The Ben 'n' Jerry's Book Tag

Summer is now officially over but as I'm trying to cling on to every last ounce of sun I've decided to do a book tag all about ice cream! Ben + Jerry's ice cream is my absolute favourite ice cream in the world so obviously I had to do this tag this week!

This tag was created by Aimal over at Bookshelves+Paperbacks so go give her blog so love!

Vanilla Caramel Fudge: A light, fluffy contemporary.

Lola and the Boy Next Door is the first book that springs to mind(closely followed by The Sky is Everywhere). This was my favourite of the trilogy and also the most summery!

Mint Chocolate Cookie: A new release you wish everyone would read.

So it isn't that new but Juniper Lemon's Happiness Index by Julie Israel. It is another amazing contemporary and debut novel (!) which I think everyone should read.

Karamel Sutra Core: A last  book in a series you were completely happy with.

I could go with Deathly Hallows, but I'm going to choose Light by Michael Grant instead. I remember reading this book for the first time and just thinking "That is exactly what I wanted to happen" before crying because my favourite series had ended.

Cherry Garcia: A book with a bittersweet ending

Sever by Lauren DeStefano.

Strawberry Shortcake: A book containing your OTP of OTPs

Currently Juniper Lemon's Happiness Index but it changes with every couple I read about!

Mil and Cookies: Two authors who could colabrate seamlessly

Jennifer Niven and Nicola Yoon. Prepare for the saddest contemporary yet!

Boston Cream Pie: A book that kept you up late

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs.

Chocolate Therapy: A book that calms you after  long day

Harry Potter or Amulet. Basically my comfort reads.

Coffee, Coffee, Buzzbuzzbuzz: An unreleased book you can't wait for

It Only Happens in the Movies by Holly Bourne or Sparrow by Sarah Moon

Which Ben + Jerry's flavour is your favourite? And what is your favourite contemporary?
Let me know in the comments below!

And until next time, keep reading!

A little update (aka I'M ALIVE!)

Hi!

 I'm back from the dead (just) and I promise I'll be back to my normal posting schedule by the end of this week. In case you don't know what that is here you go:

Tuesday: Top Ten Tuesday meme

Thursday: A bookish tag

Saturday and Sunday: Reviews of books

All these posts will be upload at 4-ish GMT so be prepared!

I'm sorry I've been all over the place lately but boarding school is tough! However I should be into the swing now so I've made a schedule that is easy for me to stick to even with all the boarding school stuff that is going on.

Thank you for being so patient with me and I promise to bring you lots of fun bookish content soon!

And until next time, keep reading!

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins
Release Date: September 29, 2011
Pages: 384
Rating: 💜💜💜💜💜
Buy it: Amazon | Book Depository

Life is pretty perfect for Lola, especially with her hot rocker boyfriend. That is, until the Bell twins return to the neighbourhood and unearth a past of hurt that Lola was long buried. So when inventor Cricket steps out of his sister's shadow Lola must face her feelings for the boy next door.


I loved this book so much more than Anna and the French Kiss. Maybe it's because I don't live where it is set or because I was reading it at a slower pace; either way I loved this book.

Lola was this crazy, messy fashionista who loved to create insane outfits for every occasion. Okay, so she sometimes went a little over the top(like turning up to school in a toga), but I loved the descriptions we got of her outfits. My main problem I had with Lola was the fact that she was a little immature. She was a little bit of a drama queen at times, rarely thinking through things logically which infuriated me because I need to have a plan before going forward!

Both the boys in this book were polar opposites and it was extremely obvious who Lola was going to end up with (I mean, it is in title). Max was the worst. Seriously, I have no idea why Lola started going out with him. He was rarely there, and when he was he made loving Lola sound like a task. Cricket, on the other hand, was adorable. He hung out Lola and her dads because he wanted to, he helped them out when they needed it and he listened when Lola needed to rant.

