I picked up wouldn't have fit the odd mood I was in.

However one rainy afternoon (seriously its meant to be summer) having not read for WEEKS (which is really unusual for me) I found myself staring at it on the kindle app.

At first I thought, well I will just give it a page and see........well at 10 pm that night I was still reading.

I can honestly say I LOVED this book, and owe Croxall a massive Thank you for breaking my reading funk. 

I think this is going to always be one of those books I remember, as ones that were so good I forgot about everything else.

People who follow my twitter will properly have seen that I missed sleep some nights as I was reading too much.... YAY!!!!!

What really stood out for me was the voices the characters are given, I really felt like I was watching Karl, with a K, and Esther come to life, and show me their story. And having moved to the area (sort of) recently I really felt that the dialect, and colloquialisms are perfect. One thing that did stand out was that rather than just mention there accents Croxall using colloquium in there speech  which feels more organic to me.

The story moved on smoothly and the pace never left me bored, only guessing what would happen next.

This is defiantly a book I would recommend to anyone, but especially school kids, I think this is one of the books that would get them reading, and make them realize that reading is fun. Though at 22 I was still captivated.

Another thing I also noticed was that my usual Kindle-disease didn't get to me. Being a bit of a freak I cant stand the kindle, I think it has a place in the world however that place isn't with me. I like BOOKS, I want to be able to hold the pages, see how far I am in the book, not see that am 62% of the way though! Ops sorry that's a rant for another day........ The point is normally I just cant get though a book on the Kindle, or I do but I have no real connection to it there a few exceptions to this and I am pleased to say Tethers is one of them.

I was nervous about starting it just because I didn't want my prejudices of the format to get in the way of the story, I think it speaks volumes for the writing that it didn't

Now the only thing left to do is get myself a Paperback copy, so I can re-read it, and have it sit happy on my bookshelf. While I eagerly await the next installment. 

I give this book a 4.5 out of 5

HELLO

Hello Blogosphere

Am sorry for my really long absents! I don't really know what happened it was almost like I suddenly got snowed under.

My folks went away, and after so many months of not being on my own I suddenly went into hibernation and let NETFLIX take over my life. Then I started my new job (which is far better than I thought it would be) and I really just lost touch.

I also got in a reading funk, I just couldn't begin to pick up my book, my head was just to full. Looking back I think I just got a bit nervous, I knew after months of searching/jumping though hoops  I was finally starting work, and my brain just kinda couldn't cope with the idea, don't get me wrong I love working and HATED my unemployment with a passion, and lived in fear that I wouldn't be able to get employment, however I don't no the area and had my routine and it was sort of comfortable, and am crap with change. 

On top of all that I wanted a change in job, and was freaking out that I was falling behind in my life while watching friends get degrees and get careers I was applying for jobs and being rejected and living back home, with no job let alone career. 

However AM BACK, my funk as lifted and am reading again AND baking and just generally happier. Plus I ve kind of gotten over myself. It looks like am in a good work place for progression and could get a career, and finally sort of got that not everyone has a degree and really a lot of the people I was at uni with are in the same position.

So hopefully onward and upwards, I am hoping to do a post at least once a week, and FINALLY update this poor blog after months of not doing it.

Thanks for putting up with me :)

Paul Hollywood's Bread

In case you hadn't guessed it this review is on Paul Hollywood's BREAD. When I first started this blog I thought it would just contain my general ramblings about fiction etc. However I really do feel like this needs a mention!

I will be honest I watched the TV show, about the book, just to have a little eye candy. I know am not alone in this, and many people have told me that they did the same.

Surprisingly he did actually inspire me to get baking some bread, and after a successful soda bread my Mum kindly bought a copy of the book for me. (Really I think this was a hint to bake her more bread) 

I think now is the time to admit that I am a bread snob, I really can't help it, from aged 15 I worked in a Bakery and got to take the bread home, meaning most of the bread I ate was from 15-19 was fresh bread (great for when I was at Uni) and when my parents moved they bought a bread maker and everyday we have a fresh loaf. And honestly I just prefer it (see snob).

Anyway back to my review, So the TV show was great and I did get my eye candy, However I did find the delivery of the recipes left me a bit less than satisfied.  Seeing him mix the ingredients without weights at the time was a bit annoying, and I was a bit worried the book wouldn't flow. However my fears where unfounded since its clear and easy to follow each recipe.

