This Week by Proxy: 31 August – 06 September


Welcome to This Week by Proxy. Join me as I link up with the Caffeinated Reviewer to look back on the past week and see what I’ve been reading, posting, watching and playing!


| This Week by Proxy: 31 August – 06 September 2020 |

Having not had a holiday in over six months, the other half and I made our way to the Lake District on Monday and spent the next four days reading books (or playing on the Switch), exploring the local landscape and visiting remote and ruined castles. It was wonderfully relaxing, completely peaceful and I only wish our stay could have been for just a bit longer.

The weekend, however, was spent picnicking in the park with my stepdaughter, visiting my mum and dad on their narrowboat, and relaxing with many a good book. Brilliant fun all round!

I hope you’ve all had a fantastic week and I will try to catch up on all the posts I’ve missed over the next few days! 


| Books Read |

Over the past week I completed both ‘The Trouble with Peace’ by Joe Abercrombie and ‘The Doors of Eden’ by Adrian Tchaikovsky and still managed to squeeze in a little Pratchett before the end. All different, all brilliant, and all a joy to read from beginning to end!


| Currently Reading |

This week I’m continuing to read ‘The Court of Broken Knives’, a brutal but beautifully written grimdark fantasy epic by Anna Smith Spark. Unfortunately, in my haste to pack my Kindle, I forgot to bring the book with me to the Lake District and I’m a little further behind than I wanted to be. I did, however, manage to pick up a wonderful assortment of books in the Kindle sale and have started ‘Tombland’, the seventh book in the Matthew Shardlake series by C.J. Sansom.

I am also taking part in the Read-Along for Kushiel’s Dart by Jacqueline Carey, organised by Imyril at There’s Always Room for One More. My Week One post, which covers Chapters 1 – 16, can be found here. If anyone would like to join in with this Read-Along, just head on over to the Goodreads group page and sign up.


| Upcoming Reviews |

Having spent an entire week on holiday (and most of that time spent reading!) I am even more behind on the review front, but will hopefully get a few out in the coming week! Every single one of these books was amazing so expect a whole host of glowing reviews!


| Watching |

Season One of Absentia was both an enjoyable and exasperating experience. Stana Katic was incredible as Emily Byrne and the overall plot was tense and unpredictable, but Nick Durand, Emily’s ex-husband and FBI agent, was an incredibly frustrating character who treated Emily like dirt, had serious trust issues, and couldn’t find a clue if it was stapled to his face.  He annoyed me so much I almost stopped watching altogether. However, I am glad I continued as it did have quite a gripping plot and Season Two is proving a far less rage-inducing experience.

Meanwhile, the other half and I are watching Season Five of Lucifer, which is as lighthearted and comedic as ever, and Season Two of The Boys, which is both brutal and bloody brilliant.


| Gaming |

As the past week has been spent in literary bliss up in the Lake District, I’ve only had time for a few short but sweet games of Apex Legends since our return.


| Posts |

Review: The Ashes of London by Andrew Taylor

 

Music Mondays: Gurdy’s Green

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten… Foodie Book Covers

Teaser Tuesdays: Monstrous Regiment by Terry Pratchett

Waiting on Wednesday: God of Night by Tom Lloyd

Read-Along: Kushiel’s Dart by Jacqueline Carey – Week One

The Friday Face-Off: Cold and Crisp

My Top Ten Games of the Past Two Years


I hope you all have a wonderful, book-filled week!

What have you been reading, watching and playing this week? Have you accomplished any goals?

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The Friday Face-Off: Cold and Crisp


Welcome to The Friday Face-Off, a weekly meme here at Books by Proxy. Join me every Friday as I pit cover against cover, and publisher against publisher, to find the best artwork in our literary universe. Check out Lynn’s-Books for upcoming themes!


White is for Witching by Helen Oyeyemi


Welcome to the Friday Face-Off where this week we’re comparing covers with a cold and wintry feel!

Fortunately, I had spotted White is for Witching by Helen Oyeyemi whilst writing another blog post and it was a perfect and beautiful fit for this week’s face-off.

This week’s offerings are the Picador 2009 cover versus the Picador 2010 cover with artwork by Jon Klassen. Take a look and see which one is your favourite!


