March 2017 Wrap Up

Welcome

To March's Wrap Up. This month I didn't  put to much pressure on myself to read one of the books on my monthly TBR . Like I say, I want to at least start it. I would like to finish two books that I have already started and at least read one full book. 

Cinder

Check ✔️. I actually finished the book. I enjoyed it. 4*/5* on Goodreads. Review HERE

• Jane Eyre 

Check✔️kind of anyways. I would dip in and out that I decided that I just couldn't finish it but marked it as read anyway. 

Scarlet

✖️ Not even started. But that's only because I chose to read other books instead. 

Goodnight, Beautiful

Goodnight Beautiful I stoped and started in February. But as march is my birthday month I wanted to read it and check ✔️ I did. I have a review HERE. But omg it's brilliant. 5*/5*

Thirteen Reasons Why

Check ✔️when I saw that Netflix was doing a original drama based on the book I wanted to re read it. 

It's good but not great. You can see my review HERE

The Story of Tracy Beaker

Every so often I will look through my Jacqueline Wilson books and pick a random one. This month I picked The Story of Tracy Beaker.  It literally that old that the cover has fallen of it but it's still such a great book. I love it. If your not aware who Tracy Beaker is, she is a 10 year old living in a children's home again after leaving her second foster families house and she writes in her journal about different things such as the other children in the home, the staff, her mum, so on.  

13 Reasons Why || Book Review

Book: Thirteen Reasons Why
Author: Jay Asher
Pages: 288
Publisher
Started: March 25th 2017
Finished: March 27th 2017
Goodreads Rating; 2/5


About The Book
Clay receives a package one day and when he opens it there are tapes and maps inside.  He starts listing to the tapes and realizes the voice on them are that of Hannah Baker who recently commuted suicide. There are thirteen reasons why she committed suicide and they are on these tapes that Clay is listening to. Each of the people get the tapes and when they are done have to pass them on to the next person who is after them.  Clay goes on a journey while he is listening to the tapes.


REVIEW
I wanted to re read the book because  on march 31st the Netflix drama that is based on the book comes out.

When I first read it I enjoyed. As I'm re reading it I am wondering why I gave it four stars. I found it confusing they way it was laied out with the italics as Hannah was speaking through the book to Clay's normal style.

It covers a hard topic in suicide but it's really not as good as I remember.

I power read through the book and didn't like it as much as I did the first time. So much so that it actually went from a 4 star book down to a 2 star book. (When I first read it, it was a 3.75 book but I just rounded it up to a four).

Top 5 Wednesday (Kinda) Future Classics

March 29th- Future Classics
--Let us know the books you think will be considered classics one day!

Welcome to the last top five Wednesday of march. And my first one as a 28 year old.

- The Help
The Help will become a classic in the not to distant future. It already has that feel about it because of the era that is covered in the book.


- Harry Potter
In many many many years time Harry Potter will become a classic book series.

- Roald Dahl Books
Ok you could say that Roald Dahls books are already classics seeing as he died back in 1990 but I think they'll become even more classic as time goes on.

TBR of books I haven't read. 📚 📚

Welcome to my long list of TBR books. This list consists of books that I haven't yet read.

- Lock and Key. Sarah Dessen

    - Ruby is used to taking care of herself. But but now she is living with her sister, has her own room, is going to school, and her future looks bright. Plus there's an adorable boy next door.

Ok so this could have easily gone on to two TBR list that I am blogging about. But Lock and Key is a new book that I have gotten recently and it's going on this one because this is mainly books I haven't read TBR

- Scarlet Marissa Meyer

    - Scarlet is a retelling of Little Red Riding hood and the second book in the lunar chronicles series by Marissa Meyer

Scarlet is on my march TBR to at least start this month but it's also on this post because it's a book I haven't read yet

- Cress. Marissa Meyer

    - A retelling of Repunzel

The next book in the Lunar Chronicles series and I haven't touched it yet. Hopefully soon I will do.

- The Coldest Girl In Coldstown. Holly Black

    - One morning after a party Tana wakes up surrounded by corpses. The only other survivors are her ex boyfriend and a mysterious boy.  Tana enters a race against the clock to save the three of them. - Goodreads

I am having trouble with reading books about Vampires at the moment.  Thanks to the twilight books but I couldn't pass up $5 for a book.

- Great Expectations. Charles Dickens

I am the worst at reading classic books but I want to at some point read it.

- Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. Robert Louis Stevenson

Again I don't know when I will ever get around to it. I don't have a great track record when it comes to classic books.

- The Time Travlers Wife.

    - When Henry meets Claire he is Twenty eight and she is twenty. Henry has never met Claire before, but Claire had known Henry since the age of six.

I own the movie and the book and haven't seen or read either of them.  I have no idea why I just haven't. I've always been intrigued to read it.

- All Fall Down. Jennifer Weiner

    - Allison got her happy ending. A handsome husband, an adorable daughter, a job she loves and the big house in the suburbs. But while at the pediatricians office she opens a magazine quiz about addiction and starts to wonder.

This book was a part of 3 for $10 which for a hardback book is a good deal. But it's been on my TBR since I first got it. I really should get around to reading it.

- Last Night At Chateu Marmount. Lauren Wiesburger

    - Brooke and Julian live a happy life in New York. She is the breadwinner working two jobs and he's a struggling musician. Soon they are moving in exclusive circles. With Julian's new found fame means Brooke must face the savage attention of the ruthless paparazzi and when a scandalous picture hits the front page Brooke's world is turned upside down.

Last night at chateau Marmount is a book I got that was on sale for $4 which is great for a hard back book. If I can get a book that's hardback and on sale I'll pick it up.

- Love Anthony.

    - Two women each cast adrift by unforeseen events in their lives meet by accident and are drawn into a friendship. Olivia is a young mother whose 8 year old autistic son has recently died.  Beth is a stay at home mom who recently separated from her husband after discovering that he was having an affair.

I've had it on my shelf for ever and haven't even gotten around to reading it.

- The Host. Stephanie Meyer

    - Melanie Stryder refuses to fade away the earth has been invaded by a spices that take over the minds of human Host while leaving their body in tact

I've had The Host on my shelf for years. Since 2008 when Stephanie Meyer was super popular because of Twilight being made into a movie. I admit I was obsessed with getting all the books by the same author back in the day. (Any author not just Stephanie Meyer. I am not a massive fan of hers) But I never read it. It kinda intimidates me on how big it is.

- Elixir. Hillary Duff

    - Clea  had felt the glare of the spotlight her whole life. The daughter of a renowned surgeon and a Washington, D.C. Position, she has become a talented photojournalist. But after Clea's father disappears her photos become more eerie. Shadowy imagines of a man she has never seen before. When fate brings Clea and this man she is stunned by the immediate and poweful connection between them.

I can't even remember when I got the book, how long it's been on my bookshelf it's one of those books that seem to have always been there.

- A Place Called Here. Cecilia Ahern

    - Since Sandy Shortt's classmate disappeared 20 years ago she had been obsessed with missing things.

I did have a two more Cecilia Ahern books but gave them away for Christmas because out of the four they didn't seem that interesting. This one did so I kept it.

- P.S I Love You. Cecilia Ahern

    - Holly couldn't live without her husband until one day she had too. With the help of a series of letters from her husband before he died she discovers a world she never knew existed.

This is the second Cecilia Ahern book that I kept.

- The Last Song. Nicholas Sparks

    - 17 year old Ronnie's life turned upside down when her parents divorced and her father moved to North Carolina. Three years later she is still angry at her parents. Her mother decides that it would be in everyone's interest if she spent the summer with her father.

I've been putting it off to read just because that it was made it to a movie with Miley Cyrus and I am not a fan of hers at all even before she went all cray cray.

- To Kill A Mocking Bird. Harper Lee

Is it bad that I haven't read a classic like To Kill A Mocking Bird. I feel bad i so do but I've always had a hard time with classic books.

- Everyone Worth Knowing.  Lauren Wiesburger

I dont ever remember getting the book but I think I have a thing for Lauren Wiesburger because this is the second book of hers that is on my list.

- Will Grayson, Will Grayson. John Green

Another book on my TBR that I have no idea when I got it.

Goodnight, Beautiful || Dorothy Koomson || Book Review ||

Book; Goodnight, Beautiful
Author: Dorothy Koomson
Pages:450
Publisher
Started: March 9th 2017
Finished: March 25th 2017
Goodreads Rating; 5*/5*

About The Book
Nova and Mal are childhood best friends.  Mal meets and marries Stephanie, and they struggle to have children. Nova has an on off relationship with Keith. During one of those off's Nova becomes a surrogate for Mal and Stephanie, but one day while she is pregnant Nova finds out from Mal that he and Stephanie no longer want the baby.
Now 8years later, Nova is married to Keith and the child Leo that Nova is now parent to is in hospital. Nova wants Mal to see his son.

