Review: Golden Boy - Abigail Tarttelin

Hello! I am now reviewing the final Holiday Book, Holiday Book 8! This was Golden Boy by Abigail Tarttelin, the 'T' for my A-to-Z Challenge 2015.

This book stressed me out. Like, so much. It was emotional, distressing, and horrifying all at once. It tells the story of Max, an intersex teenager who identifies as male, who, after being sexually assaulted, has to live through horrible tribulations. I was just in shock at this. What a situation to be in! I have never wanted to stab someone so much in my life as I did with the rapist. He is an absolutely abominable libertine and I despise him. And that just shows how good this book is, that I have these thoughts of brutal murder. What else but a good book could draw these emotions out of me?
This book is very important. I was rather ignorant myself to the plights and lives of intersex people before reading this; they aren't as publicised as the rest of the LGBTQIAP community. Considering some of the exasperating opinions I received when I talked about this book, it is important that more people read this and learn about it. 
I highly recommend this book! Do it! Now!

Thanks for reading! Like, comment, and follow, and until next time, goodbye!

Review: Dracula - Bram Stoker

Welcome back to my blog! Today I will be reviewing Holiday Book 7, a rather famous gothic novel, Dracula by Bram Stoker, the 'S' for my A-to-Z Challenge.

Ooh I just loved this! Not only is the cover absolutely brilliant, the story betwixt it follows suit. A chilling, sensual and exciting gothic tale which had me hooked from the very beginning.
I loved the format of the novel. It was written in the form of compiled letters and diary entries, using multiple perspectives and thus creating intrigue for the reader. The story is rather tragic as well, showing love and loss and all the raw emotions which are evoked by it. 
The one thing that did REALLY piss me off was the total dismissal of Madam Mina as a character by the males in the novel. Madam Mina was my favourite character, and she played such a massive role in the formation of the mystery, and then she is just swept aside by the sexist males. I know that this is obviously Victorian literature, but still... what was funny was how hard their plan to protect her backfired. But I shall not divulge for the sake of spoilers.
A brilliant novel! One I highly recommend, especially if you're interested in gothic literature. I was always spotting little details which played to the genre, and it made it all the more interesting to read!

Thanks for reading! Like, comment and follow, and until next time, au revoir!

Review: The Plot Against America - Philip Roth

Hello! I am back with a review for Holiday Book 6, which is The Plot Against America by Philip Roth, the 'R' for my A-to-Z Challenge 2015.
This book is set in an alternate time when Roosevelt loses out to Lindbergh in the 1940 election under the mantra of "Vote for Lindbergh or Vote for War". Lindbergh promptly forms an agreement with Hitler and the other axis powers, taking them out of the possibility of joining World War II, but sending shockwaves of concern through the American Jewish community. As anti-semitism becomes more and more prominent and violent in America, Philip Roth tells how his family copes in the struggle to live in an America rapidly becoming fascist.
The premise was very interesting and also quite frightening. The idea of 'The Land of the Free' essentially allying itself with some of the worst fascist leaders of the 20th century and subsequently promoting and institutionalising anti-semitism makes for a thrilling and heart-wrenching read. Tragic and scary, Philip Roth writes eloquently and creates a historic chronology that is tangible and realistic; the perspective is masterful and fascinating. It deeply impressed me how Roth could twist world events and fashion a new timeline which could have happened just the same.
The only issue I really had with it was that the whole book was leading up to a climax that wasn't really that shocking. I was expecting something like the Holocaust to begin occurring from the way it was all foreshadowed and mongered by the characters. Although I did like the ending, I felt like something was missing there. Nonetheless, I commend Philip Roth for this novel.

Thank you for reading! Tell me your thoughts in the comments below! Like, comment and follow, and until next time, adios!

12/08/2015 - Top 5 Required Reading

Hello again! Today is Wednesday and is thus Top 5 Wednesday; the topic today is "Top 5 Required Reading", which is rather interesting. I've been forced to read a lot of books, some good, some bad and some ugly... today we shall celebrate the good, and they are as follows:

5. Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare - I really enjoyed this play when I read it in Year 9; it is humorous, dramatic and the best Shakespeare play that I have read.
4. Romeo & Juliet by William Shakespeare - Probably the most famous Shakespeare play today, and I can see why. It is a dramatic masterpiece, laced with humour and intriguing characters, such as my personal favourite, Mercutio.
3. The Woman in Black by Susan Hill - This was studied during our work on gothic literature. This is honestly one of the only books I have read that actually put me on edge; reading assignments that I procrastinated and ended up having to do late at night... not the best idea by me! It is really quite chilling (although I don't much like the ending, but that's besides the point), and I've been to see it on stage twice now.
2. Blood Brothers by Willy Russell - This musical/play is great. The characters were well developed, the storyline was interesting and emotionally raw and the ending is a shocker! If you ever get the chance, go see this in a theatre, it's a brilliant show!
1. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson - I really enjoyed this book when I studied it. As you probably all know well, I love classics, and this is a fantastic Victorian novel! Mysterious, chilling and exciting, it is most definitely worth the read!

