DISCUSSION: Top Ten Books Everybody Should Read

I've decided to talk today about ten books that I think everybody should read. These books may be my favourites, may be something I've chosen because it teaches people thinks I think they should know, or may be just a book that I think a lot of people will love. I hope you pick up a few recommendations whilst you're reading.

The first book I've chosen is The Other Countess by Eve Edwards. This is one of my favourite historical novels and I love the accuracy and attention to detail. It's set in Elizabethan England but everything is explained well, so even if you don't know the period well, it will all make sense.

Geek Girl by Holly Smale is a book that I love so, so much. Not only is it funny, it also holds important messages that I think it's important that teens today learn.

Skin Deep by Laura Jarratt is another book that holds important messages. It's a book that I can't stop recommending; everyone must read it!

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green is a bit of an obvious choice but I had to include it. There was quite a lot of controversy surrounding this book at the start of the year but I don't think there's anything wrong with it. It's a very truthful novel with many heartfelt moments.

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell is a book I have been raving about a lot lately; I just can't stop talking about it! It's a really cute and sweet read and it really deserves its place in this post.

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas is one of my favourite fantasy novels and I don't think I've ever read anything quite like it, nor do I think there will be another book of this level.

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi is one of my favourite dystopian novels and I think one of the things that sets it apart is that it is set a long time in the future. I haven't seen many novels that are so far ahead, actually.

Blood Red Road by Moira Young is a book that I fangirl about a lot. It does help that it's one of my friend's favourite books though!

The Dark Heroine: Dinner With a Vampire by Abigail Gibbs is one of the most memorable vampire novels that I've read. I've had enough of vampire novels but this is one series that I don't think I'll ever get enough of.

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare is one of my favourite books and for very good reason! The writing is amazing, the characters are amazing, the plot is amazing- EVERYTHING is amazing. Highly recommended!


What would your choices be? Let me know below! 

REVIEW: After Eden by Helen Douglas

Author: Helen Douglas

Publishing Company: Bloomsbury Childrens Books

Acquired: Through publisher for review

Release Date: July 4th 2013

Summary from Goodreads:

Eden Anfield loves puzzles, so when mysterious new boy Ryan Westland shows up at her school she's hooked. On the face of it, he's a typical American teenager. So why doesn't he recognise pizza? And how come he hasn't heard of Hitler? What puzzles Eden the most, however, is the interest he's taking in her.

As Eden starts to fall in love with Ryan, she begins to unravel his secret. Her breakthrough comes one rainy afternoon when she stumbles across a book in Ryan's bedroom - a biography of her best friend - written over fifty years in the future. Confronting Ryan, she discovers that he is there with one unbelievably important purpose ... and she might just have destroyed his only chance of success.

I haven't read anything quite like After Eden before and I loved it!

When new boy Ryan starts at the local school in Perran, Cornwall, it's evident that there's something different about him. I mean, who doesn't know what pizza is? The novel follows the story of Eden Anfield and her friends and explores the subjects of relationships, friendships...and time travel.

Although a little predictable in places, After Eden was enjoyable and I zoomed through it; I couldn't put it down! Eden was a likeable main character and I found her easy to read about. She's definitely a character who I wouldn't mind reading about again.

Regarding the romance in the book, I found myself veering towards "Team Connor." I just thought that Eden and Connor were a better pairing than Eden and Ryan. Ryan was different to a lot of the many male characters out there now though so it was quite a nice change and I didn't dislike him in any way, it's just that I thought Connor and Eden should end up together.

I learnt a great deal from this novel and astronomy plays a huge part. I don't know a lot about the stars but I've always enjoyed learning about the solar system in science so it was really nice to read about and it was obvious that Douglas knew what she was writing about.

I'll definitely be reading the next book because I do want to know what happens to Eden, Ryan and Connor. This is book that I would be sure to recommend.

Thank you to Bloomsbury for providing me with a review copy

Letterbox Love (13)

Letterbox Love is a UK based feature where book bloggers showcase the books that they received that week, be they e-books, paperbacks, hardbacks or any other format. It is hosted by Lynsey from Narratively Speaking.

