Recipe: Mini Egg Brownies

I'm back again with another recipe. Now I baked this over Easter and whilst it may be long gone, I'm sure some of you have some emergency Mini Eggs lying around somewhere. These brownies are absolutely delicious, they're fudgy, rich and the mini eggs give it a delicious extra kick of chocolate. Perfect for anyone looking for a indulgent fix or just craving some mini eggs.

Ingredients 
- 275g Caster Sugar
- 90g Plain Flour
- 35g Cocoa Powder
- 200g Unsalted Butter
- 200g Dark Chocolate
- 3 Eggs
- 100g Dark Chocolate Chips
- 200g Chilled Mini Eggs

Method 
1- Pre heat your oven to 180C. Line a 9 inch brownie tin with greaseproof paper.
2- In a bain marie melt your dark chocolate and unsalted butter. You can melt the two together in the microwave but it does tend to catch and burn more than when it's done over a bain marie. Once everything has melted together, place to one side and leave to cool.
3- Into a bowl place your sugar and eggs. Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer, whisk until the mixture has doubled in size, has become pale in colour and has a mousse like texture.
4- Hopefully by the time it's taken to mix your egg and sugar mixture together, your chocolate/butter mixture will have cooled and you can gently fold the two together. Now you have to fold them together otherwise you'll knock out all the air that you've just beat into the egg/sugar mix.
5- Then it's time to fold in your plain flour, chocolate chips, cocoa powder and the majority of your mini eggs, keeping some to the side to press into the top before baking. Folding it all in together means that your mini eggs and chocolate chips are less likely to sink to the bottom and you don't run the risk of overmixing the mixture.
6- Pour into your prepared tin, using a spatula to spread it out evenly in the tin. Press your remaining mini eggs into the top of the mixture and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. I'd advise chilling your mini eggs before you add them to your mixture/press into the top as it stops the colour from fading as they bake and makes them less prone to cracking as they cook.
7- Once they're cooked, leave to cool and set in the tin before cutting and enjoying. These last for a good three days if kept in an air tight container and are some of the most delicious brownies I've ever tasted (if I say so myself).

Recipe: Mini Egg Cupcakes

I love Mini Eggs and surprisingly still have a few packets knocking around my house even though Easter is long gone. So today I thought I'd share with you my recipe for easy Mini Egg cupcakes with a light moist chocolate sponge, fluffy vanilla buttercream, topped with a cluster of Cadbury's best creations.

Ingredients 
For The Cupcakes 
- 100g Caster Sugar
- 100g Stork
- 100g Self Raising Flour
- 25g Cocoa Powder
- 2 Eggs
- 2 Tsp Chocolate Extract

For The Buttercream 
- 200g Unsalted Butter, softened
- 320g Icing Sugar
- 2 Tsp Vanilla Extract
- A splash of milk
- 1 Bag Of Mini Eggs

Method 
1- Pre heat your oven to 180c. Line a twelve cupcake tin with paper cases.
2- Into a bowl place your caster sugar and stork. Cream together until pale in colour and fluffy in texture.
3- Add one egg and a tablespoon of flour. Beat until combined.
4- Repeat with the other egg and another tablespoon of flour. Beat until fully combined, taking care to scrape the edges of the bowl.
5- Fold in your chocolate extract, cocoa powder alongside the remainder of your flour. I always use two teaspoons of liquid chocolate extract when I make any kind of chocolate sponge. It helps to stop the cocoa powder catching as the cake cooks and gives it a delicious rich flavour whilst helping the cake stay moist even if you do accidentally leave it the oven a couple of minutes longer than you should.
6- Spoon your mixture into your waiting cupcake cases and bake for 18-20 minutes or until the top springs back when pressed gently. Leave to cool in the tin for five minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
7- Now it's time to start your buttercream. Place your softened unsalted butter into a clean bowl and beat until soft.
8- Sieve in half your icing sugar and beat until combined. If you're using a hand mixer to make your buttercream, start on a slow speed so your icing sugar doesn't fly everywhere because it coats everything and doesn't taste as good as it suggests.
9- Sieve in the remaining half of your icing sugar and beat until fully combined, taking care to scrape the edges and bottom of the bowl so everything is fully incorporated.
10- Beat in your vanilla extract and a small splash of milk to help loosen the mixture and take it to the perfect piping consistency.
11- Spoon your prepared buttercream into a piping bag fitted with a piping nozzle of your choice and pipe onto your now cooled cupcakes. I used my 2D Flower nozzle to create these swirls as it always works wonders with my shaky, still somewhat amateur piping hands.
12- Once all of your cupcakes have been decorated, gently place your mini eggs in the centre to create a small cluster. You can use four or even five but I used only three to keep it looking cleaner and simpler but still ridiculously tasty.
13- Leave to set and then enjoy. I can guarantee these will be a hit with family, friends and work colleagues.

