Review: Lady Helen and the Dark Days Club by Alison Goodman

Title: Lady Helen and the Dark Days Club

Author: Alison Goodman

Published: 14 December 2015
Publisher: Harper Collins Australia
Source: Harper Collins Australia in return for an honest Review
Reviewed: Sapphired Dragon
Rating: ****

My Review:

One of the first things I heard about this book after opting to read and review it was hearing it described as in the vein of  Buffy the Vampire slayer in the Regency era. This description excited me and I was quick to add it to the top of my reading list anxious to get started on reading it. 

When I sat down to read it, it didn't disappoint! Whilst I could see the Buffy comparison, I also enjoyed it for many other reasons. 

Right from the beginning I was intrigued by Lady Helen and her life such as it was and I was eager to find out all about her special abilities.  Right away I was able to connect with Lady Helen as she set out to find out more about her mother, Lord Carlsten and why she was different which drew me further into the story. I felt her frustration when answers were slow to come initially and felt like this may have been drawn out just a little too much. But what kept me going was characters I couldn't get enough of and writing that made me feel like I was being given my own little window to peek in on the higher society of Regency life. . 

I loved the twists and turns in the plot line,  which kept me on my toes trying to guess who lady Helen could trust, what she was going to do and how it would all turn out. I liked that nothing was as black and white as it might seem at first and that the more Lady helen and the reader discovered, the more questions were also raised.  In this way,  the story was well layered though as mentioned sometimes the pace of the layers being peeled away had me just a little impatient as i was desperate to know right away.

Ms Goodman's gentle writing style flowed well, which helped translate the feel of the era and her world building gave to book an authentic feel. This gentle seeming flow of words worked incredibly well  as a counter point to the vivid imagery and action in the story and added to that feel of authenticity.

As all good books do, this left me wanting more. More of Lady Helen and Lord Carlsten, more about the dark Days Club and more paranormal Regency London. I am eagerly awaiting the next instalment. 

So whilst in some ways Lady Helen could described as a Regency Buffy the Vampire,  don't let appearances deceive you. This book is perfect for anyone that loves their paranormal sublimely balanced with a great story line and a regency feel

I  give this book 4 stars

Sapphired Dragon xx

About The Book:

Lady Helen and the Dark Days Club (Lady Helen #1)  by Alison Goodman

London, April 1812. Lady Helen Wrexhall is set to make her debut at the court of Queen Charlotte and officially step into polite Regency society and the marriage mart. Little does Helen know that step will take her from the opulent drawing rooms of Mayfair and the bright lights of Vauxhall Gardens into a shadowy world of missing housemaids and demonic conspiracies.

Standing between those two worlds is Lord Carlston, a man of ruined reputation and brusque manners. He believes Helen has a destiny beyond the ballroom; a sacred and secret duty. Helen is not so sure, especially when she discovers that nothing around her is quite as it seems, including the enigmatic Lord Carlston.

Against a backdrop of whispered secrets in St James's Palace, soirees with Lord Byron and morning calls from Beau Brummell, Lady Helen and the Dark Days Club is a delightfully dangerous adventure of self-discovery and dark choices that must be made ... whatever the consequences.

Publication Date: 14 December, 2015

Pre-Order:Booktopia  | Book Depository | Amazon

WWW Wednesday #18

WWW Wednesdays is a weekly meme formerly hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading and now revived by Taking on a World of Words.

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…
• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you will read next?

What are you currently reading?

I am currently reading the Every Breath (Every #1) By Ellie Marney.  I have been trying to read more Aussie YA and have heard good things about this series. Unfortunately I left it to read until the day before it was due back to the library so I had to buy my own copy to continue. I am currently on page 42 and looking to finish it in the next day or so. It's also a goal for a goodreads challenge I am doing which is another good motivation to finish it  :-)

What did you recently finish reading?

 

I managed to read three books this week. 

