Video version here

As most bookworms will know, reading slumps are the worst. There are all these beautiful books on your shelf and you want to read them all, yet where is the motivation to pick it up off the shelf and actually start reading it?

Here are my top 10 tips to fighting the slump:

1. Find out why you're in a slump
Finding out the proper reason you're in a reading slump can do wonders when finding a further solution. So here is task one, what was the most recent book you read? If it was A Court of Mist and Fury or Obsidio then that's probably the reason, alas, it may also be a book that was so intense and you loved it and perhaps you're still feeling all the feels and can't move on.
OR if you think it's another reason, what are say... the most five recent books you've read and how long did it take you to read them? Sometimes we've read with such momentum and speed, your brain has finally decided to do some calculations and realised it was working real hard and just wants some down time.

2. Re-read a fave
In my experience, if I read something crazy amazing, I feel like the next book cops a lot of negative feelings as I subconsciously start to compare with the previous book, even if it had nothing to do with it. If I re-read something I've already read, I seem to have less expectations because I've already read it, you get me? Though you have to be a little careful with this one, if you start re-reading a book that's part of a series you might do the circle of life and re-read the rest and be at the beginning of another book slump. But if you get a good four or five books re-read because of it, is that really a bad thing?

3. Get in the zone
Grab your fave drink, put your phone in another room, and sit in a super comfy environment.

4. Start a new series that has a solid four of five books already released
Ok, ok, this is only for the super keen but you could do this without even realising. This might also take some trial and error but sometimes I'll start one book in a series or trilogy and find I really love it and immediately want to read book two and suddenly there's a domino effect and I'm now shipping myself with the love interests and own all the bookish merch I can find.
*Warning: may cause harm to bank account.

5. Read something from a different genre
I would specifically say contemporary since I'm a lover of fantasy and dystopian but sometimes you might have to put your thing down, flip it and reverse it. Go for something that is COMPLETELY different to what you usually read and you might find yourself immersed in a book you didn't think you'd ever like. In my own experience, I like to throw in contemporaries to avoid future slumps, it has worked better than I ever thought.

6. Do something different
Believe it or not my bookworms, but there are other hobbies we can find *gasp*. Watch a movie or TV show or seven (I am not held responsible for Netflix slumps), do a puzzle, clean your house, earn brownie points from your parents if you live at home. Just do something else for a while and then we can go back to reading.

7. Participate in a read-a-thon
If you didn't know there is an entire world dedicated just to books, yes we include our pets and food sometimes but it is solely based around books. Due to that, there is almost always a read-a-thon going on and it's a really great way to read a few books in a short amount of time. If there isn't one on during your slump, host your own!

8. Read reviews
If there's a few books you want to read but don't have the right amount of motivation to do so, look for fellow bloggers reviews. Goodreads is an option but not always the best, do some googling and find a 4 or 5 star rated one (remember to look for spoiler free!) and start reading. When someone else has read it and talks about all the great things the book has, it's a nice motivator to pick up said book and find out for yourself. Just beware of the crazy obsessed reviews, you don't want to suddenly have high expectations and be disappointed.

9. Do a buddy read
There is bound to be someone feeling the same way as you, or might just want some motivation to read a particular book. Find out on Instagram or Twitter if there's anyone else wanting to read a certain book you have in mind and suggest a buddy read. There's almost this 'have to read' feeling so that you can keep up with each other and it can be an easy motivator sometimes.

10. Just keep reading
To put it simply. If I find it difficult to get into a book I realise I might be putting it down after each chapter and picking it back up later on. Try and read a good chunk of the book and suddenly you're moving and you're getting somewhere and you want to keep going. So yeah, just read.


----


WHERE YOU CAN FIND ME:



Contact: erenabennett@hotmail.com
Instagram: @erenareads & @erena_b
Goodreads: @erenareads
Twitter: @erenareads
YouTube: Life of Erena or click here

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Hello,

How have you all been? It's been an age since I last did a wrap up/TBR blog post - I prefer to do them all on YouTube but it's kind of nice to have a written alternative don't you think?

I have my video for my November Wrap Up linked here however, I'm going to have a TBR video separately this time and a little bit later because at this point in time, I have absolutely no idea what I'm going to put on there. So I'm gonna do some thinking and you'll be able to get a sneak peek at the end ;)

I read a total of six books this month which I'm happy with, I think I could've read more if I managed my time a bit better but I'm still happy with six. I also loved every single book I read this month which makes me the most happy - it's always a plus when that happens.

NOVEMBER WRAP UP


1. Tower of Dawn - Sarah J Maas
I finally got back into this after not being in the right mood for it for a little while and holy heck, did I love it!! While I had some kind of expectations, I felt like I was - for the most part, going to enjoy this book but never did I anticipate loving this so immensely. All the characters were A plus and the story was fantastic. I have a full review here and this is 100% a favourite of the year.
5/5

2. A Quiet Kind of Thunder - Sara Barnard
A perfect contemporary. Our main character Steffi who has selective mutism meets Rhys, a boy who is deaf. Whilst this was written in what I think was a very realistic way for teenagers, I also thought it was written in a mature way so that older readers can still enjoy without it being 'teenagers'. The sign language details in the book were so damn brilliant and such a great and diverse addition to the book.
5/5

3. This is Where it Ends - Marieke Nijkamp
This fast paced novel was a great book to read during a 24 hour readathon (video here!) This follows a few characters point of views during a school shooting and was one of those books that you kind of need to keep reading until you're done - totally doable since it's quite a short book. I thought that some of the storyline could've been altered slightly to make the story make a little more sense at times but as a sensitive topic, I thought it was done quite well (though I have no kind of experience).
4/5

4. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer - Michelle Hodkin
I bought this book solely because it was one of Kristie's (@bookwormkristie) fave books and my interest was peaked, I then picked it up in the readathon because leading up to it, Kristie did not stop going on about it SO I NEEDED TO KNOW. At first I thought the book was gonna be a little cringe at times due to the high school-ness of it however, I highly enjoyed it. It was way more mature than I originally thought and the teen angst was FANTASTIC. The story was really great though there were times when I was much like the character and didn't know what was real and what was not (I still don't either). Overall, it was a thrilling novel that I thoroughly enjoyed and am very much looking forward to the next two books.
4/5



5. A Court of Wings and Ruin - Sarah J Maas
I fell into a little bit of a slump after the readathon and decided to pick this up as I was very keen to reread it after getting all the feels a few months ago and I think I enjoyed it even more the second time round because I was able to look into a few things more that I had paid less attention to last time. I won't go any further but I have a full review here if you'd like to know my thoughts from May.
5/5

6. One of Us is Lying - Karen M McManus (that's a lot of M's)
This book was part of the @badwitchesread bookclub and I was very excited to read it. This follows four students/now murder suspects as five students went into detention and one of them died during it. I thought both the story and the characters developed very well and I enjoyed the end of it - I did try and play detective and one of my theories ended up being correct (though I had a lot of theories).
4/5



DECEMBER TBR

1. Gemina - Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman (finally)

2. Empress of a Thousand Skies - Rhoda Belleza (maybe)

3. Godsgrave - Jay Kristoff (have to keep reading after I put it down, oops)

4. Wonder Woman Warbringer - Leigh Bardugo (also have to keep reading after I put it down)

5. The Hate U Give - Angie Thomas (yes, I haven't read it yet!!)


And there you have it friends. I was happy with my reading month but am hoping for more in December since it's the end of the year. My TBR is still a little so-so but we'll see what happens!

That is all I have for you today, make sure to head over to my YouTube channel for more content.

Until next time,

xx


WHERE YOU CAN FIND ME:

Contact: erenabennett@hotmail.com
Instagram: @erenareads & @erena_b
Goodreads: @erenareads
Twitter: @erenareads
YouTube: Erena Reads or click here

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Title: The Genesi Code
Author: Tristen Willis
Publication date: 1st September 2017

Synopsis:
Luka was only eight years old when her father, Christopher Foster, was murdered.
Christopher had been working on a cure for the Genesi Code, which has plagued the human race since the government began experimenting on human DNA in an attempt to create a genetically-advanced army.Luka has spent the last ten years training for the military’s elite taskforce, known as Delta Force, so she can uncover the truth surrounding her father’s murder. But along the way, she uncovers a truth about herself that she is not yet ready to face. Could the truth surrounding Luka’s past be the key to curing the Genesi and ending the war? In the end, is revenge all that matters?


Firstly, I am so grateful that I got the opportunity to review this. Not only do I love supporting new authors but Australian authors too. Tristen is the owner of Burning Pages Candles and along with the book she sent some candles, solid perfume and tea based on The Genesi Code as well as a badge that I'm incredibly tempted to buy a jacket solely to sew it on there (well I'd get my mum to do the sewing since I have no idea how).


The first few chapters felt a bit rocky to me, though that feeling quickly left me - I'm not sure if the writing changed or I just got used to it, and I was enjoying the story. After this initial stage I think you'll find it very easy to read.

The plot was very fast paced however, there was only about two moments (I think) in the book that I felt could've slowed down. Other than that, I really loved the story. I would say this was a dystopian novel, with sci-fi elements (Tris, correct me if I'm wrong!) and I love what has been set up here. The world, and especially the Genesi are so interesting to me and I'm looking forward to finding out more.



I would have liked for the other characters to be explored more - especially Ren, so I'm hoping for that in book two. I really liked Luka's character, she was badass and smart, but still real at the same time. I liked her thought processes and I really enjoyed reading from her perspective.

Overall, The Genesi Code is a fast paced and exciting story that absolutely left me wanting more. I wouldn't call the ending a cliffhanger but you'll definitely be excited to see what comes next. I feel like so much of the story was set up in this book to further continue and explore in the coming books.

3.5/5

*I was sent this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


WHERE YOU CAN FIND ME:

Contact: erenabennett@hotmail.com
Instagram: @erenareads & @erena_b
Goodreads: @erenareads
Twitter: @erenareads
YouTube: Erena Reads or click here

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Hello friends,

I thought I was well overdue for a blog post and decided to do this little tag since it was quick, easy and perhaps semi-interesting?

I was tagged by my beautiful friend Kristie from @bookwormkristie on Instagram - you need to check out her stuff, she has beautiful photos and also a BookTube!

Ok, here we go...


Books or eBooks?
I love, love, looove the feeling of holding a book and also enjoy its aesthetic purposes but e-readers are SO handy and I use them quite a bit. I am sorry, I cannot choose!

Heroes or villains?
Anyone who knows me will know what I pick (hehe!).... Villains! No surprise there. Villains always have interesting back stories and I like knowing everything about them. Though sometimes villains are too good at what they do and make me hate them.

Trilogy or series?
Probably a series. Sometimes a set of books is perfectly executed with three books but sometimes it isn't and sometimes I'm just not ready to let go and need more closure!!

