Andy and the Extroverts by Jessica K. Foster

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Title: Andy and the Extroverts
Author: Jessica K. Foster
Genre: Young Adult Coming-of-Age
Where to Read:
Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.com/Andy-Extroverts-Jessica-K-Foster/dp/196072410X
Barnes and Noble Link: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/andy-and-the-extroverts-jessica-k-foster/1143406351

Synopsis:

Seventeen-year-old bookish Andy has no friends. When her over-involved mother has the audacity to ship her off to summer leadership camp, she's thrust into an introvert's nightmare. Everyone is a Communicator with a capital C, icebreaker activities are scheduled into every waking moment, and horror of all horrors: there's no coffee. Even the girls who take her under their wing are the kind of self-assured people Andy could never dream of becoming.

Then she meets Lucas-hot, attentive, and everything Andy reads about in her books. Though the girls in her cottage try to warn her about him, she's swept into the first romance of her life. But when she discovers her friends may be right, she'll have to find her inner confidence to save her summer and become the leader she was always meant to be.

The Fish King and the Two Wise Ghosts by Francis H Powell

This is a post written by the author

Title: The Fish King and the Two Wise Ghosts
Author: Francis H Powell
Genre: Childrens picture book
Where to read:
The Fish King and the Two Wise Ghosts : Powell, Francis H: Amazon.co.uk: Books
The Fish King and the Two Wise Ghosts by Francis H Powell, Paperback | Barnes & Noble® (barnesandnoble.com)
The Fish King and the Two Wise Ghosts – Blossom Spring Publishing

Synopsis:

The Fish King is lonely and wishes he has a wife to keep him company. So when his chance of happiness is dashed by Princess Chipolata, after she is caught by the two wise ghosts stealing the crown jewels and is sent to prison, the king is still left feeling miserable. The Fish King has many suiters but it is Princess Alice’s sister, Lilly, who finally wins his heart!

However, there’s only one problem…he must introduce her to the two ghosts that reside in his palace and who like to play jokes on people!

A grand wedding takes place at the palace and soon after the king and queen produce a royal heir – Prince Erik. The young prince grows to love the two wise ghosts as much as his father does and, as soon as he is old enough, he leaves the palace to embark on a magical adventure with his ghost friends; until at last it is time to go home and share his many stories with his parents and Aunt Alice.

The Summer We've Had by Katherine Blakeman

This is a post written by the author

Title: The Summer We've Had
Author: Katherine Blakeman
Genre: Sapphic fiction/lesbian fiction
Where to read: Amazon (electronic or paperback) and Kindle Unlimited

Synopsis:

After a nightmare couple of years following the death of her celebrity singer mother, Cass Mulligan is moving down to the sun, sea and shingle of Cornwall for a fresh start. But she soon realises that she’s not the only one in need of some TLC…

Felicia Wilson’s life is one long series of spinning plates. She has Dissociative Identity Disorder, a system of five alternate personalities living in her body, and they all have different hopes, fears and desires.

When Cass is thrown together with Felicia, some beautiful friendships grow, and soon there is substantial mutual attraction between Cass and dominant alter Heather. But if things go wrong, they could go very wrong. Can they build a relationship AND keep everybody happy?

The Butter Thief (1st in the Basil Basset Books Series) by Ellie Lieberman

 

Title: The Butter Thief (1st in the Basil Basset Books Series)
Author: Ellie Lieberman
Genre: children's fantasy
Where to read: available as paperback, ebook, & through KU (https://amazon.com/Butter-Thief-Basil-Basset-Books/dp/1727894294…)! Can also be ordered through your favorite indie bookstore or local library! Signed copies are available in my Etsy Shop!

Synopsis:

Brigid and her mom are making their annual birthday butter biscuits, but someone keeps trying to steal the butter they've worked so hard on. Is it Basil, their basset? Or, is it someone else? 

The Memory Tree by Ellie Lieberman

This is a post written by the author

Title: The Memory Tree
Author: Ellie Lieberman 

Genre: Holiday Fantasy Short Story 

Where to read: available as paperback, ebook, & through KU (https://amazon.com/Memory-Tree-Ellie-Lieberman/dp/1092885501…)! Can also be ordered through your favorite indie bookstore or local library! Signed copies are available in my Etsy Shop! 

Synopsis: 

A collection of old ornaments come alive to aid a grandmother, on her last Christmas Eve night, in telling family stories and imparting her final wisdom to her granddaughter. Inspiration for the book: my own family's holiday tradition 

An Impossible Dream by Ellie Lieberman

This is a post written by the author

Title: An Impossible Dream 

Author: Ellie Lieberman 

Genre: Fairy Tales, Historical Fantasy, Coming of Age 

Where to read: available as paperback, ebook, & through KU (https://amazon.com/dp/B0C7GN6QWD/)! Can also be ordered through your favorite indie bookstore or local library! 

