January Monthly Wrap Up

Hello lovelies! I have been intending to start monthly wrap ups for a while now and what better time to do it than at the start of a brand new year.

On The Blog

January has seen several changes to Bookish Treasures, most notably that the blog design is now different. I have also added several pages to make old posts more discoverable. I already had a page for reviews (which has been updated) but there are also pages for discussion posts and guest posts / interviews. Hot New Releases is back on a weekly basis as is Stacking The Shelves - my weekly wrap up of the books I received that week.

I have started utilising Instagram a lot more so please come and join me over there!  http://instagram.com/lauramaycarter/

I have been shortlisted for Best Growing Blogger in the UKYA Book Blogger Awards! I would love it if you could vote for me :)

I have done some fun posts this month - Tips For New Bloggers and 10 Signs You Might Be A Bookaholic and I plan to continue having posts like this throughout the entire year.

The most viewed posts from January

Tips For New Bloggers
Guest Post - From Indie to Traditional: The Story of One Little {Twisted} Book That Could
Hot New Releases: December 24th - January 6th

Reviews posted

I didn't post any reviews this month :( This is down again to my broken laptop but now that I have a replacement I already have some written for February. Expect reviews for a variety of books over the coming months.

Events Attended

This month I attended an event at Harper Voyager to celebrate the upcoming release of The Fire Sermon by Francesca Haig. The day started with me meeting a few lovely bloggers at Euston Station (Luna's Little Library, Much Loved Books, Choose YA) and finding our way to the new Harper Collins office in London's Newscorp building. On arrival and bumping into a few other bloggers on the way (we would be here for ever if I named everyone so lets leave it at that) we were met by several of the editors and publicists at Harper Voyager.

After a short of amount of socialising and admiring the views of London from the 14th floor, Editorial Director Natasha Bardon welcomed us all before playing us a clip from a documentary celebrating 20 years of Harper Voyager. Then came the main attraction of the day - Francesca Haig read two passages from the book and answered all of our questions. Not only is her book fantastic (I had finished it on the train earlier that day), she is also incredibly smart and witty and the SF&F community should be incredibly happy that she decided to take a short break from writing poetry to pen the fantasy / dystopian novel that was floating around in her head.

After the Q&A we were treated to some delicious snacks including some incredible cupcakes with mini-versions of the book on top whilst we spent more time socialising. I think I managed to speak to pretty much everyone there as well as hogging quite a lot of Francesca's time :P Near the end we were surprised with finished copies of the book to get signed and a goodie bag containing three other Harper Voyager titles - Game Of Thrones, Half A King and Bird Box and a few leaflets about their upcoming titles including Ember In The Ashes which I am very excited about.

After a quick trip to Foyles it was time to head home after a fabulous day. I hope to be off to another event soon!

Personal Things

Early January saw the end of a long term relationship and I am actually enjoying the extra time and reduced amount pressure that comes with being single. I have received most of my marks for semester one of my MA Publishing degree and I am really happy with all my grades and feedback so far.

 

Dance and Cheerleading at University is starting to get very intense as we have our first competition next month and we are really hoping for a personal best in where we get placed which means multiple extra practices at the moment to make sure we are ready. I have also joined an allstar cheerleading team which I am loving so far as it is a higher level team the University and therefore more of a challenge.

 

In more dance related news last week I performed with my dance school in a pantomime of Jack and the Beanstalk which was a lot of fun as I never got the opportunity to do anything like that when I was younger.

 

My laptop decided January was the perfect time to breakdown on me (wrong!) leaving me laptop-less for two weeks whilst deciding on and then waiting for a new one. I did toy with the idea of getting a MacBook but decided against it due to the outrageous cost of getting one. 

Books Read

Book Releases

 

There have been a lot of amazing releases this past month and a greater number are mentioned on my weekly Hot New Releases posts but here is a highlight of just a few that are extra special.

 

The Art Of Being Normal - This LGBT novel sounds incredible and ground-breaking and has been attracting a lot of positive  attention over here in the UK. This is definitely right at the top of my wish list and how amazing is that cover?!

