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Friday 31 October 2014

The Waiting List

November really isn't a spectacular month, but I've listed some of the books that I think I'm going to look out for. 


  1. The Retribution of Mara Dyer (Mara Dyer #3) by Michelle Hodkin; Nov 4th
  2. A Thousand Pieces of You (Firebird #1) by Claudia Grey; Nov 4th 
  3. The Bane Chronicles by Cassandra Clare; Nov 11th
  4. Girl Online by Zoe Sugg; Nov 25th
  5. The Last Changeling (Faerie Revolutions #1) by Chelsea Pitcher; Nov 8th
  6. Waistcoats & Weaponry (The Finishing School #3) by Gail Carriger; Nov 4th
I am so pumped for the release of The Retribution of Mara Dyer, especially after re-reading the series again and desperately wanting to know what's happening. It's one of the best on-going series at the moment, and whilst I'm sad it's about to end, I can't handle being kept in the dark. 

A Thousand Pieces of You has been going around the book community, from reviews on blogs to mentions on YouTube so I decided why not. Also because it has such a beautiful cover! 

I'm going to give Girl Online a girl despite knowing that Zoe only got the deal because of her popularity. She's an amazing girl, don't get me wrong - I love her - but I am apprehensive about her writing and the plot. Still, I wouldn't mind taking a peep. 

Let Me Know What You're Waiting For.




Thursday 30 October 2014

NaNoWriMo 2014: Connecting with Creativity

Source: Young Writers Program

When: November, 1st - 30th 
Username: PrintedWords
Check out FAQ for more information

Back when I was first exposed to the book blog/booktube community, I had no idea what NaNoWriMo was even though I kept hearing about. A year later and I am now taking part in this amazing event and am so pumped for it to begin. 

NaNoWriMo is an annual writing event where countless of aspiring writers come together during the 30 days of November to just write. The goal for the month is to write a 50,000 word novel (I know, insane), but you're not alone in the journey. In fact NaNoWriMo is very a collective effort from connecting with writing buddies to hearing feedback and just encouraging everybody to keep going. 

I am both a little daunted and excited to take part this year. I haven't actually written anything in the past 2 years, but creative writing was a very big part whilst I was in high school and the best outlet to channel my stress from school work. I think I've always dreamt of seeing my name on a published novel before, and I do remember writing short stories or starting different chapters on notebooks. Except when I started university, I took on a Creative Writing class and the fizzle just went out of me. I'm not sure if it was because writing is a hobby of mine, but having to do it under pressure and be assessed made writing lose it's magic. 

For the past year though, I've had so many ideas come and go, and I've discovered that I really do want to write a novel some day. I don't think NaNoWriMo will be the opportunity for me to be published, but I'm taking it as a writing exercise to jump start my creativity again. I'm going to be a little rusty, and definitely not the best, but I'm glad that I'm trying. 

I don't think I'll be able to write a full 50,000 word novel but I do have some goals: 
  • Write 4 times a week 
  • Write more than 15,000 words
  • Engage with other writers 
  • Be committed!! 
So that's my life story leading up to NaNoWriMo. I have some sort of idea of what story to write, but watch this space while I decide and fine tune the details. 

Come find me and be my writing buddy - PrintedWords - and if you haven't, sign up!

Get your write on. 




Wednesday 29 October 2014

Trust In Me - Sophie McKenzie

Title: Trust In Me
Author: Sophie McKenzie
Publication Date: September 11th, 2014
Disclaimer: I was sent this as a recommendation from  Simon&Schuster
Livy and Julia have been best friends ever since the tragic death of Livy's younger sister, Kara. They treat each other like sisters so when Julia is found dead in her house, Livy is devastated and confused. Not willing to believe the report that Julia's death was a suicide, Livy begins to investigate on her own. 

Yet, what she finds out tears open a new hole that just might not be abled to fill. 

Review


I've had no luck with thrillers this month, and that includes Trust In Me. Again this might just be because it didn't suit my taste but I was detached from the start right to the end. 

I found this to be unmemorable because of the plot, characters and writing. McKenzie is a great writer, don't get me wrong, but she just couldn't maintain my interest. The plot was a standard murder mystery that needed to be solved. However, instead of officials/authoritative figures cracking the case, we have your average suburban mum with a intuition she's determined to follow. It didn't really flow properly and the suspense just wasn't there. Of course I wanted to know who the murderer was but it was more because I wanted to be done with the book. There are snippets of the criminals diary entries which were interesting at first, and quite creepy, but then I just got lost in his drawl and couldn't keep reading it. Maybe that's why I didn't really understand how the person who was revealed as the murderer came to be the killer in the first place. There was no motivation revealed, just that he was there and biding his time. 

