Wednesday, December 30, 2020

Goodreads 2020

Goodreads 2020




Every year I do this goodreads year update thing.  So here it is for 2020.  This year I wanted to read 24 books. 


This year I read 14,699 pages across 35 books, which is 4 books less than last year.  


But between the two years i wanted to read 30 books last year and only 24 this year.  


The shortest book was Burning up: On Tour with the Jonas Brothers at 144 pages.  



The longest book was Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire at 796



And the average book length was 419



The most popular book I read this year was Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone 8,912,552 people also shelved



The least popular book was The Rose Petal Beach which 64 people have shelved. 



My average rating for 2020 was 4.4 stars 


Saturday, December 5, 2020

November 2020

Books Read: 2 books

Book Challenge Complete: 138%


So far I am 11 books ahead of schedule which seems crazy, I seem to always set my challenge really low, and always surpasses it.  Maybe for 2021, I’ll make it a little higher.  




Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix 




How I Felt This Month

I can’t believe that I’m doing a November book read post already.  It feels like Christmas just happened, and it’s here already.  This year has gone really quickly, and I feel like I say that most months.  I know that I’ve kinda let blogging go a bit, but I’m really struggling with it at the moment, 


Sunday, November 29, 2020

The Over 30 BOOK TAG!



I’m totally fine about being in my 30’s, I’m not sure if it’s because I’m constantly confused for still being a teenager or what it is but for a few months leading up to turning 30 I wasn’t ok with it.  


  • Name one of your favorite books that features a protagonist who is thirty years old or older.

My Best Friends Girl. Kamryn is celebrating her 32nd  birthday at the beginning of the book. And I’m going to be 32 on my next birthday. 


  • Name a book that represents who you were when you were younger.

It not a book, but anything by Jacqueline Wilson. Not because of anything in particular that happened in any of her books, but because I am of that age where she’s such a big part of who I was when I was younger.  




  • Name a book that represents where you are in your life now.

The Help. I think it’s a good representation of how as we grow up we change, and can keep changing our views on things. We don’t all have to think the same as our friends, 



  • Name a book that represents something that has never changed about you.

The Help.  I dislike racism and always have.  



  • Name one of your favourite classics.

The Great Gatsby.  It’s a book that I can read and not hate from the genre, which is quite rare for me. 


  • Name a book you like or would like to read that was published in the year you were born.

I didn’t realize just how bad 1989 was for books because just a quick search there is nothing I want to read that came out the year I was born. 

Monday, November 16, 2020

Book Declutter

It’s been absolutely ages since I’ve done a massive book declutter where I’ve actually gotten rid of any books. When I went through the books it felt good getting rid of as many books as I have. Even though my book shelfs look sad. 





Why Did I Get The Book?

I have no idea why I got these books.  They’ve just been sitting on my shelves forever. 


Coldest Girl In Coldstown 

Everyone Worth Knowing (Lauren Wiesburger)

Chasing Harry Winston (Lauren Wiesburger)

Just Listen (Sarah Dessen)


Out Grew

We all have books on our shelves that we outgrow and I’ve gotten rid of a lot of them over the years. I just haven’t with these books yet. 


The LA Candy Series (Lauren Conrad! 

The Daughters Series

PS I Love You

A Place Called Here

If I Stay & Where She Went



One Read Was Enough

I’ve seen people rave about how good the books are, but in my opinion - and I know it’s unpopular - only one read was enough for these books 


The Girl On The Train

Me Before You 

The Notebook

To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before (Jenny Han) 


I Tried

With this selection of books, I found it really difficult to get into the books. I felt that they didn’t bring anything to my life and I felt 


Boy in the Striped Pyjamas

  • This book was hiding from me so much that I actually forgot I had it. I ended up giving to a friend

At First Sight

The Best Of Me

Jane Eyre 

Sense and Sensibility 

Monday, November 9, 2020

Books I’ve Never Written A Review For



Most of these books I read either a long time ago for the first time, or just before I blogged about books.  


  • The Devil Wears Prada

I always feel bad that I haven’t done a review on the book, but it feels awkward when I start it now because I’ve read it so many times that I don’t think it’s going to feel genuine if I do review it.  


  • One Day

As much as I adore this book I’ve never written a review for it.  It wouldn’t feel genuine 


  • My Best Friends Girl

I did an overview of the book but never an actual review.  Again because  I’ve read it so many times it will feel like I’m just doing a review to have a post on my blog.  