 

The Girl On The Train - This mystery / suspense / thriller novel is getting a lot of attention and has been widely proclaimed as "the next Gone Girl".

 

Beautiful Redemption - The newest book by bestselling author and queen of NA Jamie McGuire, this only released on Jan 27th and is already at over 150 reviews on Amazon.

 

Geek Girl - This book was the bestselling YA title of 2013 in the UK and two years after its original release it has finally made its way over to the US. If the US loves Harriet Manners as much as the UK does expect this book and the sequels to be HUGE.

 

Beyond The Consequences - Aleatha Romig is one of the worlds best authors when it comes to her suspense and mystery filled romances and this is the latest instalment in her bestselling Consequences series.

 

The Darkest Part Of The Forest - Holly Black is quite a big name in YA Fiction and this intriguing LGBT contemporary fantasy will only bring her more attention.

 

Firefight - My favourite of this months releases has to be Firefight by top fantasy author Brandon Sanderson. This is the second book in The Reckoners series which started last year.

 

Never Never - This new book is by not one but two bestselling authors and has been highly anticipated by a large number of romance readers for a long time. So far it has nearly 1000 mostly positive reviews. In under a month!

 

February Goals and TBR

 

I am planning on participating in Finish It Feb and finally reading some of the sequels and series enders that I actually already own but just have not read yet. I don't have an exact TBR for February but a few of these books I am definitely going to read for Finish It Feb.

 

 

Feel free to recommend which of these you think I should read first.

 

Here's to a hopefully fantastic February!

Hot New Releases: January 14th - 27th

This is a two week edition as last week I didn't have any access to a laptop as mine died on me :(

We can only include books that we are aware of! If you have an upcoming release please let us know over email, facebook or twitter for the chance to see it included in the weekly round up. We are also always happy to hear about any free or discounted books :D

Young Adult

Bryn Aven is an outcast among the Kanin, the most powerful of the troll tribes.

Set apart by her heritage and her past, Bryn is a tracker who's determined to become a respected part of her world. She has just one goal: become a member of the elite King’s Guard to protect the royal family. She's not going to let anything stand in her way, not even a forbidden romance with her boss Ridley Dresden.

But all her plans for the future are put on hold when Konstantin– a fallen hero she once loved – begins kidnapping changelings. Bryn is sent in to help stop him, but will she lose her heart in the process?  

Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK

***

Seventeen-year-old Charlotte barely escaped from her abusive parents. Her little brother, Sam, wasn't as lucky. Now she's trying to begin the new life she always dreamed of for them, but never thought she'd have to experience alone. She's hired a techie-genius with a knack for forgery to remove the last ties to her old life. But while she can erase her former identity, she can’t rid herself of the memories. And her troubled history won’t let her ignore the little girl she sees one day in the park. The girl with the bruises and burn marks.

That’s when Charlotte begins to receive the messages. Threatening notes left in her apartment--without a trace of entry. And they’re addressed to Piper, her old name. As the messages grow in frequency, she doesn’t just need to uncover who is leaving them; she needs to stop whoever it is before anyone else she loves ends up dead.  

Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK

***

It only took 2 years and for this to be the bestselling YA title of 2013 in the UK but this is finally out in the US!

Geek + runway = a hilarious runaway hit! This bestselling UK debut is full of humor and high-fashion hijinks—and now it’s coming to America.

Harriet Manners is tired of being labeled a geek. So when she’s discovered by a modeling agent, she seizes the chance to reinvent herself. There’s only one problem: Harriet is the definition of awkward. Does she have what it takes to transform from geek to chic?

Geek Girl is the first book in a hilarious new trilogy. It was also the #1 bestselling YA debut of 2013 in the UK, where it was shortlisted for the Roald Dahl Funny Prize and won the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize for Best Book for Teens. With all the humor and fabulous shenanigans of Louise Rennison’s Confessions of Georgia Nicolson and Meg Cabot’s The Princess Diaries, Geek Girl is about to become an international superstar.

Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK

***

A hot debut trilogy and a riveting story of survival, courage, and romance in a future where creating a master civilization is the only thing prized, no matter the method. After the Omega (the end of the end), 16 year old guys known as LTs discover their overseers are raising them not to be soldiers (lieutenants) as promised, but to be sold as bait because of their Less Than status and hunted for sport. They escape and join forces with a girls’ camp, the Sisters, who have been imprisoned and experimented on for the "good of the Republic," by a government eager to use twins in their dark research. In their plight for freedom, these heroes must find the best in themselves to fight against the worst in their enemies.

Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK

New Adult & Adult

Cody and Meg were inseparable.
Two peas in a pod.
Until . . . they weren’t anymore.

When her best friend Meg drinks a bottle of industrial-strength cleaner alone in a motel room, Cody is understandably shocked and devastated. She and Meg shared everything—so how was there no warning? But when Cody travels to Meg’s college town to pack up the belongings left behind, she discovers that there’s a lot that Meg never told her. About her old roommates, the sort of people Cody never would have met in her dead-end small town in Washington. About Ben McAllister, the boy with a guitar and a sneer, who broke Meg’s heart. And about an encrypted computer file that Cody can’t open—until she does, and suddenly everything Cody thought she knew about her best friend’s death gets thrown into question.

I Was Here is Gayle Forman at her finest, a taut, emotional, and ultimately redemptive story about redefining the meaning of family and finding a way to move forward even in the face of unspeakable loss.

Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK

***

A part time student, CNA, and caretaker for her slightly deranged mother, Clara McKiney doesn’t have time for a relationship. That’s why her friends with benefits arrangement with sexy and ridiculously charming Jax Hensley works perfectly.

But Jax has other ideas.

The moment Jax met Clara he was instantly drawn to her wittiness, confidence, and gorgeous smile. Even though he agreed to the friends with benefits arrangement, he secretly hopes for more than their weekend hook ups.

When Jax's estranged mother mysteriously disappears, he sees an opportunity to spend more time with Clara. After convincing her to return home with him, a new agreement is made. One road trip and week together to find out why his mom vanished into thin air.

Things are about to get complicated.

Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK

***

NYPD detective Seraphia Newsom will avenge her brother’s death at any cost. Even if it means insinuating herself into a rough, Brooklyn street gang and going so far undercover, she’s not sure she’ll be able to get out. Every minute she spends in their midst means the clock ticking down on her life, especially when she overhears something that could get her killed.

Bowen Driscol is the heir to a crime enterprise. He never asked for the job, but with his father behind bars, he has no choice but to step in and keep the operation running. But when the NYPD blackmails him with a piece of damning information in exchange for aiding an undercover cop, he finds himself on the other side of the law for the first time in his life.

Bowen knows the danger Sera is in, and keeping her safe trumps saving his own ass. The problem? She can’t know he’s on her side. And there's the matter of the seriously inconvenient heat sparking between them that's incinerating his resistance. But Sera only sees Bowen's past, and men like him are the reason her brother is dead. If they're to get out alive, he'll have to risk exposing the man beneath, and hope to hell he doesn't blow the whole operation in the process.

Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK

***

Paige Mahoney has escaped the brutal prison camp of Sheol I, but her problems have only just begun: many of the survivors are missing and she is the most wanted person in London...

As Scion turns its all-seeing eye on the dreamwalker, the mime-lords and mime-queens of the city's gangs are invited to a rare meeting of the Unnatural Assembly. Jaxon Hall and his Seven Seals prepare to take centre stage, but there are bitter fault lines running through the clairvoyant community and dark secrets around every corner. Then the Rephaim begin crawling out from the shadows. But where is Warden? Paige must keep moving, from Seven Dials to Grub Street to the secret catacombs of Camden, until the fate of the underworld can be decided.

Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK

***

This exciting new series from NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author Ally Carter focuses on Grace, who can best be described as a daredevil, an Army brat, and a rebel. She is also the only granddaughter of perhaps the most powerful ambassador in the world, and Grace has spent every summer of her childhood running across the roofs of Embassy Row.

Now, at age sixteen, she's come back to stay--in order to solve the mystery of her mother's death. In the process, she uncovers an international conspiracy of unsettling proportions, and must choose her friends and watch her foes carefully if she and the world are to be saved.

Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK

***

If A Maddox boy falls in love, he loves forever. But what if he didn't love you, first?
No-nonsense Liis Lindy is an agent of the FBI. Deciding she is married only to her job, she breaks off her engagement and transfers from Chicago to the field office in San Diego. She loves her desk. She is committed to her laptop. She dreams of promotions and shaking hands with the director after cracking an impossible case.
Special Agent in Charge Thomas Maddox is arrogant, unforgiving, and ruthless. He is tasked with putting away some of the world’s toughest criminals, and he is one of the best the Bureau has to offer. Though, as many lives as he’s saved, there is one that is beyond his reach. Younger brother Travis is faced with prison time for his involvement in a basement fire that killed dozens of college students, and the media want a conviction. Travis’s only savior is his unusual tie to the mob. In a deal that will spare his brother, Thomas has agreed to recruit Travis into the FBI.
Liis is stubborn, defiant, and yet somehow softens Thomas’s rough edges, making her the perfect agent to accompany him to the ceremony. Posing as a couple, they must travel to Travis & Abby’s beach vow renewal and give him the news, but when the pretending ends, she finds herself wondering if they were pretending at all.
In the second installment of the Maddox Brothers books, experience firsthand the mysterious world of the elusive Thomas Maddox, and how good love can be when you’re not the first, but the last.

Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK

Tips For New Bloggers

When I first started blogging and even before that when I was just considering starting, I found posts about blogging tips incredibly helpful and I learnt so much. I recently realised that I have never done anything like this myself and thought it might be fun to pass on some of my own tips.

Bookish Treasures is a book review blog but most of these tips should be applicable whatever you blog about!

 

***

 

Have a nice, clean blog design. You don't have to splash out on expensive blog designs, especially when you are just starting out! Blogger and Wordpress both have lovely templates that you can perfectly customise to your needs with just a few clicks and minimal effort on your part. Sometimes some of the most striking blog designs are the simple ones that allow the content to talk for itself. If you do want to splash out, many of the blogs I think are simply gorgeous used Priceless Designs. I get free templates from places such as Nymphont which I do recommend but probably not for the beginner blogger as the templates occasionally have issues which can be tricky to fix if you don't know the innermost workings of blogger and a bit of HTML.

 

Establish your blogging style. In my experience most of the best blogs have a certain niche, style and something that makes them stand out. Some blogs are known for being incredibly witty and funny *cough* Cuddlebuggery *cough* whilst others are known for always having amazing giveaways or having well thought out reviews or championing a particular genre (such as UKYA queen Lucy over at Queen Of Contemporary and Project UKYA. Embrace what you like and who you are instead of trying to dip your fingers into every pot.

 

BUT

 

Don't be fake. Don't try to be for example snarky and humorous purely for the sake of page views if that is not who you are. It will just lead to inconsistencies in your style when the real you starts to shine through. Whatever your writing style is, there will be a lot of people out there who like it. You do not need to pretend to be something you are not.

 

Remember that what works for one person may not work for you. Just because one blogger has made a certain formula work for them does not mean it will work for you. Rather than copying someone else, create your own recipe for success.

 

Get a mentor. Now this is much easier said than done but if you are friendly with a pre-existing blogger or even are just a long time follower don't be too shy to ask them for a little help and advice. The worst thing that will happen is they say they are too busy. When I first started blogging, Faye at A Daydreamers Thoughts was incredibly helpful giving me guidance on lots of little things, helping me learn my way around blogger and even creating my original header and coming up with my blog name! Alongside Faye many other bloggers (too many to name them all but you know who you are!) helped me in the start by being encouraging, giving feedback and spreading the word of my brand new blog. That assistance was truly invaluable and many bloggers are willing to help and make friends with a newbie, you just need to not be too shy to ask!

 

Unless you don't want anyone to be able to contact you make sure you have contact details somewhere that is easy to find and also a review policy for authors/publicists who are interested in reviews. People who enjoy your blog will also appreciate it if you have following options easy to find. Think email subscription, twitter, facebook, bloglovin, google friend connect and many other similar methods.

