February in review

February was a pretty good reading month for me though of course I am (as always) surprised by how quickly the month went. In February I signed up for #FinishItFeb a challenge hosted by Caroline and Faye and I'm really impressed with the results. I will now challenge myself every month in some way if it helps me to power through more books that I really want to read.

Books Read in February:

1. The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken (4 stars)
2. Darkest Fear by Cate Tiernan (3 stars)
3. Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by April Genevieve Tucholke (3 stars)
4. Sleeping Angel by Mia James (4 stars)
5. Shadowlark by Meagan Spooner (4 stars)
6. Butterfly Grave by Anne Cassidy (4 stars)
7. Dead Silent by Sharon Jones (5 stars)
8. The Academy: Love Match by Monica Seles (3 stars)
9. Dead and Buried by Anne Cassidy (4 stars)
10. Deeper by Robin York (4 stars)
11. Flirty Dancing by Jenny McLachlan (4 stars)
12. Baby, One More Time by Esme Taylor (4 stars)
13. In Too Deep by Bea Longworth (4 stars)
14. Poppy by Mary Hooper (4 stars)
15. The Year of the Rat by Clare Furniss (4 stars)
16. Slow Twitch by Liz Reinhardt (4 stars)
17. Shadowplay by Laura Lam (4 stars)

Total: 17

Total for 2014:36

While I enjoyed all of the books I read this month, I only rated one book 5 stars and I rated quite a few more with only 3 stars. It's slightly disappointing because I'd hoped that some of these books would have been absolutely amazing. At the same time as reading 8 sequels and being caught up with 7 series, I did also start 6 books this month that are the first book in a series or will have a sequel. Which I just don't have words for. Bring back the standalone novels!

What was the best of the bunch though?

February Book of the Month:

Dead Silent by Sharon Jones

This was a very easy book of the month to choose. I absolutely love this series and Poppy Sinclair. I really enjoyed this murder mystery, I thought it was exciting and fast-paced and tense and I'd love to read more books following these same characters!


Books reviewed in February:

Sleeping Angel by Mia James
Shadowlark by Meagan Spooner
Butterfly Grave by Anne Cassidy
Dead Silent by Sharon Jones
The Academy: Love Match by Monica Seles
Slow Twitch by Liz Reinhardt
Unlocked Books Valentine's Novellas

Non-review posts during February:

Faber Children's Picture Book Event
Unfinished series #FinishItFeb
YA Tag Line Game
What I've Been Watching Lately 
Blogoversary Giveaway

UKYA in 2014

UKYA published in February 2014

Cover Reveal: The Illusionists by Laure Eve 


This is a feature that I hope to continue with in 2014. If you are an author of UKYA (or MG!) being published this year who would like to guest post (or interviewed, though this is less likely!) on Fluttering Butterflies, do let me know!

British Books Challenge update in February

Sleeping Angel by Mia James
Butterfly Grave by Anne Cassidy
Dead Silent by Sharon Jones
Dead and Buried by Anne Cassidy
Flirty Dancing by Jenny McLachlan
Baby, One More Time by Esme Taylor
In Too Deep by Bea Longworth
Poppy by Mary Hooper
The Year of the Rat by Clare Furniss
Shadowplay by Laura Lam

Total in February:10
Total in 2014: 14

10 books read by British authors in February! I'm massively happy with that. What a great start to the year. Let's hope that this continues in the next ten months!


Personal challenge to read 10 non-review books a month:

The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken
Darkest Fear by Cate Tiernan


Total in February: 2
Total in 2014: 3

In February, I was mostly concentrating on catching up on review books so my personal challenge to read more of my own books mostly fell to the wayside. Perhaps a challenge for later months in this year will be to concentrate on reading books I bought myself so that I can have some chance of clearing my TBR pile!

What was your favourite book that you read in February? 

January in review

Ah, January. What a month it's been.  I've had some real highs and lows these past few weeks. I'm glad to have survived January mostly intact.  It's been lovely going to publishing events and meeting up with other lovely bookish people. But my personal life has been all up in the air and I'm finding it difficult to maintain my blogging/booktubing/twitter schedules. So you'll forgive me, I'm sure, if things are a little sparse around here in future.
And while I'm not always in the mood to blog, at least I am still reading.  Let's look at the books I've read this year so far...

