tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27206539808168115942024-03-13T02:28:27.289+00:00Cheezyfeet BooksA young adult book review blogBellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05694214234512323863noreply@blogger.comBlogger596125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2720653980816811594.post-79832761482635109542018-08-13T16:27:00.001+01:002018-08-13T16:27:39.145+01:00REVIEW: A Sky Painted Gold by Laura Wood<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Hello all! Hope you're all enjoying the summer! I'm currently on holiday in a huge castle in the South of France and enjoying relaxing, playing games, and of course reading a lot! </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Today's post is a review of a dreamy summer romance that's perfect for your holiday TBRs!</span></div>
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<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1524905809l/39709339.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="A Sky Painted Gold" border="0" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1524905809l/39709339.jpg" width="208" /></a><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Title:</span></b> A Sky Painted Gold</div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Author:</span></b> Laura Wood<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Series: </span></b> n/a<br />
<b style="color: #666666;">Pages: </b> 356<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Publisher:</span></b> Scholastic<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Date of Publication:</span></b> 5th July, 2018<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Source:</span></b> Publisher for review*<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Synopsis from Goodreads:</span></b> <i>Growing up in her sleepy Cornish village dreaming of being a writer, sixteen-year-old Lou has always wondered about the grand Cardew house which has stood empty for years. And when the owners arrive for the summer - a handsome, dashing brother and sister - Lou is quite swept off her feet and into a world of moonlit cocktail parties and glamour beyond her wildest dreams.<br />
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But, as she grows closer to the Cardews, is she abandoning her own ambitions... And is there something darker lurking at the heart of the Cardew family?</i> </div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">My Thoughts:</span></b><br />
<b>A Sky Painted Gold</b> was just what I needed when I read it. It’s set in a gorgeous countryside setting in Cornwall, and it’s the perfect dreamy summer read. I haven’t read such a lovely book in a long time!<br />
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Lou lives in the seaside town on Penlyn with her many siblings and her parents. Her sister Alice is living the seemingly ‘perfect’ life; she’s settled down and married her childhood sweetheart. As the second oldest, Lou knows this is what is expected of her next but she can’t help but want more. She’s obsessed with the house across the water and its long-lost inhabitants: the Cardews. <br />
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The story begins when the Cardews return to the dilapidated house. Instantly I was swept up in their glamour and style – the 1920s is one of my favourite eras to read so I was looking forward to getting lost in the glitz and the glam. <b>A Sky Painted Gold</b> did not disappoint: right from their arrival in town the Cardews brought the mystery and the intrigue and all of the glitter. I loved reading about the dresses and the scenery at their parties, and the way they talk about London as if it is some far off fantasy place. I immersed myself completely in Penlyn and loved every minute of it.<br />
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I loved the characters. I loved Lou because I found myself relating to her a lot. She seemed to me very realistic – she at first was apprehensive about what she wanted and wouldn’t admit it, but then when she realised exactly what she wanted, she went for it. I liked that she didn’t just have a thought and then act straight on it, if that makes sense? Often I find heroines are ‘strong and independent women’ who know exactly what they want and how to get it straight away first time - which is obviously great, but it was nice that Lou acted as most people would: she thought it through first. I know for me that things take a while to take root and formulate in my mind and so it was just nice to see that in a book character. <br />
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The plot is simple and completely uncomplicated and I loved that. There’s a sense that there’s a bit more to the story than Lou knows, but it’s not anything particularly massive or life-changing, and I know this has been a sticking point for some people but actually I really enjoyed the almost tameness. There’s a point where I was reading and just waiting for something horrendous to happen, and it never really did?! And that surprised me, and I realised that that was actually super nice – it’s just a lovely story that ends really nicely, and it warmed my broken little heart just right. <br />
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With its dreamy setting and colourful characters, as well as all the glitz and glam of the roaring 20s, I cannot recommend this lovely book for your summer reading piles enough. While reading the last few pages I had the biggest grin on my face and I know it will melt your heart too so make sure to get yourself a copy of <b>A Sky Painted Gold</b>.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">What's your favourite historical era to read about? Have you read any other great 1920s books I should check out?</span></div>
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<i>*I received this from Scholastic in exchange for an honest review. In no way has this affected my opinion of the novel. Thanks! </i><br />
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</i>Bellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05694214234512323863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2720653980816811594.post-49794540371547639032018-08-03T17:00:00.000+01:002018-08-03T17:00:10.505+01:00July and YALC wrap up! Hello all! This month I'm going to combine a July wrap up with a YALC wrap up because all of my reading this month ties in with YALC so it just makes sense. Also, I'm currently suffering from whiplash (I flew over the handlebars of my bike and slid down a hill on my front) and therefore have plenty of time while resting to write a fairly lengthy blog post. <br />
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I will start with the books I finished reading in July! You may have seen <a href="http://cheezyfeetbooks.blogspot.com/2018/07/yalc-2018-challenge.html" target="_blank">I challenged myself to read as many books from YALC authors as I could</a> before the weekend, and while I only managed to read 7 I was quite proud of myself! The ones I read in July were...<br />
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<img alt="All These Beautiful Strangers" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1521382694l/38123080.jpg" width="130" /> <img alt="Floored" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1521813110l/34372905.jpg" width="131" /> <img alt="Clean" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1512856882l/34850295.jpg" width="130" /> <img alt="The Smoke Thieves (The Smoke Thieves, #1)" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1520819133l/39127492.jpg" width="130" /> <img alt="Bookshop Girl" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1519474212l/36642932.jpg" width="130" /><br />
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1. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38123080-all-these-beautiful-strangers" target="_blank">All These Beautiful Strangers</a> by Elizabeth Klehfoth - 5 stars<br />
2. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34372905-floored" target="_blank">Floored</a> by Sara Barnard, Holly Bourne, Tanya Byrne, Non Pratt, Melinda Salisbury, Lisa Williamson, Eleanor Wood - 3.5 stars<br />
3. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34850295-clean" target="_blank">Clean</a> by Juno Dawson - 5 big fat stars<br />
4. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39127492-the-smoke-thieves" target="_blank">The Smoke Thieves</a> by Sally Green - 4 stars<br />
5. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36642932-bookshop-girl" target="_blank">Bookshop Girl</a> by Chloe Coles - 3.5 stars<br />
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I really enjoyed all of these books! <b>All These Beautiful Strangers</b><i style="font-weight: bold;"> </i>is a thriller mystery that unravels slowly and kept me guessing and absolutely hooked the whole way through. <b>Floored</b> was an interesting idea that was executed really well; you can read my review <a href="http://cheezyfeetbooks.blogspot.com/2018/08/review-floored-by-sara-barnard-holly.html" target="_blank">here</a>. <b>Clean </b>was my favourite of the month, I was blown away but how much I enjoyed it! Lexi is someone IRL I'd usually avoid at all costs, but Juno made her human and vulnerable and I ended up loving her and rooting for her recovery. If you still need more convincing, I wrote a review of this <a href="http://cheezyfeetbooks.blogspot.com/2018/07/review-clean-by-juno-dawson.html" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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I don't normally read fantasy books because I never really enjoy them, so <b>The Smoke Thieves </b>surprised me with how much I liked it! I still wouldn't say that I was a particular fan of fantasy, but I'm definitely more open to it as a genre, so if you have any good recommendations for fantasy beginners, please leave me a comment below! Finally, a very quick read,<b> Bookshop Girl</b> was a lot of fun! I am also currently working in Waterstones Canterbury in the cafe, and have been a bookseller in the past and so I found it very relatable and enjoyable. I will be aiming to review the ones I haven't yet reviewed in the coming month! </div>
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Next I would normally post what books I bought this month but I have no idea tbh! As a new employee of Waterstones I received my discount card this month and so I bought a LOT of books, and then with YALC too I also had no self control... Instead I will share this picture of my YALC books, as a lot of them were new purchases and it includes all the books I bought/received at YALC too. </div>
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Of my newest books, I'm particularly excited to read <b>The City's Son </b>by Tom Pollock, which was personally sold to me by the excellent Non Pratt, as well as <b>Jinxed</b> by Amy McCulloch and <b>Vox </b>by Christina Dalcher, both of which I purchased early at YALC. I'll be making a special effort to read these in August! </div>
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Finally, here's a little about what happened at YALC! </div>
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If you don't know, YALC is the Young Adult Literature Convention that takes place every year at London Film and Comic Con. It was last weekend, and it was super fun. There were lots of authors present, doing panels and signings, and lots of publisher stands selling books and giving away swag and some coveted early proof copies. I've been every year since it started, and I always look forward to it to catch up with all of my favourite bookish people. Sar from <a href="http://readingtorecover.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Reading to Recover</a> and I attended all three days; here are some of my highlights! </div>
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<a href="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DjL-_uUXoAAxRhB.jpg:large" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DjL-_uUXoAAxRhB.jpg:large" width="150" /></a>1. Friday: <b>SLAY</b> Day and Chloe Coles! Friday was <b>SLAY</b> Day on the Usborne stand and so I got to properly meet Kim Curran and chat for a while which was really fun! I was a big fan of <b>Slay</b>, you can read my review here. I also went to a panel with Chloe Coles, Chloe Seager, Annalie Grainger, and Beth Garrod. This was really interesting for me because I want to get into publishing as a career. I also then met Chloe Coles after for a signing and she was really friendly! I often am nervous meeting an author and never know what to say, so she made me feel really comfortable even if we only spoke for a few minutes! </div>
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2. <b>Floored</b> pub quiz book launch! This happened on Friday evening after the first day. We were split into teams with one of the <b>Floored</b> authors as team captain; I was on Non Pratt's team, Non the Wiser, with <a href="https://twitter.com/readtorecover" target="_blank">Sar</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/donnamk79" target="_blank">Donna</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/lktomlinson" target="_blank">Lucinda</a>, and <a href="https://twitter.com/AliceRWB" target="_blank">Alice</a>. We felt it was going terribly so we were just there for the fun but it turns out that actually, we won! It was so much fun, and a great way to launch the book.<br />
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<a href="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DjM1UaOX0AEBheU.jpg:large" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DjM1UaOX0AEBheU.jpg:large" width="240" /></a>3. Non Pratt selling books. Some of the YALC authors spend some time selling books as guest booksellers at the Waterstones pop-up stand, and so Non recommended me some fab books! Most of them I had already read and loved (which must mean that she would be v good at being a bookseller) before we finally settled on <b>The City's Son</b> by Tom Pollock. Then I threw a spanner in the works when I paid with my Waterstones discount card - and @HSKWaterstones on Twitter snapped this hilarious pic of the transaction lol. V much looking forward to reading <b>The City's Son</b>!<br />
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4. Meeting Tom and Giovanna Fletcher. Shout out to my good friend <a href="https://elfcouncillorreads.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Alfie</a> for getting me a ticket to meet these two! They were so nice and down to earth, and I'm currently half-way through <b>Eve of Man </b>and really enjoying it!<br />
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5. Meeting Will Hill. <b>After the Fire </b>was my favourite book I read last year, and despite it's massive size and me being on holiday and v busy I managed to read it in about 24 hours. I was super excited to meet Will and he was so friendly, it was great! Definitely a great way to end my YALC weekend!<br />
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So I think that's it for my July and YALC wrap up! Well done if you made it all this way!<br />
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<b>What books did you read this month? If you went to YALC, what was your favourite part? If you didn't, what books are you looking forward to reading in August? </b></div>
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<b>Leave me a comment below! </b></div>
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Bellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05694214234512323863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2720653980816811594.post-30419082841877863732018-08-01T11:05:00.001+01:002018-08-01T11:05:30.787+01:00REVIEW: Floored by Sara Barnard, Holly Bourne, Tanya Byrne, Non Pratt, Melinda Salisbury, Lisa Williamson, and Eleanor Wood<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Good morning! Hope you're having a good week! </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Today I have a review for one of the biggest titles at YALC this year. </b></span></div>
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<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1521813110l/34372905.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Floored" border="0" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1521813110l/34372905.jpg" width="209" /></a><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Title:</span></b> Floored</div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Author:</span></b> Sara Barnard, Holly Bourne, Tanya Byrne, Non Pratt, Melinda Salisbury, Lisa Williamson, and Eleanor Wood<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Series: </span></b> n/a<br />
<b style="color: #666666;">Pages: </b> 320<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Publisher:</span></b> Macmillan<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Date of Publication:</span></b> 12th July, 2018<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Synopsis from Goodreads:</span></b> <i>When they got in the lift, they were strangers (though didn't that guy used to be on TV?): Sasha, who is desperately trying to deliver a parcel; Hugo, who knows he's the best-looking guy in the lift and is eyeing up Velvet, who knows what that look means when you hear her name and it doesn't match the way she looks, or the way she talks; Dawson, who was on TV, but isn't as good-looking as he was a few years ago and is desperately hoping no one recognizes him; Kaitlyn, who's losing her sight but won't admit it, and who used to have a poster of Dawson on her bedroom wall, and Joe, who shouldn't be here at all, but who wants to be here the most.<br />
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And one more person, who will bring them together again on the same day every year.</i> </div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">My Thoughts:</span></b><br />
