ARC Review: Strong Signal by Megan Erickson & Santino Hassell

Strong Signal (Cyberlove, #1)
by Megan Erickson & Santino Hassell
Published by Megtino Press
Ebook (received from authors, thank you!)
Adult, LGBT, contemporary, romance

I was counting down the months until the end of my deployment. My days were spent working on military vehicles, and I spent my nights playing video games that would distract me until I could leave Staff Sergeant Garrett Reid behind. 

That was when I met him: Kai Bannon, a fellow gamer with a famous stream channel.

I never expected to become fixated on someone who'd initially been a rival. And I'd never expected someone who oozed charm to notice me—a guy known for his brutal honesty and scowl. I hadn't planned for our online friendship to turn into something that kept me up at night—hours of chatting evolving into filthy webcam sessions. 

But it did. And now I can't stop thinking about him. In my mind, our real life meeting is perfect. We kiss, we fall into bed, and it's love at first sight. 

Except, like most things in my life, it doesn't go as planned.

I'm not a gamer - I don't follow them, and the last time I even gamed anything was when I was in the middle school and played some Crash. But I wasn't going to miss this one because I fell in love with Erickson's Trust the Focus, and the synopsis did sound really intriguing despite of my total ignorance when it comes to gaming. Boy, aren't I happy I gave Strong Signal a try! It doesn't matter if you aren't into the gaming or even know anything about the gaming culture - Erickson and Hassell explain everything you need to know, and heck, now I want to watch Twitch! 

Strong Signal is absolutely everything I want from a contemporary romance. It's gripping, captivating, there's so much depth in characters, and it's not only about the romantic couple. There's also aspects of Garrett's family, about the army and military, as well as Kai's gaming and his friendship with Shawn. Garrett and Kai are also steamy together, but also perfect for each other in every way. I have to give a big shout for Erickson and Hassell for dealing with Kai's anxiety and crippling fears. It was not just a character trait that was pushed aside as soon as Garrett came to the picture, but it was dealt with care, and it was part of Kai that didn't just go away when he fell in love with Garrett.  

I cannot address enough how much I loved the story, Garrett and Kai. I ship them so much, and the story was so well written and well structured that I will read anything that Erickson and Hassell comes up with. Strong Signal also left a huge impact on me, and I know I will visit this story multiple times. It's simply everything one could hope from a contemporary romance - and more. I highly recommend it to everyone. What are you waiting for? Go, and read it!

5 of 5 stars.

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Thank you, Megan Erickson and Santino Hassell, for giving me a chance to read and review Strong Signal!

(A copy of this ebook was provided in return for an honest review.)

ARC Review: This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp

This Is Where It Ends
by Marieke Nijkamp
Published by Sourcebooks Fire
Ebook (received from publisher via NetGalley)
YA, contemporary, realistic fiction

10:00 a.m.The principal of Opportunity, Alabama's high school finishes her speech, welcoming the entire student body to a new semester and encouraging them to excel and achieve.

10:02 a.m.The students get up to leave the auditorium for their next class.

10:03The auditorium doors won't open. 

10:05Someone starts shooting.

Told over the span of 54 harrowing minutes from four different perspectives, terror reigns as one student's calculated revenge turns into the ultimate game of survival.

This Is Where It Ends takes place in small American town for a duration of 55 minutes when there's a school shooting. It's an important theme and I was intrigued of the concept, especially when it was said almost from the beginning that the shooter, Tyler, was one of the more popular kids. However, while the writing was good, I felt that the story lacked some and only a few characters were intriguing. There was multiple point of views, four to be exact, and some of them sounded almost the same which caused a confusion at times. Tomás was the most clear narrator, and I rooted for him and his friend Fareed. They were the only heroes of this story, the only one who actually did something for the situation, who kept doing anything they could do. Everyone else basically just cried for the injustice of the situation and how they didn't notice how Tyler had changed. The other narrators, Claire (who was outside of the school, waiting for the news), Sylvia (Tomás sister, Autumn's girlfriend), and Autumn (the shooter's sister) were not as clear or interesting as characters. All of them mostly cried for injustice or Autumn's case, could not believe how his brother could do something like that (even though it was quite clear that Tyler was not the most stable person during the events before the actual shooting).

