All Antonia Bernardin Blog posts

Welcome to the place for endless scrolling

If you don’t care about the categories and just want to scroll through my posts newest to oldest, this is the place!

Chain of Iron

Book number 8 for the year was Chain of Iron, the second in the Last Hours series by Cassandra Clare.
10 Book Nerd Confessions

The things book worms want you to know, except they started reading and forgot.
The Lost Book of the White

Book number 6 of the year was the Lost Book of the White by Cassandra Clare, the second in The Eldest Curses series.
Skulduggery Pleasant Series

I recently read all 15 books in the Skulduggery Pleasant Book series and I LOVED them!
A Bad Day to Be Jordan- the prompt project

Prompt number 4- I find a prompt, write what I come up with on the spot and post! Easy Peasy.
Audio books- do or don’t? Non-reader’s edition

I don’t subscribe to the idea that audio books somehow ‘don’t count’ as reading, or that using them as a way to enjoy literature somehow makes you lesser. I am an avid reader and I will never stop recommending books and reading as a form of entertainment,
Why you should be a writer.

Here’s the part I think you can relate too if you’re reading this. I write because it is a compulsion, there’s something in me that likes to tell stories and always has.
Top 5 book scenes that stayed with me

I like to read and I have read a lot of books over the years, so what are the five scenes from books I’ve read over the last few years that stick in my head?
How not to give a sh**- a rant

The truth is, nobody really gives a f*** about what you’re doing, what you look like or who you are.
Current WIP- an excerpt

I’ve decided to share a section from my first draft of one of my works in progress. I’m trying to be bold, as this is something I’ve held close to my chest for a long time
Points of View explained

An authors guide to points of view in writing- back to basics
Top 5 book tropes that never get old

If you’ve wandered onto TikTok lately, specifically, #booktok, there’s been a lot of posts discussing their favourite cheesy book tropes. So, I thought I’d have a little fun and share some of mine
10 Lazy ‘self care’ hacks

-warning, this blog includes swear words, turn back if you’re under 18 or faint of heart- Now, I’ve included the quote marks in the title to demonstrate that I am using that term with a bit of chagrin. ‘Self care’ is 2019/20 word for doing the shit you need to do to keep yourself alive…
Writing- 5 lessons I’ve learned

I am one of those people who has written and loved writing since they were a child, so this means I’ve written for a while now at a few stages in my life, including university (where I studied English and Creative Writing). So here’s the top 5 lessons I’ve learned about writing over the years
2021 Reading Goals

So for the last two years I’ve tried to complete the 100 books in a year reading challenge and I have epically failed each time!
Scraping some joy from 2020

I thought I’d scrape together some happy things that have occurred to me this year, in vague attempt to cheer us all up.
Defeating the insomnia demon

Me and sleep have a fractious relationship. So I thought I’d share some ways I deal with the insomnia demon
“I Don’t Have the Words”- The Prompt Project

The Prompt Project, I use a writing prompt, I write it and then I post it!
Writing a book is too hard- a rant

I have my idea, I have the outline, I have it all pictured in my head but getting it down on paper? IS TOO HARD.
Saying no- a rant

We need to talk about the power of the word No
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

Number 27 of 100 books in year (i.e. the 100% not going to happen again this year challenge) was The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins.
Staying Motivated- Writer’s block methods reviewed

I’ve collated the top ten methods I’ve seen talked about the most in my travels
Imagine Me

Imagine Me by Tahereh Mafi was book number 26 in this years attempt at the 100 Books in a year challenge (yes, I realise this is doomed) and the final instalment in the Shatter Me Series.
The Art of Silence

A rant In defence of being alone in silence. With so much noise in our every day modern lives, is it possible to create our own little oasis of calm?
One of us is Lying

Number 25 for the year is One of is Lying by Karen M. McManus. This was an impulse amazon purchase after seeing a lot about it online and then having a friend recommended it to me, as it’s not my usual kind of book
Missing that ‘lost in a book’ feeling?

Recapturing that ‘lost in a book’ feeling as adult is something most book lovers crave but find ourselves experiencing with incredible scarcity.
Chain of Gold

This book, Chain of Gold by Cassandra Clare, was number 24 of this years attempt at the 100 books in a year challenge.
The Dark Artifices

I have finally finished reading numbers 19-22 of my 100 books in a year challenge with Lady Midnight, Lord of Shadows & Queen of Air and Darkness.
Take a deep breath

a little free verse poem, by me because it’s been a while since I’ve shared my mediocre poetry!
Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy

Yes, that’s right, it’s another book by Cassandra Clare to review! This book was number 18 of the year, very nearly bringing us up to date.
The Mortal Instruments

This gorgeous series by Cassandra Clare were books number 12-17 in the two fold challenge I have set myself of reading 100 books in a year and re- reading all my shadow hunter books. This was meant to be ahead of the release of the latest book Chain of Gold in April but stupid work…
Why do you love writing?

I spend an enormous amount of time scrolling through Pinterest looking at memes about what being a writer means to people, the way other artists view us, the way those less gifted as story tellers view us. The whole thing fascinates me. There are things I do that I never realised were universal to people…
The Bane Chronicles

To continue my re-read of all my Cassandra Clare books, The Bane Chronicles became number 11 of this attempt at the one hundred books in a year challenge.
Nerdy memes for book lovers & Writers

Just some nerdy memes to make you chuckle and give you an excuse to procrastinate
The Prompt Project- Where my Soul is Infinite

‘The Prompt Project’ are posts that are essentially a way for me to exercise my creative muscles. Today’s prompt: “Write a story that takes place in the woods.”
The Infernal Devices

Get ready for the most biased set of book reviews I will ever write, I decided to start re-reading the books by one of my favourite author’s, Cassandra Clare. I decided to start with The Infernal Devices series
An Ember in the Ashes series

An Ember in the Ashes, A Torch Against the Night and A Reaper at the Gates by Sabaa Tahir were books 5,6 and 7 of my attempt to read 100 books in a year.
Letter to my daughter

Letter to my daughter by Maya Angelou was book number 4, in this year’s attempt at the #100booksinayear challenge
Less screen time- a rant

Time to put your phone, tablet and computer down, plus maybe switch off that T.V
The Great Gatsby

An update on this year’s #100booksinayear challenge, meet book number 3!
Why bother to read?

I thought, with the love of all things books slowly dying out, even among those who aspire to become writers, I might do an impassioned defense of why it’s worth the effort.
Six of Crows duology

Numbers 1 & 2 of my renewed and much more disciplined attempt at the #100booksinayearchallenge was Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo.
What I’m Reading- 2020 Reading Challenge

So, this year I am taking on the 100 books in a year challenge but this time I’m going to take a real crack at it
Public transport decorum

We need to discuss some ground rules on how not to be an arsehole commuter.
“Reaping what you sow”- The Prompt Project

‘The Prompt Project’ are posts that are essentially a way for me to exercise my creative muscles, without all the pressure that comes of writing my WIP
Writing memes- part 2

Some fun writing memes I gathered instead of actually getting any writing done!
Shatter me Series

So this series concludes my attempt at the 100 books in 2019 challenge, these books comprised of numbers 27- 33, bringing me to my grand total of 33 books in a year, so much worse than I thought I’d do!
Skelig

Skelig by David Almond was book number 26 in the failed 100 books in 2019 challenge!
Divergent series

This series was books number 23-25 in my attempt to read 100 books in a year (2019). This is an extremely biased review as I love these books!
Holes

Book 22 in my failed attempt to complete the 100 books in 2019 challenge was Holes by Louis Sachar, a classic children’s novel