The Waiting List: April New Releases

The Waiting List is a feature hosted by PrintedWordsAnd, where I list some upcoming releases for the month that I'm most excited about! 

April 2017 Releases

1. Defy The Stars by Claudia Gray
I'm not a huge sci-fi reader, but after the likes of Illuminae and Ready Player One I want to give this a go. Also because Claudia Gray seems to be a very popular author.

2. Alex, Approximately by Jenn Bennett
Bailey finds herself crushing on Alex, a film geek she meets online. Meanwhile her new co-worker Porter has been getting on her nerves and she's declared him her arch-nemesis. BUT what happens when both Alex and Porter are the same person? DUN DUN DUN.

3. Geekerella by Ashley Boston
A retelling of Cinderella in modern time - I'm really hoping this is the cute read I expect it to be.

4. The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli
I told myself I would widen my reading experience, and The Upside of Unrequited gives me a chance to explore more LGBQT reads.

5. The Adjustment (The Program #3) by Suzanne Young
The Program was a great read, and I'm intrigued to see how Young will portray the consequences on the characters beyond the first novel.

6. He Said/She Said by Erin Kelly
Laura witnesses a brutal attack, and now her boyfriend, Kit, and herself live in fear. That's really all I got but I do love psychological thrillers so I'm hoping that this one will deliver.

7. I Found You by Lisa Jewell
You definitely need to read the synopsis to this because I don't think I could do it justify. Just know that a newly married lady is told her husband doesn't actually exist, and in another city a man is taken in after being found sitting outside someone's home. Sorry what?! This is going to be a mystery I need to get my hands on!

8. 180 Seconds by Jessica Park
Allison is seated opposite Esben for 180 seconds, and in those 180 seconds something changes between them. OoooooooOOo.

Which Release Are You Most Excited For?

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Learning To Find Yourself With Looking For Alibrandi

Title: Looking For Alibrandi
Author: Melina Marchetta
Publication Date: October 5th, 1992
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Josephine Alibrandi is seventeen, illegitimate, and in her final year at a wealthy Catholic school. This is the year her father comes back into her life, the year she falls in love, the year she discovers the secrets of her family's past and the year she sets herself free.

"I'll run one day. Run from my life. To be free and think for myself. Not as an Australia and not as an Italian and not as an in between. I'll run to be emancipated."

Review

I was pleasantly surprised with how much I liked Looking For Alibrandi, more so because I thought it would be enjoyable but I actually found it to be very memorable and touching. Thoughts below!

Rating

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Let's Talk: How I Organise My TBR

Over the years I've trialled so many different methods to track my TBR list, and I think finally I can say I have found a way that I know I will use consistently and know that I will be happy with. 

I've seen so many Bloggers share their experience in tracking their TBR and spreadsheets seem like the most popular choice. I did try to use that, but as I started creating my spreadsheet I started to feel so lazy. True story. So what I've done is gone back to Goodreads and figured out the best way to use it to my advantage. 

I know a lot of people aren't a fan of Goodreads - and for good reason - but I've found it to be a great tool to use. Initially there are three basic shelves: Read, Currently Reading and Want To Read. Pretty straight forward. I use to file every single book that I wanted to read into "Want To Read" (very self explanatory). However, that made me really confused because some were books I wanted to buy and some I owned and had never read. The solution? I added another shelf labelled "Interest" to differentiate the two. 

Everything in "Want To Read" are TBRs on my bookshelves, and everything in "Interest" includes books I want to read and buy later on. At the moment I'm in the process of adding books into my "Want to Read" self on Goodreads to have it up to date with what's on my shelf, so there's only 80 books listed in there. That's pretty much it! 

Add me on Goodreads here!

How Do You Organise Your TBR?

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REVIEW: The Revenant by Michael Punke

Title: The Revenant
Author: Michael Punke
Publication Date: January 6th, 2015
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The year is 1823, and the trappers of the Rocky Mountain Fur Company live a brutal frontier life. Hugh Glass is among the company’s finest men, an experienced frontiersman and an expert tracker. But when a scouting mission puts him face-to-face with a grizzly bear, he is viciously mauled and not expected to survive. Two company men are dispatched to stay behind and tend to Glass before he dies. When the men abandon him instead, Glass is driven to survive by one desire: revenge. With shocking grit and determination, Glass sets out, crawling at first, across hundreds of miles of uncharted American frontier.

Based on a true story, The Revenant is a remarkable tale of obsession, the human will stretched to its limits, and the lengths that one man will go to for retribution.

Review

Originally I was going to do a movie vs novel comparison, but I started watching the movie and I couldn't make it past the mauling scene. SOO these are my thoughts on the book.

The Revenant was a book I went into quite apprehensively. It would not have been something I would've picked up to read had I not had recommendations from friends tell me that it was good. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked it, not just the plot but also the writing style and the imagery it created.

Punke's writing was what made me really enjoy the novel. It provided great insight into the history of the 1800s in the US, coupled with such vivid imagery of the landscape of the wilderness. I was captivated by how realistic the depictions were and I could really feel like I was part of Hugh's journey. Learning about the historical era was also something I found fascinating, being such a history buff. I found that I barely knew anything about the 1800s, especially about hunting groups, colonies and the imbalance between Westerners and Indians. I loved that I was learning whilst experiencing such an adventure.

It was somewhat surreal to find out that The Revenant was based on a true story. In fact, at the end of the story Punke left notes regarding the characters who were real and what happened to them after the event. The only thing I was unsatisfied about was the ending of the novel, but it did change it up a typical revenge story.

I didn't think I could ever like a story or genre like this but Punke's writing really made the difference for me. He made a true story into such a fascinating fictional piece and I would recommend to pick it up - if you've watched the movie, if you're considering watch the movie or if you're looking for something different to read!

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February Wrap Up

On The Blog

Goals, Goals, Goals
I reflect on 2016 and what I want to achieve in 2017 

Top Ten Tuesday

Favourite Romances | Books That Surprised Me 

Talking Personal

I catch you guys up on how 2016 ended!

The Waiting List

March releases to expect

So Many Brunch Places, So Little Time

Melbourne thrives on brunch and I chat about the places I've visited

Review

              

Reading Time 

I had a great reading month in February. Check out what I read this month!! 

Book Haul 

Also before I reveal what I got for my birthday, Christmas and recently go through all the books I bought last year. This is footage I forgot I have, it was actually very funny to watch over again. 

How Was February For You? What Was Your Favourite Book This Month?

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