Thursday's Random Quote #3

Today's quote I have picked from Amy and Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson, which I read a few weeks ago. The story is about a girl who was in a car crash, she lived but sadly her father died. She blames herself for the accident and refuses to drive ever again. That's where Roger comes in. Amy's mother wants her to drive the family car down to their new home and enlists the help of Roger, a family friend. The road trip is a life changing experience for both of them.

Walcott:- "Tomorrow will be better"

Amy:- "But what if it's not?"

Walcott:- "Then you say it again tomorrow. Because it might be. You never know, right? At some point, tomorrow will be better."

I feel like this quote has a lot of feeling behind it. Walcott is trying to assure Amy that everything's going to be okay. At this point in the book, Amy needs all the encouragement she can get. Life's not perfect and there's going to be bad days but there's also great days that make life worth living. It's certainly a good motto to live by as it gives hope for the future. 

Happy Reading

:)

xx

Review - All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

Title:- All The Bright Places

Author:- Jennifer Niven

Pages:- 388 pages, Paperback

Published:- 8th January, 2015

Publisher:- Penguin

Theodore Finch is fascinated by death, and he constantly thinks of ways he might kill himself. But each time, something good, no matter how small, stops him.
 
Violet Markey lives for the future, counting the days until graduation, when she can escape her Indiana town and her aching grief in the wake of her sister’s recent death.
 
When Finch and Violet meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school, it’s unclear who saves whom. And when they pair up on a project to discover the “natural wonders” of their state, both Finch and Violet make more important discoveries: It’s only with Violet that Finch can be himself—a weird, funny, live-out-loud guy who’s not such a freak after all. And it’s only with Finch that Violet can forget to count away the days and start living them. But as Violet’s world grows, Finch’s begins to shrink.

**Contains Spoilers**

The main reason I started to read this book was because it's been sitting on my shelf since I brought it and it seemed to be calling to me. "Read Me!" I was captivated by the sentence on the cover. "The story of a girl who learns to live from a boy who wants to die." I mean, how can you not be captivated by that?!

This seems to be the second book this month I've read that involved one of the main character in a car crash. Luckily she lived, but her older sister died in the crash. Ever since then she's been hiding in her shell, not truly living. Then this boy comes along and shakes her world up which pushes her out of her shell.

I could not put this book down. I was hooked from the very first page. The story begins in such an interesting way that you can't help but read on. This may sound a little ironic but I felt like Finch and Violet's characters had a lot of life to them. They felt real and whole. Jennifer Niven built them up so well in the first few paragraphs that I could actually feel their pain. 

The structure of the book is well thought out. When the book begins it's mostly told from Finch's point of view with only a few pages from Violet. It shows Finch's "awakeness" and the way he's trying to keep himself aware of the world around him, compared to Violet trying to hide away from everyone. During the middle each of their point of views are shown equally. It shows that Finch has helped Violet out of her shell and their characters have developed. By the end of the book, we only see Violet's point of view as Finch's has been slowly filtered out. 

This book is like a firework, soaring onto the air and then exploding, sending sparks everywhere! I could feel the tension building throughout the book towards an explosive ending and I wasn't disappointed, the ending was heart wrenching and a little bittersweet.

After reading the author's note, I was sad to find out that Jennifer Niven herself had experienced someone close to her who had committed suicide. "For a long time, it was too painful to even think about, much less talk about, but it is important to talk about what happened." This is quite evident from the way she's wrote this book. I do wonder if Finch's slow silence reflects the way the author felt about those suicides, like she felt her loved ones slowly shut down and blocked her out.

I can vouch, as someone who has had a loved one commit suicide, that this was written in a rather heartfelt way with care and respect. I, too, tortured myself thinking about whether or not there was anything I could've done differently. I'm grateful for the way this issue was handled within this book by showing the stigma attached but also giving it dignity. Mental illnesses are nothing to be ashamed of. 

Rating :- ★★★★★

Happy Reading

:)

xx

Review - Amy and Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

Title:- Amy and Roger's Epic Detour

Author:- Morgan Matson

Pages:- 343 pages, Paperback

Published:- July 7th 2011

Publisher:- Simon and Schuster

Amy Curry is not looking forward to her summer. Her mother decided to move across the country and now it's Amy's responsibility to get their car from California to Connecticut. The only problem is, since her father died in a car accident, she isn't ready to get behind the wheel. Enter Roger. An old family friend, he also has to make the cross-country trip - and has plenty of baggage of his own. The road home may be unfamiliar - especially with their friendship venturing into uncharted territory - but together, Amy and Roger will figure out how to map their way. 