I couldn't connect with Livy at all, and I thought it was pretty unrealistic for her to pull off a CSI project with just basic sleuthing and attempts at interrogation. She was a really annoying character for me, raising suspicion without any logic and being naive when she just needed to think. The relationship developments were also a headache, and I really questioned her priorities in trust. I understand Livy had reasons to be apprehensive but she constantly got upset when no one believed so it frustrated me when she couldn't trust the person she was suppose to trust the most.  However, I have heard that some people do relate to Livy so maybe it's just me and my age/experience. 

The other important character is Julia, but because she's dead before I even met her, I had to learn about her through other people. I would've thought that at the end I could've figured her out and  understand her motives etc. but I got three different perspectives of her it was difficult to really comprehend. The plot already portrayed her as a mysterious character no one really knew, so I wasn't sure who to trust when they relayed what they knew about her. Still, it did reflect the novel in that everyone puts up a front and it's hard to decipher what their true form is. Exactly how the criminal was as well. 

It was a decent read, but not spectacular. Instead, I actually forgot I read it and had to remind myself to start it just to review before realising I had read it. I'm interested to see what other crime/thriller lovers think about this though, and if I'm the only one who just couldn't connect. Let me know! 




Tuesday 28 October 2014

Top Ten Tuesday: Characters I Want To Dress Up As For Halloween

Hosted By: The Broke and The Bookish
Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and The Bookish, where we list our top ten according to a topic of the week. Check out future topics here.


Top Ten Characters I Want To Dress Up As For Halloween


1. Luna Lovegood from Harry Potter Series by J.K Rowling
There are so many characters that I would've wanted to go as in Harry Potter but Luna Lovegood is just that bit more fun, and her quirky side is definitely something I can relate to.

2. Manon Blackbeak from Throne of Glass Series by Sarah J. Maas
This cold-hearted witch is a fascinating character and definitely creepy enough to dress up as for Halloween. Her fangs are the distinctive part, along with her razor nails - I would get such a kick out of this.

3. Isabelle Lightwood from The Mortal Instrument Series by Cassandra Clare
Glamorous and bad-ass at the same time? Well why the hell not. Just going to get my thigh high boots and whip ready.

4. Green Wind from Fairyland Series by Catherynne M. Valente
This is silly and yet, eccentric enough to pull off for Halloween. I love the Green Wind and it'd just be fun to paint myself green.

5. Daeneyrs Targaryen from A Song of Ice and Fire Series by George R. R. Martin
She's a beautiful character, and I love her style. The long braid, somewhat rugged gowns and the dragons that she would carry around. I can carry dragons as well, they're definitely part of me. 



6. Creature/Monster from Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Another one of those scary costumes, but I'd probably walk around with a goofy smile on my face because he really is a harmless creature. They just can't look past the scars.

7. Ents from The Lord of the Rings Series by J. R. R Tolkein
Now this would be a challenge, but certainly something I would look forward to. Ents are the tree-like creatures in the series, with more of an old man face. There's just a problem - I'm not tall enough.

8. Blair Warldof from Gossip Girl Series by Cecily von Zeigesar
Ok, this is definitely more just so I have an excuse to look a million bucks, like Blair always does. Always.

9. Scorpion Creatures from Angelfall Series by Susan Ee
Reading about this freaks me out so I think it'd be a perfect costume to really give people a fright. Half angel half scorpion, the thought is giving me shivers already.

10. Elizabeth Woodville from The Cousins War Series by Philippa Gregory
Lastly, the ever elegant Elizabeth Woodville who, in the series, has mystical powers. I've never dressed up as a princess/queen before but better late than never right?

Who Do You Plan To Dress Up As? 




Friday 24 October 2014

Minders - Michele Jaffe

Title: Minders
Author: Michele Jaffe
Publication Date:January, 30th 2014
Add to Goodreads | Buy from The BookDepository
Sadie's a straight A student, with a wealthy family. She strives to achieve her best, and being the best means entering the Mind Corps Fellowship Program. The Program is designed for interns to enter troubled teen's minds and Sadie is assigned Subject 9 - Ford Winter. Right from the start he fascinates her, and slowly she falls in love.