Recipe: Rhubarb And Custard Cupcakes

As I write this, the world is a slightly surreal and sometimes intense place. I for one have been struggling to remain positive everyday and there have been days when I've wanted to curl up in bed, have a good cry and binge Disney+ but I know that I'd only feel worse for it so I've thrown myself into something I absolutely adore doing but haven't had the chance to really do so far this year. And that's obviously baking, for me it's become therapeutic and helps to settle my mind when anxiety and uncertainty raise their ugly heads. I've been collecting quite a selection of recipes that need to written up and shared and as I know a lot of you are probably also baking to kill the time, I thought it was time to finally jump back on the blogging bandwagon and hopefully give you some baking inspiration.

Ingredients 
For The Cupcakes
- 100g Caster Sugar
- 100g Stork
- 100g Self Raising Flour
- 2Tsp Vanilla Custard Extract
- 2 Eggs

For The Buttercream 
- 200g Butter, softened
- 320g Icing Sugar
- Dr Oetker Pink Gel Food Colouring
- 2Tsp Rhubarb Extract
- A Splash Of Milk
- Dr Oetker Wafer Daisies (little & large)

Method 
1- Pre heat oven to 180C. Line a twelve hole cupcake tin with paper cases or line a standard oven tray with 12 baking cups like I did.
2- Into a bowl place the caster sugar and stork. Using a spatula, wooden spoon or stand mixer, cream together until pale in colour and fluffy in texture.
3- Add one egg and a tablespoon of flour and mix until combined.
4- Repeat with a second egg and another tablespoon of flour. Beat until combined, making sure to scrape the edges of the bowl so that nothing is left sitting on the sides.
5- Add the rest of the flour to the bowl alongside the vanilla custard extract and gently fold in to the mixture. If you don't have vanilla custard extract you can fold in two teaspoons of custard powder to get the same flavour.
6- Once everything is combined, spoon into your paper cases or baking cups and bake for 18-20 minutes or until the top springs back when pressed.
7- Leave to cool for five minutes in the tin and then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
8- Now it's onto the buttercream, place your softened butter into a bowl and beat until soft, creamy and pale in colour. I advise using a stand mixer or a hand mixer for this as it can take while and it's a lot easier on the arms.
9- Sieve half of your icing sugar into the bowl and beat until fully combined.
10- Then sieve the other half of your icing sugar and beat again until combined.
11- Add your Rhubarb extract and pink food colouring and beat until combined. I chose a gel food colouring to keep the consistency of the buttercream as liquid colourings tend to loosen the mixture a little too much. Your buttercream can be as pale or as bright as you want it to be, I just chose a lighter shade of pink to conincide with the original sweets.
12- Now it's time to spoon your mixture into a piping bag, if you find your buttercream is a little stiff, beat in a little mix to loosen it up and you'll have the perfect piping consistency. I used a 2D Star piping nozzle to give it a nice swirl.
13- Pipe your buttercream onto your now cooled cupcakes and decorate with an array of the big and small wafer flowers/daisies.
14- Now you can leave these to set for a while before you dive in but this are also perfect to eat straightaway which pretty much happens anytime I bake at home.

Recipe: Triple Choc Chunk Shortbread

I love shortbread, I just don’t like making shortbread. Yet all I’ve been craving lately is shortbread, specifically the triple chocolate shortbread my local bakery sells. But at nearly two quid a pop for the same size portion as I cut mine, I thought it was time to bite the bullet and make my own because not only does homemade shortbread taste better, it’s going to save me a ton of lunch money.