Picador 2009 | Cover #1

Picador 2010 | Cover #2

Artwork by Jon Klassen


| The Friday Face-Off: Winner |

Both these covers are beautiful, simple and follow a similar theme. The Picador 2009 cover works in paper cut silhouettes with fruits, paintings and skulls hidden amongst the branches of the trees. The darkened house sits comfortably in the shade of the trees with the white trees shadowing the black in the foreground.

The wonderfully witchy typeface that graces both covers stands out in bold red on the Picador 2010 cover. The composition is a darker, more dramatic and more atmospheric version of the 2009 edition – The trees are tall, spiny and angular; the sky is a smokey, leaf blown off-white; and the house with its singular glowing window emerges from the dark, dark ground. As lovely as the 2009 cover is, it doesn’t come close to the more sophisticated and infinitely more creepy 2010 cover.

Which cover wins your vote this week? Have a cover of your own? – Post the link below!

Amazon | Book Depository | Goodreads


Next week’s theme is:

Patterns

A cover featuring a pattern

Remember to check Lynn’s Books for upcoming themes


| Links |

Tammy @ Books, Bones & Buffy

Lynn @ Lynn’s Books

Mogsy @ The BiblioSanctum

Steve @ Books and Beyond Reviews

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

This Week by Proxy: 17 – 30 August


Welcome to This Week by Proxy. Join me as I link up with the Caffeinated Reviewer to look back on the past week and see what I’ve been reading, posting, watching and playing!


| This Week by Proxy: 17 – 30 August 2020 |

The past two weeks have been a rather strange mix of highs and lows. I realised the week before last, that I had only taken a handful of my holidays from work this year and, as we are now approaching September, it sent me into a bit of a spiral where all I could think about was how much I needed a break, knowing full well that I had one this coming week.

And now I’m finally on holiday I feel the utmost relief and can now enjoy the fact that the next four months have most of my holidays dispersed between them. Now this spiral is hardly the result of anything serious, but things seem so much more dramatic and terrible when you spend your days alone, working from home with only two rabbits for company until late in the evening!

I have, however, been reading some amazing books and I’m thoroughly enjoying escaping the world at large in between their comforting, if a little bloody, pages. I’ve also been lucky enough to see family, take my stepdaughter on a fairy treasure hunt and complete an enormous deadline at work – which feels like a giant weight off my shoulders!

I hope you’ve all had a lovely week and have been reading some amazing books! I look forward to reading all about them! 


| Books Read |

Over the past two weeks I’ve finished All Systems Red, the first in The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells, and A Little Hatred by Joe Abercrombie. Both books were brilliant, both entirely different, and both made me ridiculously excited to read the next in each series!


| Currently Reading |

I feel so lucky right now to not only be listening to the audiobook for The Doors of Eden by Adrian Tchaikovsky, but to be reading the brand new ARC for The Trouble With Peace by Joe Abercrombie. I’m trying ever so hard to savour every moment, but the pages are rapidly disappearing and I know it won’t be long before I’ve finished it entirely.

In between bouts of Tchaikovsky and Abercrombie, and believe me, The Doors of Eden is one hefty and time consuming audiobook, I’ve squeezed in a little bit of The Court of Broken Knives, which I hope to continue in earnest over my holiday, and my new Pratchett offering, Monstrous Regiment.

Now you might be weeping in horror at me reading so many books at once but, in my defence, with only an hour left in each, I am likely to finish both The Trouble With Peace and The Doors of Eden today.


| Upcoming Reviews |

My review for Ashes of London by Andrew Taylor will be appearing next week, hopefully followed by one other – if I can get it drafted before going away!


| Watching |

After finishing Season 3 of Good Girls last week, which was reasonably enjoyable and got better as the season progressed, I started watching Absentia.

Absentia tells the story of an FBI agent, Emily Byrne, who has been missing presumed dead for the past six years and who suddenly returns in an explosion of murder, lies and suspicion. Fast-paced and exciting, the only downside so far is Emily’s irritating FBI agent ex-husband who couldn’t spot a clue if it was stuck to his face! I am, however, trying to get beyond this annoyance and actually enjoy the series.