I was super duper excited for <i><b>Floored</b></i>, ever since they first announced it about a year (or whenever it was) ago. I have read and loved books by Holly Bourne, Tanya Byrne, Sara Barnard and Non Pratt, and heard only good things about Melinda Salisbury, Lisa Williamson, and Eleanor Wood. The idea of them all coming together to write a collab novel was so interesting and I really had high hopes, and I think that the authors did a great job.<br />
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The book follows 7 characters who all find themselves in a lift at once, and something happens to change their lives. This day is told from the point of view of each of the characters, and then the rest of the book is told in the same way - 7 different perspectives of the anniversary of that day every year for the next six years, if that makes sense. It sounds a bit confusing described like that, but it makes a lot of sense when you're reading, so don't worry too much.<br />
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I liked the seven different characters, and I really liked trying to guess which author wrote which character, even though I was 100% wrong (it was revealed at YALC this weekend). Even though it was 7 different authors, I did occasionally find it difficult to differentiate between the characters. Maybe because I felt like I didn't get to know them well enough? That one day at the beginning wasn't enough for me to really connect with them, so I found it difficult to get to know them through the rest of the book. There were so many perspectives and I did find it a little overwhelming sometimes - but that's to be expected with the whole premise I think!<br />
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Having said all that, I did enjoy the reading experience, and I read a lot of it very quickly. Also, other than the incident in the beginning in the lift that brings them together, not too much actually happens and it's all very normal and everyday, which I think, at this moment in my life, is not what I'm in the mood for - but I know that for a lot of people this is their jam! I'm at a weird point where I've just graduated and I haven't got any plans for the future, and so my reading tastes have changed to reflect that - I need something a bit more plot-y, I think, to keep my mind a bit more occupied (sorry pals). And I think it's just an unfortunate coincidence that this is where I am when I read this book, if that makes sense.<br />
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I did like the characters though, and I enjoyed seeing them grow in the snippets of their lives that we do get to see. I found Hugo to be really interesting, his story arc was probably my favourite even though he is extremely unlikeable at first (and tbh, pretty much all the way through). I liked Sasha and Kaitlyn a lot as well, and I did think that all of the characters and the issues they encountered while growing up were very relatable. In terms of realistic, every-day young adult fiction, it does it really well and all the different characters will give a little something for everyone to relate to, I'm sure.<br />
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<b><i>Floored</i> </b>was born from a really interesting idea, and I think that it was executed really well, but it just missed the spot for me. I definitely still recommend it though, especially if you're into character-driven novels! I also loved all the promo at YALC and guessing who wrote each character, and am very happy (and amazed) to report that I was part of the winning quiz team at the<b><i> Floored</i></b> pub quiz book launch! Here's a picture of us all looking fairly astounded and amazed!<br />
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Team Non the Wiser for the win!</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">What did you think of Floored? Did you manage to guess which author wrote which character? Leave me a comment below! </span></b></div>
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<br />Bellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05694214234512323863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2720653980816811594.post-91074293973583977472018-07-13T21:12:00.001+01:002018-07-13T21:12:28.019+01:00REVIEW: Clean by Juno Dawson<h4 style="text-align: center;">
Hello all! Hope you're all enjoying the summer so far!</h4>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizAhsRZdOUE_P6Zww0dmpo5n9sise6sn13xoNJalxhiuGRbMWypzILtrp7dHjMaSEFmDUFhakBW3EF2bCHd2fqEIc_Gp04nJwjKuEYQxfu_LNyoW-1XxK0es_lGP9emgpYAdT0HNryy8A/s1600/clean1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizAhsRZdOUE_P6Zww0dmpo5n9sise6sn13xoNJalxhiuGRbMWypzILtrp7dHjMaSEFmDUFhakBW3EF2bCHd2fqEIc_Gp04nJwjKuEYQxfu_LNyoW-1XxK0es_lGP9emgpYAdT0HNryy8A/s320/clean1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My proof copy of Clean in all its shiny glory</td></tr>
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Today I have a review of a super gritty and powerful read from Juno Dawson that I highly recommend.</h4>
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<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1512856882l/34850295.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Clean" border="0" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1512856882l/34850295.jpg" width="208" /></a><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Title:</span></b> Clean</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span"><b style="color: #666666;">Author: </b>Juno Dawson</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span"><b style="color: #666666;">Series: </b>n/a</span><br />
<b style="color: #666666;">Pages: </b>400<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span"><b style="color: #666666;">Publisher: </b>Quercus Books</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span"><b style="color: #666666;">Date of Publication: </b>5th April, 2018</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span"><b style="color: #666666;">Source: </b>proof received from book club</span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Synopsis from Goodreads:</span></b> <i><br />
I can feel it swimming through my veins like glitter ... it's liquid gold.<br />
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When socialite Lexi Volkov almost overdoses, she thinks she's hit rock bottom.<br />
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She's wrong. Rock bottom is when she's forced into an exclusive rehab facility.<br />
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From there, the only way is up for Lexi and her fellow inmates, including the mysterious Brady.<br />
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As she faces her demons, Lexi realises love is the most powerful drug of all ... <br />
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It's a dirty business getting clean ...</i> </div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">My Thoughts:</span></b><br />
I haven't read a book by Juno Dawson since <i>Say Her Name</i> which was published in 2014 so I thought it was high time to get back on it. Ever since I heard about <i>Clean </i>I was intrigued, however I tend to avoid books about drugs because drugs are bad and characters who take them make me mad. However, I couldn't resist the <b>shiny cover</b> and the <b>glowing reviews</b> so I decided to put my prejudices aside and give it a go.<br />
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Prior to reading this, I decided that I'd gone off contemporary fiction. I don't know whether it's whatever's going on in my personal life (there's some shite tbh) or whether I just am a bit bored, but I haven't enjoyed the last few contemps I've read as much as I was expecting to, but reckon had I read them this time last year, I'd have loved them. Anyway, despite deciding to read something that wasn't contemporary, this grabbed my attention and I gave it a go, and <b>before I knew it I had read 100 pages</b>.<br />
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The story starts with a bang as Lexi is 'kidnapped' by her brother and thrown into a rehabilitation centre on a remote island. At first, Lexi is rude and unstable and seemingly uncontainable. I was so ready to dislike her, but I soon realised I'd fallen into the trap that the book makes such an effort to challenge: that <b>Lexi is more than just her addiction</b>, her sickness. I wanted to hate Lexi because how could she do this to herself? But as the book went on I grew to like her more and more as I began to understand her. Juno does such a good job of making her seem so <b>human</b>, and it really blew me away.<br />
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The book doesn't shy away from anything. I'm not going to list all of the possible triggers because there are many and I don't want to miss one out, so I'll just say be careful going into it and no matter how good it is, be prepared to stop if it's going to affect you (pls feel free to ping me a message if you do want specifics). There was so much <b>honesty </b>in the writing and I have genuinely been changed by some of the things I read about in the book. I won't be so prejudiced now about drugs and the illness that is addiction. Any book that is able to do that, to <b>influence and make readers more aware </b>about very real issues is surely one to be celebrated.<br />
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Overall, I really loved <i>Clean</i>. I was so, so surprised by how strongly it pulled me in and I literally couldn't stop reading. I was late back from my lunch break at work because I was too engrossed (only by five minutes thankfully but still). <b>It's gritty, it's raw, and I cannot recommend it enough</b>.<br />
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<b>What did you think of <i>Clean</i>? Have you read anything else by Juno Dawson? </b></div>
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<br />Bellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05694214234512323863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2720653980816811594.post-51505410861268272062018-07-01T14:14:00.000+01:002018-07-01T14:14:02.163+01:00YALC 2018 Challenge! Hello! YALC 2018 is coming up this month - who's excited?! I sure am!<br />
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To celebrate (and also to prepare because I am very organised and like to be prepared) I am setting myself my own little YALC challenge. It's very simple and you can join in too!<br />
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<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">It's easy: read as many books by YALC authors as you can before Friday 27th July, ie, Day One of YALC. </span></b></h4>
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If you don't know, YALC is the Young Adult Literature Convention which happens at LFCC in London. It's the fifth year this year, and it's always great fun so I can't wait. I like to have read as many books of the authors who attend every year and so that's how this challenge was born. Read on for a list of what I'm gonna try to read before the weekend! In no particular order (because I literally never stick to it):<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRBGmYGiFReIy_Fo7gECUhsn0o4BIytZpXk3GCurN3VqAxPcg7enc5QzTIvQJalBer0m5u0boerjcDwcC2eJbMbkKMFFFKMjaiC5PNvKRNJRZu6Qwqh4W57eGtRrHoI0YLXShdQ3w0seo/s1600/yalcchallenge+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="750" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRBGmYGiFReIy_Fo7gECUhsn0o4BIytZpXk3GCurN3VqAxPcg7enc5QzTIvQJalBer0m5u0boerjcDwcC2eJbMbkKMFFFKMjaiC5PNvKRNJRZu6Qwqh4W57eGtRrHoI0YLXShdQ3w0seo/s320/yalcchallenge+1.jpg" width="320" /></a>1. <b>All These Beautiful Strangers by Elizabeth Klehforth </b>- This is published on 19th July and I'm half-way through now and really enjoying it! It's very intriguing, and I'm loving learning a little bit more about the story every chapter. It's got multiple narratives and lots of secrets, and I can't wait to see how it ends.<br />
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2. <b>The Smoke Thieves by Sally Green - </b>I'm not usually a fan of fantasy but I'm gonna give this a go anyway as I'll be meeting Sally at YALC! I've heard very good things so I'm going to keep an open mind and hopefully I'll be pleasantly surprised! </div>
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3. <b>Orphan Monster Spy by Matt Killeen </b>- I've actually just finished this one, and it was so so great! I've included it in my challenge because I'll be reviewing it between now and YALC and I'm looking forward to Matt's panels. </div>
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4. <b>Rebel of the Sands trilogy by Alwyn Hamilton </b>- I read the first book of this series back when it first came out but never made it to the other books so thought I better give them a try again! Need to reread the first one though to remind myself of what happened... </div>
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5. <b>Floored by Sara Barnard, Non Pratt, Holly Bourne, Melinda Salisbury, Tanya Byrne, Lisa Williamson, and Eleanor Wood - </b>I am so so so excited for this book! I've been waiting impatiently since it was announced and I cannot wait to read it! I'll definitely be prioritising this as it's so many fab authors (and a few who are new to me too!). </div>
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6. <b>I Am Thunder by Muhammad Khan </b>- I haven't heard too much about this one but I think it sounds very interesting! A little different to my usual choice of book so I'm looking forward to it. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6_NYwzvyn3OFvsN0vpxA97QY3EzF_2ob0sohnP91LjJwzArYXoPWatByzQDwwUB8KixMVGnbhoLvTunSxkXZfCc8_pUvYJN_L9zul4G2W5Y8T12ITdbawAYBPnHgs1xJsx38HsyTr49Q/s1600/yalcchallenge+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="750" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6_NYwzvyn3OFvsN0vpxA97QY3EzF_2ob0sohnP91LjJwzArYXoPWatByzQDwwUB8KixMVGnbhoLvTunSxkXZfCc8_pUvYJN_L9zul4G2W5Y8T12ITdbawAYBPnHgs1xJsx38HsyTr49Q/s320/yalcchallenge+3.jpg" width="320" /></a>7. <b>The Taste of Blue Light by Lydia Ruffles </b>- Again, this is one I've not heard loads about but it interested me and I've read a couple of glowing reviews so I snapped it up as part of an offer at Waterstones, but never got round to it so now is the perfect opportunity. </div>
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8. <b>Second Best Friend by Non Pratt </b>- I love Non and her books so of course looking forward to whipping through this novella! </div>
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9. <b>Bookshop Girl by Chloe Coles </b>- This looks like so much fun - a book about books, what is not to love?! Can't wait! </div>
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10. <b>The Surface Breaks by Louise O'Neill </b>- This is another little cheat, I have read this one but again I'm counting it in my challenge because I read it for YALC! It's a dark and feminist retelling of <i>The Little Mermaid</i>, and although I didn't love it, I did find it very interesting. I'll be reviewing it soon so look out for that! </div>
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11. <b>The Fandom by Anna Day </b>- this is a library book that sadly has to go back to the library soon so I'm not sure I will get to read it but I'm hoping to! I've heard mixed things to be honest, but I'm intrigued by the synopsis and so I'm gonna give it a go.</div>
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12. <b>A Sky Painted Gold by Laura Wood </b>- I would be lying if the cover didn't make me even more excited for this book, it's just sooo shiny and gorgeous! It's set in the 1920s which is one of my favourite periods and so I can't wait. </div>
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I've read a bunch of other books already that will also be featured at YALC, so keep your eyes peeled for a post recommending those soon!<br />
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If you need more information about the authors who'll be attending, the best place for information is <a href="https://twitter.com/yalc_uk" target="_blank">@yalc_uk</a> on Twitter, and you can view the schedule <a href="http://www.londonfilmandcomiccon.com/index.php/zones/yalc" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Are you attending YALC? What are you reading for it? Have you read any of these titles and if so what did you think? </b></span></div>
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<br />Bellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05694214234512323863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2720653980816811594.post-38495012470918071282018-06-29T14:14:00.001+01:002018-06-29T14:14:49.593+01:00REVIEW: We Are Young by Cat Clarke<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Hello! I've given the blog a spruce with a new design and header, I hope you like it. Let me know what you think!</span><br />
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Today's review is of a gritty contemporary that I definitely recommend. Read on to find out why! </div>
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<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1518027609l/36497163.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="We Are Young" border="0" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1518027609l/36497163.jpg" width="208" /></a><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Title:</span></b> We Are Young</div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Author:</span></b> Cat Clarke<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Series: </span></b> n/a<br />
<b style="color: #666666;">Pages: </b> 384<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Publisher:</span></b> Quercus Books<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Date of Publication:</span></b> 3rd May, 2018<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Source:</span></b> Bought<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Synopsis from Goodreads:</span></b> <i>On the same night Evan's mother marries local radio DJ 'Breakfast Tim', Evan's brand-new step-brother Lewis is found unconscious and terribly injured, the only survivor of a horrific car crash.<br />
