UK YA Book Bloggers Secret Santa: Thank You!

This year, I signed up to take part in the first UKYA-specific book blogger secret santa and it was so much fun!

The lovely Lynsey at Narratively Speaking organised the whole affair. We were all asked some questions by email to indicate our tastes and current bookish desires, and then each of us was allocated someone to purchase our gifts for. I had a lot of fun choosing mine: stalking the blogger's goodreads lists to make sure I didn't choose anything they already had etc. I received my beautifully wrapped gifts in the post in plenty of time for Christmas - in fact, they were the first under my tree!

Like a good girl (yes, certain other bloggers, I am looking at you!) I waited until Christmas Day to open my lovely gifts and the anticipation did not lead to disappointment, I can tell you! My lovely Secret Santa sent me two books I'd specifically wished for, plus three others to discover, AND some lovely cookie candy canes.

• Entangled by Cat Clarke (I've wanted to read her for ages; I'm looking forward to a tautly-written UKYA thriller)
• The Apothecary's Daughter by Charlotte Betts (this caught my attention on a blog sometime last year; it seems like the kind of historical I enjoy)
• Defiance by C J Redwine (this sounds like a YA fantasy with feminist overtones, so I'm pleased this was selected for me)
• My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick (I'd never heard of this, so am curious to read this contemporary family/romance story which several of my Goodreads friends rate)
• Shooting Stars by Allison Rushby (this sounds like an interesting contemporary with comments to make about fame and celebrity)

I'm taking this opportunity to publicly thank my lovely Secret Santa, and the lovely Lynsey for organising it all. I hope everyone who took part had as much fun as I did, and I look forward to enjoying my books over the next few months.