For those of you who have known me for longer than a year or so, you will know that I have been in a loooong process of totally stripping back my house and renovating it. I'm talking brand new walls, replastering, knocking down rooms, loft conversions, rewiring, a fabulous new garden (my favourite) - the whole lot.

December is here and so the countdown to Christmas has well and truly started! This year I've decided to challenge myself by taking part in Blogmas (and I'm probably going to fail miserably because I haven't prepared very well!). For those of you who aren't so sure what Blogmas is, it's something bloggers take part in from the 1st of December through to Christmas Day, and they post daily. Posts are usually Christmassy but that's not a necessity.

 

It's no secret that I adore a book that draws me to tears. There's something quite magical about words on paper that have the ability to stir such strong emotions, and so when multiple people recommended Me Before You and insisted I would cry my little heart out, I couldn't resist grabbing myself a copy even though I had no idea what the bloody thing was about. (And in case you're wondering, they were right - I sobbed into my pillow the entire night after reaching the end.)

It's Fridayyyy, and today I am over the moon to be part of the blog tour promoting A Gathering of Shadows by V.E. Schwab. This is a sequel to the incredible A Darker Shade of Magic, and I cannot wait to stick my nose into my nice shiny copy. In the mean time, I'll be finding out which fictional worlds V.E. Schwab would most like to live in, and I'll be ending the post by telling you how to get your hands on your very own copy! So lets find out was V.E. Schwab had to say...

"This is tricky, since, looking over my shelves, most of my favorite books don’t actually involve worlds I’d WANT to live in, but I’ll try...

1. The HARRY POTTER world

No surprise here. Who wouldn’t want to live in a world where there’s a school of magic, and a whole world beyond it. People often point out that there are dark marks and death eaters, and the way I see it, yeah, but I’m not saying I want to be Harry or Hermoine. I plan on getting through this world alive. And let’s be real, anyone who knows me knows, I’m a Slytherin anyway. I’d probably become a Death Eater just for the wicked mask.

2. The world of Holly Black's CURSE WORKERS

I’m enamored with every aspect of Holly’s WHITE CAT, RED GLOVE, and BLACK HEART, but most of all, I can’t get over the world building. Set in our own world, this alternate iteration with a mob motif involves people who have the ability to curse others, with a consequence, and even though it’s not the most pleasant world, it captured my imagination, and never let go.

3. THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS 

Look, guys. I just want to be a shadow hunter. Or a warlock. Or a vampire. I just like the world, okay? It appears to be full of danger AND hot people. You can’t blame me.

4. The world in THE LIBRARY AT MOUNT CHAR

This is an odd-ball answer, since this is one of the strangest books I’ve ever read, and I don’t know many people who even HAVE read it, but there’s a library in this book where all the knowledge of the world is kept, each category given its own catalog. A whole level for war, another for language, another for life and death, and time doesn’t even move while you're inside. All I can think of is how badly I want to spend time there, mastering one of them."


So there you have it. Four worlds that V.E. Schwab would love to live in. Let me know what you think of V.E. Schwab's choice of fictional worlds to live in in the comments below! ツ