So 2019 is at an end and it’s been quite a year in one way or another. I certainly feel that I am in a much different place to where I was this time last year, I little older, a little wiser, a little more weary and still wondering if I have a place – but I paid for 3 years hosting up front so you’re stuck with me for one more year at least!

The biggest change for me came in February when I decided that Post Apocalyptic Playground no longer represented what I was doing and I took the really tough decision to rebrand. This was scary as it meant potentially alienating a large proportion of my following, but to be honest I was losing them anyway as my content didn’t reflect my name. You can read the full reasons why I changed here. I set about getting a new domain and a very talented friend drew up my fantastic logo. On 1st March I relaunched as Paperbacks and Pinot and it really did help me feel more settled in my blogging skin.

In April I took the plunge with approaching publishers for physical ARC’s, my Netgalley usage was steadily increasing as did my approval rating. Since April, I have built up a wonderful relationship with a particular publisher and I’m so happy I reached out!

In June I attended Chapter.Con in London, which was a huge deal for me; not only because I was asked to be a panellist but because it was two nights away and the longest I had ever spent away from the children. It was honestly a wonderful event, I loved speaking on the blogger panel and really felt that there was an interest in what I had to say. I made some great connections and got to meet in person some lovely authors who I had known online for years. There was a fantastic awards dinner at the end and I was absolutely blown away to have a book I formatted win that category, huge thanks have to go out to Bethany Adams for having me bring her words to the page.

July brought #yalc and it was the first time I had attended with a Yalc ticket, usually we (Biba and I) do LFCC and head up to Yalc during the day. It was a fantastic experience, I got to meet lots of great bookstagrammers that I had gotten to know on the platform, watched some great panels and met some lovely authors. We also got to catch up with Steph and James from Geeky Clean, they are honestly some of the loveliest people you could ever meet. I loved how much Biba felt involved with it all too, she felt a little left out as there were hardly any others her age there, but loads of people knew her from our unboxings and loved meeting her. The best thing though was finally meeting friend and author Rebecca Gibson, we had been friends for years online and it was amazing to finally meet after a few missed opportunities.

In August I totally rediscovered audio books! I tried one a while ago but the narrator was just awful and it completely put me off. However I have found myself commuting in the car for longer than ever this year so it was the perfect time to try and get back into them, Nevernight and Red Rising being some of the amazing series I have read this way.

September was a lovely moment in that Biba was chosen to rep for a new UK based Middle Grade book box called We Read Box, it was amazing for her to have a part of my blogging life and she’s just been announced as a Brand Ambassador for them!

In October I finally threw the towel in with book boxes. For me, I think I had just reached a point where nothing felt new or exciting. I tried a book only option for a couple of months but that just didn’t feel value for money either, so now after 2 years I don’t have anything bookish – it feels weird! At least I can live vicariously through Biba 🙂

And that brings us to December! I turned 40 this month and we went away for a lovely Harry Potter themed weekend to Edinburgh with escape rooms and cocktail making it was amazing fun, I would love to go back there soon as it’s a truly beautiful city. Blog wise I’m currently having a crisis of confidence with my reviews, I just don’t think they hold up and as such I’m not feeling as motivated. I’m sure it will pass as these peaks and troughs do happen from time to time.

Ultimately though, I want to say thank you to everyone who has supported me this year, either by sharing my reviews, commenting on my posts or just reaching to chat or buddy read. It means the world to me when these things happen and I’m looking forward to connecting with more authors, bloggers and readers in 2020. Happy new year everyone!

The final #sixforsunday for 2019 could just as easily be the first of 2020! Whilst considering the prompt of “New Year, New Books” I realised that this wasn’t as straightforward as I thought, you see I am resolving to not buy more books in the new year. I have done pretty well since I imposed this on myself in the middle of December and since then have only bought one 99p kindle book. Other than existing pre-orders I won’t be buying any more book for the immediate future or until I have made a significant dent in my current tbr. I will still be accepting Arcs for review though so please reach out if you want to.  My list this week therefore comprises of books that I either got for my birthday this month, for Christmas or pre-orders which are out in January!

Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

This is in fact for the whole trilogy! When Jay Kristoff was in the UK promoting Darkdawn earlier this year I spotted on his IG Stories that he was signing books at Forbidden Planet and these books were on his trolley to sign! I have wanted them for an age and really would have loved to have them in Hardback but a signed paperback is amazing! I have kept them squirelled away in the attic because I didn’t know how I was going to justify bringing 3 new books into the house, so they stayed there for Mr Paperbacks to gift me for Christmas! I can’t wait to start 🙂

A Sleuth and a Charlatan by Clare Sager

Yup, this is the 99p ebook that broke my self imposed ban! I adored book 1 and I couldn’t pass up book 2 at this price! I loved this historical fantasy feel to this series and honestly I can’t wait to read more about Quin and how the world of Arinapole changes after the closing stages of book 1!

This Vicious Cure by Emily Suvada

A pre-order for January and this is the final book in this trilogy. I had been waiting patiently for Watersones to announce their special edition DNA edge and I grabbed it straight away when I saw it. This is a great YA trilogy with a strong STEM element and a thriller edge, I can’t wait to see how it ends. The Author is also doing a great pre-order campaign on her website where you can get signed bookplates and bookmarks for each book in the trilogy!

I Am C-3PO by Anthony Daniels

This was a birthday gift from my brother and honestly I’m not usually a fan of non fiction or indeed biographies, however, I am a huge fan of Star Wars. It’s not a huge book and there are plenty of great “back in the day” photo sections so I’m willing to put my usual tastes to the side and try and broaden my reading horizons a little!

A Throne of Swans by Katherine and Elizabeth Corr

Firstly, just look at that cover, I could not pass up the opportunity to be considered to review this title and I was so excited that I got selected! Although I have struggled with retellings lately this one is based on Swan Lake which is a amazing and story I know very little about so I’m hoping that this will feel like a story all of it’s own.

Victory Day by Rachel Churcher

Another Arc that I was kindly gifted and it’s the final instalment of the Battle Ground series. This has been an amazing, rapid release series of books with a post brexit dystopian vibe which feels more real than ever now…. I loved the set up between the protagonist and antagonist and how things may not all be as they seem, I can’t wait for the finale!

It’s Christmas Eve!!!  I’m just about to start our Festive Tradition of making mince pies and sausage roll (veggie ones for me!) with Biba. Christmas Eve is one of my favourite days of the year, so what better time to talk about my top 10 favourite books (it might actually be 11 as I just couldn’t narrow it down…) that I’ve read this year! You can find my reviews to each book by following the review link at the end of each book summary.

Song of Sorrow by Melinda Salisbury

Honestly, this book was nothing short of perfection. State of Sorrow featured in my top 10 last year and Song of Sorrow was top of my anticipated reads this year and it didn’t disappoint one bit. I adored every page and every twist the story took even when it felt that there was no way out. Also, I love Luvian more than just a little ❤ Review.

Viper by Bex Hogan

Viper took me completely by surprise! I was granted a copy from Netgalley and I couldn’t put it down, the writing was exceptional and the story just felt so alive. I was so pleased to then get a paperback copy in a Fairyloot box and even better, I then got to meet Bex Hogan at #Yalc. She is the sweetest individual and we discovered a mutual love for the game Hero Quest 🙂 Review

Aurora Rising by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman

Whilst I failed during #thegreatbreaking of Goldsboro’s website to get their edition, I did manage to snag a copy of this book from my Illumicrate Box. It was wonderful, full of snark, and squad goals to rival my beloved Rampion Crew! I adored how completely individual every member of Squad 312 was and Zila totally stood out. I have seen the Kal based cover for Aurora Burning and I honestly can’t wait! Review.

Sanctuary by V.V James

I have to admit that Sanctuary was not on my radar at all, until James from Geeky Clean couldn’t stop singing it’s praises at Yalc. Unusual for me in that it is a contemporary setting, the inclusion of modern day Witchcraft in a alternative reality way was brilliant. A brilliant narrative on mob mentality, the closing stages had me full of fear, just fantastic. Review.

The Quiet at the End of the World by Lauren James

Lauren James is fast becoming one of my favourite authors, The Loneliest Girl in the Universe hit my top ten last year and the moment this wonderful stand alone was released I couldn’t wait to grab it. I think there is just something about her writing style that fits so well, unusually narrative twists by way of social media posts brought the story to life in an interesting way. It’s so inclusive and I felt it was a real education too. Review.

Awakening by Bethany Adams

It’s no secret that The Return of the Elves series is one of my favourites but I went into Awakening with a fair bit of trepidation. It focuses on Blood Elf, Vek and I’ve not been his biggest fan in earlier books. I needn’t have worried though as Bethany Adams is such an amazing story teller that she totally turned him around in my estimations. This book also completely nailed complex battle scenes so well that I felt completely consumed by the pages. I can’t wait for Ascent next year! Review.