With Christmas on its way, I decided I wanted to read some Christmas themed romance so I borrow some Christmas anthologies from the library. So far I have managed to read The Gift by Nora Roberts which is a collection of three stories; Home For Christmas, All I want For Christmas and Gabriel's Angel. I enjoyed these especially AllI Want For Christmas which was very cute. The other two anthologies I borrowed seem to be a combination of these three short stories + 1 extra story each which is a little disappointing but I am still looking forward to reading the new stories. 

I was lucky enough to receive Thicker than Water by Brigid Kemmerer, author of the Elementals series, from Allen and Unwin this week and pretty much dove straight into it. I will be posting my review next week but I will tell you that I loved it and read the whole thing in virtually one sitting. :-)

I also read Demon Road by Derek Landy this week.  I actually received this in the goodie bag at BTCYA in November and finally got around to reading it and I was pleasantly surprised.  Again, planning to post the review within the next week or so but definitely enjoyed it more than I expected.

What do you think you will read next??

As mentioned I have two other Christmas anthologies to finish. They are Christmas Angels which has First Impressions and Last Christmas contains This magic moment. 

I have a review book to read Worlds of Ink and Shadow by Lena Coakley to read. According to the blurb, its about the Bronte siblings and the worlds they wrote about and imagined when they were children and about the power of imagination. It looks like an awesome read and I am looking forward to it.

As it is Christmas in just a matter of days,  I am leaving a blank space in my reading schedule this week as I am hoping to receive a book or two that I just might want to read straight away. Here's hoping! :-P 😛

So what are you reading this week? Are you expecting any good books this Christmas?

   

Release Day Blitz & Giveaway: This Raging Light by Estelle Laure

I am so excited that THIS RAGING LIGHT by Estelle Laure releases today and that I get to share the news!

If you haven’t yet heard about this wonderful book by Author Estelle Laure, be sure to
check out all the details below.

This blitz also includes a giveaway for a finished copy of the book and a bottle of nail polish that matches the cover courtesy of Estelle, HMH, and Rockstar Book Tours. So if you’d like a chance to win, enter in the Rafflecopter at the bottom of this post.

About The Book:

Title: THIS RAGING LIGHT

Author: Estelle Laure

Release Date: December 22^nd, 2015

Pages: 288

Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers

Formats: Hardcover, eBook, audiobook

Find It: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks

 

"A funny, poetic, big-hearted reminder that life can—and will—take us all by surprise.” —Jennifer E. Smith, The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight

Can the best thing happen at the worst time?

Her dad went crazy. Her mom left town. She has bills to pay and a little sister to look after. Now is not the time for level-headed seventeen-year-old Lucille to fall in love. But love—messy, inconvenient love—is what she’s about to experience when she falls for Digby Jones, her best friend’s brother. With blazing longing that builds to a fever pitch, Estelle Laure’s soulful debut will keep readers hooked and hoping until the very last page.

Exclusive Excerpt:

When Wrenny and I roll up the hill to Eden’s house in Mom’s ancient Corolla, Digby and his dad, John, are outside playing basketball, and I want to get in the house as fast as possible, because otherwise I might be trapped here all day, staring. I get a little twinge of something seeing a dad and his kid playing ball like dads and kids are supposed to. That’s a real thing, and my hand wants to cover Wren’s face so she can’t see all that she is missing.

       Which reminds me. “Wren.”

“Yeah?” She’s wiping at her shirt, reading a book on her lap, and she’s a little bit filthy, her hair greasy and knotty in spite of my efforts this morning. At some point the braids came out, and she’s reverted to wild.

“You know how Mom hasn’t been around lately?”

She stops. Tightens. “Yeah,” she says.

“Well, we don’t want anyone to know about that, okay?

Even Janie and Eden and Digby and John.”

“But Mom’s on vacation. She’s getting her head together. She’s coming back.”

“Okay, yes,” I say, “but still. We don’t want to tell anyone, because they might not understand that. They might get the wrong idea.”

“Like that she left us permanently?” There is so much more going on inside that Wrenny-head than I can ever know.

“Maybe, or at least for longer than she was supposed to.” I reach for the handle to the door because I can’t look at her. “Someone might think that.”

“She didn’t, though,” she says. “She’s Mom.”

“Of course she didn’t.” Lie.