Mostly I had two problems with the story. One, it painted Tyler as an evil and disturbed person and did not give any depth for him. He simply was the popular kid, who wasn't as nice as people thought, and eventually everyone realized just how evil he was. I felt that the author should have given Tyler more depth, and should have explained things better. The other problem I had was the main romantic relationship of the story: Sylvia and Autumn's. Did not feel Sylvia's and Autumn's relationship. It mostly seemed that Sylvia was there for Autumn at all times, but Autumn only cared about herself and getting out of the town. For fox's sake, Autumn's brother did some horrible things to Sylvia, and Autumn didn't notice? I think this subplot was poorly developed.

Overall the story was fast-paced and I read it within few days. It was not bad but it lacked a lot of depth and the characters were quite one dimensional, and the only ones I was able to identify with were Tomás and Fareed. With more editing and focusing on some aspects as well as deepening the characters, this book could have been fantastic.

3 of 5 stars.

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Thank you, Sourcebooks Fire, for giving me a chance to read and review This Is Where It Ends!

(A copy of this ebook was provided in return for an honest review.)

Release Day Party + Giveaway: Darkly, Deeply, Beautifully by Megan Tayte

Darkly, Deeply, Beautifully (The Ceruleans, #5)
by Megan Tayte
Self-published
YA, fantasy

DARKNESS HAS FALLEN, AND SHE ALONE WILL SEE THE LIGHT.

With her mother’s life hanging in the balance, Scarlett is devastated – and done with being in the dark. She wants answers, all of them.

But when was her pursuit of the truth ever straightforward?

Pulling a single thread impels a great unravelling. And each revelation will force Scarlett to rethink what she thought she knew about the Ceruleans, the Fallen, her family – herself.

All that came before was a mere prelude to this, the last journey. From London to Twycombe to Hollythwaite to Cerulea, Scarlett will be stalked by the ghosts of what has been, what may have been and what may come to pass. Until she reaches the place where it all began, and it all must end.

But in the final reckoning, none will survive unscathed. And some will not survive at all.

In this explosive conclusion to The Ceruleans series, all must be defined by their actions: sinner, saint… or something more beautiful entirely?  

Purchase your copy!

Amazon UK

Amazon US

Author bio

Once upon a time a little girl told her grandmother that when she grew up she wanted to be a writer. Or a lollipop lady. Or a fairy princess fireman. ‘Write, Megan,’ her grandmother advised. So that’s what she did.

Thirty-odd years later, Megan is a professional writer and published author by day, and an indie novelist by night. Her fiction – young adult romance with soul – recently earned her the SPR’s Independent Woman Author of the Year award.

Megan grew up in the Royal County, a hop, skip and a (very long) jump from Windsor Castle, but these days she makes her home in a village of Greater Manchester. She lives with her husband, a proud Scot who occasionally kicks back in a kilt; her son, a budding artist with the soul of a palaeontologist; and her baby daughter, a keen pan-and-spoon drummer who sings in her sleep. When she's not writing, you'll find her walking someplace green, reading by the fire, or creating carnage in the kitchen as she pursues her impossible dream: of baking something edible.

You can find Megan online at:

Website

Goodreads

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

Excerpt

I kissed Luke then. I kissed him. Like I hadn’t kissed him in more than a week – since before London, since before Hollythwaite, since Barcelona: when we’d been just a regular couple on a city break, wrapped up in each other. Through the kiss I heard his sigh, the release of emotion. And then he pulled me to him, onto his lap, and I kissed his lips, his jaw, his collarbone, his shoulder, and he kissed my lips, my earlobe, my neck, my –

‘No!’

