End of 2018 Post

Ok, this is a little earlier than I was expecting but I've decided that this post here is going to be my last for 2018! WHERE THE HELL HAS THIS YEAR GONE, GUYS?!

The reason I am writing this now instead of the next few days is because I will be back blogging in the New Year a week earlier than I planned so keep your eyes peeled! Plus, am going to try and do a little experiment on The Pewter Wolf where January is going to be a book reviewing free zone. It's kinda happened by fluke where other types of blog posts are taking up January and seeing as I am a tad stubborn and don't want to realise any blogposts on weekend, it's just happens that January is going to be a tad different than normal. So, no real book-review posts to my knowledge in January 2019, although I might - MIGHT -  break this with one, possible two books, but most book reviews will be up in February. Plus, this also gives me a bit of breathing room as scared am going to fall into reading slump over Christmas and New Year and I have made plans to read a few books by certain dates and I CAN NOT BREAK THEM!

Although, if you do want reviews, keep eyes peeled on my other social media outlets - Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Goodreads - as I will try and put one or two up on these platforms in one form or another...

But this is gonna be a short post as all I want to say is thank you.

I know I don't have a huge readership compared to other book blogs who are smarter, funnier, cooler or more cat-like than me, but I am really grateful. I am grateful that authors, publishers, PR people and other cool book people still think my blog can be involved in promoting their book/series and allow time to tweet/email and check I'm ok. Same for when they meet me at events and am going through a tiny self-confidence crisis. Thank you for being kind and thoughtful.

To all my fellow book bloggers/vloggers/podcasters/instagrammers/etc, thank you for always being welcoming to old blogging folks like me (8 years I've been doing this! CAN'T YOU BELIEVE THAT?!) and yet always welcoming newer bloggers into the community! Your passion, warmth and dirty senses of humour are wonderful and there are a few of you I think of as wonderful friends so thank you.

To real life friends, family and my Other Half, thank you for being there and laughing at the amount of books I have and reminding me that there is a life outside of books, telling me to calm down when I get worried/stressed/flap over things I shouldn't worry over. And for your love. Thank you for loving me as much as I love you. I couldn't my lives without you all.

Just thank you all.

Now, am going to leave you and try and enjoy the last few days of 2018 (by working! And reading!) but I wish you all a very Merry Christmas, a Happy and Hopeful New Year and wonderful holiday. See you in the future!

Book Review - Mistletoe and Murder

• Title And Author: Mistletoe and Murder by Robin Stevens
• Publisher: Puffin
• Physical, eBook or Audiobook: Physical
• Bought, Borrowed or Gifted: Bought
• Length: 383 Pages

T'was the night before Christmas, and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, because a murder was announced… 

I’ve been meaning to return to the Murder Most Unladylike series for ages! So, when a few months back, I saw the short story of The Mystery of the Missing Treasure at my local Waterstones, I bought that, read it and went “Ok, I have to return now.” and, rather than start at the first mystery and work my way through, I know I wanted to return into this world with either Mistletoe and Murder or Spoonful of Murder, the fifth and the sixth instalments in the series. And with Christmas a few weeks away, I knew it was going to be this one that would win… 

In case you haven’t followed the Pewter Wolf for a while, I tend to do this a lot with series. I’m not 100% sure why I do this but ha-ho! 

Arriving in Cambridge to celebrate Christmas 1935 in style, Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong are hoping for snowy Christmas with Daisy’s brother and, to everyone expect Daisy’s hopes, this will be a quiet Christmas. 

Expect it’s not. Danger lurks within the halls of Maudlin College for an tragic accident happens. But it’s an accident, a prank gone horribly wrong… right? Daisy and Hazel aren’t so sure so they call on all their Detective Society skills to find the truth. But with a rival agency looking into the accident as well, they have to solve the case quickly. Was it an accident? Was it murder? And can they solve the case before Christmas Day? 

So, what do I think of this? 

BBC National Short Story & Young Writer Award 2019 Judges Press Release!

I HAVE A PRESS RELEASE FOR YOU!!! BRACE YOURSELVES FOR PRESS RELEASE!!!

Just think, it felt like only a few weeks ago when the 2018 BBC National Short Story Award and 2019 BBC Young Writers' Award announced their winners for 2018. And now... now we have a press release of who will be judging both Awards! And both lists are good'un!

So, let me pop this hear and let you read! ENJOY!

Bookish Naughty or Nice Tag

Another day, another tag I randomly discovered on Twitter and, seeing as Christmas is a few weeks away (and I am nowhere near ready with cards and wrapping), I thought I would do this tag to delay the horror that is to come - Christmas card shopping! 

I discovered this via Amy on her blog, Golden Books Girl, and I believe the creator was Jen from Jenniely. But, when I saw the first few questions, I went “My answers are going to be Naughty, aren’t they?”

So, let’s do this, shall we? Oh, am not going to tag anyone in this but if you wanna do it, do it! 

Hang on, I need a Christmas gif before I go on. It's gonna be a long post! 

The 5 W’s Book Tag

Ok, I stole this from Justine from I Should Read That and You’re Never Going to Read This (Of course I have! I don’t tagged that often and when I do, I usually forget I’m tagged and, by the time I realised that I have, it’s too late!) and I THINK (if I backtracked far enough) that this tag was created by Shyla at Words and Stitches! So, let’s get the crazy book party started!!!

Oh, if any of you guys want to do this (as am not going to tag anyone), DO IT! Was weirdly fun and calming (I did this after doing a stupid decision of checking the blog viewer statics and wanted to cry over how low it was! WHY, YOU STUPID HUMAN, WHY!?) 

