Two Year Blogoversary!

Photo taken from We Heart It

Wow.  I seriously cannot believe that my little baby blog is now two years old!  Where did the time go?  *Throws confetti, blows out candles and gives out free cupcakes*  It amazes me that I've come this far with A Reading Daydreamer and I am SO thankful for each and every one of you who has made this journey so fun, so brilliant and so fantastically book-ish!  It is an absolute pleasure to work alongside a community of wonderfully creative and fun people and I just want to say I LOVE YOU, GUYS! 

2013 wasn't a great year for me, blogging-wise.  I was incredibly busy and also spent a lot of time procrastinating which meant this blog was abandoned sporadically.  It fills me with happiness though that I have had your support throughout everything.  THANK YOU FOR STICKING BY ME.  Your sweet, encouraging comments on my posts and reviews is what makes book blogging worth it.  This community and the friendships we form within it has been so important to me.

To start off, I'd like to review my stats:

Year One:

Pageviews: 58,681 

GFC Followers: 710

Linky Followers: 115

Networked Blogs Followers: 82

Most visited by people from:  US and UK

Posts (including Jen’s): 159

Comments: 2100

Twitter followers: 362

Facebook likes: 77

Year Two:

Pageviews: 157,844 (Eek >.<)

GFC Followers: 984

Linky Followers: 194

Networked Blogs Followers: 160

(New) Bloglovin' Followers: 354

Most visited by people from:  US and UK (Wooo!!!!)

Posts: 249

Comments: 3302 (Your comments make my day ^.^)

Twitter followers: 667 

Facebook likes: 281

Last year for my first blogoversary, I went all out with a celebrations fortnight but this year I just didn't have the time to organise anything and to be honest, I don't deserve one!  Which is why I want to make sure I become a better blogger in 2014.  Here are my tentative goals:

• Read 45 Books:  Unfortunately I didn't meet this goal in 2013 because of school, exams, work experience and a good dose of procrastination.  This year, I should have a longer summer break after finishing secondary school so hopefully I will be able to reach this target this year!


• Post More Consistently:  This is an ABSOLUTE MUST.  I love the 'post every two days' schedule that Jen and I had set up and I want to stick to this so that I can deliver to my readers!


• Review Because I Love To:  There are times when reading and reviewing books becomes so tedious.  If I start to develop the 'symptoms', I want to be able to let myself take a break so that I run this blog purely because I adore it.


• Write Reviews in a Timely Fashion:  Especially lately, I've fallen totally behind.  When I first started out, I did a good job of finishing a book and writing up a review almost straight after.  But now, I have so many half-written reviews sitting in my drafts, it's scary O.O


• Engage More in the Community:  I'm usually not bad with visiting other blogs and leaving comments but I want to be able to do this even more.  I also want to use Goodreads more often and definitely Twitter.  Feel free to talk to me - I don't bite :D


• Write a Novel:  I've always loved writing but I've never written a FULL novel.  I have an idea sitting in my head and I can't wait to develop it!  It's contemporary, by the way if anyone's remotely curious!


• Start Working on The Above Goals After Exams:  Let's be realistic here.  What with so many exams coming up, there is no way I'm going to be able to stick to these goals.  My aim is to FULLY return to blogging after my exams in May so be warned: first half of 2014 is going to be pretty crappy around here!

So hopefully (the secnod half of) 2014 will be a better one!  I am obviously not fully back to blogging yet but I'm already anticipating summer when I can immerse myself back into the community.  I really miss it when I'm away!

And thank you if you've read to the end of this post.  Thank you for reading this blog full stop.  It has been such an amazing journey so far and despite how life gets in the way so many times, I can't imagine myself leaving and I hope blogging will remain a part of me for a long time.  I want to do a shout-out to all my blogging friends and the authors and publishers who have all helped to make A Reading Daydreamer what it is today.  I can't do you guys justice in a small paragraph but YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE!  Thank you for the kindness and support!

So before I leave and eat some chocolate to 'celebrate' my blogoversary,  all that's left to say is:  HAPPY NEW YEAR!.  I hope 2014 is fantastic for us all and that we overcome obstacles and achieve our dreams!  I look forward to working on A Reading Daydreamer to make it more fun and updated so I would love and appreciate it if you stick around for what's to come!

MASSIVE THANKS AND HUGS!