Darkdawn – Jay Kristoff

For years Nevernight had been one of those books that I had seen everywhere but never quite got round to, so when Harper Voyager were offering a free download of the audio book if you signed up to their newsletter at Yalc, I felt that it was the perfect time! I was so glad that I came to it late because I could just go from book to book and was ready for Darkdawn’s release. Honestly it shattered me. So many revelations, heartbreak and truly epic fantasy, it was the perfect ending to the series, although I just can’t forgive one point, message me if you want to discuss!! I’ve not yet written a review.

The Prince of Dragons by Tameri Etherton

Tameri Etherton is a totally new author to me, I had the joy of meeting her at Chapter.con this year! When she offered copies of the first two books in her Song of Swords series to me I gratefully accepted, although there was no obligation to review from her I just fell so in love with the characters and the story I had to give book one, The Price of Dragons, five stars. It’s truly epic fantasy with a wonderful magic system and characters who actually stand by their oaths and are committed to their causes. I’m so glad I have book two as well! Review.

By the Feet of Men by Grant Price

Grant Price is to be commended firstly for his approach to bloggers, he found me not long after I stopped being Post Apocalyptic Playground and graciously understood that I had moved away from dystopia. However, I had to admit that I loved the premise to his story and actually, it turned out to be just book I needed to reignite my love of post apocalyptic worlds and dystopian environments. A real road movie of a book, it was gritty and stark but also hopeful for human nature and friendship, it also gave a scarily plausible future. Review.

Fighting Back by Rachel Churcher

I had the pleasure of meeting Rachel Churcher at Yalc this year, it’s funny how random encounters lead to something fantastic. I’ve loved reviewing her Battleground series and her guest posts on the blog have been amazing and insightful for the books. It been a steadily high rating series for me but Fighting Back lifted the series to a new level and it was the stand out with the way the story started to flip and the vibrant imagery. You can find my review here but it will contain spoilers for the earlier books.

Dark Shores by Danielle L Jensen

A book that I instantly connected with, I adored the writing style and the alternating POV’s. A gorgeous story with wonderful magics and terrifying lessons to be learned. I loved the Roman feel that made the story instantly accessible. I know that the next book is a parallel with other characters rather than a continuation, but i’m excited for it nonetheless! Review

For this weeks #sixforsunday I talking about all the fanciful things I would like for Christmas, if for instance I had some money and didn’t have to go to work! I’ve tried to keep it as bookish as possible but ultimately I love films and gaming too. Let me know in the comments what you would love this year!

Matching Bookshelves

I know it sounds silly but I’ve got random bits of bookshelves around the house, I’ve got a beautiful wooden one that was donated by a friend, a cheap one I got from Argos and a small one I’ve had since I was little. I envy all the lovely bookstagram pics of beautiful library areas in people homes, who am I kidding I just want a house big enough to hold a library!

Custom Funko’s

Whilst I have always been a lover of collecting Funko’s I finally this year treated myself to a custom Kaz Brekker from a new UK based small business called Fandom Fealty. I also got a Jesper and I am desperate for an Inej. I just adore all the funko’s they do and I would love to have a whole Six of Crows set for my shelf.

Studio Ghibli Films

A few months ago we said goodbye to our Sky subscription as it just wasn’t value for money at all. The biggest downside is that we lost our recordings of our favourite Studio Ghibli films. The kids keep asking to watch My Neighbour Totoro and for the first Christmas in years, Film 4 aren’t showing them. So I would love to have our favourites on Blu Ray as they totally overshadow Disney in this house.

A TBR Cart

I’ve been umming and ahhing about one of these on and off all year, I think they’re amazingly practical, look awesome and I love that I can stick all my Sugar & Sloth stickers on them too. I need to massively reign in my book spends in the new year and actually take the time to read all the amazing books I have already.

Gaming Time

I feel like there are so many amazing games out there at the moment and not a great deal of time to play them. I need more balance between reading and gaming. I have been playing Zelda BOTW for a year and honestly I have no motivation to finish it as I just want to play something more platform based, but I have no money at the moment! I’ve just seen that they’ve re-released Katamari Damacy for the switch and also Okami, I’m also ridiculously excited for the new Animal Crossing!