My robe had slipped, exposing my back, and I struggled off him and wrestled with the fabric entangled at my waist.

He stood up. Put his hands on my shoulders. Said my name with so much tenderness that I had to stop. Had to look at him. The room was steamy, the glass doors occluded. No one could see. Only him.

‘Trust me,’ he said.

I did.

Slowly, he turned me. I steeled myself as he took it in, the brand I now wore. Non Serviam. I will not serve. Emblazoned on my back in the form of angry, jagged scar tissue.

When I felt his lips on the nape of my neck, I jerked in shock. But his hands on my hips held me still as he traced the path of the scar, one kiss at a time, from its very top to its termination just above my bikini bottoms.

‘Beautiful,’ he said.

I turned to him. He smiled up at me.

Sinking down so that we were both kneeling, I said, ‘How could you…?’

‘How could I not?’ was his answer. ‘I was there, Scarlett. I saw what you did for your mother. That scar: it’s beautiful.’

‘But it’s a punishment, Luke. Because I sinned. That’s not beautiful. It’s dark. Wrong.’

‘No! Don’t you say that. Trying to save your mother – that could never be wrong. If I’d had the chance, I’d have done it. My mum, my dad, Cara… I’d have saved them all. And you. I would always save you.’

His eyes were glistening, and I lunged for him and hugged him hard.

‘So stop hiding it from me,’ he finished, his voice muffled in my hair. ‘Please. Because I love that scar on you so goddam much.’

I nodded into his shoulder and he squeezed me.

It was calm in our little haven. Still. Warm. Nothing existed but Luke and me. We held each other for a long time, drifting in the haze.

And then Luke sat back and said, ‘So, you and me. We’re good?’

‘We’re good,’ I told him. Then I frowned and added: ‘For now. You know, Gabe, the Fallen: I have no idea what we’re getting into.’

‘Me either.’ He reached out a finger and drew, in the condensation on the glass door, a little lightbulb. ‘But whatever lies ahead,’ he said, ‘it has to be better than living in the dark.'

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Release Day Blitz + Giveaway: Strong Signal by Megan Erickson & Santino Hassell

Strong Signal
by Megan Erickson & Santino Hassell
LGBT, contemporary, romance

I was counting down the months until the end of my deployment. My days were spent working on military vehicles, and I spent my nights playing video games that would distract me until I could leave Staff Sergeant Garrett Reid behind.

That was when I met him: Kai Bannon, a fellow gamer with a famous stream channel.

I never expected to become fixated on someone who'd initially been a rival. And I'd never expected someone who oozed charm to notice me—a guy known for his brutal honesty and scowl. I hadn't planned for our online friendship to turn into something that kept me up at night—hours of chatting evolving into filthy webcam sessions.

But it did. And now I can't stop thinking about him. In my mind, our real life meeting is perfect. We kiss, we fall into bed, and it's love at first sight.

Except, like most things in my life, it doesn't go as planned.

*Strong Signal is a standalone, full-length novel with no cliffhanger* 

Add on Goodreads.

Purchase your copy!

Author Book Page

Amazon

Kobo

Author bios

Megan Erickson is a former journalist who switched to fiction when she decided she liked writing her own endings better. She likes to pretend she has control now, but usually her characters are the ones who hold the reins. Her romance novels have a touch of humor, a dash of nerdy, and always a happily ever after.


She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, two kids, and two cats named after John Hughes characters. She's still waiting for the party she was promised when she grew to five feet... maybe because she never got there.

Website
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads
Amazon


In Focus series
Trust the Focus
Focus on Me
Out of Frame (Coming soon)


Bowler University series
Make it Count
Make it Right
Make it Last


Mechanics of Love series
Dirty Thoughts
Dirty Talk
Dirty Deeds


Gamers series
Changing His Game
Playing for Her Heart
Tied to Trouble
Leveling the Field (coming soon)


Santino Hassell was raised by a conservative family, but he was anything but traditional. He grew up to be a smart-mouthed, school cutting grunge kid, then a transient twenty-something, and eventually transformed into an unlikely romance author.