 

Blogging is about the community. Talk to more established bloggers, comment on their posts, show an interest in them, and they (depending on the blogger) WILL do the same for you.

 

Remember that you are not alone! There are lots of bloggers going through the exact same things of you and many will be more than happy to discuss things with you. I highly recommend making friends with bloggers who start up at the same time as you as then you can go through the highs and lows together.

 

Try to stick to a schedule if you can. I really struggle with this due to life commitments but blogging is so much easier when you have posts scheduled for weeks or months in advance and plan out things like books to read, reviews to write, when you will do discussion posts etc.

 

Don't just do it for the free books (or make-up, gadgets, whatever is applicable to the type of blog you run)! Yes you can get free books when you blog. Yes it is pretty cool. However the effort needed to get your blog to the point where publishers will send you free books means that it is probably better value for money to just buy the books and have a job in the time you would have spent blogging. Unless you are blogging because you truly want to blog you will get disillusioned and sick of it pretty quickly.

 

Once you have established yourself as a blogger it is possible to contact publishers to request review copies and to be added to blogger lists but I wouldn't worry with that in the early stages of blogging!

 

Hootsuite is your friend! There are many tools that can help with blogging and social media and for me Hootsuite is a must alongside twitter and probably facebook. It is also worth looking into Triberr, learning about NetGalley & Edelweiss and looking for blogger databases that you may want to get your information on.

 

Don't let people pressure you into going against your wishes and what you believe. If you don't want to review books that you didn't enjoy because you want your blog to only be positive then do it! Same goes for if you want to review everything, even the books you think should never have seen the light of day. Many people have ideas about what exactly bloggers should do, most of those ideas differ wildly from person to person. Blog the way YOU want. People who stick around and become regular readers will do so because they like the way you do things. As far a negative reviews go DO WHAT YOU LIKE but I would just remember two things 1) authors do have feelings AND you are reviewing the book not them 2) ultimately your reviews exist to serve both yourself and readers / other bloggers NOT the author.

 

Most of all remember that blogging is just a hobby (unless you are one of the rare few that manages to turn it into a career) and it is ok to take a break when you need it. The life / blogging balance is something we all struggle with from time to time. If you force yourself to blog no matter what is going on in life you are just taking the risk that you will end up overly stressed and loathing blogging.

 

Do you have any questions about any aspects of blogging? Any terms that confuse you, things you want to know how to do etc.? Feel free to ask me below and I will help if I can. You don't have to be a new blogger, I am also happy to help if you have been around for a few months and need some tips about taking the "next step". I may even end up answering your question in a post if I feel it needs a long response :D

 

Also I realised recently that I cannot think of a single blog that is under a year old :O If you are a new blogger please introduce yourself!

Stacking The Shelves / Showcase Sunday #55

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews and Showcase Sunday is Hosted by Books, Biscuits and Tea and they both give bloggers the opportunity to share the books they have received in the past week.
 

This week I received a few fantastic review books and I also had a trip to London on Saturday which I came back from with loads of books. Unlike last week entirely YA haul this weeks books have a lot more variety. Please let me know what you think I should read first. As usual if you click on the book cover you will be taken to the Amazon page for that book.

I am now regularly using Instagram to share books, cats and a few random bits of life and you can expect giveaways coming up in the future. Come and follow me -

http://instagram.com/lauramaycarter/

For Review

Paperback

 

Yesterday I went to an event at Harper Voyager for The Fire Sermon and as well as it just being generally fantastic we got a goodie bag of the following books - The Fire Sermon, Half A King, Bird Box and Game Of Thrones. This week I received through the post Crow Moon from Quercus Books and Seven Days from Eve Ainsworth. Thank you to all who sent me books!

 

 

Gifts / Swap

Two lovely bloggers (Debbie @ Snuggling On The Sofa and Michelle @ Much Loved Books) brought me these lovelies to the Harper Voyager event.

 

 

Bought

 

Paperback

 

I've been meaning to read this for a while and I stumbled across it in Foyles. I hope it is a great read :)

 

 

What do you think of these books? Feel free to leave links to your own weekly haul posts in the comments.