Thank you for reading! If you had to read any of these, tell me in the comments if you enjoyed them or not! I would be interested to read your views. Like, comment and follow, and until next time, goodbye!

11/08/2015 - Top 10 Authors I've Read The Most

Hello, once again! It is Tuesday, which means it is time for another Top 10 Tuesday; today's topic is 'Top 10 Authors I've Read The Most' - this is quite hard for me, as I tend to read a wide variety of authors, but I think I find some authors who stand out, many of whom were probably read as a child. Alas, let us commence:
10. William Shakespeare - Much Ado About Nothing, Romeo & Juliet and Macbeth
9. Darren Shan - The Demonata Series and Cirque du Freak
8. Suzanne Collins - The Hunger Games Trilogy
7. Ben Elton - Past Mortem and Dead Famous
6. John Green - The Fault in Our Stars and Paper Towns
5. George Orwell - Nineteen Eighty-Four and Animal Farm
4. John Steinbeck - Of Mice and Men and The Grapes of Wrath
3. Joseph Delaney - The Spooks Series
2. Wilkie Collins - The Woman in White and The Moonstone
1. Bret Easton Ellis - Less Than Zero, The Rules of Attraction, American Psycho, The Informers, Glamorama, Lunar Park and Imperial Bedrooms 

I read a lot of Bret Easton Ellis... like, a lot. So, that was my Top 10! Have you read any of these authors (I suspect yes if anyone took English ever)? Tell me what you think below! Like, comment and follow, and until next time, see ya!

Review: Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock - Matthew Quick

Welcome back my lovelies. This is a review for Holiday Book 5, Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock by Matthew Quick, which was my 'Q' for my A-to-Z Challenge 2015. My sister, Kristi, was absolutely raving Matthew Quick's existence ever since reading Silver Linings: Playbook, but she refused to lend me her copy of it to take on holiday because it was the Ring to her Gollum, so I went to the library hoping to find it there. Of course, that was the ONLY Matthew Quick book not on the shelves, so I took out this one instead. It turns out Silver Linings: Playbook had been taken off the shelves because it was dead stock (?!) so I bought it today in the book sale. I am ever more excited to read that book now that I have read Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock and rated it so highly.
This book was magnificent. I very much enjoyed the way Leonard narrated as it really developed his character through his thoughts and anecdotal stories. It was also very poignant and heart-wrenching. Leonard is a rather unpopular boy who is going to kill himself and take Asher Beal, his former best friend and resident school bully, with him. But first, he must deliver presents to his four eclectic friends so he can go out with a bang on his 18th birthday. The stories behind these friendships are drip fed to the reader throughout the story through the viewpoint of Leonard, adding a personal touch. There is an undercurrent of dread as we wait for the suicide of the main character, Leonard, which is foreshadowed almost assuredly; this book is in every way tragic and moving, and compulsively readable. You'll be sucked in from the very first word!

Thank you for reading! Like, comment and follow, and until next time, auf wiedersehen!

Review: The Bees - Laline Paull

Hello my dearly beloved readers. I am back AGAIN! This is Holiday Book 4: The Bees by Laline Paull, which is my 'P' for my A-to-Z Challenge 2015. I have to be honest here, I didn't have high expectations for this book. I had bought it because I had wanted to buy The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins and you needed an order of over £10 for free delivery, and this was apparently being raved about, so I bought this to supplement it. It has been sitting on my book shelf for ages. Thank God for the A-to-Z Challenge, for without it, I wouldn't have been forced to read it and enjoy it as much as I did! It was really fantastic: it was almost like a 1984/Brave New World hybrid... except with bees! What is there not to love, really? Also, I'm in love with the cover: the inside cover is black, and it's just overall pretty and I enjoy it immensely.
It is set in the totalitarian society of a bee hive and begins with the 'birthing' of Flora 717. She is born into the lowest kin in the society who work sanitation, but she is different. She can speak and has other abilities which mean she is spared from eugenic cleansing so she can be of use to the hive. She lives through the trials and tribulations of life in the hive, from wasp invasions to religious slaughters. But when she breaks the golden rule 'ONLY THE QUEEN MAY BREED', the path becomes ever more rocky for her in this epic tale of aroma, control and triumph.
I really enjoyed the way the author displayed Flora's internal struggle between serving her hive and her Queen and nurturing her potent maternal instincts. I also found the parallelism and ultimately criticism to human life and its impact on the environment very interesting and thought-provoking. I never thought I would have such sympathy towards flying insects, but Laline Paull brought that out in me. And considering I was on holiday while reading this, where the flying insects are a-plenty, I had these very perverse feelings of care and concern for them. What was weirdest of all was that I seemed to relate to their plight for food, because that is me all the time too. I get you, flying insects!
Overall, I would recommend this book. I don't think I found it dull at any point, and I gave it 4 stars!

Thank you for reading! Feel free to create a buzz in the comments! (I'm so lame, I apologise for that). Like, comment and follow, and until next time, au revoir!