Santino writes queer romance that is heavily influenced by the gritty, urban landscape of New York City, his belief that human relationships are complex and flawed, and his own life experiences.


Social Media:

Website
Facebook 
Twitter
Goodreads
Amazon


Five Boroughs series:

Book 1: SUTPHIN BOULEVARD
Book 2: SUNSET PARK
Book 3: FIRST AND FIRST coming in April 2016


Standalone books:

STRONG SIGNAL (with Megan Erickson)
STYGIAN
AFTER MIDNIGHT

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Book Blitz: The Boy Who Wields Thunder by Gibson Morales

Stacking the Shelves (43)

Stacking The Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews, and is all about sharing the book you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

Purchased

The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan

It's All Greek To Me byCharlotte Higgins

Necropolis by Catharine Arnold

Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman

Library

The Lewis Man by Peter May

The Chessmen by Peter May

This haul is kind of mix of different genres - even a mix of non-fiction and fiction. But hey, I'm trying to be more "historian" and read more of my chosen field, as well as broaden my horisont with Peter May's crime novels and Walt Whitman's poems.

Book Blitz + Giveaway: Clean by Mia Kerick

Bookish Goals for 2016

Generally, I don't make new year's resolutions. Haven't made in years. I don't usually even set any goals for myself for the new year. However, I have few bookish goals for 2016, and I'd like to share those with you (and maybe check at the beginning of 2017 if I managed to achieve any of these).

First of all, I want to read at least 60 books.

That's how many I read last year, and how many I set my Goodreads Reading Challenge for this year. I'd like to read even more than that, but you never know how much time university takes. As a history major, I have a lot of reading and studying to do, and it takes time off from reading. But I think sixty books is manageable.

I also want to read more classics.

When I was in high school (almost four years ago, where did the years go?), I wanted to read more classics and more "adult" books. Simply because people didn't put much value in young adult books. I tried to read few, and some I had to read for school. While I found new favourites, such as The Picture of Dorian Gray, most of those books failed to inspire me to actually read more classics. Indeed, I rather stopped reading (not completely, I still read way more fanfiction than anything else). Since then I haven't read any classics (if you don't count re-reading Wuthering Heights). However, I found a passion to read classics, especially classics from Ancient Greece (such as The Iliad, The Odyssey, Sophocles' Plays) at the end of 2015. In 2016, I wish to read The Iliad, some major plays from Ancient Greece, some Shakespeare, more Jane Austen, and more Brontë's sisters books. At least. Let's start with those and see if I'm inspired to read even more classics!

I intend on finishing the Heroes of Olympus series by Rick Riordan.

As well as reading Riordan's 2016 releases; The Hidden Oracle, and Magnus Chase and the Hammer of Thor.

I read the Percy Jackson and the Olympians when I was in high school. But I never continued with the Heroes of Olympus even though I worshiped Riordan's writing. I think it was partly because those weren't narrated by Percy, and because I read the first book of Kane Chronicles and couldn't stand the main characters. So I just didn't continue in fear of it ruining the brilliantness of Percy Jackson. However, in December finally read The Lost Hero, and gosh did I love it! So next year I want to read the rest of that series. I think I'm doing fine as I have already finished The Son of Neptune, and I'm halfway through The Mark of Athena.

My next goal is to go YALC in July, which is held in London.

Yes, I already got tickets, and a hostel booked. Nothing will stop me attending the book event now that I finally have a solid chance going there as I live in UK now. I can't wait to see what's the YALC is like! To meet authors, publishers, bloggers, and everyone. And books.

Lastly, I want to re-read old favourites.