I was expecting to have a tiny haul this week but then splashed out yesterday when visiting a charity shop- they're just so good!

Received:

Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi- I received this from Rebekah at Reflections of a Bookworm who I read Shatter Me with. Unfortunately, she didn't like it as much as I did so she offered to send this to me. Thank you, Rebekah!

Won:

Half Lives by Sara Grant- I was so pleased when this dropped through my letterbox yesterday. It came wrapped up in a cute lilac bow and had a little note enclosed. Thank you to the lovely Georgia at Books and Writers JNR for this! 

Borrowed (library): 

Heart-Shaped Bruise by Tanya Byrne- I'm reading this at the moment and it's so, so good! Tanya is going to be at the Bath Kids Lit Festival in October so I thought I'd better read her books before the event. Highly recommended!

Wonder by R.J. Palacio- I've been meaning to read this one for a while now and can't wait to get started on it. I've heard amazing things about it so am sure I'll enjoy it.

Bought:

The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory- I was really sad that I didn't like Changeling, Gregory's YA novel, so I thought I ought to give her novels another girl and I'm really looking forward to starting this one.

Where She Went by Gayle Forman- I haven't read If I Stay yet but having this should make me get a move on and start it. 

The One and Only by Sophie McKenzie- I haven't read anything by this author before but this looks like a really good read and so I can't wait to read it.

The Secret Countess by Eva Ibbotson- I haven't read anything by Eva Ibbotson yet but I'd seen Luisa Plaja mention her books on Twitter so thought I would buy this and see what I thought of it.

The Lady in the Tower: The Fall of Anne Boleyn by Alison Weir- This will be the first book by this author I've read and I cannot wait to start it. I love historical fiction so much and this looks really promising.

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte- I'm currently reading Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte and am trying to read a classic a month now. I love the sound of this one.

Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin- Again, this is my first book of this author's and it sounds really good. I haven't read many amnesia books so I'm not too sure what to expect.

Blood Red Road by Moira Young- I've already read this but didn't have my own copy so decided to pick this one up to add to my shelf; it's one of my favourite books.

Split by a Kiss + Swapped by a Kiss by Luisa Plaja- These are the only two of Luisa's books that I haven't yet read and was really pleased when I saw them because they both look amazing.

Just in Case by Meg Rosoff- As has been common in this haul, I haven't read anything by this author yet and have heard brilliant things about her books. I'm really looking forward to starting this one.

What did you get this week? Link back to your own hauls and I'll be sure to check them out! 

YLG SW Unconference Write Up

I was lucky enough to be invited to the YLG South West Unconference by my librarian, the wonderful Tracy. An Unconference is a gathering that has minimal planning. People decide what they want to talk about and then split into groups. 

Beforehand, you had to make your own badge, with just a name; no hint at what you do. 

This was the badge that I made and it features some of my favourite books and book covers. I was actually quite pleased with it and it didn't take me too long to make. 

There were a lot of people with some amazing badges, including ones that had been crocheted and another fab one of Elmer, the patchwork elephant. 

After listening to the housekeeping, everyone wrote down a few things that they wanted to talk about and then mingled, viewing each others badges. 

The post it notes were then sorted into groups and people chose the group that they were most interested in. I chose to go to the new technology group and found out a lot about the ways that QR codes are used and how librarians are using technology to attract people to visit libraries.

After lunch, there was a quick game of 'agree, disagree' and everyone was split about whether non-fiction paper books will become 'extinct' (or something along those lines!). I suppose that's the nature of the game!

There was then a whole group talk where we all shared book recommendations and I know I'm definitely going to go away and pick some of them up, especially Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein. 

There was then another split and I went and spoke with another group of people who were still discussing books. This was by far the best part of the day and I got to chat with the rest of the group, who were all lovely! I felt so welcome, especially as I was the youngest there. 