The other half and I finished watching The Umbrella Academy last week, which was brilliantly entertaining, and have started watching the latest season of Lucifer on Netflix. I absolutely love this series and it never fails to cheer me up, and no doubt we’ll polish it all off in the coming week!


| Gaming |

Although I’ve not had much time for gaming over the past two weeks, I’ve started playing Greedfall, a beautiful RPG in a fantasy setting, and have started the new season of Apex Legends, which introduces new Legend Rampart (pictured right) and her gun, Sheila (also pictured right). The latest changes to the game also include item crafting, altered locations and a new energy weapon, the volt.


| Posts |

Review: The Man With One Name by Tom Lloyd

Review: Sharp Ends by Joe Abercrombie

Music Mondays: Blade Runner 2049

Music Mondays: Svitjod

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten… Series That Should Have Screen Adaptations

Teaser Tuesdays: A Little Hatred by Joe Abercrombie

Teaser Tuesdays: The Court of Broken Knives by Anna Smith Spark

Waiting on Wednesday: The Dead of Winter by S.J. Parris

Waiting on Wednesday: Bear Head by Adrian Tchaikovsky

The Friday Face-Off: Hubble Bubble

The Friday Face-Off: The Road Goes Ever On and On

Friday Firsts: The Court of Broken Knives by Anna Smith Spark

Friday Firsts: Monstrous Regiment by Terry Pratchett


I hope you all have a wonderful, book-filled week!

What have you been reading, watching and playing this week? Have you accomplished any goals?

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The Friday Face-Off: The Road Goes Ever On and On


Welcome to The Friday Face-Off, a weekly meme here at Books by Proxy. Join me every Friday as I pit cover against cover, and publisher against publisher, to find the best artwork in our literary universe. Check out Lynn’s-Books for upcoming themes!


Carpe Jugulum by Terry Pratchett


Welcome to the Friday Face-Off where this week we’re comparing covers featuring a dark road!

After last week’s edition took me to Discworld, I couldn’t resist going there again with Carpe Jugulum by Terry Pratchett! And with a wonderful collection of covers, it was difficult only choosing two to compare!

This week’s offerings are the Pocket 2011 French cover with incredible artwork by Marc Simonetti and the Collector’s Library edition from Doubleday with artwork by Joe McLaren. Take a look and see which one is your favourite!


Pocket 2011 | Cover #1

Artwork by Marc Simonetti

Doubleday 2016 | Cover #2

Artwork by Joe McLaren


| The Friday Face-Off: Winner |

The Doubleday cover is a nice addition to the Collector’s Library – block colours, a simple illustration working in silhouettes and negative space, and a dramatic vista. I love the lonely figure walking up a long and crooked road towards Lancre Castle, and I love the silhouettes of the witches on broomsticks as they fly across the sky.

The artwork for the French edition is incredible, however, and the more I look at Marc SImonetti’s artwork the more in love I am with it. It is, quite simply, breathtaking. I love the smokey blues and pinks as they rise up to Lancre Castle concealing another dark and crooked road. I love the slender figure of Mightily Oats, the powerful stance of the Witches of Lancre and the sword-swinging action of Verence II. This eye-catching and imaginative cover is most definitely my favourite.

Discworld artwork by Marc Simonetti

Which cover wins your vote this week? Have a cover of your own? – Post the link below!

Amazon | Book Depository | Goodreads


Next week’s theme is:

Cold and Crisp

A cover with a cold and wintry feel

Remember to check Lynn’s Books for upcoming themes


| Links |

Lynn @ Lynn’s Books

Mogsy @ The Bibliosanctum

Steve @ Books and Beyond Reviews

Sarah @ Brainfluff

Tammy @ Books, Bones and Buffy

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

The Friday Face-Off: Hubble Bubble


Welcome to The Friday Face-Off, a weekly meme here at Books by Proxy. Join me every Friday as I pit cover against cover, and publisher against publisher, to find the best artwork in our literary universe. Check out Lynn’s-Books for upcoming themes!


Wyrd Sisters by Terry Pratchett


Welcome to the Friday Face-Off where this week we’re comparing covers featuring potions!

And if we’re talking potions, there is only ever one set of books I would want to include: The Witches of Lancre sub-series from the Discworld universe. Fortunately, this series features covers with cauldrons, broomsticks, pumpkins and witches aplenty!