Beverley xxx

REVIEW: Little White Lies by Katie Dale

Name: Little White Lies

Author: Katie Dale

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Date published: 1st August 2013

Pages: 384, Paperback

Source: For review (from publisher)

Rating: 4.5 teacups

The first time Lou meets tall, dark, and handsome Christian, she knows he's hiding something. Why does he clam up every time she asks about his past? Why doesn't he have any family photos and why does he dye his blond hair black?
Then suddenly his terrible secret is unveiled to the world - and it seems everything he's ever told Lou is a lie. Can what the media are saying about him really be true? Should Lou trust him? Or is she in terrible danger? But Christian isn't the only one keeping secrets. For what if their chance meeting was no accident at all ...?
As lie follows lie, nothing is as it seems, and soon Lou finds herself ensnared in a web of deceit, her loyalties torn, her emotions in tatters as she faces a heart-wrenching dilemma: should she shatter the lives of those she holds dearest, or betray the guy who, against all odds, she's fallen in love with?

[summary taken from Goodreads]

My Review

Katie Dale rapidly became one of my favourite authors last year with her stunning debut, Someone Else's Life.  I obviously had high hopes for her next book, Little White Lies, and it didn't disappoint.

The premise and the storyline took centre stage.  It was so fast-paced, I was never bored; always kept on my toes, always wondering and contemplating what would come next. The beauty of it though was that my guesses were rarely correct.  Katie Dale threw in plot twists and surprises that you never see coming.  It was like sitting on a wave, my emotions rising and falling and being whipped around by the wind.

However, no matter how thrilling the premise, I knew I wanted the characters to be genuine and well-developed.  And they were definitely true to form.  Each with their own flaws, quirks and imperfections that made me instantly reach out and take them into my heart.  The anger and the hurt that Lou and Christian harboured within themselves felt so real and it was almost as if I was right there with them as the horrors and the answers they sought unfolded.  With Lou, I became a fiercely protective 'little sister' and hoped and wished she would receive her closure.

And then came the ending.  An ending so shocking and unexpected and in a way... fitting.  My emotions were thrown into turmoil and I just felt so conflicted.  It tore me apart as ache and joy met together and settled in my chest.  It was heart-wrenching and confusing and perfect all at the same time that I felt myself asking, 'Is there no other way?'

For me, Little White Lies turned out to be an incredibly emotionally charged read.  Katie Dale's writing style pulled me straight into the heart of the action and made me question everything.  This is a book you don't want to miss if you want real characters to relate to, a storyline that will take you on a fast-paced journey and an ending that will reduce you to an emotional wreck!

4.5 Teacups for Little White Lies!

*Thanks to Simon&Schuster for sending me this to review!*

Also, my review for Someone Else's Life for Chicklish is quoted on the back of the book! Squeee!!!!  First time ever *jumps around with glee*

Happy reading,

Beverley xxx

A Little Catch Up Post

Hello all!

It's me.

Beverley.

*waves*

Finally breaking the silence.

Here's a little update so that you know I'm still alive - a little worn out, but coping :D

What I've Been Up To
I'm pleased to say that my uni applications were sent off in early October!  Since then, I've been focusing on revising for an admissions test, general study and interview prep.  I'm studying Biology, Chemistry and Maths this year and they're challenging but enjoyable at the same time - my investigations in Bio and Chem are fun but frustrating too :P

This leaves little time for reading for the fun of it but I think I've been experiencing a bit of a blogging slump anyway.  I've been avoiding my blog lately, I'll admit.  I do miss the blogosphere and everyone in it but I guess a break was much needed!


Where I've Been
Regarding uni apps, some of you may already know that I want to study veterinary medicine.  Well, I've been lucky enough to be invited for interviews at Edinburgh, Glasgow and Cambridge.  I've already done my Glasgow and Cambridge ones and my Edinburgh one is next year (wow, next year is so soon!).  It's difficult to tell how they both went but I found them to be worthwhile experiences, especially the two interviews I had at Cambridge!  I loved seeing the cities as well even though my visits were short. 

The Cambridge college I applied to



What I've Been Reading
As I said, I've had little time for reading but I did start the various books below which still need to be finished! 

 

I'm loving the Asian protagonist in The Elites and How To Love is rather bittersweet and the storyline is interesting too. ASDFGHJKL INSURGENT.  All the feels. I'm about halfway through so no spoilers please :D  Luke Gamble's The Vet is also fantastic and one chapter had me crying - conveniently when I was on the train back from Glasgow!  And Why Animals Matter is intriguing too - animal welfare is an issue close to my heart.

