Roaming through Rome, Day 6 - 28/12/18 - Vatican City and Eataly

Today, we went to see the Vatican. It is one of those things in Rome that you can't miss, but I found it too crowded. It was hard to find space to take a picture of some things. After that, I went to Eataly, another place in Rome I had read about online and wanted to check out!

Roaming Through Rome, Day 5 - 27/12/18 - Jewish Museum of Rome and the Cat Sanctuary of Rome

Today, we went around Rome's Jewish Museum. This was something I wanted to see, as I feel that it is vital to learn about Jewish historical events to stop them from being repeated. The Jewish Quarter is also one of the most architecturally interesting of Rome. I also stumbled on a cat sanctuary of Rome, and found myself looking for books.

Roaming Through Rome, Day 3&4 - 25/12/18&26/12/18 - Spanish Steps and the Trevi Fountain

As today was Christmas Day and Dad and I weren't sure what places would be open, we decided to walk to some of the sights we could reach on foot. This meant we made it to the Spanish Steps, the Trevi Fountain, saw the outside of the Pantheon, and ate much gelato.

Roaming through Rome, Day 2 - 24/12/18 - Bus Tour Through Rome

Today was officially Christmas Eve. It felt different, but still had a definite air of Christmas about it. Today, we paid for a bus tour of Rome. These have never been my favourite way to see a city, but they can be good for getting to grips with a city for the first time! I also had my first Italian pizza, and a look at the Spanish Steps at night!

Roaming through Rome, Day 1 - 23/12/18 - Flights, Hotel and the Local Area

Over Christmas, I ended up going to Rome! With my job, I have to take some of my holiday time over Christmas. I wound up thinking to myself, why not go on holiday during that period? But I didn't want to leave Dad on his own over Christmas. So then I thought, why don't I invite him along as his Christmas present? Christmas last year wasn't the best time of year for us, so the best thing to do is to do something completely different.

Christmas Book Haul!

I always like to post my Christmas book haul! I pick up more books this month than any other. Below are the reasons why I've chose these books!

The first three I bought for myself from Waterstones!

1. Circe - I've heard a lot of good things about this book, and it's interesting and beautiful cover compelled me to give it a try.
2. Vox - Vox is a Handmaid's Tale-esque misogynist dystopia. In this one, all woman have been given a limit of exactly 100 words per day to use to speak.

3. Listening to the Animals - I love animals, and I like Professor Noel Fitzpatrick's series, The Supervet. His science and ethics are very interesting!

The next seven were my Christmas presents from Dad (which is mostly I let him know which books I want)

4. Anne of Green Gables - I've never read this one, but I recently started watching Anne with an E, and I had to pick up the book! This is the Seven Seas edition, as are the next two, which has all the original text, but uses manga-style illustrations throughout. 

5. The Secret Garden - This was one of my Mum's favourites, and I had a child's version with pared-down text when I was younger. I also remember watching the movie!
6. A Little Princess - Another one I've never read, and unlike The Secret Garden, I can't even remember having a child's edition or watching the movie. I remember being interested in an advert for the movie that played before another VHS I had, though.
7, 8 &9. The Firebird Trilogy - A Thousand Pieces of You, Ten Thousand Skies Above You and A Million Worlds with You - I like this sort of YA sci-fi/romance mix, so these sounded good, and they all have beautiful covers! Sidenote - I wish YA publishers would display part of a beautiful cover on the spine more often. These spines look so plain compared to the covers. As always, I love buying a series all at once.
10. The Way You Make Me Feel - I really liked Maureen Goo's book I Believe in a Thing Called Love so I had to pick this one up as well.
11. Oogy: The Dog Only A Family Could Love - I didn't know about this one, but Dad bought it for me as a surprise because he knows I like dogs.

There comes a time while on holiday anywhere where I run out of reading material, and have to quickly search for the nearest English Language bookshop to pick up some more. The next two were bought for this very reason, while in Rome.
12. Wildcard - I enjoyed Warcross and I'd been wanting to pick up Wildcard for a while.
13. The Underground Railroad - It was a book that I'd heard about, and I knew it was a serious historical fiction book.