It was really great to meet Karen Saunders because I loved her book Me, Suzy P and I'm hoping to meet her again sometime in the future. I left before I could talk to her properly which was a shame. 

I've since spoken with Karen Saunders and Dan Metcalf on Twitter, both of whom were at the event. 

I'd love to do something similar because it was such a fun day and I got to meet so many people and learnt a lot. 

Thank you to Tracy for inviting me along and to everyone who made the day so super! 

REVIEW: Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Summary from Goodreads: 

Cath is a Simon Snow fan.
Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan . . .
But for Cath, being a fan is her life — and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving.
Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.
Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to.
Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words . . . And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone.
For Cath, the question is: Can she do this? Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? Writing her own stories?
Or will she just go on living inside somebody else’s fiction?

Hey, Fangirl? I love you. And I mean, really love you. I think you may even be one of my favourite books of the year so far, and that's saying something because I've read some really amazing things so far this year. 

The only other book of Rowell's that I read previous to picking this up was Eleanor & Park, which has quickly become one of my favourite books and so I was thrilled when I was offered this to review. I was extremely lucky as I know a lot of far more experienced bloggers who were declined the chance to review this.

Fangirl is about a girl called Cath who has a twin sister called Wren. Wren and Cath are both starting their freshman year in college and so are experiencing very big changes. Wren has decided that she doesn't want to room with Cath and has separated herself from Cath.
Cath is a major Simon Snow fan, a fictional book that isn't unlike 'Harry Potter.' You name it- t-shirts, posters, her own fan fiction account- and Cath has got it. She has immersed herself in the world of Simon Snow.
Told over a period of a year, Fangirl tells the story of Cath getting used to her new life and also brings up old struggles.

Cath was a very easy character to relate to. It's not very often that I can say I empathise with a character, but I did with Cath because we are very alike. At times I wondered if Rowell was writing about my own life. Cath loves reading. Do I? Check. Cath loves writing. Check. Cath would rather stay in and read or write than go out. Check. Cath has quickly become one of my favourite female characters.

As always, Rainbow Rowell has delivered on the romance side and I kept wanting MORE. More of those adorable scenes, please! I just ate them up.

There are a lot of subjects broached including mental health issues and alcohol abuse. I thought both things were dealt with in a mature manner and in a way that the reader could understand, even if they had no history of either things.

I really want more of Fangirl. I'm already imagining different scenarios and what could possibly happen after the novel's end. It was such an amazing and beautiful book and I'm so glad that I requested it because it made me realise that it's okay to be your own person and to do what you want. As long as you're happy. Rainbow Rowell is definitely one of my favourite authors and I'll read anything she writes.

Letterbox Love (12)

Letterbox Love is a UK based feature where book bloggers showcase the books that they received that week, be they e-books, paperbacks, hardbacks or any other format. It is hosted by Lynsey from Narratively Speaking.

I've been really lucky this week and picked up some really good books. 

Bought:

Shadows at Stonewylde by Kit Berry- This is my second copy of this book and I couldn't resist when I saw it in The Works. As you may all know, this is my favourite series and I must buy every cheap copy I find.

The Future of Us by Jay Asher & Carolyn Mackler- I've read mixed reviews for this one but I love the sound of it.

Won:

The Diamond Thief by Sharon Gosling- I won this in a retweet to win thing from Curious Fox and it came with a cool bookmark with all their titles on and their 2013 catalogue. I really love the cover!

Library Haul: 

Jasmine Skies by Sita Brahmachari- I read Artichoke Hearts back in September 2011 and her third novel, Kite Spirit, came out last month so I thought I'd better catch up and read this one.

The Maze Runner by James Dashner- This book is currently being adapted into a film and so I'm going to try and whizz through the books before it is released.

Slated by Teri Terry- The title of the third book in the trilogy was released the other day so I was inspired to pick this up because of it. It's one of my friend's favourite books so I'm looking forward to delving into the  world.

My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece by Annabel Pitcher- Ruby from Feed Me Books Now recommended Ketchup Clouds to me but I couldn't find it at my library so I picked this one up instead.

