Blog Tour: Watch Me

Watch Me (Social Media Murders #2) by Angela Clarke
Released: 12th January 2017
By Avon Books  

YOU HAVE SIX SECONDS TO READ THIS MESSAGE…

The body of a 15-year-old is found hours after she sends a desperate message to her friends. It looks like suicide, until a second girl disappears.

This time, the message is sent directly to the Metropolitan Police – and an officer’s younger sister is missing.


DS Nasreen Cudmore and journalist Freddie Venton will stop at nothing to find her. But whoever’s behind the notes is playing a deadly game of hide and seek – and the clock is ticking.

YOU HAVE 24 HOURS TO SAVE THE GIRL’S LIFE.
MAKE THEM COUNT.

What happens when the younger sister of your detective cheif inspector goes missing and you are possibly the link between it all? Life and Death? Thats the issue that DS Cudmore has and its a race against the clock to hunt the person who has kidnapped Lottie. With the twisted person sending everyone snapchat messages, emails and getting under everyones skin, time is of the essence.

This book is fast paced, super addictive and all round amazing. I loved everything from start to finish about this book. I liked how the chapters went down in the time that was left. I liked the friendship and trust between Nasreen and Freddie. They're bond went so much deeper as they reached the end.
Freddie was a wonderful character, her ablity to spot paterns, work out possiblities was amazing. She was a very strong person, who didn't care who she upset, she'd suffered enough and wasn't about to do so again.

I love how this book is so upto date with everything that is happening in real life. From the social media to vloggers, to reconising famous names. This book is bang upto date with today.

This is a story to devour, it will get your heart racing to match those of the characters. It will get you thinking you have everything worked out for more twists and turns to be thrown in. It's a must read.

Do you want to win some books?? For your chance to win copies of WATCH ME and MUSSOLINI'S ISLAND by Sarah Day. All you have to do is go to my twitter page @Smelleykins and RT my pinned tweet. Winner will be annouced Sunday 29th January, with books being sent via Avon.

UK entries only.


 
















In 1939, a group of gay and bisexual men were rounded up and imprisoned on a tiny Italian island, their lives changed forever. Based on a true story of 1930s Italy, MUSSOLINI'S ISLAND is a powerful exploration of wartime life that will appeal to readers of EARLY ONE MORNING.

Follow: @TheAngelaClarke | @AvonBooksUK 
Go Get it From: Amazon UK | Book Depository | Waterstones | Wordery

Cover Reveal: Ashes To Ashes

Take a look at the cover for Paul Finch's latest book 'Ashes to Ashes'.
Published 7th April 2017 by Harper Collins.

John Sagan is a forgettable man. You could pass him in the street and not realise he’s there. But then, that’s why he’s so dangerous.

A torturer for hire, Sagan has terrorised – and mutilated – countless victims. And now he’s on the move. DS Mark ‘Heck’ Heckenburg must chase the trail, even when it leads him to his hometown of Bradburn – a place he never thought he’d set foot in again.

But Sagan isn’t the only problem. Bradburn is being terrorised by a lone killer who burns his victims to death. And with the victims chosen at random, no-one knows who will be next. Least of all Heck…

Sounds great doesn't it! 

Pre-Order: Amazon UK | Book Depository | Waterstones | Wordery

The Little Book of Hygge

Title: The Little Book of Hygge: The Danish Way to Live Well
Author: Meik Wiking
Type: Hardback
Read: 16th January - 17th January 2017
Rating: 5/5
Published: 16th November 2016 by Penguin UK

You know hygge when you feel it. It is when you are cuddled up on a sofa with a loved one, or sharing comfort food with your closest friends. It is those crisp blue mornings when the light through your window is just right.

Who better than Meik Wiking to be your guide to all things hygge? Meik is CEO of the Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen and has spent years studying the magic of Danish life. In this beautiful, inspiring book he will help you be more hygge: from picking the right lighting and planning a dinner party through to creating an emergency hygge kit and even how to dress.

Meik Wiking is the CEO of the Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen. He is committed to finding out what makes people happy and has concluded that hygge is the magic ingredient that makes Danes the happiest nation in the world.

You know when you read a book and it makes you feel all happy and cozy and just all round great? Well this is that kind of book. Hygge is kind of getting to be heard about alot now. Or at least it feels that way to me. So out of pure curiosity I brought this book, without knowing anything about what it acutally meant.

The one thing i enjoyed about this book so much is its simplicity. It flowed great. It was the perfect size. Enough information and picutres and geeky graphs to please. Hygge is such a simple thing to achieve that to some extent people outside of Denmark are already doing it without realising.

Hygge is something so perfect for me. It's a breath of fresh air. It's cosy, its friendship and families. It's taking away the computers, the televisions (to some extent) and just enjoy the moment, the being together. I'm going to try and get more Hygge in my life.

I also want to very much visit Copenhagen. This book is just perfection

Go Get it From: Book Depository | Amazon UK | Waterstones | Wordery
Follow @MeikWiking

Demon Dentist

Title: Demon Dentist
Author: David Walliams
Type: Hardback
Read: 14th January - 15th January 2017
Rating: 4/5
Published: 26th September 2013 by Harper Collins Chilrens Books

Darkness had come to the town. Strange things were happening in the dead of night. Children would put a tooth under their pillow for the tooth fairy, but in the morning they would wake up to find… a dead slug; a live spider; hundreds of earwigs creeping and crawling beneath their pillow.