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A media furore erupts, with the finger of blame pointed firmly at stoner, loner Lewis. Everyone else seems to think the crash was drugs-related, but Evan isn't buying it. With the help of her journalist father, Harry, she decides to find out what really happened that night.<br />
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As Evan delves deeper into the lives of the three teenagers who died in the crash, she uncovers some disturbing truths and a secret that threatens to tear her family - and the community - apart for ever...</i> </div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">My Thoughts:</span></b><br />
I haven't read any Cat Clarke books for a long time, so I was excited to get back to this great author. The mystery of what really happened at the car crash attracted my attention immediately and so I had high hopes when I went in. The mystery is slow, it builds up one clue at a time and before I knew it I'd read 100 pages and I was absolutely hooked. <br />
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I love how real Cat Clarke's books are. She doesn't shy away from any topic, and I was struck while I was reading with how realistic it was; I could imagine the same thing happening at my school, and people having the same conversations and the same news stories and the same rumours flying about and getting passed around. Cat is so perceptive and she really understands teenagers, and it's extremely refreshing to read, if a little hard-hitting at times.<br />
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I really liked the characters, particularly Evan. She was flawed and she made mistakes, but she was put in difficult situations and she reacted in a way that I'm sure most people would. What she goes through is difficult to read at times*, yet she keeps going and she's determined to find out the truth and to honour the victims of the car crash. I loved how this determination helped to rebuild her broken relationship with her dad, and how she learned a lot and developed as the book went on. The plot is obviously important, but the book is also very character driven, which is great.<br />
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<i>We Are Young</i> handles difficult topics with sensitivity and professionalism, while still remaining realistic and genuine. I was drawn in by the mystery of what really happened at the car crash, but kept captivated by the characters and the honesty of Cat's voice. If you're looking for a story with a good plot and great characters, then there isn't a better choice than <i>We Are Young. </i><br />
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*trigger warning: domestic abuse, suicide, mental health, self-harm, drugs<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Have you read <i>We Are Young</i>? Which Cat Clarke title should I try next? </span></div>
<br />Bellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05694214234512323863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2720653980816811594.post-23126712954403217762018-06-07T08:45:00.001+01:002018-06-07T08:45:18.574+01:00REVIEW: It's A Wrap by Perdita and Honor Cargill<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Good morning! I have finally finished my degree (woohoo!) and so I (should) have all the time in the world for reading and blogging now! Here's a review of the final book in a series that I always love to read when I'm revising... </span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-size: large;">Read on for why I enjoyed this so much! </span></div>
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<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1522743676l/39708910.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="It's a Wrap (Waiting for Callback #3)" border="0" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1522743676l/39708910.jpg" width="210" /></a><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Title:</span></b> It's A Wrap </div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Author:</span></b> Perdita and Honor Cargill<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Series: </span></b> Waiting For Callback, #3<br />
<b style="color: #666666;">Pages: </b> 351<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Publisher:</span></b> Simon and Schuster<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Date of Publication:</span></b> 31st May, 2018<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Source:</span></b> Author<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Synopsis from Goodreads:</span></b> <i>Elektra James is back and her life is more hilariously chaotic than ever!<br />
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Elektra is hoping for BIG things this year... She's finished her first feature film (even if her character was unexpectedly killed off half-way through filming), hosted the party of the year (well, before her mum arrived and threw everyone out - how embarrassing!) and managed to become Archie Mortimer's Actual Real Life girlfriend (for now anyway...), so things are most definitely moving in the right direction. But with social media to navigate (#actinggoals #instanightmare), GCSEs looming and a seemingly never-ending parade of failed casting calls, Elektra's road to acting stardom is proving to be as rocky as ever.<br />
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Full of humour and warmth, this is the perfect series for fans of Holly Smale, Katy Birchill, Beth Garrod and Marianne Levy.</i> </div>
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<i>This book is book three in the Waiting For Callback series, so if you haven't read the first two books please read on with caution (I won't be overly spoilery though!). Click <a href="http://cheezyfeetbooks.blogspot.com/2016/02/book-review-waiting-for-callback-by.html" target="_blank">here</a> to read my review of the first book, Casting Queen, and <a href="http://cheezyfeetbooks.blogspot.com/2017/02/book-review-take-two-by-perdita-and.html" target="_blank">here</a> to read about Take Two.</i></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">My Thoughts:</span></b><br />
If you've been reading my blog or Twitter at all over the last two and half years, you will know that I am a big fan of the <i>Waiting For Callback</i> series. <b>Elektra James is one of my favourite teen protagonists</b>, I always love getting stuck into her world that is half school and GCSEs, and half acting and glamour and red carpet... Supposedly. In this book, Elektra has finished filming RAW, her first feature film, but it's been slated by the media to be terrible, so this book follows her publicity for the movie, and trying to get through her GCSEs.<br />
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I was a little apprehensive about starting this as I read the first two books so long ago and I was worried I wouldn't be able to remember what had happened. But the book opens with a 'story so far' section with a lowdown on all of the characters, which was very useful, and <b>once I got into Elektra's voice again it all came rushing back</b>. There's something about her voice that I really connect with and so it clearly has stuck with me, which is great! As with the other two books, there are also emails and newspaper/blog clippings throughout that add an extra level of narrative which I always really enjoy.<br />
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Elektra is great in this book and there are lots of <b>genuine laugh-out-loud funny moments</b>. With the help of a PR agency she's trying to build a brand for herself on her social media in the run up to the release of RAW, and it's not going well - some of the things she posts and says made me chuckle even though I was cramped on a train and it was really quiet while I was reading :P There's also <b>a hilarious incident involving a chicken fillet</b> and some jelly/fake food that had me giggling like crazy so if you need something to put a smile on your face this is the book for you!<br />
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I don't want to say much more in case I let loose some spoilers from the previous books, and a lot of what I've already said in my reviews of the previous books (see links above) is relevant here too. So I shall end on a high - <b>I really adore this series</b>. Each book's release has been timed perfectly to coincide with my stressful exam periods and uni deadlines, and so they have been the perfect comic relief and fun just when I needed them. I cannot recommend a better series of classic UKYA to keep you occupied over the summer, so <b>next time you're in a bookshop, do think about picking them up!</b> <br />
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<i>*Huge thanks to Perdita for sending me this! In no way has this affected my opinion of the novel. </i><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Have you read any <i>Waiting for Callback </i>books? What did you think?</span></div>
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<br />Bellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05694214234512323863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2720653980816811594.post-51063478906099849812018-05-25T08:59:00.001+01:002018-05-25T09:33:34.968+01:00BOOK REVIEW: Slay by Kim Curran<div style="text-align: center;">
Hello everyone! Long time no speak (my own fault for trying to relaunch my blog a month before my dissertation was due and I had to start revising for finals...) so I hope you are all well! I've got a review of a great book for you today.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Do you need to escape from the stress of revision or busy lives? Then this book is perfect for you! Here's why...</span></div>
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<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1519058154l/38619777.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="SLAY" border="0" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1519058154l/38619777.jpg" width="208" /></a><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Title:</span></b> Slay </div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Author:</span></b> Kim Curran<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Series: </span></b> Slay, #1<br />
<b style="color: #666666;">Pages: </b> 297<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Publisher:</span></b> Usborne<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Date of Publication:</span></b> 3rd May, 2018<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Source:</span></b> Bought<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Synopsis from Goodreads:</span></b> <i>Meet SLAY – SLAY do two things and they do them well: they play killer music and they slay killer demons.<br />
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When Milly, the lonely daughter of a world-famous opera singer, arrives home to discover that her mum has been taken over by something very evil, she finds herself in mortal danger. But the last people she expects to rescue her are the hottest boy band on the planet…<br />
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Enter SLAY: playing kickass gigs in the spotlight, and saving the world from demons in the shadows… Suddenly, Milly’s on the road with JD, Tom, Niv, Zek and Connor, racing against the clock to stop the demons who killed her mum… One thing’s for sure, it’s going to be a hell of a show!</i> </div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">My Thoughts:</span></b><br />
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I'm currently deep in revision hell for my final exams of my degree, and so I needed something light-hearted that I could escape into and really enjoy. <i>Slay</i> was absolutely perfect for this! <b>What could be better escapism than a boy band travelling the world to perform, and in secret on the side, slaying badass demons?</b> Throw in some interesting Aztec mythology (I'm a Classics student what can I say I love a bit of mythology) too, and I was hooked.<br />
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I love books that focus on music, and so immediately I was excited. I'm not actually a huge fan of boy bands in particular, but for artists I particularly like <span style="font-size: x-small;">*cough* Taylor Swift *cough*</span> I love following them around the world <span style="font-size: x-small;">(through social media obvs I can't afford that literally) </span>and seeing all of the tour pics and videos, and what the fans have to say about it. I love fan culture and so from that perspective, I was looking forward to <i>Slay</i> and it didn't disappoint. I loved the scenes where the boys were playing and singing together, and especially towards the end when they're writing songs together.<b> I just wanted to be on that tour bus with them too! </b><br />
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Then, of course, the other half of the story is the demon slaying. This was great too. The basic plot is that they are called to a scene where a demon called Mourdant has made a sacrifice and summoned a an evil demon princess named Zyanya who wants to summon more demons who will take over the world, and she has taken over the body of Milly's mother. The Slay boys charge in and fight off the demons, and they meet Milly in the process. She tags along with them because her home is no longer safe, and that's the start of a beautiful friendship... And you'll have to read it to find out what happens next!<br />
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The demons are all based on <b>Aztec and Mayan mythology and culture</b> (I believe) and although I did study the Aztecs at school and really enjoyed it I don't know much about the mythology or culture. However, I found it really interesting, as an (ancient) history nerd it was right up my street. It was woven into the story seamlessly, and was massively unexpected and that made it even better!<br />
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For all these reasons, <b><i>SLAY </i>was the perfect book for me to read right now</b>. It's so much fun and it doesn't take itself too seriously - even though obviously they're up against death and destruction bringing demons who want to take over the world, <b>it's kickass and it's laugh out loud funny, and it really warms your heart</b>. I loved seeing the boys in the band fighting with and for each other, and the way they take Milly under their wing is so sweet. I cannot recommend this book enough if you need <b>something to put a smile on your face</b> - it did just that for me and I loved it.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Have you read <i>SLAY</i>? What did you think? Comment below or tweet me! </b></span></div>
<br />Bellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05694214234512323863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2720653980816811594.post-65700994794199858002018-04-09T11:24:00.004+01:002018-04-09T11:24:56.577+01:00SERIES REVIEW: The Illuminae Files by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Hello! Welcome to my appreciation post for <b>one of my favourite series</b> - <i>The Illuminae Files</i>! </span></div>
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I'm going to try and keep it non-spoilery but be cautious if you've only read <i>Illuminae</i> and/or <i>Gemina</i>. </div>
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<b>THE FACTS:</b></div>
<b>Series title: </b>The Illuminae Files<br />
<b>Series authors: </b>Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff<br />
<b>Publisher: </b>Rock the Boat<br />
<b>Series completion date: </b>13th March, 2018<br />
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<i>This morning, Kady thought breaking up with Ezra was the hardest thing she’d have to do.</i><br />
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<i><i>This afternoon, her planet was invaded.</i></i><br />
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<i><i>The year is 2575, and two rival megacorporations are at war over a planet that’s little more than an ice-covered speck at the edge of the universe. Too bad nobody thought to warn the people living on it. With enemy fire raining down on them, Kady and Ezra—who are barely even talking to each other—are forced to fight their way onto one of the evacuating fleet, with an enemy warship in hot pursuit.</i></i><br />
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<i><i>But their problems are just getting started. A deadly plague has broken out and is mutating, with terrifying results; the fleet’s AI, which should be protecting them, may actually be their enemy; and nobody in charge will say what’s really going on. As Kady hacks into a tangled web of data to find the truth, it’s clear only one person can help her bring it all to light: the ex-boyfriend she swore she’d never speak to again!</i></i><br />
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<i><i>Told through a fascinating dossier of hacked documents—including emails, schematics, military files, IMs, medical reports, interviews, and more—Illuminae is the first book in a heart-stopping, high-octane trilogy about lives interrupted, the price of truth, and the courage of everyday heroes.</i></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Here are five reasons why you should read this series:</b></span></div>
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<b>1. It's told using mixed media, including transcripts, IM chats, drawings, journal entries, emails, and more. </b><br />
It's so exciting! Every page is different: one page might be an instant message chat between Kady and Ezra, and the next might be a transcript of some important video footage. Then there might be an extensive casualty list, followed by a journal entry. It makes for a really interesting reading experience, and even though it sounds like it might be really difficult to follow, it isn't. So original and addictive!<br />