Synopsis: 

A story of friendship, love, survival, and dreams, even when they seem impossible... Sare has survived fifteen years playing the perfect little servant, but can she survive the castle? After all, nowhere compares to the castle and no one compares to the King. 

Where to get free and discounted books!

 This post contains referral links

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Hi everyone! So if you've been here before, you'll know that I love books! Along my reading journey I've looked into different apps and stores and here are some great places where you can get free or discounted books.

1. Better World Books

Better World Books sell new and used books at typically discounted prices. They ship to the UK, US and internationally. They also run regular deals. A wonderful thing about Better World Books is that they fund libraries and literacy programs! They also donate books when you buy books! If you use this link, you'll get $5 (or the equivalent) off of your order.

2. Scribd/Everand

Scribd, which has recently rebranded to become Everand, is a fantastic resource for ebooks and audiobooks. They have an expansive collection and you can read as many books as you like each month (sometimes they limit you if you've read a lot of popular books in one month and you have to wait but this has only happened to me once). I have read so many excellent books through Scribd. Use this link to get 60 days free, you can cancel anytime.

3. Libro fm

Libro fm is another wonderful company, you can get audiobooks and each purchase supports independent bookshops. It is also now available internationally! You can currently get two audiobooks when you join using code CHOOSEINDIE.

So those are three amazing resources for finding free and discounted books! Have you used any of these? Would you like to?

Where I Get Books From

This post includes referral links

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Hi everyone! How are you doing? What have you been reading lately?

My reading has been a bit of a rollercoaster. I have somehow read a lot this year. I think this is mainly down to reading graphic novels and audiobooks. I've been reading a mix of physical books, ebooks and audiobooks. With life and chronic illness I am wondering whether to go back to mainly reading via audio. 

Here are some places where I read, including some really great resources.

Indie Showcase #7 Fantasy Books

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Welcome to another indie showcase post where I share some books written by self-published/small press authors! See all previous posts on my indie books page. Today we are looking at indie fantasy books!

The Curse's Light Volume 1

Skylar Prescott is the only girl who knows the truth about their small little town. The town of Lawnsdale is cursed. No one believes the town's crazy girl. Until a strange boy finds himself thrown into the town, and now he can't leave. With Will by her side, Skylar may be able to finally figure out the missing details of the curse, including who's behind it. As Skylar and Will get closer, they can finally uncover all the secrets. But Skylar may find out how she's truly connected to this.

Jasmine Perez and the Wicked Sorceress (Jasmine Perez Series)

This is a story about Jasmine Perez. She is the Princess of one of the many Kingdoms in that Realm. But one day, a Wicked Sorceress kidnapped her people, including her father, the King. Jasmine has to leave her Palace, even though she has never left the Kingdom walls, along with two servants and her fiancé. They go on a long journey and find something that can help the on their mission, and find people who can help them as Jasmine practices her newly discovered magic. There is love, hate, adventure, action, anticipation, and lots of magic. Will she be able to stop arguing with her companions long enough to stay focused? Will she be able to defeat Lilac and save her people? Watch as Jasmine figures out who she is in time to save her Kingdom, and her entire Realm.

Dragon Stones: A Soran Drayce Novel

"There was a time when dragons didn’t simply breathe fire. They shaped and controlled the elements around them with an explosion of magic from their lungs..."

From a young age, Soran was taught that dragons were the bane of the world, needing to be destroyed. After taking upon himself one of the dragon's sacred stones, a magical conduit for their raw power, he has to reflect on his previous conceits, and is forced to confront harsh truths about the war he has been fighting his entire life.

In Dragon Stones, by Amy Henriod, we experience a thrilling magical adventure full of twists and turns. This story brings us into the world of Seraval with it's whimsical adventures of danger and enchantment.

Why I Got Kindle Unlimited and Why I Love It

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Kindle Unlimited is a service where you can first get a free trial and then you pay a small monthly fee to access millions of ebooks. You can read as many books as you like and you don't need a Kindle to read, you can get the Kindle app on your phone, tablet, laptop or computer.

I've been thinking about getting Kindle Unlimited for a while, and here is what finally made me decide to get it and why I am so glad I did:

1. I can read as many books as I like

Kindle Unlimited literally has millions of ebooks, from both self published/small press authors and from those traditionally published too. There are so many different books on there from fiction to graphic novels. This allows me to find shorter reads alongside or between my current reads. I can also change the font type, size and page colour through the Kindle app which makes reading books easier for me when I have headaches or fatigue. 

