Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books I Wouldn't Mind Santa Leaving Under My Tree This Year.

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature found at The Broke and the Bookish. I know I said I might not have time to fit in the features, but I have managed this one. I’m bypassing tomorrow’s post, but I’ll start up the Wednesday feature again in a couple of weeks. That aside, here is this week’s feature.

The topic for this week is top ten books I wouldn’t mind Santa leaving under the tree.

1.     The Mephisto Club, as I really need to continue on with the Rizzoli and Isles series.

2.     Heartsick, as I really want to start the Gretchen Lowell series.

3.     Every Dead Thing, as I want to try out the Charlie Parker series.

4.     The Shell Collector, as I need to read more Hugh Howey.

5.     Alone, as I am dying to start the D.D. Warren series.

6.     Cinder, as I’ve been meaning to jump on The Lunar Chronicles bandwagon.

7.     Cold Granite, as I’m desperate to read the Logan McRae series as it’s set in my university city.

8.     Some Girls Bite, as the Chicagoland Vampires series seems like an interesting fantasy read and I need a new fantasy series to get into.

9.     Soulless, as I really enjoyed Gail Carriger’s young adult series I now want to read her adult series the Parasol Protectorate.

10.  Throne of Glass, again I wish to jump on the bandwagon.

I know Santa is not bringing any of these (Santa is bringing me a beautiful new watch instead, to replace the one I broke) but if he was bringing me books it would include these.

Getting Later And Later...

Okay, this isn’t so much an actual post as an apology.

I suck at keeping up with things. Well, I have as of late. I’m busy (it’s that time of the year) and I did not plan blog posts into my daily planning. Ergo, my weekly ‘this is what I have read’ will not come. I plan to do a ‘this is what I read in the last month’ once my time with the family is over.

I’m not sure whether I will get the chance for the weekly features, but I will try. Plus, come next year (read when I’m posting normally again) there are some new features I wish to start up.

If I do not post before, I wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Waiting on Wednesday: The Hanging Tree.

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature hosted at Breaking the Spine. The idea behind it is to share upcoming releases you cannot wait to get your hands on.

Last week I opted for the next in a series I was excited for, and this week is much the same. In all honesty, I’m even more excited for Ben Aaronovitch’s The Hanging Tree, book six in the Peter Grant series, than I am for my choice last week. I know, it makes no sense to order them in such a way, but it doesn’t matter. All that matters is that I share all of my fangirl feels with you. Unfortunately, I have to wait until June to get my hands on this (damn Amazon had me believing I would get it this year due to an error made) yet I am positive the wait will be more than worth it.

“The Hanging Tree was the Tyburn gallows which stood where Marble Arch stands today. Oxford Street was the last trip of the condemned. Some things don't change. The place has a bloody and haunted legacy and now blood has returned to the empty Mayfair mansions of the world's super-rich. And blood mixed with magic is a job for Peter Grant.

Peter Grant is back as are Nightingale et al. at the Folly and the various river gods, ghosts and spirits who attached themselves to England's last wizard and the Met's reluctant investigator of all things supernatural.”

It’s not much to go on, but with everything that has happened in the series to date, you know it is going to be a good one. Things are happening. As in, really happening. We’re heading towards answers. Things are becoming apparent. The many layers of the story are interacting in a wonderful way. I need to know what is next. I need to know how it ends (and yet I need the series to continue on forever).

In short, I cannot wait for my next wizarding police officer fix.

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Best Books I Read In 2015.

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature found at The Broke and the Bookish. I’m having fun, so I’m continuing on!

The topic for this week is my top ten best books I read in 2015. As with last week, it was a hard one – but I managed it.

1.     A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness.

2.     Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness.

3.     The Book of Life by Deborah Harkness.

4.     The Martian by Andy Weir.

5.     Dreams of Gods and Monsters by Laini Taylor.

6.     Little Black Lies by Sharon Bolton.

7.     Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter.

8.     You by Caroline Kepnes.

9.     Gone by Mo Hayder.

10.  Lost Girls by Angela Marsons.

Okay, so we have quite a few Deborah Harkness books. It couldn’t be helped, I’m sorry. The All Souls Trilogy blew my mind, hence why all three made the list. Still, there were plenty of other good reads this year.

Enjoy!

You're Late, You're Late, You're Running a Wee Bit Late.

Another speedy (read short) post.

To begin with, I know I’m technically late with this post. I’d been sticking to a Saturday routine and it is now Sunday (at least over here in the UK it is). Whist this is a weekend things, I had been hoping to stick to Saturday. Alas and alack, it cannot be helped. Life gets busy at times.

So yeah, busy week.

