Christmas Book Haul

Happy New Year to you lovely folk. We are well into 2015 and I still haven’t posted a Christmas book haul. I got a lot of books both given to me and purchased by me so I wanted to share my nerdy excitement here!

1.       Scarlet and Cress by Marissa Meyer

My sister heard me cry out and came running to my room, asking me what was wrong. I said, “Cinder finished. And I don’t’ have the second one.” She bought me both sequels. My sister is the greatest. (Read my Cinder book review here.)

2.       I am Malala by Malala Yousafzai with Christina Lamb

Sometimes the world is horrid. I am saving this book for when I need to know how to survive human cruelty. Malala is a young woman standing up against the Taliban by going to school and speaking out on behalf of oppressed young women. At 17, she is possibly the greatest human alive with a Nobel Peace Prize under her belt and a survivor of brutal gun attacks. I already know this is going to be a massive book for me particularly as feminist literature.

4.       Landline by Rainbow Rowell

If you haven’t yet picked up a Rainbow Rowell book I really don’t know what you’re doing. I am seriously excited to start this one. This author has taken the young adult and adult contemporary genre by storm, particularly in 2014. Her novel Eleanor and Park remains my favourite youth fiction romance ever. Fangirl –omg Fangirl-  is incredible. Go read Rainbow Rowell.

5.       Afterworlds by Scott Westerfeld

A fantastic new addition to my bookshelf (one that I bought myself) in the form of a teen urban fantasy-suspense. I remember reading Westerfeld’s Uglies series in my early teens and being enchanted by his world-building and plot driven storyline. This is one book to watch.

6.       Gameboard of the Gods by Richelle Mead

I purchased this by suggestion of a friend who promised me a mighty heroine and a premise which would blow my mind. I’m hesitantly excited but I trust Richelle Mead – author of Bloodlines which I love - with my fragile fangirl life. I am always excited to start new series.

As always, you can follow the links of the books you like the sound of to Goodreads. Now the only question is: where to begin? Ciao.

BookFest Haul

A few weeks ago I went to Brisbane Bookfest (a massive charity book rummage in the Convention Center) and got a few bargains. Just a few.

1. Balance of Power by Paul Paler.
The President of the USA dies from suspicious causes and the First Lady finds herself suddenly privy to many secrets and at the heart of the mystery. I picked up this book as I'm interested in the US democratic model -which is very different to Australia's- and like strong female characters. It's a little out of my comfort zones as far as genre but am interested enough to give it a shot.

2. The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown.
Confession: I have not seen the movie. I do not know what happens at the end. I know I am in for a wild ride, this is a novel which has been highly recommended by friends and their parents.

3. Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding.
A modern, gritty retelling of Pride and Prejudice is all I needed to know. I have since read the book and thought it was very different from the movie. The tone was there but the overall characters and plot wasn't. Thoughts anyone?

4. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.
Not any people believe me when I say that this is a hilarious book. It really is! The family dynamic is so life-like and fantastic. And let's not even mention Darcy. As far as I'm concerned, this is the original chick-lit novel.

5. Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason by Helen Fielding.
Ahh the excitement of continuing the series!

6. The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper.
I am largely uneducated about American literature and seeing as this is one of the most popular novels from literature courses, I want to add it to my repertoire. Once again, I have little to no idea what it is about apart from the French and Indian war.

7. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling.
A repurchase because my other copy- which I also purchased second hand- did not have THE FIRST CHAPTER! What even? I had to correct this horror immediately.

8. Imperium by Robert Harris.
From the author of Pompeii comes the historical fiction of Cicero, the young Roman lawyer and orator who wanted to attain supreme power in the state. I have a huge interest in ancient Rome so this sounded like my kind of story.

9. Refuse to Choose: What Do I Do When I Want to Do Everything? by Barbara Sher.
The perfect book for me.

10. Heist Society by Ally Carter.
This is one of the books that got me into writing. The ending was just amazing! The ending! Am I right?! This tells the story of Kat who was born into a family of thieves and left the family business. She must find and return the painting that her father was accused of stealing with the help of her cousins, a rich kid and a wildcard.


Those are the books I bought at Bookfest for the grand total of $15. Am I not the most dedicated book addict and bargain hunter?  Let me know if you have read any of these in the comments. If any of them sound interesting all the titles are linked to Goodreads. Ciao.

Raining outside and on my face

It's raining guys. And I wouldn't be sad about this if I didn't have to go outside today. Anywho. Today I'm doing a fun little post as a response to this booktag I found on Youtube. It's by one of my favourite booktubers, Christine Riccio. If you want to feel feelings then watch the video at the bottom. Going in reverse order, my top cry worthy books (which you may not have read before)

Looking for Alaska by John Green
I can't tell you much without spoiling but this is by John Green so you should read it. A guy leaves his home town in search of grander maybes and in the process, opens himself to love and loss. I know I'm an idiot for not seeing it coming. The beautiful, Gatsby-like reflections the characters have *after* were just a bit much for me. There was sniffling.