 

 

So that's it really.  All that's left for me to say now is:  HAVE A FANTASTIC CHRISTMAS!!!  And if you don't celebrate it, enjoy the break from school/uni/work! 

 

Source: Chibird

 

 



I've missed you guys so do let me know in the Comments below how you've all been, what I've missed etc.  I'd love to hear from you!  Feel free to say hi on Twitter too!

Lots of love,
Beverley xxx



MINI-REVIEW: Speechless by Hannah Harrington

Name: Speechless

Author: Hannah Harrington

Publisher: Mira Ink

Date published: February 2013

Pages: 263, Paperback ARC

Source: For review (from publisher)

Rating: 4.5 teacups

Everyone knows that Chelsea Knot can’t keep a secret
Until now. Because the last secret she shared turned her into a social outcast—and nearly got someone killed.
Now Chelsea has taken a vow of silence—to learn to keep her mouth shut, and to stop hurting anyone else. And if she thinks keeping secrets is hard, not speaking up when she’s ignored, ridiculed and even attacked is worse.
But there’s strength in silence, and in the new friends who are, shockingly, coming her way—people she never noticed before; a boy she might even fall for. If only her new friends can forgive what she’s done. If only she can forgive herself.

[summary taken from Goodreads]

My Thoughts

It didn't take me long to request a copy of Speechless.  The fact that it was authored by Hannah Harrington, the oh-so-amazing-creator of Saving June, was enough to make me want to read it straight away.

When I first met Chelsea Knot, I knew she wasn't someone I'd want to be friends with in real life. She was gossipy and shallow and I wondered how I would ever come to warm to her.  However, by the end of the book, I really empathised her and felt truly protective of her.  Character development is such a key element in Speechless and is what made the book such a touching read for me.

The secondary characters also deserve a mention for adding their own quirkiness and warmth.  Asha was such a wonderful friend, soft-spoken and kind-hearted, and Sam was definitely a swoon-worthy love interest.  All of them were such unique figures with huge individuality.

Hannah Harrington has definitely not lost her touch for addressing deeper issues with such sensitivity and Speechless proved to be another heartbreaking, thought-provoking read with an important message which rings true for all its readers.  My words cannot do this book justice, so I'd like to finish with a quote from one of the characters that nicely sums everything up:

“Hate is... It's too easy. Love. Love takes courage.”

 4.5 Teacups for Speechless!

*Many thanks to Mira Ink for the review copy and apologies for the late review*

Happy reading,

Beverley

Waiting on Wednesday #14

Waiting on Wednesday is a fabulous meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine!  It's a wonderful chance to share the books we're eagerly anticipating and to find out what our fellow bloggers are looking forward to reading!

Trouble 

Non Pratt

10th June 2014 by Walker Childrens

Hannah’s smart and funny ... she’s also fifteen and pregnant. Aaron is new at school and doesn’t want to attract attention. So why does he offer to be the pretend dad to Hannah’s unborn baby? Growing up can be trouble but that’s how you find out what really matters.

[summary taken from Goodreads]    

The synopsis we've been given is short but I'm already hooked... I just adore the sound of this book and I'm guessing it will be one of those emotional reads I love to devour!  I'm currently reading How To Love by Katie Cotugno which is also about teenage pregnancy so I'm curious to see how Non Pratt will deal with this issue.  Also, I'm all for supporting UKYA authors so bring on 2014 (yeah, we have to wait until JUNE for this one)!



What are you waiting on today?  Don't forget to link me up!

Beverley xxx

Little White Lies Blog Tour: Guest Post!

Hiya!  Today, I'm so pleased to welcome Katie Dale for her Little White Lies blog tour.  I myself have read her new book and it's absolutely fantastic - get your hands on a copy if you don't already have one!  Today, I'd like to share a brilliant guest post she has written especially...

The first time Lou meets tall, dark, and handsome Christian, she knows he's hiding something. Why does he clam up every time she asks about his past? Why doesn't he have any family photos and why does he dye his blond hair black?
Then suddenly his terrible secret is unveiled to the world - and it seems everything he's ever told Lou is a lie. Can what the media are saying about him really be true? Should Lou trust him? Or is she in terrible danger? But Christian isn't the only one keeping secrets. For what if their chance meeting was no accident at all ...?
As lie follows lie, nothing is as it seems, and soon Lou finds herself ensnared in a web of deceit, her loyalties torn, her emotions in tatters as she faces a heart-wrenching dilemma: should she shatter the lives of those she holds dearest, or betray the guy who, against all odds, she's fallen in love with? Full of family secrets, surprising twists and unexpected revelations, Katie Dale's second novel will have readers on the edge of their seats.