Books Read in January:

1. Salvage by Keren David (5 stars)
2. Oliver and the Seawigs by Philip Reeve and Sarah McIntyre (4 stars)
3. Fifteen Days Without a Head by Dave Cousins (4 stars)
4. Fortunately, the Milk... by Neil Gaiman (4 stars)
5. Where the Stars Still Shine by Trish Doller (5 stars)
6. How to Love by Katie Cotugno (4 stars)
7. Night Beach by Kirsty Eagar (3 stars)
8. The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay (4 stars)
9. Keeping You A Secret by Julie Anne Peters (5 stars)
10. Stay Where You Are and Then Leave by John Boyne (4 stars)
11. Ten Tiny Breaths by KA Tucker (4 stars)
12. A Little Too Far by Lisa Desrochers (3 stars)
13. A Little Too Much by Lisa Desrochers (4 stars)
14. Kiss the Sky by Krista and Becca Ritchie (4 stars)
15. A Little Too Hot by Lisa Desrochers (3 stars)
16. Fear of Falling by SL Jennings (2 stars)
17. Going Under by S Walden (3 stars)
18. Relentless by Cassia Leo (3 stars)
19. Ruining Me by Nicole Reed (1 star)

Total: 19

Total for 2014:19

2014 started off really well... I was reading great books and really loving reading. And then things started going wrong for me personally and within my family and I ended up on this New Adult kick that I should have abandoned and didn't.  That last book though: it cured me of my NA compulsion. 

Before that though, I did read three five star books and a bunch of 4 stars reads too.  I've been reading a lot on my Kindle and it's been nice to start the year with some no pressure free reading! 

What was the best of the bunch though?

January Book of the Month:

Salvage by Keren David

Ooh, no question about it. I absolutely loved Salvage by Keren David from the first page right to the last. I thought the characters and their relationships were all wonderfully written and it was a really interesting story of a brother and sister who had grown up apart and how much had changed with their different circumstances.

Books reviewed in January:

Please Ignore Vera Dietz by AS King
Thousand Words by Jennifer Brown
After Math and Redesigned by Denise Grover Swank


Non-review posts during January:

Doing Things Differently in 2014

Psychology in YA - Identity
Top Ten Bookish and Bloggish Goals in 2014 
New-to-me authors in 2013 and UKYA paranormal recommendations
Follow my #booktube channel?
Reading the Not-Quite-Blockbuster Books 5

UKYA in 2014

UKYA in January

Waiting on Wednesday: Banished by Liz de Jager
Waiting on Wednesday: Dead Silent by Sharon Jones

This is a feature that I hope to continue with in 2014. If you are an author of UKYA (or MG!) being published this year who would like to guest post (or interviewed, though this is less likely!) on Fluttering Butterflies, do let me know!

British Books Challenge update in January

Salvage by Keren David
Fifteen Days Without a Head by Dave Cousins
Fortunately, The Milk... by Neil Gaimain
Oliver and the Seawigs by Philip Reeve and Sarah McIntyre

Total in January:4
Total in 2014: 4

I don't want to put any pressure on myself with reading challenges this year ... but I also really want to read to as many books by British authors at the same time. Tough one.  Still, 4 books this month isn't bad. Feels like a good start to the year.  


Personal challenge to read 10 non-review books a month:

Fortunately, the Milk.... by Neil Gaiman

Total in January:1
Total in 2014:1

Again this year, I'm hoping to cut down on my TBR pile by reading some of my own books. So while I mostly read non-review books in January, 98% of the books I read this month have been e-books.  Which I'm not counting for this personal challenge.

What was your favourite book that you read in January? 

January in review

Hello! I can hardly believe that January is now finished.  I think it has been an excellent start to 2013 and I am absolutely excited to see what February will bring.  I have some fun things planned for the blog next month, but before that can happen, let's have a little look at what happened in January...

Books read in January

Hidden Among Us by Katy Moran
This Is Shyness by Leanne Hall
Hero Type by Barry Lyga (DNF)
Sister Assassin by Kiersten White
Easy by Tammara Webber (re-read)
Just One Day by Gayle Forman
Reason To Breathe by Rebecca Donovan
Stealing Parker by Miranda Kenneally
Anthem for Jackson Dawes by Celia Bryce
Geek Girl by Holly Smale
Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
Dance of Shadows by Yelena Black
Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler
Something Like Fate by Susane Colasanti
Invincible Summer by Hannah Moskowitz
Prom and Prejudice by Elizabeth Eulberg
The Secret of Ella and Micha by Jessica Sorensen
The Holders by Julianna Scott
Touch of Power by Maria V. Snyder
Scent of Magic by Maria V. Snyder
Abyss by Tricia Rayburn
Witchstruck by Victoria Lamb
Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly
Dramarama by E Lockhart
Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder
Where I Belong by Gwendolyn Heasley
Skylark by Meagan Spooner
The Disappeared by CJ Harper
Dead Romantic by CJ Skuse

Total: 29

I've had a really wonderful reading month so far! I've had a few more hours in the day to myself than usual and I've made the most of it. I really don't expect this reading frenzy to last much longer unfortunately but it was definitely fun while it lasted!  My favourite of the bunch...?