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<b>2. The world of Kerenza</b><br />
The world that Amie and Jay have seemingly effortlessly created is amazing. The spaceships themselves are properly fleshed out and maps are included throughout so you can really picture them and imagine what's going on inside them. Then the relations between the ships and the different mega corporations and the intricate politics of the universe is so detailed, and it's amazing that I could take it all in and not get bored or confused. Very impressive!<br />
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<b>3. The characters</b><br />
It's impossible not to love (or hate when appropriate!) the characters. Right from the start you are invested in them and rooting for them to survive, and the way that they're all brought together and interact with each other throughout the series is really clever. Each book focuses on a different pair, however the characters from the previous books are still totally there and making a difference and that's really great. My favourite 'character' brings me onto my next point...<br />
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<b>4. AIDAN</b><br />
AIDAN is the artificial intelligence that is aboard the Kerenza fleet ships. Despite being a machine, he is as much a character as anyone else and he is my absolute favourite. His decisions are so interesting and you never know what he's going to do next, and it's so exciting and he really keeps you on the edge of your seat! His actions bring to mind big questions about AI and technology and the future and it's really quite thought-provoking and also a little scary, haha. Even so I was hooked and couldn't tear my eyes away from the page.<br />
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<b>5. It's completely unpredictable </b><br />
My final point is the story itself - it's so unpredictable and surprising and this makes it unputdownable (it's a word now :P ). From the moment I started <i>Illuminae</i> two summers ago to finishing <i>Obsidio</i> just last week I was 100% invested in the story and the plot and whether they would ever manage to beat BeiTech corporations. I won't give it away but it's so exciting and interesting that it's definitely one of my favourite stories of all time. I will definitely be returning to this series again - and I'm looking forward to picking up smaller details that I missed because it's so detailed and intricate that I'm sure there are many.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">So there we have it! Have you read <i>The Illuminae Files</i>? What did you think? Tweet me or leave me a comment below, <b>I'd love to hear your thoughts</b> about this fab series.</span></div>
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And finally, check back later this week for a review of another fab book set in an exciting futuristic world!</div>
Bellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05694214234512323863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2720653980816811594.post-12533090996337780552018-04-01T19:12:00.001+01:002018-04-01T19:12:10.844+01:00WRAP UP: March<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Hello! As it's 1st April today, I thought I would do a quick March wrap up post! I'll start with the books I read this month:</span></div>
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<i>I reread </i><b>Illuminae</b><i> and </i><b>Gemina</b> <i>so that I would be fully prepared for </i><b>Obsidio</b><i>, all by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff, which came out this month! They were just as good, if not better the second time around. Then I read </i><b>Obsidio</b><i> and it was everything I wanted it to be from the finale of this amazing series. Keep an eye out this week for a series review. </i></div>
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<i>Then I read </i><b>In Paris With You</b> <i>by Clementine Beauvais. I was super excited for this book, which is out in June, as I was a huge fan of another of her books, </i><b>Piglettes</b><i>, which came out last year. However this book was totally different - it's a verse novel set in Paris, very romantic - and I didn't enjoy it much at all. I'll be posting a full review nearer the time of publication, but I'm sad to say this wasn't for me. </i></div>
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<i>However, I then read </i><b>Scythe</b><i> by Neal Schusterman and I was absolutely blown away. I'd heard it was good but I wasn't expecting to love it nearly as much as I did. I was hooked right from the very start and I'm itching to get the second one now - but I'll have to wait until June until it's published here. I'll be reviewing it in the next week or so look out for that! </i></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Next up, here's a recap of what I got up to on the blog this month. I decided to restart blogging again since I haven't had time to while at uni, so even though I only posted two posts, I feel like I have achieved something. </span></div>
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<i>My first post was an Easter TBR post. I've been back from uni for two weeks and I had a big stack of books to read, so I posted about that <a href="http://cheezyfeetbooks.blogspot.com/2018/03/easter-holidays-tbr.html" target="_blank">here</a>. I've managed to read three of the six I wanted to read (and I'm still here for three more days) so I'm pleased. Check out the post to see what's coming up next on my TBR! </i></div>
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It's giveaway time! 😀 RT+follow for a chance to win a signed copy of This Mortal Coil by Emily Suvada! In case you need a reason here's my review: <a href="https://t.co/BV9PbFzT7b">https://t.co/BV9PbFzT7b</a></div>
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UK only. Ends 01/04/18 at 3pm. Good luck! 👊 <a href="https://t.co/zmmVtjS2ab">pic.twitter.com/zmmVtjS2ab</a></div>
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— Bella (@CheezyfeetBooks) <a href="https://twitter.com/CheezyfeetBooks/status/977908755131195392?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 25, 2018</a></div>
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<i style="text-align: left;">Then I posted a review and giveaway for a signed copy of </i><b style="text-align: left;">This Mortal Coil </b><i style="text-align: left;">by Emily Suvada. I was lucky enough to go to a meet and greet with Emily while she was over for the Waterstones Children's Book Prize, and it was super fun! We had fun cocktails and great bookish (and otherwise!) conversations. I absolutely adored </i><b style="text-align: left;">This Mortal Coil</b><i style="text-align: left;"> and I was so happy to be able to give a signed copy away. If you're still not convinced, </i><i style="text-align: left;">you can check out my review <a href="http://cheezyfeetbooks.blogspot.co.uk/2018/03/this-mortal-coil-by-emily-suvada-review.html" target="_blank">here</a>. </i></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I also acquired a lot of new books this month (</span><span style="font-size: medium;">I have no self-control in Waterstones and I needed lots of book therapy I mean what can I say...</span><span style="font-size: large;">). A fair few of them are still at uni because I couldn't fit them in my cases so I'll include them in my April wrap up, but here's some that I received while at home: </span></div>
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bg4EjJeH8tF/" style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">I’ve got some great proofs in the last couple of weeks! The Belles and Orphan Monster Spy were from my friend @alfierowland100 so you can buy them in stores already, and All These Beautiful Strangers (19/7) and The Smoke Thieves (3/5) are from @penguinukbooks 👌 isn’t All These Beautiful Strangers gorgeous?! The photos and business card are very intriguing! Thank you v much! Looking forward to reading all of these 😊 . . Have you read any of these? Which ones are you most excited about? . . #bookstagram #books #yafiction #proofs #newreleases #teenbooks #publishing #bookworm #bibliophile #tbr #bookpile #reading #ilovebooks #ilovereading #beautifulstrangers</a></div>
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A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/cheezyfeetbooks/" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" target="_blank"> bella</a> (@cheezyfeetbooks) on <time datetime="2018-03-28T17:58:05+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Mar 28, 2018 at 10:58am PDT</time></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">And that's it for my March wrap up! What have you been reading this month? Please leave your links below, I'd love to see! </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Happy Easter everyone!</span></div>
Bellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05694214234512323863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2720653980816811594.post-79186421393329500682018-03-25T15:00:00.000+01:002018-03-25T15:04:05.078+01:00This Mortal Coil by Emily Suvada: Review and Giveaway! <div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Hello! Today I have a review and giveaway for you guys! I was lucky enough to meet Emily Suvada this week, and so I've got <b>a signed copy of <i>This Mortal Coil</i> to give away</b> today!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhii4K0whRN7TooCStakDvEeoYW_rc5wYix9DOQky2dv7cqBJaTq7SBhfmq8jOj5ohqW-6a19UB8Sm-9wv94BkGFl0SqJv-8dD-Zm8zi5bp9BDrQ7qosMQN-2nYO5ZUwa7OZF06DU04aV0/s1600/29345475_10208926218833111_92385744_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="745" data-original-width="750" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhii4K0whRN7TooCStakDvEeoYW_rc5wYix9DOQky2dv7cqBJaTq7SBhfmq8jOj5ohqW-6a19UB8Sm-9wv94BkGFl0SqJv-8dD-Zm8zi5bp9BDrQ7qosMQN-2nYO5ZUwa7OZF06DU04aV0/s400/29345475_10208926218833111_92385744_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Here's my review of this great book to whet your appetite!</span></div>
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<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1498356448l/35072280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="This Mortal Coil (This Mortal Coil #1)" border="0" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1498356448l/35072280.jpg" width="208" /></a><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Title:</span></b> This Mortal Coil</div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Author:</span></b> Emily Suvada<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Series: </span></b> This Mortal Coil, #1<br />
<b style="color: #666666;">Pages: </b> 464<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Publisher:</span></b> Penguin Children's Books<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Date of Publication:</span></b> 2nd November 2017<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Source:</span></b> Waterstones<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Synopsis from Goodreads:</span></b> <i>When a lone soldier, Cole, arrives with news of Lachlan Agatta's death, all hope seems lost for Catarina. Her father was the world's leading geneticist, and humanity's best hope of beating a devastating virus. Then, hidden beneath Cole's genehacked enhancements she finds a message of hope: Lachlan created a vaccine.<br />
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Only she can find and decrypt it, if she can unravel the clues he left for her. The closer she gets, the more she finds herself at risk from Cartaxus, a shadowy organization with a stranglehold on the world's genetic tech. But it's too late to turn back.<br />
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There are three billion lives at stake, two people who can save them, and one final secret that Cat must unlock. A secret that will change everything.</i> </div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">My Thoughts:</span></b><br />
Catarina's futuristic world collapsed when a plague took over that causes the victims to explode into a pink cloud of super-infectious gas. However, there is hope in her father, a super-intelligent geneticist who writes code that can change people's bodies. He's developed a vaccine, and Catarina has to do what she can to unlock it and save the world from the Hydra virus.<br />
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From the very first page, <i>This Mortal Coil</i> had me hooked. This type of sci-fi thriller/post-apocalypse is not usually my first choice anymore so I was a little apprehensive at first, but after only one chapter I was completely pulled in. Emily's world-building is insanely good - I often get bored in complex world-building (I'm not a fan of fantasy partly for this reason) but it was so easy and enjoyable to read. Even though the science behind the Hydra plague and the gene-coding is fairly technical, I could keep up completely and somehow it's totally believable and interesting.<br />
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I really liked Catarina and the other characters. I liked how she was so loyal to her father and determined even in the most dire circumstances. She was pretty badass at times too and she could fend for herself, so it was great to read such a strong and independent female character (yes girl power!). The other characters were great too - my favourites were Cole and Leoben, the soldiers Cat teams up with. Cat learns to trust them and she softens and grows, and as the relationship with Cole blossoms into more it feels totally natural and real which is refreshing!<br />
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The plot is insane. It's twist after turn and then another twist again. I was constantly surprised, and each one kept me reading more and more. I can't believe the twist at the end - I was so shocked! I must admit that I was a little confused at the end, but I think I was reading so fast as I was impatient to finish and find out what happened so I probably could have tried harder to take it all in. There's also a massive cliffhanger which always annoys me but just makes me so much more excited for the sequel, <i>This Cruel Design. </i><br />
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Overall, <i>This Mortal Coil</i> was a really engaging and exciting read, and I'm so glad I gave it a chance. I cannot wait to read more of the series (I was lucky enough to get a sneak peak at the first two chapters and they did not disappoint) when it comes out in the autumn. I highly recommend this thriller if you're looking for something totally gripping, and for fans of series such as <i>The Illuminae Files. </i>I loved it!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">So do you want to win this signed copy of <i>This Mortal Coil</i>? Comment below with why you want to read it, or head over to Twitter and <a href="https://twitter.com/CheezyfeetBooks/status/977908755131195392" target="_blank">retweet the giveaway tweet</a> to be in with a chance to win! </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Giveaway T&Cs: Ends 1st April 3pm UK time. UK entrants only. </span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div>
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</i>Bellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05694214234512323863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2720653980816811594.post-57481483156539767792018-03-23T20:58:00.000+00:002018-03-23T20:58:30.732+00:00Easter Holidays TBR<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I'm back from uni for the Easter holidays so I thought I would share what I'll be reading over the break.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNgKQcvbrCyVKKB7dmpbjlpXuLcv55JQETuUPP3p9i6Iin2l57C-1j3ctEhBu1zxNDfkyRG6QT3589pr-jn7Kat18lHtR3gRsUAJxBLPIWKqqbRZoQeF6yLQ9dz29NecU10D-5F-YEF90/s1600/29391544_10208919940036145_1522384354_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNgKQcvbrCyVKKB7dmpbjlpXuLcv55JQETuUPP3p9i6Iin2l57C-1j3ctEhBu1zxNDfkyRG6QT3589pr-jn7Kat18lHtR3gRsUAJxBLPIWKqqbRZoQeF6yLQ9dz29NecU10D-5F-YEF90/s320/29391544_10208919940036145_1522384354_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I'm currently reading...</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSk5eQRQcrOvSteh2DlH7igt5pCh6bkjeySmWtvLJOybfE2_s9A7afRxG9AAgfp0gHLnAACZ-71TOWZOhEw7i4Ao6isXva4kHnSA_89VTgA_W_i3wrK6fs5OFjdK4yatKYI7PrSp690xM/s1600/29138694_10208919960396654_849931436_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="737" data-original-width="750" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSk5eQRQcrOvSteh2DlH7igt5pCh6bkjeySmWtvLJOybfE2_s9A7afRxG9AAgfp0gHLnAACZ-71TOWZOhEw7i4Ao6isXva4kHnSA_89VTgA_W_i3wrK6fs5OFjdK4yatKYI7PrSp690xM/s200/29138694_10208919960396654_849931436_n.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="color: black; font-size: large;">OBSIDIO by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff</span></b></div>
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<i>I've been excited for this for sooo long. I preordered it back in April and it's finally here! I absolutely love this series; it's one of my favourites and I'll be writing a fuller post about it when I've finished Obsidio so keep an eye out for that. But if you haven't read these yet then I really recommend you get on it!</i><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">After this I shall be reading (in no particular order)...</span></b></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNxBKoKBdP9yKsZpaiXMi8Tw6zeZ6Z4DdJb16XlHU0R3v6C2CP0ktve6KNC8d7kZmILaRe_vUICN7CiLX1dbYlCnAIB4V0-W2puZxUlpwt7uqFvdV85EgN23pQyvoNHK6lO-jWKx3tuXg/s1600/29340758_10208919960276651_1849062324_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="746" data-original-width="750" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNxBKoKBdP9yKsZpaiXMi8Tw6zeZ6Z4DdJb16XlHU0R3v6C2CP0ktve6KNC8d7kZmILaRe_vUICN7CiLX1dbYlCnAIB4V0-W2puZxUlpwt7uqFvdV85EgN23pQyvoNHK6lO-jWKx3tuXg/s200/29340758_10208919960276651_1849062324_n.jpg" width="200" /></a><b><span style="font-size: large;">IN PARIS WITH YOU by Clementine Beauvais</span></b></span></b><br />
