Down The TBR Hole #1

Is your TBR out of control? Because mine certainly is!

There are more books on my 'Want to Read' list than I will ever be able to physically read, and let's be real, I'm going to keep adding to that list forever. So I've decided to take a good look at that list to decide which books I'm actually going to read one day, and which books I can let go of. 

Down The TBR Hole is a meme I first discovered on Starlightbooktales and was created by Lost in a Story. The goal is to cleanse your TBR of all those books you’re never going to read and sort through it all to know what’s actually on there.

The rules are simple:

• Go to your Goodreads Want to Read shelf
• Order by date added (starting with the oldest)
• Take the first 5 (or 10) books
• Read the synopsis and try to remember why you added it to the list
• Decide whether to keep it or remove it.

So lets' take a trip down memory lane to the first books I added to Goodreads over 5 years ago and see if I still plan to read those books. Titles link to Goodreads.

Want to Read: 625 Books

Dreamer's Pool by Juliet Marillier

I love Juliet Marillier's books, though I haven't read one in years. I actually have this whole trilogy sitting on my bookshelf waiting for me and I don't know why on earth I haven't read them yet. I absolutely still want to read this series, and this book is on my must read list for this year. 

Verdict: Keep

The Shape of Stars Unknown by Sybil Le Pyrmont - Blog Tour and Giveaway

The Shape of Stars Unknown 

Sybil Le Pyrmont 

My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

(The Aldarfall Saga, #1)

Genres: Adult, Urban Fantasy

World domination is the least of their problems.

A STRANDED DEMIGOD. Lau of the House of Feofar, troubled and headstrong, screwed up. Royally. Now he lives out his days in exile on Earth – the very planet he once tried to exterminate.

A RUDDERLESS MORTAL WOMAN. Silver Laing leads the ordinary life of a white-collar worker. Lonely and desperately in search of purpose and new horizons, she gets more than she bargained for when she is offered a mysterious job.

A CATACLYSMIC PLAN BILLIONS OF YEARS IN THE MAKING. When a deadly visitor from Lau’s shrouded past threatens to lay the world in ashes, Silver and Lau must form an unlikely alliance against ancient and far superior forces.

An alliance with the potential to shake the very foundation of the Universe.

Shimmering new worlds?
Sizzling tension?
Secrets as old as time?
Splashes of humour?

If your answer to all of the above is ‘Hell, yeah!’ then The Shape of Stars Unknown is your guy. This first book in Sybil Le Pyrmont’s new urban fantasy adventure series, The Aldarfall Saga, will take you from Germany to Tibet, from Japan to Iceland and all the way to the other end of the Universe.

Goodreads / Amazon

Thanks to Giselle from Xpresso Book Tours for inviting me to join this blog tour! Keep scrolling for the giveaway and to read my review. 

My Top Ten New Favourite Authors I Read In 2020

 

Time for another Top Ten Tuesday: Brought to you by Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl.

 

New-To-Me Authors I Fell In Love With In 2020

 

  Some of these are debut authors, while others I've been meaning to read for ages and I'm kicking myself for not picking up their books sooner! While I didn't read a lot of books last year, I did manage to read a high proportion of good books, so getting ten authors on this list was easy. I loved them all! Here they are in no particular order, with the books that got me hooked (and a link to my review).

1. Shelby Mahurin - Serpent & Dove
2. Luanne G. Smith - The Vine Witch
3. Margaret Rogerson - Sorcery of Thorns
4. Pippa Dacosta - Twilight Seeker
5. Elise Kova - Air Awakens
6. Jessica Thorne - Mageborn
7. Katherine Arden - The Bear and the Nightingale
8. Amelie Wen Zhao - Blood Heir
9. Michael McClung - The Thief Who Pulled on Trouble's Braids
   
10. Martha Wells - All Systems Red

 

And that's another Top Ten Tuesday! Do you like any of these authors too? Which new authors did you discover last year? Let me know in the comments!

Happy Reading! 💗

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Most Anticipated 2020 Releases I Didn't Get To (Yet)

Time for another Top Ten Tuesday: Brought to you by Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl.

Books That Came Out Last Year That I Really Really Wanted To Read But Didn't Get To

There was a lot of books I wanted to read last year and didn't get around to. A lot a lot. So to narrow down the list I'll focus on the new releases that I was really excited for, but for one reason or another (stupid 2020) I haven't read yet. These will definitely be higher priority for me to read this year.