Right now my bread goal if you will is to make the tasty looking enriched bread at the end.......

...................Oh sorry am back, yeah so am a long way off from that level of skill but am working on it.

The recipes are so easy to follow, so far I've made:

Soda bread,

Cheese and rosemary scones (on stew and baked separately),

Chickpea curry (not a bread but tasty)

And wraps.

And am so pleased with each result, what I also love is that the recipes are something you and integrate into a normal meal, unlike some book I have where the recipe's look and sound great but I wouldn't normally cook it or attempting it just seems like a mountain to try and achieve it.

My only concern is that a lot of the recipes contain cheese and bacon/ham, this really is a plus for me as he is apparently a man after my own hear, though I could see it being a bit of a issue if you really don't like them.
As a recipe book I would give it 5 Stars since I use it all the time now and it continues to make me want to push my baking skills.

Have you tried BREADS? Whats your favorite recipe? Favorite cook book?

Reading update

Hello!!

How is everyone?

Sorry this post is a bit late I've had a bit of a random week and blogging seemed to fall off my radar  Having finally come back to the land of the living from my Matcha Tea incident, I thought I would get my week alone with reading. However it seems I've been hung over and showing my friend the sights of Derbyshire instead.

My lovely friend Emma decided to visit me on Tuesday (having us both plan this on Monday night) Which was great but also meant I ran into "Hostess with the Most-est"  mode, meaning pies needed to be baked, along with bread and cake, beds needed to be made and generally a quick run to Tesco for lunch, and of course the wine.

This lead to a very giggly girly night were we where both a bit delicate the next day. Though we managed to get some Derbyshire sight seeing in, and drop by Ellie's fantastic book shop (because its on of my favorite bookshops and all my friends from the south are being told about it, and how when they visit its part of the tour!) as well as visit, what I now know is called Blue John Caverns, not John Blue! *slams palm of hand to forehead* 

After Emma sadly left me to return to the flat land of Cambridge, I collapsed in a heap and stayed there staring at the Light Box (telly) for a few days to recover. 

So am very behind on my reading, oops! However while pressure washing the tiles today (that's right I get to be all domestic while the folks are away) I did manage to get some more audio book in, and am going to read some more tomorrow, and hopefully catch back up. 

And may have found my way onto amazon and trying to convince myself to hold back on the book ordering :S

Hows everyones reading? Good week? Also any recommended books??

Bout of Books

WE DID IT!

So I sort of completed my Bout of Books week, and what a week its been aye!

Sorry I dropped out part way through the weekend, I feel like I had Death staring at me in the corner in the end :( 

Just couldnt perk myself back up, I swear I am NEVER drinking Matcha tea again, I think the moral of this story is that it just doesn't agree with me, since its seems to have rave reviews and aledgaly 98% of people would recomend it I think its just me not the tea.

Apart from that I was helping my parents get ready for there 3week holiday, which means 3 weeks of house freedom for me YAY!!

Double YAY is that its been confirmed that I got though all my check for my new job and I finally start next month. So I have two weeks to read all the books I can and catch up on my last 2 days reading. 

I managed to take part in 1/2 a twitter chat, complete one Challenge, Finish 1 paperback, 1 audio book. Read 106 pages and somehow manage to listen to 14 hours of audio book.(both need to be finished)

All in all I think not bad for my first ever Readathon.

I think next time, yes next time, I will aim to do more challenges, and not have to stop just as the finish life looms into view. 

Sorry this post is a little late, hope you all managed to complete yours more successfully :D

How did you find it? Best part?

Saturday Bout of Books

2.57pm

HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM well today hasn't been as productive so far as my other days.

I've managed about 1 hr 10mins of my audio book Shadow Of Night and that's it, this late in the day :(

I woke up this morning not feeling well, in all honesty I think one of my "Get Healthy" things back fired! See I bought some Matcha Tea to try, just one sashay, drunk it yesterday morning before my walk, and haven't felt right since :( This morning when my alarm went off I just couldn't get out of bed, considered not going for my walk but then decided I had to go. This meant I didn't get out of for walk until 10am (compared to my normal 7-8am) And have since been really unproductive.

