I Love Spring Book Tag

Hey guys, this is Abi here,

And with spring just around the corner (hopefully- we might get a whole heap of snow in April-like last year) and with the weather being surprisingly hot- I thought it would be fun to do the I Love Spring book tag (even though I can't enjoy it because... work.)

Because, I do love spring- all the daffodils, and that time when you can take off all the layers and enjoy the sunshine :) .

Enjoy!

1. How is Spring Where You Live?

Ermmm... it's okay. All the flowers open up, the days start getting longer, and you start to look forward to all the plans you have in the next few months. (And I am thoroughly looking forward to the next few months... though not the half marathon I have planned... which thankfully happens to be first! (Yes!))

2. Most Anticipated Book Release This Spring?

To save having to pick just one, here is the list of books I'm anticipating this spring:

-Fated, by Teri Terry-7th March- This is a prequel to the Slated trilogy, which happens to be one of my favourite series ever. I'm talking top three. I'm looking forward to this because I have a number of ideas as to whose perspective I will get to read from- and I get to re-read the entire trilogy once more!

-Children of Virtue and Vengence (Children of Orisha #2), by Tomi Adeyemi- 7th March- I loved the first book (like the rest of the world) and I am eagerly awaiting the release of this novel.

-Finale (Caraval #3), by Stephanie Garber- 9th May- Even though I was a little bit underwhelmed by Legendary, I am still going to see this trilogy through to the end. Not only are we going to read from both sisters' perspectives, but I'm looking forward to how they will reach their end.

(There aren't a lot of releases that I'm looking forward to in Spring- mostly in Summer and Autumn.)

3. A Book Cover that Makes You Think of Spring

    

I couldn't pick just one: something about these covers kind of says spring. There's a type of romance, an innocence in each of these stories, and the presence of hope? Who knows.

4. Where are you going to read this spring?

On my break and in my room, same as usual. Maybe outside, if it's warm enough.

5. Find a cover with a sun on it.

FOUND ONE! I haven't read this in a while, I might give it a re-read if I'm in the right mood for this novel. No promises though.

6. What are your favourite spring reads?

Usually I tend to reach for more contemporary reads in the spring, like this time last year I started the "To All the Boys I've Loved Before" trilogy. I finished Theatrical last week and very much enjoyed that, and my favourite spring read, the one that I am most likely to pick up in Spring, will probably have to be Fangirl, by Rainbow Rowell.

7. Find a book with many different colours in it.

My first thought is The Sun Is Also A Star, by Nicola Yoon. It's just so beautiful and goddamn colourful! It gives me more of a summer vibe than a spring one, but I'm going with it. Please let me know in the comments, if you enjoyed it, it's been sitting on my shelf for a couple of months and I have yet to pick it up!

8. Who do you tag?

I will actually tag people for this one.

-Savannah @The Book Prophet

-Heather @The Frozen Book Blog

-Shannon @Shannon Bookworm

Okay! I hope you enjoyed it and, even if you weren't tagged, feel free to do this tag!

I hope you have a wonderful day and I will see you all... soon!

Byeeeee!

-Abi xxxxxx

The Books I Own But Have Not Read Yet

Hey guys, this is Abi here,

And it has happened again. I have bought a pile of books & have not yet read them.

So, I thought it would be fun to list them!

Here are the books on my TBR pile!

1. Theatrical, by Maggie Harcourt

I started this this morning, and I am already neck deep in this novel. The print is huge, the characters are already really likeable (well the protagonist), and the chapters have already been entertaining and unique. There are and will be a couple of tropes, according to the reviews on Goodreads, but you can't have a romance novel without a couple of tropes. I can't wait to see what this novel brings to the table and, if you like theatre, drama or romance, then this is a book for you.

2. On the Come Up, by Angie Thomas

This is Angie Thomas' new book, which was released on 5th Feb. I got it the first day out, and it is the next book that I will pick up after Theatrical. Even though I only got this this month, I can't believe I didn't get on this as soon as it was in my hands. But never falter, I will start it sometime this month, and even though there are such high expectations based on this novel (not just from me) I know that I will not be disappointed. Also, the purple sprayed-edges are beautiful.

3. Crazy Rich Asians (Crazy Rich Asians #1), by Kevin Kwan

I only found out this was a series' the other day, but I am so excited! I loved this movie, and I hope to start this before the month is out. I get the feeling that this book is more than a story about love, power and loyalty, that there is so much to learn about the culture of Nicholas' family, one of the most powerful family in all of China, and I am so excited to read about it all!

