Monthly Round-Up: January

So the first month of 2016 is behind us and, if I'm honest, I'm pretty glad. You may have noticed I haven't been posting on the blog as regularly as normal, but life has seemed to be getting in the way somewhat more than usual lately, causing a disruption to my blogging schedule. A new year brought a new job for me and it's taking some getting used to. I'm enjoying it, but on an evening I'm wiped out and the longer days mean I'm not reading as quickly as I was. I'm hoping now I'm settled and more into it I'll be back to normal soon - please bear with me! 

So, here's my bookish round-up for January. 

Books I've read:

• The Unfinished Symphony of You & Me, Lucy Robinson (5/5)
• You and Me, Always, Jill Mansell  (5/5)
• Stirred with Love, Marcie Steele (4/5)
• Deadly Obsession , Nigel May  (3/5)
• Wickham Hall, Cathy Bramley (5/5)
• Match Me If You Can, Michelle Gorman (4/5 - review to come)
  

What I've bought: 

A Kindle paperwhite! I absolutely love it. Up until now I'd been reading e-books on the kindle app on my phone... not ideal due to a small and bright screen. This purchase is a revelation and I am so happy with it. I'm going to be doing a post about it soon, so keep an eye out. 

Books I've bought: 

We are all made of stars, Rowan Coleman

The Secrets of Happiness, Lucy Diamond

Books  I've received:

Summer Nights at the Moonlight Hotel, Jane Costello 

The Perfect Gift, Emma Hannigan 

Netgalley Approvals: 

How To Get Hitched in Ten Days, Samantha Tonge 

My Map of You, Isabelle Broom 

The Silent Girls, Ann Troup

Book of the month: 

I always find this such a tough decision, but I love doing it as at the end of the year it means I can look back on some of my favourite reads. This month was full of amazing books that all helped me get through the January blues with a smile on my face. I absolutely loved You and Me, Always and The Unfinished Symphony of You and Me, but January's book of the month has to go to Wickham Hall by Cathy Bramley. The story has stuck with me since reading and I keep daydreaming about the fabulous stately home setting of the story. An absolute corker of a novel that you MUST read if you haven't already! 

Monthly round-up: November

I can't quite believe that the end of November is here and that tomorrow it is December... a.k.a a time when it is perfectly acceptable to be overly festive and stuff my face with mince pies everyday. 'Tis the season to be merry, after all.

November had absolutely zoomed past in comparison to what felt like a rather slow October. I've had a lovely month filled with family and friends. I love this time of year - cuddling up on the sofa with a film and a takeaway, bonfire night parties and just generally starting to wind-down as the end of the year approaches. As it's been a fairly quiet month socalising-wise, I've had plenty of time to read some fab books. (Click on the titles of the books I've read to read my reviews!)

Books I've received:
Never Kiss a Man in a Christmas Jumper, Debbie Johnson
It Started With a Snub, Bernadette Maycock
A Winter Wedding, Abby Clements 
The Boy Under the Mistletoe, Kate Beeden
Wish Upon a Christmas Cake, Darcie Boleyn

Books I've Won: 
Snowed in for Christmas, Claire Sandy
Gingerbread Cafe Christmas, Rebecca Raisin

Books I've Read:

24 Hours, Claire Seeber (4.5/5)

Lost Girls, Angela Marsons (5/5)

Billy and Me, Giovanna Fletcher (3/5)

The Leftovers, Stella Newman (5/5)
Follow Me, Angela Clarke (4.5/5)
Never Kiss a Man in a Christmas Jumper, Debbie Johnson (4/5)

Conditional Love, Cathy Bramley (5/5)

The Girl With No Past, Kathryn Croft (3/5)

November book of the month

As usual with my book of the month, it was really hard to make a decision. It's been a great month for reading, and some of the books, like Leftovers and Lost Girls, will really stick with me for some time as they were so brilliant. That's why I've decided it was a good idea to start a rating system for my round-up post. I don't use a rating in my reviews, as I think you can gauge from my review how much I liked the book. But for my round-up posts it's a quick and easy way for you to see how much I've enjoyed a book. So anyway, my book of the month for November has to go to Conditional Love by Cathy Bramley. I absolutely LOVED it - it's full of charm, hope and love. The definition of feel-good fiction. 

I also wrote a guest post for Lil'Novelist about my fave book covers of the year - you can read it here. 

I had loads of fun this month doing some more personal posts about me and my reading habits! There was the 11 Things You Didn't Know tag and  The Reading Habits tag. If you haven't already read them and are a nosy person (like I am!) then why not have a read :) 

So there you have it, my November round-up. I'm so excited for December.. I love the build-up to Christmas and getting all festive. I have loads of Christmas reading planned (I blogged my festive TBR pile here) and will be reviewing them in the run up to Christmas, so keep your eyes peeled! 

L xx

WWW Wednesdays

WWW Wednesday's is a meme hosted by Sam over on her blog, Taking on a World of Words. It's a really fun way to share what you've been reading and what you plan to read, so I thought I'd give it a go! 

1. What are you currently reading?

Conditional Love by Cathy Bramley

I'm really, really enjoying this so far. It has all the magic and intrigue of a typical Cathy Bramley story. I love her writing style and engaging characters and can't wait to see how the story unfolds (I'm about half way through). Keep an eye out for a review once I'm finished! 

Blurb: 

What surprises might life have in store for you?

A takeaway, TV and tea with two sugars is about as exciting as it gets for thirty-something Sophie Stone. Sophie’s life is safe and predictable, which is just the way she likes it, thank you very much.

But when a mysterious benefactor leaves her an inheritance, Sophie has to accept that change is afoot. There is one big catch: in order to inherit, Sophie must agree to meet the father she has never seen.

