Random Jottings of Seeka

|| So I am slowly but surely catching up on all my tags! I was tagged by @bookishbaroo yonks ago for #coverbuy and heck, this tag is so often the story of my life. I see pretty, I buy pretty! 😍📚 Please join the tag if I haven't tagged you! . Three particular pretties of note, because they were right in front of my face looking divine, are:. •"A Darker Shade of Magic" by V.E. Schwab. I saw this book when it first came out a couple of years ago and I thought, "Who are you, you handsome thing? I must buy you now!" I did, and it kicked off my author love journey. Successful cover buy complete. •"I, Coriander" by Sally Gardner. Firstly, I should note that I was WELL AWARE of who Sally was as I had just read "Maggot Moon" and it ripped my heart out and made me realise this woman is an utter genius. So when I went to an author event with her I was very much expecting to cry on her shoulder about how astounding "Maggot Moon" is, and then calmly look at her other books. I kinda did just that, and straight away was also drawn to this wee little book with it's gorgeous cover, and her book "Tinder" - and both didn't disappoint. This book is a stunning piece of work from start to finish, and "Tinder" creeped the hell out of me in the best possible way!. •Lastly, "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman. I haven't read this bad boy yet, but the cover is SO NICE, and the story was right up my alley. A very good friend of mine has been a massive fan of Neal's Unwind series for ages and always tells me to read them, which I will, gosh darn I will! But I'm probably going to read this guy first. . . . 🍄🕷🍃

|| I'm back guys! Back to (hopefully) regular bookstagramming goodness. So what did I do literally the second I came back from holidays? Bought more books. Come to think of it, what did I do ON HOLIDAYS? Bought books... 📚🤗. . I'm feeling in the mood for some good villainous bookscapades, so I am very keen to start this book ASAP! As soon as I've finished reading "The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue" by @themackenzilee - which is turning into the greatest thing ever 💙. If anyone hasn't read it yet, seriously, SERIOUSLY, get on board. Regret you shall not! . . . 🕸🍄❄️

|| I've been officially Sherlocked since I was about 12 years old and read my first Holmes story, "A Study in Scarlet". It started my love affair with all the Sherlock Holmes stories, and with Victorian crime fiction in general. 📚 . I enjoyed hanging out with this giant pile of hats at 221b Baker St! Does everyone have a favourite Holmes story? I have too many favourites, but I love "The Red-Headed League"! 📖 . . . 🍄🍃💦

|| I recently read this book and it is glorious! I can't wait to read what happens next. If you like books about friendship, loyalty, family, love, magic, feuding kingdoms and adventure then this book has ALL those things! 📚. . I chose to take a pic of this book and candle for today's book challenges because, firstly, in a literal sense there are a lot of scenes in this book that take place on a beach, or beach like area, and they are pretty important scenes and important places for the characters in the book, therefore I found it fitting. Also, as a person who doesn't usually like the beach (at least, not super crazy busy beaches), I found myself wanting to go to the beach when reading this book. Lush! 🌊☀️ As for the candle, it's the peppermint and pine candle from @witchwoodremedies and it is beautiful. Firstly their presentation is on point, I love the little crystals and little bits on top, and they smell divine. This candle, though the ingredients might not necessarily represent beaches and water, for some reason when smelling this candle it takes me to old memories of going to quiet beaches along the east coast of Australia, beaches that are surrounded by bush with hardly a soul in sight, where the only sounds are the crashing waves, sand shifting, and leaves rustling. For me, this candle brought those memories vividly back to life. 💙 . Tags: #bookishcloseup Thanks for tagging me @bookishbaroo 😎. Please join in the tag if I haven't tagged you! . Challenges:. #allthebooksjuly {Beach Reads}. #rfabjuly17 {Book & Candle}. #fanaticalbirdjuly {Beautiful Book Cover}. . . . 🍄❄️🍃

Happy book birthday Harry! ❤💚💙💛 . I remember when I first read Harry Potter in school, and I thought it was the most magical thing I had ever encountered. To this day the magic of HP weaves it's spell on me, and I will always remember the emotion that I felt deep in my gut that this was something to treasure forever. I've lost count of how many times I've reread these bad boys, and I've lost count of how many different editions I have of them! (I might have exaggerated the latter, but I do have a few different editions!) 📚🦁🐍🦅🐾. . Also, this candle by @novelscentsandco smells like clean linen and it is so addictive and comforting, looooooooove 😍. . Challenges: #rfabjune17 {Harry Potter 20th} #bibliophileworldjunechallenge {Fave Title} #juneglee17 {Fave Side Character - literally every side character, good and evil, I love - mainly Snape! 😍} . . . #harrypotter #harrypotter20thanniversary #bookstagram #instabook #bookblog #bookblogger #bookish #bibliophile #bookphotography #bookworm #bookgeek #booknerd #booklove #booklover #readersofinstagram #booksofinstagram #yabooks #yareads #yalit #igreads #bookandcandle #funkopop #funkopopvinyl

|| On a chilly Saturday night, I really appreciate this aesthetic 🖤💜💖. . Finally finished Royal Bastards and I thoroughly enjoyed it! It ended on such a cliffhanger, I need the second book right now! Speaking of second books that I need immediately, did everyone see the pic Tricia Levenseller posted of the Daughter of the Siren Queen arcs!?!? 😭can't wait! 📚 . What's everyone reading this weekend? I'm currently reading the novella by Roshani Chokshi, "Death and Night", a prequel short story to "The Star-Touched Queen". So far, it's absolutely stunning! So lush and romantic, swoon. 😍 . . . #bookstagram #instabook #bookblog #bookblogger #bookish #bibliophile #bookphotography #booklove #booklover #booknerd #bookworm #bookgeek #readersofinstagram #booksofinstagram #igreads #yalit #yareads #yabooks #purplebooks #pinkbooks #shelfie