**Contains Spoilers**

The weather recently has been beautiful, blue skies and sunshine, so I decided I wanted to read something that would reflect this weather. Whilst looking through my bookcase my eyes fell on this book and I knew it would be the perfect book to read right now. I've had this book for a while so I thought it was about time I got round to reading it. 

The way the beginning of the book is written really reflects the disconnection of the main character, Amy. It also gives small amounts of information about what happened to make Amy shut down. It is clear from the start that Amy feels like she's to blame for the accident and her fathers death. These chapters also set up Rogers character as well. He's a nice guy who seems to be trying to help Amy out but it is soon made apparent that there's more to it than that and that he has his own reasons for wanting to go on this road trip.

I found that the small flashback chapters really added to the story as they showed what Amy and her family were like before the accident. As the book goes on, these flashbacks reveal more about what happened on the day of the accident. I think this was a good way to show what had happened than have the characters describe it. 

Personally, I found that this book felt real. I could feel the guilt that both Amy and Charlie felt about their fathers death. They both blamed theirselves when really it was neither of their faults. It really was just bad fate and neither of them could've done anything to change that. 

Amy's character really grew throughout the book. She went from being trapped within herself, blaming herself for her fathers death, to becoming more confident and realising that the accident wasn't her fault. With Roger's help, she learnt to forgive herself and stand up for herself where her mother and brother were concerned. I'm glad that by the end of the book she was brave enough to drive by herself to her new home and face her mother.

What I really would have loved to be included at the end of this book is the reunion with her mother and brother. I feel like the author could have included all three of them opening up about the accident and how it had effected them. Also, it would've been cool to see where Roger and Amy's relationship went. Did anything come of it? I'd like to think that they at least tried to make something work.

Rating:- ★★★★ (4.5 stars)

Happy Reading

:)

xx

Thursday's Random Quote #2

I don't know if there is already a meme like this one so please excuse me if there is. Basically, I'm going to pick up a random book, open the book to a random page, pick a random quote from that page then write about it. It's just for a bit of fun and I'm sure it will help to keep my blog active if I make it a weekly thing.

"My own brain is to me the most unacceptable of machinery - Always buzzing, humming, soaring roaring diving, and then buried in mud. And why? What's this passion for?"

This quote is taken from near the beginning of All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven when Finch and Violet first start talking over Facebook. They were quoting works by Virginia Woolf which has sparked my interest in her. The reason this quote stuck out so much to me is because I feel like it describes me. I always feel like I'm overthinking and I barely feel like my mind is quiet but when it is, it's rather noticeable. Being an art and design student, it also reflects the way I work. Gathering all the research for my projects and building up my sketchbooks. It's a rather busy and adventurous process. 

Happy Reading
:)
xx

Review - Jessie Hearts NYC by Keris Stainton

Title:- Jessie Hearts NYC

Author:- Keris Stainton

Pages:- 255 pages, Paperback

Published:- July 2011

Publisher:- Orchard Books

Jessie's just arrived in New York, hoping to forget about her awful ex. 
New Yorker Finn is in love with his best friend's girlfriend. 
They might be perfect together, but in a city of eight million people, will they ever find each other?

**Contains Spoilers**

This is what I would call a pallet cleanser kind of book. The type of book you read in between two hefty novels. It clears your mind of the last book you read so that you can focus more easily when you pick up the next novel and enter into another book world. 

I was browsing the isles of a bookshop when I came across this and Keris Stainton's other book (Emma Hearts LA) and just knew I had to read them. One of the main reasons I picked up this book is because the main character and her best friend share mine and my older sister's names, Jessie and Emma.

At first, I really struggled to get into this book and I couldn't seem to concentrate on the story, my mind kept wondering off to other places. I think it was because I'm used to reading more challenging books. The books I usually read are YA so they're aimed at more mature readers whereas this seems to be aimed at teens. 

As the storyline developed, I managed to get more into the plot. I felt however, that the whole story could have been developed more. To me, it seemed very basic, like the writer had hit all the skeletal plot points but there was nothing there to give it body. There were hardly any detailed descriptions about where the characters were which made it quite hard to picture in my mind. 

The characters are likeable enough and the main characters, Jessie and Finn, have quite interesting back stories but it felt like only the basic key features about their appearance had been described. The writer did describe a few times what some of the characters were wearing but it wasn't in detail. This is one of the main reasons why I think this book is more suitable for a teen than a young adult.

Overall, I'd give this book 3 stars because the storyline was quite interesting even though I struggled to get into it. The characters were interesting enough to keep the little attention I did have. I would definitely recommend this book to teenagers because I feel like that was the authors target market. 