Ingredients 
- 115g Butter
- 175g Plain Flour
- 55g Caster Sugar
- A Pinch Of Salt
- 100g Chocolate Chips (White, Milk & Dark)

Method 
1- Pre heat oven to 180C. Line a tin of your choosing with greaseproof paper, I chose a round tin so I could get that more classic triangular shape to my shortbread.
2- Into a bowl place your plain flour, caster sugar and salt.
3- Add your butter and rub together with your fingertips until it resembles breadcrumbs. This is a bit of an arduous job but is practically the only way to make a delicious short, melt in the mouth shortbread.
4- Now it’s time to add your chocolate chips. Now I think I went a little overboard but I have to admit it works. Initially I put 100g of all three in but then sprinkled extra in because it didn’t look enough to me. If you don’t want to have as much chocolate in there as I have you can cater the amount of chips you put in.
5- Keep rubbing and kneading the mix together until it starts to form a dough. You may need a little water to help bring it together but that’s normal.
6- Now you can easily roll this out and cut into whatever shapes you like but I decided to just press my dough into the tin as it saved me time and I find it bakes a bit better if it’s handled less. If you’re not cutting your dough into shapes just press your dough into your tin of choice and bake for 10-15 minutes or until the edges are golden brown.
7- Once cooked leave to cool in the tin. The middle may still be a little soft when you take it out but cooling it completely in the tin allows for that to firm and cool evenly.
8- Then all that’s left to do is cut into triangles or squares or whatever shape you baked them into and enjoy.

Book Series I Want To Finish In 2020

I am terrible at keeping up with book series. I will hold my hands up and admit it. I have a minimum of ten already listed on my phone that I know that I need to finish. And those ten I am sharing with you today. Now not all of them are because I just haven't got round to them but some just haven't had the next part or the finale released and I'm waiting on them to be released before I can finally finish the series. However a few of them are books that have been sitting in my collection for a while now and I just haven't bothered to pick them up. I think it's best I start with them.

The first series I need to finish this year is The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare. I started rereading the series last year but quickly lost interest after Book Two. Yet I desperately need to read the next four books to finally complete the series, something I've been aiming to do since I was a teenager. Plus I have The Dark Artifices trilogy staring down at me from a shelf and I can't start that until I finish The Mortal Instruments. Anyone who's read the series probably knows why I'm hesitant to continue with Book Three but I just need to suck it up and read it, otherwise I'm never going to be finished with the series and I'll never be able to catch up with Cassie Clare's books.

Another Cassandra Clare series I have to both start and finish again is The Infernal Devices Trilogy. I started this series back in 2018 and just never finished it. And I don't know why. I loved Clockwork Angel but just never got round to picking up Clockwork Prince afterwards. And again, I can't move forward and read Chain Of Gold (I am buying it though) when it's released because it features characters from the Infernal Devices series that I wasn't introduced to in Clockwork Angel. I think I'm going to just start this trilogy again as it's been so long since I read the first book and I don't think jumping head first into the second would be a wise move.

Harry Potter is up next and before you all die of shock, I have read Harry Potter in it's entirety, I just haven't finished my reread of it. I started this reread last year and read the first three books in the series but just haven't got round to picking up the rest. I definitely want to finish my reread of these but I'm torn between dragging it out and reading the illustrated editions as they're released or just carrying on with the copies I already have and then buying the illustrated editions to add to my collection. And then I think I'll be rewatching all the movies and I believe there's another trip to the studio tour in my future as well.

Last Summer I read the first book in what promises to be an amazing middle grade series but haven't finished yet. And that is the Perfect series by Helena Duggan. I literally devoured A Place Called Perfect in a day but for some unknown reason I waited until recently to pick up Books Two and Three. I loved the first book, I know I'm going to love the last two books so I don't know why it's taken me so long to even consider finishing the series. Thank god, these are quick reads as I think I need to reread A Place Called Perfect before I continue with the series.

Chris Carter quickly became one of my favourite crime writers after I stumbled across one of his books back in 2018. And in 2019 I read two more of his books but they were in fact books eight, nine and ten in his now ten book series following LAPD Detective Robert Hunter. Now luckily you don't need to necessarily read this series in order but ideally I'd like to read books one through seven before 2020 is up. If you're in the market for a well written, somewhat gory and addicitive crime series to read, I highly recommend reading this series. I didn't think anyone could beat Karen Rose crime writing wise but Chris Carter did just that and what I've read so far just knocks it out the park.

 A duology I need to finish is the Prosper Redding duology by Alexandra Bracken. I read the first book in this duo back in October but didn't purchase the final book until January this year. I absolutely adored The Dreadful Tale Of Prosper Redding, it was extremely well written for a middle grade series but life just got in the way which is why it's taken me so long to purchase the second book. Yet I'm really looking forward to reading The Last Life Of Prince Alastor and am aiming to read it at some point in March.