  • Marshmallows For Breakfast 

Because I’ve read it so many times I think any review that I do of the book would again come off fake.  


  • Rules of Summer/Since Last Summer

I read this series before I ever blogged about books, and I always find it hard to blog about a book when I’ve already read it.  


  • LA Candy Series

Again I read this series before blogging, and it’s one of those series that I’ve outgrown and will never read again 


  • Looking For Alaska
  • The Fault in Our Stars
  • Just One Day

Wednesday, November 4, 2020

October 2020



Books Read: 4

Book Challenge Complete: 129% 




Harry Potter Books 1-3 (Philosopher’s Stone, Chamber Of Secrets & Prisoner of Azkaban)


Maggie Oliver: Survivors 





How I Felt This Month

This month I wanted to read books that I’ve read a million times before and that’s what I did with the Harry Potter books.  I’m way over my reading challenge goal of 24 books this year, and that feels good.  


I had a massive clear out back in September of books, and gave a lot away to my friend.  My bookshelf looks empty but so much better.  

Friday, October 9, 2020

Dorothy Must Die Book Review

Book: Dorothy Must Die

Author: Danielle Paige

Pages: 452

Publisher: Harper Collins 

Publish Date: April 1st 2014

My Goodreads Rating: 3*



First Thoughts

I’ve seen this when ever I type Dorothy into amazon but never really clicked to see what it’s about.  As luck would have it while I was looking through the books at teen challenge store (it’s not my favourite store for the simple fact that it’s not well organized for books, but the prices are great.  $1 CAD, for a hardback book)


It’s loosely based on The Wizard of Oz





While Reading

I am absolutely loving the book. It could be classed as a YA book. 


I’m actually really enjoying the book. It’s got elements of The Wizard of Oz through out the book, but I love the twists to the story. 


I am about half way through and while I like the book I am really struggling with the middle part.  I like how the author is playing on The Wizard of Oz but at the moment I feel it’s a bit flat. I feel that it’s taking to long to get to the point.  I can only read a few pages at a time which is completely different from the beginning of the book. 


The last few chapters I skimmed over.  




Conclusion 

I’m not a fast reader which is obvious by how long it took me to read the book. For me I felt that the book started off great and after a while it got to the point where it was just dragging on a lot. I wasn’t picking it up and ended up skimming over the last few chapters.  I felt that it dragged on because it’s a series rather than a stand alone book. 


I felt that the book dragged on, and it could easily be just a stand alone book rather than a series.   I had really high hopes for the book when I first started reading it, but it fell way short of actually being any good.  


I think it’s a shame that I didn’t like the book by the end because normally with first books of the series I want to read the second book and dislike it from then on such as the Matched trilogy or the Lunar Chronicles 


  • Would I Read Another Book By The Author?

Yes and no.  So Dorothy Must Die is book one of a series but I always find it hard to get into second books. But I’d read another book by Danielle Paige just to see what her writing is like. 



  • How long did it take me to read?

It took way to long for me to read what I did read.  I normally know when a book is good because I can’t put it down, and finish it within a week, but this took me well over 2 or 3 weeks. 

Thursday, October 1, 2020

September 2020



Books Read: 0


How I Felt This Month

This month was a really difficult month with reading for me if I am being completely honest.  At the end of August I started to feel bored with reading even though I was reading, you’ll have noticed I never uploaded my august wrap up even though I read.  


By the time September came around, I wanted to get some new books, so I headed up to a thrift store near where I live as it’s the easiest to get to at the moment in the whole pandemic 😷. While it’s a great thrift store for prices of books, it’s not organized great, and I always feel overwhelmed by it. 


But I did find two books. The Night Circus by Erin Morganstien & Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige.  Both had been on my To Buy at Some Point list, and so for a dollar a piece I couldn’t pass them up.  I really wish that there were more books or that it was well organized but beggers can’t be choosers and I found two books which is better then nothing.  


I started reading The Night Circus, and hated what I read that I have up.  It was plain awful and all over the place.  To the point where I couldn’t even get half way without DNFing the book.  I liked the premise of the book, but I couldn’t get into it.  I gave it a fair chance and I hate it.  




I’m currently reading Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige and I really like it.  I’ve never seen anyone review the book, but every time I would type in Dorothy, the book would come up. I had no idea what it was about but it’s an interesting and different play on The Wizard of Oz. 