Review: Daddy Love - Joyce Carol Oates

Welcome back, faithful readers. Who is ready for Holiday Book 3? Well, if you are, buckle up because this one is traumatising. This is Daddy Love by Joyce Carol Oates, my 'O' for my A-to-Z Challenge 2015. When I was searching my library for books, I saw the name of this book and laughed... so I picked it up and read the blurb. Never has a smile been smacked off my face faster. This is not some disgusting romance or a heartfelt familial tale; this is a vile story about a man who kidnaps and abuses a young boy.
Joyce Carol Oates, I applaud you; you have irrevocably soured something I rather enjoyed with this book: the novelty of the word 'daddy'. Reverend Chester Cash calls himself Daddy Love as he kidnaps and sexually and physically abuses children, and actually tries to make them love him as a father. What an absolutely abominable character. Honestly, I wish I could jam HIM into that godforsaken box and set fire to it.
This is a double-pronged storyline: on one side is the story of the horrors committed to Robbie (who is renamed Gideon), while on the other is the horror of being the parents of the kidnapped child. I have to hand it to Joyce Carol Oates, when she wants to shock the reader, she really GOES IN. Chester Cash is a figure of evil: he is not only a vile monstrous child abuser, he is a psychopath who feels some sort of entitlement. He claims to be 'freeing' this child from the oppression of bad parenting... as he shoves the boy into a box all night so he can soil himself. The contrasting emotions evoked of intense sympathy for Robbie, the father, and the now-mangled mother and the visceral revulsion towards 'Daddy Love' are a rather impressive feat, for which the author should be commended.
However, I did only give this book 3 stars. I just did not enjoy the style of writing. It was disjointed and so out of the ordinary that it was hard to understand in parts. It was sometimes guess work as to whether this non-punctuated prose was speech or just a thought by the character, and it was all a bit confusing in general.
I wouldn't say a recommend this book because it takes some guts to read something like this. But I do intend to try Joyce Carol Oates again; in fact, I did actually buy A Fair Maiden from the book sale at my library today, which I will read soon.

Thank you for reading! Feel free to comment below your thoughts! Like, comment and follow, and until next time, so long!

Review: The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger

Bonjour mes amis! I am back with a review for Holiday Book 2, which was The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger, which is the 'N' for my A-to-Z Challenge 2015.
I borrowed this novel from my local library, and I certainly expected it to be good because I had heard so many people raving about it. Now I see why. It was phenomenal.
I really enjoyed the way the book was actually set out. It followed a chronology and yet managed to flit back and forth in time so effortlessly; and never did the reader lose track of what was going on. It is rather impressive, if you ask me. The manner in which the relationship between Clare and Henry was built up and developed was poignant and beautiful; the way that memory and mystery played such a huge part in the novel was really intriguing and kept me hooked from start to finish. I found the premise itself very interesting: Henry has a genetic disorder where he will randomly time travel back and forth, not being able to control where or when he appears or how long he remains in that time. It is really fascinating to think that Henry didn't know Clare for so long while she had known him practically all her life, and all the meetings that had already happened in her timeline were yet to occur in his. I just find it fairly mind-blowing that someone could have thought this up, and performed it so expertly. The ending was simply heart-wrenching and was a superb conclusion to the story. I definitely recommend this to all, it is world class!

Thank you for reading my review! If you would take the time to comment your thoughts, I would be extremely grateful! Like, comment and follow, and until next time, ciao!

Review: Norwegian Wood - Haruki Murakami

Surprise, bitch. I bet you thought you'd seen the last of me! Yes, hello, friends and possibly even enemies, I am back from my impromptu hiatus, and back with a vengeance as fierce as the fiery rays of the Sun that I have wallowed in for the past two weeks in Corfu and various locations in Italy. I have been on holiday, and if anyone is curious, I did indeed get burnt. As expected of a British person on holiday. 

I, of course, read a substantial amount whilst on holiday, and now I shall review each of the 8 books that graced my life one by one, starting now, with my 'M' for my A-to-Z Challenge 2015, Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami. 

I originally came into possession of this novel from my local library's book sale after it having caught my eye. I had heard great things of Murakami, and this was one of his most famous novels, so I inevitably had high expectations. And I have to say, they were certainly lived up to, and I awarded it 4 stars on Goodreads.

Norwegian Wood is a sad book. That is effectively its whole thing: deep, deep sadness. The novel opens with sadness, and closes with sadness. And yet, the way that Murakami presents this tale of love, sex, and depression is magnificent. It's a marvel how he threaded humour into something which is, in its simplest form, tragic. You would expect that a book where you aren't sure if you can trust any of the characters' longevity to be a slog which brings you down and trails your emotions through the mud. And while, yes, the latter does happen in parts, the mood of the novel, through the fog of tragedy, is of hope for new love to blossom. All the characters have murky pasts and have been through bad times; overall the theme is one of reminiscence to these bad times, but also where the lights in the darkness are heralded in celebration. Murakami's writing is poignant, capable of evoking strong emotional responses from the reader. I will certainly look out for more Murakami in the future, and I recommend that you do too, for this is truly a fantastic read.