Last read?
The Tuesday just gone, I (finally) received Unite Me by Tahereh Mafi - the Shatter Me novellas, in the mail. I started reading later that evening and finished it a few hours later because I'm obsessed and WARNER4EVAAA.

Last bought?
My last book purchase was also Unite Me which was four weeks ago - how good is that?! And yes, it did take that long to come *narrows eyes*. I have received two books from Bloomsbury though, they were No Filter by Orlagh Collins and Learning to Swear in America by Katie Kennedy - thank you Bloomsbury!

Secondhand books?
Absolutely love secondhand books. They're more than likely a great price and sometimes you find books you've always wanted to read or ones you've never heard of that turn out to be a favourite.

Everyone should read?
Harry Potter. Need I say more?

3 books that come to mind?
A Court of Wings and Ruin, Contagion, and Shadow and Bone


Film that was better than the book?
Love, Rosie, Twilight, The Host, The Mortal Instruments, Mockingjay off the top of my head.

Do i judge by covers?
Of course, though I can't help it. I'll still likely read the synopsis if I've picked it up but I'll never know of the books with unappealing covers because I walked straight past them, oops.


I hope this was a little interesting for you, and if it wasn't... well at least you only wasted a couple of minutes reading this, haha.

If you want to do this tag, I tag you! Let me know when you've done it because I would love to read your answers.


Until then,

AU REVOIR SHOSHANNAAAAA (Inglorious Basterds reference, sorry)


WHERE YOU CAN FIND ME:

Contact: erenabennett@hotmail.com
Instagram: @erenareads & @erena_b
Goodreads: @erenareads
Twitter: @erenareads
YouTube: Erena Reads or click here

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"Willa Parker, 646th and least-popular resident of What Cheer, Iowa, is headed east to start a new life.
 Did she choose this life? No, because that would be too easy - and nothing in Willa's life is easy. It's her famous genius mother's idea to send her to ultra-expensive, ultra-exclusive Pembroke Prep, but Willa has no intention of fitting in at Pembroke. She's not staying long, she decides. Not at this school - and not on this planet.
But when she meets peculiar, glittering Remy Taft, the richest, most mysterious girl on campus, she starts to see a foothold in this foreign world - a place where she could maybe, possibly, sort of fit in.
When Willa looks at Remy, she sees a girl who has everything. But for Remy, having everything comes at a price. And as she spirals out of control, Willa can feel Remy spinning right out of her grasp.
In Willa's secret heart, all she's ever wanted is to belong. But if Remy, the girl who gave her this world, is slip-sliding away, is Willa meant to follow her down?"
- Andrea Portes



 Let me begin by saying that the cover for this book is beautiful - a great choice for attracting eyes.
When I started reading this book I kind of slumped my shoulders; it is written in a way that I wasn't expecting and I didn't like it.
It follows Willa, who is I assume a senior in high school who moves across the state to a super fancy rich kid school because her mother (whom she doesn't speak to) has connections despite Willa and her father having next to no money. She meets a girl named Remy who is everything that Willa seems to need.

The entire story is in Willa's point of view and it's written in a way that is all her thoughts spoken to the reader. At first it felt quite middle grade and that is why I was sort of dreading the rest of the book. It was a lot of 'babble' and I started skimming over a few sentences because I didn't need to read a whole paragraph on her describing one thing when I got it in the first sentence. Then I read the first swear word after a few chapters and I was actually shocked, because it felt middle grade and I didn't expect it.

This story seems to be full of surprises because it actually got better. I realised I was really interested in what was going to happen and I just kept reading and reading and reading. Willa does and says things that I don't really expect from her - not that it's outrageous or anything, I was just, once again, not expecting it.

This story involves drug use multiple times, so if you are easily offended or triggered by that then maybe stay away but I don't think it's that bad. It is fiction after all - and it doesn't talk about too much bad stuff. Now this may sound strange, but if the drugs part wasn't in there, the story wouldn't have been a story, it would have been a waste of my time. I felt like it was a very good and stable building block of this novel.

They didn't introduce a whole lot of characters which was great, it made it much easier to really focus on the story and not backtrack at all. I liked all the characters except for Milo, I don't ever think he was meant to be a very likeable character though. Willa was with him a few times and I felt like there should have been a little bit more about him though it's hard when you're reading through Willa's thoughts only. Another thing I was surprised about was the freedom these school kids have on the weekends and holidays, seemed a little unrealistic but it made for a better story anyways.

The Fall of Butterflies was a very easy read for me. Every now and then in between chapters I was suddenly transported to a couple of days later and not realising until a couple of paragraphs in, but honestly that was okay, it ain't a 5 star read.

I would definitely recommend this book to those aged 13 - 21 years old, though I'm 25 and found it to be okay and read it within a couple of days. The reason I read this was because I wanted a quick break from all the fantasy I was reading and I'm glad I did.

3.5/5


*This book was sent to me by Harper Teen Australia in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


WHERE YOU CAN FIND ME:
Contact: erenabennett@hotmail.com
Instagram: @erenareads & @erena_b
Goodreads: @erenareads
Twitter: @erenareads
YouTube: Erena Reads or click here

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Hello friends,

Welcome back to my little section of the internet.
Today, I bring to you books I want to read this year - including anticipated books and my reading goals for 2016. I understand that it's March but it isn't that late, is it? As you may already know, last year I joined the book community on Instagram (@erenareads) and within days my TBR grew and it continues to grow almost daily. So naturally, I need to read 100+ books this year to make a dent in that list. No doubt I'll carry on with a few books I mention so I better get into it!