Three Dark Crowns is a series I started in February but am already eager to continue with and I'm aiming to have read it in it's entirety by the end of 2020.  It has the most amazing premise, following three queens that are training to not only take the throne but to kill two of their sisters in the process. All three queens are complexly written and each has their own dark secret that's constantly hinted at but never truly revealed until it's absolutely necessary. I've already brought the continuation One Dark Throne and am dying to just forget about all the other books in my TBR pile and just dive back into that world.

The last series that has been released in it's entirety that I want to finish this year is the Charlotte Holmes series by Brittany Cavallaro. I adore this series, it's the most amazing reimagining of a classic tale that I've ever read. Following Holmes and Watson's great great great grandchildren, each book follows another life threatening case that sucks the new generation of mystery solvers. It's a YA crime/thriller style book but does feature very heavy topics such as rape, drug abuse and eating disorders. I've read A Study In Charlotte and The Last Of August and loved them and The Case For Jamie is currently sat in my Amazon saved later section waiting for me to buy my Mother's Day gifts so I can then buy that and several other books I've got my eye on.

Now these last two are series that I'm waiting for the final book to come out in paperback so I can complete my collection. The first is the Truly Devious series by Maureen Johnson. This follows Stevie a true crime lover who's attending the infamous Ellingham Academy to follow her passion. And while she's there she's trying to solve the Ellingham case from 1936 whilst simultaneously trying to stay out of the sights of the killer that is lurking on the campus. I read Truly Devious last year and waited a good few months before I read The Vanishing Stair but I easily fell back into the world and I can't wait for The Hand On The Wall to be released so I can finish this series and complete my collection on the shelf.

And the final series I want to finish this year is the Folk Of The Air series by Holly Black. This is one of the most hyped book series around and I adored both The Cruel Prince and The Wicked King. If you haven't heard of this series it follows Jude who was kidnapped and taken to the land of Fae when she was a little girl. From there she's grown up being mistreated by her peers, especially the heinous Prince Cardan. And Queen Of Nothing when it's released in July is going to be the last part that's going to hopefully wrap up a lot of what happened in The Wicked King and hopefully give us a somewhat happy ending. I am a little worried though as I've seen the hardback and it's miniscule. I'm hoping that it's not too fast paced for it's size or that Holly Black has left a few plot lines hanging but I'm still looking forward to adding it's exquisite cover to my book shelves.

Book Recommendations: Part One

If you've been here for the last couple of years you may have noticed that I rediscovered my love of books and ever since have been a bit of a bookworm. And sure I talk about all the books I've read in my What I Read's and all the ones I've brought in Hauls and a lot of you may use those posts as recommendations but today I thought I'd compile a few books both standalones and series that I recommend you add to your 2020 TBR.

The first series will come as no surprise to any of you. The Cursebreakers Series by Brigid Kemmerer fast became a favourite after I read it's first book last year and it's sequel in January. Following Harper who one night is transported to the land of Emberfall where she meets cursed Prince Rhen and his Royal Guard Commander Grey, the first book A Curse So Dark And Lonely follows them as they attempt to break Rhen's curse whilst attempting to salvage what is left of his kingdom. It's jammed packed full of dry one liners, a fierce female character and twists and turns aplenty. Yet the sequel; A Heart So Fierce And Broken, is even more explosive. It follows Grey as he takes on a journey not only to save the land of Emberfall but himself and his somewhat tense relationship with Rhen. It hosts a whole catalogue of new characters and has even more plot twists than the first book. The ending of book two has me eagerly awaiting the third book in the series but it's going to be a painful wait as it isn't scheduled to be released until November 2021. All that aside though, the main reason I love this series is Harper. She is a fierce young woman who admittedly panics when she's first transported to Emberfall but then takes a stand and doesn't take shit from anyone. It's the portrayal of Harper's disability that I love the most though. Harper has cerebal palsy but she doesn't let it stop her from being a badass, she doesn't let it stop her from standing up for what she believes in and in the first book it doesn't stop her from demanding to be taught how to look after herself in this strange and somewhat dangerous world.

