Emma's Bookery

book blogger, life, personal

Farewell 2016

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Dear 2016,

Boy did you have me turning left right and centre this year. I feel like I’ve been spun around and pushed in a whole new direction.
This time last year I thought I was at my happiest, but wow didn’t that turn sour. Being shown the light of how manipulative some people can be, and how wrong I was about so many things. I’ve learnt though. I’ve learnt that some things are not okay, and I won’t allow myself to be used like that again.
You’ve taken me on my travels, to Prague and the South of France. Miles away from everything I know, and giving me some of the best memories that I will hold dear forever.

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book blogger, book review

Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas

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Consumed by guilt and rage, Celaena can’t bring herself to spill blood for the King of Adarlan. She must fight back…

The Immortal Queen will help her destroy the king – for a price. But as Celaena battles with her darkest memories and her heart breaks for a love that could never last, can she fulfil the bargain and head the almighty court of Terrasen? And who will stand with her?

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book blogger, book review

Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith’

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When a mysterious package is delivered to Robin Ellacott, she is horrified to discover that it contains a woman’s severed leg.

Her boss, private detective Cormoran Strike, is less surprised but no less alarmed. There are four people from his past who he thinks could be responsible – and Strike knows that any one of them is capable of sustained and unspeakable brutality.

With the police focusing on the one suspect Strike is increasingly sure is not the perpetrator, he and Robin take matters into their own hands, and delve into the dark and twisted worlds of the other three men. But as more horrendous acts occur, time is running out for the two of them…

A fiendishly clever mystery with unexpected twists around every corner, Career of Evil is also a gripping story of a man and a woman at a crossroads in their personal and professional lives. You will not be able to put this book down.

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lifestyle blogger, open university, personal

What Can You Do Instead Of University?

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A new academic year has started and I’m sure there are lots of you who have started applying to university, or perhaps you’re stumped on what to do next. Well hopefully this post can help you out in some way…

Okay so when I was 17/18 I was pretty adamant that I would go to university, and it was very much expected at my school that the majority of us would go. However, when A Level results day arrived 3 years ago it suddenly hit me that I was going to Swansea university. I couldn’t quite believe I got in to start with, but there was a part of me that just knew I wasn’t quite ready for this huge change in my life. Well if you’ve followed me for a while now, you’re aware that I’m now studying with the Open University. I took a year out to work, and the following year I signed up to the OU because I felt ready to earn myself a degree.

What I aim to provide in this post is an alternative to going to university. It isn’t for everyone, or sometimes you need to “live” a bit before committing yourself to three years or more of further studying.

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book blogger, book review, discussion

The Deviants by C.J. Skuse

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 I was sent this book from Cara at HarperCollins for an honest review.

When you set out for revenge, dig two graves

Growing up in the sleepy English seaside town of Brynston, the fearless five – Ella, Max, Corey, Fallon and Zane – were always inseparable. Living up to their nickname, they were the adventurous, rowdy kids who lived for ghost stories and exploring the nearby islands off the coast. But when Max’s beloved older sister Jessica is killed, the friendship seems to die with her.

Now years later, only Max and Ella are in touch; still best friends and a couple since they were thirteen. Their lives are so intertwined Max’s dad even sponsors Ella’s training for the Commonwealth Games. But Ella is hiding things. Like why she hates going to Max’s house for Sunday dinner, and flinches whenever his family are near. Or the real reason she’s afraid to take their relationship to the next level.

When underdog Corey is bullied, the fearless five are brought back together again, teaming up to wreak havoc and revenge on those who have wronged them. But when the secrets they are keeping can no longer be kept quiet, will their fearlessness be enough to save them from themselves? 

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book blogger, book review, discussion

Anxiety For Beginners: A Personal Investigation by Eleanor Morgan

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I was sent this wonderful book from ED Public Relations for an honest review.

Anxiety for Beginners offers a vivid insight into the often crippling impact of anxiety disorders, a condition that is frequently invisible, shrouded in shame and misunderstood. It serves as a guide for those who live with anxiety disorders and those who live with them by proxy. Combining her own experiences (rendered in emotive detail) with extensive research with experts (neuroscientists, psychiatrists, psychologists and fellow sufferers – including some familiar faces), Eleanor Morgan explores not just the roots of her own anxiety, but also investigates what might be contributing to so many of us suffering around the world. Anxiety for Beginners is, at its heart, a book about acceptance, as Morgan discovers the ways in which people can live a life that is not just manageable but enjoyable, learning to accept anxiety as part of who we are rather than spending a life fighting and being ashamed of it.

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book blogger, book review, discussion

A Court Of Mist And Fury #2 by Sarah J. Maas

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I won this copy through MaximumPopBooks! on Twitter for an honest review- thank you very much!

Feyre survived Amarantha’s clutches to return to the Spring Court—but at a steep cost. Though she now has the powers of the High Fae, her heart remains human, and it can’t forget the terrible deeds she performed to save Tamlin’s people.

Nor has Feyre forgotten her bargain with Rhysand, High Lord of the feared Night Court. As Feyre navigates its dark web of politics, passion, and dazzling power, a greater evil looms—and she might be key to stopping it. But only if she can harness her harrowing gifts, heal her fractured soul, and decide how she wishes to shape her future—and the future of a world cleaved in two.

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book blogger, book review, discussion

Dead To Me by Lesley Pearse

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When Ruby and Verity met as girls they came from different worlds. Verity was privately educated, living in a beautiful Hampstead home, while Ruby was being raised in extreme poverty. Nevertheless, they became firm friends. However, fortunes are not set in stone and soon the girls find their situations reversed. As Ruby goes up in the world, Verity encounters more and more tragedy, but still the girls remain a large part of each other’s lives. That is, until one day in 1938 when Ruby says the terrible words ‘You’re dead to me’ and it looks like their friendship might be over for good . . .

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book blogger, book review, discussion, personal

10 Struggles Of A Book Blogger

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Okay so you’re probably thinking, “what’s so hard about being a book blogger?” Well it’s not all rosy all the time…
In the past few months I have realised how much time and effort goes into blogging, and particularly blogging about books.

I’m incredibly lucky to receive ARC’s from publishers, and I’ll never not be grateful. However, sometimes I am SO overwhelmed by how many I receive and not knowing I was going to be receiving them. It’s a lovely surprise but I also feel a sense of guilt when I can’t read them immediately because I have others that are my priority too.

As much as I don’t want to, lately I have had to say to publishers that I simply don’t have time to read their book. At the end of the day it’s not their fault, as a blogger who wants to strive I have taken on more than I can chew (or in this case read) and I need to take a step back. So when I have received emails I have simply replied that I have a busy schedule at the moment and I wouldn’t be giving the book the attention it deserves. This is the right thing to do for me, and publishers respect my honesty as it helps them find someone else who does have the time.

So here are the 10 struggles for myself as a book blogger…

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