Evil was at work. But who or what was behind it…?

This book had me hooked from the start. It's captive, gruesome and fun.
Probably darker than most of David's other books, but just as interesting.

We have Alfie, who is a young boy who not only goes to school, but has to look after his poorly father as well. Their home is in dissarry and they really have nothing but each other and their imaginations. Their story is touching.

Then we have the dentist, who visits the school, aptly named Mrs Root and who is new in town. She's evil. Strange looking and gives out candy to children. Totally not what a dentist would really do without other motives. Then we have Gabz, who is a feisty girl who quickly makes an unlikely friendship with Alife. Together, they're going to work out why children are being left vile gifts instead of money after loosing their teeth.

It's a fun story, like i said, much darker than previous books by David. It's a quick read with pretty drawings throught. I liked the two friends and enjoyed their little tug of war against each other. I even, in an oddway enjoyed the dentist. Although, I probably wouldn't read this story to children who are frightened of going. It will certainly put them off.

My favourite line in this book "we are going to have one hell of a story to tell our children" - its the cutest thing ever. Really recommend this for both adults and children.

Go Get it From: Book Depository | Amazon UK | Waterstones | Wordery
Follow @davidwalliams 

 

2016 Review

I'm not sure how, but I managed to complete my 2016 reading challenge. I decided to up the challenge this year to 60 books. It was a stretch. I've never read so many before and I struggled to read that many this year. Work became very hetic and I got many reading slumps along the way. But i eventually did it. I somehow managed to read 60.

Books Read: 60

Pages: 19,214
Shortest Book: There's a Wocket in my Pocket : Dr Seuss : 30 pages
Longest Book: Carry On : Rainbow Rowell : 522 pages

Average Length of Book: 320 pages
Average Rating of Books: 4.1

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1. This Raging Light - Esetelle Laure

2. Carry On - Rainbow Rowell

3. Paperweight - Meg Haston

4. Die Again - Tess Gerritsen

5. The Deep - Nick Cutter
6. The Girls - Lisa Jewell
7. The Rain - Virginia Bergin
8. The Trouble With Goats & Sheep - Joanna Cannon

9. You, Me & Other People - Fionnula Kearnery
10. Her - Harriet Lane

11. Do Not Disturb - A.R. Torre

12. You Sent Me A Letter - Lucy Dawson

13. Animal Farm - George Orwell

14. The Lie - C.L. Taylor

15. Gangsta Granny - David Walliams 

16. Kindred Spirits - Rainbow Rowell

17. The Teacher - Katerina Diamond

18. The Shadow Year - Hannah Ritchell

19. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll

20. Faceless - Alyssa B. Sheinmell 

21. The Missing - C.L. Taylor

22. Love Letters to The Dead - Ava Dellaira

23. The Other Child - Lucy Atkins

24. Reasons to Stay Alive - Matt Haig

25. Wolf by Wolf - Ryan Graudin 

26. Stranded - Alex Kava

27. How to Find Your (First) Husband - Rosie Blake

28. The 9th Girl - Tami Hoag

29. The Sisters - Claire Douglas 

30. The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins

31. Catching Fire - Suzanne Collins

32. Mockingjay - Suzanne Collins

33. How to Build A Girl - Caitlin Moran

34. The Marble Collector - Cecelia Ahern

35. The Accident - C.L.Taylor

36. Here's Looking At You - Mhari McFarlane

37. Five Children & It - E. Nesbit

38. A Streetcar Named Desire - Tennessee Williams

39. Always The Bridesmaid - Lindsey Kelk

40. Nymphs - Sari Luhtanen 

41. An Autumn Crush - Milly Johnson

42. How To Fall In Love - Cecelia Ahern

43. First Comes Love - Emily Giffin

44. Every Fifteen Minutes - Lisa Scottoline 

45. The BFG - Roald Dahl 

46. Frozen Book of the Film - Sarah Nathan

47. Through The Woods - Emily Carroll

48. The Silent Hours - Cesca Major

49. The Art of Being Normal - Lisa Williamson

50. Dumplin' - Julie Murphy

51. A Wizard of Earthsea - Ursula K. Le Guin

52. Pretty Is - Maggie Mitchell

53. The Beast Within: A Tale of Beauty's Prince - Serna Valentino

54. A Room With A View - E.M Forster

55. Day Four - Sarah Lotz 

56. A Boy Called Christmas - Matt Haig

57. Wacky Wednesday - Dr Seuss

58. There's A Wocket In My Pocket - Dr Seuss

59. Green Eggs & Ham - Dr Seuss

60. The Cat In The Hat Comes Back - Dr Suess

I did try to challenge myself to read a variety of books. I succeeded with some but not all. Work was a little just too much. I've highlighted those that i enjoyed the most. 

It wasn't a bad book year.

STEPS ARE BACK!!!

First post of 2017 and it's not book related, but STEPS related. Music.

They're back. Again. But this marks 20 years of the band (god how long ago is that really!!) and they performed a gig at G-A-Y. It was all hush hush but now its not and they're back.

Look a shiny new sparkly logo. Here's hoping there is a tour and new music. I'll be happy to see and hear their pretty voices again. 2017 is starting off pretty damn good. Lets party like 2012!!