BOOKS I WANT TO READ IN 2016/ANTICIPATED BOOKS

1. Queen of Shadows and Empire of Storms - Sarah J Maas
I began reading the Throne of Glass series last year and absolutely loved it! For whatever reason, I didn't continue to read Heir of Fire and started reading other books instead. Though now, I've just finished Heir of Fire and hope to get to QoS in time for book 5.
2. A Court of Mist and Fury - Sarah J Maas
Queen Maas' other series - this retelling of Beauty & The Beast is one of my most favourite books ever and I've waited long enough for book two!
3. An Ember in the Ashes - Sabaa Tahir
4. Glass Sword - Victoria Aveyard
Following on from Red Queen (another fave!) book two was released last month and I've purchased and hope for it to be my next read.
5. Ice Like Fire and book three - Sara Raasch
I read Snow Like Ashes late last year and this too, became another favourite. I absolutely love the world the author created and of course the story, so book two will hopefully be in my hands soon!
6. Six of Crows - Leigh Bardugo
While this is not featuring my beloved Darkling, it is in the same Ravkan world which I loved (!!!)
7. All the Light We Cannot See - Anthony Doerr
8. The Percy Jackson series - Rick Riordan
I read book one late last year and hope to continue this year!
9. A start on all the other Rick Riordan books...
10. Clockwork Prince and Clockwork Princess - Cassandra Clare
I read book one a few months ago and am eager to finish the trilogy!
11. End of Days - Susan Ee
I'm currently reading World After (book two) and loving it!
12. The Crown - Kiera Cass
The final book in The Selection series.
13. Yellow - Megan Jacobson
14. Risk - Fleur Ferris
15. The Ocean at the End of the Lane - Neil Gailman
16. Unearthly series - Cynthia Hand
17. The Lunar Chronicles - Marissa Meyer
18. Ten Thousand Skies Above You & book three - Claudia Gray
19. Illuminae - Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff
This has actually been in my bookshelf for a while now and I'm yet to pick it up, hopefully soon!
20. I also really want to make a dent in my unread books already on my shelves!

That is my current list. I honestly could go on forever but let's be realistic here.
My READING GOAL for this year is a total of 40 books read. It's down from previous years but I've started university this year and while I've only just finished week two of semester one, I can tell I'm going to be incredibly busy. I think 40 is definitely doable, especially since I've already finished 12 and I am hoping to read more but I'll have to wait and see (and possibly binge read during breaks).

Well, here I leave you (for now!) I hope you've enjoyed reading this list and not wasted your time with my mainly young adult and fantasy book list. I would love to know your thoughts on any of these if you've read them or if any of these are on your list too, or perhaps tell me something on your list - I would love to know!

Take care
xx


Where you can find me:

Contact: erenabennett@gmail.com
Bookstagram: @erenareads
Instagram: @erena_b
Goodreads: @erenareads

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Hi friends!

I usually have this up earlier but I started uni this week and ain't nobody got time for that! Seriously though, I've been so busy this week and wanted to really focus. I read four books this month, yes, down three from last month but whatever! I just didn't read as quick this month I guess. I'll just get straight into it...


February Wrap Up

1. You - Caroline Kepnes
This book was brilliant. It begins when Joe meets Beck after selling her a book and starts stalking her - he is obsessed in the way that he seems to REALLY love her. The way this book makes you react is kind of strange. Like, what he's doing is really f**ked up but you're kind of rooting for him too - which makes me seem messed up? This book is like a drama/thriller kind of book? I don't really know how to describe it but my god it is good. 5/5


2. Harry Potter & The Philosopher's Stone (Illustrated) - J.K Rowling, illustrated by Jim Kay
I won't go too much into this because everyone knows I'm gods damn obsessed with Harry Potter but if you love it and haven't got the illustrated version - get on it! The illustrations are so beautiful and perfect! 5/5

3. Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them - J.K Rowling
This is one of those add-on books to Harry Potter. It's basically 'Newt Scamander' writing about different beasts in the wizarding world. I haven't got much to say because it isn't a novel but it's fiction? Only read if you've read Harry Potter but it isn't necessary! 4/5

4. Angelfall - Susan Ee
This has been on my TBR for a few months after hearing about it on Bookstagram. Think post apocalyptic world with angels and demons (mainly angels) and one very sexy angel named Raffe. Penryn needs to save her sister from the nasty angels and meets the handsome but deadly Raffe whom has had his wings cut off. I found this one interesting all the way through and wish I'd read it sooner! I'm currently reading book two and loving it! 5/5


March TBR

While my 'life TBR' is never ending and I always find new books I want to read daily, I've settled with four for now. I wasn't 100% what I wanted to read this month but picked some out I've been wanting to read:
Harry Potter & The Chamber of Secrets - J.K Rowling *reread
Quidditch Through the Ages - J.K Rowling
Unearthly - Cynthia Hand
Glass Sword - Victoria Aveyard

I'm really looking forward to reading Glass Sword!! At the moment I'm trying to finish what I'm currently reading (Heir of Fire) before starting another book.

Well, that's it for this post, I hope you enjoyed reading my little reviews for February and I'll see you soon!

xx


Where you can find me:

Contact: erenabennett@gmail.com
Bookstagram: @erenareads
Instagram: @erena_b
Goodreads: erenareads

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Hello and welcome back!
Usually I have these posts up the last day of the month or pretty soon after that however, I went on holiday and definitely wasn't going to worry about getting anything done other than drinking cocktails and having fun with friends. Now that I have returned I've gotta get straight back to it.


