2018 Wrap-up aka lots of numbers and pictures!

The year is over and I can't believe it! It feels like just yesterday that I was sitting in my room typing out my 2017 wrap-up, scrolling through Goodreads and trying to work out the maths that I has no idea how to do.

This year I actually completely forgot that I would have to do a wrap-up post until the 28th so I decided to prioritise this post over my revision (because who needs A-levels anyway). Luckily, Goodreads has my back by collecting all my reading stats into one long list that I an put here.

Onto the stats!

Total Reading Stats

This year I aimed to read 52 books (one each week) and ended up reading 120 books

In total, I read 35,117 pages across these 120 books, with my longest book being 824 pages (Winter), and my shortest being 32 pages (The Penguin of Death).



Statistics

Number of books read: 120

Number of re-reads: 7 (!)

DNFs: 2

Genre you read the most from: Contemporary (which also includes adult romance novels)

Format you read from the most: Physical books I own

Considering I only read physical books at the moment I divided it up into books that I own and books that I got from elsewhere. I was surprised to discover that I'd borrowed 28 books from libraries this year, and I'm hoping to raise that number next year!

Best books of the year

• Under Rose-Tainted Skies: a sweet contemporary with good mental health rep where love doesn't save the main character. A better Everything, Everything.
• Since You've Been Gone: a fun summer read that has just the right amount of mystery threaded through it. Similar to Paper Towns, but with more lists and parties.
• The Long Forever: my most anticipated book for 2018, an action-packed sci-fi conclusion to the wonderful world created by Eugene Lambert. I'm just sad it's over!

Newly discovered authors

• Morgan Matson: I know I mentioned her above, but I read two of her books this year and loved both of them. I can't believe I put off reading her books for so long, but I'm going to try and read as many of her books as possible next year.
• Kasie West: another YA contemporary author who I had never even heard of before this year, but someone who I will be reading in 2019. Her books are the kind of thing you read when you need to feel good or get ready for the summer.
• Emily St John Mandel: I actually read her book, Station Eleven, for a university interview but ending up loving her writing style and wanting to read more from her. I got Last Night in Montreal for Christmas (link to my haul here) but I'm also planning on reading some of her other books in 2019.
• Neal Shusterman: I realised my list was very female heavy so I wanted to bring light to one of the male authors I discovered this year. Although I had owned his Unwind series for 4 years I didn't pick it up until November this year, but instantly fell in love with it and Shusterman's writing style.

Old authors I loved this year

(aka my most read authors)

• Ally Carter: I don't really know if she counts because I read an entire series by her this year, so I ended up reading 6 books by her.
• E. Lockhart: another author whose series I read this year, meaning I read 4 books by them.
• Lemony Snicket: I'm quite proud of this one because I re-read 4 books of his this year! Usually I don't have time to re-read because I am too focused on reading new books, but I was craving some unfortunate events.
• Jenny Colgan: I consider Jenny Colgan to be one of my favourite authors of all time, so I was delighted to discover that she was one of my most read authors this year, with 4 books of hers being on my list!

 

Other important bookish things

(There is a lot of fangirling coming up, so if you want to avoid that click off now!)

Only one exciting thing happened this year, but I was so overwhelmed by it that I feel like I have to share it with the world. 

So one of my favourite book series of all time, The Sign of One, had the last book released this year. Needless to say, I was very excited about it. But everywhere I looked I couldn't find it and I was beside myself with worry because the year before I had read and reviewed the book within two days of it being released. Which meant Eugene Lambert liked my review last year and I wanted it to happen again this year, but I had no way of getting the book.

Naturally, I posted all my struggles with getting this book onto Goodreads and who should respond by EUGENE FRICKIN' LAMBERT HIMSELF!

Which lead to a total meltdown and three very excited phone calls to my parents. And a lot of squealing.

And then I got the book (which was glorious by the way and you should totally go read this series). I bought it, read it and reviewed it within a day because of how excited I was by it. I was literally reading it under the desk in my classes because of how excited by it I was.

So once I'd reviewed it (which you read here) I was so happy when Eugene Lambert liked my review that I didn't even realise he had LEFT ANOTHER COMMENT ON MY REVIEW!!! HE HAD READ AND LIKED AND COMMENTED ON MY REVIEW!!!

I will admit I cried a little bit when I saw this because I was so happy and grateful that this author had chosen to look at what I had written about his book.

So yes. One exciting thing happened to me this year, but it was the most exciting thing that could possibly have happened to me so I am very very happy.