I'm bad at re-reading. It's because I feel bad of re-reading when I have a pile of unread books. This year I want to get rid of that kind of thinking, and if I feel a need to re-read something, I will. I'd like to re-read the first five Harry Potter books, as well as the original Percy Jackson series. Other possible favourites I'd like to visit again are Wuthering Heights, Under the Never Sky, and The Song of Achilles.

That's all of my bookish goals for 2016. Do you have any bookish goals for the next year?

2015 End of Year Reading Survey

Annual book year survey is created by Jamie @ The Perpetual Page-Turner. I'm a bit late of posting this, but heck, there's a ton of hard questions there! So here's a brief (or not) look at my reading and blogging year of 2015.

2015 Reading Stats

Number Of Books You Read: 60

Number of Re-Reads: 2

Genre You Read The Most From: Contemporary & Young Adult.

Best In Books

1. Best Book You Read In 2015?

I have to cheat a little bit and say a few of my ultimate favourites from different genres. There just was so many fantastic books that became my favourites in 2015 to just name one.

Contemporary: Simon Vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

Fantasy: Half Wild by Sally Green

Retelling: The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

Mythology: The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan

Sci-fi; Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?The Game of Love and Death by Martha Brockenbrough. The blurb and idea sounded so unique and fantastic - I mean, we're talking about Love and Death being personalized, and of them playing eternal game of love and death. However, the main characters were boring, the setting was not intriguing enough, and overall the book just felt flat.

3. Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read?

Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan. I don't know what I expected, but the story blew me away. Especially the narrator choices were very surprising in a very pleasant way. It turned out to be unique reading experience, and yeah, it totally surprised me.

4. Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did)?

I'm not sure how many actually read it, but Simon Vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli is a book I've been pushing to people since I read it in January 2015. Honestly, I'll keep pushing it to people until they will read it!

5. Best series you started in 2015? Best Sequel of 2015? Best Series Ender of 2015?Best series I started: The Heroes of Olympus by Rick Riordan (read The Lost Hero, first in that series)Best sequel: Half Wild by Sally GreenBest series ender: Earth Flight by Janet Edwards (okay, it was published 2014, but this was the only series I actually finished this year - and it totally deserves the title of best series ender in my books.)

6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2015?

Naming only one is a crime. I had a great reading year, because I discovered so many new authors to me, which I fell in love with. To name my absolute favourites, I'm going to answer: Madeline Miller, Becky Albertalli, Cordelia Jensen, and Marissa Meyer.

7. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone?The Blackhouse by Peter May. Even though I love crime TV shows, I never read contemporary crime books. I don't know why, but I reached out of my comfort zone for The Blackhouse because it takes place in Scotland, and I wanted to read something contemporary that takes place there. I wasn't disappointed, and I'll continue with May's Isle of Lewis series.

8. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan was definitely action-packed - as Riordan's books always are. However, the most unputdownable book of the year for me was The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller. I simply couldn't put it down because I loved every moment of it - even though there wasn't always thrilling action in it. So in a way, both of the books I mentioned fit perfectly for this question.

9. Book You Read In 2015 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller. I feel like repeating myself for bringing this up question after question, but I fell in love with this book. It broke me, and I loved every moment of it. I just know I'll need to read it again soon.

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2015?

It's a tie between The Perks of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, and Half Wild by Sally Green.

11. Most memorable character of 2015?Wolf from the Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer. He ate my heart, and I just can't forget him. Also, the name is perfect, and I refuse to call him anything else.

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2015?There were many, but The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller is my answer. The legend itself is heartbreaking, and Miller's writing style made it even more heartbreaking and beautiful.

13. Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2015?Boys Don't Cry by Malorie Blackman was most thought-provoking for me. It made me think even more about how male's are treated when it comes to children that are not planned, and how the teenage father's are treated. It just pointed out what I already knew - how with all the talk about female's having a right for their body and to make a decision about abortions and their children leaves out of the opinion of the male's. That in today's world a female can choose an abortion without ever telling the father about existence of the child, or do the abortion even if the father would want to raise the child. The book wasn't about all of that, but it made me think about it even more, especially how everyone treated the main character, as if everything was his fault because he was a boy.