This next series is another that won't come as a surprise to you either. I've spoken a lot about it recently, having just finished it in January. Arc Of Scythe is a trilogy of books from Neal Shusterman that follows a world where every disease, every possible way of dying has been eradicated. People are living longer than before and it's up to a select commitee called Scythe's to stop the world from becoming over populated. And this trilogy follows two Rown and Citra who have been picked to be Scythe's apprentices, one of who will become a fully ordained Scythe. Yet it's not just the way of the Scythe they have to learn, they have to learn how to handle the extremely delicate political system that the Scythe's live and die by. I adore this series, it has so many plot twists, shocking turns and a good cliffhanger or two that you'll be up until the early hours reading. I literally devoured book one late last year and marathoned both books two and three back to back in January. I'm a little sad this series is over but it's definitely one I can see myself rereading over and over again. The world is deliciously complex, the characters are well written and yet still have their flaws and whilst the ending isn't my favourite, it's definitely a fitting end for this trilogy. I have literally everything crossed that Neal Shusterman writes another series in this world as I just can't get enough of it.

Next is the book that I originally thought was a standalone but actually has a sequel being released in April. A Good Girl's Guide To Murder by Holly Jackson was my favourite book of 2019. It follows Pip, a young girl who's final project for school sees her reopening a five year old murder case that rocked her small town. I can not say enough good things about this book. It's a hooking read, you'll be up for hours devouring it, including it's inclusion of court transcripts, newspaper clippings and journal entries. So when I found out it was actually Jackson's debut novel, I was shocked. But also incredibly happy to find out that this was being made into a series, book two being released in April which follows Pip as she starts her own true crime podcast but gets sucked into a fresh investigation when her friend disappears. This is only starting to get the hype it deserves and I can't believe people have slept on this book for so long.

 Another YA Mystery that I can't recommend enough is The Kingdom by Jess Rothenberg.This is an amazing multimedia style YA standalone that I completely devoured last year. Centered around a theme park called The Kingdom, this story follows Ana, a fantasist (think Disney Princess) who's on trial for murdering a worker at the theme park. It weaves between two times line, the present as Ana is on trial and the past which shows the build up of events until the murder itself. This is again told through a multitude of medias including court transcripts, transcripts of CCTV, interviews with Ana and even newspaper reports. It really works well to break up the events of the book, especially as some chapters can be very heavy and triggering. I do warn you that there are themes of rape, sexual harrassement and animal abuse for this book but they are handled in a very written manner that doesn't explicitly throw them at the reader but does imply that it's happening. I adored this book, it was so unlike anything else I read last year and I wish that Rothenberg had left it open enough for there to possibly be a sequel.

And the last book I want to recommend to you isn't YA. It's actually an a crime/mystery/thriller that kicked off my 2019 reading year. The Seven Deaths Of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton had me hooked from the blurb alone. Evelyn Hardcastle is destined to die at 11pm unless you can work who the killer is. Yet you aren't in your own body, you're currently inhabiting the eight different hosts that are in attendance at the time of Evelyn's death. Each has their own secrets, their own reasons but with only 24 hours in each host, time to digest it all isn't something you have. And if you want to escape the grounds of Blackheath, you have to play the game until you've rumbled the killer. This book is definitely a thinker, you have to concentrate because so much happens in each chapter and as you delve deeper into the mystery, it all starts to intersect and it can hard to keep up. But I know that won't happen as you'll be hooked from the first page and it only gets better the further in you get. Stuart Turton has a new book coming out in October and you can bet that I'm preordering that right away.

Most Anticipated 2020 Releases

Oh how I love when the wait for a book to be released is over. Especially if it's been a long wait. And 2020 is filled with releases that I've dying to get my hands on for the longest time. Now some of these may already be out in hardback form but I'm going by their paperback release dates because I never buy or read hardbacks unless they're a gift. I have fifteen books to talk about today but I'm sure there's tons I've missed so get ready for a rambling, reptitive post where I tell you I can't wait to read every single book.

By the time you read this post, the first book is already out. And that is The Queen's Assassin by Melissa De La Cruz. Released the 1st March, this is the first book in a new Young Adult Fantasy series from the writer of the Blue Bloods Series. This follows Caledon Holt the most deadly man in the Kingdom of Renovia. No one can match him in brains or brawn which is why he's the Queen's one and only assassin. It also follows Shadow who's dream it is to join the infamous Guild but in doing so means she has to control and hide the powers she possesses. Yet after a surprise attack brings the two together as they hunt down the threat to Renovia. But as they grow close, they discover a web of secrets and lies that could destroy everything, including true love. I never could get into the Blue Bloods series but this new novel from De La Cruz sounds intriguing and a complete step away from any of her previous works. It's definitely one that could feature in March's book haul.

