Even though it is still New Years Eve in the UK I am conscious that it is already 2016 in some places in the world or it will be very soon, so Happy New Year! I don’t normally make resolutions because I always end up not sticking to them, but not I thought I would make a special exception because I was tagged by Jordan @ Words…I Need Words… to do this tag so let’s get on with it.
Month: December 2015
Owlcrate December Box Review!
Special kind of post today guys- a subscription box review! Now, late November I ordered an Owlcrate box because I have heard amazing things about the subscription service from mainly booktubers and I thought I should treat myself-like an early Christmas present!
My box actually came in earlier this month but I just didn’t post this review on it weirdly enough. So this is my review written a couple of weeks back being posted now! If you still haven’t received your box (but I’m pretty sure you have) look away now!
Top Ten Anticipated Releases in 2016
Hey guys! Explaining time! Anytime I finish the Harry Potter series I go into a slumpy/Harry Potter maniac mode which entails only thinking and reading of Harry Potter. The slump part is that I just can’t read anything else or do anything else but read Harry Potter, listen to Harry Potter podcast and anything in between. It’s a serious problem I know, but I am finally coming out and have came to do some house cleaning on my blog and to say hi to all my new followers! I hope everyone had a great Christmas as well!
So this post just consists of link and summaries of all the books I am looking forward too so that you guys can check out some of these cool 2016 releases!
Without further ado here you go!
‘Tis The Season Book Tag!
Hello everyone! So…TWO SLEEPS UNTIL CHRISTMAS! Where did the time go!
So I was tagged to do this by Heather @ The Sassy Book Geek and Analee @ Book Snacks. Thanks for tagging me! Everyone check out their blogs by the way because they are both awesome!
Lets do this then!
Top 5 Wednesday| Book Series I Need To Start In 2016
Hey guys! Top 5 Wednesday is a weekly meme made by Gingerreadslainey which focuses on a different topic every week. Here is the goodreads group if you want to check it out.
Top Ten Tuesday- Best Books Read in 2015!
Hello everyone! I’m here today doing a Top Ten Tuesday, which I haven’t did in ages! I hope everyone is having a great Tuesday- it’s only a week and a few days until Christmas so I hope everyone is still blasting out their Christmas music!
100 Followers?
How did this happen? Well firstly THANK YOU SO MUCH! It’s because of all of you beautiful people that I hit the a hundred mark. To my old followers, thank you for sticking with me and to my new followers, thank you for pushing me past the 100 line and I hope my posts are enjoyable enough..
I know this is a small milestone to many of you guys as you must have passed this milestone ages ago but I was smiling like a maniac when I got this notification. I know my posts and comments on all of your lovely posts have been sporadic and I’m sorry!
Well, there’s nothing else to say really, but thank you again, this is a great present- just in time for Christmas!
Have a nice day and I’ll write soon!
-Astra
Ben ‘n’ Jerry’s Book Tag!
Now I was tagged by Kat from Life and Other Disasters (brilliant book blog by the way, totally check it out!) from all the way in November! And I was thinking of doing the other tags I have been recently tagged for, but I couldn’t neglect this little one, so here is the tag that I should of did weeks ago!
Starlight Blogger Award!
I was nominated for this lovely award by three wonderful bloggers throughout November and they are:
– Ashleigh @ A frolic through fiction
– Heather @ The Sassy Book Geek
Thank you for nominating me!
THE RULES
- Thank the giver and link their blog to your post.
- Answer the 3 original questions and then the 3 new questions from your nominator given to you.
- Nominate your 6 favorite bloggers! In your nominees, I would like for you to think of the light emanating from the stars, the ones that truly touch your soul with their work. The ones that are the light for you; a true STARLIGHT Blogger.
- Please pass the award on to 6 or more other Bloggers of your choice and let them know that they have been nominated by you.
- Include the logo of the award in a post or on your Blog, please never alter the logo, never change the 3 original questions. Answer that first, then answer the 3 new questions from your nominator, and never change the Award rules.
- Please don’t delete this note: The design for the STARLIGHT Bloggers Award has been created from YesterdayAfter. It is a Copyright image, you cannot alter or change it in any way just pass it to others that deserve this award. Copyright 2015 © YesterdayAfter.com – Design by Carolina Russo
Original Questions:
If you could meet anyone from throughout history, who and why?
Good question! I honestly don’t know who I would meet. I know I should say I would want to meet someone inspirational, but honestly I might just want to meet J.K Rowling -who is inspirational I know I know- but when she was just in the little cafe and writing up Harry Potter on napkins.
What is your favourite book and why?
That’s so hard! I can’t pick just one book! There’s of course Harry Potter, but then the Book Thief, Six Of Crows, Illuminae, The Night Circus, I could go on!
Who is your favourite fiction character from any medium and why?
I’m stealing Ashleigh’s and Michelle’s answer for this and saying Hermione Granger! She is smart, witty and a professional bibilophe. Anytime I read Harry Potter (which I am doing currently), and read Hermione’s ‘scenes’ she just really inspires me ro kind of be okay with the nerd inside of me. Does that makes sense? She is like a fictional role model for girls who are smart, bookish and bossy. And I love how she caring she is towards Harry and Ron and she is a super talented witch!