14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2015 to finally read?The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan. Why? I was unbelievably stupid when I didn't read this right after the Percy Jackson series finished. Why I waited five years to dive into this? The only positive thing about waiting seems to be that now all the five books have come out, and I can marathon them.

15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2015?

"We do not start as dust. We do not end as dust. We make more than dust. That's all we ask of you. Make more than dust." - David Levithan, Two Boys Kissing

16. Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2015?Shortest: The Queen's Army by Marissa Meyer (18 pages)

Longest: The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan (551 pages)

17. Book That Shocked You The Most

Nothing particular, however, I was pretty shocked when my ship actually sailed for a while in Half Wild by Sally Green. Let's just say that I screamed, cried, and celebrated when my ship kissed.

18. OTP OF THE YEAR (you will go down with this ship!)Nathan and Gabriel from Half Wild by Sally Green. My ship is better sail in the last installment of the series, or I'm going to be really mad.

Also, Patroclus and Achilles from The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller. Nothing will keep me from loving them for the rest of my life.

19. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year

From Magnus Chase and the Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan: the friendship of Magnus, Blitz, and Hearth. It just was so good dynamic. And they were hilarious.

20. Favorite Book You Read in 2015 From An Author You’ve Read PreviouslyTwo Boys Kissing by David Levithan. Well, I had only read Will Grayson, Will Grayson from Levithan before but it totally counts even if it was co-written with John Green. I also read Boy Meets Boys from Levithan this year, but Two Boys Kissing was divine and beat everything else I've read from him.

21. Best Book You Read In 2015 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure:

I'm not sure if I read anything this year because of peer pressure or solely on a recommendation from someone else. I don't generally read anything without checking it out myself, so if someone recommends a book to me, I read the blurb before deciding. The peer pressure also don't really work on me, because if people try that, I'm most likely to refuse to read it at all. I'm funny like that.

22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2015?

WOLF! From the Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer. He's so perfect because he's not perfect, and I really don't have words how much I love Wolf. He needs all the love. More than that, he needs to be more present in the saga (well, I'm still reading Cress, but there's way too little of Wolf there).

23. Best 2015 debut you read?This is something that should be clear without asking, because I have recommend it to everyone and pressured people to read it. The answer is Simon Vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli. It's brilliant. Read it!

24. Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?

I could say anything by Rick Riordan that I read past year, because he's a master at that. But for a chance, I'm going to say Marissa Meyer's books (I read Cinder, Scarlet, and half of Cress in 2015). The world-building is so vivid, and even though I didn't identify with any characters while reading Cinder, the world-building won me over thousand times.

25. Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read?

Without a doubt Magnus Chase and the Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan. Riordan's books are always hilarious, but I laughed out loud so many times while reading Magnus Chase's adventures. It's truly hilarious.

26. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2015?The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller. I wept. I wept so much, and I still do if I think about it a lot.

Also, Without Chance by Christopher Bailey. The twist in the end made my cry so much.

27. Hidden Gem Of The Year?

Without Chance by Christopher Bailey, definitely. It's so beautifully written, and the story is important and cry worthy. More people should read it!

28. Book That Crushed Your Soul?

I might repeat myself, but The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller. It's the book of the year that just made me feel everything, and crushed my soul because it was so heartbreaking, beautiful, and brilliant.

29. Most Unique Book You Read In 2015?

Skyscraping by Cordelia Jensen. Mostly unique because it was written in verse, something I have never read before. It was also heartbreaking and beautiful, and it had some aspects that are pretty unique in YA genre.