Thank you to everyone who has stuck around this long to read my crazy wrap-up. I hope you had a lovely 2018 and are looking forward to 2019. I'll see you all next year!

December Haul: all my Christmas goodies!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

I'm back from my unofficial unplanned hiatus in which I had a breakdown about how much school work I have to do and then decided to ignore all of it in favour of watching the Shadowhunters TV series on Netflix. I promise you I am a functioning human being!

And what a better way o return than to talk about all the books that I got for Christmas and 100% don't have any time to read (but I'm going to read anyway because procrastination). This Christmas I got _ from various family members as well as a gorgeous record player which will probably make an appearance on my bookstagram at some point (casual self-promo, go follow musical books on Instagram).

Anyways...onto the books!


Rhett & Link's Book of Mythicality


I love Rhett and Link, and used to watch a Good Mythical Morning everyday before school. Now I'm more of a casual watcher but I still love all the content that they put and am so proud of everything that they have achieved together.

My family actually gives some presents on Christmas Eve, to keep up with our Austrian roots which I will admit that was a bad idea because I stayed up late into the night looking through this book!

Amazon | Book Depository | Goodreads




Ms Marvel: Generation Why


Amazon | Book Depository | Goodreads

Amulet #8: Supernova

Amazon | Book Depository | Goodreads






Les Miserables (manga)

Amazon | Book Depository | Goodreads

The Women's Atlas

Amazon | Book Depository | Goodreads







The Princess Diarist by Carrie Fisher

Amazon | Book Depository | Goodreads

One Million Lovely Letters

Amazon | Book Depository | Goodreads







The Murder Complex by Lindsay Cummings

Amazon | Book Depository | Goodreads

The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen

Amazon | Book Depository | Goodreads

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

Amazon | Book Depository | Goodreads

Shadow Web by N.M. Browne

Amazon | Book Depository | Goodreads






Highly Illogical Behaviour by John Corey Whaley

Amazon | Book Depository | Goodreads

Last Night in Montreal by Emily St John Mandel

Amazon | Book Depository | Goodreads





And the most beautiful book of all:

Queen of Air and Darkness by Cassandra Clare

Amazon | Book Depository | Goodreads

Overall, I'm very happy with all the books I received this month, mainly due to the fact that I asked for them! I feel like my Christmas haul was quite diverse with books aimed at all different age groups and written in many different genres. There were a surprising amount of fantasy, considering I don't usually think of myself as a fantasy lover, but maybe that is a genre I will reach for more in 2019!

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

And until next time, keep reading!  

Books I'll Probably Never Read Tag

This week's tag is a little more negative than usual because I'm going to be talking about all the books I don't care about. Usually I try to only talk about the books I like, mainly because it is more interesting, but I thought this week would be a good time to reflect on some of the books that I don't want to read.

The tag was created by Marisa on her Youtube channel littlespider9, so go check her out!

1- A hyped book you never plan to read

I don' plan on reading The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins, even though multiple people have told me it is an excellent book. Psychological thrillers don't really interest me and I don't care much for the plot of this book.

2- A series you aren't going to start or finish

The Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Mass. 

Since reading the first book I've not thought about this series at all, and don't feel bad about not carrying on with it. Recently I've heard a lot of negative reviews about the series, and more people seem to be DNF-ing the series than when it first came out, so that doesn't motivate me to carry on reading.

3- A classic you aren't interested in reading

Silas Marner by George Eliot

I had to read it for GCSE and I got about three pages in before I went onto SparkNotes. This book drove me crazy and I never want to pick it up again.

4- Genres you never read

I'm always open to new genres and will give every book a try before giving up on it. There are a couple of genres, like Paranormal and Sci-Fi, which I rarely read but I'm always open to try it out again.

5- A book on your shelf which you probably won't read

I don't want to put any book under this category because I do want to read every book I own one day. However, a book I don't see myself getting to in a while is Zenith by Sasha Alsberg and Lindsay Cummings. I don't read a lot of Sci-Fi and the reviews for this book were quite negative (from what I could see). Maybe after I've explored the sci-fi genre some more I'll get round to it...

What is one book that you will never read? Have you read any of the books I've mentioned?
Let me know in the comments below!

And until next time, keep reading!

My Heart and Other Black Holes by Jasmine Warga

My Heart and Other Black Holes by Jasmine Warga
Release Date: February 10, 2015
Pages: 320
Rating: 💜💜💜💜
Buy it: Amazon | Book Depository

Physics nerd Aysel and popular Roman are strangers, but they've been drawn into an unthinkable partnership. In one month's time, they plan to commit suicide- together. With the deadline getting closer, something new grows between them and it seems there might be something to live for. But are they in too deep?