This month was a very good start to the year and I read seven books! I started and finished The Grisha Trilogy by Leigh Bardugo and dear god, it is now my favourite trilogy (sorry Hunger Games). I am now on a mission to find the perfect fan fiction where I can love the Darkling forever and ever. I also read a few books on my TBR and also finished a book on my kindle that I had started last year!

Here is what I read...

1. Soundless - Richelle Mead
Mead is one of my absolute favourite authors and will always read anything she writes. I picked this up a few months after it was released but on New Years Day I dove straight into it and finished it the next day. This is a creative story in which an entire town cannot hear and some start to go blind and one day Fei wakes up with the ability to hear - and the story goes from there. This standalone novel was easy to read for me though I've read some people found it hard to get through. I thoroughly enjoyed it and honestly don't know why people don't like it. 5/5

2. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children - Ransom Riggs
I picked this up last year after discovering it through Bookstagram as it has an intriguing cover and heard it had great pictures throughout the book. This took me about two weeks to finish as I found it hard to get into and felt like they needed more interesting things to happen to keep it going. The pictures as I had heard are fantastic and really help the story - also my favourite part of this book and why I gave it the rating I did. I will read the next two however, I'm in no rush. 4/5

3. Shadow & Bone - Leigh Bardugo
As I mentioned earlier: new favourite trilogy. I was taken from the start - I remember telling my boyfriend after the first couple of chapters that "this is pretty good" and once I was deep into the book I absolutely had to finish it as soon as I could. I stayed up past my bed time, eyes sore and would not put it down. This fantasy novel is based around the 'Grisha' whom have powers (similar to witches I guess?) and Alina who was once thought a regular human but soon finds she is indeed one of the Grisha and a powerful one at that. I instantly fell for the bad boy (no surprise to anyone that knows me well) the Darkling - my new book boyfriend! It is exciting throughout the entire story and has you feeling all the feels. I ordered the next two the next day and had to wait for them to come in the mail which was agonising. Can I do 6/5 ?

4. A Thousand Pieces of You - Claudia Gray
The first in the Firebird series and it is seriously good. At first it took me awhile to get into it because I had a bit of a book hangover but once I got into it, I finished it fairly quickly. It is sort sci-fi I guess? And the characters travel in different dimensions trying to find the killer of Marguerite's father. The blurb on the book is intimidating as there is a lot there but it is super enjoyable and a bit emotional at times and I can't wait to read book two! 5/5

5. Slaughterhouse 5 - Kurt Vonnegut
I started this on my kindle last year and found it hard to get through simply because it wasn't my type of book, but I was determined to finish it so I could get it off my list. This follows Billy Pilgrim and his life; he ends up being in a plane accident, surviving though he goes a bit wonky and believe he can travel in time to any time of his life. If you're interested in reading this or knowing a bit more, I would find some more reviews or information elsewhere since I didn't really like it. 3/5

6. Siege & Storm - Leigh Bardugo
There isn't much to say about this one other than I freaking loved it (of course). I started it as soon as it came in the mail and had to keep reading and reading until it was all gone. Much like the first, it grabbed me at the first moment and I stayed in the Ravkan world until I had finished this one. I can't say too much about it without giving away the first but oh my god, the Darkling... I love you! 5/5

7. Ruin & Rising - Leigh Bardugo
I finished book two, went to check my mail box and here this beautiful book lay waiting for me to devour it once more. I immediately started reading and then took it on holiday with me to continue to devour. Once again, I was wrapped up with the Grisha world and did not want to leave (sad face) and I think I need a support group now. I am certain I left my heart in the book and I do not want it back!! 5/5 ps - I was hoping for a different ending but we don't all win and it was still brilliant.

And there lies my heart with the Grisha trilogy - I wasn't lying about needing a support group. I am super happy with my reading this month. I start uni in three weeks and that will take over my life, so I think I'm trying to get in as much reading as I can. I hope you enjoyed my little reviews and I'd love to know if you've read any of these books and what you thought. I intend on finally bringing you my 2016 reading list in the next week or so - a bit late, I know!
Until then, take care!
xx



Contact: erenabennett@gmail.com
Instagram: @erena_b
Bookstagram: @erenareads
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Twitter: erena_bee

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Nourish Me Well... I love the name, and it sounds delicious! When I was contacted if I wanted to review a box, I jumped onto their website here and was instantly in love (I then quickly followed them on Instagram @nourishmewell_box).


As of late, I've mainly been blogging about one of my true loves: books, but every now and then you'll see me post something about food and health/wellness - my other loves.

I received this box early in the morning before I went to work, so of course I ripped it open and had to know what I was getting into. The bad news - I had to only look and not take (eat) and head off to work, waiting for home time until I could race back, take some photos while there was still some natural lighting and then I could dig in, and dig in I did.

The Nourish Me Well box is the newest health food premium subscription service. This one is for Australian's only and contains some incredibly yummy goods. Each month contains 5-8 full size products delivered straight to your door, once a month for only $34.95. Now I know this seems quite a bit, but I did say premium. If you can forgo your daily coffee's and bring your lunch to work - this is totally affordable, especially when you're getting full sized goodies!

There are three options when subscribing: you can go month by month, 3 monthly (save $10) or 6 monthly (save $20) and you cancel anytime, no catch!