The writing was once again flawless. One of my favourite things in Anna was the way Stephanie Perkins managed to make France seem like an extra character. It was exactly the same here, and I felt like I was actually in San Francisco (even though I've never been there). I feel like description is the one thing that Stephanie Perkins can't fail at, no matter how hard she tries.

One word of warning: read Anna and the French Kiss before you read this. Even though this book is technically a companion novel Anna and Etienne are a big part of this book so it would help to know some background information about them. They also reference to things that happen in the first book which you wouldn't understand unless you have read said book.

Anyway...I would highly recommend you read this book, even if you didn't enjoy Anna. I finished it in under 3 hours and wanted to read it again as soon as I closed the book. It is the perfect beach read, but I think it would also be a good read for next to a Christmas tree (or other festive decoration!)

The College Freshman Book Tag

The creators of this tag are  Dawlyn and Krista over at Little Blind Book Finds. Be sure to go check out their blog! 

Being English I have no idea what college is. For me you have primary school, high school, sixth form and then university. However I did some digging around and discovered that sixth form is the equivalent of college so I guess that means I'm in college.

And now onto the questions!

Roommates: 

Name a character you'd love to be roommates with and a character you'd hate to be roommates with.

I'd love to be roommates with Lola Nolan and all her crazy outfits, or Maddy from Everything, Everything because I love her bedroom in the film.

I don't think Hermione would be the best roommate to have. As much as I love her she would stress me out too much, always forcing me to do more school work!

Orientation:

Name a book you read to introduce yourself to a new genre.

The 'Gone' series by Michael Grant was the first YA book series I read. It was also my first dystopian novel ever; before then I'd mostly read children's books about fairies and elves. I'm really glad that this was my dystopian novel and I still love it all these years later!

Homesickness:

Name a book from your childhood that you love

My favourite book series growing was the 'Malory Towers' series by Enid Blyton and my copies are starting to fall apart from the amount of times I re-read it!

Any time that I feel ill or anxious or am missing home I pick one of the books in this series and just start reading. I think it is the only story I've memorised because I start literally anywhere in any of the books and know what's going on!

Choosing a major:
Name a book about a topic you are passionate about

I going to go with one of the most recent books I read and say 'Wave Me Goodbye' by Jacqueline Wilson. It is set in WW2, which is one of my favourite eras, and I adore history.

Join the club:

Name a popular book you thought you'd hate but ended up loving

'1984' is the first book that springs to mind. Having started it four times I was convinced that I was going to hate but after pushing through the first chapter I really loved this book.

The All-Nighter:

Name a book you stayed up all night to finish

Not quite all night but I stayed up past midnight finishing 'The Tattooed Heart' by Michael Grant.

The Night Before It's Due:

Name a popular book or series you put off reading for ages



I'm really bad at keeping up with series but the one I've fallen furthest behind with is The Mortal Instruments and every single book that comes after the original six books.

The Hangover:

Name a book that left you in a book hangover

I'm pretty lucky with the lack of book hangovers in my life. As soon as I finish a book I write a review and then I can move on from that book.

On a budget:
Name a book you bought even though you're tight on cash

This has never happened to me...yet. If I don't have money my parents are always there to support me and most of the books I buy are cheap, second-hand books that anyone can afford.

English 101:
Name a required reading book you loved

I've never had to do required reading for school! I self-studied for English Literature and the school had literally nothing to do with my reading so... When I was 9 we had G+T (Gifted and Talented) and I had to read Animal Farm, which is still one of my favourite books, so I guess that (?).

The Textbook:
Name a book you spent money on and ended up not enjoying

The Host by Stephanie Meyer. 

I tried reading it and just couldn't get invested in the story.

Office hours:

Name a book you read to get to know someone better

I rarely read non-fiction but I do want to read Hidden Figures because then I can finally watch the film. 

The Mean Professor:
Name a character you would hate to have as a teacher

Professor Snape or Professor Umbridge.

(Do I get extra points for picking actual teachers?)

