Christmas Book Haul 2

It's that time of year again folks! I hope you have all had an amazing festive period whether you celebrate Christmas, any other holidays, or nothing at all. 

As per usual, it isn't really Christmas without family, gifts and, of course, books! I thought for this post I would do a quick update on the state of the books I got last Christmas (blog post can be found here) and then dive into the literary wonders I received this time round.

Last year's books:

Eragon's Guide to Alagaesia by Christopher Paolini

This was the first book I completed in 2016 and I gave it a 4* review.

Illustrated Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J. K. Rowling

I'm still yet to finish this one, but the images are just beautiful!

Wars of the Roses: Bloodline by Conn Iggulden

Oops I haven't even started this one yet.

Magnus Chase and the Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan

Ahh yes this one was so good! I gave it a 5* review.

The Company of the Dead by David Kowalksi

Don't think I've even started this one either.

The Kane Chronicles by Rick Riordan

I haven't even touched the first of this trilogy. Maybe this year?

The Copper Gauntlet by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare

I loved this one so much I actually finished it back in 2015, just after Christmas! It got a 4* review.

The Enchanted Forest Postcards by Joanna Basford

I've done a few of these now and I'm still super obsessed with how pretty they are. Check out my adult colouring page here.

And now onto this years books!!!

The Bronze Key by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare

Already read this one and I am so in love with it! It had a great twist and I'm heartbroken and I just need the next one like right now. Review shall be up soon.

Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare

I read this back when it came out and gave it a glorious 5* review which you can read here. This was the edition I really wanted because it's so beautiful and is stamped by Cassie, but it was sold out when I wanted to get it. You should've seen the look on my face when I found some in my local Waterstones just before Christmas! I practically ran across the store crying! So yes, I am very glad to finally add this to my collection.

Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy by Cassandra Clare

In case you haven't noticed, I'm a pretty big Clare fan. I've wanted to read these short stories about Simon for a while now, but, as I did with The Bane Chronicles, I patiently waited until they were released as a full collection. Can't wait to get stuck in!

Wars of the Roses: Ravenspur by Conn Iggulden

Still haven't read Bloodline, but I needed this beautiful hard back edition to add to my collection.

Heartless by Marissa Meyer

I am a h.u.g.e. Meyer fan. The Lunar Chronicles is one of my favourite series ever and I've been dying to get my hands on Heartless since its release. This edition is gorgeous and I can't wait to get started! Find my review for Stars Above here, including links to the 4 main books of The Lunar Chronicles.

Magnus Chase and the Hammer of Thor by Rick Riordan

As you can see above, I loved the first book in the Magnus Chase series and can't wait to get stuck into this one.

Illustrated Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling

Seriously, you can never read Harry Potter enough times. These illustrated editions are just a gorgeous collection to any Potter collection. They're almost too pretty to read!

Taylor Swift - This Is Our Song by Tyler Conroy

I have been a dedicated Swiftie for over a decade now so as soon as I saw this book, I knew I needed it. I'll probably get super jealous of all the fans when I read it (I still haven't seen her live - she always plays too far away for me to affordably go see) but I'll live with it because I just need more Swift in my life.


So there we have it! These are all the books I got for Christmas. Leave a comment with the ones you received!

Ship It Or Rip It Part 1

Welcome to Ship It Or Rip It!

I saw this idea on booktube a while ago (can't remember who, sorry!) and fell in love with it. Essentially, you randomly pick two characters and decide whether you can see them as a couple (ship it) or think it's a terrible idea (rip it).

I currently have a list of 60 characters, and will be doing 5 pairings in each post, which means I have 6 posts lined up. But, (and here comes the fun part), I'd love to know who your favourite characters are too! Just leave a comment and I'll add them to the list!

America (The Selection) and Lucien (A Court of Thorns and Roses)

Initially I laughed, but I actually can sort of see it? America is a very strong willed girl, which matches Lucien well. I can also see America fitting in at The Summer Court quite well too! Plus, they both have gorgeous red hair and imagine their children! 

Verdict: Ship it.

Magnus Bane (The Mortal Instruments, etc) and Four (Divergent)

Magnus would try so hard to make it work. Four is definitely Mangus' type. Dark hair, moody, hiding a dark past. It's a shame that I don't think Four would ever even consider befriending Magnus, let alone dating him! 

Verdict: Ship it.

Percy Jackson and Magnus Chase

So, these two Rick Riordan characters... Nope, I just don't see it. I think they're too similar. Both halfbloods (one being Greek, the other Norse), and normal kid turned hero. They might make it as friends as they have a lot in common, but I just don't see them getting all cute together. 

Verdict: Rip it.