Trigger Warnings: Suicide, Depression, PTSD

This book would be a 5 star read if it wasn't for the one event at the end of the book. I loved almost every second of the book, reading it in one sitting. It was fast, fun and thought-provoking read.

I loved the characterisation of Aysel and Roman in this book. Both characters were so much more than their suicide pact, with fleshed out lives and hobbies, something which a lot of mental health books lack. Throughout the whole book you can't help but think 'why do they want to die?' Both Aysel and Roman have lives that seem worth living ,with people who love them and futures ahead of them. And that is the thing with depression. You can have a wonderful live but still have a crippling depression and more people need to know that. The characters' isolation and traumatic situations are what fuel their depression and lead to both of them joining a forum for suicide partners

I was a little wary of the science side of this book, wondering how the physics was going to work with the overall plot. It turned out that the physics part added immeasurable amounts to the story as it was interwoven into the story with philosophical questions. Essentially all Aysel was doing was asking the age-old question of what happens when we die, but she changed the wording to something she can process: what happens to our energy when we die?

The writing in this book was simple but beautiful. The philosophical aspect of this book was easy to understand, even when it was dealing with the great questions of life. And even the physics wasn't had to understand, despite Aysel being a sort of genius in that department.

My only problem with this book came in the last 10% of the whole story, when everything changed. I'm not going to spoil anything because that would ruin the story for anyone who wants to read it, but it had that cliche YA- contemporary ending. It was such a shame because the rest of the novel had great mental health representation and it just fell short at the end.

This book has become one of my favourites (meaning I now need to find a way to Jenga it onto my shelf) despite the fact I only gave it 4 stars. Honestly, it was a five star read for me until the ending, as it was the perfect mixture of dark and funny. One of my favourite reads of the year!

Hocus Pocus Book Tag

I know this tag is technically a week late, and that Halloween has been and gone, but I loved doing this tag so I'm going to post it anyway.

Halloween has never been a big deal in my family. We usually just carve some pumpkins and give out sweets to any trick or treaters who knock on our door. As a result I've never actually seen Hocus Pocus but I would love to see it one day. This tag is perfect to get you in the Halloweeny mood without being super scary.

This tag was created by NeverNotReading, so go check her out.

The Sanderson Sisters: A Great Trilogy

If you've been on my blog before you will know that my all time favourite trilogy is The Sign of One Trilogy bu Eugene Lambert. Each book is better than the last and I was gripped until the very end, even if I wanted it to be five books longer.

Winifred Sanderson: A truly evil female villain

The first female villain that comes into my mind is Queen Levana from the Lunar Chronicles. Even though I've only read half of the series I can already tell that she is going to be a completely evil woman.

Sarah Sanderson: A book children love

Technically I'm still legally a child so any book I love is a book children love. But a better person to look at is my brother, who is 10 and reads a lot of books. At the moment he is working his way through Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy and is loving every single book.

Mary Sanderson: A book that is just plain silly

In my English Literature-snob way I'm going to say Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen. I will admit that I haven't read this book but I have watched the film and listened to it on the radio, and from what I gathered it is a sort of sarcastic comment on the Gothic genre. Which sounds hilarious.

Max: A book that is trying too hard to be cool

I think The Siren by Kiera Cass fits under this one. I loved the Selection series but this book just fell a bit short for me. There were so many cliches in this book that it was almost painful to read. It was definitely trying too hard to be a bestseller which made it fall short.

Dani: A book that isn't afraid to tell it like it is

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas wasn't afraid to tell it as it is. My favourite thing about this book isn't that it handles the issue of police brutality in America but that it shows the corruption of the justice system. THUG didn't sugarcoat any part of story, showing the rare emotions and racism that Starr and her family experience everyday.

Binx: A series that just won't die

The Court of Thorns and Roses series has no end in sight. At the moment there are six book scheduled for this series, but I expect that Sarah J. Mass is going to pull it out for as long as possible. I wish both of her series would just...end.

Ice: A book with a character that is as dumb as rocks

No book character springs to mind when I think of dumb people but a dumb character that I do think of is Jason from The Good Place. I've binge watched the entire series over the last two or three days, and absolutely adored every character. Even though Jason is the dumbest person I've ever seen you can't help but love him because he is adorable and always means the best.