Sadie finds herself questioning whether she has to protect Ford, even if it means ignoring the fact he's committed a murder.


Review 


Minders started off by being straight to the point, which I loved. Jaffe introduced the characters and the world, whilst also outlining the central focus in the initial chapters. It meant that I wasn't given useless chunks of information that distracted from what I was suppose to concentrate on. It didn't mean though, that there was sparse development with the characters or the world. In fact, I found a lot of depth in the world building and everything I learnt was fascinating. The characters weren't all fully developed but at least there were some interesting aspects to them. 

I loved learning about Ford, and his mind. This was the strongest point of the novel - having Sadie in Ford's mind. Her observations were both intriguing and actually very realistic. I really liked that Jaffe aligned every emotion with a certain taste, and drew out an image of the mind creating dots of images for Sadie to see. She could also move around and enter different levels of his mind. It meant that I got to know a lot more about Ford in a first hand encounter, without it being really told through his perspective. However, that meant that I didn't get enough from Sadie. Instead, I felt like she was the typical perfect student/daughter but underneath had more of a wild side and playing by the rules wasn't always right. It felt like she was just a vehicle to drive the novel and I don't think I really cared about her. The other characters were stayed on the edges and whilst they had their roles, didn't really impact on my reading experience. 

The let down was that both the ending and the romance just came across really rushed. I couldn't believe the love Sadie started to feel for Rush, or at least the intensity that came from it. I mean it's possible that she liked him, but this was so much more. I didn't understand why Jaffe had to add a boyfriend to the story either. I mean he did nothing for the plot and Sadie didn't even think about him for most of the first half. He just made an appearance here and there without really explaining anything. The ending was crammed with so much information that was suppose to answer the major questions, but when I read the final page I immediately thought "is that it?" I was so confused. The conflict was so major and yet, the ending felt so lacklustre in comparison. The epilogue didn't do much good either. I think it's cause I waited so long for something to happen between Sadie and Rush but it felt like nothing did. Neither did I get a final answer for the other characters. 

This really frustrated me in the end, and that's why I couldn't bring myself to give it a higher rating. It was definitely a very enjoyable and fascinating read, but whilst it had so much potential, it wasn't exactly delivered quite right. I do think Jaffe has great writing skills though. She's written a number of novels in different genres and seems to have pulled them off. Minders is no exception with solid writing and fast paced plot - it just lacked a little here and there.





Thursday 23 October 2014

Most Anticipated: Book to Movie Adaptations

Last year I wrote a post on the upcoming book to movie adaptations I was most looking forward to, so I thought it was high time I'd do another one. I know this year has delivered some amazing blockbusters - think The Fault in Our Stars, If I Stay, The Giver etc - so I'm hoping 2015 won't disappoint either.

2014

Before the end of the year though, there are a couple that I'm looking forward to!

Date: AUS - 20/11; USA - 21/11
Author: Suzanne Collins

The long awaited finale to The Hunger Game franchise is about to land - in less than a month actually! It's time to see how far the rebellion will go, and I'm so glad that the same director for Catching Fire is doing this one. He really rescued the movie series after I found The Hunger Game to be lacklustre. 

So excited to see Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) kick ass. 


Date: AUS - 26/12; USA - 17/12
Author: J R. R Tolkein 

I only just got around to reading The Hobbit but this epic fantasy has full praise from fans for the past two movies. This is the third and last film for the series and with the success of the last two, I'm sure this will not disappoint. The release date is a little further away, which gives me some time to catch up on the already released movies.


2015

Moving on and to the new year - which comes into 2 month, WHAT?? - and these are the confirmed movies to be released.


Date: AUS -12/02; USA 13/02
Author: E.L James

Well isn't this a surprise. For a person who absolutely hated the novel, I'm actually shocked that I've given any attention to the movie. It's set to hit the screens during Valentines in order to um, set the mood for couples I guess? I'm not sure how successful that'll be but I do have to say the trailer has pleasantly surprised me. 
I probably won't watch it in the theatres but I do think it'll be something I want to check out.



4. The Duff
Date: USA - 19/02
Author: Kody Keplinger 

This has been on my TBR list since forever, and now that the movie is about to come out I think it works as great motivation for me to hunt it down and read it. I don't think I love the cast, in fact some of them are unfamiliar to me, but the premise is interesting enough. Fingers crossed it works out!



