Animal Farm || George Orwell || Book Review

Hey

and welcome to another book review.

In my September Read and October TBR I had started but hadn't finished Animal Farm by George Orwell. Well I finally finished it this month.

And to be honest I didn't like it that much, I got it as a part of 3 books for $10, it was a book that someone had reccomeded and when I saw it I picked it up along with The Great Gatsby (which I loved) and Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (which I haven't read yet)

It was so confusing. For me to actually finish it I am proud of myself. I found that I was forcing myself to actually read the book and that if I had seen it without the recommendation I wouldn't have picked it up.

I gave it 2* out of 5 because it confused me that much. 

Lauren

xoxo

3 Authors Who Are New To Me

Welcome back

This year I have read a lot of books, and while some are re reads while three are by authors that I have never read before. 

Author: Morgan Matson

Book: Since You've Been Gone

Review: HERE

Since You've Been Gone was on sale at my old book store and I think I got 2 books for $15/$20 I can't remember what one it was but there was a sale on the book, I had heard good things about Morgan Matson writing style and how her books were summer reads so I decided to wait until the summer to actually read the book. I rated it 4* on Goodreads, I dont own any other books of Morgan's but I wouldn't rule it out at some point.

Author: Jenny Han

Book: To All The Boys I've Loved Before

Review: HERE

To All The Boys I've Loved Before was over talked about in my opinion, I am not saying its super bad, but it wasn't great, I don't know if it was Jenny Han's writing style, or if it was the characters (which could be down to the writing style) what ever it is I said in my review that I wouldnt rush out to get the second book, and I haven't yet, and now there will be a third book (sorry if you didnt know that) and again I dont know if I should just wait until the third book comes out and get the two books and then read them back to back or not. Maybe at the time it was me. 

Author: Huntley Fitzpatrick

Book: My Life Next Door

Review:HERE

I loved the book, I dont know if its because I read it right after To All The Boys I've Loved Before, or that I just actually liked it a lot more then the book I had read before it. Like the first two authors that I meantioned I dont have any other books by Huntley Fitzpatrick but I would by her other books

Lauren

xoxo

Review: David Jason My Life Autobiography

David Jason, sorry Sir David Jason, is a British Legend, comedy genius, seriously great, can play any part great and honestly one of my favorite actors in the whole wide world. So when I saw his autobiography in the store here in Canada, A) I was shocked to see it there and B) Picked it up and brought it so quick you couldn't even say "Only Fools and Horses" quick enough with it being the last one on the shelf.

From the beginnings in Lodge Lane, to becoming an electrocution and then breaking in to the acting world that was meant for him. 

David Jason is one of two people that can generally make me laugh out loud and laugh so hard that it actually hurts (the other being Peter Kay), his comedy performances are on point, his wide variety of work shows just how great of an actor he really is and he plays everything so well.

With David Jason you know you are going to get the real honest truth about himself, and thats what I like about him, he isnt one of those show off, look at me kind of celebrity and he states that in the book saying that he is a very private person.

His autobiography was just perfect, it made me laugh and cry and smile and feel all the emotions. I find that with some celebrities atuobiographies they are skimmy around everything where as David just let it all loose so to speak

You could tell that he is genrally just a nice person. On the back of the book it says "David's touching, funny and warm-harted story, which charts the course of his incredible five decades at the top. He's been a shopkeeper and a detective inspector, a crime fighter and a market trader and he aint finished yet. As Del Boy would say, its all custy" and I couldnt have said it better.

David is one of those actors who is so well loved, and what ever he does I actually enjoy and I really enjoyed his autobiography.

On Goodreads I gave it 5* which honestly not enough, 

Lauren

xoxo

Physical Copy vs Audio and E Books

Welcome Back

I'm not doing a Top 5 Wednesday this week instead I am doing something that has been on my mind for a while and that the Physical Copy of a book vs the Audio Books/ E Books.

While I like Audio Books they are great while you are getting ready, I am not a massive fan of E Books, and I love actual physical copies of a book in my hands.