“So who cares what anyone thinks?”

“Wren, just don’t, okay?”

“Okay.”

“Some things are private.” I open the door, then lean back across and wipe uselessly at her shirt with my thumb. “Like Mom being on vacation. So, okay?”

“I said okay, okay?” She gets out and waits, stares at me like I’m the most aggravating person on earth. “Hey, Lu?”

“Yeah?” I say, bracing myself for what’s next.

“Your mama’s so fat, she left the house in high heels and came back in flip-flops.”

I would tell her that I hate her new obsession with fat jokes, but I’m not in the mood for any dawdling, so I half laugh and get moving. I want to get inside and quick because there’s also the other thing. And by “other” I mean what makes me sweat just standing here. And by “thing” I mean Digby, who I have known since I was seven but who lately makes a fumbling moronic moron out of me, a full-on halfwit. Ask me my name when I’m in his presence and I’m not likely to be able to tell you. I’d probably just say, “Lllll . . . lllllllu . . .” and you’d have to catch the drool running down my chin.

I know. It’s not at all attractive.

But really. Tall, sweaty, and not wearing a shirt, so the muscles are all right there for the watching. He doesn’t exactly glisten, on account of the fact that he’s whiter than white, that he tans by getting freckles so he’s covered in them now after a whole summer outside. But seeing his hair all plastered to his forehead, his body so long and lean, looping around his dad to get the ball into the hoop, I want to fall out of the car and onto my knees in the driveway, say Lord have mercy, hallelujah, write sonnets and paint him, and worship that one little curve where his neck meets his shoulder that is just so, so perfect.

He is beautiful.

Which is why when he says hi as I pass him, I barely raise a pinky in response. There are two main problems here, aside from the fact that he is Eden’s twin and that’s all kinds of weird.

One, he’s had the same girlfriend since the dawn of time. They’re pinned, she wears his jacket, their marriage certificate is practically already signed. Angels bless their freakin’ union. And two, if I ever did get a chance with him, like if he ever kissed me or something, I would die of implosion. I know I sound like a twelve-year-old mooning over some celebrity, and not the extremely self-possessed woman-tobe that I actually am, but something about him makes me lose my mind. Something about the way he moves, about his himness — it shatters me all the way down. So I hope he never does kiss me. That would be nothing but a disaster. No one needs to see me fall apart like that. Least of all him.

Actually, maybe least of all me.

About Estelle:

Estelle Laure is a Vonnegut worshipper who believes in love and magic and the power of facing hard truths. She has a BA in Theater Arts from New Mexico State University and an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts, and thinks everyone should have to wait tables or work in a kitchen at least once in their lives. She lives in Taos, New Mexico with her
children.

Website | Twitter |Facebook | Goodreads | Instagram

Giveaway Details:

1 winner will receive a hardcover of THIS RAGING LIGHT and a bottle of Essie Nail Polish
that matched the book cover. US Only.

Ends on December
31^st at Midnight EST!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

M9B Friday Reveal: Redesigned Series Cover Reveal – Dragonrider Chronicles by Nicole Conway with Giveaway #M9BFridayReveals

Welcome to this week’s M9B Friday Reveal!

This week, we are reveal the cover for

Traitor (Dragonrider Chronicles #3)
by Nicole Conway

an upcoming Month9Books title!

Not only are we revealing this gorgeous new cover,
we are also reveal the redesigned cover for the series!

You guys are in for a treat!

Be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post!

Can anyone survive being lost in Luntharda?

No amount of training has prepared Jaevid Broadfeather for the frontlines of battle. Now facing the true horrors of war, with Luntharda looming on the horizon, Jaevid has begun to question everything he thought about his heritage. The only thing keeping him going is his oath to protect his dragonrider brothers. But in an instant, even that slips through Jaevid’s fingers as he steps from the safety of his dragon’s saddle into the depths of his mother’s wild homeland—the kingdom of the gray elves.

Stranded in Luntharda with his partner, Lieutenant Jace Rordin, Jaevid must finally confront the demons of his own past as he uncovers the truth about a war that began before he was ever born. Armed with a new appreciation for destiny, and flanked by his trusted friends, Jaevid moves to make the final strike against an enemy that has hidden in plain sight for far too long.