I have however discovered you can vacuum pack coffee! See we are BIG coffee drinkers in my house, I remember that we always had bags of ground coffee and in my early teens we always had a grinder and coffee beans. This is in part due to my parents refusing to drink "that instant crap" in fact my mum has to buy instant coffee for when people come round because the stuff she brews burns peoples taste buds.

With their up coming holiday the news was broken to me, the grinder was going with them!!!(yes I know its weird, I did respond with "WHAT?!" however its there one addiction and vice, well that and chocolate)

This has resulted in me having to grind 3 weeks worth (plus extra if someone visits . With a jar/tub not big enough, I discovered that the vacuum packer will also vacuum and seal ground coffee :D

So unproductive reading, well of course, but I have managed to enable my addiction :P

Friday of Bout of Books

11.07

Today am going to try an more journal type style with my blog, I've noticed that am not great at the whole summary the day after/at the end of the day. Also I've noticed over the last 2days I seem to be leaning more towards that. I think its because I apparently treat my poor little blog like a ranting/one sided convocation with the rest of the world.

On that note, Morning Bout of Book-ers *excited wave* sorry for you all who come over to have a look at my sad blog, having looked around other peoples I released just how Legendary all yours are, and how far mine has to go. I thought I was all about the 21 century (unless its came to books) turns out am way behind the times! As in the 90's when we thought the Millennium would result in all technology just stopping and the internet crashing.

So I have decided that after this week my blog shall be getting an overhaul  just don't think I can fit it in this week. Am also aiming to do today's Challenges because I have been really lacking in them.

Books I've read from:  Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness and Guilty Pleasures by Laurell K. Hamilton

Pages read today: 106 pages and 2hr 15min of audio books
Books finished today:  x

Running total:  2 books;  106 pages  

Non-reading progress: I've looked at today's challenges and will complete them after lunch?
Menu: chai tea with honey, peanut butter toast

Today #insixwords: reading books I've naglected

Teapig Update

After my very silly email (believe me it was really silly) I sent yesterday I got a reply this morning saying they will send me the missing sample from yesterdays order and a few more XD YAY now I shall have more delicious tea to try/drink, first time I moaned about something and it turned out well. Though I will NOT make it a habit.

~~Final Update~~
Yesterday worked out quite well in the end I managed to read a 106 pages and get back into Guilty Pleasures. However I did discover that I had actually read about 40-50 pages of it already, making me question further why did I put it down?! 
Thankfully I seem to be getting more involved in the book, its starting to set itself up nicely and you can see sub plots and character development appearing. I have to admit though the thought of rat rape (sorry Were-rat rape) was just a little bit too much. And honestly I cant tell you why, I've studies Criminology  I've read A life Stolen, and other true accounts of rape, far far more graphic and disturbing than what was written in the book. I also have not got big objections of it being a theme in a book. However there was something about it that really did make me uncomfortable and make me go "If this is the start of this book, do I really want to continue?
That said, I do aim to make it to the end, and hope that I enjoy it, since I did buy the second book at the same time!

Thursdays Bout of Books

Morning its 10.48 am and its a SUNNY DAY!!! I've already had 2 hours of my audio book, so I feel positive about the rest of the day, also today I get the house to myself for some of the afternoon so I get a chance to have some quite reading time :)

Finally my TeaPigs teas are supposed to arrive today :D After the success of Chocolate Flake Tea I have ordered some samples, though sadly just before I took a sip of the tea so I shall have to wait for another order to get some more. However hoping the new flavors will be just as tasty and give me a reading boost.

Am off to stalk other blogs to try and get to know everyone a bit better, start challenges and do some more reading, will be doing more updates later.

Here was the view on my walk this morning:

Books I've read from:  Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness ,Dead and gone by Charlaine Harris and Guilty Pleasures by Laurell K. Hamilton

Pages read today: 85  pages and 2 hr 20 mins of audio books
Books finished today:  1

Running total:  2 books;    

Non-reading progress: I went for my morning walk which gave me audio book time :D
Menu: creme caramel tea, tuna salad

Today #insixwords: its reading book time! *theme of "its peanut butter jelly time*

1.20 pm

So today is a up and down day apparently. Am full of mixed emotions since I have FINALLY finished Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris so I get to do my second review on the series so far, which shall be following this. Plus give got in an get 30mins of my audio book Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness since there is no-one around that I should talk too :)

On the book front we all gravy, thought now am about to go into the depths of unknown, left of a shelf because I might read it someday. The result may mean that the next book review might not be as positive. 