This week’s offerings are the Corgi 2012 cover with classic artwork by Josh Kirby and the Gollancz Collector’s Library edition with artwork by Joe McLaren. Take a look and see which one is your favourite!


Corgi 2012 | Cover #1

Josh Kirby

Gollancz 2014 | Cover #2

Joe McLaren


| The Friday Face-Off: Winner |

Josh Kirby’s artwork is stunning and his cover for Wyrd Sisters is no exception. As ever, this cover displays a cacophony of interconnecting people, places, objects, animals and elements in a riot of colours. I love the swirling fog, the typeface and the bats in the aquamarine, and I will never stop enjoying the feeling of getting lost in one of these covers.

But the Gollancz Collector’s Library editions are something else. There is nothing I would love more than every single edition of this collection sitting happily on my bookshelves; fabric hardback covers in bright colours with beautiful illustrations staring down at me.  I love the spindly trees, the bright moon and the gaggle of witches around the cauldron. I love the elongated shadows, the crackling flames and the looping handwriting. As much as I admire Josh Kirby’s artwork, I just adore these covers!

The Witches of Lancre Gollancz Collector’s Library Editions

Which cover wins your vote this week? Have a cover of your own? – Post the link below!

Amazon | Book Depository | Goodreads


Next week’s theme is:

The Road Goes Ever On and On

A cover featuring a dark road

Remember to check Lynn’s Books for upcoming themes


| Links |

Lynn @ Lynn’s Books

Mogsy @ The Bibliosanctum

Steve @ Books and Beyond Reviews

Tammy @ Books, Bones & Buffy

Mareli and Elza @ Elza Reads

Kristi @ Confessions of a YA Reader

Sarah @ Brainfluff

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

This Week by Proxy: 10 – 16 August


Welcome to This Week by Proxy. Join me as I link up with the Caffeinated Reviewer to look back on the past week and see what I’ve been reading, posting, watching and playing!


| This Week by Proxy: 10 – 16 August 2020 |

As busy as it’s been, this week has seemed to fly by! Unfortunately, so has the weekend, which has been a strange mixture of both horrific and relaxing.

Saturday morning was one of the most terrifying experiences of my life. The other half and I were awoken on Saturday morning to a phone call telling us our nephew had gone missing in Blackpool. The police were involved and we scrambled to get out of the house as quickly as possible and make the journey to the coast. I have never gotten ready so quickly in my life!

Fortunately, before we left, we received another phone call to say a wonderful man had found him lost on the beach and had taken him to the police. Reunited with his parents and sister, he soon seemed oblivious to the panic he had inadvertently caused and spent the day playing on the beach and making sandcastles. I have never felt either such dread or such relief in my life, and my faith in humanity has most definitely been restored.

Following that, we decided to put our other plans on hold and spend the weekend relaxing and recovering from the shock.

I hope you have all had far more enjoyable weekends and I wish you all a fantastic week ahead!


| Books Read |

This week I finished The Ashes of London, a wonderful slice of historic crime fiction set during The Great Fire of London of 1666. Both skilfully plotted and bursting with descriptions of seventeenth century London, this was a wonderful start to a series I cannot wait to continue.

I also managed to squeeze in another P.G. Wodehouse novel, Ring for Jeeves, which was a brilliantly funny read.


| Currently Reading |

I’m currently enjoying the audiobook for The Doors of Eden, which is a somewhat long recording but fills in a lot moments where I can’t physically hold a book! And All Systems Red is already a joy to read and is only being usurped by A Little Hatred which I am finding difficult to put down!


| Upcoming Reviews |

I’m still making my way slowly but surely through my backlog of reviews and I’m actually seeing the sky through the clouds now! I should have two reviews for any of the above out this coming week!


| Watching |

I finally finished my Humans binge which ended in horror, tears and joy. This is a thoroughly enjoyable series which actually raises some profound questions about those we consider ‘other’ and what it means to be human.