Drop the class:

Name a book you thought you'd like but didn't

Champion by Marie Lu. Review here.

Life Lessons:

Name a book that made you reflect on your life

Wing Jones by Katherine Webber.
It really changed my perspective on some very important topics.

What subjects are you studying this year? Have you read any of these books? 
Let me know in the comments below!

And until next time, keep reading!

It's Kind Of A Funny Story by Ned Vizzini

It's Kind Of A Funny Story by Ned Vizzini
Release Date: April 3, 2006
Pages: 444
Rating: 💜💜💜💜💜
Buy it: Amazon | Book Depository


Craig's suicidal episode gets him checked into a mental hospital, where his new neighbours include a transsexual sex addict, a girl who has scarred her own face with scissors, and the self-elected President Armelio. There, isolated from the crushing pressures of school and friends, Craig is finally able to confront the sources of his anxiety.



I loved this book.
I loved the film when I first watched it and then I found the book and loved it as well.
I just love this story.

A lot of people  didn't like Craig as a character, saying he was an entitled white guy, but that's what makes me love him. Throughout the book he says that there is no reason for him to be depressed, he just is depressed. And honestly I think that is so true for so many people who feel depressed but can't find a reason.

I also related with Craig so much in the anxiety department; struggling with keeping my grades up is something that has actually affected me for the last 5 years. However I haven't seen many characters who have this similar mental illness so I was super happy to have found Craig. I related to him on some many levels and I think that actually helped me to enjoy this book even more.

Surprisingly this book was pretty upbeat considering what topic it was dealing with. There were some scenes that showed off the "uglier" side of mental illness but it was mostly just Craig trying to figure out what was wrong with him. There were in-depth scenes describing what the hospital was like as well, describing the different activities that occur throughout the day. It added an extra sense of realism to the story because it felt like that is happens in a mental ward (I personally don't know if it was accurate). These events added some extra humour to the story which is why I think the story was so upbeat and light-hearted.

It was a very slow paced book, which I didn't mind, but I can see why some people wouldn't like the "slowness" of this book. There are times when it can become very wordy with long paragraphs and in-depth descriptions about what is going on in Craig's mind. To really enjoy this book you have to like character-based books instead of plot-based books because this is definitely character-based.

Surprisingly this book doesn't seemed too hyped. I'm not sure whether there used to be a lot of hype around this book, but I didn't even realise it was a book before I watched the film. Maybe I am in the minority of people who have read this book, but I would highly recommend it to anyone who wants to read a book about the truth behind mental illness.

Monthly Wrap Up: August 2017

This my first wrap-up post ever (!) where I summarise all my reading and blogging activity this month. I'm still working on layout but soon it will be perfect!

Books Read:

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
The Dogs of Winter by Bobbie Pyron
Goblet of Fire by J.K Rowling
One by Sarah Crossan
Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi

Man vs Beast by Robert Muchamore
Thieves Like Us by Stephen Cole
Juniper Lemon's Happiness Index by Julie Israel
The Tattooed Heart by Michael Grant
1984 by George Orwell 

Wave Me Goodbye by Jacqueline Wilson
The Ruby in the Smoke by Philip Pullman
All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven
Dear Charlie by N.D. Gomes
One of Us is Lying by Karen McManus 
Ways to Live Forever by Sally Nicholls
City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare
City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
Username:Regenerated by Joe Sugg
The Cursed Child by J.K Rowling

Books bought:

Wave Me Goodbye by Jacqueline Wilson


My Name is Victoria by Lucy Worsley









Juniper Lemon's Happiness Index by Julie Israel

The Girl of Ink and Stars by Karen Millwood Hargrave









I feel pretty good about this month; I managed to read 20 books and only bought 4 books so I'm definitely cutting back my TBR pile. I also read a lot of great books this month, with the majority of them turning out to be 5-star reads!

What books did you read this month? Have you read any of the books on my list?
Let me know in the comments below!

And until next time, keep reading!