|| So the YA theme of this year seems to be the ocean, mermaids, pirates and so on. And I'm loving this! These are literally all things I love and I'm sitting very comfortably in YA ocean goodness. 💦🐬🐠🌊 . (Yes, there are no mermaids in The Princess Bride, it is just a beyond brilliant book.) . "Song of the Current" is my most anticipated book for this month! It sounds amazing, and reviews so far have been top notch. I must inhale this now! 📖 . Just going to again point out how nice the mermaid lagoon candle from @flickerinkuk is, from the most recent @illumicrate box - it smells like ocean tropical dreams! 🌴 . Tag: #bookandcandle Thank you @clairereadsbooks for tagging me! . Challenges: #allthebooksjune {Unfinished Series} #juneglee17 {One Word Title - Blacksouls} #rfabjune17 {Blue Cover} . . . #bookstagram #instabook #bookblog #bookblogger #bibliophile #bookphotography #igreads #readersofinstagram #bookish #bookworm #booknerd #bookgeek #yalit #yabooks #yareads

|| Oh what a joyous delivery day! I cannot express enough just how deliciously evil and delicious smelling these candles are! They are amazing, thank you @flickerinkuk ! These will be well loved. 💜🔥🍎🐙 . Also, if anyone hasn't had a look at these fairytale editions illustrated by Camille Rose Garcia, then seriously, you absolutely need to. As a self professed lover of fairytales with a darker twist (even though let's face it, some of the original fairytales are just plain creepy to start with!) these are top of the list, beautiful. 💜💚📚😍 . Challenges: #fanaticalbirdjune {Alter Ego - literally every Disney villain!? And possibly probably every Disney princess too...🤗} #bibliophileworldjunechallenge {Bright Coloured Books} . . . #disney #disneyvillains #bookcandle #snowwhite #bookblog #bookblogger

|| Happy pride month everyone! ❤💛💚💙💜 . This is my first proper attempt at a bookish rainbow, and I'm quite pleased! Not all the books in the pic are LGBTQ+ ones (I needed the right colours for the rainbow!!!) but a few are. I want to point out, cause my picture doesn't show the title, gah, the Jessica Spotswood edited collection of short stories, A Tyranny of Petticoats - an awesome collection of stories with belles and badass girls! 📚 . Challenges: #grimdragon {Book you own that you WILL read, but just not yet! - literally about half these books... story of my life! 🤗} . . . 🍄✨💫🌈

|| 'Tis a Saturday morning, the weather is nice and chilly, and all I want to do is get cosy with a cuppa and a book! ❄️📖☕️ . Some upcoming books that I'm weeing my pants with excitement over: 🍄One Dark Throne by Kendare Blake. 🍄Song of the Current by Sarah Tolcser. 🍄Now I Rise by Kiersten White. 🍄Royal Bastards by Andrew Schvarts. . What upcoming books is everyone excited about?? 📚 . #bibliophileworldjunechallenge {LGBTQ+ - Tara Sim's Timekeeper and as always, Becky! ❤💜💚} #juneglee17 {Ditch That Jacket} . . . #bookstagram #instabook #bookblog #bookblogger #bibliophile #bookphotography #bookworm #booknerd #bookgeek #bookish #yalit #yareads #yabooks #igreads #nomadtarot #tarot #lgbtbooks #YAmatters

|| First day of the month! Now, don't freak out, but I haven't read the Six of Crows series... 😊. I've had them waiting for me, calling me, luring me to read them, and I have denied them for some silly reason until NOW! Officially on my June TBR pile (along with literally a million other books...but it will be fiiiiiine). 📚 I know I will love this series, and I know it will take over my life. So excuse me but I'm going into hibernation with my pile of books 🙌📖💚. . Totally wasn't as on top of the book challenges last month as I would've liked, but I still enjoyed the photos I took when I did! So I am going to try again this month, with these guys 💜: #allthebooksjune {June TBR} #bibliophileworldjunechallenge {June TBR} #juneglee17 {Most Anticipated Read - I know they aren't exactly new NEW books, but I am anticipating my impending read of them so I'm counting it!} #quoththejunebookchallenge {June TBR} #rfabjune17 {June TBR} . . . #bookstagram #instabook #bookblog #bookblogger #bibliophile #bookphotography #bookish #booknerd #bookworm #bookgeek #bookaholic #bookaddict #yalit #yareads #yabooks #igreads

Got my June OzYA TBR books ready to go! I've been meaning to read Valentine by Jodi McAlister for yonks, I keep hearing about it, and I gotta do it! Also I have been hearing A LOT about the upcoming book Beautiful Mess by Claire Christian and it sounds wonderful, very looking forward to it. And nothing like a good new Aussie scifi! Convergence sounds super awesome! 🙌📚📖 . . . #bookstagram #instabook #bookblog #bookblogger #instablog #igreads #ireadya #loveozya #booknerd #bookgeek #bookworm #bookaholic #bookaddict #crystals #yalit #yabooks #yareads #YAmatters #instareads