Physical Copies
I like a physical copy because I like holding a book rather then my phone, or a kindle. I like flicking through the pages of the books. Its something about holding a book that I like more then anything else.

Audio Book
Audio books are great while you are getting ready, or traveling somewhere, but what I don't like is the fact that sometimes the people who are voicing them really get on my nerves. While its a great way to get through a book, I still prefer to hold a book. I can get confused really easy and like to look back at pages to see what I have just read rather then have it read it to me

E Books
As much as I love books I think for me the fact that we can now do it on your phone is just crazy, I get headaches looking at my phone for to long, and plus I have such awkward hands and I will flip to far forward, and then loose my place.

Lauren
xoxo

Ultimate Harry Potter Tag

Welcome Back

Today's post is the Ultimate Harry Potter Tag, if you are around my age, you will have at least read one book, watched the movies, basically know something about Harry Potter and the life around it. 

GENERAL

Favorite book?

Goblet of fire, Order of the Phoenix, Half Blood Prince or Deathly Hallows. I like them all for so many different reasons that I can't pick just one.

Least favorite book?

Prisoner of Azkaban

Favorite movie?

Deathly hallows 1&2. I must say that I did cry at the end of part 2

Least favorite movie?

Prisoner of Azkaban

Favorite quote?

Your just as sain as I am - Luna Lovegood

What are Fred and I neighbors - George Weasley 

Favorite Weasley?

Fred and George or Ginny. They have always been my favorite 'main character but not the main three'  

Favorite female character?

Ginny, she is one of the charaters that I could imagine she looked like in the books and then when Bonnie Wright was cast as Ginny I found that she was perfect

Favorite villain?

Bellatrix. I think that she is the perfect kind of villain, 

Favorite male character?

Draco and the Weasley twins. 

Favorite professor?

McGonnagal

WOULD YOU RATHER

A, Wash Snape’s hair, or B, spend a day listening to Lockhart rant about himself.

Listening to Lockhart. I can deal with Snapes hair it's a part of his appeal and I tend to day dream a lot anyway and I can just blank out Lockhart 

Duel A, an elated Bellatrix, or B, an angry Molly

Bellatrix. She maybe evil but Molly angry is just scary. Plus with Molly you know she'd protect you. 

Travel to Hogwarts via A. Hogwarts Express or B. flying car.

Hogwarts express. I'm such a geek and love old steem trains so spending x amount of hours on one with friends would be awesome. 

A, Kiss Voldemort. Or B, give Umbridge a bubble bath.

Give Umbrage a bath. She needs to relax a little.... a lot. Plus there must be some spells you could use to relax her. And Voldemorts teeth are disgusting

Ride a hippogriff, B, ride a firebolt

Firebolt. 

BOOK TO MOVIE ADAPTATION

Is there a character which you felt differently about in the movies vs books?

Fleur. With all of the other characters I could visulise what they all looked like a lot more then I could Fleur, but when the movie came out she was how I imagined her, and I liked her character a little more in the movies then the books.

Is there a movie you preferred instead of the book?

Not really. They books are brilliant and the movies are such good adaptions of the books. I could see in the books what different people and places looked like and when I saw it on screen it came to life even more. 

Richard Harris or Michael Gambon as Dumbledore?

They both played dumbledore really well so I can't complain

Your top thing (person or event) which wasn’t included in the movie that annoyed you most.

S.P.E.W. I would have liked to have seen more of it within the movies, Also I would have liked to have seen more of the relationship between Lupin and Tonks

If you could remake any of the Potter movies, which would it be?

I wouldn't remake any movies I would just add in things that were important in the books. 

HOGWARTS

Which house was your first gut feeling you’d be a part of?

Gryfindor or Slythrin. 

Which house were you actually sorted into on Pottemore (or another online sorting quiz)?

Ravenclaw which I am happy about because i think they don't get recognized as much. We have Luna who is a bit crazy. Cho who is confused and Lockhart who is insaine but we have people like Olivander who is a Wandmaker. So we're balanced. Everyone seems to want to be in Gryfindor of Slythrin so I am happy that I am in Ravenclaw. Click HERE to see what I wrote about being in Ravenclaw

Which class would be your favourite?

