A small charitable book haul...

Okay so I know that I am on a book buying ban but technically I didn't buy these; my mom did so :-P

So it went like this, the local fate was on and it was cold and wet but still some stalls turned up but even less people; one stall was for a local children's club that helped with unruly children in the area and helped them home their talents on less illegal adventures. Well I was drew there for the boxes after boxes of books they had on display; some were brand new and some were well used... and there was a sign that said... '50p each or 3for a £1'...

My mom had already taken her purse out and handed me two pound and said only get six... I disappeared for an hour trying to decide on only 6 books... sounds pathetic for a grown woman to be dependant on her mother for money to get books but I'm a broke student who loves books!!!!!!!

So I searched and searched and decided that I would mainly get crime novels; I hadn't read many in this genre and if I didn't like the books at least there wasn't much money lost on it! I also chose some fantasy and a contempary which really took me by surprise... I haven't read a contempary since school and the thought of reading about gushing girls in easily resolved love triangles makes me cringe but the one I chose seemed different, always try once!!!!!

Okay first the contempary... Big Girl by Danielle Steel is about a girl leaving home and discovering herself and fighting her weight along the way... a story I can easily relate to but I am interested in the perspective of this book and the obvious romance bound to occur... because lets face it, there are not many books being published these days not based on a love triangle or forbidden love... maybe its time for something different????!!!!?????

The fantasy I bought it an obvious one and I am shocked that I have not read these yet... but no matter how I try and steal my brother's copies of this epic series I always fail. The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien is the second book in the Lord of the Rings trilogy and the only one (except the Hobbit) that I personally own; I plan on picking up the other books in the series and then spend several days marathoning the entire series and submerging myself securely in Middle Earth... and God help anyone who tries to disturb me!!!!!!!

Now on to the four crime novels I bought; I will try and explain why I picked each of these but some were bought on a whim.

Firstly Natural Causes by James Oswald is based on a 60 year old murder which holds uncanny resemblance to current murders... what drew me to this book is my knowledge of how many deaths are counted as natural causes even though murder could also be a plausible explanation. The history aspect of the book is also interesting and I cant wait to delve into the pages and discover how Detective Inspector McLean handles the storyline and twists.

Next is Play to Kill by P.J. Tracy, a book that intrigued me from just reading the title; psychopathic games interests me and this screamed 'Saw' but after reading the blurb I found it not to be. But yet it peaked my interest even more! A gruesome story of murder and videos leaked onto the internet? Surely going to give me nightmares but any good crime novel should!

Next is Scarletta by Patricia Cornwell which hooked me from the first sentence of the blurb; the main character is a forensic pathologist sent to work in a psychiatric ward and I am currently studying forensic psychology and this whole world is key to my course. This sounds epic!!!!

Finally is Fallen by Karin Slaughter, now I must admit this was the book bought on the whim; I don't usually like stories where family members are kidnapped or killed because it hits home in ways many people could not understand. The way I chose this book was to put a pile of potential buys on the table close my eyes, spin around and randomly grab... it looked like the man on the stall wanted me to take all the books in the pile for the two pound but I wouldn't take funds away from a charity no matter how much I loved books!!!!

So I have a little confession to make... there is another books... not bought from a charity... not even released yet....

The 'Heir of Fire' by Sarah J Maas... I am currently devouring 'Crown of Midnight' and my love for this series knows no bounds!!!! So I pre-ordered the third instalment with high expectations!!!!

Here is the link to the Book Depository where I have pre-ordered it from... the cheapest place I found and it even has free shipping as well as many other amazing offers with books to fulfil every book lovers dreams:

http://www.bookdepository.com/Heir-Fire-Sarah-Maas/9781619630659

If you love fantasy check this series out!!!!
If you have been intimidated by other fantasy series check this one out!!!!! The books are relatively short compared to other fantasy series and the plots and characters are easier to follow.
This series deserves to be up there with the best!!!!!!!!

Book Love... Throne of Glass

I have recently finished 'The Throne of Glass'  by Sarah J Maas and I have fell in love with everything about it.... OMG... so good.