30. Book That Made You The Most Mad (doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it)?

The White Cat by Holly Black. I loved the world-building. I loved all but one characters. I loved everything but one of the characters. Sadly, that one character ruined the book for me. The MC's obsession with the character I couldn't like or care less, and the twist in the end just ruined any chances I'd ever continue with the series. I wanted to love the book so much, but in the end I could only give it two stars because of one freaking annoying and horrible character. So yeah, this one made me s mad.

Blogging / Bookish Life

1. New favorite book blog you discovered in 2015?

I was a bad blogger and even though I discovered a few new book blogs, I can't or don't want to name anyone over others.

2. Favorite review that you wrote in 2015?

It's a tie between my review of Simon Vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda and Without Chance.

3. Best discussion/non-review post you had on your blog?

Probably a post I made about book dedications.

4. Best event that you participated in (author signings, festivals, virtual events, memes, etc.)?

Definitely the James Dashner Event in Edinburgh in October. It was the highlight of my year book/reading wise!

5. Best moment of bookish/blogging life in 2015?

Bookish related, must be the event in Edinburgh where I met James Dashner. It was amazing, and one of the best moments I had this year - and truly the best bookish related moment I had in 2015.

6. Most challenging thing about blogging or your reading life this year?

Finding time and energy to do it, mostly this was regarding blogging. I had a really busy year when it came to studies, especially after September when I moved to Scotland and started university. So studies took a huge chunk of my time and energy, which meant I had less left for blogging. It was a challenge that I didn't conquer during 2015 so let's hope I get a hang on timing the blogging better next year :)

7. Most Popular Post This Year On Your Blog (whether it be by comments or views)?

By views: chapter reveal + giveaway of The Dryad of Callaire by Saruuh Kelsey.

8. Post You Wished Got A Little More Love?

Maybe the post about quotes in books.

9. Best bookish discover (book related sites, book stores, etc.)?

Is Scotland answer enough? Finland does have some nice bookstores, but let me tell you, they're nothing compared to Waterstones, WHSmith, or those lovely independent, and second-hand bookshops Scotland (and UK) are full of. Also I visited Foyles and Hatchards in London for a first time in 2015, and it was amazing.

10. Did you complete any reading challenges or goals that you had set for yourself at the beginning of this year?

I completed the Goodreads Reading Challenge (60 books) and LGBT Reading Challenge (my challenge was to read 10+ LGBT themes books, and I read 17).

Looking Ahead

1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2015 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2016?All of Rick Riordan's books I have not read yet (excluding the Kane Chronicles as I wasn't a fan of the first book of that particular series). Basically this means books two to five in The Heroes of Olympus series, the new Apollon series, the sequel to Magnus Chase and the Sword of Summer, and the Percy Jackson and Greek Gods & Heroes books. I was fool for not diving into The Heroes of Olympus series years ago when I finished the Percy Jackson series, but I found that love and passion again for Riordan's books so I'm going to spend much time with his books in 2016.

2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2016 (non-debut)?There's many I'm anticipating, but Half Lost by Sally Green is my most anticipated one. I need to know what happens to Nathan, and Gabriel, and I need to know whether my ship will sail once again or not.

3. 2016 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?

I'm so behind looking for 2016 debuts, so sadly I don't have an answer for this question.

4. Series Ending/A Sequel You Are Most Anticipating in 2016?For a series ending, I'm waiting for Half Lost by Sally Green more than anything. For a sequel, I'm dying to get my hands on Magnus Chase and the Hammer of Thor by Rick Riordan.

5. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging Life In 2016?I hope to read a lot, and keep up with the blogging. Last year I slacked with the blogging because I was so focused on my studies and too tired to actually blog when I had time. So for 2016 I wish I can make a schedule that will work for me - to keep up with my studies, exercise, reading, blogging, and social life. And yeah, I want to read more books than I read this year, which means over sixty books. 

6. A 2016 Release You’ve Already Read & Recommend To Everyone?I'm afraid I haven't read any 2016 releases yet.