4. The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, by Stuart Turton

I bought this as a couple with On the Come Up on the 5th. The entire booktube community is obsessing over this novel so I can't not give it a try. Also, the cover is beautiful and it makes me want to pick it up ahead of On the Come Up! But, it has it's place, and I am excited to read it some time next month. In march, I am coming for you, "The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle"!

5. The Sun is Also A Star, by Nicola Yoon

Because I want to spread out the books that I own in the up-coming months, I think I'm going to leave this one until April, when the sun is out, and I am in the mood for a Nicola Yoon contemporary. Also the fact that I will also be reading Queen of Air and Darkness in that month, and I'm going to need a sunny contemporary to balance that beast out. The print is pretty big, the chapters are short, and I'm pretty sure that I will be able to fly through this novel in a matter of days, just like I did with Everything, Everything.

6. Lord of Shadows (The Dark Artifices #2), by Cassandra Clare

7. Queen of Air and Darkness (The Dark Artifices #3), by Cassandra Clare

To avoid a book hangover, I have decided that I will reading a book a month of this humongous trio. Lady Midnight, which I just finished yesterday, had 668 pages in it. These two are even larger. As much as I love Cassandra Clare's books, there's something about them that just doesn't gel for me. But, they are action packed, the romances and the tension are the die for, and I will never turn away fighting. Also, the rest of the world are in the love with these books, and I want to share my thoughts on them with you guys, even if they aren't my favourite.

8. Muse of Nightmares (Strange the Dreamer #2), by Laini Taylor

As this is one of my TBR Jar Challenges, I will for sure be reading this some time this year. I don't know when I will, but I will get to it at some point. I loved Strange the Dreamer way too much not to pick up this sequel. Besides that, it's equally as beautiful as Strange the Dreamer, and it also has sprayed edges. I'm biting at the bit to get my teeth into this concluding novel.

Okay! Those are all the books that I own that I have yet to read! Although I only have eight books on this list, some of these are over 500 pages, so I'm going to take my time with them.

Right! That's all I have today, and that's going to do it for today! I hope you have a wonderful day, and I will see you all soon!

Byeeeeee!

-Abi xxxxxx

Valentine's Day Book Tag

Hey guys, this is Abi here,

And because Valentine's Day is this Thursday, I will be doing a version (there are so many) of the Valentine's Book Tag!

I got this from "All Books Considered", and even though I don't know who created it, it looked like a lot of fun!

Enjoy!

1. Standalone Book You Love

Of course Fangirl was the first one I chose. This is more of a contemporary than a romance, but romance is a subplot within the book. But the rules don't clarify whether it has to be a romance, so I'm picking it. Honestly, Fangirl is probably my favourite standalone because it deals with so many issues in such a good way.

2. Dystopian Book You Love

Even though I read this back in 2015, it still remains to be one of my favourite dystopians to date. It was my first Marissa Meyer book, and even though I've read the entire Lunar Chronicles as well as Heartless, this is probably also my favourite Marissa Meyer book, because of how fast I got sucked into it. Along with that, it also has a super unique premise to it.

3. A book that you love that nobody else talks about

Instead of a book, this is the Demonata series, by Darren Shan. There are 10 books in the series, and even though the last couple of books aren't the best, and the ending kind of fizzles out, this was one of my favourite series' from when I was a kid, even though I've never seen or heard of anybody talking about this series' because of Darren Shan's much more well known Vampire Assistant series'.

4. Favourite Book Couple

Please don't make me pick. There's:
-Clary and Jace
-All the couples from Jennifer Niven's books
-Callie Rose and Tobey, Sephy and Callum from the Noughts & Crosses series

5. Book That Other People Love That You Haven't Yet Read

One book I've been meaning to pick up is Muse of Nightmares, by Laini Taylor. It's one of my TBR Jar challenges, and every time I wake up the beautiful cover is staring me in the face. I read Strange the Dreamer last January, and it's one of the books that's highest on my TBR list for the next couple of months.

6. A Book With Red On the Cover

This! Even though Love, Simon wasn't my favourite contemporary romance, I preferred Leah on the Offbeat, but it's got a red cover. Up next for Becki Albertalli: What If It's Us, a collaboration with Adam Silvera: a must read for Spring 2019.