Rating:- ★★★

Happy Reading

:)

xx

June Wrap Up and July TBR

I am so bad at writing blog posts and posting them regularly. I'm slowly managing to get back into my reading now that I'm away from university for the summer holidays. Sadly, I'm doing terribly with my blog and not posting much. I really need to get into a routine of making blog posts and publishing them. Anyway, onto the wrap up and TBR...

June Wrap Up :-

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J. K. Rowling

I have set myself the goal of reading all the Harry Potter books this year. So far I feel that I am managing to keep up with this goal as I have read four out of the seven books. I'm really enjoying this experience as I never managed to get all the way through the books the first time I tried to read them.

Jessie Hearts NYC by Keris Stainton

I mostly ended up reading this book to help me clear my mind of the last few books I've read. As I was reading, I ended up making notes and writing down my personal thoughts so that will be posted soon.

Onyx by Jennifer L. Armentrout

I read the first book in this series last year and really enjoyed it so I thought it was about time I picked up the second one. This one was even more witty than the first one, with more heart-pounding moments and loads of action.

  

July TBR :-

Amy and Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

Honestly, I just saw this on my shelf and thought it would be a good summer read.

All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

This book seems to be calling to me so I thought I might as well pick it up and give it a read.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J. K. Rowling

To keep up with my goal of reading all the Harry Potter books it's only right that this be apart of my July TBR.

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

I've had this book for a while and thought it was about time I actually read it.

My Soul to Take by Rachel Vincent

I'm intrigued by this book and thought it would be a good story to read in between other books to help clear my mind.

    

2015 Reading Challenge :-

I've only read 11 books so far this year which isn't great but I have been rather busy with university work. Either way, I've managed to complete about 16 of the challenges below.

Happy Reading
:)
xx

Journal Writing Prompts of the Day

Where do you want to live?

In all honesty, I would love to own my own small island somewhere warm. I've always imagined that it would have a golden sanded beach all the way around it, with clean blue water. I'd build a mansion right in the center of the island where I could live which is big enough for my friends and family to come and stay whenever they wanted to.

Do you procrastinate, or do you like checking things off your list as fast as you can?

I guess I do procrastinate a little. I tend to put off doing stuff until I'm 100% sure I'm going to do it correctly. My uni work for example; I end up writing myself a list of things I could do for my work then see if I have the art equipment to actually do it. If I do have the equipment I need then I'll get on with it but if I don't then I end up putting it off.

The Unrequited love poem: How do you feel when you love someone who does not love you back?

Haiku:

Dear unrequited
To love you was like heaven
You hurt me like hell

Damn it! He should have known better. Now the cops were going to know where to find him...

...He fidgeted once more with the keypad, trying to find a sequence that would deactivate the security alarm. Nothing happened. Scanning the room, he noticed a door that lead into the back room of the shop and out towards the alleyway. That was the best way to escape if he didn't want to be caught. It was better than nothing.
He raced towards the door and shot through it. The back room was a mess, he had to dodge many items lying on the ground before he reached the door on the other end and slammed it open. A cool breeze hit him in the face as he stepped out into the alleyway. He took off, heading as far away from the shop as he could manage. Maybe, if he ran fast enough the cops wouldn't catch up to him.

Full credit for the writing prompts goes to :-

Topaz @ http://artofabeautifullife.com/journal-prompts/ 

[ http://artofabeautifullife.com/ ]

Tracie Nall and The SITS Girls @ http://www.thesitsgirls.com/writing-prompts/ 

[ http://www.thesitsgirls.com/ ]

Chelle Stein @ http://thinkwritten.com/365-creative-writing-prompts/ 

[ http://thinkwritten.com/ ]

Seedligspublis @ http://seedlingspublis.hubpages.com/hub/365-creative-writing-prompts 

[ http://seedlingspublis.hubpages.com/ ]

Thank you for creating such interesting prompts!

Happy Reading

:)

xx

Journal Writing Prompts of the Day

So, this is the first ever post where I use journal writing prompts to create a post. I started doing this because I wasn't posting much on my blog and felt that it needed something interesting to keep it active. I also wanted to improve my writing skills by using these prompts and thought I might as well post them online instead of just writing in a word document.

What Is Your Dream Job?

Truthfully, I'm torn between two dream jobs. At the moment, I'm at university studying Fashion Textiles and Accessories as I'd like to become a seamstress. Making clothes has always interested me and it would be pretty fun to do as a job. On the other hand, I would love to be a professional book reviewer. I love reading and I often find myself putting little tabs in my books where I find mistakes. I also tab my favorite quotes so that I can go back and read them again.

May 26th - Would You Rather Swim In The Ocean, Lake or Swimming Pool?