Now let's take a look inside the box:

1. Naturally Nood Bars: Cocoa Lamington Bars
These great little bars are packed with real food and none of that fake stuff. These are great for on the go, taking them to work or school, or just that 'I need a snack' moment. These are one of my favourite things in this box and would definitely buy them for my future 'I need a snack' moments.
RRP Single 35g bar $2.49, 4x35g bars $6.99

2. Kitz Living Foods: Coconut Dream Classic
I love me some coconut goodness and for there to be minimal and organic ingredients - yes please! Sweetened with brown rice syrup makes it not too sweet (therefore, perfect) and still gives that chewy goodness. My mum gave me a great idea to make my own bounty bars out of them (using the cacao powder later mentioned, I will be doing this!)
RRP 150g $11.60

3. Thinkfood: Pistachio Cranberry/Cashew Sesame Munch
I got the Pistachio Cranberry flavour and holy goodness, let us pray! This was my other favourite of this box and were the first thing I ripped open. A lot of products similar to this are too sweet, but this is the perfect amount mixed in with some salty to savour your taste buds. They come in bite size pieces and you can either eat this all at once or snack on during the day - I took them to work and made sure I didn't get them out in front of people so I didn't feel obligated to share. I will definitely be repurchasing these.
RRP 140g $5.50, 20g mini range $1

4. Byron Chai: Indian Spiced Tea
When I opened up the packet it was such an intense smell; chai will do that to you though. On my info card included in the box, there is a serving suggestion which I sort of followed and it was pretty good! I think it'll taste best with milk so I added almond milk - keeping it vegan and let it sit for a bit. This doesn't come in tea bags, so you need to be able to strain it if you don't have a tea infuser - these are really cheap though! Overall, not too bad - not my favourite but I'm a tea lover for sure.
RRP 100g $5.99


5. Power Superfoods: Raw Organic Cacao Powder
I haven't opened this, simply because I already have an opened one in my cupboard. But I'm very happy it's in this box and I now don't have to buy another one :) Want to know something interesting? This particular cacao powder has over 360% more antioxidants than regular cocoa; cool hey? I know I'll enjoy this as I use it a lot already!
RRP 125g $7.95

6. Sealand Birch: Birch Water
Birch tree sap tapped from the trees to the bottle. This one made me the most curious... When I first took a sip, I didn't really like it - I'm not really sure how to describe it but I know people will definitely like this! Especially the others flavours, which I'm also curious about. How I enjoyed my Birch Water, was putting about 1/4-1/3 of the bottle into my water bottle so it was a little diluted and I found it refreshing and delicious :)
RRP $4.95


Like mentioned earlier, you can find out all the information you need to know here and you should definitely give their Instagram a follow @nourishmewell_box because they are currently holding a GIVEAWAY for their February box! This box was not only delicious, but I love trying new things and I will seriously be purchasing some of these at my local grocery store soon.

If you have any questions, please comment down below or you can ask me on Instagram (see below) and I'll get back to you as soon as possible. Until next time, take care.
xx


Disclaimer: This subscription box was sent to me to review; all opinions are my own.



Where you can find me!

Contact: erenabennett@gmail.com
Instagram: @erena_b
Bookstagram: @erenareads
Goodreads: @erenareads
Twitter: @erena_bee

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Welcome back!

You probably didn't think you'd see me so soon right? Well, a new year brings countless opportunities for multiple blog posts with everything that happened in the previous year. For myself, the only 2015 post will probably be this one - what I read and especially my top 10. I joined the book community on Instagram (Bookstagram) in September and now have 800 followers and a never ending TBR. With the help of Bookstagram, I read so many amazing books that I would have never come across if it weren't for them (thank you!!)

Way back in 2012, I joined Goodreads and hardly used it. Once again, with the help of Bookstagram, I became active once more and made a reading challenge. I had already 20-30 books at the time of making my goal and decided I wanted to get to 52 - one for each week. I surpassed that goal by two, reaching 54 books read in 2015 - success! So without any more rambling, here are those books...

BOOKS READ IN 2015

1. Son - Lois Lowry
2. Fifty Shades of Grey - E.L James*
3. As Dead As It Gets - Katie Alender
4. Fifty Shades Darker - E.L James*
5. Girl Online - Zoe Sugg
6. Not That Kind of Girl - Lena Dunham
7. Fifty Shades Freed - E.L James*
8. Witch & Wizard - James Patterson
9. The Ruby Circle - Richelle Mead
10. The 100 - Kass Morgan
11. Fangirl - Rainbow Rowell
12. Ugly Love - Colleen Hoover
13. Still Alice - Lisa Genova
14. The Last Time We Say Goodbye - Cynthia Hand
15. All the Bright Places - Jennifer Niven
16. Never Never - Colleen Hoover & Tarryn Fisher
17. Slammed - Colleen Hoover
18. A Game of Thrones - George R. Martin
19. Harry Potter & The Philosopher's Stone - J.K Rowling*
20. Point of Retreat - Colleen Hoover
21. This Girl - Colleen Hoover
22. Hopeless - Colleen Hoover
23. Anna & The French Kiss - Stephanie Perkins
24. Lola & The Boy Next Door - Stephanie Perkins
25. Isla & The Happily Ever After - Stephanie Perkins
26. The Girl on the Train - Paula Hawkins
27. Maybe Someday - Colleen Hoover
28. Losing Hope - Colleen Hoover
29. The Sky is Everywhere - Jandy Nelson
30. Attachments - Rainbow Rowell
31. The Enemy - Charlie Higson
32. The Best of Me - Nicholas Sparks
33. I Was Here - Gayle Forman
34. City of Bones - Cassandra Clare
35. Animal Farm - George Orwell
36. I'll Give You the Sun - Jandy Nelson
37. Throne of Glass - Sarah J Maas
38. A Court of Thorns and Roses - Sarah J Maas
39. City of Ashes - Cassandra Clare
40. To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee*
41. The Selection - Kiera Cass
42. The Elite - Kiera Cass
43. The One - Kiera Cass
44. Go Set a Watchman - Harper Lee
45. The Heir - Kiera Cass
46. Crown of Midnight - Sarah J Maas
47. Happily Ever After - Kiera Cass
48. Percy Jackson & The Lightning Thief - Rick Riordan
49. Clockwork Angel - Cassandra Clare
50. The Assassin's Blade - Sarah J Maas
51. Red Queen - Victoria Aveyard
52. Simon vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda - Becky Albertalli
53. My True Love Gave to Me - Various Authors
54. Snow Like Ashes - Sara Raasch 