The Umbrella Academy is, as usual, wonderfully ridiculous and makes for an excellent wind down at the end of a busy day, while the latest series of Good Girls isn’t quite hitting my sweet spot just yet. We’ll see how it fares over the course of the season.


| Gaming |

While I haven’t had much time for gaming this week, I’ve still managed to squeeze in a few games of GTFO, Apex Legends and continue the story mode for Red Dead Redemption 2. I’ve also started getting urges for World of Warcraft: Shadowlands, which comes out later this year (we hope!), so I may see a return to WoW sooner rather than later.


| Posts |

Review: Going Postal by Terry Pratchett

Review: To Be Taught, If Fortunate by Becky Chambers

Music Mondays: My Only Chance

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten… Books I Loved but Never Reviewed

Teaser Tuesdays: The Ashes of London by Andrew Taylor

Waiting on Wednesday: Orfeia by Joanne M. Harris

The Friday Face-Off: Spectacular

Friday Firsts: A Little Hatred by Joe Abercrombie


I hope you all have a wonderful, book-filled week!

What have you been reading, watching and playing this week? Have you accomplished any goals?

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

The Friday Face-Off: Spectacular


Welcome to The Friday Face-Off, a weekly meme here at Books by Proxy. Join me every Friday as I pit cover against cover, and publisher against publisher, to find the best artwork in our literary universe. Check out Lynn’s-Books for upcoming themes!


The Fowl Twins by Eoin Colfer


Welcome to the Friday Face-Off where this week we’re comparing covers featuring glasses!

While there are a fair number of obvious choices to go for, or books with only one cover to choose from, it was much more difficult than I thought it would be to find a worthy comparison within the realms of science fiction and fantasy… but I really should have started looking at children’s book sooner!

This week we’re comparing The Fowl Twins by Eoin Colfer, published by Harper Collins in the UK and Disney Hyperion in the US. Take a look and see which one is your favourite!


Harper Collins UK | Cover #1

Disney Hyperion US | Cover #2

Cover Art by Goñi Montes


| The Friday Face-Off: Winner |

Both these covers draw the eye. The smouldering sunset of the UK cover, the focal point between the two, staring faces and the overall composition works really well. The typeface is punchy but clean and doesn’t draw the eye away from the illustration.

The swirling colours and chaotic action of the US cover makes for a beautiful piece of artwork where the characters almost leap from the cover. The only negative being the rounded, shiny typeface that distracts a little too much from the overall composition.

I can’t possibly choose between them…

Cover Art for Artemis Fowl by Goñi Montes

Which cover wins your vote this week? Have a cover of your own? – Post the link below!

Amazon | Book Depository | Goodreads


Next week’s theme is:

Hubble Bubble

  A cover featuring potions

Remember to check Lynn’s Books for upcoming themes


| Links |

Lynn @ Lynn’s Books

Steve @ Books and Beyond Reviews

Mogsy @ The Bibliosanctum

Tammy @ Books, Bones & Buffy

Sarah @ Brainfluff

Mareli and Elza @ Elza Reads

Kristi @ Confessions of a YA Reader

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

This Week by Proxy: 03 – 09 August


Welcome to This Week by Proxy. Join me as I link up with the Caffeinated Reviewer to look back on the past week and see what I’ve been reading, posting, watching and playing!


| This Week by Proxy: 03 – 09 August 2020 |

Another hot and sunny end to a busy week spent indoors! Yesterday we took an expedition along the canal to feed the ducks, and my stepdaughter took us on a detour down some wooded paths to find some fairies where, by (not unintended) chance, we came across Rapunzel’s tower. Now it is, in fact, either a folly or what was meant to be a chimney for an unfinished mining ventilation shaft but it suited a three year old’s imagination very well. We then spent the rest of the day in the garden, watering plants, playing with the bunnies and reading books. Not a bad weekend at all!

I hope you are all well and have had a wonderfully, bookish week! 


| Books Read |

This week I finished Sharp Ends by Joe Abercrombie and Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey and they were both wonderfully entertaining reads in very different ways. It has taken me an awfully long time to get round to reading Sharp Ends, so I’m particularly happy to have finally read it, and Leviathan Wakes really was an incredible start to a series that I cannot wait to continue. 


| Currently Reading |

This week I started The Ashes of London by Andrew Taylor, a historical crime fiction novel set in the year of The Great Fire of London. It is an excellent read so far, very detailed and beautifully written with interesting characters and details – Taylor’s writing is most definitely a feast for the senses. The architect in me is particularly enjoying the ties to Christopher Wren’s vision of London and the rebuilding of St. Paul’s Cathedral.