2. It helps authors

I have spoken to some indie authors who have all said how much reads on Kindle Unlimited helps them! Authors get paid for reads so whenever you take out a book using Kindle Unlimited and read it for free, authors are actually earning money from their work, without you specifically spending any money! I love this and I am aiming to read as many indie books as I can to find new awesome reads and to support indie authors.

3. It is very cost-effective

Kindle Unlimited, after the free trial is £7.99 a month or $9.99, if you're in the US. For this price you get to read as many books as you like! There is no limit. So as long as you read a few books a month, it is so worth it and with the range of book lengths and genres, it makes it really easy to read more.

4. There are books I want to read on there

There are books that I have been wanting to read that are actually on Kindle Unlimited! So instead of waiting to be able to buy them, I can read them straight away through Kindle Unlimited. There are also so many exciting titles that I want to read by indie authors on there and I can't wait to read and review more indie books! Might I also suggest checking out The Fast Little Fox by Jill Horton? An adorable and educational children's picture book that you can read for free on Kindle Unlimited. 

Deal alert!

If you're in the UK, Kindle Unlimited is running a deal where you can get 3 months of Kindle Unlimited for 99p a month. The usual deal is a free trial for 2 months then it is £7.99 a month so getting this 3 month deal actually works out cheaper! It ends on the 30th January.

Do you have Kindle Unlimited? If so, you might want to check out my page where I list posts about books that are on Kindle Unlimited, this is regularly updated. If you don't have Kindle Unlimited, are you thinking of getting it?

Thank you to my Ko-Fi members!~

Jill Horton- check out her children's book! 

Izzy Matias- check out her YA contemporary book and one of her blog posts!

Adam Peter Johnson- check out his sci-fi dystopian book!

Some of the books on my TBR!

 This post contains affiliate links

I recently did a big unhaul, sorting out books I want to read and ones that I am no longer interested in reading. I decided that I wanted to focus on mainly reading childrens and middlegrade fantasy books, as well as comics, graphic novels and manga. Due to health issues, I am listening to some of these books via audio. If you're also an audiobook listener, you may be interested in checking out my page about where you can get audiobooks, including free ones.

Here are some of the books on my shelves that I am hoping to read soon or I am currently reading!

Inkheart

Inkheart is a YA fantasy about book characters coming to life. I saw the film years ago and quite enjoyed the concept. I am currently reading this book alongside some other reads and I'm really liking it so far. I also love these new illustrated covers!

Return to the Hundred Acre Wood

Return to the Hundred Acre Wood is a modern sequel to the original Winnie the Pooh books. It is an authorised sequel, written and illustrated by new creators. I read this years ago and remember really enjoying it. I'm currently not loving it as much as when I originally read it but if you are fond of these characters, I would recommend checking it out.

Aru Shah and the End of Time

Aru Shah and the End of Time is an amazing middlegrade fantasy based on Hindu mythology. I am over halfway through this read and I am adoring it. I would highly recommend this book!

The Edge Chronicles 4: Beyond the Deepwoods

The Edge Chronicles is a massive series. This book follows a boy who strays off the path and I assume he has some adventures!

Eva Evergreen, Semi-Magical Witch

Eva Evergreen is a cute middlegrade fantasy which follows a 12 year old girl, Eva, who wants to become an elite witch but whenever she uses magic it takes a lot of her strength. She ends up going on an adventure I believe!

Have you read any of these books? If not, would you like to?

Support UK independent bookshops without leaving your home

This post contains an affiliate link, if you buy books through this link, I may earn a commission from Bookshop, whose fees support independent bookshops. All views are my own.

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We all know the feeling of entering a bookshop and being swept away with the view of all those books, all of those worlds waiting to be explored, all of those stories that have been loved by others before us and may be loved by us in the future. 

I love exploring bookshops but unfortunately due to the current situation many of us have not been able to go to bookshops to the extent that we may have before. In the US, there is a website called Bookshop where you can buy books online and support independent bookshops. They announced that a UK site was coming and I was eagerly awaiting for it to open. Bookshop's UK site is now up and running with so many books in their catalogue (the only book I haven't found so far is a pre-order book but they do say that their catalogue is updated automatically so I expect it will be added). The prices are great for most of the books that I have looked at so far and best of all, through every purchase you support independent bookshops, publishers and authors. 

4 Ways to Retain Everything You Read

This is a collaborative post and it may contain some affiliate links.