So that was Holiday Book 1! Tell me in the comments below if you have read this and agreed or disagreed with my thoughts, or simply if you enjoyed my review! I would be grateful for any responses! Like, comment and follow, and until next time, adios!

28/07/2015 - 10 Characters Who Are Fellow Book Nerds

Hello, and welcome back to my blog. So glad that you are here. Today is Tuesday, which means it is once again time for a Top 10 Tuesday. Today's topic is 10 Characters Who Are Fellow Book Nerds, which is always fun. Let us begin:

1. Hermione Granger from Harry Potter Series by J.K Rowling

2. Liesel Meminger from The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

3. Charlie from The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chboksy

4. Matilda from Matilda by Roald Dahl

5. Hazel Grace Lancaster from The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

6. Guy Montag from Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

7. Scout from To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

8. Takao Kasuga from Aku no Hana/The Flowers of Evil by Shūzō Oshimi

9. Henry & Clare from The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

10. Toru Watanabe from Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami


Thank you for reading! If you enjoyed, tell me below in the comments! Like, comment and follow, and until next time, à bientôt!

22/07/2015 - Top 5 Side Characters that Deserve Their Own Series

Hello, oncemore! Today is Wednesday, which means it is time for yet another Top 5 Wednesday! The topic today is Top 5 Side Characters that Deserve Their Own Series. Alas, let us commence:

5. The Marauders from Harry Potter Series by J.K Rowling. Let's be real, if you have never wanted to read about the high school lives of the Marauders at any point, you're lying. They are such interesting characters; I am sure it would be hilarious to hear of their exploits, and touching to read the story of James and Lily getting together. Make it happen!

4. Dumbledore from Harry Potter Series by J.K Rowling. J.K Rowling creates too many great side characters. I would love to hear about Dumbledore's life: his relationship with Grindelwald, his youth and his dealings with a younger Tom Riddle. It would add depth to his character and prove to be a truly exhilarating series, I'm assured.

3. Sakamoto Satsu from Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden. Chiyo/Sayuri's sister and her got split up after being taken away from their family. I feel like hearing about Satsu's plight after this would be interesting, especially after the turn of events which takes place later in the novel (which I shan't reveal because you should all read this novel).

2. Atticus Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee - Atticus Finch is seen by many as a virtuous man and the archetypal character. It would be interesting, I think, to see his past life and where he got these controversial (for the time) views from. I am rather afraid to read Go Set a Watchman because I may lose this image of Atticus, but I am going to anyway.

1. Erik from The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux - I love Erik! And I feel so sorry for him! I want to read about his childhood, even though this will probably be the most heart-wrenching story ever. I want to hear the story from his perspective, so I can hate the end result even more.



Thank you for reading! If you agree, leave a comment below telling me! Like, comment, follow and above all else, happy reading!

21/07/2015 - 10 Books That Celebrate Diversity

I'm back after disappearing for a while for Top 10 Tuesday! The topic today is 10 Books That Celebrate Diversity, such as racial minorities, LGBTQ+ characters, neurotypical characters, etc. Without any further ado, let us begin:

1. Dead Famous by Ben Elton - This book has LGBTQ+, neurotypical, and racially diverse characters, mainly due to the nature of the story, based on Big Brother, where many different people are brought together.

2. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon - The main character has Asperger's Syndrome.

3. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee - As much as this novel shows the oppression of racial minorities in America, it does celebrate them as a group and shows sympathy towards their plight.

4. Less Than Zero by Bret Easton Ellis - As a book about hedonism in the 1980s, LGBTQ+ characters feature strongly.

5. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky - This book has LGBTQ+ characters with depth and poignancy, as well as the main character, Charlie, having mental issues after a trauma in childhood.

6. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey - This book is about the treatment of mentally ill people in mental hospitals in the mid-20th century, showing that people with mental illnesses are not terrible people, contrary to beliefs at the time, and celebrating the diversity they bring.

7. The Future Diary/Mirai Nikki by Sakae Esuno - My favourite anime and manga of all time! This celebrates different characters, including LGBTQ+ and neurotypical characters, which add depth and interest, and make it just sensational.

8. The Harry Potter series by J.K Rowling - This brilliant series explores a variety of characters, including LGBTQ+ in Dumbledore, racial minorities and many more. It also brings in a new kind of minority, to do with magical bloodlines, which Hermione gets attacked about for being a 'mudblood', which I think shadows racist attitudes in society today.

9. The Rules of Attraction by Bret Easton Ellis - Ah, Bret Easton Ellis is just great. I think this is my favourite work of his. This book celebrates LGBTQ+ characters as they explore sexuality with everyone else in the novel in an almost nihilistic fashion.

10. Hideous Kinky by Esther Freud - The mother in this novel explores Sufism, a special variety of Islam, to find personal fulfillment as they get used to life in Marrakech.