********* warning SPOILERS***********

I love the way the world is created and developed, its extremely well written and enthralling; wanting you to know more about the cultures and the secondary plots. There are distinct areas and their own cultures which you often find missing in other fantasy novels.

Something else that really drew me in is the that the main character is an assassin... oh my... and she's a kick ass female who inspires young ladies. She not only provides a strong base personality who demonstrates mature and sophisticated way to handle emotionally charged situations; but also shows how you can be strong and powerful but also weak.

Now the emotions of this book were... wow... the love triangle makes me swoon... for once I cannot work out who she will end up loving... the Prince? The Head of the Guard? both of which should have no interest in her but what the hell... the moment when he looks up at her window and she's still dancing... heart-breaking!!!! But it wasn't just love and heart break that I felt... there was adrenaline in the fight scenes and the fear when all the champions start being killed.

Now I'm not going to sit here and say the book is perfect... there were ways where it could have been taken to the next level... the tests could have been more pronounced... the fight scenes could have been developed more... but I think that a fantasy series with shorter books (I think this is the perfect size for this book- 404 pages) is a great way to draw someone into the genre as people often feel intimidated by the size of other fantasy novels; such as the game of throne series.

Overall I love this series and I am about to delve into the next book and novellas.

***** definitely 5 stars

what do you think of this epic book? id love to hear????

Book Review... The Divergent Trilogy

The Divergent Trilogy by Veronica Roth

 

So as you all can tell I recently participated in this year's BookTubeAThon and for the series challenge I chose the acclaimed Divergent Trilogy because I had been aching to get these read since I bought the first one a while ago. So I read all three books in two days even though they are a decent length; around 500 pages each... so as you can imagine I didn't get much else done while reading these.

 

If I have to pick a favourite book out of all three I think Divergent may have to be my favourite, with Allegiant being my least... I know I know not what everyone expects... but I was spoiled beyond belief and it ruined the experience for me; if I'm brutally honest its why I put off reading them for so long. So please be aware that the rest of this review does contain spoilers and if you haven't read the books yet please don't continue for the sake of your view of the book.

 

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Well since your still here I guess its safe to continue; these are my opinions on the books and I am sure that others have very different opinions and I would love to know these.

 

The Plot:

 

So overall I found the plot well thought through; it had enough twists and turns to warrant three books but some of them seemed pointless... take for example the subplot of 'Fours' father; the first two books build up the hatred and anger and at the moment he could release what has been built up... he lets him walk away and its like the rest of the story is cut away????

 

I loved the way the story wove itself around the city like a snake; moving from one place to another and touched everyone's lives in one way or another... even when the story branched out of the city and explored the unknown world and when they learnt the truth of their existence it resonated with the people still inside the walls.

 

Okay, so I do have one problem with the plot.... she dies and this bugs me... her death is a farce and lost in the rush of everything that has happened... she fights for everyone but no one fights to save her... it was a real kick in the teeth. I suppose there is symbolism behind her death... her final sacrifice to save those that she loves... to forgive her brother and to show Four that she really does love him. But I think it was rushed and not thought through... the chapters after her death was emotional but not nearly as emotional as I would have thought... but that one page where she dies...she's lost in everything else that is happening and for the main character of the story to die... I would have thought she deserved a better written ending. But maybe the loss in the chaos and the lack of words is what everyone's end will be like; just another death and the rest of the world carries on around them.

 

The characters:

 

Okay so the main characters were developed quite well, had a good backstory which influenced their perceptions and you could see the effect it has on them however my main concern was for the secondary characters which alas were forgotten... I don't think they were developed as well as they should have been to pull off a story of this calibre... but she made it work.

 

The Writing:

 

I loved it... what else can I say. It wasn't flouncy but effective and for the most part she drew on all the appropriate emotions until the end and then I felt it died away and we were left with the bare bones of the story with no meat to cling to.

