Hello everyone and welcome to a new book tag I couldn’t resist participating in. It was originally done by Lucy The Reader for Penguin Platform HERE but I originally came across it at one of my favourite book tubers channels, Simon from Savidge Reads HERE.

It might be a little late, we’re over halfway through January but the questions looked a lot of fun so here we go!:

1.) What was your first read of 2018?

I was on the blog tour for The Missing Girl by Jenny Quintana and I really enjoyed it, giving it four stars. I finished this book on the 5th January according to Goodreads, making it my first finished read of 2018!

2.) Which books you read in 2017 do you want to share with everyone this year?

Well, where to start? I’m going to choose three (but I could choose many more!)

The Unseen World by Liz Moore was one of my top reads for 2017 (review coming very soon) that I absolutely adored and have already started pushing into the hands of other people.

I also adored Milk And Honey by Rupi Kaur, my first poetry collection for a long while. I know this type of poetry has had a bit of stick but I loved it and some parts of it really spoke to me personally.

Finally, I’d like to recommend The Watchmaker Of Filigree Street by Natasha Pulley which absolutely blew me away. I’m reading her second novel, The Bedlam Stacks very soon and am very excited, anticipating great things!

3.) What is your reading goal for the year?

I’ve written an entire post about my Bookish Resolutions/Goals for the year but generally, I’d just like to really enjoy my reading this year and try not to put much pressure on myself. I have set my Goodreads goal for 200 books (perhaps stupidly) but I might revise this later on in the year when I see how I’m doing. I’m planning to read a lot of books from my current collection by participating in the Mount TBR Challenge, I’m on a book buying ban (other half and I are saving to buy a house and I have FAR too many books anyway). This of course doesn’t count any pre-orders I’ve already made, any vouchers I get for my birthday/Christmas or the books that I have to buy for my Kid Lit or Banned Books challenge with my sister, Chrissi Reads!

4.) Which new author, book or genre would you like to try this year?

There are two authors I’m particularly keen to try:

Can’t believe I haven’t read The Vegetarian by Han Kang yet. This year. THIS YEAR!

I’ve also heard so many good things about The Housekeeper And The Professor by Yoko Ogawa and as both this book and Han Kang’s are fairly short, there isn’t any reason why I can’t get to them both this year, right?

5.) Which reading habits would you like to change?

I’d like to stop feeling so guilty when I have to reject an author’s request for me to read their book. I’ve got so many books on my TBR and ones that I’m excited to read and when I first started blogging I got myself into a situation where I didn’t enjoy reading so much as I was only reading author requests and not books that I really wanted to read for myself!

6.) What’s your most anticipated release for this year?

I have a couple I’m really looking forward to:

(synopsis from Goodreads)

One September evening in 1785, the merchant Jonah Hancock hears urgent knocking on his front door. One of his captains is waiting eagerly on the step. He has sold Jonah’s ship for what appears to be a mermaid.

As gossip spreads through the docks, coffee shops, parlours and brothels, everyone wants to see Mr Hancock’s marvel. Its arrival spins him out of his ordinary existence and through the doors of high society. At an opulent party, he makes the acquaintance of Angelica Neal, the most desirable woman he has ever laid eyes on… and a courtesan of great accomplishment. This meeting will steer both their lives onto a dangerous new course, on which they will learn that priceless things come at the greatest cost.

Where will their ambitions lead? And will they be able to escape the destructive power mermaids are said to possess?

In this spell-binding story of curiosity and obsession, Imogen Hermes Gowar has created an unforgettable jewel of a novel, filled to the brim with intelligence, heart and wit.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

An eleven-year-old boy’s violated corpse is found in a town park. Eyewitnesses and fingerprints point unmistakably to one of Flint City’s most popular citizens. He is Terry Maitland, Little League coach, English teacher, husband, and father of two girls. Detective Ralph Anderson, whose son Maitland once coached, orders a quick and very public arrest. Maitland has an alibi, but Anderson and the district attorney soon add DNA evidence to go with the fingerprints and witnesses. Their case seems ironclad.

As the investigation expands and horrifying answers begin to emerge, King’s propulsive story kicks into high gear, generating strong tension and almost unbearable suspense. Terry Maitland seems like a nice guy, but is he wearing another face? When the answer comes, it will shock you as only Stephen King can.

And that’s it for the New Years, New Books tag! I’d like to tag anyone who would like to do this and hasn’t done so far or if you have, leave me your post linked in the comments, I’d love to take a look.