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<i>I read Clementine's first book </i>Piglettes<i> over the summer and absolutely loved it so I can't wait to read this new one! It's a verse novel set in Paris, when two people meet again after ten years apart and revive their relationship. I haven't read a verse novel in a long time and who can turn down a Parisian romance?! </i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ne-7SLXDOxqWgu6Qzyi5GK3PrelzpieVRjXQuPDtzHqcZT_3plGznufeA__zONUcgxsliHZSJWTZhmjgn7KuuCcA3z9ZYUbEh4EkxRkbTnEb0vsWzU7MIS9jFSR4HQXfTS2cJ3iwwoc/s1600/29138026_10208919959796639_1493996952_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="748" data-original-width="744" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ne-7SLXDOxqWgu6Qzyi5GK3PrelzpieVRjXQuPDtzHqcZT_3plGznufeA__zONUcgxsliHZSJWTZhmjgn7KuuCcA3z9ZYUbEh4EkxRkbTnEb0vsWzU7MIS9jFSR4HQXfTS2cJ3iwwoc/s200/29138026_10208919959796639_1493996952_n.jpg" width="198" /></a><b><span style="font-size: large;">GOODBYE PERFECT by Sara Barnard</span></b><br />
<i>Sara Barnard is an author on my auto-buy list and so I had to get this as soon as it came out... And then I got distracted by other books and never got to reading it! I've heard good things from lots of people, and I know Sara's writing is great so I can't wait to finally get around to reading it. Also isn't it pretty! </i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghSPxmElKrQwU603vbEzp2KjzcnXZZ6k5rUgpXyDlN_fq1RqvL_2h6rOAp6K0hba_BmbAgvgVl_fut62Lv7msu3aeo3cP9Ii4I0snzKUVuqVFayXsRt29NlPxdRDhNMvnSUd-WP_LpjdE/s1600/29020100_10208919960876666_490896825_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="739" data-original-width="750" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghSPxmElKrQwU603vbEzp2KjzcnXZZ6k5rUgpXyDlN_fq1RqvL_2h6rOAp6K0hba_BmbAgvgVl_fut62Lv7msu3aeo3cP9Ii4I0snzKUVuqVFayXsRt29NlPxdRDhNMvnSUd-WP_LpjdE/s200/29020100_10208919960876666_490896825_n.jpg" width="200" /></a><b><span style="font-size: large;">SCYTHE by Neal Schusterman</span> </b><br />
<i>I don't know a lot about this book but it sounds very interesting! Two teenagers have to train to be Scythes, people who take others' lives as population control in a world where death has been conquered. It's a book club book this month and a good friend of mine loved it so I'm looking forward to giving it a go! </i><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">MORE THAN WE CAN TELL by Brigid Kemmerer</span></b><br />
<i>I'd picked this one up to buy in Waterstones so many times so I finally took the plunge and purchased it. I'm so excited to read it, it sounds really interesting and I've been meaning to try something by Brigid for a while now. </i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmC6_STncSURuxcd1IGLbOevqqGIrFUIbI6qUSC47hV-vLu7ZVhYQybv0ObydPA67miJj01AvSpU-kuV5uJpH4WQn_vBzg08rWg8Ib6r1bCyfhXzI_xejAVNXz3V2yB98LSisgNVmc7Xk/s1600/29134249_10208919961076671_1543331123_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="743" data-original-width="750" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmC6_STncSURuxcd1IGLbOevqqGIrFUIbI6qUSC47hV-vLu7ZVhYQybv0ObydPA67miJj01AvSpU-kuV5uJpH4WQn_vBzg08rWg8Ib6r1bCyfhXzI_xejAVNXz3V2yB98LSisgNVmc7Xk/s200/29134249_10208919961076671_1543331123_n.jpg" width="200" /></a><b><span style="font-size: large;">THE CHILDREN OF CASTLE ROCK by Natasha Farrant</span></b><br />
<i>I love a good middle grade novel and so I'm very excited for this one! It's a boarding school adventure which is right up my street. It's published this month by Faber and Faber and so I'll try to get to it very soon. Also, isn't the proof gorgeous?!</i><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Have you read any of these? I know it's ambitious to want to read all of these in two weeks (especially when I also have a dissertation to write...) but I'm going to give it a go! Which should I start with? </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Also I'm playing around with my blog design as I'm trying to relaunch so please bear with and do let me know what you like/what you don't!</span></div>
<br />Bellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05694214234512323863noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2720653980816811594.post-80916379640241515272018-01-06T14:46:00.000+00:002018-01-06T14:46:49.969+00:00Book Review: Moxie by Jennifer Mathieu<div style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% rgb(176, 224, 230); padding: 5px 8px; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1496848637l/35383830.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Moxie" border="0" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1496848637l/35383830.jpg" width="130" /></a><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Title:</span></b> Moxie</div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Author: </span></b>Jennifer Mathieu<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-weight: bold;">Series: </span><span class="Apple-style-span">n/a</span><br />
<b style="color: #666666;">Pages:</b> 340<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Publisher:</span></b> Hodder Children's Books<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Date of Publication:</span></b> 21st September 2017<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Source:</span></b> borrowed from <a href="http://www.readingtorecover.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Reading to Recover</a><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Synopsis from Goodreads:</span></b> <br />
<i>It's time to fight like a girl!<br />
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Vivian Carter is fed up. Fed up with her high school teachers who think the football team can do no wrong. Fed up with sexist dress codes, hallway harassment and gross comments from guys during class. But most of all, Viv Carter is fed up with always following the rules.<br />
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Viv's mum was a tough-as-nails, punk rock Riot Grrrl in the '90s, and now Viv takes a page from her mother's past and creates Moxie, a feminist zine that she distributes anonymously to her classmates. She's just blowing off steam, but other girls respond and spread the Moxie message. As Viv forges friendships with other young women across the divides of cliques and popularity rankings, she realises that what she has started is nothing short of a girl revolution.</i> </div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">My Thoughts:</span></b><br />
This book was <b>GREAT</b>. I don’t think I could have a better book to start the year, to be honest! <br />
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Viv is sick of the sexism that rules her small town high school, so when she finally decides to do something about it, <b>MOXIE is born</b>. She secretly leaves copies of the MOXIE zine in the girls’ bathrooms, calling the girls to action and it takes off. The story follows the girls as they fight back against the sexism in the school. <br />
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I was lucky enough to go to an all girls grammar school in Kent where we were always pushed to do the best we could and we were never held back because we were girls, and so I was rather shocked at some of the things that went on in Viv’s high school. But I wasn’t upset for too long because <b>Viv and Lucy and the other girls fought back in such exciting and innovative ways</b> that it was impossible not to cheer and celebrate their breakthroughs with them. <br />
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The book makes such a powerful point about how even though it is 2017, there is still a lot left to do to undo such <b>ingrained sexism</b> in our schools and lives. I’ve read other books like this that have come across preachy and a bit too info-dump-y, but <i>Moxie</i> is written so well that it is natural, yet still informative and a call to arms against things that are so ingrained we often miss that they are completely sexist. The MOXIE campaigns start small, yet grow to be so big and influential and its impossible to read and not feel inspired to stand up for what is right and what we need to, as women. Everything has to start somewhere so <b>what's stopping every single one of us from doing our bit?</b><br />
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<i>Moxie</i> was just such a joy to read. I was enraged by things that happened to the girls in East Rockport High School, and I wish I could have been right there with them to make a stand against sexism, so when they did and they succeed it is so <b>empowering</b>! I cannot recommend it enough if you need some small hope in humanity or if you’re on the hunt for some girl power. <b>Every teenager (and actually just every person!) needs to read this! </b>Bellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05694214234512323863noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2720653980816811594.post-90064178974047668832017-08-16T15:14:00.000+01:002017-08-16T15:14:28.514+01:00#readFreshers: BACK TO CAMPUSHey guys! Welcome to my stop on the Freshers blog tour. This book is hilarious and so much fun and I'm so excited to have Tom and Lucy on the blog today!<br />
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<img height="281" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=0f9a7025b7&view=fimg&th=15de1940d22322a9&attid=0.1.1&disp=emb&attbid=ANGjdJ_54AvkDQvU2qI-DLtz0__c09ZfMb4-LUvcHXDwRNkDgL-Xz1MePs3namhQ6NYus_mgJ4mWWHZazrRJVhacMG3iIYgqJE5Ko7GiUIpijDuIxEEpnQyWHV-UcT0&sz=s0-l75-ft&ats=1502891918303&rm=15de1940d22322a9&zw&atsh=1" width="400" /></div>
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Here's Tom and Lucy's offering for today!</div>
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As soon as we started writing FRESHERS, we knew we wanted to go back to York university. We spent three years there between 2001-2004 (Lucy) and 2002-2005 (Tom), and we knew that if we wanted to write a realistic campus novel, we had to go back to the campus we'd once called home. So, back in February 2016, we did. Here's a photo of Lucy reminiscing outside the big central hall building (which features quite a bit in FRESHERS). </div>
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<a href="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=0f9a7025b7&view=fimg&th=15de1940d22322a9&attid=0.1.2&disp=emb&attbid=ANGjdJ-aRp3EcfCWnYRVnEbcgzegp7Z2RF-lnIjcLruVe4Lc451SFwEp1e85xk_PDb_8lxVW0P1LOUO2woQMrSVAnt2GiDDVPN5DHdE36QIeB1hujErBNuMTQ5mxMok&sz=s0-l75-ft&ats=1502891918304&rm=15de1940d22322a9&zw&atsh=1" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="IMG_0336.JPG" border="0" height="240" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=0f9a7025b7&view=fimg&th=15de1940d22322a9&attid=0.1.2&disp=emb&attbid=ANGjdJ-aRp3EcfCWnYRVnEbcgzegp7Z2RF-lnIjcLruVe4Lc451SFwEp1e85xk_PDb_8lxVW0P1LOUO2woQMrSVAnt2GiDDVPN5DHdE36QIeB1hujErBNuMTQ5mxMok&sz=s0-l75-ft&ats=1502891918304&rm=15de1940d22322a9&zw&atsh=1" width="320" /></a></div>
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While we were on campus, we managed to sneak into our old corridors and have a look around, and it was comforting (and horrifying) to find out that students today are still as gross as we were back in 2001/2002. The corridors were sticky and smelly, and the kitchens were basically pasta-sauce-spattered bomb sites. We also spoke to as many genuine freshers as we could to see how they were finding the uni experience so far. </div>
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The biggest change (aside from social media, which was only just breaking as we left uni) was the fees. Now that it costs SO much more to go to uni, there's less of the who-cares-about-work-let's-party attitude that there was in our day. The freshers we chatted to felt that they couldn't JUST drink and go crazy when there's so much money at stake... Anyway, here are a couple of photos of us from our Freshers terms, looking about as 'Early Noughties' as it's possible to look.<br />
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<img alt="lucycampus.jpg" height="200" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=0f9a7025b7&view=fimg&th=15de1940d22322a9&attid=0.1.3&disp=emb&attbid=ANGjdJ9LKG81_EBy2oAkwoqX8thrVJ7o08zLexIqmYCIx7X7l8FzFXtrzQQL1LQtpiJS-bSfPB94JSZyDlTa0AUTekzQ5vIG3-Uav8EDQTtR7TBjGtykvPqIhtuIYck&sz=s0-l75-ft&ats=1502891918304&rm=15de1940d22322a9&zw&atsh=1" width="150" /> <img alt="tomcampus.JPG" height="150" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=0f9a7025b7&view=fimg&th=15de1940d22322a9&attid=0.1.4&disp=emb&attbid=ANGjdJ_9TYCv5FCBjdBH1pu3BWCBzx8ren-B23F7YGzvELLiun60a1V6YWFrNFPSZCD4LIH3OyXbqvn_NdPExvszAeayVv1l-uhKkr2EIOYsQjNP1l2gC8QSYs2c16o&sz=s0-l75-ft&ats=1502891918304&rm=15de1940d22322a9&zw&atsh=1" width="200" /></div>
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In the back of Lucy's picture is a photo montage called the 'Wall of Shame' (i.e. drunken snaps of her and her mates on nights out). This must have been knocking around in Lucy's subconscious somewhere or other, because it came naming the football team's (very grim) social media group in FRESHERS, we went for... 'The Wall of Shame'. And please also note the 'Campus Cliche Trifecta' of Bruce Lee sticker, acoustic guitar and 'Glastonbury 2002' aerial poster in the background of Tom's picture. Great stuff.<br />
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So now it's my turn! H<span style="text-align: start;">ere’s an anecdote from my Freshers week…</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioTak1pMdFvO3YL2AHrVAq0FMRKaN1gEX9hHhQ7dLMoQrwbEKUN5j8OxKNp_6Xan5vmDIh_PWTtpBh8p1_1jHV9Q0UkMbfQborAXV4Sl1j0_lZBjQ4cm9KNCovH5eBvx8xybjmZCax8Ls/s1600/MOET+veg+drawer.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioTak1pMdFvO3YL2AHrVAq0FMRKaN1gEX9hHhQ7dLMoQrwbEKUN5j8OxKNp_6Xan5vmDIh_PWTtpBh8p1_1jHV9Q0UkMbfQborAXV4Sl1j0_lZBjQ4cm9KNCovH5eBvx8xybjmZCax8Ls/s200/MOET+veg+drawer.JPG" width="150" /></a>It stars my next-door neighbour, Oscar. He moved into our cruddy halls with a twelve bottle crate of Moët and Chandon, which he boastingly told us was his ‘tipple of choice’ (throughout the year I would regularly find bottles of Moët in the veg drawer in our tiny fridge, as they were too big to fit in the door). As Freshers went on I talked to him a little but not a lot – I could tell from the start that we were very different people, and we didn’t have much to talk about, tbh.<br />
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My anecdote is from Thursday night of Freshers. I’ll set the scene – I’d slept badly all week, what with a new bed and a whole new uni life and noisy club-loving flatmates, and by Thursday night I’d had just about enough of being woken up at 3am by their return home or their drunken night time antics. I don’t know how they managed to function on such little sleep and so much alcohol, but Freshers does weird things to people, doesn’t it?</div>
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So, Thursday night, 1am, I’m woken by Oscar’s bed gently knocking against our shared wall (just great). I somehow managed to ignore this and go back to sleep, only to be woken again at 3am by shouting just outside my door. As I regained consciousness, I realised it was Oscar, shouting. Since he was being so loud in his drunken Moët haze (I don’t know what happened in these two hours as I’d been asleep), a couple of my other sleepy flatmates had crept into his room while he went to the loo and confiscated his Moët!<br />
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So I’m angry in my bed because I’ve been woken up again, and Oscar’s getting angrier and angrier in the corridor shouting, “Where’s my Moët?! Where’s my f*cking Moët? My father paid good money for that! I WANT MY F*CKING MOËT!!”. He was getting louder and louder, and my other flatmates were having to wrestle him into his room to calm him down. That was when I lost it: I got out of bed, in my favourite Christmas pajamas (I needed comfort okay) and I wrenched my door open, barged into his room and shouted at the top of my voice, “You want your f*cking Moët?! I WANT MY F*CKING SLEEP!” I stood there menacingly, (all 5”2 of me lol) for a tense second, with Oscar and my other flatmates staring at me like ‘wtf just happened is she for real??’. Then I flounced out the room and slammed my door, got into bed, and didn’t hear a peep from anyone, Oscar included, for the rest of the night. I had won!<br />
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And finally, if you still need convincing, here's my top five reasons for reading FRESHERS:</div>
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1. <b>It's hilarious</b> – I laughed out loud SO much and got some weird looks in public for it</div>
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2. <b>Girl Power</b> - It has one of the best
female friendships I’ve read recently in YA. Phoebe, Frankie, and Negin are my
absolute favs. Girl power! <o:p></o:p></div>
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3. <o:p></o:p><b>Honesty</b> – I was a Fresher only two years ago and this has captured my experience in so many ways - both the bad and the good (I love uni but it really sucks sometimes)</div>
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4. <b>It's real</b> - I know so many people at
uni who could have walked out of this book, and the experiences that Phoebe and
Luke have are spot on <o:p></o:p></div>
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5. <b>Quidditch - </b>Just believe me, quidditch sounds <i>great</i> </div>
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And there we have it! Thanks for stopping by on the tour today and make sure to check out the other stops! And thanks Nina for my copy! </div>