Though I haven’t read any books in full this month, I don’t really mind because I am so far ahead on my good reads challenge.  

Friday, September 18, 2020

Book Blogs or Book YouTubers Didn’t Influence Me Into Reading

The thing with this post is that anything that I’ve found on my own without influence from anyone online is that I enjoy it a whole lot more than when someone suggests it.  


I’m not saying that all books I’ve read that book youtubers have suggested is bad, I’ve found some good books in amongst the awful.


For instance. I adore The Great Gatsby but it’s not on the list because in someway it was influenced by a booktuber.  She raved about another book, and it was on a special deal and I picked up two other books including The Great Gatsby 



So for me I either will at some point pick up a book that someone online as recommended but it will be years down the line and it will more than likely be from a thrift store 


  • Anything by Dorothy Koomson 
  • Matched Trilogy
  • The Devil Wears Prada
  • Safe Haven
  • The Help
  • One Day
  • To Kill A Mockingbird 
  • Any of my books by Jacqueline Wilson
  • Harry Potter Series



Tuesday, September 8, 2020

Book Snob


I’ve not don’t a tag in so long. I have so many as drafts on my phone, just haven’t uploaded or published any in so long. When I saw this one I thought it would be a fun one to do. 


1. Adaptation Snob: Do you always read the book before you see the movie?

- I want to say yes, but there have been a few times when I’ve gone to my dads house and we’ve watched the movie before I’ve read the book. If I am being honest two of those movies I’m glad that I watched before I read the books because with The Help, I was struggling to read the book and when I saw the movie I got into the book a lot more, and 




2. Format Snob: You can only choose 1 format in which to read books for the rest of your life. Which one do you choose: physical books, ebooks, or audiobooks?

- Physical books. If I can find the post I’ll link it, but I love physical books a lot more than ebooks or audiobooks. I love holding actual books in my hand. 



3. Ship Snob: Would you date or marry a non-reader?

- I would but they’d have to understand that I’m such a book person and I love reading. 


4. Genre Snob: You have to ditch one genre - never to be read again for the rest of your life. Which one do you ditch?

- Dystopian. As in The Lunar Chronicles, The Mortal Instruments kind of dystopian. I struggled a lot with that. Even though classic books are right up there, I like more classics than dystopian books. 




5. Uber Genre Snob: You can only choose to read from one genre for the rest of your life. Which genre do you choose?

- What ever genre Dorothy Koomson writes. That woman literally has my whole heart.  




6. Community Snob: Which genre do you think receives the most snobbery from the bookish community?

- Vampires and Werwolf’s. I know it’s not a genre in the sense of most genres but it’s it own genre, and you either love it or hate it. And I absolutely hate it. I don’t mind if it’s in a book and there’s so much more going on within the book but as a whole where it’s a massive part I can’t deal with it. 



7. Snobbery Recipient: Have you ever been snubbed for something that you have been reading or for reading in general? 

- When people find out that I dislike The Notebook they just freak out. It’s almost as if I have a million heads and I’ve just lost them all. But I really don’t like the book. 


Friday, July 31, 2020

July 2020

Books Read: 4 Books

Book Challenge Complete: 92%


This month I read 4 books, but as two of them were re reads that I also read earlier in the year I am not counting them on my goodreads challenge. 


Manhunt: How I Brought Serial Killer Levi Bellfeild To Justice - Colin Sutton

I’ve been into true crime for as long as I can remember and the Levi Bellfeild case is one that I properly remember seeing in the news. Mainly the Milly Dowler part of it along with Amalie Delagrange I’ve always loved watching true crime documentaries and Crimewatch UK. It’s gone into podcasts and now books. 


Marshmallows For Breakfast 

One of my all time favourite books. I think I’ve read it every year for years.  


My Best Friends Girl

Apparently I read the book back in January. This month I’m in such a rut with reading.  


Tell Me Your Secret 



How I Felt This Month

This month I’ve felt a little flat. I want new books to read. Because I can’t afford most books from the main bookstore I love, thrift stores are my way. But with everything still going on, I just don’t want to go to the store and put myself at risk.  