The Black Flame Candle: A series you wish you could resurrect

Originally I would have said the Gone series by Michael Grant, but I just found out that the series has been continued (which is very exciting). Therefore I'll have to say A Series of Unfortunate Events because it ended too soon (even though it was 13 book long).

Headless Billy Butcherson: A book that's not as bad as people make it out to be

I was surprised to see that The Hit by Melvin Burgess had quite a low rating on Goodreads. I have loved this book every time I've read it, but I think other people have a problem with the sorts of thing it is promoting, especially as the narrator is a sex-crazed teenage boy who is about to die.

Winifred Sanderson's Spell Book: A book with a mind of its own

I have no idea what this prompt means but for some reason The Book Thief by Markus Zusak comes to mind. I have no clue why but there you go.

Garry Marshall: A book with a cameo

I think the most famous book with this in it is the Anna and the French Kiss trilogy by Stephanie Perkins. All three books are tied together by the characters and it is very well written.

Which series do you wish you could resurrect? What is your favourite Halloween film?
Let me know in the comments below!

And until next time, keep reading!

Backlist books I need to read

I'm awful when it comes to reading backlist books because every time I see a new shiny book I gravitate towards them, instead of all of the beautiful classics that sit on my bookshelf. I have got better at focusing on classics in the past year, especially when my English Literature course forces me to read them (I'm not complaining!) This has pushed me to read more of the older books on my shelf in my spare time, and leave the new releases until later!

(I will admit, I had to use Goodreads a little bit to see which backlist books I had on my shelves because I couldn't look through all 300 books on my TBR!)

1- Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

This book terrifies me. It's not even that long (at only 500 pages) but I find classics hard to get into, and if I'm not enjoying the story I tend to just...put it down. Surprisingly, I don't actually know what this book is about, I just know that it is very popular and a must read classic.

2- Dracula by Bran Stoker

I was meant to read this book last month for my spooky reads in the build up to Christmas, but that completely failed. I still really want to read it, but I might have to wait until next Halloween before I get into it.

3- The Book of Strange New Things by Michael Faber

I got given this book a couple of years ago and I've honestly had no interest in picking up. However, the other day I was cleaning my shelves and I stumbled across it. I've been in three schools whilst owning this book, moved countries just as many times but I still can't manage to pick up this book. Hopefully I'll get to it by the end of this year because, after reading a synopsis, it sounds pretty good.

4- I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith

I never knew that Dodie Smith wrote One Hundred and One Dalmatians, but this book has always been on my reading list. Admittedly, the only reason why this book is on my shelf is because younger Mia was obsessed with Jacqueline Wilson and she was always talking about this book. However, having read into what this book is about, I am actually very intrigued by this plot as it seems like a children's version of Atonement (which I loved).

5- Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin

I was actually super excited  to read this book, so when I brought it I read the first chapter before putting down almost immediately. Apparently I have no focus when it comes to new books, especially when I'm not too bothered about reading the book. I do want to read this book soon though, especially after reading The One Memory of Flora Banks.

6- The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness

This book looks really interesting, with words all over the place. It does kind of remind me of Illuminae, with a crazy layout and intriguing plot, so hopefully I'll enjoy it. It is intimidating because it is such a beloved book and I'm worried that I won't love it as much as everyone else.

7- The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon

This book has a very similar feel to The Knife of Never Letting Go, even though I have very little idea of what the book is actually about. I guess I should probably get a better idea about what it is about before I start reading it but I know that I do want to read it.

Which of these books have you read? Which books do you want to read?
Let me know in the comments below!

And until next time, keep reading!

Under Rose-Tainted Skies by Louise Gornall

Under Rose-Tainted Skies by Louise Gornall
Release Date: July 7, 2016
Pages: 336
Rating:💜💜💜💜💜
Buy it: Amazon | Book Depository

Norah has agoraphobia and OCD. When groceries are left on the porch, she can’t step out to get them. Struggling to snag the bags with a stick, she meets Luke. He’s sweet and funny, and he just caught her fishing for groceries. Because of course he did. Norah can’t leave the house, but can she let someone in? As their friendship grows deeper, Norah realises Luke deserves a normal girl. One who can lie on the front lawn and look up at the stars. One who isn’t so screwed up.


Trigger warnings: Self harm

I ADORED this book. Not only does it have a gorgeous cover, but the words inside are also gorgeous. I read it in one sitting, and it will definitely be one of my favourite books of this year.