Date: AUS - 19/03; USA - 20/03
Author: Veronica Roth

Despite the other popular YA series Vampire Academy flopping out this year, the Divergent series has garnered enough popularity to go ahead with the rest of the adaptations. I haven't read the series or watched the first movie (yet), but I know many fans out there are super excited for this. 





Date: AUS - 26/03; USA - 13/03 
Author: Brothers Grimm (?) 

The amount of adaptations that have been made for Cinderella is incredible. Except none of them had Helena Bonham Carter as the grandmother (can I get a hell yeah), Cate Blanchett as the Stepmother and Kenneth Branagh as the director. I've seen a couple of movies Kenneth Branagh's directed, both with Helena Bonham Carter as the female protagonist, and I found them to be quite eccentric. Actually it was more weird and kind of disturbing so it'll be interesting to see how he'll go about re-creating this classic fairytale.


Date: USA - 19/06
Author: John Green

I always wondered why John Green's novels never made it to the big screens, but here we are now with Paper Towns in production and The Fault In Our Stars being a massive box hit. Didn't I also see news on Looking for Alaska being considered as an adaptation as well? Anyways, whilst Paper Towns isn't my favourite of his novels I do want to see how it'll come to real life. It's also nice to know John Green has some say over the movies, showing how much care he has for his work.


8. Pan
Date: USA - 17/07
Author: J.M Barrie

Technically this isn't a straight up adaptation of the classic Peter Pan but it is a modern day retelling of the origins of Peter Pan himself, and I for one and ecstatic about this. I love Peter Pan, it's my favourite classic and it'll be fascinating to see the interpretation of his birth story and how he ended up in Neverland. The cast is also made up of A-listers - Hugh Jackman, Amanda Seyfried etc - so I know I can expect a lot out of this. 



Date: USA - 02/10
Author: Mary Shelley 

Something I have read and watched adaptations for is Frankenstein. I am super excited for this even though it is being pitched as a horror film and I cannot stomach films in that genre. It stands out from other adaptations through changing the perspective of the story teller. Usually the story is told by Victor Frankenstein, but instead Victor Frankenstein brings in Igor the assistance as the main narrator. It also helps that Daniel Radcliffe and James McAvoy are both starring in this, really increasing the quality of the film.


Date: TBA
Author: Lauren Kate

The cast has been announced and apparently it's in post-production now, but there's been no release date for this YA adaptation. I'm sorry to say but I fell off this series after the third novel because it just wasn't that good. I'm surprised it was even taken on to be produced as a movie but this could salvage the series for me, being a better movie than the book. 




Which Movies Are You Excited For?



(Photo Sources: Mockingjay - NY Daily News; The Hobbit - The Lions Roar; Cinderella - Disney Wiki; Fifty Shades of Grey - US Magazine

Wednesday 22 October 2014

Every Day - David Levithan

Source: Goodreads
Title: Every Day
Author: David Levithan
Series: Every Day
Publication Date: August, 28th 2012
Add to Goodreads | Buy from The BookDepository
A is unidentifiable. Ever since he could remember, he has been waking up in a different body every day. He makes sure to not make attachments, interfere or draw attention from the people around him. Then he wakes up in Justin's body and things change. Rhiannon is Justin's girlfriend and she draws out emotions in A that make him go back on all his rules.

A strays along a dangerous line just to follow the one person he wants to spend together, every day.


Review


The concept of Every Day is every bit intriguing and thought-provoking, but whilst it produced some really good content, it also left me wanting more. This really frustrated me because I prefer to read and have answers delivered than waiting and waiting, without any knowledge in the end. Still, there were some positives that I picked up along the way. 

I found that the overall message of the story was what made the read worthwhile in the end. It is a love story but the emphasis was on how love can overcome obstacles and unite people in ways unimaginable. Clearly in Every Day the situation is basically impossible, but because the emotions between A and Rhiannon was so strong it broke down the barriers that contained them. I don't entirely believe A's intense feeling for Rhiannon, only because it happened very quickly but for the story to progress and deliver its message I just went along with it. I took it as relaying hope and think it portrayed that well.

