Book Blogger Hop: Do you get any books for Christmas? If so, name the titles.

Did you get any books for Christmas? If so, name the titles.

Can you call yourself a bookworm if you didn't get any books for Christmas?

What kind of madness would that be?
Well actually... I didn't get any books for Christmas.
To be fair, I rarely do as I'm primarily an ebooker. You can't really wrap those and pop them under the tree. I did get a fabulous bookmark though, from my mum. It's for those rare occasions I have a print book in my hands...

What I did get for Christmas are Amazon gift cards. These feed my book buying demon for months!
Seriously, last years Christmas gift cards got me through to June! To be fair, I was being very restrained due to a bulging TBR, my KU subscription and penny pinching to buy my house but still... 6 months on Christmas gift cards.
It was awesome.

This year, I reckon I'm aiming to reach June again as I still have my KU subscription and I have soooo so many books on the backlist that I'm committed to whittling down.

Did you get any books for Christmas this year? What were they?

Review: Your Sound by Katia Rose

Molly Myers is just your average groupie next door.
Literally.

The rock star whose posters cover her bedroom wall is banging her roommate right on the other side of it. Even for Molly, the reigning queen of embarrassing moments, the situation is epically awkward. Every thump of the headboard is just one more reminder that the lead singers of famous bands don’t date bumbling shy girls too anxious to leave their own rooms.

JP Bouchard-Guindon wasn’t looking for Molly’s room when he accidentally burst through the door, but the wild-haired girl lying there in her underwear was certainly worth the detour.

As the keyboardist for Montreal’s latest indie rock sensation, JP has met his fair share of fangirls. He’s always ready to throw up some finger guns for a photo. What he’s not ready for is the way skittish, wide-eyed Molly Myers gets stuck inside his head.

A practical joker and a social recluse are the last people anyone expects a connection between. She’s silence aching for a voice, and he’s sound with a craving for quiet. Their differences will either pull them together, or fracture their worlds when they push them apart.

*ARC provided in exchange on an honest review*

ebook

Full length novel

Alternating, first person.

No.

No.
Even though this is book 3 in the Sherbrooke Station series, each can be read as a standalone.

No

No

No

No

No

OMG, guys! This book! This book... This book stole my heart!
From beginning to end it made me smile, it made me feel happy. I laughed, I cringed, my stomach swooped and my heart fluttered and I full on fell in love with JP and Molly.
They were two perfect for each other little peas in a pod.

Molly is a painfully awkward fan-girl living with the horror that the frontman of the band she idolizes is her roommate's boyfriend. She's sweet, she's loyal and an unbelievably talented artist but it's all buried under layers of self-consciousness, doubt and social anxiety. Molly is being smothered by her own fears and the expectation of her mother. I swear, I just wanted to hug the poor girl. She was so awkward it was painful at times but then she begins to bloom! She begins to realise what she is capable of. She comes out of her shell, finds her voice, stops being so afraid and goes after everything she wants.

JP is a mad-hatter. He's constantly on the go and totally random. He reminds me pretty strongly of Mal from Kylie Scott's Stage Dive series. However, he's so much more than the random goof who exists to provide the comic value. JP has hang-ups and wounds that are as real as anyone's and he too has to go on a journey to heal and move on.

I adored how, on paper, JP and Molly shouldn't have worked but they are exactly what the other needed. I loved how they were friends first and slowly built to being more... To being everything. Each was the catalyst of the other's change but the story wasn't a "and then they fell in love and everything was better" story. They help each other, make the other see themselves more clearly, but there is no magic cure all here: The changes come from within.

It's a journey of self-discovery and, in the process, falling in love. It's not a heavy-hearted read, it's low angst and fun but serious when needed. I seriously loved it!

For those who love a rockstar romance with heart, you've got to read it. In fact, you've got to read the series. It's awesome.

Meh. It fits with the other covers and it's refreshing in that it doesn't have a shirtless dude on it. Don't get me wrong, I love a ripped shirtless dude as much as the next gal but it's nice to have a change!

A Netflix Christmas

Late November, early December, I was ill with a couple of back to back bugs that left me too drained to read but with plenty of time to sit in one place.