January Book of the Month

Geek Girl by Holly Smale is absolutely incredible! I totally and utterly loved it and I hope that when it is soon published by HarperCollins that you will look out for it, buy it and read it.  It's fun and funny and geeky and awkward and my review will soon be published on the blog, as well as a special guest post from Holly!

And, I wouldn't normally have an author of the month, but January is the month I really 'discovered' Maria V. Snyder, and I put discovered in quotation marks there because I have actually read her two YA books.  I read Touch of Power and Scent of Magic within the space of 24 hours and was so addicted, I had to locate a copy of Poison Study, again that I read very quickly. I've put the rest of the Study series on my wishlist as well as her Glass books.  I need more.

Books reviewed in January

Night School Legacy by CJ Daugherty
A World Between Us by Lydia Syson
Irrestistible by Liz Bankes
There Is No Dog by Meg Rosoff
The Things We Did For Love by Natasha Farrant
Secrets and Sapphires by Leila Rasheed
The Lost Girl by Sangu Mandanna
Anthem for Jackson Dawes by Celia Bryce
The Taming of Lilah May by Vanessa Curtis 

Easy by Tammara Webber
Confessions of An Angry Girl by Louise Rozett
Reason to Breathe by Rebecca Donovan


I've separated these reviews into those books written by British authors and those that aren't!

Non-review posts in January

UKYA in January 2013

New Year's Resolutions

Blog Tour: Night School Legacy by CJ Daugherty
Love Hurts Blog Tour: Bedside table books from Tammara Webber and Rebecca Donovan
Blog Tour: Confessions of An Angry Girl by Louise Rozett

Interview with Sangu Mandanna, author of The Lost Girl

Fluttering Butterflies turns *7*

In 2013, I resolve to read... (Top Ten Tuesday)
Bookish goals in 2013
Debuts in 2013 (Top Ten Tuesday)
Settings I'd Like To See More of in YA (Top Ten Tuesdays)

Andrew from The Pewter Wolf (Celebrating British Bloggers)
Jessica from Booked Up! (Celebrating British Bloggers)
Sally from Always Lost in Stories (Celebrating British Bloggers)
Sya from The Mountains of Instead (Celebrating British Bloggers)

The greatest accomplishment of your life (Book of Questions) 
Would you want your friends to tell you what they really thought of you? (Book of Questions)

My Littlest at Big Boy school
Fear ... of change

Books that make me want to travel ... to Oregon
Bookworms on television and film
Vlog: The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner

I have a great many different features that I run on this blog other than reviews.  Book of Questions posts run every other Sunday and focus on personal things.  I do my best to write other personal posts and some bookish discussion posts on Wednesdays and Fridays respectively. I've taken part this year in Top Ten Tuesdays but may skip those posts for the upcoming few months.  I absolutely LOVE my Celebrating British Bloggers interviews and I look forward to posting these interviews every Saturday.

The big feature for my blog this year is UKYA in 2013! I hope you'll enjoy these posts as much as I've enjoyed writing them!


British Books Challenge 2013

Hidden Among Us by Katy Moran (published in March)
Anthem for Jackson Dawes by Celia Bryce
Geek Girl by Holly Smale (published in February)
Witchstruck by Victoria Lamb
The Disappeared by CJ Harper
Dead Romantic by CJ Skuse

I haven't done such a brilliant job of reading books by British authors so far this year. Especially considering that one of my goals is for every 1 in 2 or every 1 in 3 books I read this year overall will be books by British authors. Let's hope this improves next month! BBC is the ONLY reading challenge I've taken in officially, so I really want to do well with it.  And for my unofficial reading challenge, read further:


Personal Challenge to read 10 non-review books from my TBR pile

This Is Shyness by Leanne Hall
Hero Type by Barry Lyga
Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler
Something Like Fate by Susane Colasanti
Invincible Summer by Hannah Moskowitz
Prom and Prejudice by Elizabeth Eulberg
Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly
Dramarama by E Lockhart
Where I Belong by Gwendolyn Heasley

Monthly total: 10/10
Yearly total: 10/120

I set myself a target this year of reading at least 10 books every month from my TBR pile. Only books that I bought or otherwise acquired myself can be counted.  I debated whether or not to include paid for e-books, but I decided against it as this challenge was started so that I could clear space from my shelves (I read 2 paid for myself e-books this month!). I'm aiming for 120 actual physical books to be cleared from my shelves this year, not including the review books that I will need to keep up with! And hurrah, I've completed my goal for this month. (And, just for my own peace of mind, I counted how many non-review books I own and that number turned out to be far below my 120 estimate.  It's only 77. So I promptly went out and bought 6 more books, ha!)

These are the books I've read/posts I've written in January, how was your month?