Nothing much fun to report in the book world, unfortunately. I managed both the Tuesday and Wednesday feature this time, so hooray there! I will still be keeping up with those (as I said before). In terms of what I have managed to read this week, there has been very little. Exams kill reading time. Honestly, they’re pesky little buggers.

Ergo, once again, my read list is mostly short stories. Well, technically that is untrue. I have read a number of books relating to my exams – but I doubt you want to hear all about the neuropsychology books I have been reading (and if you are, by some chance interested, you could just look at my Goodreads). Anyway, here is my (mostly) short stories collection for the week:

·         Lilacs. It was an interesting one. Whilst not my favourite Megan Derr read, it kept me entertained. In all honesty, I’d been expecting much worse for this one (although I’m not sure why).

·         The Woman in Silk. I would recommend this solely for the masochists out there… and even then I would suggest you find something else to read instead. Okay, it had a few decent moments… but, for the most part, it exists exclusively for the yearly challenge of ‘read a book with bad reviews’ (of course, within that category there are countless better books to choose from).

·         Billie Jean. Not my favourite read in the genre. The story wasn’t as fun as I had been hoping it would be. It kept me interested… but it didn’t really do anything for me.

·         Mission: X. I enjoyed this one much more than I was expecting. It was much more fun than I had envisioned it to be. I finished it in one and had to download the second part straight away.

·         The Bigger They Are. Whilst advertised as the second Mission X book, it is actually a prequel. Moreover, it is not necessary to read them both. They simply contain some of the same characters. At first, I’d been fearful I would not enjoy this one as much, but in the end I came to enjoy it almost as much.

Overall, it hasn’t been my best week for reads. Fortunately, exams end soon and I can get back to reading more of the good stuff!

Waiting on Wednesday: Soldier.

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature hosted at Breaking the Spine. The idea behind it is to share upcoming releases you cannot wait to get your hands on.

Last week I shared my fangirl moment over a standalone novel. This week, I have decided to opt for the next in a series. Soldier, the third book in the Talon series, by Julie Kagawa is due out April (so long as the information does not change again) and I cannot wait to see what comes next for the characters.

"A fighter dedicated to saving humankind from dragons in the strictest secrecy.

That was what Garret Xavier Sebastian thought he was part of as a soldier of the Order of St. George. What he learned from a fiery dragon hatchling twisted all he believed in and set him on a collision course with certain death-but not without a chance to put things right.

Betrayed and on the run again, Ember and rogue dragon Riley discover an unthinkable truth about Talon and St. George. They'll need Garret's skills and insider knowledge of the Order to negotiate an impossible deal-and if they fail, there will be no way to stop all-out war."

Whilst not my favourite series in history, it has certainly left a mark. I found myself addicted despite some issues I have with the series. If you're a lover of dragon stories, then I recommend picking up the first in the series to see if it is your cup of tea.

With a little bit of luck this book will be worth the wait!

Top Ten Tuesday: New-To-Me Favourite Authors I Read For The First Time In 2015.

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature found at The Broke and the Bookish. I skipped last week, due to being unable to find my top ten, yet this week I made sure I participated.

The topic for this week is my top ten new to me favourite authors I read for the first time in 2015. It is a hard one, but I managed it.

1.     Deborah Harkness.

2.     Mo Hayder.

3.     Angela Marsons.

4.     Caroline Kepnes.

5.     Mira Grant.

6.     Vaun Murphrey.

7.     Patrick Ness.

8.     Gregg Hurwitz.

9.     Julie Kagawa.

10.  Lee Child.

All are on it for different reasons, but all I enjoyed.

Deborah Harkness had been on my to-read list for a long time: I waited until her trilogy was complete before I allowed her to blow my mind. Mo Hayder had also been on my to-read list for a long time, and I wish I had picked up something sooner. Angela Marsons came out of nowhere and created a wonderful crime series I am now addicted to. Caroline Kepnes was a chance buy in the shop, which turned out to be a mind-blowing read. Mira Grant was also on my to-read list for a while (although, she had not been on it as long as the aforementioned), and she was very much worth the wait. Vaun Murphrey is another out of nowhere surprise read. Patrick Ness was one I was unsure about, only to enjoy more than I had expected. Gregg Hurwitz shocked me much more than expected, and I certainly need to read more of his work. Julie Kagawa is another to have sat on my to-read list for quite some time, only to prove I should have picked her up sooner. Lee Child is a guilty pleasure favourite – he does not blow my mind, but I enjoy them more than I believed I would.

Well, there you have it. Enjoy!

Means of Procrastination.

Just a quick on this time around.

First off, I know I missed my Tuesday feature. I was planning to participate only to realise I wasn’t quite sure what to add to the list. I’ll be sure to do it next week. In fact, I can already answer the top ten due on Tuesday, ergo that is sorted.