Swimming pool! Hands down, it has to be a swimming pool. I'm not a strong swimmer and I have a slight fear of drowning so swimming in the ocean or a lake would be like hell to me. I'd be much happier (and safer) swimming in a swimming pool where I couldn't get into any trouble.

Outside the Window: What’s the weather outside your window doing right now? If that’s not inspiring, what’s the weather like somewhere you wish you could be?

Today is a beautiful day. The sun is shining, the birds are tweeting and it's moderately warm with a gentle breeze. It's the kind of weather you could take a nice long stroll in or even have a barbeque. I'm sure many people would see this weather as the perfect opportunity to wear summer dresses or shorts.

The wind howled through the window. The girl sat huddling her knees waiting for the storm to be over...

...As another thunder clap sounded, she jumped. A lightning beam flashed across the sky lighting up the room she was huddled in. She could hear the rain drumming against the roof. 

 Oh please, she thought, please be over soon. 

Nobody was around. The streets were deserted after the warning of the oncoming storm and she was all alone in the house. Loneliness washed over her like waves over the sand. If only there was somebody here in the house with her. A friendly face, that could comfort her and soothe her so that she wouldn't feel so afraid.

Full credit for the writing prompts goes to :-

Topaz @ http://artofabeautifullife.com/journal-prompts/ 

[ http://artofabeautifullife.com/ ]

Tracie Nall and The SITS Girls @ http://www.thesitsgirls.com/writing-prompts/ 

[ http://www.thesitsgirls.com/ ]

Chelle Stein @ http://thinkwritten.com/365-creative-writing-prompts/ 

[ http://thinkwritten.com/ ]

Seedligspublis @ http://seedlingspublis.hubpages.com/hub/365-creative-writing-prompts 

[ http://seedlingspublis.hubpages.com/ ]

Thank you for creating such interesting prompts!

Happy Reading

:)

xx

Journal Writing Prompts Introduction

I've really been neglecting this blog so I decided it was time to find something I could post about daily to keep this blog active. After scouring the Internet and researching into it, I decided that a fun way to keep this blog active was to use journal writing prompts to create interesting posts. I plan to post nearly everyday for the next year using the prompts I found online. I can't wait to get started! Feel free to also join in with this writing challenge and link up your posts in the comments section. If you do join in, don't forget to give credit to the originators of these prompts.

Full credit for the writing prompts goes to :-

Topaz @ http://artofabeautifullife.com/journal-prompts/ 

[ http://artofabeautifullife.com/ ]

Tracie Nall and The SITS Girls @ http://www.thesitsgirls.com/writing-prompts/ 

[ http://www.thesitsgirls.com/ ]

Chelle Stein @ http://thinkwritten.com/365-creative-writing-prompts/ 

[ http://thinkwritten.com/ ]

Seedligspublis @ http://seedlingspublis.hubpages.com/hub/365-creative-writing-prompts 

[ http://seedlingspublis.hubpages.com/ ]

Thank you for creating such interesting prompts!

Happy Reading

:)

xx

Bout of Books Daily Update

Monday [Day 1]

Number of Pages Read Today: 67 to 192 (= 125) of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J. K. Rowling

Total Number of Pages Read Overall: 125

Total Number of Books Completed: 0

I decided that I wasn't going to set myself any goals or make myself read certain books for this readathon. I'd rather just pick up a book randomly and dive into it. I felt that if I forced myself to read certain books that my motivation would drift and I wouldn't read as much as I would've otherwise. I started this readathon on page 67 of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J. K. Rowling and managed to read to page 192 today.

Tuesday [Day 2]

Number of Pages Read Today: 192 to 265 (= 73) of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J. K. Rowling
Total Number of Pages Read Overall: 198
Total Number of Books Completed: 0

I made slow progress today but it's progress none-the-less so I'm quite pleased with myself. I'm so glad that I have the time to sit and read without having looming deadlines.

Wednesday [Day 3]

Number of Pages Read Today: 0
Total Number of Pages Read Overall: 198
Total Number of Books Completed: 0

So, due to travelling home today for my mum's birthday (which is tomorrow) I didn't manage to read at all. I did attempt to read on the train but the words weren't sinking in properly and I kept getting confused as to what was going on.

Thursday [Day 4]

Number of Pages Read Today: 265 to 386 (= 121) of Harry Potter and the Goblet  of Fire by J. K. Rowling
Total Number of Pages Read Overall: 319
Total Number of Books Completed: 0

My aim for this week is to finish Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by Sunday (the end of this readathon) I am very determined to reach this aim and think it will be possible seeing as I'm reading an average of 100 pages a day.