One kingdom’s traitor will become the world’s last hope.

Available for Pre-Order:
Chapters | Amazon | B&N | TBD

AND NOW HERE ARE THE REDESIGNED COVERS
FOR BOOKS 1 AND 2!

When Jaevid Broadfeather is given the rare opportunity to become a dragonrider for the king’s army, the 15-year-old boy has no idea that he is part of a conspiracy that will rock the very foundations of the kingdom.

Jaevid Broadfeather has grown up as a wartime refugee, hiding from the world because of his mixed racial heritage. He feels his future is hopeless, until a chance encounter with a wild dragon lands him in Blybrig Academy—a place usually forbidden to anyone but the rich and royal. But Jaevid’s case is special; no dragon has voluntarily chosen a rider in decades, so the proud riders of Blybrig must begrudgingly let him join their brotherhood despite his bloodline. Lieutenant Sile Derrick, a sternly tempered man with a mysterious past, becomes his instructor and immediately takes a peculiar interest in Jaevid’s future.

While struggling through the rigorous physical demands of training, things begin to go awry. Jaevid witnesses the king’s private guards kidnapping Sile in the dead of night. When none of the elder riders are willing to help him, Jaevid begins a dangerous adventure to save his instructor.

Everything Jaevid learned at the academy will now be put to the ultimate test.

Google Play | BAM | Chapters | IndieBound | Amazon | B&N | Kobo | TBD | iBooks

Jaevid wants to pass his Avian year of training . . . but will he even survive it?

What kind of power is lurking inside him? After a year of training to become a dragonrider, Jaevid Broadfeather has been sent home to rest during a three-month interlude. But when he returns to find the king drake has chosen Beckah Derrick as his new rider, Jaevid realizes something big is about to happen. Every fiber of his being is pushed to the breaking point as Jaevid battles through his avian year, preparing for the final graduation test of the battle scenario. But there is more standing in his way than a few pushups and fancy sword moves. Jaevid must face a new fear as he is tormented by a gruesome nightmare of a mysterious gray elf warrior murdering the royal family of Maldobar. It seems obvious to him that this is some kind of message about how the war started long ago—until Felix assures him the king is very much alive. With his strange powers growing stronger by the day, and that violent dream replaying in his mind every night, Jaevid no longer wonders if he will pass his avian year or not—he wonders if he will even survive it.

The truth will soon be set loose.

Google Play | BAM | Chapters | IndieBound | Amazon | B&N | Kobo | TBD | iBooks

Nicole is the author of the children’s fantasy series, THE DRAGONRIDER CHRONICLES, about a young boy’s journey into manhood as he trains to become a dragonrider. She has completed the first two books in the series, and is now working on the third and final book.

Originally from a small town in North Alabama, Nicole moves frequently due to her husband’s career as a pilot for the United States Air Force. She received a B.A. in English with a concentration in Classics from Auburn University, and will soon attend graduate school.

She has previously worked as a freelance and graphic artist for promotional companies, but has now embraced writing as a full-time occupation.

Nicole enjoys hiking, camping, shopping, cooking, and spending time with her family and friends. She also loves watching children’s movies and collecting books. She lives at home with her husband, two cats, and dog.

Connect with the Author: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Instagram

Complete the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win.
Title will be sent upon its release.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

M9B Friday Reveal: Cover Reveal – Emerge by Tobie Easton with Giveaway #M9BFridayReveals

Welcome to this week’s M9B Friday Reveal!

This week, we are revealing the cover for

Emerge by Tobie Easton

an upcoming Month9Books Title!

Author, Tobie Easton, also shares her thoughts on the cover.

Be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post!

It’s finally here, and you finally get to see it!! Sharing the cover of my debut novel, Emerge, with you means so much to me. When I saw it for the first time, my jaw dropped—it’s just that beautiful. I love how the main character, Lia, blends so seamlessly into the ocean, like she’s one with the water, which is so thematically perfect for the book. While everything seems calm and beautiful on the surface, there’s something deeper, more alluring, and perhaps more sinister hidden just below.
The call of the ocean is an important part of the novel, so it’s mesmerizing the way Lia is being drawn toward the sea—and taking the reader with her.