Friday, July 10, 2020

OMG THIS SONG! Book Tag

Recently I was looking for newish tags to do, and came across this one. It’s completely different than any other book tag I’ve seen 
1. MY JAM - a song you MUST listen to every time it comes on, no matter how old or how many times you’ve listened to it / a book you’ll never get sick of
- As You Are, by Rag n Bone Man. I love the song. 
- Anything I’ve read by Dorothy Koomson, I can re read her books and never get sick of it. 
2. THROWBACK - a song that reminds you of the cringest time of your life / a book that also reminds you of this time (or just something you wouldn’t like as much if you picked it up for the first time now)
- Song: Barbie Girl. I mean it’s the cringest song of all time especially of my generation 
- Book: Belle De Jour, it’s not from the same time as the song, but it’s a book that I don’t think I’d pick up anymore. 
3. REPLAY - a recent song you have on repeat right now / a recent favorite book
- Song: Can’t Stop The Beat. I can’t stop listening to it right now
- Book: Tell Me Your Secret by Dorothy Koomson. 


4. GETS ME - this song IS ME / this book is me in book form
- Song: Sovereign Light Cafe by Keane. This song, and the video, is set in the place I lived for five years. I basically became me when I lived there. I was only there for five years but I made friends and it formed me as a person. I don’t know if it’s because I lived most of my teen years there but that song is me.  
- Book: The Brighton Mermaid. It’s set in Brighton (obviously) but when I was younger and still living in England I lived not to far from Brighton, and occasionally my friend and I would go to Brighton. 


5. WUT - weird but I like it? – a unique book that stuck out to you for whatever reason
- Song: I Want To Break Free by Queen. But more for the video than the actual song. 
- Book: Matched. I don’t know why it stuck out to me so much. 

6. LET’S GO - best pump up song (for workouts or just life) – a book that inspired you
- Song: Bonkers by Dizzie Rascal. I mean that song is amazing. Even some of the remixes are so catchy. 
- Book: The Ice Cream Girls. It’s a book where there are a lot of secrets and lies with the characters, but when everything changes and the truth comes out, when they are younger and as adults and when the killer is revealed.  


7. CHILL - fav chill, relaxing song / a book you’d curl up with and read on a rainy day
- Song: I don’t have a song that I can think of that’s my favourite chill song. 
- Book: My rainy day read has always been The Devil Wears Prada. It’s such a cheesy chick lit book but I love it


8. ADDICTING - guilty pleasure song – one that’s catchy and addicting but not a whole lot of substance / guilty pleasure/trashy/fast/light read
- Song: Cha-Ching by Hedley. It’s possibly the most ridiculous song ever but I love it. 
- Book; It’s not a guilty pleasure book, but Im absolutely addicted to reading The Harry Potter books. 
9. NOSTALGIA - throwback you look back on fondly / a book you read forever ago that you look back on fondly or reminds you of a happy childhood time 
- Song; Don’t Stop Movin by S Club 7, I remember when the song first came out and it was on the radio while my mum was driving me and our neighbours kids somewhere and we turned the radio up and starting singing it out the windows as my mum was driving. 
- Book: The Illustrated Mum. I remember going to get this book because it was the latest book out by Jacqueline Wilson, and she was in the city I lived in at the time doing a book signing. 

Wednesday, July 8, 2020

Manhunt: How I Brought Serial Killer Levi Bellfield To Justice

Book: Manhunt: How I Brought Serial Killer Levi Bellfield To Justice

Author: Colin Sutton 

Pages: 313

Publish Date: April 10th 2019

Start Reading Date: July 1st 2020

End Reading Date: July 6th 2020

My Goodreads Rating: 5*



First Thoughts

I’ve always been a fan of true crime and police dramas and tv shows. I remember as a kid at about 11/12 years old and watching Crimewatch and The Bill.


Fun fact about me, for a good 7+ years from like age 9-16 I wanted to be a police officer. But then I realized that probably wouldn’t be the best job for me. 


I remember seeing the news about Milly Dowler as a kid, because she was about a year older then me. I also remember seeing the Murders of Kate and Amelie on tv all the time. I have a clear image of reading about Amelie’s case while in France one year. 


I don’t know why but it this case is one that has always stuck with me. 

Even though I know the outcome of the trial, I had this overwhelming feeling that Levi would get off. I don’t know why, and I know he didn’t. 


While Reading

I like how in the book Colin has used the different text style for the reports 

I really feel for the victims of Levi and their families because he’s such a monster. I even feel for his own kids and ex girlfriends. 


Conclusion 

I think Colin is a hero. He saved so many young women’s lives just by being a cop. He saved those who Levi would’ve gone on to abuse or murder. There really should be more people like him in the police.  