REVIEW
Oh Dorothy what are you doing to me. Every time a read a book by you I fall in love with your writing even more.

I loved this book. The twist and turns are incredible.

Did Nova do the right thing by bringing Leo up as her own when everything with Mal and Stephanie went down? Totally.

Did Mal and Stephanie do the right thing by asking Nova to do what she did? Honestly I don't think so. Because of how strong Nova and Mal's friendship was up until that point the pregnancy was alway going to get in the way of everything. Even if Mal and Stephanie took Leo and called him their own son it would have caused a rift between the three of them.

Nova is possibly my favourite character in the book. She took responsibility for the choices that Mal and Stephanie ended up making. She found it hard because for the first few months of her pregnancy the baby wasn't hers but in the end she loved Leo.

The way that Nova and Stephanie described Mal as this strong man that made people look at him and love him made me love him a little bit I felt that he was swayed to much by Stephanie. I found that he was a bit under the thumb when it came to her. He was friends with Nova for so long that it broke my heart knowing they could no longer be friends because of the things that Stephanie wanted. Sure there is feelings between him and Nova and they share them between each other but I'm glad they didn't actually start a relationship with each other.

I found Stephanie a bit harsh and a princess. Everything she wants she has to get and Mal has to follow along.

Ahhh Stephanie you selfish princess. I understand why she didn't want to get pregnant. She depends on her medication to much yet her desire to have a child is so strong even after aborting a child when she was a teenager. But she couldn't get past her selfishness to get pregnant that she forces her husband to get his best friend to do it for them and then because she's scared that the baby will be mixed race she doesn't want the  baby. And because of her selfishness Nova took responsibility for the baby and now he is seriously ill.


Mal's mum through all the stuff she went through when Mal and Nova were children seems to have her head on right.


The book is broken down in to seven parts. Each part goes through different stages of Mal and Nova's friendship, Mal's relationship with Stephanie, how Leo came to be in the picture, every little detail that makes the characters who they are is discussed and how they became who they where up until the point where Leo is in the hospital. Life experiences they have gone through. I like how the book layout. I'm not normally a fan of short chapters but this book I found them really good.


What I love about Dorothy Koomson books is that she deals with such hard topics no one else seems to do and it draws you in. She is the only author that I read her books and don't want them to end.

She draws me in every time. Out of the books I have read by Dorothy Koomson I can't say which one is my favourite because I don't have a favourite for the simple fact that they are all brilliant.

I can't find anything bad about Dorothy Koomson's writing at all.

#EverybodyWithLondon

I am proud to be British. It's not a right. It's not unique. It's just a part of who I am. I grew up with it. It's in my blood. I may have moved away. I may have left. But it doesn't take away the fact that I am still someone who is proud to say they are from the uk. When people ask where I'm from when they hear my accent I proudly say from England. Most Canadians understand where London is. So I say I'm from there. Even though I lived two hours away.

As the attacks happened on London yesterday I sat in complete shock that someone could do this because of something that they believe in.  London like most big cities like it are so multicultural, and it's a shame that those people couldn't walk down a bridge on a Wednesday and get on with their day. Innocent people have lost their lives because of a cowardly act that one man thought was right.

People died doing their jobs. People put their own safety at risk trying to save those who needed it. Others went to a contrary to visit and will leave in a body bag or will never return to a city that is so beautiful and diverse.

I feel for the family's and friends that have lost a love one because of that one persons selfish and cruel actions. But in a way, not as big as for the family's and friends, I always feel a little something for people who do these attacks.

They have been brainwashed, to think something like this is ok. It's a tunnel vision. There is no way out. They don't want anyone's pity. And they don't deserve it.

They think it's ok to kill people. Innocent people. Will we ever know the true horror that's in their head. Will we ever know that they know it's not ok what they are doing.

The attack on London was always coming. And it's such a shame that it did.

 People that were there who survived will have to deal with so much.  I'm sure they'll have guilt and nightmares. I feel for them.

We shouldn't have so much hate and anger in this world. It's a shame that we do.

I'm not against religion, what I am against is a religion/faith that brings terror on to the streets. Who thinks it's ok to being down people that don't believe in the same thing you do.

Our lives are precious. They are not cheap or worthless. It means something.

My thoughts and prayers go out to the people who lost their lives. To their families who have lost a loved one. To the brave men and women who helped when Help was needed. Who risked their lives when they could have walked away.