Want to know my favorite detail? It’s the way the bottom of Lia’s gown billows like ocean waves (I’m a sucker for a gorgeous gown!). And the sparkles behind the title hint at the magic within. I could gush all day, but I really want to know what you think! Come tell me on Twitter, Goodreads, IG, orFacebook! I’m SO excited for you to read the first book of the Mer Chronicles this April!

xo Tobie

Lia Nautilus may be a Mermaid but she’s never lived in the ocean. War has ravaged the seven seas ever since the infamous Little Mermaid unleashed a curse that stripped Mer of their immortality. Lia has grown up in a secret community of land-dwelling Mer hidden among Malibu’s seaside mansions. Her biggest problems are surviving P.E. and keeping her feelings for Clay Ericson in check. Sure, he’s gorgeous in that cocky, leather jacket sort of way and makes her feel like there’s a school of fish swimming in her stomach, but getting involved with a human could put Lia's entire community at risk.

So it’s for the best that he’s dating that new girl, right? That is, until Lia finds out she isn't the only one at school keeping a potentially deadly secret. And this new girl? Her eyes are dead set on Clay, who doesn't realize the danger he's in. If Lia hopes to save him, she’ll have to get closer to Clay. Lia’s parents would totally flip if they found out she was falling for a human boy, but the more time she spends with him, the harder it is for her to deny her feelings. After making a horrible mistake, Lia will risk everything to stop Clay from falling in love with the wrong girl.

Emerge by Tobie Easton
Publication Date: April 12, 2016
Publisher: Month9Books

Available for Pre-order:
Amazon | B&N | Chapters | TBD

Tobie Easton was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, where she’s grown from a little girl who dreamed about magic to a twenty-something who writes about it. A summa cum laude graduate of the University of Southern California, Tobie hosts book clubs for tweens and teens. She and her very kissable boyfriend enjoy traveling the globe and fostering packs of rescue puppies. Tobie loves chocolate chip cookies and Oxford commas.

Author Links: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Complete the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win.
Title will be sent upon its release.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Tour Stop & Giveaway: The Queen B* and the Homecoming King by Crista McHugh

The Queen B* And the Homecoming King by Crista McHugh

Date of Publication: December 1, 2015

The Review:

I adore this series.  I think I have loved it more with every book and this final book is the best so far.

Alexis has finally agreed to be Brett's girl friend but with rules attached and is something she wants to ease into as she is still desperately afraid of something going wrong and her senior year being a repeat of the humiliation of the sixth grade.  However being the girl friend of the star quarter back is the least of the issues she faces in this book but it is also the key to how she and Brett will come through at the end.

I liked seeing thr growth in Alexis in this book.  In the first book, it is all about Brett convincing Alexis to start to break out of the shell of protection she has surrounded herself in since Middle School.  In book 2, its more of a balance between the growth of both Alexis and brett as we start to see some chinks in the Brett's seeming perfectness.  However in this book, we really get to see how Alexis has grown since book one in the way she faces the challenges that are thrown at her and Brett. Its defnitely not all smooth sailing for her but she definitely shows growth of character.

I also loved that this story wasn't just about Alexis and Brett.   All the main characters of the last couple of books have their own story lines as well and Ms McHugh does very well to weave these threads together.  I really loved seeing more of the other characters and finding out more about what makes them tick in particular Taylor and Richard.

This book also deals with some serious yet relevant topics in the teen high school world of today and Ms McHugh does this with great sensitivity.

I am so glad i chose to read this series and this book in particular is my favourite.  It is a quick read which is good in a way as you wont want to put it down till the end but you may want to hold on to the last few pages to delay having to leave this series.

One of my more enjoyable reads these last few months, I give this book 4 stars

Nikk Sapphireddragon

Blurb

The Queen B*, Alexis Wyndham, has only three rules when it comes to dating that star quarterback, Brett Pederson:

1. No obligations to spend every waking moment with each other.
2. No public displays of affection while at Eastline High.
3. And absolutely, under no circumstances, will she ever go to the Homecoming dance.