However, A's body transitions were something I was interested in a lot more than the story between A and Rhiannon. I found it fascinating to hear about every person's live, how much A could know and the influence he held over their body. I don't agree to his recklessness with people's lives after meeting Rhiannon, it's not ethically right, but it made for an interesting read. It also reflects how deeply one person can influence someone, whether it be personal encounters or, in A's case, a literal take over. I think my interpretation to him - and yes I'm gendering A despite not carrying a gender in the novel - moving from body to body is almost like a calling. It could just be coincidental but he did manage to help some people when it really came down to it.

The ending was bittersweet and a little lacklustre for me. I had so many questions built up, questions that A tried to answer for Rhiannon but it didn't satisfy my curiosity. I guess it really conveys how puzzled A is about the whole situation as well, but I just wanted to know. This is just my personal feelings though and I don't fault Levithan for being vague. It actually makes the story realistic and the possibilities that came up for A at the end built on the hope that surrounded the plot.

I do think it was an enjoyable read, I finished it a short amount of time. It was sweet at times but I just don't think it was right for me. I know there's a companion novel coming out in Rhiannon's perspective, but I don't think I'll be reading it. I can just see myself getting bored reading the same story again. Check it out though, it might be the book for you.





Tuesday 21 October 2014

Top Ten Tuesday: Series I Want To Start

Top Ten Recent Series I Want To Start
(Past 2-3 years)

Everything on this list is basically the latest YA releases that I'm pretty sure everyone has read and loved, whilst  I'm still slow to get with the trends. Most of these are also pretty hyped up, but that hasn't put me off (just yet). 




1. Burn for Burn by Jenny Han (2012)
2. Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi (2011)
3. For Darkness Shows The Stars by Diana Peterfreund (2012)
4. Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor (2011)
5. Let the Sky Fall by Shannon Messenger (2013)




6. Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes (2012)
7. The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer (2012)
8. The Archived by Victoria Schwab (2013)
9. The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater (2012) 
10. The Program by Suzanne Young (2013)

What Series Do You Want To Start?




Saturday 18 October 2014

You - Caroline Kepnes

Title: You
Author: Caroline Kepnes
Publication Date: September, 30th 2014
Disclaimer: I was sent this as a recommendation by Simon&Schuster.
Add to Goodreads | Buy from The BookDepository
Joe is instantly drawn to Guinevere Beck after she steps into his bookstore. He can't stop thinking about her and wanting to see her, and it seems Beck is falling her his charms. Yet, she doesn't realise the extent to which Joe will go to have her and Beck isn't exactly what he thinks she's like. 

Their relationship becomes a dangerous game, and the consequences are deadly.

Review


I wasn't exactly sure what I was in for when I started You, but what I got I can't say I loved. In fact, even thinking about it now makes me feel disturbed and uncomfortable. 

You is a thriller at its best, but whether its the right thriller for me is the question. Of course being a story about a stalker means that it'll have elements of creepiness and socially unacceptable behaviours. However, whilst the story progressed I really had to think about whether this was a thriller with highly explicit content or eroticism hiding underneath the genre thriller. That's the part I did not like, and which put me off the entire novel. Maybe I'm just a prude, but I felt like the sexual aspect was so crude and drastic. 

Still, Kepnes' writing really conveyed Joe's obsessive nature in a really interesting way. Readers are placed in his situation, and that's why it seems so much more logical, even though we know what he's doing is wrong. It can be easy to sympathise with him for feeling anxious, happy and anger only because we know how it feels to like someone. However, at the end I still didn't excuse his actions only because his infatuation led to dangerous and disturbing things. I would've liked to know why he grew up to be like he was, because he didn't seem to be lacking in any area. He could attract a girl just by looking at her, was funny, smart and well-read, so it's not like he would find it difficult to get a girlfriend. I hated every other character, including Beck, only because they were all so flawed yet, acted like they owned the world. This is such a realistic interpretation of people though, and Joe's observations of Beck's personality really came across as issues that nearly everyone actually has to deal with - although not to that extreme extent. 

At some point I started to feel like the novel was just dragging out. I mean I got it - Joe's a stalker, and Beck's not perfect, and maybe they just deserve each other. I couldn't reach the ending fast enough, and whilst there were some surprising moments, I just really wanted the entire thing to end. I wouldn't say I never expected the ending, only because it is a thriller so hello. I felt like the ending was realistic enough so I'll take it as it is, but yeah. 