It was a potential recipe for a case of the bah-humbugs but, thanks to the mighty Netflix, I found myself binge-watching random Christmas movies that I'd never seen - nor would I usually watch! - and I found myself really enjoying them.

They brought Christmas into the house and kept my spirits up while I was in pain and miserable so I thought I'd share what I watched - alongside a few comments on the movie - in case others are looking for some new movies this Christmastime!

The Holiday Romances... 

These were so corny, cheesy and predictable that it was almost painful to watch them but I enjoyed them all anyway. 

Maybe because they were so cheesy and predictable?

A Christmas Prince

In A Christmas Prince, we have the plucky young American jetting off to some fictional little pseudo-European kingdom where she wiggles her way into the palace and into the affections of the future king. 

Naturally.

I'm surprised I didn't develop eye-strain from the amount of rolling they did watching this one but what saved it was the fact that the sweet - purer than freshly fallen snow - romance gave me all the happy feels despite how ridiculous the plot was and the chemistry between them was grand.

A Christmas Prince: The Royal Wedding

Oh, come on! I had to watch the sequel! I had to... What fresh challenges would befall the happy couple after their happy ending in the first film?

A wedding, of course, and misunderstandings galore!

Sadly, the sequel just didn't produce the same amount of giddiness as the first but it was still enjoyable enough to pass the time and I think fans of the first will defo want to watch it.

The Holiday Calendar

Painfully predictable but oh so addictive. 

I loved the magic advent calendar and I loved the chemistry between the main characters but I think my favourite thing about this one was that family was at its heart, not the romance. 

The Princess Switch

Another fictional, presumably European, country where the royals all have suspiciously British sounding accents... Another ordinary young lady who captures the heart of a prince. 

This one, however, has an awesome identity swap thing going on so you get two romantic sub-plots to go alongside your festive fun.

Plus, it was funny and full of heart. 

The Christmas Chronicles

I watched this one with the little dude and we both loved it.

It's a proper family fun-filled, feel good, Christmas film and it had us giggling and smiling throughout. 

The little dude liked it so much he wants to watch it again and I liked it enough to happily comply!

Kurt Russell was fantastic as Santa. He made the movie for me.

Arthur Christmas

You have a family where the title of Santa is inherited... Like a king passing on his crown.
A story where Christmas is run as a major military operation and the current Santa's youngest son is clumsy and random but embodies the soul of Christmas where the elder (heir apparent) is good and decent but does not. Throw in mad elves and grumpy former Santas (aka Grandad) and you get lots of good giggles and fuzzy feels.

Reader, I Married Him

I know... I know.

The quote is the ultimate newly wedded bookworm cliche but I couldn't resist and I'm not sorry!

😀

The professor and I got married today!

I'd share pictures but I don't currently have any.
When they come in, I'll post a few.
😊

Christmas Movies That Aren't Christmas Movies

Today, I bring you a very important, topic: Christmas Movies.
But, I don't want to talk about all your typical Christmas movies.
No, I want to talk about the movies that make you feel like Christmas even though they aren't what you'd traditionally think of as Christmas movies.
Everybody has them!
They're the movies that, for whatever reason, your brain associates with the season even though the content of the movie has little, if anything, to do with Christmas!

So, here it is! My Top Ten list of non-Christmas, Christmas movies!

🎄

Edward Scissorhands

This movie just screams Christmastime to me!

I don't care that it's Tim Burton and slightly twisty and odd. It's festive.

That scene where Winona Ryder's character is dancing in the slowflakes from Edward's sculpture is just gorgeous!

It touches a little part of my soul and makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside and therefore Edward Scissorhands will always be a festive movie in this house.

Gremlins

I know that this movie isn't warmth, sweetness and light but it's definitely festive! 

Snow, holiday jingles, giant snowmen, Christmas trees... It's perfect!

The murderous little monsters just make it funny.

The Lord of The Rings

This trilogy of movies will forever be associated with Christmas for me. I think it's because they were all released at the cinema in December and my original - and strongest - memories of them are tied to going to see them at the cinema with friends and family surrounded by holiday shoppers and decorations. 