With Levi I always wonder how much more he would’ve done if he hadn’t been caught. Because I find him terrifying. He was involved in so many different and illegal things it was only a matter of time in my opinion that he was caught for something.  

It was a really hard book to do a review on because it’s a true account of what happened from Colin’s point of view. 

Through out the book it shows just how much hard work police have to do. I know with all that’s happening right now how hard it is to truly trust police officers but there is something about Colin that you can tell he was dedicated to getting justice for all those involved. 





Thursday, July 2, 2020

June 2020

Books Read: 3



I feel that June absolutely flew by. I don’t know if it’s because I’ve been watching a lot of football again because of Project Restart. 


The Brighton Mermaid 

Ok so I read most of the book in May bit I finished it in June so it’s being put in my June wrap ups. 


The Chocolate Run

I’ve not read The Chocolate Run in absolutely forever. One of the things I was thinking after I posted my review of the book was ‘Would I or could I forgive a friend who’d been that mean to me or treated me differently than I treated them’ and honestly I don’t think I can 


The Help

The Help is one of my favourite books of all time.  






How I Felt This Month

I felt really good about reading this month. I didn’t have to force any of it and I enjoyed all the books I read. 

Monday, June 29, 2020

The Help Book Review

Book: The Help

Author: Kathryn Stockett

Start Reading Date: June 18th 2020

End Reading Date: June 27th 2020

My Goodreads Rating: 5*



First Thoughts

I can’t remember if I’ve done a book review on The Help, and if I have it’s probably been years. When I go into reading the book I always go into it with an open mind. 


While Reading


Aibileen 

I really like Aibileen. I’d love to be her friend. For me Aibileen is that kind of friend that everyone needs in their lives. She’s kind and loving, yet when she’s mad or angry you’ll know about it. I love the friendship between Aibileen and Minny. 


Minny

For me Minny is one of those ladies that would get to old age, and tell people what it was like as a maid and not hold anything back. She’d be that grandma that everyone would love and go to for advice. 


Skeeter 

I really wanted to like Skeeter, but she has some really big flaws in her character. I know that’s the charm of her, but there’s something about her that bugs me. Sure her doing the book is a great idea, but I think she is really naive about things and not really understanding about how other people think of her especially people like Minny and those who help her with the book that are scared. She redeems herself by writing the book. I feel bad for her when she finds out about Constantine. 


I liked her a lot more when she stoped being friends with Hilly and became her own person that she was hiding deep down. 


Extra

So if you know anything about me, you’ll know I have love hate relationship with multiple people narrating a book but this is one the few where I think it works really well. 


Hilly is one of those people that I would’ve hated to be around. She is such a bully and you could tell from the second she’s introduced into the book. She’s one of those people who thinks she’s better than everyone else and needs others to make her feel better. I always feel sorry for Hilly. I know I shouldn’t but I feel like she’s so insecure that she has to being other people down to make herself feel better. 


Even though Elizabeth’s mother makes a small cameo in the book, her actions are heartbreaking. 


With Elizabeth I feel really sorry for her. You can tell that she really trusts Aibileen and that what Hilly says isn’t right but she’d much rather have white friends and be popular than actually thinking for herself. I think if she was a lot more like Skeeter then I think she would’ve been more understanding. 


I don’t know if all the books are like this, but when it comes to The Benefit, I’m so confused but the writing of the book. It feels different than the others, and it looks and reads like a newspaper in the past and the present.  


Celia is one of my favourite characters within the book. Just like Skeeter she is ahead of her times and doesn’t see Minny any differently even though she’s employed her as Help it isn’t the same as how the other women see their help. I feel bad that she is this woman who is so kind to Minny, yet wants to be friends with Hilly. 


I find Skeeter’s mother rather annoying. I know that’s a really bad thing to say considering that she’s ill, but she just annoys me. 


I find it funny how even back in the 1960’s just how much women think of their appearance and try crazy hair experiments. Even with friends we try and please them and sometimes when enough is enough we just snap and realize that sometimes their friendship isn’t needed in our lives


Conclusion 

I wish that racism didn’t exist. I think we live in a toxic world. 


I think that The Help should be read in schools. 


Every time I read the book I always have a different opinion on Skeeter. I don’t know why. Sometimes I really like her and other times I don’t. 


Lauren x