 

Overall I found the trilogy to be a page turner; I loved the world and although i had minor problems with the plot I found the story wrapped itself around my mind and i found myself dreaming I was going through initiation, or being divergent or fighting those who should never have been my enemy for several days after turning the last page.

 

I give the Divergent Trilogy 5 stars (*****)

 

Would love to hear your thoughts... leave a comment below if you agree with what I believe or if you have different opinions, I read the trilogy extremely quickly however some of my opinions may change once I can sit and analyse the world and the characters.

 

I hope I haven't spoiled anyone.

 

Helen x

Post Booktubeathon slump... I need your help!!!!

Well it's been several days since the end of our beloved BookTubeAThon and I am yet to pick up a single book or turn a single page and I think I know why...

I am lacking a challenge... I am lacking the drive to complete such a lot in a short period of time... so will someone post me a challenge??????

#booktubeathon wrap up

Well ladies and gentlemen the end #BookTubeAThon has come and I know that we are all very sad... however looking back over the last 7 days I can honestly say that I am proud of the amount I have read and I am sure that each and every one of you can be proud.

So in total I read my whole TBR pile as well as a few additional books, this also means that I COMPLETED ALL THE READING CHALLENGES :-D

So lets look at each challenge and how I completed it:

• To read a book to movie adaptation:
  To complete this I read Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and then watched the film later that day. My thoughts of this book will never change, it is the essence of my childhood and was the series that hooked me into both reading and writing.
• To start and complete a series:To complete this challenge I started a new series, The Divergent Trilogy were screaming at me to be read as they have sat on my shelf for what feels like a life-time. So I picked up divergent the first day and by the end of day 3 I had the whole series complete; my feelings about this series are mixed. Overall I found the storyline to be compelling in sections however there were times where I found it slow. Everyone ranted and raved about the emotions but I didn't feel myself getting drawn in; at the end there were elements that sparked some emotion but not what I expected... however I think that this is because I was expecting what happened and well it ruined the experience for me... has anyone else found this?
• To read a book with red on the cover:So I walked up to my bookshelf and grabbed Half-Bad; I had only heard the odd thing about this book and since I had never read about witches I was compelled with this choice. I also read this book in one easy sitting; true I found that I didn't get attached to any of the characters deep enough to care about who lived or died but the storyline itself is extremely compelling and I found myself turning the pages to find out what happened next. I cannot wait for 'Half-Wild' to be released in Spring of 2015.
• To read a book from a genre least read this year:I decided to read a crime novel as I haven't read any for more than a year; The Reckoning by Jane Casey was quick paced for most of the book and summed up in an unexpected and fascinating way.
• To read a book chosen by someone else:So I presented my mom with my full TBR list, little to say she was not impressed by the number on that list and the fact that its continually growing. After about an hour of flicking through the list she decided on The Screaming Staircase by Jonathon Stroud and let me just say WOW...the plot twists and the way it was actually written was outstanding however to say the main characters were meant to be children, they were written as if they were adults which confused me slightly. They didn't show any signs of being children... even mature children wouldn't react the way the characters did.
• To read a book with pictures:I decided to go with a smaller book of a slightly more childish nature; believe it or not I had never read Matilda by Roald Dahl... I know I was disgusted in myself... so that was what I chose. It was really fast paced and exactly what you would expect of a children's book written by one of the most prolific children's authors. However I also thought it was written to please both adults and children as there are some extremely dark and adult themes throughout the book.
• To read a total of 7 books:Well as you can tell from above I read 8 books as well as an additional book of War of the Worlds Quick read.

So this week has been extremely busy for reading but I am soooooooo thankful to Ariel Bissett and the rest of the awesome team for making #BookTubeAThon again... I hope this runs again and again... now to wait for the next one :-(

#booktubeathon days 4,5 & 6... kinda okay...

Okay well this is the last little update before my big run down tomorrow night when the #BookTubeAThon finishes... so once again I am covering three days... two of which were extremely unsuccessful [hence no updates].