Ashleigh’s Questions:
If you could have a pet from any book you’ve read, which would it be?
Fawkes! It was Dumbledore’s ‘pet’ and I would love to just have a Phoenix around. I could never be accused of not looking after it because it can never die anyway!
Have you ever cried at a book? If so, which?
I have cried at many books, but the book I cried the most for was The Book Thief. Like this wasn’t just tears people, this were like ugly, ugly tears with a runny nose. There were too many feels to deal with!
What are 3 books you would recommend?
Can I just kindly refer you to my Astra’s Fortnightly Recommends Post which I will link here. The current recommend is Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell while the last two have been Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard and Little Women by Louisa May Alcott.
Michelle Questions:
Are you a fangirl of any book? Which is it and why?
I’m a fangirl of many books, but I will give the spotlight to Six Of Crows because OMG this book is too brilliant for words! The writing, the chracters, the setting! Everything was just spot on and I wish everyone could read this book, I can’t gush about it enough.
If you could go into any bookstore with an unlimited budget, which five books would you walk out with?
If only! Hmm I will probably hunt down for really expensive, special copies of certain books. Hmm I actually don’t know…I will just say five books that I really want right now! No, I’m going to actually list five graphic novels, so it wouldn’t seem like I’m wasting my own money on something I will read in less then a day.
- Nimona by Noelle Stevenson
- Lumberjanes by Noelle Stevenson, Grace Ellis, Brooke A. Allen
- The Wicked + The Divine by Kieron Gillen, Jamie McKelvie (Illustrations), Matt Wilson (Colorist), Clayton Cowles
- The Completed Maus by Art Spiegelman
- The Search for WondLa by Tony DiTerlizzi
Choose three characters from your favourite novel and play Marry, Kiss & Kill.
I’m picking Harry from Harry Potter, The Darkling from Shadow and Bone and Levi from Fangirl. Gosh I just made this hard for myself! Ummm kill The Darkling, his too dangerous to live…
…kiss Harry and Marry Levi!
Heather’s Questions:
What is your favorite read of 2015 so far?
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, but I don’t think it was my absolute favourite completely, I can’t really pick just one after the great reading year I had!
What is your most anticipated book release for 2016?
There are so many awesome books that are coming out! I will share a new one book coming out in 2016 that I discovered just a few weeks ago. It is called The Glittering Court by Richelle Mead. Here is the blurb:
Big and sweeping, spanning the refined palaces of Osfrid to the gold dust and untamed forests of Adoria, The Glittering Court tells the story of Adelaide, an Osfridian countess who poses as her servant to escape an arranged marriage and start a new life in Adoria, the New World. But to do that, she must join the Glittering Court.
Both a school and a business venture, the Glittering Court is designed to transform impoverished girls into upper-class ladies capable of arranging powerful and wealthy marriages in the New World. Adelaide naturally excels in her training and even makes a few friends: the fiery former laundress Tamsin and the beautiful Sirminican refugee Mira. She manages to keep her true identity hidden from all but one: the intriguing Cedric Thorn, son of the wealthy proprietor of the Glittering Court.
When Adelaide discovers that Cedric is hiding a dangerous secret of his own, together, they hatch a scheme to make the best of Adelaide’s deception. Complications soon arise—first, as they cross the treacherous seas from Osfrid to Adoria, and later, when Adelaide catches the attention of a powerful governor.
But no complication will prove quite as daunting as the potent attraction simmering between Adelaide and Cedric. An attraction that, if acted on, would scandalize the Glittering Court and make them both outcasts in wild, vastly uncharted lands. . . .
I’m not a fan of the cover though. Say no to people on covers!
If you were stranded on a desert island and were allowed to bring three books with you, which would you choose?
The Fellowship of The Ring by J.R.R Tolkien– maybe there I will actually finish it!
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K Rowling– The last book is just too awesome, so I would love to reread it again and again! I don’t think I can get bored of Harry Potter.
Umm I should probably bring a classic as well, so I will say How To Kill A Mocking Bird by Harper Lee as I still need to read it!
I tag…(oh and take your time with the award if you need to because I took a bloody month to do this! And if you have already been awarded of course you don’t have to do it again!)
kirapebbles@ The Star I am Wishing On
My three questions along with the original three are…
- What is book to movie adaptation you liked?
- Do you have a fictional boyfriend? If yes, then say who!
- What is your favourite standalone and book series?
I’ll write soon!
-Astra
Review: Harry Potter and the Philospher’s Stone (Audio Book- Stephen Fry)
Book: Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
Written by:
Narrated by:
Length: 8 hrs and 43 mins
Release Date:20/11/2015
Publisher: Pottermore from J.K. Rowling
IRT! Informal Review Time!
Sorry my posts have been a little bit all over the place. Time has been a thing I have not had a lot of lately!
Now obviously I love Harry Potter and I wanted to reread the whole series for a long time now and I finally got the opportunity because of Harry Xmas To You which is a readawatchalongathon. I’m currently on Goblet Of Fire- which I forgot was a monster of a book.
A Stranger's Guide To Novels 