7. A Book With Pink On the Cover

Even though there are a fair amount of people who kind of dislike this cover, I like it because of the birds, and the fading of different pinks and purple within the cover. Also, it symbolises turning away from her family, to a new future, because she has her back to the birds. I'm thinking of re-reading this trilogy, because I really enjoyed it the first time around, and it's been a while since I have.

8. You Were Given A Box Of Chocolate. Which Fictional Boyfriend Would Have Given Them To You?

Again, I really don't want to choose for this one.

9. You Are Single On Valentine's Day (even though I'm not.) What book do you read? What TV show do you watch? What movie?

Book: Something by Cassie Clare, so I can emerge myself into another romance.
TV show: Chicago Med, (because I'm obsessed with the show at the moment.
Film: Crazy Rich Asians, because I loved it in the cinema and I still haven't watched it on DVD yet.

10. You're in the Book Shop. You get shot by an arrow? What New Release do you love?

On the Come Up, by Angie Thomas. I got it last week and I can't wait to pick it up as soon as I can!

10. Who do you tag?

Everyone! Once more, anyone is entitled to try this tag out!

Okay! So that was my Valentine's Day Book Tag! I hope you enjoyed it and I will see you all soon!

Byeeeee!

-Abi xxxxx

Skating with My Family, an Original Story

Hey guys, this is Abi here,

And I have a couple of story ideas, but I'm not sure what to write about.

I have a couple of ideas... okay, I got it!

I hope you enjoy this, because it's centred around something I found a love for in the last couple of months:

Ice-skating!

Enjoy!

Skating With My Family, an Original Story

I pull out of the drive-way, trying to ignore the lump in my throat. I take a deep breath, and try to focus on my daughter, and how excited she is for this experience.

When I'd really rather be going anywhere else, if I'm honest.

Trying not to think about things I don't want to think about, I focus on my driving, knowing that I'll know where to go due to muscle memory.

"What's that darling?" I answer to my daughter, after missing a question she asked me.

"I said," she speaks louder, so I can hear her, "why did you stop skating, Mum?

And it all comes rushing back in a blur: somebody crying frantically, rushing down a hospital bed, moving too fast to take anything-anything at all-in, except for the fact that my mother is in trouble, and nobody, not me, not my dad, is able to help her.

"Help her, please." I near scream at the doctor that's moving the cart down the corridor.

But then the cart is gone, and I can only turn to my dad. He looks stressed, but calm.

"Don't worry," he takes my hand and gives it a squeeze, "They'll do the best they can."

But their best wasn't good enough. Because my mother died. 19 hours later.

That's the reason I quit. Because I used to be a professional skater. And my mother was my coach.

Skating runs in our family. It was what my grandmother did, and my mother, and then me, at the grand old age of four. Our family had never skated at the Olympics, but that was our goal. Skating was in my blood. And all the blood sweat and tears that I'd put into my performance, my technique and the moves over the years had nearly been worth it. Because it was at the Olympic qualifiers that my mum had collapsed.

After she died, I did nothing but sleep for a month. Until one day, when I thought enough is enough, and I picked up my skating bag, and made for the door.

I won't tell you about that day, but let's just say I haven't been skating since.

Catching sight of my daughter in the mirror, playing with her mini skate key-ring, I can't help but smile.

* * * * * * * * *

At first glimpse, it's incredible bright. Before I can make track of anything, the memories come flooding back. The changing rooms with the ambitious (sometimes jealous) and passionate girls, all striving for the same goals; the bathrooms where we all made up our hair, our make-up before and after practise. Then I set my eyes on the ice rink, and I can practically see the hours of strenuous workout: learning back-ward skating, spins, my first partnering, learning lifts. But then I see my mother, and the lump is back; and the other memories threaten to overwhelm.

But, seeing my daughter's face, I take a huge gulp and plaster a smile on my face.

She can see what I'm doing though, and she looks me dead in the eye, her face a hard look of seriousness and says,

"You okay, Mum?" And I can't break down, not in front of my daughter.

"Yes hun, I'm fine." And then her beautiful smile is back, and inside I breath a sigh of relief.

"Then lets go sign in." And she pulls me in the direction of the check in counter.