Fever by Lauren DeStefano- This is the second book in the Chemical Garden trilogy and I completely fell in love with Wither so I can't wait to start this.

Bought:

Dusk by Eve Edwards- I've been waiting over a year for this book. I'm so excited to read it and managed to wheedle my mum into buying it for me, after convincing her how good a daughter I am. I'm planning on getting stuck in very soon!

Freebies:

I attended an event yesterday and there were a lot of publishing freebies on offer so I took the opportunity and seized quite a lot!

Parallel by Lauren Miller- I already have a copy of this one so will be giving it away sometime soon, either on the blog or to someone I know. It looks really good!

Dead To You by Lisa McMann (x2)- I picked up two of these: one for myself and one for someone else. As above, I'll either give it away on the blog or to someone I know.

Wild Boy by Rob Lloyd Jones- This is an ARC copy (the book is already released) and there was a whole pile of them so I decided to take one and I'm really glad that I did.

I also got these really cool bookmarks which I'll be using to create a display board for my school's English departement. And I'll obviously be keeping some for myself!






Also, these awesome postcards! I'm going to be sticking a few to my wall because they're really pretty.


Gifted:

And finally I got this cute little bookmark from my friend for looking after her guinea pig while she was on holiday (the guinea pig has since come to live with us and is happily munching away at our lawn!). My dog has fallen in love with it a little bit and keeps trying to eat it; I think it's the sweet westie that's attracted her!
Thanks, Abbie!


What did you get this week? Leave your own links below and I'll be sure to check them out! 

DISCUSSION: Rating Systems

After much thought, I have decided to change the way I rate books. For ages now I have been giving books ratings of four and five stars and the majority of books I've read this year have been rated five stars by myself. I'm hoping to change this. Are these books really worth such a high rating?

My new system is going to go as following:


Five Crowns

Five crowns means that I completely fell in love with the book and would consider it one of my favourites. I'm going to be trying to make five crown books rarer because I've been giving a lot of books five star ratings this year when, actually, they don't deserve it.

Four crowns means that I really enjoyed a book, and although there were some faults, I would definitely recommend it and remember it. The amount of four stars I've given out so far this year has been minimal when a lot of the books have deserved this rating, so I'm going to be tougher.

Three crowns means that a book is average and I'm not likely to read it or again or remember it. I may have enjoyed it whilst reading it but I didn't connect with it or click in any way and there were quite a few faults.

Two crowns means that I didn't enjoy the book and thought it was below average. I'm not likely to read the rest in the series or trilogy if it's not a standalone and I'm not likely to recommend it.

One crown means that I likely DNF'd a book and didn't enjoy it at all. I'm hoping that I won't be giving this rating very often!

I also have half ratings which I think I'll be using often. I'm a lot happier now that I've started using the system and I'll be putting my ratings at the bottom of each review that I write and will explain why I chose that rating. 

How do you rate books?

REVIEW: Changeling by Philippa Gregory

Summary from Goodreads:

Italy, 1453. Seventeen-year-old Luca Vero is brilliant, gorgeous—and accused of heresy. Cast out of his religious order for using the new science to question old superstitious beliefs, Luca is recruited into a secret sect: The Order of the Dragon, commissioned by Pope Nicholas V to investigate evil and danger in its many forms, and strange occurrences across Europe, in this year—the end of days.

Isolde is a seventeen-year-old girl shut up in a nunnery so she can’t inherit any of her father’s estate. As the nuns walk in their sleep and see strange visions, Isolde is accused of witchcraft—and Luca is sent to investigate her, but finds himself plotting her escape.

Despite their vows, despite themselves, love grows between Luca and Isolde as they travel across Europe with their faithful companions, Freize and Ishraq. The four young people encounter werewolves, alchemists, witches, and death-dancers as they head toward a real-life historical figure who holds the boundaries of Christendom and the secrets of the Order of the Dragon.