Saying ‘yes’ means the chance to build her own dream home, but she’ll also have to face the past and hear some uncomfortable truths…

With interference from an evil boss, warring parents, an unreliable boyfriend and an architect who puts his foot in it every time he opens his mouth, will Sophie be able to build a future on her own terms - and maybe even find love along the way?

2. What did you recently finish reading?

Follow Me by Angela Clark 

I absolutely LOVED this book - a gripping, twisty thriller with a dynamic edge. Read my full review here 

Blurb: 

"LIKE. SHARE. FOLLOW . . . DIE

The ‘Hashtag Murderer’ posts chilling cryptic clues online, pointing to their next target. Taunting the police. Enthralling the press. Capturing the public’s imagination.

But this is no virtual threat.

As the number of his followers rises, so does the body count.

Eight years ago two young girls did something unforgivable. Now ambitious police officer Nasreen and investigative journalist Freddie are thrown together again in a desperate struggle to catch this cunning, fame-crazed killer. But can they stay one step ahead of him? And can they escape their own past?

Time's running out. Everyone is following the #Murderer. But what if he is following you?

ONLINE, NO ONE CAN HEAR YOU SCREAM …"

3. What do you think you’ll read next?

I'm going to start reading my festive christmassy books next. I'm going to be doing a 'festive reads' blog post, outlining all the books I'll be reading in the build up to Christmas and over the festive period. I can't wait as I have loads of beautiful looking and brilliant sounding stories to dive into, but I think I'll start with The Winter Wedding by Abby Clements, which I was kindly sent recently by the publishers of the book, Simon & Schuster. 

Blurb: 

"Hazel never set out to be a wedding planner. She was just helping her stressed sister Lila with cakes and décor for her big day. But when Lila and Ollie's summer ceremony is a runaway success, with guests raving about the food and styling at the pretty venue, word about Hazel's expertise soon spreads.

But Hazel's clients expect the very best - she's promised lawyers Gemma and Eliot a snow-covered castle in the Scottish Highlands, and laidback couple Josh and Sarah a bohemian beach wedding in a Caribbean paradise. But as weather, in-laws and wilful brides conspire against her, can Hazel get two very different couples to walk up two very different aisles to say 'I do'? And will she find her own happy ending if she does?"

I hope you enjoyed this post, I'd love to hear what you're reading - let me know in the comments below! Also if you have any recommendations, feel free to share! :) 

Laura's Library Loans #2

Welcome back to my new feature, where I share with you mini-reviews of the books I've been borrowing from the library. 

I think I'm already sensing a bit of a theme with my library loans.... they provide a great opportunity to catch up on some of my favourite author's back catalogues. This month I did exactly that, picking up two older books by some brilliant authors that I've only recently discovered. I borrowed Billy & Me, Giovanna Fletcher's first novel, and Leftovers by Stella Newman. Below are my thoughts on these books. 

1. Billy & Me by Giovanna Fletcher 
3.5/5

So I've approached Giovanna's writing completely backwards, starting with You're The One That I want (her 2014 release) and then Dream a Little Dream (her latest release published in Summer this year). I've wanted to read Billy & Me, her first novel which was released in 2013, for some time now. When I saw it in the library, I rushed to borrow it and read it straight away. Now, I did say in my review of Dream a Little Dream (link above) that Giovanna Fletcher's writing gets better and better with each book, and I think this book proved my theory as, if I'm honest, this is probably my least favourite story of hers. Don't get me wrong, I still really enjoyed it. It was a fun, light read- perfect to curl up with on a winter evening for some relaxation. It just didn't flow as easily or engage me as much as her other books did. I just think you can tell her writing style has strengthened with experience.
The plot is great - small-town girl Sophie May is happy(ish) working in the teashop in the small village she grew up in, keeping to herself. When superstar actor Billy shows up for filming, sparks fly between them and she eventually finds herself in a relationship with him and catapulted into an entirely new world- one filled with fame, fortune and stardom.  This idea was great, it was fascinating seeing how the other half live and how a normal girl can fit into that. I also loved the location - a small, sleepy village where everyone knows everyone. I think these make for the best settings as it gives you a real insight into the characters. 

One of the major downfalls for me was how Sophie May could sometimes make mountains out of molehills. Some of the big arguments between her and Billy seemed to be unnecessary and caused by an overreaction. I think Sophie was on a very short fuse and that, to me, made her slightly unrelatable. 

Summary: A light hearted, easy read with a beautiful countryside setting, intreguing romance and an interesting plot.  

2. Leftovers by Stella Newman
5/5

I was taken aback by Stella Newman's amazingly witty writing style when I read The Dish, and her 2013 novel Leftovers doesn't disappoint. Much like The Dish, it centers around a main character with a passion for food and cooking. Stuck in an advertising job she hates, she makes a pact to herself that once she is promoted, she will quit. I must admit this part of the plot confused me slightly- why would she quit once she's been promoted? I know she wants to prove herself to everyone, but surely she'd be better following her dreams now rather than enduring months in the job from hell, just to tell them where to go when they promote her? Despite this qualm the story is fab, jam packed with unique characters, drool-worthy recipes and witty writing. I LOVE the way Stella Newman makes the most normal of sentences hilarious and has such a knack to make words float off a page and smack you in the face, they grab your attention so much. It's safe to say I absolutely loved this and can't wait for more from Stella.

Summary: Laugh-out loud fiction with relatable, brilliant characters and amazing sounding food. I was hooked from page 1 and couldn't put it down, Leftovers put a big smile on my face thanks to Stella Newman's fantastic writing. 

So, there you have it! My library reads for this month. What have you guys been reading? Any recommendations for my next visit to the library? Let me know in the comments below L xx :)