Muggle studies or Defence Against the Dark Arts. Muggle studies for the fact that I would like to see how the wizarding world dealt with muggle things. 

Which spell do you think would be most useful to learn?

They'd all be great to learn apart form the unforgivable ones. But I would say accio. I am forever loosing things so it would be great not to search for them 

Which character do you think at Hogwarts you’d instantly become best friends with?

The Weasley twins, for the fact that they are my favorite charaters ever in books and its hard for anyone to live up to them Luna because she is so quircky and fun, or Ginny because even though she has a large family of brothers she is so strong and independant and quick to stand up to her friends.

MISCELLANEOUS

If you could own one of the three Hallows, which would it be?

The invisibility cloak. I've always wanted to be invisible 

Is there any aspect of the books you’d want to change? This can be a character, and event, anything.

Maybe Sirius dying a book later in the half blood prince and maybe by Snape. For the fact that the marauders made Snape's life hell, and that he couldn't get to James as he was already dead, Lupin was already disfigured and Peter Pettegrew was now working for Voldermort

Favorite marauder?

Lupin and Siruis, I think their backstories made them who they are. 

If you could bring one character back to life, which would it be?

Fred because him and George are my favorite characters and George with out Fred is like Mickey without Minny only worse in my eyes.

Hallows or Horcruxes?

Hallows. They seem to do a better job then the Horcruxes.  


Lauren
xoxo

Top 5 Wednesday || October 19th 2016 || Favorite Non-Canon Ships

Hey
and welcome to another Top 5 Wednesday, this week is Favourite Non Canon Ships, (canon meaning: what actually happened in the text). Or that did get together, but weren't together in the end of the series, 

Cassia and Xander

Matched

Ally Condie

Ok this is based on reading the first book, and kinda knowing that because there are two more books and the fact that there was an uncertainty around who she would pick in the first place, I wish that she had chosen Xander because they already get along, and the uncernty of her life with Ky. I know she could possibly get to know him on the way she does with Xander, but the fact that she is such good friends with him.

Fleur and Ron

Harry Potter

JK Rowling

OK, so when the fourth book came out I think it was so cute that Ron liked her, and his awkwardness around her was brilliant, and I loved how it was acted out on screens, but while I tottally wanted them to get together I am so much happier that they didnt get together but I wish they had for just a little while.

Kate and Taylor

My Sister's Keeper

Jodi Picoult

This was a hard one to choose because there is a similar kind of situation in The Fault in Our Stars, but for me the difference for me is the fact that Kate and Taylor did a little bit more together, (I liked the Fault in Our Stars). The movie version of My Sister's Keeper changed a few things from the book, the relationship between Kate and Taylor was as good as it was in the book, and I wanted them to be together forever

Bella and Jacob

Twilight Saga

Stephanie Meyer

I am not a fan of the whole Twilight Saga Books (So much so that I have only read the first two books and can't carry on) but I would have liked to have seen the books otherway around, with Bella and Jacob together. After watching the movies I was Team Edward (ya know the whole english thing, blah blah) but now I am team no one, but would have loved to have seen Bella be with Jacob

Clay and Hannah

Thirteen Reasons Why

Jay Asher

Even though one died, and the other is figuring out why, if the one who had died was alive  I would have liked to have seen them together, is that strange, maybe, and even though Clay was one of the reasons listed on the tapes, what he did want as bad as what others had done to Hannah, 

Lauren
xoxo

How I Buy Books

Hey
and welcome to today's post, its all about how I buy books, I don't buy books often which is one of the points I mention within the post

Sales 

Sale tables are a great way to find different book that you would normally over look, At my local bookstore (which is about 10 times bigger then the old one I would go to) has a great selection of sale books, they have 3 for $10, or the $2 books, the $5.99, 40% off selections, there are so many different kinds of sales that the store has that are brilliant, it gives you an opportunity to find books that you wouldn't necessary go for. Don't get me wrong on the odd occasion I will buy a book at full price but 90% of the time I tend to go for books on sale

The Pretty Little Liar's book above I got at my old book store, the RRP price of it was $18.50, yes that's before tax, you can see that it went down to $5.99 and then down again to only $2, (I also have another PLL book that I did the same with). The book below To All The Boy's I've Loved Before by Jenny Han was origanally $ 14.99 and I got it for $10.