Reading is a great habit. But if you forget everything you read, how helpful is it? If you don’t retain the lessons you learn, what’s the point?

Whether you prefer fiction or nonfiction, retaining what you read is a vital piece of reading, but one that many overlook.

Here are four great ways to help you retain what you read:

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Books I Want to Read by the End of the Year!

 I have been reading more regularly lately and there are so many books that I want to read. Here are the top books that I would really like to read by the end of the year.

A Sprinkle of Sorcery

I recently read A Pinch of Magic, the first book in this series and I absolutely adored it. It is classed as middlegrade I believe and it has made me want to read more middlegrades. I am really excited to read A Sprinkle of Sorcery and I am aiming to read it soon.

Top 5 Books That I Want to Read Soon!

This post contains affiliate links. However, all thoughts are my own and honest.

One of my goals is to read more, especially to reduce my physical TBR (to be read/my shelf). I thought I would make a post about 5 books that I would like to read soon and why!

Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson

Amazon | Book Depository

This YA fantasy is set in a world where librarians watch over grimoires that can turn into monsters. I believe we follow a librarian and that there is a romance. I have heard mixed views about this book but I would love to check it out soon. Also, the hardcover copy is beautiful!

Recent Reads #1: Some new favourites and some disappointments

Hi everyone! So I wanted to start writing wrap-ups of some of the books that I've read recently and have more to say about. I want to start from the beginning of this year but as I read quite a lot in the first few months of this year I am probably going to split this into more than one post! I'm going to give a summary, a few thoughts and my rating for some of the books that I have read. I hope that you enjoy this post!

Red Rising by Pierce Brown

Red Rising is set in a world where there are people who live on Mars and mine for the people on Earth. They believe that they are making Mars safe for humans to live on but this is a dangerous job and there are secrets behind the more powerful in society.

This book sounded really interesting and I was in the mood for some sci-fi. It's a really popular book but unfortunately I didn't really like it. I liked the concept but I didn't like the characters. I found the main character and even parts of the plot irritating.

3/5 stars

Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb: The Farseer Trilogy Book One Book Review

Title: Assassin's Apprentice (Book one of the Farseer Trilogy)
Author: Robin Hobb
Genre: Fantasy
Number of pages: 460
Length of audiobook: 17hrs 18 minutes
Trigger warnings: child abuse, animal murder

Synopsis:

Assassin's Apprentice follows a boy called Fitz throughout his early childhood and teenage years. Fitz is the illegitimate child of the prince of the kingdom. No one knew that he existed until he is brought to the castle. The King will not allow Fitz to claim his birthright and his father is banished. Fitz is allowed to stay in the castle and is essentially raised by the stable master who names him Fitz (he didn't have a name before and was simply referred to as 'boy'). We find out early on that Fitz has a power, one that allows him to go into the minds of animals, to communicate with them and see what they see. This power is seen as forbidden and evil so it is discouraged. As Fitz becomes older he makes an agreement to be the king's ally and his assassin.

Popular YA Books: Have I Read Them?

I decided to take part in The Bookternet All Stars Charity Challenge where you go through popular YA books/authors and say if you have read them or not and what your opinions are! There is also a donation page for COVID-19 relief charities which I have linked below.

As I wrote this post, I noticed that I have some potentially controversial opinions so I apologise in advance! I feel like my reading tastes are very varied! So here is my post about what I have and haven't read:

How I'm Reading More!

I love reading. Books are something that have become so important to me and so much part of my life. I tend to find reading difficult with my mental health, it can be hard to focus or even pick up a book. I go through a lot of reading slumps! But lately I have been reading more and I have surpassed my original Goodreads goal of 20 books! So I wanted to talk about what has been helping me to read more:

Eliza and Her Monsters Book Review!

Title: Eliza and Her Monsters
Author: Francesca Zappia
Genre: YA Contemporary
Length of the audiobook: 8hrs 51mins
Narrated by: Caitlin Kelly and Kate Rudd
Trigger warnings: anxiety, panic disorder, depression, suicide, bullying

Synopsis:
Eliza Mirk is a teenage girl who doesn't have any friends in real life and hides in her room drawing. But the secret that no one except her family know is that online she is LadyConstellation, a creator of an extremely popular and famous webcomic called Monstrous Sea.

Eliza loves her webcomic and her online friends and she prefers living in the online world until she meets Wallace Warland, a boy who loves Monstrous Sea and turns out to be the famous fanfiction writer of it! Wallace shows Eliza that there is more to an offline world than she thought. But Wallace doesn't know the truth. What would happen if it all came out?