I have also started listening to the audiobook for The Doors of Eden, which I try and squeeze in any time I can, and have finally (hurrah!) picked up All Systems Red, the first novella in The Murderbot Diaries.


| Upcoming Reviews |

I am still slogging my way through the review list, making slow and steady progress. Now that a few deadlines are out of the way at work I’m hoping the time I spend doing unpaid overtime is finally going to be minimised and I can spend more of my time writing reviews! 


| Watching |

The other half and I have finally finished the second season of The Order, which was both silly and highly entertaining, and have started watching the second season of The Umbrella Academy. I have also made it to the third season of Humans, which I am enjoying very much. 


| Gaming |

I submitted to peer pressure this week and started playing GTFO, a survival horror cooperative first-person shooter which is both a challenge and brilliantly entertaining. I hadn’t expected to enjoy it as much as I am doing and , seeing as the other half is playing it while I write this post, it will probably be top of the list for the coming week too! I have also played limited amounts of both Apex Legends and No Man’s Sky, both of which I am still thoroughly enjoying.


| Posts |

Review: Ashes of the Sun by Django Wexler

Music Mondays: 0:59

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten… Books with Black in the Title

Teaser Tuesdays: Leviathan Wakes

Waiting on Wednesday: The Doors of Eden by Adrian Tchaikovsky

The Friday Face-Off: Action

Friday Firsts: The Ashes of London


I hope you all have a wonderful, book-filled week!

What have you been reading, watching and playing this week? Have you accomplished any goals?

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

The Friday Face-Off: Action


Welcome to The Friday Face-Off, a weekly meme here at Books by Proxy. Join me every Friday as I pit cover against cover, and publisher against publisher, to find the best artwork in our literary universe. Check out Lynn’s-Books for upcoming themes!


The Empire of Ashes by Anthony Ryan


Welcome to the Friday Face-Off where this week we’re comparing book covers that depict action!

Amongst the many action-packed and bloody covers that grace the fantasy genre, I decided that it was about time some awe-inspiring and dynamic dragons featured on Books by Proxy. The Waking Fire by Anthony Ryan was one of my favourite reads of 2017 and it just so happens that the series, The Draconis Memoria, has some incredibly beautiful and action-packed covers to choose from – The Empire of Ashes being the third and final instalment of the trilogy.

With Orbit’s cover by Jeffrey Read going head to head with Ace’s cover by Leesha Hannigan, scroll down to see which one is your favourite!


Orbit | Cover #1

Cover Art by Jeffrey Read

Ace | Cover #2

Cover Art by Leesha Hannigan


| The Friday Face-Off: Winner |

The Ace cover is a dramatic and beautifully rendered image of two dragons in the midst of a battle. In a swirl of water and wings, the two dragons snap and snarl at one another in this action-packed composition. Despite Leesha Hannigan’s beautiful illustration, I feel this cover is let down by the blocky typeface and the flames that eat away at the page. This artwork, like the Orbit cover, deserves a clean, full-page spread to truly appreciate it.

The Orbit cover on the other hand is, for me, as close to perfection as possible. Jeffrey Read has captured a dramatic and suspenseful scene as two figures throw up a glowing shield as they are wreathed in flames. The dragon is menacing and terrifying, a true vision of a ‘monster’, and the bright colours of magic and flame provide a stark contrast to the dark and smokey backdrop. The typeface is clean and simple and only complements this simply stunning cover.

I highly recommend that you check out Jeffrey Read’s website too, his concept art is truly second to none.

Cover Art for The Draconis Memoria by Jeffrey Read

Which cover wins your vote this week? Have a cover of your own? – Post the link below!

Amazon | Book Depository | Goodreads


Next week’s theme is:

Spectacular

  A cover featuring glasses or spectacles

Remember to check Lynn’s Books for upcoming themes


| Links |

Lynn @ Lynn’s Books

Steve @ Books and Beyond Reviews

Mogsy @ The Bibliosanctum

Tammy @ Books, Bones & Buffy

Sarah @ Brainfluff

Follow my blog with Bloglovin