The next three I bought with Waterstones vouchers I received for Christmas!
14. Becoming - It's by Michelle Obama, end of reasoning.
15. The Night Circus - I'd heard a bit about this in comparison to Caravel when the latter book hit shelves. I thought it was fantasy but I'm not sure now as it was on the general fiction shelf in Waterstones.
16. The Long Song - This book was adapted into a BBC TV series that I've been watching on iPlayer, and I have to read the book as well. BBC literary adapted series are one of the best things about Christmas.

The last three I bought with an Amazon voucher, again given as a Christmas gift.
17. Rich People Problems - When I start a series, I like to finish it, too. But... I haven't even read China Rich Girlfriend yet!
18. Summer Bird Blue - I loved Akemi Dawn Bowman's Starfish and I had to pick this one up, too. Another one in the pretty cover column, and the description sounds a little like The Sky is Everywhere.
19. The Towering Sky - Another one to finish off a previous series, and this series's Gossip Girl/sci-fi vibe is great, while taking place mostly in one location, The Tower.

The Smashing & Dashing 2018 Book Tag by Paper Fury

Why do I always do things like this to myself. I have to look back over all the books I've read this year and decide on my answers to these questions? Like that's 142 books. I mean obviously I don't have to, I could just leave it, but I'm not going to. Also it makes me realise how much I've actually forgotten about books I read at the beginning of the year.

1. Most Relatable Character

I reread Geekerella this year and I just can't get over how well-done the geek aspect of this book was? Like I can see Starfield as a series I am into. Many of the geek parts I recognise as conversations I have with my friends. I loved how Elle used Starfield sometimes as a way to escape from her life, which is similar to why I have many of my geeky interests.

2. Most Pure Animal Companion
Why does it feel like I didn't read enough with animals in it. In 2019, let's give all YA protagonists a pet. I reread The Hate U Give this year and Brickz is the cutest pitbull softy ever, so I'm counting him.

3. Fiercest Fighter

I read Reflection, which is a Disney movie based Mulan retelling, and she keeps all her awesome traits, but she develops them even further battling her way through the literal underworld!

4. Am Surprised That I Loved You??

Oh my word The DUFF. I thought the book would be on the shallower side of YA, and I watched the movie which did nothing to disprove this. But the book was awesome and it was such good friendships, and a message on how everyone can feel like the DUFF at times and it addressed girl-hate and it looked at the bad things about sex without making the book sex-negative and I don't know how I'm going to convince more people to read this book.

5. Best Sassmaster
Willowdean from Puddin' (and in her novel Dumplin' which I didn't reread this year but I did watch the movie so I'm including it) sassy Willowdean is best Willowdean.

6. Best Antihero
I'm giving this to Adina from You'll Miss Me When I'm Gone (is she an antiheroic archtype?) She's not always nice, or even well-intentioned, but seeing things from her POV really does help to understand her thinking.

7. The Best Friends Of All
I'm going for Simon's crew from Simon vs. and Leah on the Offbeat, who will stick together through thick and thin.

8. Best Villain To HATE
The Faceless Man/Martin Chorley from Rivers of London. If you want a villain who you can read about people having epic WIZARD duels with and not feel bad for the villain at all, this is the series for that.

9. Award For Best vs Worst YA Parents
Worst: the Mom from Starfish. She was abusive towards her daughter, and it was in the very way that gets underneath the skin over time.
Best: Desi's Dad from I Believe in a Thing Called Love. They have a great relationship, and bond even more over K-dramas. Desi tries not to worry her Dad, and her Dad will listen to her.

10. Ship Of All Ships In 2018

I don't ship like I did in my teens, but my favourite bookish couple from this year would be LeahXAbby!

11. Most Precious Must Be Protected
Tovah my word Tovah needs to be protected from her sister's bad decisions.

12. Honestly Surprised You’re Still Alive
Amani and literally everyone from the Rebel of the Sands series. I always wonder how YA groups of friends can wade into the middle of a huge war with little or no training and with the most dangerous people hell-bent on killing them and come out mostly alive.

13. Award For Making The Worst Decisions

Well, isn't a hallmark of YA characters that they make bad decisions? But Reagan from Open Road Summer is basically a whole bundle of bad decisions.

14. Most In Need Of A Nap

ME.

15. Want To Read More About You

Hmm hmm can I have a Piglettes spin-off that makes Astrid the main character? She seemed more level-headed that Mireille and I'd love to hear more about her video games.