Queen Guinevere and Morgana/Morgan Le Fey (Arthurian Legend)

Nope. Nope. Nope. Okay, Gwen and Morgana from Series 1 of BBC's Merlin, yes, I could ship that forever. But Gwen and Morgana from actual Arthurian myths and from the numerous books I have read about them, just never in a million years.

Verdict: Rip it.

King Arthur (Arthurian Legend) and Jo Montfort (These Shallow Graves)

Hmm, interesting one! I can see Jo respecting Arthur for what he's done. Also, as a Victorian era girl, I can see her being swooned by the fact that he is royal. I can't see Arthur being all too fond of Jo though, as she is quite a forward woman for her time era. 

Verdict: Rip it.

So that's all for Part 1 of Ship It Or Rip It! I hope you enjoyed it. Let me know your opinion on these pairings in the comments below!

Book Review: Magnus Chase and the Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan

Magnus Chase and the Sword of Summer – Rick Riordan

*Warning – may contain spoilers*

Author: Rick Riordan

Publisher: Puffin Books

First published: 2015

Cover: Hardback, signed

Pages: 489

Blurb:    My name is Magnus Chase. I’m orphaned and living rough on the streets of Boston. And things are about to get much worse.

My day started out normally enough. I was sleeping under a bridge when some guy kicked me awake and said, ‘They’re after you.’ Next thing I know, I’m reunited with my obnoxious uncle, who casually informs me that my long-lost father is a Norse god.

Nothing normal about that. And it turns out the gods of Asgard are preparing for war. Apparently, if I can’t find the sword my father lost two thousand years ago, there will be doom. Doomsday, to be precise.

A fire giant attacking the city?

Immortal warriors hacking each other to pieces?

Unkillable wolves with glowing eyes?

It’s all coming up.

But first I’m going to die.

This is the story of how my life goes downhill from there…

History of my copy: This is one of the many books I got for Christmas just gone. (See full list here) I’m a huge fan of mythology, and Norse is one that I’ve always wanted to get into. When I heard Riordan was releasing Magnus Chase, I knew I had to get it. Waterstones were doing signed editions, so I got one to put back for Christmas.

I’ve been reading this book on and off since Christmas. That doesn’t mean I don’t like it (I can take years to read books I love), but Riordan certainly has a unique style that I really have to be in the mood for. Sometimes I just can’t put up with the heroics and humour his books contain.

This book also contains my favourite dedication I have ever read. ‘To Cassandra Clare, thanks for letting me share the excellent name Magnus’. It’s true, when I hear Magnus I instantly think of the wonderful Magnus Bane, and this dedication really made me laugh!

Plot: This book follows the journey of Magnus Chase who has been living on the streets after the death of his mother. It follows him as he dies, then as he embarks on a quest to prevent Ragnarok. One of the things I particularly loved about this book is that Magnus isn’t the son of a well-known, popular god, and also isn’t your typical hero. He uses his father’s powers to his advantage, rather than trying to fight his way out of danger.

         Another aspect I enjoyed was the slightly more grown-up tone on the book. Percy Jackson can be rather silly in places, which makes sense as it’s written from a 12 year olds perspective. However, as Magnus is a little older, the book takes a more teenaged perspective. Yes, it still has many of those silly jokes and fantastic chapter titles, but I prefer it as it’s written more at my age.

Setting: This book takes place in many of the 9 realms, mostly focussing on Midgard (Earth) in Boston, which is a special place linked to Norse mythology. I think perhaps that some of the places would benefit from a little more description, but overall it is certainly descriptive enough to know where they are and what is going on.

Characters: I adore Magnus’ entire group of friends. Magnus himself is a really interesting and well developed character. I was a little apprehensive, worried he might just be another Percy Jackson, but he’s not! He’s very likable, and his lack of knowledge on the Norse world is entertaining.

                His sidekick, so to speak, is the Valkyrie that took him to Valhalla. Sam is an interesting character, as the daughter of Loki, but shows that you can’t prejudice people because of their parents. She tries to juggle her secret life with a normal one. Another thing I like about Sam is that it’s nice to see other religions and races portrayed in books.

                The other two friends are Blitz the dwarf and Hearth the elf. Blitz is a fashionable dwarf, but very loyal and is willing to risk his life. Hearth can use magic runes, which does save their skin a few times.

                My favourite God thus far is Loki the tricky trickster! He appears quite a few times (and the epilogue, oooooh!), and seems to have his interests all over the place. I imagine he shall be in the next book too, and I can’t wait!

                Now I have to mention a very special character that appears in this book… Annabeth (from Percy Jackson)! She is Magnus’ cousin, and the book ends with them (hopefully) going off to discover they are both children of a god. It looks like we may see a little more from her in the future.

To read or not to read: Read. This. Book. Is. Amazing. I loved this book, even more so than Percy Jackson. I recommend it for anyone who is a fan of fantasy and mythology. Its humour makes it an enjoyable read, without taking away from the story.