This week has flown by! I’ve had a lot going on in real life this week and so haven’t read quite as much as I would have liked to but I still have lots of bookish things to share with you today.
I started my blog on 19th August this year but didn’t post my first review until 9th September so I’m almost at my two month anniversary of my first book review on here. It was lovely to notice that this week I actually posted my 40th review! I do review every book I read but I hadn’t realised that I’d already reviewed so many. It’s given me a much-needed boost after a week of not-so great news in real life.
I decided this week to add a new page link to the menu at the top of my blog. It is a list of my all-time favourite books. Even before I was a blogger I had a favourites shelf on my Goodreads account and a real-life favourite bookshelf in my home, and I realised when I read an incredible book this week that I really wanted to make a feature out of those books that are in another league of special. The books that rate 10 out of 10 and have that extra magical something that makes you want to treasure that book forever and ever, and you want to shout from the rooftops that everyone should read it! I haven’t yet got the skills to make this part of my blog look super fancy so it’s a work in progress but at least it’s there and every author that makes that section of my blog is very highly honoured. Here’s a link to the page: My Favourite Books of All-TIme! I also have a sideshow in my side-bar showing a loop of covers of the all-time favourite books!
This led me on to the realisation that as I’m a newbie blogger I’ve so far only reviewed one book that is on my favourites book shelf. So, for now I’m adding a list of my favourite books and ideally I’d like to re-read them all and do proper reviews. I don’t have time to do that as well as keep up with new books so I’m thinking i might start a mini reviews section on my blog where I share the blurb of a book and a few words about what it meant to me. This would just be for books on my favourites shelf so that you can all start to see why I love these books so much.
Also on my blog this week:
I currently have a fabulous giveaway (UK only) running for a gorgeous prize courtesy of Katy Hogan.
Katy Hogan has very kindly offered me this fabulous prize package so that I can run a giveaway. The giveaway is UK only this time. The prize is for one paperback copy of Out of the Darkness, a gorgeous Yankee Candle and a box of chocolates from Hotel Chocolat.
Please click here to read my review of this incredible book and to find the link to enter the giveaway. Good luck!
This week I have read four books and have posted reviews on all of them. (Click on the titles in the list below the pics to read my reviews)
Out of the Darkness by Katy Hogan (This book is the first book I’ve read since I started reviewing that has made it on to my all-time favourites shelf, it’s an incredible novel and I can’t recommend it highly enough)
The Little Bookshop on the Seine by Rebecca Raisin
Time to Die by Caroline Mitchell
How To Stuff Up Christmas by Rosie Blake
I’m also joining in with Stacking the Shelves (hosted by Tynga’s Reviews), which is all about sharing all the books you’ve acquired in the past week – ebooks or physical books, and books you’ve bought or borrowed or received an ARC of.
Books I’ve bought this week:
The Marble Collector by Cecelia Ahern
Katherine Carlyle by Rupert Thomson
Night Owls by Jenn Bennett
About Sisterland by Martina Devlin
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
Indecent Acts by Nick Brooks
The Storytellers by Laurisa White Reyes
Snowdrops at the Star and Sixpence by Holly Hepburn
The Prodigal by Nicky Black
ARCS I’ve received this week:
The Winter Wedding by Abby Clements (Paperback)
Look At Me Sarah Duguid (Paperback)
Dead Pretty by David Mark (ebook)
The Stylist by Rosie Nixon (ebook)
The Secret by the Lake by Louise Douglas (ebook)
The Mince Pie Mix-Up by Jennifer Joyce (ebook)
Follow Me by Angela Clarke (ebook)
Don’t Jump by Vicki Abelson (ebook)
Also, I won this lovely signed book in a giveaway this week. It’s How to be Brave by Louise Beech and I can’t wait to read it.
RatherTooFondofBooks 
Congrats on reviewing so many books already, that’s wonderful!
You got some books that look great – I really want to read Night Owls!
Enjoy your new books!
Kyra @ Blog of a Bookaholic
My Book Haul!
Thank you so much! Night Owls was on offer on Kindle in the UK this week so I snapped it up as I’ve been wanting to read it for a while. I hope I get a chance to get to read it soon. I’ll go check out your post now. 🙂
Great haul! Congrats on your win and Happy almost blogiversary!! Happy reading 🙂
Danielle @ Life With Two Boys
Thanks so much! I can’t believe that I’ve managed to blog every day for the two months my blog has been going, I absolutely love everything to do with blogging though. 🙂 I’ll go read your post now.
Oh I hadn’t heard about Ahern’s new book! I really need to look it up 🙂 I think I’ve read all her books except for this the newest one and one another, I just love how her books have a touch of magic 🙂
It was just out on Thursday and I couldn’t resist buying it straight away. Her books are wonderful, I love the magical elements too. Hope this new one is as good as it sounds. 🙂
Wow, you have some great looking new books…and I’m impressed with how skilled you are after only a couple of months. It took me the whole first year of blogging to really connect and hone my skills, and it’s an ongoing process.
Of your favorites, I have enjoyed a few, like After You’d Gone, I Know This Much Is True, Into the Darkest Corner, and The Headmaster’s Wife.
I also keep lists of favorites on a page of my Curl up and Read blog (one of my six).
Thanks for sharing, and enjoy your week.