*Re-reads

MY TOP 10 BOOKS OF 2015 (In reading order)

1. The Ruby Circle - Richelle Mead (Bloodlines Series)
2. The Last Time We Say Goodbye - Cynthia Hand
3. All the Bright Places - Jennifer Niven
4. A Game of Thrones - George R. Martin
5. A Court of Thorns & Roses - Sarah J Maas
6. Crown of Midnight - Sarah J Maas (Throne of Glass Series)
7. The Assassin's Blade - Sarah J Maas
8. Red Queen - Victoria Aveyard
9. Simon vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda - Becky Albertalli
10. Snow Like Ashes - Sara Raasch

With special mentions to Still Alice (Genova), Never Never (Hoover & Fisher), Maybe Someday (Hoover) - this should actually be in the top 10, I Was Here (Forman), Animal Farm (Orwell), The One (Cass) and Percy Jackson (Riordan).

Re-reads are not included in my top 10 just FYI.

So basically, a decent reading year. I read so many good books in 2015 and rated so many 5/5's on Goodreads and plenty to come for 2016.

I'll see you soon for my next post which will be something along the lines of what I want to read this year and my reading goal.

Until then, take care.
xx

PS - Currently reading: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs


Contact: erenabennett@gmail.com
Instagram: @erena_b
Bookstagram: @erenareads
Goodreads: @erenareads
Twitter: @erena_bee

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First off, welcome to the new year. I had a pretty decent 2015 - holidays, applying for uni, hanging out with family and friends and lots and lots of reading. I will write another post (very soon) with my list for 2015, highlighting some of the good books and if there was a thing or two to say about other books I wasn't so happy with.

This post is once again, my mini reviews for the books I read in December and I'm also combining it with my January To Be Read (TBR).

I read four books this month, three of those have definitely made my top 10 of 2015! It'll be obvious by the ratings :)

BOOKS



1. Red Queen - Victoria Aveyard
There were plenty of people raving about this book but I went in with a clear head and not thinking too much about expectations, etc. This is now one of my absolute favourites! First of all, Red Queen is dystopian/fantasy and follows 'Red' girl Mare Barrow whom picks pockets in her poor town. In her world, there are the 'Reds' and the 'Silvers'; The silver blooded beings have all sorts of different powers and live in riches, whereas the red blooded are nothing special and so on. Though Mare and the rest of the royals soon find out she is something different and it goes from there. The writing is spot on, it flowed so easily and I kept reading and reading until it was all gone. Glass Sword is the sequel to come out in the coming months which I am very much looking forward to. 5/5



2. Simon vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda - Becky Albertalli
"Straight people should have to come out too. The more awkward it is, the better." Simon has been emailing Blue - both whom are gay, but don't know the true identity of each other yet go to the same school. Someone finds out about Simon's emails and starts blackmailing him in order to gain what he wants. This was such an easy and funny read that can quite honestly, depict real life. You get to follow this through Simon's point of view and some of the emails between Simon and Blue - which I really enjoy. I won't go on too much but if you're looking for something light and a little funny, this is it. 5/5



3. My True Love Gave to Me - Various Authors, edited by Stephanie Perkins
12 authors, 12 holiday stories. I'm not one to 'season-read' however, a few people were reading this and I decided to give it ago - enticed by the short story concept. They all take place around the Christmas/New Year holiday season and most were pretty good. There were some that were not properly finished - they needed more than a short story so that was disappointing. But there were some stories in there that were just so cute and I really enjoyed. 4/5



4. Snow Like Ashes - Sara Raasch
This book felt like Red Queen combined with combined with A Court of Thorns and Roses but more action added into it. I started off reading this quite slowly - perhaps the busyness of the holiday season slowed me down? Once I got about half way, I just wanted more and more. Meira is from Winter but no one has been there since it was destroyed and majority of its villagers were taken to work in the Spring work camps as slaves. The refugee group have been living in various parts of other seasons working to try gain their freedom and their home back from Spring. Loved, loved, loved this book, I love stories like this! Ice Like Fire is book two and is already out however, I have to refrain from buying it until I read more of my unread books on my shelf. 5/5


JANUARY TBR

1. Soundless - Richelle Mead

2. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children - Ransom Riggs

3. A Thousand Pieces of You - Claudia Gray

4. Shadow and Bone - Leigh Bardugo




These four books are what I definitely want to read this month (and I've actually just finished Soundless!) I will more than likely read on my kindle or iPad at work as it's much easier and maybe pick up one of the books I've put down and try to finish them.

That's all today! I'll see you soon for my full 2015 book list.

Take care!
xx

Where you can find me

Email: erenabennett@gmail.com
Instagram: @erena_b
Bookstagram: @erenareads
Goodreads: @erenareads

Follow me with Bloglovin' !