But as her life is completely upended time and time again, she begins to wonder if some rules are meant to be broken.

Excerpt:

I'd never greeted a Monday morning with dozens of giddy butterflies in my stomach. Usually, I reserved my most dramatic sighs and biting comments for Mondays because—let's face it—they suck. But this Monday morning was different.

I, Alexis Wyndham, was officially Brett Pederson's girlfriend.

But I still wasn't ready to announce that to the world.

As we floated in a canoe among the water lilies in Lake Washington yesterday, I lay down a few ground rules to help me ease into this unprecedented (and unimaginable) situation. After all, it's not every day the Queen B* and the Quarterback become a couple. Dropping that bomb on our classmates could cause a rift in the space-time continuum.

Or at least cause my nemesis, Summer Hoyt, to have one very public and dramatic meltdown.

Rule number one: I refused to be one of those disgustingly cute couples that were joined at the hip between classes. We were dating, not merging our lives and identities into a single life-form. Brett had his group of friends and I had mine, and until recently, they never intertwined because I despised most of the in-crowd. If I hadn't gotten to know the real Brett during a class project, I would've continued to write him off as a dumb jock.

Lesson learned, but still…

Rule number two: no public displays of affection at school. Not that I had any problem with PDAs with Brett. I liked kissing him. But I also had been known to lose control when I was with him…and lose articles of clothing. And after having that awkward run-in with my mom and her boyfriend's PDA on our living room couch last week, I'd rather not make a spectacle of myself in front of everyone. It opened up the doors to ridicule.

Rule number three: I wouldn't go to Homecoming with Brett. I'd made it this far through high school without plunging into that cheesy sea of balloons and crepe paper while wearing a silly sequin-laden dress, and I wasn't going to cross that line during my senior year.

Available From

Amazon (Kindle)


Barnes & Noble

---

About Crista McHugh

Crista McHugh is an award-winning author of fantasy and romance who writes heroines who are smart, sexy and anything but ordinary. She currently lives in the Audi-filled suburbs of Seattle with her husband and two children, maintaining her alter ego of mild-mannered physician by day while she continues to pursue writing on nights and weekends.

She is an active member of the Romance Writers of America (including the Greater Seattle Chapter and the Seattle Eastside Chapters), and Romance Divas.

Just for laughs, here are some of the jobs she's had in the past to pay the bills: barista, bartender, sommelier, stagehand, actress, morgue attendant, and autopsy assistant.

And she's also a recovering LARPer. (She blames it on her crazy college days)

Find Crista McHugh Online

Website
Goodreads
Amazon
Facebook
Twitter

Contest

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Hosted by:

Waiting on Wednesday #16 : Night Study (Soulfinder #2) byMaria V Snyder

Welcome to Waiting on Wednesday!  Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly featured hosted by Breaking the Spine to spotlight the not yet released books that I wish were in my hot little hands right now.

This week I am waiting on Night Study which is the second book in the Soulfinder series and the fifth in the overall study series and continues on with Yelena and Valek's story.

The previous book ( see my review here) left in a bit of a cliff hanger with a revelation that I had gleefully guessed earlier but was only revealed in the last few pages so I am completely hanging out for this book to see what will happen as a result. 

This has got to be one of most favourite series in recent time, with Yelena and Valek's being two of my favourite characters and one of my favourite couples.  It's one of those series where you immediately drop everything to read as soon as the newest book makes it into your hands. So I cannot cannot wait to find out what happens next.

Night Study (Soulfinder #2)) by Maria V Snyder

New York Times bestselling author Maria V. Snyder transports readers back to the realms of Sitia and Ixia in an exciting new Study novel full of magic, danger and intrigue.

Ever since being kidnapped from the Illiais Jungle as a child, Yelena Zaltana’s life has been fraught with peril. But the recent loss of her Soulfinding abilities has endangered her more than ever before. As she desperately searches for a way to reclaim her magic, her enemies are closing in, and neither Ixia nor Sitia are safe for her anymore. Especially since the growing discord between the two countries and the possibility of a war threatens everything Yelena holds dear.