I've seen some really positive reviews for You, so maybe whilst I'm a fan of crime, thriller just isn't for me. Or maybe You is on a whole other level of thriller. Either way I just couldn't tell myself I really liked this. I do think it's definitely for mature readers, especially with the explicit content and language. Check it out and see what you think! 





Friday 17 October 2014

Talking Personal

Boy has this month been hectic, and we've only reached halfway. Now, if you know me well then you'd know my immune system is barely existent, which means I'm constantly sick. I swear I'm ill for three quarters of the year - trust me, it's not fun. So basically I was in bed for most of my mid term break, which was great.

Enough whinging though. I actually only have one week of uni left, and it really scares me because I remember writing my first "Talking Personal" post and I was telling you guys how I was only three weeks into the semester. Where has time gone?! The end of semester just means exam, and yep, I am going to be way over my head with exam prep. Hopefully I don't pull a disappearing act again and I'm actually well prepared for my exams this time. Chances of that are very slim, but I'm still going to try.

I had a great night out with the girls for one of their birthdays, and we ate at a pretty decent Korean BBQ restaurant. I love Korean food and I found that Yeonga to have great service, plenty of choices and just a nice environment. I definitely enjoyed that pork belly I had amongst the other foods we ordered. No photos this time since I was too busy digging in. However, we did manage to finally try Hardware Societe - a very well known brunch place tucked in a lane way in the CBD. We actually had breakfast, but I'm not complaining because it was so amazing. Whilst the girls all ordered their infamous baked egg dish, I went for the Banana Loaf with Poached Pears, Walnuts and Berries. Heaven. Take a look at the photos if you don't believe me.


The Hardware Societe
118-120 Hardware St, Melbourne VIC 3000
Yeonga
1 Cobden St, North Melbourne VIC 3051

I've also just opened up a new Instagram account just to post about books because I felt like I was flooding my personal account a little too much, and it just didn't look nice. Just search up "printedwordsand" if you want to take a look!

Other than that, there's been nothing interesting that's really happened. At least not until I hear back from some things I hope goes well next year, so until then guys! 

What Have You Been Up To?




Wednesday 15 October 2014

Belzhar - Meg Wolitzer

Title: Belzhar
Author: Meg Wolitzer
Publication Date: October 1st, 2014
Add to Goodreads | Buy from The BookDepository 

Jam Gallahue is sent to a therapeutic boarding school after suffering from a traumatic event during high school. She's closed off and feeling empty, but slowly opens up when placed in the Special Topics in English class with another 5 students. 

They're assigned journals to write in every week, but what they discover from this mundane exercise pushes life right back into them. 

Review


On the surface, I don't think Belzhar was an amazing read. It didn't strike me as impactful or memorable compared to The Bell Jar, which was something I was worried about when I picked this up. I know it's not a modern adaptation or promising to be something like Sylvia Plath's amazing work, but by including elements of it in the novel, it's pretty hard not to compare. I'm not going to lie, I had really high expectations. I wasn't disappointed, but it wasn't spectacular. 

What I liked most about Belzhar was more the emotional aspect of it, and how it delivered it's point. At first I was confused because of how dry the narrative sounded, but as the story progressed I could see more of a point being formed. I like that it pushes the idea of how everyone has issues to deal with, and that they're all important in their own way. It explores the topic of addressing your problems and finding the best way to deal with it. I know a lot of people have issues in how the characters are transported to the "other" world as a way of facing their problems, but if you look at it in a different perspective, I think - for the protagonist, at least - the way to let go of the past, and all the grief and anger that was contained in it.

Speaking of the characters, I wasn't particularly fond with any one of them. Their stories were touching and sad, but I don't think they had much depth. This applies to Jam as well, who I pretended was older than her actual age, because I couldn't really believe her situation as being realistic. I could relate with their feelings of being stuck in a moment and not being able to move past it, but I don't really remember every one of their situations. I liked that as a group they gradually developed a positive bond, and found the help they needed, but the romantic relationships just sprung out of nowhere and was very predictable. I knew from the moment the two characters looked at each other it was going to happen, even if there was no progression to it. Sigh.

The ending was a little rushed, packing everything together and trying to wrap it up neatly. It was neat, but just a bit overwhelming. I overlooked that though because of the plot twist that did add a spark to the plot whilst reading and I did find myself surprised.