While you can still channel the inner kid in you and get your chocolate advent calendar, you should also treat yourself to a different kind of advent for those 24 days prior to Christmas.

HELLO!

I've been absent as of late as I have been super busy and I should've pre written blog posts but did I do that? No... My bad!

November was a good reading month with a total of six (6) books read. Four of these books I rated 5/5! I collected quite a few books this month: Red Queen, Snow Like Ashes & Simon vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda I won from a giveaway; Magnus Chase x 2 - one I bought on special, a signed copy I won at Penguin Teen Australia Live event in Brisbane; Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children full priced and a box set of six classics from QBD for only $15! So, I didn't spend too much money but I'm definitely going to need to pick up my reading game!



Anyways, here are my November reads...

1. The Heir - Kiera Cass
The fourth novel in The Selection series moves on to Maxon and America's sassy daughter Princess Eadlyn, the future queen! I was sad to read it wasn't America's story however it was still an enjoyable and easy read. It finished on an emotional cliffhanger which I feel like Cass hasn't really done in the other books. 4/5



2. Crown of Midnight - Sarah J Maas
I was so ready for Crown of Midnight after reading the first in its series: Throne of Glass, last month. In this story, the true and ever so badass Celaena came alive with an incredible assassin scene which I loved! There was also crazy emotional chapters in Crown of Midnight as well though and pulled on the heart strings. This book is definitely in my top 5 of 2015! 5/5 plus another 100

3. Happily Ever After - Kiera Cass
This is a selection (no pun intended) of novellas from The Selection series. It includes The Queen (Amberley), The Guard (Aspen), The Prince (Maxon) and a few other scenes. I enjoyed reading from others point of views especially Queen Amberley. I think this is a good way to have other point of view novels - a collection of different characters in the one book. 4/5



4. Percy Jackson & The Lightning Thief - Rick Riordan
I've finally got myself into this series, if it wasn't for the Bookstagram community I don't think I would have. If you don't know what I'm talking about, Percy is a demi-god finding himself on a mission to find Zeus' lightning bolt which he apparently stole and return it - along with fighting off creatures of the Underworld. Suitable for a wide range of people; this was such an easy read and I enjoyed it immensely. 5/5



5. Clockwork Angel - Cassandra Clare
I took a break from The Mortal Instruments and gave The Infernal Devices a go instead. It took me a while to get into but I love it much more than Clary's story (Clary annoys me a bit too much). I loved how it is set in the 1800's and of course Jem and Will! I am still trying to warm up to Tessa but I definitely prefer her story and interesting background. I am keen to read Clockwork Prince and hopefully will get to it in the next couple of months. 5/5



6. The Assassin's Blade - Sarah J Maas
This is a collection of novellas set before 'Throne of Glass' however, it's pretty much one whole story with a couple of gaps in between. You get to meet and know Sam Cortland and if you've read Throne of Glass you will pretty much have anxiety issues whenever he's around. You get the badass Celaena again in The Assassin's Blade which I loved! I don't think it really matters when you read this book along with the Throne of Glass series, though I've only read the first two. 5/5 !


And there you have my little reviews for my November reads. Sorry it was late... I'll try better next time. If you have any questions or thoughts on this post please comment below or message me on my Bookstagram. Stay tuned for my 2016 reading list!



Currently Reading: Simon vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

Email: erenabennett@hotmail.com
Bookstagram: @erenareads
Instagram: @erena_b
Twitter: @erena_bee
Goodreads: @erenareads

Hello everyone!

Welcome back!

So I've had my Bookstagram (@erenareads) for just over a month now and am loving the community and the urge to read so much more. I hardly buy books anymore but I've gone and purchased four books from the same author (Sarah J Maas) and have recently started Throne of Glass and loving it already.
I'm a little more active on Goodreads (@erenareads) as well these days - feel free to follow or add me.
I read four books this month even though I fell into a bit of a slump at one point.
Enjoy!


BOOKS

I Was Here - Gayle Forman
I went into this book not having any idea what it was about and not hearing too much about it - though what I heard was good. Out of all the books I've read from Forman (2 and a half), this is by far my favourite. Suitable for teens and young adult fiction lovers, this one is super easy to read and could possible pull at the heart strings for some readers. 5/5




City of Bones - Cassandra Clare
I read this maybe four or five years ago and was so annoyed at the ending that I didn't continue with the rest of the books. Over time I got over it and found out the obvious and decided to read it again with intentions of following through with the rest of the books in this series. I like the story - the same as when I first read it, and because I knew what I was in for I just enjoyed the writing. It is a super easy read, for the older who like to sometimes venture into the YA world, you might enjoy! 5/5




Animal Farm - George Orwell
I think this is read in schools? I'm not 100% sure but I wish I did! It's really interesting how all the animals develop after the rebellion having all the same traits as us lousy humans. I also think it is hilarious. This is a super short book so definitely give it a go if you haven't already. Suitable for all ages. 5/5


I'll Give You The Sun - Jandy Nelson
People were raving about this book - "A MUST READ!!" Naturally I had high expectations and was unfortunately let down. It took me ages to read/get into this story and I kept waiting for that point where all of a sudden I can't put the book down. It kind of happened - but only because I had to take it back to the library and wanted to finish it. It ended up being okay and I guess I enjoyed it however for me, it wasn't 'a must read'. 4/5

That is my September wrap up! I have a very ambitious October ahead of me with six books on my TBR (To Be Read), but I just want to read it all! I'll try my best, friends!

See you soon for a post about organisation/planning!



Instagram: erena_b
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Email: erenabennett@hotmail.com
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Hello everyone.