Like James Corden said it's hard being so far away because all you want to do is help.

If this was meant to divide a city or a contrary it won't work. We're stronger and we will in the end win.

Top 5 Wednesday's Angsty Love.

Welcome back
To top five Wednesday, and my last one as a 27 year old. Next week is my 28th birthday. So this is week is Angsty Love. Talk about your favorite ships that have a healthy side of angst. (definition: adj.: describes a situation or literary piece which contains dark, depressing, angry, and/or brooding emotionus from the participating characters.)

- Ron and Lavender. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince.
Yes I am a fan of Ron and Hermione together. I prefer her to be with Ron then Harry but can we roll it back a book when we see that she starts having some sort of feelings towards him while he was dating Lavender. Which is one of my all time favorite crazy yet amazing love parings ever. I wish they could have stayed together forever. Their romance was literally a whirlwind of actual brilliance. I mean she was obsessed with him and was jealous of Hermione being friends with him.

- Luke and Kamryn. My Best Friends Girl
Luke and Kamryn didn't get of to a great start. He insulted her in numerous occasions. She had just started looking after her ex best friends child who she had with her ex fiancé while they were engaged and Kamryn was still hung up on the fact her  previous boss didn't tell her until the last minute he was leaving

- Lara Jean and Peter. To all The Boys I've Loved Before
This relationship was so boring and obviously fake. I don't care who you are, how old you are, you have to at least have more respect for each other then what Lara Jean did for Peter.

- Nick and Valerie. Hate List.
This relationship was one that started the whole chain of events that led up to the deaths and injuries of many people of the school they went to.  It's such a strong relationship they can't necessarily see that it's a bad one.

- The relationship between Serena and Poppy with their teacher Marcus. The Ice Cream Girls
The relationship that Marcus had with Poppy and Serena was wrong on so many levels. Poppy and Serena couldn't see that he was playing them off each other. I don't think they would have been friends if it wasn't for Marcus yet I don't think they were in the first place. I think they could be after Poppy had come out but as teenagers they both went through such a bad relationship with Marcus that they should have stick together a bit more. They were going through the same situation.

Lauren

xoxo

Book Talk: Hyped Up Books; My Feelings Then vs Now.

Welcome Back 
Today's post is another Book Talk, this time on  Hyped Up Books,

Back when I started getting into reading again I would go on YouTube and see what people were loving, and there were so many books that people loved.

Some of them I waited to get until they were on sale because after reading Fan Girl by Rainbow Rowell, and a few other books that were hyped up and didn't love I didn't want to buy a book full price. That's why I like getting books that hardly anyone seems to have reviewed or hyped up.

It's great to hype a book up if you loved it, but it's also great to have people who have different views on a book.

HYEPED UP
Some books that I have read are really hyped up and I can totally see why while others I have no idea why, and some I find ok.


- To All The Boys I've Loved Before
This is a book that I feel I want to read with the other books in the series.  I'm just thankful that I didn't spend more then $10 on it.

- My Life Next Door.
I personally loved the book.  Maybe because I had read it right after TATBILB, but it's a perfect summer read. I like how Samantha wasn't as dumb as what most girls can be in these kinds of bolls

- Since You've Been Gone
I am on the fence with this book. I liked it, I wasn't crazy about it. I think it's a lot like Paper Towns but I prefer SYBG a lot more then Paper Towns.

- Fan Girl
This is the book that started it all off for me. It was so hyped up that I went and got the book. Peer pressure. Book tube pressure. And I was so disappointed with it.  It wasn't good enough in my opinion for the hype it was getting.

- Paper Towns
Paper Towns and Since You've Been Gone are very similar. But for me since You've Been Gone just takes the mark at being better. It's nothing against John Green or anything.

- The Fault in our Stars
The Fault in our Stars deserved all the hype it got. It's such a brilliant book and I enjoyed it.

- Twilight
If you have read any of my reviews on the twilight series you will know I really hated it. For me it went so downhill and so quickly.


NEED TO BE HYPED UP MORE

I personally think that there are many books out there that should be hyped up more but aren't. I find that people who do Book Related things on YouTube always go for the same kinds of books. They don't branch out and look elsewhere in the bookstores.

- My Best Friends Girl by Dorothy Koomson
My Best Friends Girl (or anything by Dorothy Koomson) is a must read for me.  Yes they deal with hard hitting topics but they are done so beautifully it's hard not to like My Best Friends Girl or any book by her

- The Ice Cream Girls
Again another Dorothy Koomson book. She is that good that I couldn't recommend her enough.