* * * * * * * * *

I see my daughter, braving the ice for the first time. And it's a miracle to see. She just looks so small and significant, it's wonderful to have seen her take her first steps on the ice. But there's no way I'm stepping on myself.

Hayley...

I turn, certain I heard someone say my name.

Hayley... join her...

I see my daughter, having the time of her life, and then, as innocent as a daisy, she trips and falls. Before I can even think about going to help her, she's up and skating again. My girl, I think, proud that she's started her legacy.

Without me.

Hayley...

I look down at my skates, just slightly peeking out of my dirty old skating bag.

I look back at my daughter.

I yank on my old skates and, before I know it, I'm on the ice, picking up speed, just like I used to.

And it's as easy as breathing.

And then I scope my daughter into my arms, and as she turns slightly and sees that it's me, a high peal of laughter escapes out of her little body.

"This is what it feels like with a good partner!" I squeal, as we race round the rink, almost like flying.

And she gives me this look, that's larger than life, and she utters, very quietly, so that only I can hear.

"I love skating, Mum."

And I utter, "I love it too."

Okay! That was my "Skating With My Family". A short story that's been bubbling in my brain for some time now. I hope you enjoyed it!

Okay! That it, and that's going to do it for this post! I hope you have a good weekend, and I will see you all on Monday!

Byeeeeeee!

-Abi xxxxx

February TBR (2019)

Hey guys, this is Abi here,

And there's nothing I love more than when a new month rolls around, creating a new TBR! To make things more exciting, I have a couple of new releases included in my TBR for the month of love; and all of them have some form of romance in them!

Without further ado, here's my February TBR for 2019!

1. Lady Midnight (The Dark Artifices #1), by Cassandra Clare

I'm currently 1/3 into Lady Midnight at the moment, and the original plan for my February TBR was to marathon the Dark Artifices, start to finish, in the month of February. But now, because it is the month of romance, I decided that for once I want to read as much romance as I can. So, I will work through the Dark Aritifices, one book a month, until I finish Queen of Air and Darkness in April. If anything, I'm enjoying Lady Midnight much more the second time around, because I feel like I'm noticing more details, remembering more of the storyline, and enjoying it all the more.

2. Theatrical, by Maggie Harcourt

I didn't really feel in the mood to pick this up in January, so it's being continued on to February. We follow Hope in this novel, who is happiest out of the spotlight. But when she lands an internship on a top show, she can't believe her luck. But then crazy things start happening (all to do with theatre :D ) and it all goes hay-wire! This seems like the perfect book to include in a TBR for February, and I can't wait to see what I think of it!

3. The Sun is Also A Star, by Nicola Yoon

Another book that I can't wait to get to. I don't know much about this book, but that's the way I like to go into Nicola Yoon's books. I loved Everything, Everything and I really hope that this one is as good as Everything Everything. All I know is, I love the cover.

4.Five Feet Apart, by Rachael Lippincott

First things first: I love how relevant the cover is to the story. For those that don't know, the two main characters of this novel have cystic fibrosis, which is when mucus fills your immune system. From watching the trailer, this means that they have trouble breathing. On the cover, you see lungs, covered in flowers. That's why I love the cover. Now, this one is really short, and I hope to read this in one sitting. I'm not kidding, it's 276 pages. 

5. Crazy Rich Asians, by Kevin Kwan

I bought this book because I went to see the movie and loved it. When I saw it for BOGOHP, I decided to get it. Let me put it this way: there are 450 pages, the print is miniscule. And I can't wait to see what I think of this novel. The movie was incredible: it had to have come from somewhere. Also, I can't wait to delve into one of the most intricate cultures in the world, and learn more about the history of the Young family.

6. On the Come Up, by Angie Thomas

This comes out tomorrow and I feel like the whole world is excited for it. Not only am I getting this novel this month, but the DVD for The Hate U Give is pre-ordered, so it will make it's way to me on the 18th February. I can't wait for either and I know they'll both be fantastic. All I know about this novel is that it's about a sixteen-year-old called Bri who wants to be a rapper. There's also a bit of deadline, when her family is nearly close to homelessness, so they have to rely on her rapping to pay the bills, so it looks like it'll be an interesting read, to say the least. Looking forward to picking this up.

Okay! So that is my February TBR! I hope you enjoyed it, and feel free to post what you will be reading this month in the comments below!

I hope you have a wonderful night and I will see you all soon.

Byeeeeee!

-Abi xxxxx