Secondly, I did manage the Wednesday feature! Such fun! It is certainly continuing on. So many good books to come. In all honesty, I fangirled quite a bit this week with new information coming out. It is safe to say, the Waiting on Wednesday feature will be continuing on.

Third (I’m not sure why I’m listing this time, but oh well), we have my crazy feels. I won a Dean Koontz book! In fact, I won two books as I awoke to an email this morning informing me of another winning. That is now four winnings since September, so I have a lot of reading and reviewing to do when I head back home for Christmas. It goes without saying the new Koontz book will be devoured first, yet I’m pretty excited for all of them.

Finally (told you it was a short one this go around), my reads this week. Life is still busy (it will calm down once exams are over… although Christmas time may keep the list somewhat short as well), but there are a couple of updates. Mostly it’s short stories, because it is a case of sticking in some reading between exam prep.

·         Animal Instincts. This really wasn’t what I was expecting. It was much more of a rom-com than I had imagined it would be. Worth a read, if you want something short.

·         The Wisdom of Iggy: The Tale of a BeardedDragon. Best Secret Santa gift ever. How could I not love a book about bearded dragons?

·         Etiquette & Espionage. This was so much better than I thought it would be. I entered tentative only to consume the book. I’m certainly finishing the series. Hooray for sharing a flat with another bibliophile! In short, give this series a try.

·         Something Sweet. Another short and sweet story. The title says it all, really. It’s free. It takes less than half hour to read. I see no reason for it not to be picked up.

Ashley Bell.

Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh.

Someone hold me. I cannot take the excitement. I just won a copy of Dean Koontz’s Ashley Bell in a Goodreads giveaway.

Best early Christmas present ever. I cannot wait to get my hands on it. Seriously, I’m fangirling so hard right now.

I. Won. A. Copy. Of. My. Favourite. Author’s. New. Book.

Excuse me whilst I run screaming around the house.

Waiting on Wednesday: Daisy in Chains.

This is my first ever Waiting on Wednesday, and we shall see how it goes!

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature hosted at Breaking the Spine. The idea behind it is to share upcoming releases you cannot wait to get your hands on.

As it is my first Waiting on Wednesday, I have decided to share my most recent fan girl moment. The information for Daisy in Chains by Sharon Bolton appeared on Goodreads not too long ago, and I fangirled like crazy.

“He loves her. He loves her not.

He's a serial killer. A murderer of young women, all killed in brutal attacks.

But despite his conviction, he's always stuck to his story - he's innocent and he's been wrongly imprisoned. And now he wants someone to investigate, and more importantly, to write his story.

At first Maggie, a barrister and true-crime writer, is reluctant to even acknowledge his requests, ignoring his letters. But this is a very charismatic and persuasive man, good-looking and intelligent.

Eventually even she can't resist his lure . . .”

Sounds wonderful, doesn’t it? I would have been lured in by that alone. Add in the fact it is by Sharon Bolton and I’m counting down the days. I have no idea how I am going to wait until June. It’s so far away! I was able to advance read her book this year – Little Black Lies (a must, if you have yet to read it) – meaning the gap between her books will be longer for me this go around.

June really needs to get a move on! 

What Should Have Been.

Oh look, I am posting again! I was going to do so during the week – honestly! There were a couple of things I wanted to participate in that required me to post at a specific time of the week. Alas, when things get busy…

Fortunately, I have found you can schedule posts! There is to be no more missed fun and games due to my inability to sit down and ramble on. Life hack, I know. Not cool, not cool at all. Let us make it our little secret.

Despite how I missed the chance to participate at the time, I feel as though I should bore you with a list post anyway. These things look so fun and I’m saddened by the fact I missed out on this one. First up, is what I should have done on Tuesday. Taken from ‘The Broke and the Bookish’, it is a list of ten authors I’m thankful for.

1.     Dean Koontz. Serious, my life would suck without his books in my life. His prose are beautiful. His characters are so much fun. His sense of humour is exactly the same as mine.

2.     Sharon Bolton. The reason I am an obsessive crime fan. Her plot twists are wonderful. Her stories are brilliant. I fan girl so much.

3.     Laini Taylor. If I let out the inner fan girl, you would all die of excess. I cannot begin to describe how wonderful her writing is. Beautiful. Lyrical. Unique. Everything you could ask for.

4.     Karin Slaughter. My love for crime deepened through this woman. She is my American Sharon Bolton. They’re both wonderfully dark authors, with shocking storylines.

5.     Tess Gerritsen. In case you haven’t noticed, there is a pattern emerging. Yet another wonderful female author to have created a marvellous crime series. Moreover, this woman can spin a great novel outside of crime.

6.     Ben Aaronovitch. Sticking with the pattern, but there is a twist this time. I love fantasy, as well. This man is to thank for the best crime-fantasy combination I have ever read. He has mixed the two together into a brilliant story. Not to mention, his wonderful British humour.