Waiting On Wednesday - Shadow Study by Maria V. Snyder

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and it allows readers to share the books that they are most looking forwards to reading.

This week the book I have chosen to feature is Shadow Study by Maria V. Snyder.

Check out the cover here (I am having laptop issues this week unfortunately).

Title: Shadow Study

Author: Maria V. Snyder

Series: Soulfinders #1 Chronicles of Ixia #7

Publisher: MIRA (US) Mira INK (UK)

Publication Date: February 24th (US), March 1st (UK)

Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK

Synopsis

Once, only her own life hung in the balance…

When Yelena was a poison taster, her life was simpler. She survived to become a vital part of the balance of power between rival countries Ixia and Sitia.

Now she uses her magic to keep the peace in both lands—and protect her relationship with Valek.

Suddenly, though, dissent is rising. And Valek’s job—and his life—are in danger.

As Yelena tries to uncover her enemies, she faces a new challenge: her magic is blocked. And now she must find a way to keep not only herself but all that she holds dear alive.

My Thoughts

Maria V Snyder is one of my favourite authors as Poison Study, Magic Study and Fire Study are my favourites of all her books. I was incredibly happy to hear that she would be going back the main characters from those for some more books! The synopsis of Shadow Study sounds amazing so I cannot wait for the release.

What are you waiting for this week?

10 Signs You Might Be A Bookaholic

The fact you are reading this post means you likely love books but are you a true bookaholic! Here is my handy guide to see just how crazy about books you are :)

You occasionally turn down invitations to go out because you are in the middle of a good book.

Hearing someone say "I don't like books" is almost as bad as them saying "I like to kick puppies".

The woosh-thump of a book coming through your letterbox is the most heavenly sound on earth.

Your brain calculates cost in terms of books. "Those jeans are nice but they are 8 paperbacks".

You plan your life around book releases. After all, you KNOW what you will be doing the day book 2 (/3/4/5/...) in your favourite series releases.

Forget musicians and actors (unless they are in a book adaptation), authors are the real rockstars you fangirl over.

The quickest way for someone to be unfriended is to return a book you lent them in a less than perfect condition.

You say goodbye to your books collection before going anywhere for an extended period of time.

If there was a house fire the first thing you would save would be your favourite books (second thing if you have pets).

Hearing someone say they love one of your favourite books = instant best friend.

Stacking The Shelves / Showcase Sunday #54

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews and it gives bloggers the opportunity to share the books they have received in the past week.

This has been an amazing week for me in terms of books coming through my letter box as normally I get maybe 1 a week if that but this week I got 7! I think this weeks haul is one of my favourites in quite a while as there are so many fantastic sounding books. It is also very YA heavy which I like as I am short on awesome recent YA to read! Please let me know what you think I should read first. As usual if you click on the book cover you will be taken to the Amazon page for that book.

I am now regularly using instagram and you can expect giveaways coming up in the future. Come and follow me -
http://instagram.com/lauramaycarter/

For Review

Paperback

I got these beauties in the post from Tor Books and Bloomsbury. A Court Of Thorns And Roses I have been excited about for MONTHS and I am very happy to have a copy. The other two books are books two and three of the Trylle Trilogy by Amanda Hocking which I am hosting a re-read for here on Bookish Treasures. Look out for posts coming soon! 

Kindle Unlimited

If you didn't hear, last week I got Kindle Unlimited and I am sampling what it has to offer. Incubus is the sequel to a book I read a few weeks ago so I was very happy to see it was on KU. The other two were recommended to me as mysterious romances with a dark twist but to be honest I was disappointed with both, they weren't what I was expecting and weren't particularly good for what they were.

Freebies

I got two freebies this week that I stumbled across on Amazon. Both are YA Paranormal novels and still free to my knowledge.

Won

This week Harper360 ran a competition for a bundle of YA books that I was lucky enough to win! All these books sound incredible and I am so excited to dive into them. I already have a copy of Anatomy Of A Misfit so I will be doing a giveaway for that at a future date.

What do you think of these books? Feel free to leave links to your own weekly haul posts in the comments.