WHO? - Who is an author you’d love to have a one-one-one with? 

Too many authors to name! I don’t want to say JK Rowling, as she is my go-to answer. I would love to sit down with her and question her about the Harry Potter books (not Fantastic Beasts movies, though - as Crimes of Grindwald left a bitter taste in my soul). My other go-to answer is Garth Nix and I would demand answers about his Old Kingdom and Keys to the Kingdom series. I love Sabriel and all I would ask is “Will there be another book set in the Old Kingdom?” I am very tempted to say Stephenie Meyer as well. 

WHAT? - What genre or style do you most gravitate to? 

I feel the most comfortable in YA, but that’s not a genre, but an age range (it’s weird that we’re still having this discussion on what YA and NA is. I’m still not 100% certain what New Adult is. Answers on a postcard please). My gut reaction to this question is fantasy and crime/thrillers. These two are the genres I always go towards in bookshops and online. I feel quite comfortable and happy with them. I do read other genres - contemporary, sci-fi (I should read more sci-fi, if am honest with self but I can’t do high sci-fi. I get a tad overwhelmed), historical fiction - but I always go towards fantasy and crime.

WHERE? - Where do you prefer to read? 

Anywhere where I can snuggle and get cosy. Usually, it’s either on my sofa in my fluffy dressing gown or in bed. Though, anywhere where I don’t have to stress or worry is wonderful. I read on holiday earlier this year - in Cyprus by the pool - and it was just wonderful to read and not be watching the clock or worrying about work or money or the blog. It was bliss. 

WHEN? - What time of the day do you prefer to read? 

Normally, I can read anywhere and at any time. But realistically, that can’t happen. Work full time and there’s so many books to read and only a handful of snatched moments to read so, if I can read before I go to bed, fantastic. But, normally, it’s mostly on days when am not working or five/ten minutes before I go to work (which is a pain as I usually am about to find my reading stride, then I have to drive myself in!).

WHY? - Why is your favourite book your favourite book? 

Not sure I can pinpoint my fave books - Harry Potter, Sabriel, His Dark Materials - but it’s usually the feeling I get while reading this. That sense of joy! No matter what mood I am, I can read one fo them and it will always make me happy and I always discover something I have missed in my many rereads! 

BONUS! - How do you go about selecting what you’ll read next? 

Mood. It sucks, but I am a total mood reader. I usually go towards something that has something I want to read. But I usually have an idea what my next book is going to be. Am usually a book ahead of myself. 

But this month and next month, I have a strict list of stories to read/audiobook as I have a few deadlines so I want to make myself up straight. Not promising that will hit these deadlines, but am going to try… 

eBook Review - Gilded Cage

• Title And Author: Gilded Cage by Vic James
• Publisher: PanMacMillan
• Physical, eBook or Audiobook: eBook
• Bought, Borrowed or Gifted: Bought
• Length: 416 pages

You can blame Olivia from That Fiction Life for this! IT'S ALL HER FAULT!

Ok, allow me to explain. For the past few months - maybe even year - Olivia has been banging on about this trilogy that she thought I would love. You might know, if you follow a few book bloggers/vloggers/podcasters/etc that we usually have one book or trilogy/series that we want to force onto other people and go "YOU HAVE TO READ THIS!" and this trilogy was Olivia's. I usually trust Olivia's judgement, but for some reason, I tried to read the sampler of Gilded Cage on my kindle and my brain goes "Nope". 

But when I saw it for 99p, I knew I had to buy it and, when I bought it, I said I would read it before the end of the year. Then, after chatting to Olivia at one or two bookish events (The Twisted Tree and Time's Convert), I decided that it was going to be my next read. I felt ready to try the Cray Cray (her words, not mine).

In a frightening similar world to our, Gilded Cage follows Abi, Luke and their family as they have to serve their slavedays - ten years of labour that commoners must serve - whereas magically skilled aristocracy - Equal - rule. Somehow, Abi has managed to get the family to serve the oldest Equal family, the Jardines. But on the day they have to go, the family discover that Luke won't be going with them, but to a factory town of Millmoor... 

Separated from each other, the family must do the best they can. Abi must work with the Jardines, watching her little sister look after the Jardine's Heir's baby daughter (rumours say he killed the commoner mother), and slowly falling for the middle Jardine son, an Equal without magic. And at Millmoor, Luke gets into a club and slowly, begins to dream of rebellion... 

And all the while, the political backdrop is filled of blackmail, uprisings and backstabbing and with a possible rebellion on the horizon, things will take a dangerous turn... 

So, what do I think of this? 

Audiobook Review - Heroes

• Title And Author: Heroes by Stephen Fry
• Publisher: Penguin
• Physical, eBook or Audiobook: Audiobook
• Bought, Borrowed or Gifted: Bought
• Length: 469 pages or 15 hours

As you guys are probably aware, I got a little obsessed when I listened to the audiobook version of Stephen Fry’s Mythos. So much so, I did the super rare thing and bought the physical copy of the book. That was how obsessed I got with this. 

So, when I discovered that there was a second edition to the Mythos Volumes, Heroes, I preordered that audiobook faster than I thought possible. I had this reaction when I discovered I could preorder Michelle Obama’s audiobook, Becoming (which am slowly listening to now. Am trying to savour that one!). 

Following on from Mythos, Heroes follows the tales of Greek heroes - from Jason aboard the Argo and his quest for the Golden Fleece, Oedipus solving the riddle of the Sphinx, Bellerophon capturing this winged horse Pegasus and the Labours of Heracles… 

So, what do I think of this, seeing how much I loved Mythos?