Write what you know, so they say, so when it came to choosing the settings for various events in my new YA thriller LITTLE WHITE LIES, I decided to mine my own past for locations…

Boarding School

Like Lou, I too was a day girl at a boarding school for sixth form college, namely Lancing College in West Sussex. It’s an incredibly grand building (pictured is the chapel – the largest school chapel in the world) with fantastic architecture (it was nearly chosen to be Hogwarts in the films) draughty cloisters, pristine quads, (and in my day a ratio of 5:1 boys:girls! ) but, like Lou, I found that you can’t keep any secrets in a boarding school for long – gossip spreads like wildfire!

Sheffield University

So after sixth form, I went to Sheffield University to study English Literature – just like Lou in LITTLE WHITE LIES! I wanted Lou to go to the same halls of residence as I did too – Earnshaw Hall – but sadly it’s been knocked down now, and replaced with a rather swanky student village.

Park

Like Lou, I enjoyed visiting, picnicking and writing in  the many beautiful parks whilst in Sheffield (but unlike Lou I never jogged round any of them!) and the park in which Lou and Christian meet for the first time is a mixture of the exquisite Sheffield Botanical Gardens and Endcliffe Park, which is where the café they bump into is based.

The Flying Pig Pub

In LITTLE WHITE LIES Christian and Lou both work in a pub called The Flying Pig – but although no such pub exists in Sheffield, I based it on one of my local haunts, The Porter Brook (left). It was only after I finished writing the book that I realized I pass a pub called The Flying Pig every time I get the bus in Cambridge – so it’s a strange mix of the two!

Castleton

Lou and Christian travel to Castleton for a party – one of my favourite places to visit whilst I was a student. Nestled up in the hills, with its steep gorge and crumbling castle, it’s a beautiful quaint little village, far from the hustle of the city.

Travelodge

Not very glamorous, but at least I didn’t have to do any research about Travelodges because in my other life as an actress, I once spent a summer on an outdoor Shakespeare tour and every night we’d stay in a different Travelodge. They’re all pretty much identical inside, so every morning I’d wake up and have absolutely no idea whereabouts in the country I was! I got pretty fed up of Travelodges! But in a way the familiarity was kind of nice, too.

KATIE DALE

An actress as well as an author, Katie loves nothing more than creating characters - both 

on page and onstage. She kept her parents happy by getting a “proper degree” in English Literature at Sheffield University, before finally going to drama school, then whilst she was on a belated gap year travelling through South-East Asia she found out she’d been chosen as a winner of the SCBWI Undiscovered Voices competition with the her first novel, the emotional rollercoaster SOMEONE ELSE'S LIFE, which launched her writing career, and is now published all over the world. LITTLE WHITE LIES, her second novel, has just as many twists and turns, but is more of a thriller...
Website: katiedaleuk.blogspot.com
Twitter: @katiedaleuk

So what did you guys think of that?  Let me know in the comments below and be sure to show your support for Katie!

Happy reading,

Beverley x 

A Very Late Update!

Hi guys!  It's me: Beverley... I hope you haven't forgotten me but I wouldn't blame you if you have, considering my rather lengthy, unannounced absence from blogging!  It goes without saying that I have missed you all terribly and it made me so sad that I couldn't join in with everything.  I truly feel like something is missing when I'm not blogging and there's nothing I'd like to do more than fully return immediately.  I would love to title this post: I'm Back!  However, I don't want to go breaking promises...

The main reasons I've been MIA these past few months are all school/university related.  I spent most of summer doing work experience to hopefully boost my veterinary medicine application and upon returning to school last month, I've been busy with study and preparing my university application (the deadline is fast approaching!) 

It doesn't look as if I'll be any less busy in the coming months, with prep for interviews and studying for tests etc.  But I am hoping to blog occasionally.  Now this might be once or twice a week or once a month.  I hope to get a handle on things and catch up on the reviews that still need to be written so please bear with me!

Before I go, I just want to thank you all for your support over the past year and half: I couldn't do this without you!

Beverley xxx