Friday [Day 5]

Number of Pages Read Today: 386 to 451 (= 65) of Harry Potter and the Goblet  of Fire by J. K. Rowling
Total Number of Pages Read Overall: 384
Total Number of Books Completed: 0

Saturday [Day 6]

Number of Pages Read Today: 451 to 535 (= 84) of Harry Potter and the Goblet  of Fire by J. K. Rowling
Total Number of Pages Read Overall: 468
Total Number of Books Completed: 0

Sunday [Day 7]

Number of Pages Read Today: 0
Total Number of Pages Read Overall: 468
Total Number of Books Completed: 0

Overall, I had a lot of fun joining in with this readathon. Sadly, I didn't complete Harry Potter and the Goblet  of Fire by J. K. Rowling within this week but I did complete it a few days after. I feel that I did manage to read quite a bit this week so I'm quite happy with my progress. To improve on this, I think for the next readathon I'm going to aim to read 500 pages.

Happy Reading
:)
xx

Bout of Books 13: Bookish Survey

Bookish Survey Challenge

This challenge is hosted by Writing My Own Fairy Tail 

1. How do you organize your shelves?

Currently, I have no shelves due to the fact that half of my books are at my permanent home address and the other half are here at my temporary university home address. At my permanent home my books are piled up in a dresser where as at my temporary home they've been placed inside a plastic box under my bed. So, it's all very unorganized.

2. What is one of your favorite book that’s not in one of your favorite genres?

The Picture of Dorian Grey by Oscar Wilde is one of my favorite books which is not in one of my favorite genres. I don't read many classics but this story has always fascinated me. My favorite genres are young adult fiction, dystopian and romantic.

3. What is the last 5 star book you read?

The last 5 star book I read was My True Love Gave To Me by Various Authors (Edited by Stephanie Perkins) I really enjoyed many of the various stories within this book and managed to review them all on this blog.

4. What book are you most excited to read during the read-a-thon?

I'm most excited to read and complete Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J. K. Rowling. I set myself the goal of reading all the Harry Potter books this year and feel that I am on top of this goal. I'm really enjoying the story so far and the writing is truly flawless.

5. What book do you recommend the most?

I recommend Adorkable by Sarra Manning as I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It had so many hilariously witty lines with in it and the characters were relate-able which helped to draw me into the story.

Happy Reading 

:)

xx

Bout-of-Books 13 Readathon

It's May which means one important thing in particular... BOUT-OF-BOOKS!!! YAY!!!  I plan to take part in this exciting event. So far I've only participated in a small handful of readathons but this one is by far my favorite because not only is it a week long reading event there's also interesting challenges/giveaways to go along with it. This is the perfect opportunity of me to get back into reading as I've been so busy with my university work that I haven't had much time to read. Here's the official blurb for Bout-of-Books 13:-

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, May 11th and runs through Sunday, May 17th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 13 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team.

Happy Reading

:)

xx

April Wrap Up and May TBR

Absence

This is basically just a quick catch up post. The past few months I haven't been very active with this blog due to being so busy with uni work but I've finally finished my second year of university so from now on I'm free to read as much as I like. Expect to see at least one blog post a week as I have many books lined up to read and review. I also plan to take part in Bout-of-books 13 but I'll write more on that in another post.

April Wrap Up

I can't say I've read much over the past month. In all honesty I've only read 197 pages of A Darker Shade of Magic by V. E. Schwab which is pretty sad really. I wished I'd had more time to read but my uni work comes first so I focused all my attention on it. 

May TBR

So, for May I plan on reading the same 3 books I had planned to read last month which means finishing A Darker Shade of Magic by V. E. Schwab. I also plan on reading Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J. K. Rowling and Onxy by Jennifer L. Armentrout.

Happy Reading

:)

xx

April TBR

     This month I've picked out three books I'd like to read. I'm hoping to finish at least two of them. I'm rather behind on my reading goal but I'm sure I'll be able to bring my total up in the summer time when I'll have plenty of time to read. I won't have loads of free time this month due to this being the last month of university for this year so my main focus is making sure I have all my work done. 

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling

The first book I'd like to read this month is Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. So far this year I've managed to keep up with my personal challenge of reading all the Harry Potter books by reading one per month. I've read the first three books in the series and have loved every bit of them. Hopefully I'll be able to complete this goal before the end of the year.

A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab

This book was on my Goodreads TBR list and I was sent an email to say that there was going to be a giveaway for this book so I decided to enter it. Luckily, I won, which I'm supremely pleased about as I barely ever win anything usually. Anyway, I started this book at the end of March and read up to page 42. I'm planning to review this book so keep an eye out for that.