Thank you for reading! If you have read any of these novels, tell me in the comments! I would love to hear your opinions! Like, comment and follow, and until next time, farewell.

Review: Dangerous Liaisons (Les Liaisons Dangereuses) - Pierre Choderlos de Laclos

Bienvenue; today I shall be reviewing Dangerous Liaisons, or, in the native French, Les Liaisons Dangereuses by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos, which forms my 'L' for my A-to-Z Challenge 2015. It is a classic French epistolary novel written in the 18th century, scandalous and controversial upon its release, and highly rated! And for good reason, I enjoyed it immensely, scoring it 5 stars on Goodreads.

The premise of the novel intrigued me before I had even started: duplicitous characters manipulating others as pawns in their own entertainment, the 'dangerous liaisons' which ensue bringing disastrous consequences along with it. How very risqué for a novel from this era! So compelling! The exhilaration did not halt during its reading either! I was interested from the very start. The style the novel is written in, a collection of letters, allowed for a multilateral overview of events, giving in depth descriptions of emotions, feelings and agendas of the many characters as things happen around them. The way the correspondence was written also greatly tickled my humour: I enormously enjoyed the sassy remarks from the characters, especially the Marquise de Merteuil and the Vicomte de Valmont, who I found to be the most entertaining (which, I suppose, was the aim). Their interactions were what drove the narrative, with the supplementary letters between them and other characters and between other characters themselves, added depth and increased the intrigue towards the plot.
The novel is essentially a celebration of libertinism in the aristocracy of Pre-revolutionary France, although apparently not noticed at the time considering Marie Antoinette enjoyed it! I felt bad about it, but the manipulation, salacity and eventual unadulterated malice demonstrated by some of the characters was very fascinating to witness, and left me sneering in congratulations towards their escapades. Madame de Merteuil and Vicomte de Valmont were two-faced, insidious and nefarious, seeming to revel in their own contriving debauchery, and yet I savoured every drop of evil they rained down on the social circles they frequented. I smirked as they worked on all their wicked schemes, tapping into their radiating aura of malevolence. It truly was a magnificent sensation
As well as this, the numerous love triangles, which could be referred to as love webs considering their complexities, were some of the most well-developed of any I have read about. This is a perfect analogy in fact, like a spider's entanglement, because eventually those who trespass into it will be destroyed by its master. The novel is masterfully crafted by Laclos, causing sympathies to waver between the characters as it reaches its dramatic and intense climax at the end.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys classic novels as I do, especially those who like France, its history or books which originate in the French language. My next challenge is to read this novel in the native language, which will sure be a challenge, but I hope I can do it... at some point in the future.

Thank you for reading, if you enjoyed it or have read this book and either agree or disagree with my thoughts, leave a comment below and inform me! I would love to hear your opinions! Like, comment and follow, and until next time, ciao!

15/07/2015 - Top 5 Anticipated Pre-Orders for the Rest of the Year

Hallo Miriam, ich heiße Ben! Yes, welcome back, my dears. Wednesday has once again befallen us, with yet another Top 5 Wednesday following in its wake. The topic this time is 'Top 5 Anticipated Pre-Orders for the Rest of the Year'. A tad bit of a struggle for me considering I have a rather potent affinity to classics, but alas, I have done my best. And here it is:

5. Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee - Yes, I am fully aware that this book TECHNICALLY came out yesterday, HOWEVER, I have highly anticipated this book for quite a while, and I felt that this should be an exception. Having read and severely enjoyed To Kill a Mockingbird, the news of a sequel (even though it was written before TKAM) was music to my ears. Let's just hope it is good so I don't despair for all things good in this world.

4. The Big Lie by Julie Mayhew - I don't usually get that hyped over YA books; however, after seeing BooksAndQuills talk about the book in her June Book Haul Part I video, and hearing the premise, I was intrigued. Set in a practically dystopian future where Germany won the war and Britain is under Nazi rule, this book tells the story of a woman's dealing with the society, as well as playing out a lesbian romance over the tragic backdrop. An LGBTQ+ novel set in a dystopian world... seriously, what is there not to love?

3. Time and Time Again by Ben Elton - After scrolling through Waterstones, I came across this gem. My sister, Kristi, and I both very much like this author, having already read a few of his books (Past Mortem and Dead Famous) and enjoyed them immensely. The premise for this new novel sounds spectacular, and I am now very excited to read it.


2. A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara - The fact that this book is on this list is agitating, because I know in the USA this book has been available for a couple of months now. However, across the Atlantic in good old England, it isn't available for another month, and thus it features on this list. I first saw this book after reading Emily May's review on Goodreads for it. Although she only gave it 3 stars, I was wholly interested by the sounds of the plot and I greatly wish to read it. It was going to be my 'Y' for my A-to-Z, but now with the hitch that IT ISN'T ACTUALLY AVAILABLE YET IN THE UK, I will just have to read it at a later date. Depressing yet bitter sweet... just my cup of tea.