However, as I mentioned earlier I have been waiting on my order of Teapigs tea, in fact I went and check the post twice before it turned up. I opened my little box all excited about the delicious-ness inside that awaited me. After my "ahhh its here, mmmmm look at the tasty tea, awww the packaging for 2 tea bags looks the same as the big boxes but smaller" moment I checked my adorable boxes against the order, and disaster stuck! One of my boxes wasn't there!!!!

Now I had a dilemma on my hands, firstly I NEVER complain, seriously never, because always working in retail/cafe type places I used to get it ALL the time and I just find it a bit unfair to who ever on the receiving  end of the rant. Secondly my mum (who I live with) ordered from them and when she opened one of her big boxes one of the tea bags had no tea inside, so she emailed them to tell them and being a amazing company they sent her another 30 tea bags and 2 samples. One of those samples (Chocolate Flake Tea) was part of the reason for my order(the other was reading Discovery of Witches made me crave fancy tea). This was only a week ago.

I have to admit I have emailed them to let them know the packet was missing, however I tried to be light hearted about it, though I am worried they will think we are trying a scam or something since two complaints from the same address in 2 weeks..........

I know this was not Bookathon related but it has been a part of my bookathon......

~Final Update~

I finally finished my book however I am unsure bout the book review, since I am thinking I might read the whole series and then do a review that way?? Basically am still thinking about it, though have the review ruffly sketched out.

I did however manage to get an extra hour of my audio book in, while cooking dinner!! YAY I feel like am making book progress.

I've Started Guilty Pleasures by Laurell K. Hamilton, though I should rephrase that, I've re-started, since I've discovered I have already read the first 20 pages but for some reason, now unknown to myself, I put it back on my book shelf :S I normally don't ever do this, and see books through to the end, as I feel like I owe it to the author, they put the time in writing it the least I can do is finish it before passing any opinion. 

So either some past/present/future Sarah did some Time walking and messed with my books or some really good book came into my possession and I weirdly stopped reading to start it and forgot.

Either way I will now try and finish it!

How everyone doing? Any Books recommended? Any flavored teas recommended? Also how do you think best to complain? Any odd reading rules?

Bout of Books Wednesday

TODAY WILL BE BETTER!
I have decided I WILL finish my book Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris! and I WILL right a review about it by the end of the day/night AND I WILL have picked my next book!!!!

Now my little pep talk to myself is done will give my update

Books I've read from:  Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness and Dead and gone by Charlaine Harris

Pages read today: 149  pages and 1hr20mins of audio books
Books finished today:  X

Running total:  1 books; 276 pages   

Non-reading progress: I went for my morning walk which gave me audio book time :D
Menu: Chai Tea, egg toast

Today #insixwords: *Rocky theme* training in use!

I went for my morning walk, so this gave me a good hour of Shadow of night which so far am enjoying though the newish "Tell Dianna what to do, and expect not argument" is bringing the feminist out in me that i didn't know i had. Which I suppose is the point, and what is the point in reading if it doesn't teach you something/evoke something in you. Though I have to admit that am loving the Elizabethan theme, it may be because of my love of history when I was a kid or the fact that I've secretly always wanted to time travel back then to see what it was really like, rather than what we interpret and assume.

Am also started to get the ball rolling on Dead and gone however I would be lying if I didn't say that am going to be upset when I run out :(

Final Update

Yesterday did in fact get better YAY! After my initial panic and worry about a Bookathon fail I managed to read 149 pages meaning for Thursday I only have to read 45 pages to finish my book and write the review :) I also didn't watch telly (okay one Grand designs) so really devoted myself to Bout of Books.

I also got to take part in my first challenge which is bellow this. Am actually really pleased with it since its the challenge and looking forward to Thursdays. 

Hows everyone getting on? Any suggestions for my next book?

~~Book Cover Challenge~~

So this is my first challenge of the Readathon. I chose the book Days of Blood & Starlight by Laini Taylor firstly because am a big fan of the series, and secondly it was one of the only books I could think of besides the obvious cover for Breaking Dawn.

I still prefer the original (Right) however am pleased with how my concept (Left) eventually turned out :)

How are you finding Bout of Books? Any tips?