I think if you're looking for something that is a little less heavy than The Bell Jar, but with that similar concept of exploring the emotions of depression and loneliness than definitely read it. I took the overall message as something I really liked and so that's why I enjoyed that bit more. I'm just not sure I articulated that part very well.





Tuesday 14 October 2014

Top Ten Tuesday: Places I Want To Visit

Hosted By: The Broke and The Bookish
Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and The Bookish, where we list our top ten according to a topic of the week. Check out future topics here.

Top Ten Places Books Make Me Want To Visit

1. Hogwarts from The Harry Potter Series by J.K Rowling
No surprises here. I would expect nearly everyone's list to contain Hogwarts because it's the magical place that has become synonymous to everyone's childhood. Who doesn't want to go to a magic school and hang out with the coolest witches and wizards - oh, and play quidditch!

2. Narnia from The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S Lewis
It's kind of hard not to resist a place that's magically hiding behind your closet, especially with it being such a beautiful, expansive world. Aslan wait for me! 


3. Fairyland from The Fairyland Series by Catherynne M. Valente
This is a new world but one I've fallen in love with this year. It's such a cute place filled with amazing creatures, of all whom I want to be friends with. 

4. England during the Tudor Times (from The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory) 
Ok, this is borderline dangerous cause I could fall seriously sick in a matter of minutes. I'm talking more about the palace and having a position where I'm not being trampled on. Maybe meet King Henry VIII but without risk of being beheaded. 


5. Neverland from Peter Pan by J.M Barrie 
There's a reason this is my favourite classic. I think Neverland has such an attractive quality because you don't seem to age whilst living on the island - actually perfect. 

6. Camp Half Blood from The Percy Jackon Series by Rick Riordan 
Yep, I'm ready to learn that I have secret powers and that one of my parents is actually an immortal. Seriously, the time has come.


7. Wonderland from Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
I'm not going to lie, I'm pretty weird myself so I see Wonderland as being a place where I could just be whacky and not be judged for it. I would also love to be friends with the Mad Hatter, but this is more to do with Johnny Depp playing him in the Tim Burton version.

8. Paris from various novels (of which I don't remember lol)
The city of love, and the setting for numerous novels. It just seems like a sweet and fairy-tale like place, perfect for summer vacation.


9. Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl 
It's chocolate. What else can I say?

10. Manhattan/Upper East Side from The Gossip Girl Series by Cecily von Ziegesar
Say hello to climbing up the social ranks and befriending Blaire Wardolf and Chuck Bass. Also because the US is one of the places I really do want to travel to. 

Which Places Do You Want To Go To?





Sunday 12 October 2014

The Iron Trial (Magisterium #1) - Holly Black & Cassandra Clare

Title: The Iron Trial
Series: Magisterium #1
Author: Holly Black & Cassandra Clare
Publication Date: September 9th, 2014
Disclaimer: I won a copy of this from Dymocks
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Callum Hunt has grown up his whole life hearing his father tell him how destructive and dangerous magic really is. So when the test to enter the magic school "Magisterium" comes around, Callum tries his hardest to fail. Instead, he fails to fail and finds himself entering Magisterium.

Callum comes to realise that magic is much different to what he knew, and 


Review


It was hard not to associate The Iron Trial with the ever popular magic series Harry Potter, especially since my brother read it before me and complained "it's exactly like Harry Potter." Still, I gave this a shot and went into it without any biases - or as less as possible. 

I'm in two minds about this, and I feel like I'm the only one. It was a pretty slow read at the start, and I wasn't sure where it was heading. The prologue did intrigue me but I guess I was reading just to read it. I wasn't fully engaged until Callum entered the school and the world opened up. It was fascinating to read about how magic actually worked and the way the school functioned. Along with that were the characters, who didn't stick immediately but grew on me. I'm not sure I love Callum and his friends just yet, and I found Master Rufus (the main professor) made little impact. Still, it is the first in the series so I'm certain as the series progresses I'll start to like the characters more. 

Where I think it has its positives and makes it a solid series, is the plot. At first it progressed in a really typical manner, so I sort of floated through it. Then the plot twist hit me right in the face and it really changed my view on the series as a whole. If it's executed correctly, I think Magisterium will work at a whole new level and be a really great series to read. It really questions the rights and wrongs, morality and perceptions in life - adding depth to the plot as well. 

I do think if you are interested then definitely check it out, because you might enjoy it a lot more than me. I'll give the series a shot for sure, but it didn't carry wow factor for me.