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Bellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05694214234512323863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2720653980816811594.post-45966829324604566052017-06-18T14:17:00.001+01:002017-06-18T14:21:04.938+01:00Book Review: Juniper Lemon's Happiness Index by Julie Israel<div style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% rgb(176, 224, 230); padding: 5px 8px; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1488474418l/33871765.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Juniper Lemon’s Happiness Index" border="0" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1488474418l/33871765.jpg" width="130" /></a><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Title:</span></b> Juniper Lemon's Happiness Index</div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Author:</span></b> Julie Israel<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Series: </span></b> n/a<br />
<b style="color: #666666;">Pages: </b> 308<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Publisher:</span></b> Penguin<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Date of Publication:</span></b> 1st June 2017<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Source:</span></b> For review from publisher*<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Synopsis from Goodreads:</span></b> <i>It's hard to keep close a person everyone keeps telling you is gone.<br />
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It's been sixty-five painful days since the death of Juniper's big sister, Camilla. On her first day back at school, bracing herself for the stares and whispers, Juniper borrows Camie's handbag for luck - and discovers an unsent break-up letter inside. It's mysteriously addressed to 'You' and dated July 4th - the day of Camie's accident. Desperate to learn the identity of Camie's secret love, Juniper starts to investigate.<br />
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But then she loses something herself. A card from her daily ritual, The Happiness Index: little notecards on which she rates the day. The Index has been holding Juniper together since Camie's death - but without this card, there's a hole. And this particular card contains Juniper's own secret: a memory that she can't let anyone else find out.</i> </div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">My Thoughts:</span></b><br />
I was very excited to find this waiting for me when I got back from uni, and I took it on holiday with me to read straight away. The writing is very easy to read and I found that even though I've never experienced anything like Juniper's experience before, it was easy to get lost in her story and really feel for her. Despite the dark subject matter it manages not to be overwhelming and it is a truly great read.<br />
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I got stuck in quickly and the novel as a whole didn't take me long at all. I loved the plot line and how it unfolded, with Juniper and her friends searching for and finding lost things - first her missing index card, and then other things that push the story onwards (I won't spoil the mystery with what they are!). Throughout Juniper is also searching for someone she doesn't know who was dear to her sister, and this mystery propels the story forward and keeps you wanting more in just the right way.<br />
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The way that Julie Israel deals with Juniper's grief is expertly done. The heaviness of the topic could be difficult to wade through, and although at times it does get slightly darker when it seems that everyday life is too difficult, on the whole Israel keeps it honest and real and lightens it with Juniper's wit and sassiness in a perfect balance.<br />
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Overall it's a really great read, and even though with a grief and loss theme you might not think it would be great for your summer TBRs, it really is worth the read. I cannot recommend it enough, and at only 300ish pages it's perfect for a day on the beach or by the pool. Also isn't the cover gorgeous? Go buy it!<br />
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<i>*Huge thanks to Penguin for sending me this in exchange for an honest review! In no way has this affected my opinion of the book. </i>Bellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05694214234512323863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2720653980816811594.post-80496455596207472022017-05-26T21:56:00.003+01:002017-05-26T21:56:39.510+01:00Book Review: When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon<div style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% rgb(176, 224, 230); padding: 5px 8px; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1491407218l/34806324.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="When Dimple Met Rishi" border="0" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1491407218l/34806324.jpg" width="133" /></a><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Title:</span></b> When Dimple Met Rishi</div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Author:</span></b> Sandhya Menon<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Series: </span></b>n/a<br />
<b style="color: #666666;">Pages: </b> 384<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Publisher:</span></b> Hodder Paperbacks<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Date of Publication:</span></b> 1st June, 2017<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Source:</span></b> Publisher via NetGalley<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Synopsis from Goodreads:</span></b> <i>The arranged-marriage YA romcom you didn't know you wanted or needed... <br />
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Meet Dimple.</b><br />
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Her main aim in life is to escape her traditional parents, get to university and begin her plan for tech world domination.<br />
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Meet Rishi.</b><br />
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He's rich, good-looking and a hopeless romantic. His parents think Dimple is the perfect match for him, but she's got other plans...<br />
<br /><b>
Dimple and Rishi may think they have each other figured out. But when opposites clash, love works hard to prove itself in the most unexpected ways.</b><br />
<br />
Perfect for fans of Rainbow Rowell, Jenny Han and Nicola Yoon, WHEN DIMPLE MET RISHI is a frothy, funny contemporary romance set at a coding convention in San Francisco over one exciting summer. Told from the dual perspectives of two Indian American protagonists, Dimple is fighting her family traditions while Rishi couldn't be happier to follow in the footsteps of his parents. Could sparks fly between this odd couple, or is this matchmaking attempt doomed to fail?</i> </div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">My Thoughts:</span></b><br />
As soon as I heard about this book, I knew I had to read it. It sounded just up my street, and especially exciting as it's about a culture I know pretty much nothing about, tbh, apart from the stereotypes. I was also very interested to read <b>an approach to arranged marriage that wasn't extremely negative</b>, and I feel like I learned a lot from the protagonists, Dimple and Rishi. Even though it took me a long time to read due to exams and uni and general life stresses getting in the way of my reading, I really really enjoyed it.<br />
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<br />
Sandhya Menon really excels at writing <b>believable</b> and <b>relatable</b> characters. I really loved (or hated, when appropriate!) every one of them. Dimple and Rishi are just perfect. I loved Dimple's confidence and determination to go off and do what she wanted to do - coding - delightfully nerdy and defiant of usual gender stereotypes so woop woop - and give her all to it. Then Rishi was so nice and kind and just the perfect guy, right from the beginning, and I loved how he was <b>so unashamed of his culture</b> and heritage and how he defended it completely even under pressure. And his artwork! I wish I could just be friends with them both haha.<br />
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<br />
Even though their relationship gets off to a... rocky, start, shall we say, right from the beginning as the reader I was rooting for them. They fire off each other so perfectly, and then as they grow to get to know each other more they fit together so well that you just can't help but fall for them. Even though their relationship was a little predictable and I saw the twists coming, it didn't matter because it was <b>just so cute and perfect</b>. That's not to say that the twists didn't still rip my heart out because they did; the last 10% is like multiple punches in the heart tbh, though so don't worry about that. They still have a lot of impact!<br />
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I really liked the setting of Insomnia Con too. It was so cool to see characters being <b>so openly nerdy and geeky</b> - Dimple really did love coding in such an unashamed way that I've rarely seen in books or in real life, honestly. Then I loved Rishi's passion for comic book art - the sketch off at the party was one of my favourite parts of the novel. It'd be so cool if the finished copy of the book came with some illustrations (but alas I don't think that that is in the pipeline). *hint hint*<br />
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<br />
Overall, <i>When Dimple Met Rishi</i> is super fun and super cute and pretty much <b>the ultimate feel-good book</b>. It's also really informative of Indian American culture, and gives a completely different view of arranged marriage, which was really cool. <b>I cannot recommend it enough for your summer TBR piles - it's definitely worth the purchase! </b><br />
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Out next week (1st June!).<br />
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<i>*I received this book for free from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. In no way has this affected my opinion of the novel. </i>Bellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05694214234512323863noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2720653980816811594.post-42550432312615390322017-05-09T17:50:00.000+01:002017-05-09T17:50:41.028+01:00Book Review: Girls Can't Hit by T.S. Easton<div style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% rgb(176, 224, 230); padding: 5px 8px; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1488059727l/34395013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Girls Can't Hit" border="0" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1488059727l/34395013.jpg" width="130" /></a><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Title:</span></b> Girls Can't Hit </div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Author:</span></b> T.S. Easton<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Series: </span></b> n/a<br />
<b style="color: #666666;">Pages: </b> 288<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Publisher:</span></b> Hot Key Books<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Date of Publication:</span></b> 20th April, 2017<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Source:</span></b> NetGalley*<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Synopsis from Goodreads:</span></b> <i>Fleur Waters never takes anything seriously - until she turns up at her local boxing club one day, just to prove a point. She's the only girl there, and the warm-up alone is exhausting . . . but the workout gives her an escape from home and school, and when she lands her first uppercut on a punching bag she feels a rare glow of satisfaction.<br />
<br />
So she goes back the next week, determined to improve. Fleur's overprotective mum can't abide the idea of her entering a boxing ring, why won't she join her pilates class instead? Her friends don't get it either and even her boyfriend, 'Prince' George, seems concerned by her growing muscles and appetite - but it's Fleur's body, Fleur's life, so she digs her heels in and carries on with her training.</i></div>
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<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">My Thoughts:</span></b><br />
I was a big fan of Tom's earlier book, <i>Boys Don't Knit</i>, so I was excited to read this title. It promised to be funny and feminist, and it was both of these things. I enjoyed it a lot, and made for fun down-time reading around my essays. <br />
<br />
Anytime someone says girls can't do something, I'm the first to jump on the bandwagon that proves they can, so this was right up my street. I loved Fleur and her friend Blossom's determination to prove the stereotype wrong, and reading their feminist rants were great fun, even if at times they came across as a little bit info-dumpy. I can forgive that though cos they do make important points, haha.<br />
<br />
I enjoyed reading about Fleur and her boxing, and all about her exercise and training. I've never been that interested in sports so that surprised me a lot, but since I recently started going to the gym I could empathise with Fleur's struggle at first, and it gave me hope for the future as I saw how fit she was getting (I can get there too!). I've also never really considered boxing before, never really understood why you would want to punch each other, but I can kind of see now. Still don't think it'd be for me, though ;)<br />
<br />
I really liked the supporting characters, particularly Fleur's friends Blossom and Pip. I loved how they went to Battle and did reenactments every week, and the fun and silliness that that caused. I also really liked the characters who were at boxing with Fleur, and how they developed from turning their nose up at Fleur at the beginning for being a girl but they came round to actually be pretty cool by the end. The only problem I had was Fleur's boyfriend (whose name I have already forgotten) but I'm not sure I was meant to like him much so that's alright...<br />
<br />
Overall, <i>Girls Can't Hit </i>is a really enjoyable read and I definitely recommend it if you're looking for something that's a little bit different and will make you laugh, with important themes of feminism and friendship, as well as plenty of silliness!<br />
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<i>*I received this from Hot Key Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. In no way has this affected my opinion of the novel. </i>Bellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05694214234512323863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2720653980816811594.post-25104797163338694392017-04-07T06:00:00.000+01:002017-04-07T06:00:07.266+01:00And Then We Ran blog tour: The Power of CoincidenceHey guys! I'm so excited today to share this guest post from author Katy Cannon, whose new book <i>And Then We Ran</i> publishes this week! I've read and really enjoyed this book (see previous post for a review!) and I'm sure you guys will too! <br />
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<img height="197" src="https://booksandwritersjnr.files.wordpress.com/2017/04/c8f2ghhxgaeklza.jpg?w=663&h=330" width="400" /></div>
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Sometimes it feels like the world runs on coincidence. <br />
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There are 365 days in a year, and slightly fewer people in my immediate family, and yet we all seem to end up sharing birthdays. My childhood best friend and maid of honour never actually saw me get married, as she gave birth on the morning of my wedding day. Wherever I travel in the world I always end up bumping into someone from home. <br />
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And then there’s my friend James. <br />
<br />
James has three gorgeous children with his wonderful, patient and generally awesome partner. They’re very happy. But James has always said - ever since I met him over twenty years ago - that he would never get married. He didn’t need a piece of paper to make him commit, a wedding was a waste of time, and a marriage was unnecessary for him to have a happy family life. All perfectly valid and reasonable views. We all just accepted that there’d never be a wedding in James’ future. <br />
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Which is why it came as such a huge surprise when, less than a year ago, he called to tell us he and his partner were getting married – next month. In Gretna Green. Slap bang in the middle of the one week of the year that my husband and I would be away on holiday in Pembrokeshire, South Wales, with the kids, and my whole family. <br />
<br />
Actually, that’s not the only reason it was a huge surprise. The biggest reason is because of the power of coincidence. <br />
<br />
You see, the day before James called with his big news, I’d just finished writing my latest YA novel, And Then We Ran. It’s the story of two friends who, to escape their small town life and their families’ expectations, elope to Gretna Green for the least romantic wedding ever. Of course, Megan and Elliott's road trip is fraught with difficulties and disaster - as well as new friends, and a new way of looking at each other... Oh, and did I mention that their small town is in Pembrokeshire? <br />
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“Obviously we want to go,” my husband said. James had been his best man at our wedding, and had asked my husband to be his in return. “But can we?” <br />
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I pulled a face. “As it happens, I do know quite a bit about transport between deepest, darkest Pembrokeshire and Gretna Green,” I told him. “It’s at least six and half hours drive, non stop, as long as you don’t get stuck behind a tractor. Or crash into a sheep. Or break down and end up in the pub instead." <br />
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“So that’s five hours from here to Pembrokeshire, a day with your family, then six and a half hours up to Gretna, wedding, stay the night, six and a half hours back, then another five hours back home again two days later.” <br />