You can find some real gems and some not so great books in the sale tables, shelfs where ever your bookstores have their sale tables but seriously I love finding books on sale.

Thrift Stores

Thrift stores are great for finding books for cheap. Where I live we have a goodwill bookstore. But like anything it's hit and miss. Little side note, Life of Pi that I own which is shown in the picture was published in the UK, and was 4.99 GBP, which converted into Canadian Dollars is $7.99 and I paied $4.00

I Rarely Buy Popular Books or Authors Right Away

This might seem crazy (what I'm about to say) who else just sang happy by Pharell Williams. But I tend not to buy popular books right away. Don't get me wrong I have done it and found books I loved but I have also done it where I have found books I have hated.  So I like to not buy books that everyone is talking about right away and leave it for a while so I can form my own opinions

Coldest Girl In Coldstown was around $11.99-$14.99 and I got it for $5

Limit Myself

I limit  myself with how many books I buy, how much I will spend, and when I go into the store. I usually limit myself to around $20-$30 (Canadian dollars)  it's not a lot of money if you are buying books at full price. (Also in Canada we add tax on to the price of the book).  If the book(s) I am getting are on sale I try and still have the $20-$30 limit but also have a limit of books I buy. So I tend to get 3-10 books. Yes it may seem like a big gap buy it all depends on the sale. That way I know I'll have that amount of books to read. I will go to the bookstore 1 every 2 months or so. Then if I get books I won't feel so bad because I've waited.

Also with limiting myself and doing the 3 for $10 on the classics means that I can read books that normally I wouldnt have read and they are a great price,

Do I Really Want It/Really Need It

I don't buy books right away. Popular books, books on sale any kind of books. I will always ask myself 'do I need it' or 'do I need it'. There have been books that I have gotten that I just had to have. Matched by Ally Conde is a good example. I would always be drawn towards it in the bookstore. It was always recommended  when I was on Amazon 

Save

Ok so I am the worst at saving money. But sometimes I will and I will get a bunch of books, and the only way that I can do that is save up

Special Occasions

Birthdays and Christmas is always a good idea to get books. Especially the more expensive books. Such as the Harry Potter books that are not the main 7 books. If you keep adding to your Wishlist then you can tell friend and/or family what you want. 

Points

At the book store I use I have a card that every time I buy a book I get X amount of points on tongue card. After a while it adds up there are different amounts of points you have to earn to get money off. 

I Won't Over Look By Authors I Haven't Heard Of Or Read

I won't over look authors I haven't read yet. And because I normally get my books on sale I will find books by authors that normally wouldn't have thought about. 

I Try and Not Over Look Genres

I try and not look over different book genres. I have so many different ones on my shelf. From YA to classics to autobiographies.

Hardback vs Paperback

I am not one of those who worry about if it's a hardback or a paperback copy of a book. Though paperbacks are generally cheaper. I have found books that are paperback and are cheaper and I have found copy's of a book that is a hardback that are cheaper. My Harry Potter books are a classic example of this. The first three are paperback while last four are hardback copy's. Another is the Lauren Conrad series LA Candy. Some are hardback and some are paperback. 

Series

If a book series is big (pretty little liars) I will always wait until they are on sale. Even if that means buying books out of order and not getting them while they are still popular. If its a series of books that I enjoy such as the Harry Potter books I remember getting the last 4 books the day the would come out

Lauren

xoxo

Mean Girls Tag

Hey

Today's post is the Mean Girls Tag.  Who doesnt love the movie. I remember once that I watched the movie 3 or 4 times in one night.

 1. "It’s pronounced like Cady” 

Which fictional character’s names did you get completely wrong?

 Willem form Just One Day/Just One Year by Gayle Forman. I kept seeing William. I guess its not m fault, they are pretty similar

 2. “She doesn’t even go here!” -

Which character would you like to place in a fictional world from another book or series?