Onyx by Jennifer L Armentrout

Last year I read Obsidian, the first book in this series and thoroughly enjoyed it. I've been meaning to continue on with this series but kept putting it off due to wanting to read other books. I decided that this would be the ideal time to read the second book in the series as I know it will be a quick, easy read and I'm not going to have loads of time this month to read seeing as I'm about to finish my second year at university.

Happy Reading

:)
xx

March Wrap Up

So, I've been pretty busy lately with university work and haven't had much time to read or post much on my blog. I've been so busy I haven't even posted a March TBR. This month I've only read one book which I'm not overly happy about as I'm now behind on my Goodreads reading goal. Hopefully l'll manage to read more in April.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J. K. Rowling 

This is the only book I read in March due to not having loads of time to read. I'm managing to keep up with my personal challenge of reading a Harry Potter book a month. So far, I'm really enjoying this challenge and have found some rather interesting quotes whilst reading. I've decided to review these books in one big post at the end if the year once I've read them all. 

Happy Reading

xx

:)

February Wrap Up

I didn't do as well as I'd hoped I would this month as I only managed to read two books. This was mainly down to deadlines and going to Paris for four days near the beginning of the month. I'm still glad I managed to fit in sometime to read though so I don't feel like this month was too big a bust. Here's what I did and didn't achieve in February.

ACHIEVED:-

The Iron Trial by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare

The first book I finished in February was The Iron Trial. I was already 140 pages into this book and managed to finish it with-in the first week of February. I've posted two reviews for this book on my blog; a none spoilery one where I wrote a basic review of the story and a spoilery one where I basically rambled on about my personal thoughts of the book. 

A Book Written by Someone Under 30

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling

To continue my goal of reading all the Harry Potter books this year I managed to start and finish reading the second book. I read it in just over a week and enjoyed every moment of it. I haven't yet started this book on pottermore but I'm sure I'll get it completed soon enough. I decided not to review these books because I find J.K Rowling's writing flawless and I honestly wouldn't know what to say about these books. 

A Book Set Somewhere You've Always Wanted To Visit (I honestly don't care if it's really or not, I've just always wanted to visit Hogwarts)

UNACHIEVED:-

I didn't even start The Shadowhunters Codex by Joshua Lewis and Cassandra Clare or Into the Still Blue by Veronica Rossi. I honestly didn't have the time to read these two books due to deadlines and spending time in Paris. I'm considering adding them both into my March TBR but I haven't yet properly decided if that's what I want to do. Even though I only read two books in February I still managed to keep on track with my reading goal for this year.

Happy Reading

:)

xx

Review (TV Series) - The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling

*Contains Spoilers*



Screenplay Written by Sarah Phelps
Directed by Johnny Campbell
UK Premiere: 15 Feb '15
US Premiere: 29 April '15
Number of Episodes: 3

Overview:-

Whilst browsing BBC iPlayer I came across a new miniseries called The Casual Vacancy and, being the bookish nerd I am, I thought to myself "Is this based on the book by J.K Rowling?" After researching  a little bit into the program I found that it was indeed based on the book. So, I decided to check it out and see if it was any good. I haven't read the book yet but after watching the first episode of this miniseries I will certainly get round to it sometime soon.

Plot:-

To me, it seems like this book/miniseries is focused on a power struggle between the high-class and middle-class residents of Pagford. The first episode sets up the rest of the series as we are given the complication, there is a council meeting and the high-class residents want to join "The Fields" to the local city Yarvil and turn methadone rehabilitation clinic into a spa where as the middle-class residents think it should be left as it is because it offers help to those who need it the most, like the low-class residents of Pagford. After it comes down to a vote, the middle-class residents win by one vote which the high-class residents aren't too pleased about.

At the start, the story is centered around one of the characters, Barry Fairbrother, who everyone seems to love as he is a caring and considerate person. He is the one who stands up and says they should fight to keep "The Fields" and methadone rehabilitation clinic part of Pagford instead of turning it into a spa. Near the middle of the first episode Barry dies which then leaves his place in the council vacant. Three or more residents decided, through different circumstances, that they want to be elected to take Barry's place on the council.

Personal Thoughts:-

Personally, I think that this TV series has been written and directed with the standard it deserves. I recommend checking this miniseries out because I really enjoyed this first episode and can't wait to find out what happens in the rest of this series. If the book is anywhere near as good as this episode portrays it to be then I'm definitely going to be checking it out soon.

Rating:- ★★★★

Thursday's Random Quote

Okay, so in all honesty, I don't have any reviews written up nor do I have all that much time to write one up so instead I decided to start a meme/write a random post. I don't know if there is already a meme like this one so please excuse me if there is. Basically, I'm going to pick up a random book, open the book to a random page, pick a random quote from that page then write about it. It's just for a bit of fun and I'm sure it will help to keep my blog active if I make it a weekly thing.