Number One

and the rest are in no particular order...

Review: The Conjurer by Luanne G. Smith

The Conjurer by Luanne G. Smith

(The Vine Witch #3)

My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Genre: Fantasy, Historical Fiction

Sidra didn’t murder her husband. Yet even a jinni can’t wish away a wrongful imprisonment. Determined to prove her innocence, she returns to her adopted home—a French village renowned for its perfume witches—with her friends Elena and Yvette by her side. Here is where Sidra’s true destiny awaits, but danger also lurks in the village’s narrow lanes.

On her trail is Jamra, another jinni, who’s after more than revenge for the murder of his brother. He also seeks vengeance for the indignities inflicted on jinn by mortals over the centuries. When he learns of an ancient relic capable of unleashing chaos on the world, and that the weapon is in the hands of his murderous sister-in-law, he vows to destroy Sidra to get it.

Relying on a sisterhood of magic, a mysteriously faithful dog, and a second-rate sorcerer, Sidra defends herself using the village’s greatest asset: its perfume. It’s as beguiling a lure as it is a formidable shield. But is it enough for Sidra to protect herself and those she loves from powers yet to be released?

Amazon (US) | Amazon (AU) | Book Depository | Kindle Unlimited

*Affiliate Links

The series so far: 

The Vine Witch | The Glamourist

I received a free copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I love Smith’s writing style, it has an almost lyrical feel to it and it’s so smooth and lovely to read. I feel like it really fits the time period setting as well (early 20th century). The whole series has a fairytale quality to it as well that I love and I think this is my favourite of the trilogy. The story has some Romeo & Juliet themes, but is definitely it’s own unique story, with twists of fate, vengeful Jinnis, and three powerful women brought together by circumstance and magic. If you’ve read the others in the series, this is Sidra’s story, but of course features Elena and Yvette as well. Sidra is a great character, forced to confront the love and heartbreak of her past. The three women are so different, and it was great getting to know them all throughout this series.

Book Blitz: Witch Unexpected by Debbie Cassidy

Witch Unexpected by Debbie Cassidy
(The Thirteenth Sign #1)
Genres: Adult, Romance, Urban Fantasy

An ancient war, a tenuous truce, a delicate balance.

Sounds ominous right?

It is.

The tri-pack collective has existed for centuries—three dire wolf packs bound to the most powerful coven in the world through a single witch born under the thirteenth sign of the zodiac.

Through this covenant they keep an ancient threat unlike any other at bay.

At the next blood moon, I’ll be that witch—bound to the three leaders of the dire wolf packs. Responsible for keeping the peace.

That is If I make it to the blood moon alive, because someone is trying to kill me.

Now the hot-headed wolves are going to have to work together to make sure our inventive little murderer doesn’t succeed.

And me?

Well, I don’t take kindly to being targeted, so whoever’s gunning for me better watch out, because they just became the hunted.

An Urban Fantasy Romance filled with witches, shifters, warlocks, Gargoyles, Ghosts and Vampires.

Goodreads / Amazon / Kindle Unlimited

First Post of 2021: Reading Goals and Challenges

 So 2020 was a write-off, let's move on

While I had planned to do a quick re-cap of my goals from last year, I didn't finish any of them? So we'll pass on that, and go straight to my new reading goals for this year! If you would like to know about my last year's reading, here's my Year in Books, or check out my Review Index for the blog. 

Goodreads Reading Challenge

Every year I set myself a goal for the number of books I want to read. Last year I read 39 books, which was below my goal, it was a stressful year, but I think I can manage 50, so that's my goal for 2021. What's your goal for the year? 

A Book Buying Ban

Yep, I have zero willpower and I bought too many books last year that I haven't read, leaving me with a ridonkulous TBR pile, both physical and on my Kindle. So I'm going to try and enforce a book-buying ban on myself. I did cheat slightly by getting a 6-month Kindle Unlimited subscription while it was on sale before Christmas, so I'm hoping that will help with my distractible reading habits. Other than that I'm trying to focus on reading books I already have, or have been on my TBR forever, which brings me to my next goal;

TBR Cull posts every month

I'm planning to start a new thing where I go through my 'Want to Read' list on Goodreads, which is currently over 600 books, see what's there, and see what I can cut. I'm going to be ruthless and get rid of all those books that I'll probably never read, so that I can focus on the ones that I really do want to read. 

Beat the Backlist Challenge