1. And finally, at Number 1 is *drum roll* Selp Helf by Miranda Sings! No surprises here, really. She is one of my absolute favourite YouTubers (her AND her creator, Colleen Ballinger), and I have met her, so I am absolutely obsessed! Her book, due to be released later this month, will surely be hysterical and it will do her comedic presence proud. I am assured of it.



And thus, there ends my Top 5 Wednesday for this week! Are you excited for these titles too, (or do you have the privilege of being American and already owning some of these titles?) If the answer is yes, tell me in the comments below! If you enjoyed it, like, comment and follow, and until next time, farvel!

14/07/2015 - Last 10 Books That Came Into My Possession

This is me, holding my 10 books...
honestly, I'm so damn hench...

Hello, I am ever so glad to see you here once again. Today is Tuesday, and that means it is another Top 10 Tuesday, the topic of this one being 'Last 10 Books That Came Into My Possession' - these include library books, purchased books and review copies (not that I have received any of those yet... *hint*). Anyway, let us begin:

10. A Work in Progress by Connor Franta
9. I Hate Myselfie by Shane Dawson - the story behind my acquiring of 10 and 9 is rather humorous, at least I think so. So, I tried to order these two books together from Waterstones because I heard the hype and I like the YouTubers so I decided to read their writings. However, I ran into issue: the (god-awful) updated Waterstones website was not computing my order... and I ended up trying again, multiple times. On the fateful day of the books' arrival, I ended up with 3 copies of each, and I was going to be forced to pay for all three orders... which evidently was not going to happen. Hence, I called up Waterstones and they refunded the orders and it turns out that I had actually made 8 failed orders and 3 successful ones... which is quite an achievement in my opinion! (I got the Waterstones points for all three orders though muhahaha)

8. Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen - bought for 20p from my local library at their book sale! Thank goodness I work there early on Saturdays, or that would have been snapped up rather quickly! Classics are NEVER on the book sale!

7. Chocky by John Wyndham - I am very excited for this! It will be my 'W' for my A-to-Z Challenge 2015. I bought it from the Waterstones store because I had read Day of the Triffids and it is one of my favourite books, and the premise for this sounds utterly fascinating! I can't wait!

6. The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
5. Daddy Love by Joyce Carol Oates
4. Golden Boy by Abigail Tarttelin - Very excited to read this for my 'T'! It is about an intersex child who identifies as male, but starts questioning after a traumatic event. I have never read anything about intersex characters in novels before, and I don't know as much about intersex people as I do the other members of the LGBTQ+ community, so I am very intrigued by this novel, especially considering its acclaim.
3. The Boy Who Could See Death by Salley Vickers
2. Don't Cry, Tai Lake by Qiu Xiaolong
1. Frog by Mo Yan

The books from 6 to 1 are all from the library... I took 6 books on a mass Exodus from the shelves in order to fulfill my A-to-Z Challenge, which my sadly pitiful bookshelves at home to not satisfy... I bring dishonour, I agree.

That is that! If you have read any of these books, tell me your opinions below! I would love to hear what you thought about them! From numbers 8-1 are books I haven't yet read, so I would highly appreciate your opinions on them so I can compare my thoughts after having read them! No spoilers though, please, I beg you. If you enjoyed, like, comment and follow, and until next time, auf wiedersehen!

Review: The Book of Laughter and Forgetting - Milan Kundera

Hello, did you miss me? I have been gone for longer than I expected. But I am back, hurrah! And I am reviewing my K for the A-to-Z Challenge 2015, which was The Book of Laughter and Forgetting by Milan Kundera. This was supposed to be really good, but if you follow me on Goodreads, you would realise I didn't enjoy it and gave it 2 stars. Here is why:

Where to begin... well to start with, I like the cover! Very pretty, and it was drawn by Milan Kundera himself! Alas, that is one of few redeeming qualities.
Telling a series of tales of hedonism and oppression in Prague during the Soviet control, this book was praised by many authors, including another author I have issues with (Salman Rushdie), which immediately concerned me. Those concerns were not wholly unfounded. There was meant to be an underlying theme throughout the whole thing which permeates poignant meaning... what was it, may I ask? I obviously missed something. All I could see through the fog of perverse behaviour, settings and descriptions were twisted opinions, annoying pomp and unsettling eroticism. I feel quite uneasy at having dodged something in this novel which is so potent... maybe I take things too literally. I don't know; either way I didn't like the book.
I don't see how a woman, isolated on an island, being fiddled and apparently raped by a horde of children has a meaning... and whatever the meaning is that I couldn't scrape from the context, I'm not entirely sure I want to know what it is. I also severely hope that Kundera was being sarcastic with some of the garbage the characters he wrote in spouted: justifying misogyny as the only true form of rational masculinity, glamourising and romanticising rape... to name but two. There was no discernible plot (which I think is important, despite my knowing that this book is a collation of tales), the ideas jolted erratically between each other, it was really rather confusing, and ultimately, quite dull. The light in the darkness of this novel is that the writing, when you actually got around to understanding what on earth he was on about, is actually very good. I did, in parts, feel a spark of excitement and interest in the plight of some of the characters, before those sparks were extinguished and the story line deranged into some peculiar farce.
Overall, I did not like it, and struggled through it. I feel slightly bad for slating it thus, especially considering its apparent popularity, but it is my opinion. I realise now that it is called The Book of Laughter and Forgetting because the story is laughable and the book forgettable!