Thank you so much. I’m still getting to grips with it all but I’m so pleased with how well it’s going so far. Thanks for having a look at my new favourites section too, I need to do a lot more work on it but I wanted to get it up and running. I’ll have a look at your Curl Up and Read blog, thanks for telling me about it. Hope you have a good week. 🙂
Very nice haul, Hayley! And congrats on posting 40 reviews in two months! That’s awesome 🙂
Have a wonderful weekend and happy reading!
Thank you so much! I’m looking forward to reading all my new books, I just wish there were more hours in the day. I was really surprised when I counted up how many reviews I’d written, I hope I can keep it up. Hope you have a lovely weekend too. 🙂
Echoing all that is said above, I cannot believe that is the length of time you’ve been blogging, your blog is so well seasoned and professional. The site is a total testament to hard work, dedication and talent. Very very well done and congratulations!:):):)
Thank you so much, that’s so lovely of you to say. I have worked hard on content for my blog and I’m pleased to know that people enjoy reading it. I’ve put so much into this blog because I needed a project after a really tough few months and it’s making me quite tearful (happy tears though!) to read what you’ve said. 🙂
🙂
Can’t believe you’ve only been blogging for 2 months!! So professional looking and great. I’m off to read your reviews, some fab books there.
Amanda.
Thank you so much. I hope you can find some new books to read when you look through my reviews. I read a lot of different genres so there’s a real mix of books.
WOW. You read four books. I Hope you love all of your new books. They look fabulous.
Grace @ Books of Love
Thank you. It has been a good week for books this week, I’m looking forward to starting some of my new ones soon. 🙂
Your books look so good. I really hope you enjoy them! 🙂 I can’t believe you’ve only been blogging 2 months!
Thank you, I’m really looking forward to starting them. 🙂 I feel like I’ve been blogging for a lot longer, it’s become such a big part of my life. I wish I’d started it a long time ago.
Wow, I’m sorry the week wasn’t that great but boy you did get a lot of books! I have been blogging for a few months, but I don’t have the access to ARCs that you do. I do have some, and need to hurry up and review them, and hopefully I’lll get more. Thanks for sharing your book finds for the week.
Thank you, I spotted a few wish list books on sale so couldn’t resist. I have been very lucky to receive so many ARCs, I think it’s because I’m a fast reader so can review and give feedback quickly.
I have to get my hands on Don’t Jump. What a great cover and who could resist the whole title. Thanks for sharing it.
It does sound like a great read, doesn’t it? I haven’t started reading it yet but it’s one I’m very much looking forward to. I hope you enjoy it if you decide to get a copy.
Great haul this week Hayley! I really love the covers to Night Owls. 🙂
My STS
Thank you. Night Owls does have a great cover, it seems like it’ll be a great read too. I’m looking forward to reading it. I’ll go read your post now. 🙂
I can spot several books that have caught my attention as well.:)
I especially like the covers of Snowdrops at the Star and Sixpence by Holly Hepburn, The Winter Wedding by Abby Clements and The Mince Pie Mix-Up by Jennifer Joyce.
They are gorgeous covers, really festive and pretty. 🙂
This is my first visit to your blog and it is really great! I’ll be adding you to my bloglovin list so I can keep up to date with your posts. Thanks very much for visiting my blog this week! Enjoy all your books!
Thank you so much for stopping by my blog and for your kind words, it’s much appreciated.
Ooh, nice haul. I need to read The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet — it was recommended to me a while ago.
Thank you. I kept hearing about this book so when I spotted it in a Kindle offer this week I decided to get it. I’m hoping I get a chance to read it soon.
Nice selection of books! I found a few to add to my TBR list.
You can check out my Stacking the Shelves post at http://careyreads.blogspot.com/2015/11/stacking-shelves-2.html.
Thanks for stopping by, I’ll go check your post out now. 🙂
Congratulations on your almost anniversary. You have some great books listed. I can recommend The Prodigal. I really enjoyed it. Have a good week.
Thank you. I’m looking forward to reading it, hopefully I’ll get time to read it soon.
Aww congrats on the two months! That is fabulous! I love the idea of reviewing your favorites- I was actually thinking of doing the same. Not all of them, but The Hunger Games, because I gush about the books all the time, and am currently re-reading 😉 And Night Owls looks SO good, I need it in my life! I am going to treat myself if no one buys it for my birthday 😀 Hope you have a fabulous week, and enjoy the new additions!!
Thanks so much. I wanted to a space on my blog to showcase all my favourite books and I think it’d be fun to review as many of them as I can over time as an added feature. I love hearing about other people’s favourite books, it’s always fascinating to see why a book appealed to someone. You should do it on your blog too, I’d definitely be interested to read about your favourites books. I’m so keen to read Night Owls, I just need more hours in the day! I hope you get it for your birthday but if you don’t you’ll have to treat yourself. I’m assuming your birthday is soon so happy birthday! 🙂 Hope you have a fab week too.
You bought all those books this week? 😀 i like this stacking the shelves thing. It’s cool. I can’t wait to read your reviews of these.
I bought most of them this week, I can never resist a good book! I really enjoy doing my stacking the shelves post every week, it’s fun reading everyone else’s posts too. I often buy books and then don’t get to read them for a while but I review everything I read so there will be reviews at some point. 🙂
I know what you mean, it’s hard to resist. 😀 I look forward to reading your reviews. x
Thank so much 🙂