"Beds empty! No note! Car gone... could have crashed... out of my mind with worry... did you care? ... never, as long as I've lived..." - Molly Weasley

So, the quote I picked was from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling which I am currently reading. Molly Weasley is the perfect doting motherly figure who is constantly in the books. She gives the books a homely feel and the way J.K. Rowling has written her is outstanding. She is fierce, protective and loving towards her children. I really enjoy all the parts of the books that she's in because there's always a few funny one liners.

Happy Reading

:)

xx

Review - The Iron Trial by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare, Part 2

I went to Paris for a few days and ended up not finishing or posting this review so I've decided to do two posts this week. One today and one on Thursday, which is my usual blogging day. I'm sorry it took so long for me to get this post written up and posted. I really need to start keeping on top of my blog posts. Hopefully you will enjoy my personal ramblings about this book and feel free to tell me your thoughts about it in the comments section.

Personal Ramblings :-

*SPOILER ALERT*

Don't read this part unless you've read the book.

"It's too much like [insert book name here]" :-

After finishing this book, I snooped around the internet to see what other people thought of it and found out that quite a few people felt like it was a rip off of Harry Potter. This is mostly because Cassie Clare started out writing H. Potter fan-fiction. I, on the other hand, don't feel this way. Yeah, there were a few similarities like the fact that it was centered around a young boy who was starting at a new "high school" where he didn't know anyone and ended up making friends with a guy and a girl, but I'm sure that was only for some variety. There were loads of differences, like the fact Call may possibly have died as a child and Constantine may have placed his soul inside Calls body. Whoa! And who saw Drew's betrayal coming? Not I! I honestly believed Drew was so innocent. Let's face it, the "magic" part of the story was different too, H.P uses wands and Latin words where as The Magisterium Series uses feelings and the magic comes from with-in them. The story may have been based on the idea of Harry Potter but the authors have made it their own.

Personal Predictions :-

Personally, I kind of hope that Call and Jasper become friends and all the students end up banding together to defeat whoever the villainous character is because a sense of teamwork is always nice to read about in a book. It's quite obvious that something important is going to happen with certain characters as their names are mentioned quite a lot. For example, Call, Aaron and Tamara are the main trio so they're going to be brought up a lot in the books. Jasper is supposedly Call's arch-enemy, the none-main-character student that belittles the supposedly-heroic main character, he's brought up enough to make him seem like he's going to be quite important to this story. There's also Celia, who we get glimpses of, she seems to be fond of Call and talks to him in quite a few parts of the story. It is quite clear why Drew is constantly mentioned from the ending of the book, as he turns out to be one of the bad guys.
At the moment, it is quite unclear who the villainous character is because Constantine's soul is apparently inside Call. There's the possibility that Call could end up becoming the villain which would be interesting to read about. An innocent, to-himself child turning into a rule defying villain because he has a villainous soul inside him. On the other hand, maybe it will be Call's life lessons and his own personality that rules his actions which makes him into the hero. Who knows? There's also the possibility that the villains are going to be Constantine's followers, as with this first book. It seems that maybe they'll try to persuade Call to become like Constantine was. Another theory would be that one of Constantine's followers knew how to shift souls from one body to another and takes Constantine's soul out of Call to put back into his original body. I have no idea and my thoughts are running away with me!

Overall, as I said in my other review, I'm quite intrigued to find out what happens in the next book and will certainly be buying it as soon as it comes out.

Happy Reading
:)
xx

Review - The Iron Trial by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare, Part 1

This part of the review doesn't contain any spoilers, if you haven't read the books this review is still suitable to read.

Fire wants to burn

Water wants to flow

Air wants to rise

Earth wants to bind

Chaos wants to devour

Summary :-

The Iron Trial is the first book in the Magisterium series written by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare. It follows Call, Callum Hunt, a seemingly ordinary 12 year old boy but all is not what it seems. The time has come for Call to take The Iron Trial, a series of magical tasks he needs to pass to achieve a place at the Magisterium. All Call's life his father has warned him about the dangers of magic and of the Magisterium. Call tries to fail the tests but ends up failing at failing, now he must take up his place at the Magisterium and along with his new friends, Tamara and Aaron, he must find out what happened to him in his past and what lies ahead for him in his future.