If I Stay by Gale Forman
For those unfamiliar with the story, If I Stay revolves around a girl who finds herself in a coma. She has been in a carcrash. Her parents and brother have died. Her boyfriend, friend and grandparents are left. She has the choice to wake up. The whole premise of the book was heartbreaking and as she weighs up how heartbreaking a life without her family would be, she also considers whether taking another person from her friends would break them. Misty eyes and croaky voice.

13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher
A girl commits suicide and leaves a set of tapes recording her 13 reasons for killing herself. She sends these tapes to the people involved in these reasons, for them, and only them, to know. This book was so sad because you could see all the different possibilities, so many futures, and you know how it ends. Well, not always... it's a pretty awesome and inspiring ending. Tummy twisting in horror knowing that suicide is not fiction. Very watery.

The Book Thief by Macus Zusak
Liesel is a regular book nerd growing up in Nazi Germany. The story is told by a grim reaper character who sees the best and worst of humanity. Although I was outright sobbing by the end, there was a poignant beauty in the prose that has lingered ever since. This is a truly heartbreaking and inspirational story. Click
here to see my movie review.

Perks of Being a Wallflower by Peter Chbosky
Charlie is the most innocent, sweet and sympathetic character I think I have ever read. This book is told in letter form throughout Charlie's high school journey as he tries to make friends, falls in love, grows into himself and then remembers an awful part of his past. One of the best book to movie adaptations I have ever seen as well. There was shaking and sobbing well after I finished.

On the Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta
As you can see from my extensive list, I am a sucker for a tragedy. This book's ending was perfection. Everything was full circle. Everything was tied together. I felt so complete that all I and the characters could do was cry a small river. This is one of my favourite books which many people haven't heard about.

All the book titles are linked to Goodreads if you want to check them out. Let me know if you have read any of them or which books have triggered a good sob. Ciao! 

Valentine's date with my book

Happy Valentine's day 2014! Got no one to see or nothing to do tonight? Never fear. Books are the best things to cuddle up with anyway (they don't hog the bed OR snore) as anyone will admit. Here are a few suggestions for whatever mood you may be in...

Period Romance
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. The timeless story of Lizzie Bennet and William Darcy, two people always caught between loving and hating each other as well as entangled in old English culture such as arranged marriages and social stratification. If this sounds interesting but you find the book a bit challenging may I direct you to the Emmy-winning web-series the Lizzie Bennet Diaries (follow the link). This is an Amazing modern and interactive adaptation. Literally, amazing.

Sexy times
Rules of Attraction by Simone Elkeles. Lately, there has been a bit of a bridging genre between young adult to adult. This is one of these books that I would only really recommend to a mature audience of about 16 years up due to the mature themes and content which weren't really hinted at in the blurb. It is a really great book and very romantic if you're up to this. Follow the link for more info.

Awwwwww.
This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen. Being a die-hard Sarah Dessen Fan, it was not easy to choose just one that really made me SA-WOON (The Truth About Forever reference). This is the book which Dessen always calls her most romantic as most of the story revolves around the romance however you can pretty much guarantee that any Sarah Dessen book will be a great romantic read. The story starts when a band member named Dexter crashes into Remy -a serial dater and too cool for him girl- and declares they are fated to be together. The book is absolutely hilarious and cute.

For the Single Ladies
The Lonely Hearts Club by Elizabeth Eulberg. Trust me, it isn't nearly as depressing as it sounds. This is one of my feel-good books whenever I'm having a bad day, and it's short enough for one sitting. Penny Lane (yep, born into a family of Beatle fans) has given up on boys for good. Determined to make this year fantastic without any relationship dramas, she employs her friends on her quest but no one can really escape love, right?

I read this til 2am and cried until 3.
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. What more is there to say, one of my favourite books ever written. Ever. The writing is beautiful and it delves so much deeper into mortality and love than most other young adult books. Okay? Follow this link to see the trailer.

Click the book titles to find them on Goodreads and do leave a comment telling me which Valentine's day books you recommend. Ciao!

PANIC PANIC PANIC I CAN'T BREATHE

Can I just say
Let me just
May I introduce
Okay Okay... *sobs*
I have watched this on EVERY electronic device in the house
I just can't.
Please watch and share this. Or run away and save yourselves.

The Goodreads Challenge

“A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads lives only once.”

There's a little something called the Goodreads Challenge. This happens annually and it is basically a commitment to read a certain number of books in that year. Last year I read a grand total of 84 books smashing my goal of 75 books in mid November. When I get stressed, I read... a lot. 2013 was stressful therefore many books were read.