I really wanted to love this novel, but sadly didn't. As a major fan of all things historical fiction, I had very high hopes because Gregory is a bestselling author here in the UK and her books have even been made into TV programmes and films. So, this is actually quite a sad review to write.

Before I get on to the reasons why I didn't like this book, I need to talk about the positive things. The attention to detail was brilliant and I thought the settings were described well so that it was easy to picture where the book was taking place. It was easy to tell that a lot of research had taken place beforehand.

I liked the characters, but they were really bad at interacting with each other. The dialogue felt forced and I felt like screaming in frustration regularly. Isolde was probably the most understandable character, and there wasn't a lot of competition.

Both the cover and summary are hugely misleading. Both promise a romantic aspect that sounds amazing but there was no romance in this book at all. For someone like me who lives for these moments in books, it was a major let down.

When you're reading a book you should be able to feel that what you're reading is true and you're witnessing the events but this didn't happen in Changeling. Everything felt a bit forced and I found a lot of the plot lines very unrealistic.

I didn't enjoy this book at all and I'm so sad about that fact because I really wanted to like it. I'm going to try and read one of Gregory's adult novels to see if I like one of them better but I don't think I'll be reading the rest in this series.

Debut-A-Thon Sign Up Post

The Debut-A-Thon is being hosted by the lovely Amber from Books of Amber  from the 27th- 30th of June.   You don't need a blog to sign up, just somewhere to update- so, Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads or YouTube will do. I, obviously, will be posting my updates here. Only 2013 debuts count towards your reading goals, although you can read any genre you like. Because I review and read mainly YA, I have chosen to read books from this genre. So what will I be reading? The first book I've chosen to read is ACID by Emma Pass.

2113. In Jenna Strong’s world, ACID – the most brutal, controlling police force in history – rule supreme. No throwaway comment or muttered dissent goes unnoticed – or unpunished. And it was ACID agents who locked Jenna away for life, for a bloody crime she struggles to remember.

The only female inmate in a violent high-security prison, Jenna has learned to survive by any means necessary. And when a mysterious rebel group breaks her out, she must use her strength, speed and skill to stay one step ahead of ACID – and to uncover the truth about what really happened on that dark night two years ago.

I've been raving about Acid for ages now. I've wanted to read it since its release. I'm going to hold on for a little while until the debut-a-thon though because I'm sure it will feel even more special then.

The second book I've chosen is The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.

Now, it’s the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth’s last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie’s only hope for rescuing her brother—or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up.

This book has spread around the blogosphere like wildfire and so I'm looking forward to seeing what everyone's going on about.

The third book I've chosen to read is Pantomime by Laura Lam

R. H. Ragona’s Circus of Magic is the greatest circus of Ellada. Nestled among the glowing blue Penglass—remnants of a mysterious civilisation long gone—are wonders beyond the wildest imagination. It’s a place where anything seems possible, where if you close your eyes you can believe that the magic and knowledge of the vanished Chimaera is still there. It’s a place where anyone can hide.

Iphigenia Laurus, or Gene, the daughter of a noble family, is uncomfortable in corsets and crinoline, and prefers climbing trees to debutante balls. Micah Grey, a runaway living on the streets, joins the circus as an aerialist’s apprentice and soon becomes the circus’s rising star.

But Gene and Micah have balancing acts of their own to perform, and a secret in their blood that could unlock the mysteries of Ellada.

Pantomime has been sitting on my shelf since March and I recently won another copy so this may give me the kick I finally need to read it. 

What are you planning to read? 

Letterbox Love (11)

Letterbox Love is a UK based feature where book bloggers showcase the books that they received that week, be they eBooks, paperbacks, hardbacks or any other format. It is hosted by Lynsey from Narratively Speaking.

This vlog took me about 20,000 attempts to film; I just couldn't get it right! This is my haul for the past two weeks as I was too busy reading last week to write one! Sorry that it's such a long video!

I think this will be my last vlog for a while. After struggling to film this one, I'm going to take a break and picture my books for the next few weeks.

What did you get this week? Link back to your own posts and I'll be sure to check them out!