Review :-

This book has been on my to-read pile ever since I found out that Holly Black and Cassandra Clare were writing a book together. I really wasn't sure what to expect from a collaboration by these two authors but I had the feeling that it was either going to be spectacular or a bit of a flop. I brought the book almost as soon as it came out, mostly because I was going to the book signing in October with a friend from university. The book signing was unlike anything I'd ever witnessed, it helped me to understand the book a lot better, which always adds to the overall effect of a book.

I did start to read this book in October but then ended up putting it down and reading other things as I didn't feel ready to dive into a new Cassie Clare fictional world quite yet. I decided to make it one of my to-be-read books for January/February because my curiosity hitched and I wanted to know what happened and decided I was ready to sit down and get through it. I'm glad I built myself up to it as I think if I'd forced myself to read it in October I possibly wouldn't have liked it as much.

I have to admit, I felt that the start of the book was quite slow but the pace quickened as the book progressed. In fact, the pace quickened so much that near the end of the book some parts of the action scenes seemed rushed and unpolished. I did get a little confused as to what was going on and it read so disjointedly that I could no longer picture the story in my mind. It appeared to me that Black and Clare had focused more on the plot twists and getting the writing done than on polishing the story up. 

Overall, I'm quite on the fence for this book, I neither love it nor hate it which deeply saddens me because of how much I love The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices written by Cassandra Clare. As for Holly Black, I've only read a short story by her so I'm not sure if  I do enjoy her writing. One thing is for sure though, I'm certainly going to check out one of Holly Black's books. My on-the-fence feeling isn't going to stop me from picking up the second installment of this series in September though. I am intrigued to find out what happens. 

Rating :-

★★★ - 3.5 stars

I plan to post Part 2 of this review soon, where I ramble on about the characters and what I predict might happen in the upcoming books. Please keep an eye out for it.

Happy Reading

:)

xx

February TBR

The Iron Trials by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare



I started reading this book in November and ended up putting it down then picked it back up in January but never got to finishing it so this month my main goal is to finish this book. So far I'm really enjoying it and I can't wait to find out what happens at the end. This is the first book in the Magisterium series, the second book is due out later in 2015 which I'm looking forward to.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J. K. Rowling



Last month I reread the first Harry Potter book and obviously enjoyed it so this month I'm going to read the second book in this series. My aim for this year is to read all the Harry Potter books as I've only managed to read up to the fourth book before. I'm also using Pottermore to learn more about these books which is quite fun as I get to see illustrations from pieces of the chapters. I recommend trying Pottermore out for yourself.

The Shadowhunters Codex by Simon



This book has been on my shelf for a while so I decided to pick it up and read it. I thought this book would be a good way for me to get back into the shadowhunter world before I started reading the sixth The Mortal Instruments book which I plan to do next month. This book may also be ideal to take to Paris with me seeing as I'm going for 3 days and don't want to take anything to bulky.

Into The Still Blue by Veronica Rossi

I read the first two books in this trilogy last year and completely enjoyed them so I decided to finish the trilogy this month. I really like the characters in this book and the plot lines are cleverly thought out. This is also a book I could possibly take to Paris with me because it's quite small and thin so it would easily go in my bag or suitcase.

Happy Reading
:)
xx

January Wrap Up

 This month I feel like I successfully reached my goal of reading about 3 books a month and have gotten this year's reading challenge off to a good start. I hope I can continue in this way and reach my book goal or even pass it. Here's a little wrap up of what I have achieved in January.

Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone by J. K. Rowling

I started the year by rereading the first Harry Potter book and I loved it. I even made myself a Pottermore account so that I could interact with each chapter and every bit of the story. J. K Rowling's writing is so easy to read and this series is so well thought out it was hard to put the book down. I ended up starting and finishing this book within a week.

A Book That Became A Movie

A Book By A Female Author

Dash and Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

I read this book during the second week of January and it helped to make the feeling of Christmas linger for a little bit longer. I liked the way that this story was written from two point of views, Dash and Lily's, and the fact that their personalities were so different from each others. It was obvious from the start they were either going to get along really well or just clash with each other.

A Book Set During Christmas

My True Love Gave To Me Edited by Stephanie Perkins

I decided to review the stories in this book individually and I'm glad I did so because some were amazing and made me want to read more of the different author's works, where as others didn't. I posted all my reviews on this blog so feel free to check them out. Also, please comment telling me what you thought of the different stories as I would love to hear other people's opinions.

A Book Of Short Stories

A Book Set During Christmas

The Iron Trials by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare

I continued to read this book in the third week of January but due to having deadlines and other work I needed to do I haven't yet gotten to the end. I aim to have this book finished in February. So far, I am quite enjoying this book and Call's character is written with a hint of humor behind him which makes him fun to read about.

A Book From An Author You Love But Haven't Read Yet

A Book You Started But Never Finished