<br />
“With two kids in the back. Yes.” <br />
<br />
“That doesn’t sound like fun. What about if we leave the kids with your parents then get the train up and back?” he asked. <br />
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“Four trains,” I replied promptly. “Tenby to Camarthen, Camarthen to Crewe, Crewe to Carlisle then Carlisle to Gretna Green. About ten hours, all told.” <br />
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“How do you know all this?” <br />
<br />
“Remember when you found all that information about getting married in Scotland on my desk and said you hoped that it was research….?” <br />
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As you can imagine, we didn’t make the wedding. But did Megan and Elliott make theirs? <br />
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You’ll have to read And Then We Ran to find out... <br />
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If you'd like to buy the book, click <a href="http://www.littletiger.co.uk/and-then-we-ran?filter_name=and%20then%20we%20ran%20&filter_description=0" target="_blank">here</a>. </div>
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Follow Katy on Twitter: @<a href="https://twitter.com/KatyJoCannon" target="_blank">KatyJoCannon</a></div>
Bellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05694214234512323863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2720653980816811594.post-70571883885784692122017-04-07T05:59:00.000+01:002017-04-08T09:11:41.124+01:00Book Review: And Then We Ran by Katy Cannon<div style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% rgb(176, 224, 230); padding: 5px 8px; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1485367350l/33985636.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="And Then We Ran" border="0" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1485367350l/33985636.jpg" width="130" /></a><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Title:</span></b> And Then We Ran</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Author:</span></b> Katy Cannon<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Series: </span></b> standalone<br />
<b style="color: #666666;">Pages: </b> 352<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Publisher:</span></b> Stripes Publishing<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Date of Publication:</span></b> 6th April, 2017<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Source:</span></b> Publisher for review*<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Synopsis from Goodreads:</span></b> <i>A road-trip story about following your dreams and embracing the unexpected.<br />
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Megan knows what she wants out of life and she intends to get it, whatever her parents say.<br />
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Elliott has given up on all his plans for the future – but then Megan bursts into his life with a proposal that could change it forever.<br />
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Together they embark on a road trip to escape their hometown and chase their dreams. But life is a journey and not even Megan can control where theirs will lead…</i> </div></div><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">My Thoughts:</span></b><br />
I was a massive fan of Katy's first two books, <i>Love, Lies, and Lemon Pies</i>, and <i>Secrets, Schemes, and Sewing Machines</i> when I read them a few years back, and so I was very excited to read this new release, and <b>it didn't disappoint</b>! I read it quickly and really enjoyed it.<br />
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The plot is quite <b>bonkers</b> but as long as I didn't think too hard about it, I enjoyed it. Elliot wants to go to uni but money stands in his way, and Megan can't wait to get out of town to escape her parents' expectations. So, they decide to get married and move to a flat in London that Megan's inherited. Why Elliot couldn't just get a student loan and why Megan couldn't just talk to her parents about her plan (which was quite good I thought, minus the marriage bit!), I don't know, but then I guess we wouldn't have had quite such a story!<br />
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The first half of the book is Megan and Elliot preparing to get married with the help of their friend Becca, and trying to keep it a secret from their friends and families. I really liked this bit - getting to know the secondary characters and their little town was really interesting. Their beach town life is so far from mine and I really enjoyed spending my time in their town in Pembrokeshire. <b>I'd love to visit</b>!<br />
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Then the story moves on to the road/train trip up to Scotland, to Gretna Green, where they can legally elope without their parents' consent. They encounter loads of problems on the way which only makes it more exciting and tense to read, as you try and work out whether they're gonna make it on time or not. <b>It's a romp through the UK and it's a lot of fun</b>! The characters they meet along the way are great too, and I flew through the last half of the book in just two sittings (which, considering I was on holiday at the time, is quite remarkable!).<br />
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The ending then wraps the novel up nicely. I loved the journey, <b>both physically and emotionally</b>, that the characters went on and the ending is just too cute, even if it was rocky to get there. I was rooting for Megan and Elliot's relationship throughout, in its various forms, and I'm really happy with the way it ended, which honestly I wasn't expecting. If you're in the mood for something fun to wind down and relax with, then this is the one for you! Katy's writing style is so easy to read and get lost in, and so you really won't be disappointed. Go pick it up!<br />
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<i>*I received this from the publisher in exchange for a review and a blog tour post. In no way has this affected my opinion of the novel, these are my genuine opinions. </i><br />
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Bellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05694214234512323863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2720653980816811594.post-21372071861787784932017-04-01T12:12:00.000+01:002017-04-01T12:12:48.047+01:00Mini Reviews: Heartless, Unconventional, and The Mystery of the Painted Dragon<div style="text-align: center;">
Hello! Here are three mini reviews of some February releases!</div>
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<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1476890388l/31458203.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Heartless" border="0" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1476890388l/31458203.jpg" width="132" /></a><b>HEARTLESS by Marissa Meyer</b><br />
Published 9th February, 2017 by Macmillan Children's Books<br />
<i>Long before she was the terror of Wonderland—the infamous Queen of Hearts—she was just a girl who wanted to fall in love.<br />
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In this prequel to <i>Alice in Wonderland</i>, Cath longs to open a bakery, but her family and the king have other ideas. Set in the world of the Looking Glass, it promises to be weird and wonderful and deliver a heartwarming story of forbidden love... But it didn't really, to be honest.<br />
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After fifty pages, I found myself wondering where the book was going and when it was going to get started. Then fifty pages later, I was still wondering that. I wasn't excited about reading the novel, and I decided to DNF after 150 pages when I realised I just didn't care for the characters or what happened to them. There's a big fat stench of instalove as well - Cath doesn't know Jest at all but suddenly she thinks she's in love with him? No thanks.<br />
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It does however do well at being as weird as <i>Alice In Wonderland</i>, which I really did enjoy - it has lots of strange animal characters, court playing cards characters, the Cheshire Cat and the Mad Hatter, but with a slight twist for Meyer's prequel world. I also really liked reading about Cath's baking, as cake will always be a winner for me! However she didn't live up to her full potential here either, and so with the other problems I had with the book, it just wasn't for me.<br />
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<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1481041023l/32820770.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Unconventional" border="0" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1481041023l/32820770.jpg" width="131" /></a><b>UNCONVENTIONAL by Maggie Harcourt</b><br />
Published 1st February, 2017 by Usborne Children's Books<br />
<i>Everyone's a fan of someone...</i><br />
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I got this book from book club, not really knowing anything about it but thinking it sounded fun. After reading only a few pages, I knew that I was right! This book is SO much fun. Lexi's dad is a convention organiser, and so she's spent her whole life at these events. So when Aidan Green turns up and diverts the usual course of action, she's understandably a little bit miffed.<br />
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I loved the characters most in this book. Lexi is a great protagonist, and I feel like we could be good friends, if she were real. I could sympathise with her frustration at Aidan at first (people who mess up my usual order are the worst) but then as we got to know him more I fell for him too. The supporting characters are also really great, especially Sam, Lexi's best friend. The best books are ones that celebrate friendship just as much as romance, and Unconventional does this so well.<br />
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The conventional aspect was so great. Having been to LFCC a few times now I could imagine the setting so well, and I loved seeing it from the perspective of organisation as well. I loved reading about the cosplay (especially Sam's!) and the completely unashamed excitement that everyone had about them was so great to see (loads of my real life friends are like "eurghhhh con is weird... boo to them!"). Finally there were so many references to YA authors that I've read and loved and that was super exciting! Such a perfect ode to UKYA fiction and fandoms and I loved it. I would 100% recommend!<br />
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<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1469277835l/31202255.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Mystery of the Painted Dragon (The Sinclair’s Mysteries #3)" border="0" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1469277835l/31202255.jpg" width="130" /></a><b>THE MYSTERY OF THE PAINTED DRAGON by Katherine Woodfine</b><br />
Published 9th February, 2017 by Egmont Books<br />
<i>It's their most perilous adventure yet! </i></div>
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This is the third book in one of my favourite series! <i>The Sinclair's Mysteries</i> are just so much fun and a delight to read and I always look forward to the new release, and this one didn't disappoint. Also isn't the cover just gorgeous?! :D<br />
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In this story, Sophie and Lil find themselves on the hunt for a missing dragon painting from an exhibition in Sinclair's. The mystery itself took a little while to get started, but I didn't mind so much since it meant I could spend the first 100 pages or so getting to know Leo and Jack and the whole cast of new characters from the Spencer Art Institute, which plays a large role in the book. Also feminists! Yay!<br />
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As I've come to expect from these books, the mystery was very exciting and gripping, and the last 50 pages or so were the usual romp through Edwardian London that is so hard to put down. Although I worked out who the thief was really early on, I enjoyed finding out how they did it and was still surprised by some aspects. There was also the return of a notorious criminal from previous books, and so the continuation of that story through the three books so far is still going strong and only makes me even more excited for the next one. I can't wait! Get on reading this series if you haven't already! It won't be a mistake ;)<br />
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Have you read any of these books? Let me know what you thought in the comments!</div>
<br />Bellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05694214234512323863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2720653980816811594.post-5182431874360109842017-03-04T12:57:00.003+00:002017-03-04T12:57:54.143+00:00Book Review: The Diabolic by S.J. Kincaid<div style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% rgb(176, 224, 230); padding: 5px 8px; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1465840733l/30542863.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="The Diabolic" border="0" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1465840733l/30542863.jpg" width="129" /></a><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Title:</span></b> The Diabolic</div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Author:</span></b> S.J. Kincaid<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Series: </span></b> The Diabolic, #1<br />
<b style="color: #666666;">Pages: </b> 403<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Publisher:</span></b> Simon and Schuster Children's Books<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Date of Publication:</span></b> 1st November, 2016<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Source:</span></b> For review from publisher*<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Synopsis from Goodreads:</span></b> <i>Nemesis is a Diabolic. Created to protect a galactic Senator's daughter, Sidonia. The girl who has grown up by her side and who is as much as sister as a master. There's no one Nemesis wouldn't kill to keep her safe. But when the power-mad Emperor summons Sidonia to the galactic court as a hostage, there is only one way for Nemesis to protect Sidonia.<br />
<br />
She must become her.<br />
<br />
Now one of the galaxy's most dangerous weapons is masquerading in a world of corruption and Nemesis has to hide her true abilities or risk everything. As the Empire begins to fracture and rebellion looms closer, Nemesis learns that there is something stronger than her deadly force: the one thing she's been told she doesn't have - humanity. And, amidst all the danger, action and intrigue, her humanity might be the only thing that can save her, Sidonia and the entire Empire... </i> </div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">My Thoughts:</span></b><br />
<i>The Diabolic</i> is <b>one of the best books I've read this year</b> (and also has one of my favourite covers!). I wasn't entirely sure what I was getting into when I started, but once I was in I was flying through the pages and even though it's quite a beefy book, it didn't take me that long at all. Different aspects of it reminded me of other YA books, such as <i>Illuminae </i>and <i>Divergent</i>, but it truly holds its own and is a really enjoyable read.<br />
<br />
Nemesis was a really great protagonist. She's a Diabolic, a genetically engineered human, built to fiercely protect Sidonia, rather than have her own life and feelings as a human of her own. But as the book progresses, through an unlikely match and having to face constant battles her character develops and she becomes fiercer and stronger and much more human, which was really great to see. She never loses her fierceness though and there are frequent reminders of her Diabolic-ness, for example when she gets mad she imagines killing them and although it's morbid, you never can forget that she is a badass that will rip you to shreds, and that's actually<b> a pretty cool perspective</b> to read from.<br />
<br />
The world of <i>The Diabolic</i> is really interesting and has the potential to be awesome in the coming books (I think it's gonna be a series?). For the first fifty pages or so it was quite difficult to keep track of everything due to the world-specific language: there's Senators, Servitors, Diabolics, etc, and then all the families to keep track of - it's not that complicated it just takes a little getting used to, like any fantasy/futuristic world. There's also <b>an established religion</b> throughout which I really liked, and I've found that faith isn't a huge aspect of much YA so top points for that. As it's all set in space as well, at moments this was really well done in that they visited other planets and then for a ball they <b>literally moved the ballroom through the sky</b> to get a pretty star/nebula view through the windows which was super cool, but I think there's potential to make even more use of the setting. The only thing I'd say is that maybe a bit of history about how the world ended up like this would be handy, as well as interesting!<br />
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The plot was *really* good. Once the plot thickens and the real story gets started, it <b>packs the punches </b>and leaves nothing to the imagination. No character is safe - <b>S.J. Kincaid isn't afraid to do the unexpected</b>! I loved this aspect, I was completely shocked on many occasions and the ending is just twist after twist - pow pow pow bam bam bam did that really just happen?! The ending ties up very neatly (maybe just a little too neatly?) but there's a lot of room for sequels which I think are coming, so that's very exciting! The relationship between Tyrus and Nemesis also was really great, even though it was totally unlikely I think they fit together really well and I ended up rooting for them quickly.<br />
<br />