To watch the new Star Wars

Mr Paperbacks is going to watch this tomorrow, but without me as we don’t have a babysitter that would allow us to both go, and with a 12a rating it’s not appropriate to take the little paperbacks with us either. We kind of used up a years worth of babysitting when we went to Edinburgh for my birthday earlier this month so I feel completely cheeky asking again, so subsequently, I haven’t…

This month I’m not going to set myself an exact Tbr but I know I have been neglecting my beloved Indies of late. I found a great little challenge grid on Twitter and I have plenty of Indie reads both on my shelf and on my kindle so I’m going to list a lot of them here and hope that I reach as many of them as possible!

A Thief and a Gentlewoman – Clare Sager

An audacious thief. A charming nobleman. An irresistible con.

Quin poses as an aristocrat to rob from the rich and give to the poor. Her goal: to save the city’s slums. Her method: swindle and move on, because rich men are for conning, not for falling in love with, however tempting this one may be.

Artistic, observant, and charismatic, Atesh is second in line for the throne. Marrying for love is a foolish dream. Or is it? When he meets Quin, he begins to wonder. Little does he know, he’s her next mark. And someone else’s. Someone who wants more than just his fortune.

The clock ticks. The gallows looms. And Quin must save Atesh from its shadow or lose him forever.

The Stones of Resurrection – Tameri Etherton

Never let gods determine your fate…

For thousands of seasons Aelinae has been a peaceful world, since the Great War that saw the banishment of the god Kaldaar, and the imprisonment of his brother. But now Aelinae’s peace is threatened as an ancient prophecy predicting the return of the Eirielle, the one who is and who is not, blazes to life.

Rhoane has battled his demons and accepted his role in Aelinae’s future. Now, it’s up to him to guide Taryn, a woman raised on Earth without any knowledge of her family, her power, or of his place in her life. He must find a way to gain her trust, and her love, or Aelinae will be lost.

Everything Taryn knew was a lie. Yet something about the strange new world of Aelinae feels true. Even Rhoane, a man she remembers without knowing why. She’ll need to accept his help if she’s to learn the ways of this dangerous and magical world.

Evil lurks in the hearts of the Brotherhood and it’s been waiting a long time for Taryn’s return.

Emergence – McCallum J Morgan

I await thee, Iara—the Book of Elem
A planet said to be heaven itself is about to appear in the firmament. The armies of the Empire and rebel factions prepare to stake their claims but an ancient evil has emerged and its eyes have been fixed upon Iara for millennia.
A runaway and a cult apprentice will both find themselves drawn into the core of this conflict. Their destinies are tangled with those of the Empire, the rebellion, the Church of Elem, a menagerie of monsters, and the universe itself.
Heresy, fellowship, valor, and darkness will all emerge—and be tested to the breaking point.

Flesh and Stone – P.M. Hernandez

Seventeen-year-old Ellie Whitewood dreams of being a doctor and giving back to the grandfather who raised her after the death of her parents. When she receives an inheritance from a reclusive aunt, she becomes the mistress of a sprawling manor.

Selling the property to pay for college seems like the answer to her prayers, but each day she grows more and more attached to the stone gargoyles adorning the manor rooftop.

After finding the Whitewood journals, she learns she is the latest in a line of Caretakers who, with her Sentinels, defends the world from evil. While she is drawn to her Sentinel, Gabriel, and her new life, her future isn’t written in stone.

Haunted by dark dreams and facing deadly enemies, is she willing to sacrifice her well-laid plans and accept her new calling…even if it comes with wings and sharp teeth?

Webley and the World Machine – Zachary Chopchinski

If Adal and Arija can’t survive, we’re all screwed.
Let the war begin.
Deep in the belly of a cave lies a door to a mechanical world that will change two lives forever.

Webley and the steam-powered creations of the World Machine keep the Earth turning. But, when Adal and Arija unknowingly set the gears in motion on a fierce civil war, they could destroy billions of lies. Including their own.

Adal and Arija have already lost so much, they can’t lose each other too. But, when they’re forced to fight a creature that couldn’t possibly exist, they must adapt or they’ll lose the only people they have left.

The Forest of Adventures – Katie M John

For Mina Singer, falling in love with a knight on a white horse was never part of the plan.

Finding herself catapulted into fairyland she discovers that the Real World is not quite what she thought and fairyland is not quite what she imagined.

The question is… who will come out alive?

Do you think you will take part in the Indiecember challenge? If you don’t know where to start with Indie authors then please take a look at my post here and hopefully you’ll find a great story to start with. If you love Indie authors as much as me (or even if you don’t), let me know if you want to read along any of these with me!