Valek is determined to protect Yelena, but he’s quickly running out of options. The Commander suspects that his loyalties are divided, and he’s been keeping secrets from Valek...secrets that put him, Yelena and all their friends in terrible danger. As they uncover the various layers of the Commander’s mysterious plans, they realise it's far more sinister than they could have ever imagined.

Publication Date: 25 January 2016
Pre-Order: Booktopia  | Book Depository | Harlequin Teen Australia | Amazon

What book are you 'waiting on' this week?

Aussie YA Bloggers Secret Santa Blog Hop #AusYASecretSanta

After blogging for the last four years, this year is really the first year I have really started to get to know my fellow Aussie Bloggers and get involved in the australian Ya blogging community.  So it is already the first year I have been lucky enough to participate in #AusYASecretSanta.  One of the requirements is to answer the below 5 questions as well as leave some clues so that our Santee might be able to guess who their Secret Santa is and I have had a lot of fun answering the below questions.

You can check out the other hoppees here

1. What are your top 5 favourite books this year?

• Queen of Shadows
• Ten Thousand Skies Above You
• Vision in Silver
• Shadow Study
• The Ruby Circle

2. How did you go with your Goodreads challenge?

I did exceedingly well this year.  My original goal was 106 but i hit that in november so i extended it out to 120 and I am currently 5 books away :-)

2015 Reading Challenge

Nikk has

read 115 books toward her goal of 120 books.

hide

115 of 120 (95%)

view books

3. How many times did you post a week on average? Do you think you’ll post more/less in the future?

I posted 1-2 time per week on average which was mainly done in big blocks of weeks where I was posting multiple times per week then post nothing at all for another few weeks .  My main goal for 2016 is to post with more consistency.  Ideally at least  1-2 review per week, twice weekly post some memes and a couple of blog tours and giveaways each month

4. What is your favourite blogging moment/achievement of 2015?

My favourite blogging moment achievement this year was finally starting to build a relationship with some Australian publishers and to start getting some print books from here in Australia as well as the e-books i was getting through Netgalley and Edelweiss.  Some of the biggest books I was looking forward to this year I was lucky enough to receive early to review which made reading them all that more exciting. I just hope my reviews are justifying the faith of those sending me these awesome titles to read (and reminds me i have two more reviews I need to write tonight...)

5. Did you read mostly review or non-review books this year?

I think i read mostly review books this year but the spread was reasonably even and i still was able to read other books that were purely for pleasure and not to review.  And of course there those that were both

6. What are your blogging goals for 2016?

As mentioned above, i would like to get some more consistency in my blog in 2016.  My job has recently changed so my time and energy levels outside of work hhave also changed which has affected my ability to post regularly so i am hoping to sort that out earlier rather than later in 2016.

I am also looking to start a second blog review children's picture books. I am loving reading to my three year old and there are some great books out there.  So I would really ove to start highlighting them a little more 

7. What books are you looking forward to in 2016?

just off the top of my head, these are the first few that come to mind

• Marked in Flesh by Anne Bishop
• Night Study By Maria V Snyder
• The Storyteller's Muse by Traci Harding
• Throne of Glass #5 by Sarah J Maas
• Paper and Fire by Rachel Caine.

Based on the answers above, have you been a good or naughty blogger this year?

I was originally going to say that i was somewhere in between but looking at my goals I set at the beginning of the year, I actually think I have been quite good ( or at least better than last year).  I am still posting posts literally by the skin of my teeth time wise and have had a few relapses to the no post weeks/months but i think over all my blog has improved for the better this year so i am going to go on a limb and say i have been a reasonably good blogger this year

Leave 3 clues to help your santee guess who you are!

1. Your blog header has one of my favourite books in it and I may have mentioned another book by the same author in this post...
2. I really liked your review of What We Left behind
3.  You are a relatively new blogger

Examples of clues you can leave:

• Your santee’s latest blog post
• Describe your santee’s theme
• A recent comment you left your santee