Look back on end of Day 3: So at the end of the last post I decided that  if I have time I would finish of Half Bad by Sally Green and attempt to read the fast track classics version of The War of The Worlds by Pauline Francis. I am extremely happy to say that I completed both of these books in the time before I went to bed.

Day 4: Today I started The Screaming Staircase by Jonathon Stroud albeit a small amount of reading was actually done...  the first chapter to be precise. However the rest of the day was extremely busy and I didn't get any more reading done. Okay I know its bad but I had a girls day out with my closest friend Theresa and we had a blast; had a wonderful pub lunch and a very successful shopping trip.

Day 5: NO READING AT ALL :'( So I had an extremely bad night with thunder and lightning with dogs that are terrified. So all day I had a migraine and felt sick... so as you can imagine no reading was done.

Day 6: So today is the last but one day of the #BookTubeAThon and my reading bug was back in full swing. I managed to complete the screaming staircase as well as half of The Reckoning by Jane Casey.

#BookTubeAThon stats:

 

Total books read: 7
 

Total pages read: 2746

 

Challenges complete:

• To read a book to movie adaptation: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
• To start and complete a series: The Divergent Trilogy
• To read a book with red on the cover: Half-bad
• To read a book that someone else has picked for you: The Screaming Staircase
• To read a total of 7 books: Those above plus 'War of the Worlds'.

Challenges currently completing:

• To read from the genre least read this year: The Reckoning as a crime novel.

Books left on TBR pile:

• Matilda by Roald Dahl

Additional books:

• Percy Jackson and the Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan
• Percy Jackson and the Last Olympian by Rick Riordan

#BookTubeAThon Days 2 & 3... Success!!!!!!

So my lovelies, the end of day 3 draws near and I have completed over half of my TBR pile in three days... let us all do the happy dance.... boom... shake... shake... boom....

Daily Round-up:

Day 2 I completed the majority of Insurgent By Veronic Roth, I say majority as I had less than 100 pages left to read. Overall Tuesday was a bit of a slump when reading was concerned; I spent most of the day extremely busy but I did find time to fit in rougly 400 pages before bed.

Day 3 however was much more of a reading day... I started the day early by finishing Insurgent by Veronica Roth and then dived straight into Allegiant by Veronica Roth, and Oh my God; this book brought out the tears and the laughter and hit every emotion I think I could muster. However the ending I found less intense; I don't know whether it was because I was reading faster than normal but I found myself to disengage with the characters for the last set of chapters; ***** SPOILER***** especially after the death... which myself found to lack the defiance the build up made out to believe... however I found the last two chapters to be touching... they still left questions but it ended pretty well. I will be posting a full review of this series as well as my other reads across the week following #BookTubeAThon. 

HOWEVER.... I didn't stop there on my reading mission for today... I took an hour of me time to relax my eyes and then I delved into the world of Half Bad by Sally Green, now I haven't quite finished this book yet but there is still a bit of time left before bed so this should easily be finished; especially now the pace is quickening in the book.

#BookTubeAThon Stats:

 

Books Completed: 4

Books started: 1

Challenges complete:

• To read a book to movie adaptation: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
• To start and complete an entire series: The Divergent Series

 

Challenges Started:

• To read a book with red on the cover: Half Bad

Next Books to be picked up:

 

I have now ordered the rest of my TBR pile for the #BookTubeAThon **not including extras****

 

1. The Screaming Staircase by Jonathan Stroud
2. The Reckoning by Jane Casey
3. Matilda by Roald Dahl

 

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As it is only three days into the #BookTubeAThon and I have completed over half of my TBR pile and the remaining books are of a smaller nature I have decided that I am going to add a selection of potential additions to my TBR to be chosen from once the pile is complete:

• Percy Jackson and the battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan :- this is already almost complete with less than 50 pages and will probably be the first I pick up after completing the TBR pile
• Percy Jackson and the Last Olympian by Rick Riordan
• the fast track version of 'The War of The Worlds' retold by Pauline Francis which is less than 50 pages total and if I finish Half Bad before I get too tired I might push myself through this tonight??!!??