Thank you for sticking here until the end of my slander, I appreciate the devotion. If you have a differing opinion to mine, which would not surprise me, leave it in the comments below! I would be interested to see what you thought. Like, comment, follow, and until next time, vaarwel.

08/07/2015 - Top 5 Things on Your Bookshelf That Aren't Books

Salut! Today is Wednesday, and you know what that means! Top 5 Wednesdays are back! This week the topic is 'Top 5 Things on Your Bookshelf That Aren't Books'; this is going to be embarrassing, but whatever. The sacrifice is a worthy one.

5. My DVD Collection, comprised of every episode of Family Guy, ever; American Dad boxsets, American Horror Story, Doctor Who, Anime and a whole host of other motion pictures and television programmes which I enjoy.

4. This cool and surprisingly effective panda fan which I got for free at HyperJapan London last year. The details of the company that were giving them out is on the back, which I have shown below:

 

3. My photo albums! The one on the left is, obviously, Winnie the Pooh themed, and has photos from around 2007 I think? I can't remember, but nevertheless, my spelling was shocking, as was my photography apparently. The one on the right was given to me on my First Holy Communion, and it has a few photos from that celebration in it, but the rest are terrible quality snapshots from my Year 6 French trip from a disposable camera. Like, I think I should become one of the paparazzi, I am just that artistic and skilled at photography.

 

2. The Boy With The Frilly Knickers by Ben Sawyer, Age 11. This was a short story written by me in Year 6 during a task for Book Week, where we had to compose a story and read it to someone in younger years. Evidently, being the literary prodigy that I am, I created this masterpiece: an epic narrative of love, loss and humiliation that truly pushes the boundaries of society and the human condition. I am, of course, joking: it is actually about a boy who receives frilly knickers from his grandmother for Christmas that happen to haunt him ever after. You may laugh at my expense, but it went down well, from what I remember. Also, move over Quentin Blake, the new illustrations king is here.

1. The Bobblyfaces Comic Series by Ben Sawyer, Age 11. These are some of my best work. In Year 6, I spent my time at the end of the year making these comics about the melodramatic saga of these yellow balls with faces and all the "hilarious" banter that follows in their wake. I actually had an audience for these compositions, small as it may have been. However, I'm not entirely sure it was because they pitied me or were being sarcastic, but the results of it were me creating these comic books which make me laugh from the sheer embarrassment, let alone the hysterical jokes that I told. Honestly, these will be published one day: mark my words.

Well then, that was far more humiliating than I first envisaged. I hoped you all laughed at my expense as much as I cried! If you enjoyed it, like, comment and follow, and until next time, paalam na!

Review: The Year of the Ladybird - Graham Joyce

HELLO, WELCOME BACK, SO GREAT TO SEE YOU AGAIN. I am going to review my 'J' for my A-to-Z Challenge 2015, which was The Year of the Ladybird by Graham Joyce. I was lost for a J for this challenge, so I searched my local library and came across this; the premise seemed interesting, or at least, more interesting than the other Js I had come across. And hence, I took it out and read it. I took me a relatively long time considering its length. There is a reason for that, and it is because I did not like it (I gave it 2 stars on Goodreads). 

I have to be honest, I can't really tell you what this book is about. I didn't decipher a strong and clear plot from it for a number of reasons: Joyce seemed to just try to amalgamate a multitude of aspects to try and be edgy, or dramatic, or even inject some action or intrigue; and yet this failed. The supposed racial tension in the form of a political party which is basically a 1976 version of UKIP, the heatwave and the almost eponymous ladybird swarm were not developed at all. The book could have done without these aspects and still would have been good, maybe even better due to the increased clarity of the narrative. It just seems like a unnecessarily convoluted composition, which left me ultimately unsatisfied. The ending was not good enough in that it didn't tie off loose ends, at it seemed like a major cop-out, as it relied on supernatural elements just to provide some sort of answer, without really explaining half of the things that had appeared in the story which may leave the reader questioning.
I have other issues with it too. For example, the only two strong female characters in the whole novel that actually have any character development are sexualised beyond belief. As well as this, I have a strong contempt for the word 'phosphorescence' now, thanks to the stark overuse of this word in reference to the same waves and sea. It was quite a pain to read at times.

Of course, there are some good points. I felt the development of the Colin and Terri plot line was done rather well, and had me interested somewhat. This, I picked up, was the main storyline running through the narrative, but unfortunately was the only competent one too. The descriptions and writing were enjoyable to read in general, and I wasn't entirely bored to tears when I picked it up.