7.     Hugh Howey. I’m taking a step back from the crime authors for a moment. It is time to thank my favourite dystopian writer. There are many wonderful dystopian worlds out there, yet my favourite have all come through the same man. There is always something more to be found in his books, something extra to make it all the more wonderful.

8.     Tim Weaver. I couldn’t help myself: I had to add one final crime writer. I’m stepping away from the police, though. This time I would like to point towards my favourite private investigator. Things appear so simple in these books, only for twists to come out of nowhere to leave you genuinely confused.

9.     George R. R. Martin. We all know the main reason this main is on the list – the creator of everyone’s recent favourite fantasy series. What most people do not realise, is the man has created so much more. He has worked in so many genres. He has written so many interesting things in so many different genres. He is a man of many talents.

10.  Stephen King. I wasn’t sure whether or not to add this man to the list. I have a serious love-hate relationship with his work. He is the only author to have earned both one and five star (not to mention everything in-between) ratings from me on Goodreads. Nevertheless, there are countless good books to be found by him. Furthermore, he has inspired so many others. He needs to be thanked, even if it’s not for all his books.

On Tuesday, you will get the next list on time. Don’t worry about that (worry about my scheduled post not working instead). I also wanted to take part in the Waiting on Wednesday feature. I planned to share at the end of this here post, but I have changed my mind. You can wait until Wednesday to find out what I am looking forward to reading.

Finally, as I planned from last week, a quick update on what I have read and whether or not you should jump on the bandwagon. The list is rather short, as life is busy at the moment. There is not much I can do about that, sorry. So without further ado, here is your list:

·          On Sunday, I finished Peter May’s Blacklight Blue. Without a doubt, it is my favourite of the Enzo Files (admittedly, I have yet to finish the last one, but the statement is liable to stand). The series gets stronger the more you read, and I would recommend you give it a go. The books aren’t overly long, and by this point in the series you’re addicted.

·          On Tuesday, I finished The Great Disappointment. Sorry, I mean The Great Gatsby. I was let down. Massively. It is hard to explain my feelings. I just expected so much more. It wasn’t at all what I was expecting. Just… no. It wasn’t for me. It is another classic to add to my read list… yet it is not one I will be reading again. Nor will I be recommending it.

·          On Friday, I finished Freeze Frame. Number four in the Enzo Files. Not as good as number three, but still a wonderful read. Much better than the first two books. Still an entertaining read, keeping me interested in the series.

There we have it, a rather menial update. Here is to this getting better with time!

How To Start A Blog?

I’m rather late to this awkward introductory blog post. If by ‘rather late’, you mean ‘the bandwagon left years ago’. Hey-ho, better late than never people always say. Perhaps I was waiting until this would be less awkward… although, I doubt any point in my life history would allow me to write a non-awkward introductory blog post.

Where do you start?

What do you include?

What is the meaning of life?

We’ll leave the last one to the philosophers (or, you know, we could all agree to disagree with forty-two). The first two, however, I will fail to address. Do you want the kind of information included on dating websites? Doubtful. If you do, you’re on the wrong website my friend. Do you want the kind of things I post on Facebook? If so, this may as well not exist (I have reached the point in life where Facebook exists mostly for terrible games). Do you want the kind of things I post on Twitter? Those should be appearing at the side, if I have set the template up correctly. All in all, everything is up in the air at the moment.

In truth, this is another means to procrastinate.

I’m a lover of books, though. I guess the title of the blog gave that away. By means of procrastination, I guess I will give a book related rant. It is likely to happen a lot, after all. I may as well start as I mean to carry on.

First off, my yearly reading challenge. It was upped. Again. It’s getting a bit silly now. I have exams soon. I should probably focus. Alas, all the pretty books are distractions. I should probably stop increasing the number.

Next up, what you should read. This is pretty much a ‘what Siobhan thinks you should read based upon what she enjoyed this year (thus far)’. First, The Martian. Unless you live in a cave lacking in wi-fi you will have heard about it. I delayed in reading it until just before seeing the movie. Damn. What a read. Go read it. Second, A Discovery of Witches. Read the entire trilogy. Words cannot explain my obsession. There was so much fangirling for days.

Super short, just the two (four, really, but we’ll count the All Souls Trilogy as one). I plan to keep you up to date weekly with yays and nays. Perhaps a monthly choice. Certainly a yearly, if this here blog lasts that long. Whether or not I’ll find another mind-blowing read in the next month (serious, the year has gone so quick) I cannot say, but we’ll see.

Oh well, this introductory post is becoming quite a blah post. I really should stop procrastinating and finish my essay. Oh the joys. Who knows when I’ll post next – but until then!