- Marshmallows for Breakfast
Lauren recommending another Dorothy Koomson book. Get outta town. Dorothy could write about a black garbage can and it would be fantastic.

- Hate List by Jennifer Brown
Hate List was a complete surprise to me. I hadn't heard anyone talk about it. Blogged about it. Nothing. When I read it my heart broke. It's such a powerful book. When I went on YouTube to see if anyone had reviewed it or even hauled it there was one video. That was it. It's so under hyped it should be more hyped up but I think people are scared to read it because of the premise of the book. I would highly recommend it. For me to read a book again because I dislike it is rare but when I find a book I love I will read it over and over again.

Rules of Summer duology

It's cheesey but it's a good kind of cheese. It's a great summer read and I have never ever seen anyone haul it or review it. I enjoyed it.



Even though I like the fact that there is so many opinions on books that everyone seems to love or as I put it the more popular books, I am that person who gets books that are on sale that no one thinks about looking at in the book store. I've found some amazing books on sale at the book store, or at the end of an aisle of a grocery store or by an author who has more books then a popular book they are known for. Everyone has different opinions on books, but I like to see variety.


Each book that's hyped up I tend to wait and get it until the hype is died down a bit because I want to wait and not have everyone's opinions on them right away. What ever book you hype up or is hyped up there will always be someone disagreeing with what you say about a book. And while that's ok, it's ok to not like a book or like a book that not everyone enjoys or enjoys. I hate it when people say it's the best book and that everyone will enjoy it.

This is a part of the reason why I like getting books on sale. Because you'll find books that no one seems to have read and you can make your own judgement on them.

One of the main things with hyped up books that I have found is that I find them hard to get into. I recently finished Cinder and while I like it it did take a while to get into it for me.

I tend not to pre order books. I think it's pointless.

Lauren
xoxo

18 Books I have recently added to my long TBR

Welcome
Some of the books on this TBR I have already read but have recently scanned them and put them on my Goodreads which you can find HERE.

- Ugly
I started reading the book forever ago. Way before I moved but I just never finished it.

- Living the GoodLife
The person who owns/created GoodLife Fitness gym in Canada wrote this book, I haven't even picked it up since I got it.

- The Lo Down.  Lo Bosworth
I honestly have no idea how I came to have this book. I have no idea what it's about.

- Friend Me. Cathy Hopkins
I have already read this book but it's been so long I can't even remember what it's about.

- The Wisdom of Big Bird
I've had this book for ages and still haven't read it.

- The Next Best Thing. Jennifer Weiner
This was a book that was in the laundry room of my apartment building that I picked up.

- You Can Run But Can't Hide. Dog the bounty Hunter
The first autobiography by Dog the Bounty Hunter. I have read it before but it's been a while.


- The Diary of a Young Girl. Anne frank
Yeah. I've not read it. At all. Not even a little bit of it. I know it's bad.

- The Beckham Experiment
Anything David Beckham related I have. He's my ultimate crush. He is my everything.

- Being Freddie. Freddie Flintof
After winning the ashes back in 2005 cricket was super popular. But not for long. Well back in 2005 for some reason it was super popular and Freddie wrote a book and then became a national treasure

- Where Mercy is Shown. Mercy is given. Dog the bounty hunter
I have read it before but keeps forgetting to add it on to my TBR because it's been so long since I have read it. It's his second autobiography

- Learning to fly. Victoria Beckham
Victoria Beckham is probably one of my favorite people.

- Awight now. Michael Barrymore
I've read the book so many times but haven't read it in ages, that it's now on my list to read.

- My bookywook. Russel Brand
I've had the book forever and still haven't read it.

- The BFG/Matilda/George's Marvellous Medicine. Roald Dahl
I haven't read this book in years. And I'm talking a good 17+ years. I must have read it at some point because I remember reading it at primary school and this year marks the 17th year I left.

- The year I turned 16 (book 1-4). Diane Schwenn
when I scanned this book it said it was Lily, but in actual fact it's all four books. Kinda I think anyways.

- The kite Runner
I was doing laundry one day and every so often people leave books in the laundry room for people to take.

- Everyone Worth Knowing. Lauren Wiesburger
I've had this book on my shelf for years. I couldn't tell you where I got it, when I got it, but I have it.

Lauren

xoxo