<b>Overall <i>The Diabolic</i> is really not one to be missed</b>! It's got a little bit of everything to suit everyone, and it's just a really great romp through space that I absolutely loved. I can't wait to read more of the series, and I'll definitely be checking out <i>Insignia, </i>the first book of S.J. Kincaid's first series.<br />
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<i>*Huge thanks to Simon and Schuster for sending me this in exchange for an honest review! In no way has this affected my opinion of the book.</i><br />
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<br />Bellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05694214234512323863noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2720653980816811594.post-53955896273335247742017-02-19T21:05:00.002+00:002018-06-06T09:30:59.131+01:00REVIEW: Take Two by Perdita and Honor Cargill<div style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% rgb(176, 224, 230); padding: 5px 8px; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1526137482l/40108095.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Take Two (Waiting for Callback #2)" border="0" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1526137482l/40108095.jpg" width="210" /></a><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Title:</span></b> Take Two</div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Author:</span></b> Perdita and Honor Cargill<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Series: </span></b> Waiting For Callback, #2<br />
<b style="color: #666666;">Pages: </b> 344<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Publisher:</span></b> Simon and Schuster<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Date of Publication:</span></b> 26th January, 2017<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Source:</span></b> Sent by author*<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Synopsis from Goodreads:</span></b> <i>Elektra has finally landed a part in a film. It's the dream. Well ...until she works out that Straker is a movie so dystopian that within weeks most of the cast and all of the crew wish that the world had actually ended (preferably in scene one). And while it's obviously great news that she's moved from the friend-zone with Archie to become his almost-girlfriend, it would be better if he hadn't immediately relocated to Transylvania to play a vampire hunter surrounded by 'maidens of peerless beauty'.<br />
<br />
Full of humour and warmth, this new series is perfect for fans of Geek Girl and The It Girl. </i></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">My Thoughts:</span></b><br />
I loved <i>Casting Queen</i> when I first read it last year, so I couldn't wait to get started with <i>Take Two</i>. I got stuck in and quickly got lost once again in Elektra's story, and <b>I loved every minute of it</b>. It was so good to be back! <br />
<br />
This book is about Elektra's part in the action movie <i>Straker</i>. I really enjoyed all the scenes when Elektra was on set, even the stuff that wasn't about filming. Weirdly, I particularly loved reading about her dressing room (I would have been just as excited!) and the table read, and getting to know all the characters who helped make the film. Even though Carlo, Elektra's on-screen love interest, was quite annoying I really liked reading his interactions with Elektra, and the drama between Sam and Amber was <b>constantly entertaining</b>. All the characters came to life and I just wanted to visit the set!<br />
<br />
Alongside filming, Elektra is dealing with being a fifteen-nearly-sixteen year old, complete with school stresses and boy troubles. Once again the authors hit the nail on the head with Elektra's internal monologue of worries and woes; she's very <b>relatable and realistic</b>. I really enjoyed the development of her relationship with Archie too - and could understand her frustration at their situation and the hiccups they faced. The end is very, very cute!<br />
<br />
This series is such <b>a joy to read</b> - it's light and it's fun and it made me laugh out loud so many times, and at one point I even shed a tear. I definitely recommend the books if you're looking for something to lose yourself in for a while, and I can't wait to read book three next year... Can I have it now? :P <br />
<br />Bellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05694214234512323863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2720653980816811594.post-46809687609270182912017-02-08T15:42:00.001+00:002017-02-08T15:42:55.843+00:00Book Review: A Quiet Kind of Thunder by Sara Barnard<div style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% rgb(176, 224, 230); padding: 5px 8px; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1479218726l/30197201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="A Quiet Kind of Thunder" border="0" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1479218726l/30197201.jpg" width="132" /></a><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Title:</span></b> A Quiet Kind of Thunder</div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Author:</span></b> Sara Barnard<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Series: </span></b> n/a<br />
<b style="color: #666666;">Pages: </b> 307<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Publisher:</span></b> Macmillan Children's Books<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Date of Publication:</span></b> 12th January, 2017<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Source:</span></b> Bought<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Synopsis from Goodreads:</span></b> <i>Steffi doesn't talk, but she has so much to say.<br />
Rhys can't hear, but he can listen.<br />
Their love isn't a lightning strike, it's the rumbling roll of thunder.<br />
<br />
Steffi has been a selective mute for most of her life - she's been silent for so long that she feels completely invisible. But Rhys, the new boy at school, sees her. He's deaf, and her knowledge of basic sign language means that she's assigned to look after him. To Rhys, it doesn't matter that Steffi doesn't talk, and as they find ways to communicate, Steffi finds that she does have a voice, and that she's falling in love with the one person who makes her feel brave enough to use it. <br />
<br />
From the bestselling author of Beautiful Broken Things comes a love story about the times when a whisper is as good as a shout.</i> </div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">My Thoughts:</span></b><br />
I really liked <i>Beautiful Broken Things</i> when I read it last year and so before I even knew what <i>A Quiet Kind of Thunder</i> was about, I was excited for it. Then I read the summary, and I knew this was a book for me. I didn't know much about mutism or sign language, or any of the kinds of issues that are tackled in this book, and so I was excited to learn new things while following Steffi and Rhys' story. And I'm happy to report that it didn't disappoint - and <b>I even liked it more than I liked <i>Beautiful Broken Things</i></b>.<br />
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Due to the nature of the book being fundamentally about Steffi and Rhys' communication issues, there were lots of <b>different formats of storytelling</b>, which was something that right from the start I really enjoyed, and helped me to get stuck in to the book. When the two communicate in sign language, the text is in bold, and there are also sections of texts and instant messages, as well as lists and other fun things which change up the reading style and keep you hooked. It also made it very easy to fly through the pages!<br />
<br />
The book is very <b>informative</b> about what it's like to a) have selective mutism and problems with speech, and b) being deaf. Before reading <i>Thunder</i> I couldn't even begin to imagine how different life would be if I could not speak or hear, but now I feel like <b>I could understand</b> through Steffi's internal monologue and her conversations with Rhys. It's enlightening, and definitely made me realise I take these things for granted!<br />
<br />
Steffi and Rhys' relationship was so great. It says on the blurb that they get together so right from the start you can root for the two of them, and they progress through getting to know each to becoming more than friends so naturally that you can't help but cheer them on the whole way. I feel like it was a <b>true depiction of a first teenage relationship</b>, including a few realistic and slightly awkward scenes of a sexual nature (which literally made me snort out loud in laughter on a silent bus journey), which I think is important to do well and Sara Barnard definitely did a really great job.<br />
<br />
Overall <i>A Quiet Kind of Thunder </i>is a book not to be missed, especially if you're in the mood for a heart warming and realistic relationship story. I can't wait for more from Sara Barnard in the future - with this release she has secured her place on my auto-buy list!<br />
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<br />Bellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05694214234512323863noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2720653980816811594.post-90999069548543948322017-02-01T16:04:00.001+00:002017-02-01T16:04:24.567+00:00Book Review: The One Memory of Flora Banks by Emily Barr<div style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% rgb(176, 224, 230); padding: 5px 8px; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1474490389l/30849412.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="The One Memory of Flora Banks" border="0" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1474490389l/30849412.jpg" width="130" /></a><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Title:</span></b> The One Memory of Flora Banks</div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Author:</span></b> Emily Barr<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Series: </span></b> n/a<br />
<b style="color: #666666;">Pages: </b> 302<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Publisher:</span></b> Penguin<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Date of Publication:</span></b> 12th January, 2017<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Source:</span></b> Bought<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Synopsis from Goodreads:</span></b> <i>Seventeen-year-old Flora Banks has no short-term memory. Her mind resets itself several times a day, and has since the age of ten, when the tumor that was removed from Flora's brain took with it her ability to make new memories. That is, until she kisses Drake, her best friend's boyfriend, the night before he leaves town. Miraculously, this one memory breaks through Flora's fractured mind, and sticks. Flora is convinced that Drake is responsible for restoring her memory and making her whole again. So when an encouraging email from Drake suggests she meet him on the other side of the world, Flora knows with certainty that this is the first step toward reclaiming her life. <br />
<br />
With little more than the words "be brave" inked into her skin, and written reminders of who she is and why her memory is so limited, Flora sets off on an impossible journey to Svalbard, Norway, the land of the midnight sun, determined to find Drake. But from the moment she arrives in the arctic, nothing is quite as it seems, and Flora must "be brave" if she is ever to learn the truth about herself, and to make it safely home.</i> </div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">My Thoughts:</span></b><br />
I think that Emily Barr deals with the potentially tricky topic of what it's like to have amnesia really well. I have no idea how it feels, but despite the fact that the circles that Flora goes round and round in, trying to piece together what she's doing, do become slightly tedious due to their repetitiveness, they did give an interesting insight into her head. I feel like maybe everything she managed to do was unrealistic (like, her parents would definitely have noticed and stopped her, especially if they're as paranoid as they are surely?!), but in terms of what it's actually like to have amnesia, I imagine it was a <b>realistic and honest representation</b>.<br />
<br />
The book gets slow in the middle, but then picks up again at the end as the <b>plot twists</b> are revealed. I didn't see them coming, although perhaps in hindsight I should have? (But if you've been reading my blog for any length of time you'll probably have worked out that I'm actually terrible at predicting endings, haha.) Flora's an <b>unreliable narrator</b> and I guess that's half the challenge of the book, working out what's going on inside her head when you know she can't remember what you just read a few pages ago.<br />
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Now, I know that kissing a boy for the first time is a pretty momentous occasion, but it annoyed me that this was the one memory Flora could hold on to. And I know that with amnesia of Flora's type the writing will be cyclical as she has to remember everything every few hours. And I don't want to be rude because it must be awful, but it's quite tiresome having to read the words "I kissed Drake. I love him." every few pages. (<span style="font-size: x-small;">Especially when she can't remember anything about him but kissing him and so therefore how does she love him?)</span> I dunno, I can see why this memory was chosen but half of me just wishes it was a memory that was slightly more interesting and didn't revolve around a boy (who also just isn't that great).<br />
<br />
There were a few things that happen that didn't sit right with me at all, but I won't go into detail to avoid spoilers (feel free to comment/tweet me if you wanna know!). Also, I know her mum herself isn't well but I definitely did not like her or what she did to Flora, and I think maybe more time was needed at the end to sort out that whole issue. However, on the whole I guess I could appreciate the book as a finished package, and if you're interested you should definitely pick it up - and <b>maybe you'll get on with it much better than I did</b>. <br />
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<br />Bellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05694214234512323863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2720653980816811594.post-17654701009428980832017-01-25T13:11:00.001+00:002017-01-25T13:11:08.187+00:00Book Review: Wing Jones by Katherine Webber<div style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% rgb(176, 224, 230); padding: 5px 8px; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1469961450l/25909375.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Wing Jones" border="0" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1469961450l/25909375.jpg" width="130" /></a><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Title:</span></b> Wing Jones</div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Author:</span></b> Katherine Webber<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Series: </span></b>n/a<br />
<b style="color: #666666;">Pages: </b> 384<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Publisher:</span></b> Walker Books<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Date of Publication:</span></b> 5th January, 2017<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Source:</span></b> Gifted<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Synopsis from Goodreads:</span></b> <i>Jandy Nelson meets Friday Night Lights: a sweeping story about love and family from an exceptional new voice in YA. With a grandmother from China and another from Ghana, fifteen-year-old Wing Jones is often caught between worlds. But when tragedy strikes, Wing discovers a talent for running she never knew she had. Wing's speed could bring her family everything it needs. It could also stop Wing getting the one thing she wants.</i> </div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">My Thoughts:</span></b><br />
I really liked Wing, and she was very relatable. Her perception of fitting in and not belonging anywhere due to her dual heritage was portrayed realistically, and I enjoyed seeing her grow in confidence throughout the book. Her conflicting feelings of first grief and sadness, then anger and frustration at Marcus and the accident were written sensitively and very honestly which was refreshing to read. I thought her relationship with Aaron was good, and developed naturally under the circumstances.<br />
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I've seen many reviewers saying that it inspired them to put on their running shoes... But my trainers are still firmly wedged in the bottom of the wardrobe, never to be seen again. I did get her obsession with running and how she thought it would help Marcus, but the elements of magical realism put me off slightly and some of the running descriptions were a bit weird, but I think that's just my personal preference! Also, there's no way that Wing would be able to run for several hours at 3am every night and have no one notice that she's really tired and sluggish during the day cos surely she would have been? I dunno :P<br />
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Wing's grannies Granny Dee and LaoLao were my absolute favourite thing about the book. They're hilarious! Their banter and bickering is a joy to read, as are the more serious and touching moments throughout too. Eliza, Wing's running friend, was also really great, and I loved seeing their friendship blossom as the book went on, especially as she had the potential to be more of a nemesis character.<br />
<br />
Overall, <i>Wing Jones</i> is a really great read and a fab debut to start off your reading year (I know I'm a bit late with this but just go with me, I haven't written a review in a real long time... ;) ) I look forward to reading more from Webber in the future! <br />
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<br />Bellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05694214234512323863noreply@blogger.com1