I'm not saying the book is good, I'm not saying it is wholly bad either. I am indifferent towards it. It is alright, not the best, not the worst. I probably wouldn't pick up another Graham Joyce book if I had the choice, however.

07/07/2015 - Top 10 Hyped Books I've Never Read

Hello, once again, my esteemed readers. Today I shall be completing yet another 'Top 10 Tuesday', today's topic being 'Top 10 Hyped Books I've Never Read'. Alas, let us dive straight in:

10. Sons and Lovers by D H Lawrence
9. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
8. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
7. Lord of the Flies by William Golding
6. Les Misérables by Victor Hugo
5. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
4. All Charles Dickens novels
3. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
2. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
1. Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen

Of course, they are all classics, because that is just my vibe.

If any of you have read any of these books, please tell me in the comments section and give me your opinion! I would be greatly appreciative!
Like, Comment and Follow, and until next time, hwyl fawr!

The Disney Book Tag

Bonjour, mes amis! Today I shall be amalgamating two of my favourite things in an almighty behemoth of excellence in what is known as the Disney Book Tag! Technically, no one tagged me, but I'm just going with it because this is just too appealing to not do immediately. Without much further ado, let us open the story book and delve into it:

The Little Mermaid - a character who is out of their element, a "fish out of water".

This one is easy: Professor Andrew Martin after being bio-fused with the alien in The Humans by Matt Haig. He is an extraterrestrial experiencing life on Earth for the first time, having no idea of our cultures or how things work. All he has to go on is the scaremongering presented to him on his own world. Due to this ineptitude in the human world, the novel begins with him wandering around stark naked, which ends up in his arrest! This character is very apt for this category, I thought!


Cinderella - a character who goes through a major transformation.

I have chosen Dr Jekyll from The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson. If you don't know the next bit already, then *SPOILER ALERT*: The respected Dr. Jekyll is discovered to be Mr Hyde, the scoundrel who brutally murders a man in the street. Dr Jekyll becomes this alter ego after consuming a potion of some kind, which causes a terrifying metamorphosis, forming the monster that is Mr Hyde.


Snow White - a book with an eclectic cast of characters.


I had to think about this quite hard, but I settled on Dead Famous by Ben Elton. This has an eclectic cast of characters, because that's kind of the point! It's about a Big Brother-like show, which always brings people of different backgrounds together, making an entire cast of eclectic characters!


Sleeping Beauty - a book that put you to sleep.

Ugh, god... The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie. I never even got half way through this, it was dull as anything. Even though what was going on could have been exciting, I did not enjoy it because of the way it was written! So, yeah, thanks Salman Rushdie for giving me a good night's sleep, I guess. Not sure if the novel was worth the controversy it caused... (I may power on with it at some point though).

The Lion King - a character who had something traumatic happen to them in childhood.

This has to be Charlie from The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky! *SPOILER ALERT* He was molested by his aunt when he was a child, and then his aunt died on her way to buy him a gift for his birthday and he basically spent his whole life blaming himself, and he has a mental breakdown... so yeah, pretty traumatic!

Beauty and the Beast - a beast of a book that you were intimidated by but found the story to be beautiful.

This has to be The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins. Have you seen the size of it? I found the idea of reading such an epic, especially since it was likely going to be Victorian style, and thus rather hard to read, daunting to say the least. I was pleasantly surprised! It was quite easy to read, and the story was fantastic! The picture of Belle and the Beast express my feelings exactly! (I now own The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky which is giving me similar vibes! Over 1000 pages!)

Aladdin - a character who gets their wish granted, for better or for worse.

This has to go to Dorian Gray from The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. Dorian wishes that he would stay as youthful as the immaculate portrait that is done of him, and finds his wish granted. Unfortunately, it was definitely for the worse. The scars of his debauchery taint the portrait instead of Dorian himself, and it leads him down a path to evil and vice.


Mulan - a character who pretends to be someone or something they are not.

I really struggled with this one! I chose the obvious choice, Barty Crouch Jr. from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling. With the aid of polyjuice potion, he poses as Mad Eye Moody to manipulate the Triwizard Tournament and drive Harry to Voldemort in the graveyard; and evidently, he succeeded!


Toy Story - a book with characters you wish would come to life.
Harry Potter, of course! I want to learn magic so I can jinx people I dislike! And, I guess, it would come in handy in my day-to-day life, too.

Disney Descendants - your favourite villain or morally ambiguous character.

I love me some Erik (Phantom) from The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux! Although, yes, he murders and kidnaps people, he does it from a kind place... that sounds weird to say. He was ostracised all his life for his disfigurement and all he wanted was love from Christine, and it seemed like he was close to it, until Raoul came along and ruined it for him! Hades expresses my emotions quite aptly.

Alas, the tag is finished! I hope you enjoyed it! Comment, like and follow if you did! Comment below if you have read any of the books I mentioned and tell me what you thought of them!
I tag Kristi and Crystal to do this next, and if anyone else wishes to do it, consider yourself officially tagged as well! Until next time, adjö!