I'm not sure how this year is going to go but I would really like to match or beat last year's set challenge. As it's my first year at university, I don't know how my study load is going to be and I have no idea how my weekly readings are going to be allocated. My aim is to again read 75 books. For the sake of the environment, I aim to include at least 20 eBooks.

You can see my progress on the right sidebar, over there, no further, there you go. It looks like this so far...

Let me know what you have challenged yourself to whether it be books or other New Year's resolutions. Ciao! 

2013 in Review Tag (Part 2)

Welcome to 2014! It feels completely unnatural to write that. We made it! Hooray! We survived the supposed apocalypse and everything! Huzzah! This is part 2 of my “2013 in review tag.” I hope you enjoy and have fun responding to some of these.

Me and my sister just before New Year's Day.

Best song

I See Fire by Ed Sheeran. Ed Sheeran also wins Best ginger.

Best TV show

As I don’t really watch TV anymore (Youtube addiction) I will have to say an old classic that our family watches on the holidays. The Cosby show.

Best novel (stand-alones only)

AHHH. Scrolling through my Goodreads, I realise this was a big year of books for me. Apart from The Fault in Our Stars- which we have heard enough about- I’m going to say The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephan Chbosky.

Best playscript

I only read one but screw it, I loved Macbeth.

Best series

In terms of the series I’m most excited for, it is definitely The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey or the Diviners by Holly Black. In terms of a complete series I read this year, my favourite was the Harry Potter series. I read it this year for the first time, no judgement.

Best last book/ finale

Ooooh there’s so many! I will go with Clockwork Princess, my highest anticipated read. I wrote the date in my calendar and that day after school went and got the last copies on the shelf. I even did my cramming session for my exam two nights before in order to read my book as soon as I got it. Dedication.

Best present (birthday or otherwise)

A graduation gift from my parents was to send me to Italy for 2 weeks. I’d never been overseas without my parents or to Europe and I had the greatest time.

Best movie

Catching Fire was amazing. If you haven’t seen it what are you doing with your life?

Best photo I took

Just Italy being beautiful. This was taken in the Basilica of St Francis, Assisi.

Best wake up

We woke up to the tinkling of a harp iPhone alarm, the smell of fresh croissants and a view of a Venetian grand canal out our window.

Best day

The last day of school. There were hilarious speeches, heartfelt captaincy handovers, balloons and hugging.

Best week

The week of Venice in Italy.

Best month

December. It is the only one I have clear recollection of :) Also... Christmas.

Link me some of your responses or post them here. Happy New Years again and ciao for now!

The most wonderful time of the year.

Happy holidays!

Christmas has me sufficiently spoiled, fat and lazy so I thought I’d share some of my new bookish acquisitions with you to make myself useful.

1. Champion by Marie Lu.

The final novel in the Legend series did not disappoint. I bought a digital copy of this book earlier in the month as a Merry Christmas present to me. Unfortunately, I could not stop myself from reading it before Christmas. It was very action-packed, suspenseful and romantic. But a little disclaimer, please don’t try read this right after Allegiant as I did. I do not wish such suffering on anyone.

2. Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer.

This is a pre-loved copy I got at a bookswap for a very good price. It is one of those books that I had no idea about but the lady recommended it, and we book-lovers have to trust each other. I am very excited to read such a classic sci-fi. 

3. The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen.

I AM SO EXCITED. My sister –bless her soul- bought me this for Christmas to begin my Sarah Dessen collection. Weirdly enough, I have read all her books, adore them and do not own any physical copies. The situation has been rectified and I am ready to fall head over heels again. This is her latest book and will be for a while. So so excited.

4. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J.K. Rowling.

Ah, I feel as if a piece of me has been restored. I first read the entire series this year without having seen the movies. After being ostracised by the Potterhead community which included many of my friends, I quietly I borrowed the first book from the library and began my journey. A few years late but I made it to Hogwarts nonetheless. This is the childhood favourite I never knew I needed.

5. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K Rowling.

I had enough money for one more Harry Potter book and who could pass up this pre-loved, first edition hardcover? I loved this book to the moon and back and remember re-reading the epilogue everyday until I had to return it. Now that I have my own copy, no one can stop my obsession. Depending on your perspective, this is an excellent or terrible prospect.

6. Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke.

Last but certainly not least, a short collection of letters in reply to a young writer asking for review of his work and life advice. This book is a beautiful patchwork of Rilke’s sarcasm, wisdom and prose which I hope will inspire me to write and read the rest of my life.

Click on the titles to see the synopsis and other reviews. Also let me know what bookish gifts you received for Christmas – the good and bad. Ciao!