The only hardback I'm going to talk about in this post is Chain Of Gold by Cassandra Clare. I have no intention of buying it in hardback but it's one of my most anticpated reads of the year and with no paperback release in sight yet, I just needed to give it an honourable mention. Released the 3rd March, this follows the children from the highly acclaimed Infernal Devices Trilogy. I haven't got a clue about what happens in this book purely because I have actively avoided spoilers and I haven't finished the Infernal Devices series. I started it last year but never finished it. With a cover this gorgeous and everyone raving about it, I think it's safe to say that I'm going to be reading the Infernal Devices from cover to cover at some point this year.

The next book is the finale of a series I haven't even started yet but have the first two in my possession. Supernova by Marissa Meyers is released on the 19th March. It's the third and final book in the Renegades Trilogy that follows two seperate groups of people. The Renegades and The Anarchists. And that's all I know. Books series I haven't started or I've been holdin off on reading, I tend not to read the synopsis for. I just let them sit in my collection until it's their time to be read. I have to be honest and say I've had the first two books since late last year but haven't read them as I've been waiting for Supernova to be release so I can binge all three at once. I did it with the Arc Of A Sycthe series and I'm so glad I did. I'm just hoping it doesn't build my hopes up like that series did just to shatter them in the last book.

Into April we go and the first book released comes April 6th. Queen Of Coin And Whisper by Helen Corcoran for now is a standalone YA Fantasy that follows teenage Queen Lia and Spymaster Xania. One wishes nothing more than to take down her corrupt uncle whilst the other wishes to avenge her murdered father. Together they have to learn to rely on each other as they face treasonous plots and hidden enemies. But how much are they willing to sacrifice for the kingdom and for each other. Featuring a girl/girl romance and a complex political system, this book sounds like it has the makings to be fantastic and a cracking opener to a series if there are plans to make it into one.

The only other book in April I'm interested in comes right at the end of the month. The 30th April sees the release of a book I need now, like right now. Good Girl, Bad Blood is the sequel to A Good Girl's Guide To Murder by Holly Jackson. The first book was one of my absolute favourites last year and when I found out it was getting a sequel I was excited. This follows Pip who's turned her one time role as a Detective into a highly successful true crime podcast. She claims her days of investigating are over until someone she knows disappears. The police won't do anything so it falls on Pip to find out what happened to her missing friend. But that means that more of the town's dark secrets are uncovered and the puts Pip right into the firing line. I am so ready to read this book. I loved the first book when I read it back in the Summer and if Jackson's writing style has matured from the first book, this one has the promise of blowing it out of the water.

The next release is almost like a cracking two for one deal. The first two books in Emily Duncan's Something Dark And Holy series are being released on May 1st. The first Wicked Saints follows a girl who can speak to gods, a prince who can't trust and a boy with a monstrous secret as they work together to assasinate the king and stop the centuries long war. Ruthless Gods, the second book in the series follows the trio as they fight their own personal demons which tear them apart. Yet as their group is continously torn apart, they're also fated to remain together. However it seems the girl, the prince and the monster are nothing more than chess pieces in a bigger game that refuses to stay quiet any longer. I intially didn't plan on reading this series but there's something about it that I'm intrigued by so I may just do a double whammy and buy both when they're released in early May.

     

May 12th sees both House Of Dragons and Girl, Serpent, Thorn released. House Of Dragons is one that has been on my radar for a while. Written by Jessica Cluess, this is the first in a new YA series that centers around five very different people from five very different backgrounds as they answer the call to compete in the Trial for the dragon throne. A liar, a solider, a servant, a thief and a murderer, these five outcasts will stop at nothing to win that place, breaking tradition and changing the future indefinitely. I only had to read what each outcast was to be intrigued by this book. Advertised as The Breakfast Club meets Three Dark Crowns, this book has the promise to be outstanding and I can't wait to get my hands on it.

Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust intially caught my attention because of it's very asthetically appealing cover. Yet a quick skim of the synopsis put this book firmly on my radar. Literally I only had to read the words cursed princess and it was added to my list. Soraya has spent her whole life hidden away, safe in her own little world. That is until her brother's wedding where she must decide if she's willing to risk it all and step outside her safe haven. I love a good risk it all for the greater good trope and this book seems to have it and more. May is going to be a busy reading month for me, mark my words.

In June two books that have been on my radar for a while finally get released in paperback. The first is The Beautiful by Renee Ahdieh. This had so much hype when it was first released last year and I've been itching to read it ever since. This follows seventeen year old Celine as she arrives in New Orleans to start her new life after being forced to flee Paris and her life as a dressmaker. She quickly becomes enamored by the sights and lights of New Orleans, much to the annoyance of her saviours, the Ursuline Convent. This book was the one that promised to make vampires sexy again but apparently it's not got any vampires until the end of the book and that's a slight hint. Yet book two that's released in hardback this year promises vampires and I can't wait to dive back into that mystery world of the night walkers.

Sorcery Of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson is another book that had a lot of hype when it was first released and whilst that hype has died down, I'm still looking forward to finally getting my hands on it. Following Elisabeth has been raised to believe that demons are evil and as a that becoming a warden; someone who's entrusted to protect the kingdom from the demons, will help keep that believe. Yet when the library is sabotaged, all fingers are pointed at Elisabeth and she has to put her trust into Nathaniel, a sorcerer who's also her sworn enemy to prove she's innocent. World's that use books to hold evil powers are so intriguing to me. There's something so complex about the way the world's built and the political and magical systems/ I can easily get lost in this kind of world so I'm eagerly counting down the days until this released.

The 23rd July sees the final book in the Folk Of The Air series. Queen Of Nothing is the third and final book in this fae trilogy from Holly Black. If you haven't read any of the books in this series, it follows Jude who was kidnapped from the human world as a child and raised in the land of Fae, amongst the other Fae children. Yet they don't take nicely to having a human amongst them and the worst of them all is Prince Cardan. He's made it his life's ambition to ruin Jude's life and for the best part of the series, he succsededs. This is a brilliant series, I highly recommend checking it out, even if you aren't a fan of Fae books.

Until I read the full synopsis of this book I wasn't at all interested but now I can't wait for July 28th to get here. The Merciful Crow is the first in a new YA series that has the most interesting and complex world I think you could find in a YA book. Following a world where a Crow is the lowest of the low, this follows Fie who works as an undertaker, who takes more abuse than payment until she's called to collect a dead royal. Yet she gets more than she's bargained for when she finds a fugitive. A prince who's faked his death. From there she's enlisted to protect him from a whole host of enemies including a ruthless queen and a not so loyal bodyguard. I have to thank PeruseProject for bringing this to my attention as I'd have otherwise just judged it on it's cover and not bothered to look closer at it.

Skipping through August, September 3rd sees the paperback release of Serpent and Dove by Shelby Mahurin. This follows Louise who's fled her coven and taken shelter in the city of Cesarine. Yet women like Louise are hunted for she is a witch and witches are the most feared around. But she meets a witch hunter called Reid and by some unseen force they are bound together in unholy matrimony. This is a haters to lovers, forced marriage trope and I'm so ready to read all the sarcasm, the subtle digs and then all the feels. This book has recieved mixed reviews but I've never let that stop me from diving right on in.

I need October 20th to hurry it's ass up. The Hand On The Wall by Maureen Johnson is the third and final book in the Truly Devious series. And by god do I need this book already. I've eagerly read the second book in this series last month thinking that I wouldn't have long to wait until I could read the third book. The Truly Devious series follows a young girl called Stevie who's passion is true crime. She attends the prestigious Ellingham Academy where she's encouraged to follow her passion. And she focuses that passion of solving the infamous Truly Devious kidnap/murder case that happened in that very school back in 1936. Yet when fellow students start dying, Stevie has to focus on what's happening closer to home. This is an amazing series and whilst I'm sad to see it finish, I'm really looking forward to seeing how everything comes to a close.

And the final book I'm looking forward to being released in paper back is Starsight by Brandon Sanderson. This is the second book in the Skyward series, a series that follows a young girl called Spensa who wants nothing more than to be a pilot. Yet she's brandished a coward, a good for nothing because of her father's actions when he was a pilot. I brought Skyward back in January and as I write this, I've not actually read it yet but I've heard nothing but good things about this series so I'm looking forward to starting it and adding a little more science fiction to my reading taste.