I would love to see Bella from Twilight go into Harry Potter books. I find her so bland and boring in the Twilight books, where in the Harry Potter books she would realize that you have to be a team player, that you cant keep going back and forwards between two people, and I think that she would grow as a person.

 3. “On Wednesdays we wear pink!” 

Repetition. Repetition. Which book gave you dejavu of another book whilst reading it? Ok so this is a book and movie déjà Vu.

 The movie being Material Girls with Hillary and Haylee Duff and Beneath the Giltter by Elle and Blair Fowler. 2 sets of sisters. Both with beauty/fashion lines that they loose and have to try and get back.

 4. "You all have got to stop calling each other sluts and whores. It just makes it okay for guys to call you sluts and whores."

 Which book gave you the complete opposite of girl power feels? 

 To All The Boys I've Loved Before. Not only does it give me the opposite of girl power but I feel that Lara Jean has crossed sister territory. Yes everyone likes her sisters boyfriend but to actually try something with him after they are over. Big no no. And the way that she try's to be in control of her 'relationship' is just annoying

. 5. “You go Glen Coco!”

 Name a character you felt like you wanted to cheer on whilst reading. 

Draco Malfoy. Ok he's a bit of an idiot. He lets his family over power him. He has no back bone. But seriously I want him to be a lot more like Snape. With Snape you understand why he is a bit harsh, but Draco, I feel is so over powered by his family, and by the evil Voldermort rain's over everyone that follows him, I cant help but cheer Draco on to do well

 6. “Get in loser, we’re going shopping!”

 How long do you typically spend at a book shop? 

I try to limit myself otherwise I could spend all day. So 1-2 hours every time I go into the store

. 7. “It’s not my fault you’re like in love with me or something!” 

Which character would have to get out a restraining order on you, if they were real? 

The Weasly twins. Omg the twins. Little fun fact. I love twins. I didn't know any until I was about 14 and then when I moved school there were three sets in my year. (One set of boys and two sets of girls). Then when I went to the second college I knew 2 more sets of twins.

 Another girl twins and one boy/girl twins.

 8. “I can’t help it that I’m popular.”

Which overhyped book were you cautious about reading? 

I am cautious about all popular books right away and even then I am cautious about reading them. What tends to happen is I buy books that aren't as popular then I am not spoils for them. If i do get popular books it will be so long after everyone else reads them I can make my own mind up about them. 

 9. “She’s a life ruiner. She ruins peoples lives.”

 We all love Regina George. Name a villian you just love to hate.

Bellatrix 

 10. “I’m not like a regular Mom, I’m a cool Mom.”

 Your favourite fictional parents. 

Hello!!! Molly and Arthur Weasley. I've always wanted a big family and having a family where the parents are like Molly and Arthur would be so cool. I would also think it would be cool to have Mia's parents from If I Stay, Ok so I know they die but they seem pretty cool parents

 11. “That is so Fetch!” 

Which book or series would you love to catch on?

Anything by Dorothy Koomson (ok I've only ever read three books by her) to catch on in Canada. The books I have read are so good and ones that I could read all the time.

 12. “How do I even begin to explain Regina George?”

 Describe your ideal character to read about.

I have so many. But I would say someone who is strong and independent. Someone who isn't afraid to show their feelings. Someone who an fit well in to the book and not feel out of place

 13. “I just have a lot of feelings.”

 What do you do when a book gives you a bad case of ‘the feels’?

Hate List, Marshmallows for Breakfast and My Best Friends Girl gave me the case of the feels. And I have to tell people about them. And they have to read them so they can feel my feels

 14. “Nice wig Janice, what’s it made of?” "Your Mom’s chest hair!” 

Which characters one liners would you love to claim for your own? 

Most of the things Luna Lovegood says is brilliant.

 15. “Boo, you whore.” 

 Name a time a characters decision has made you roll your eyes

 Dexter in One Day. All the way up until he decided to be with Emma most of the stuff he did made me roll my eyes. But I think that's the charm of Dexter

Lauren

xoxo