Don't get me wrong, I can watch them at any point of the year but watching them at Christmastime is an absolute must!

The Phantom of the Opera

Again, I think I associate this with Christmastime because of when I originally saw it at the cinema. It could also be because it has the gorgeous snowy scene in the graveyard which triggers that "I want to tuck up warm and cozy with a hot chocolate" feeling that Christmas also triggers.

Beauty and the Beast

I blame this being a Christmastime movie, for me, on the snowy scenes once again. And the triggering of the hot chocolatey feeling. 

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

It's Christmas for about 10 minutes in the movie but, for me, Harry Potter and The Philosopher's Stone will always be a Christmas film. 

I saw it at the end of November. It's always on the TV at Christmas. It is Christmas.

While You Were Sleeping

There's much debate about this one in my house... Is While You Were Sleeping an actual Christmas movie? 

I'd say no. It's set 100% at Christmas - that is true - but it doesn't have that whole Christmas magic, Santa-ish, vibe that Christmas movies always have. 

It's just a lovely romantic comedy that happens to be set during the holidays, therefore, I say no and it goes on my Christmas movies that aren't Christmas movies list....

And the same goes for this one.

Bridget Jone's Diary

It begins at Christmas and it ends at Christmas but Bridget Jones is not a Christmas movie. It is a movie that can be watched all year long.

That said, every year, since I was a teenager, I have watched Bridget Jone's Diary at Christmas thanks to my mother.

This year will be no different.

🎄

So, what's your non-traditional Christmas movie(s)?

My Favourite Christmas Songs

Not book related but it's Christmas time so I'm sharing some non-book related bits and today's post is... Christmas songs.

There are so many! And so many versions of the same songs.
It can get a bit much, but I've chosen ten that I adore, for many different reasons and decided to share them below! It's a random bunch of songs and they're in no particular order.

Check 'em out and let me know what your favourite songs are this time of year!

One More Sleep - Leona Lewis

Last Christmas - Carly Rae Jepsen

All I Want for Christmas is New Years Day - Hurts

Fairytale of New York - The Pogues & Kirsty McColl

Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas - Frank Sinatra

Blue Christmas - Elvis Presley

O Holy Night - Josh Groban

Sleigh Ride - Prokofiev

Walking In A Winter Wonderland - Dean Martin

Don't Shoot Me Santa - The Killers

Book Blogger Hop: Do you tend to visit the same blogs each week but also try to look for new blogs?

Do you tend to visit the same blogs each week but also try to look for new blogs?

I'm a creature of habit so I do tend to visit the same blogs on a regular basis. However, that doesn't mean that I don't visit new blogs. I just don't actively hunt out new blogs. I tend to find new blogs by bookish osmosis. I see a comment on another blog that I'm commenting on and I go visit them to see what their blogs about. I take part in bookish tags & memes and try to visit the participants thus finding new blogs to visit regularly... When people comment on my posts, I return comments and this also leads me to new blogs.

My problem with keeping up with blogs I like is finding an easy way to remember them all!
Some, I visit so often I can type the first few letters into my browser and they pop up. Others I have to google their blog or find their link from a past link-up or go to a list of hyperlinks I keep, and this is time-consuming and annoying.
I'm time-poor. I like quick and efficient!
I need a way to manage things! I've tried bloglovin' and while pretty good, I still end up lost.

How do you find and manage blogs to visit?
Let me know in the comments!

No, I'm not dead...

Just thought I'd quickly say, I'm not dead!

But I do kinda feel like I'm dying... I'm ill again and between the coldy/fluey symptoms and a kidney infection, I seriously just want to go to sleep and wake up when it's all over!

I don't have the energy to read, to review or to piece together any of the fun Christmassy posts I wanted to do this month.

😭

With luck, the antibiotics for the kidneys will kick in soon and the cold/flu virus will bugger off in sufficient time for me to get back to normal soon.

I so miss normal!

Between moving house and illness, the past month and a bit has sucked with the lack of normal!

Anyways, rant over.

I'm going to try and catch up on some blog visits before I fall asleep again.

Sorry for being awol!