Norah was a kooky but strong character who didn't let her severe mental condition get the best of her (I know that sounds strange but let me explain). Even though she couldn't leave the house without breaking down, Norah still managed to have fun inside her house. She wasn't defined by her mental illness and she was able to do things other than curl up in a ball and cry. One of the many things I loved about this book was that Norah's illness was prominent one every single page. It wasn't just a plot device to drive the story, it was a real thing that affected her daily life. You also get to see how her two illnesses bounce off each other, leaving her in some crippling scenarios.

The romance on this story was on point as well. At no point in this story was it the typical boy-saves-girl cliche; instead Norah fights her inner demons by herself. Luke was the perfect boyfriend for her; he is understanding, loving ,supportive and encouraging (plus he researched her illness. *swoon*). He proves to Norah that he isn't going to leave, even when thing get tough, which I think is key to showing Norah that he loves her. However, he isn't her cure and there is never a point in the story where Luke seems to 'fix' Norah. It was lovely to see a mental health story where a romance can exist without the ill person being cured.

If you found Finding Audrey a little unrealistic (with the whole insta-love, curing cliche) definitely give this book a try. Norah is a much more developed character than Audrey ever was, and doesn't 'forget' her illness when it's convenient. This book has great mental health representation, and I think it is great if you want to learn more about mental illnesses.

I highly, highly, highly recommend you read this book because I absolutely adored it and will be re-reading it soon!

Characters I could dress up as tomorrow

Top Ten Tuesday is run by Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl so go check her out!

My boarding house isn't doing anything for Halloween this year, which is a little disappointing because I was so ready to dress up. Today I'm going to share with you the list of characters that I might have dressed up this year, if my school didn't value education over entertainment.

1- Hermione Granger

I know this is a pretty generic answer for a book lover but I think it would be super fun to dress up as Hermione. I've dressed up Bellatrix before (which was awesome) so I think I should dress up as a good guy at some point. Also...I want to make my hair as big as Hermione's.

2- A camper from Camp Half Blood

Dd you see what I did with the orange font for Camp Half Blood? Did you...did you see?
My friend is actually going as a camper this year and her costume is so cool. This costume wouldn't actually be too hard to put together because basically all you need is an orange jumper, but I think it would look really awesome. Maybe I'll just buy an orange jumper and wear it on Halloween anyway...

3- Mary Poppins

This costume is practically perfect in every way. I was looking at pictures of Mary Poppins and I started constructing the costume in my head, pulling different items of clothing out of my cupboard (still in my mind). It was my Beautiful Mind moment, so I imagine my roommates thought I looked slightly mental.

4- Coraline

This costume is perfect because it is both bookish and scary. I love Coraline's clothes, with the bright colours and multiple layers making a bold statement anywhere. It would be kind of fun to dress up in such bright colours for the day, considering I usually just stick to blues and blacks.

5- Ophelia

Ophelia is my favourite Shakespeare character of all the plays that I've read. She is a sweet and gentle character who is corrupted by Hamlet and his neglectful nature and I love her entire arc. She is an incredible character and would super easy to dress up as.

6- Lou

Even though I didn't enjoy Me Before You I would love to wear some bumblebee socks. I actually dress in a very similar way to Lou already so all I'd have to do is find some stripy socks.

7- Alice

Alice from Alice in Wonderland has the most beautiful blue dress and I'm super jealous of her. If I did dress up as Alice I would finally be able to justify buying another dress, especially one as pretty as hers.

Are you dressing up for Halloween this year? If you are, what are you going as?

Let me know in the comments below!

And until next time, keep reading!

Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
Release Date: August 8, 2000
Pages:192
Rating: 💜💜💜💜
Buy it: Amazon | Book Depository

Leo always follows the unspoken rules at Mica Area High School. Then Stargirl arrives at Mica High and everything changes-for Leo and for the entire school. After 15 years of home schooling, Stargirl bursts into tenth grade in an explosion of colour and a clatter of ukulele music, enchanting the Mica student body.
Somewhere in the midst of Stargirl's arrival and rise and fall, Leo has tumbled into love with her.

This book is a beautiful tale of conformity, first love and friendships. It deals with all topics; from bullying to friendship, from conformity to individual identity. It is one of those books that you can imagine becoming a children's classic, even though it is so new.

I loved the characterisation in this story. Even though Jerry Spinelli marketed this towards young teenagers, I think we can all learn something from Stargirl and Leo. Leo is the stereotypical teen boy, who just wants to get through high school without sticking out. He sticks to the crowd, and when Stargirl breaks the rules he is in shock. I think Leo is a representation of mankind these days, sticking to the rules and not daring to stick out. But Stargirl. Oh man, Stargirl. She was the character that we all aspire to be, so free and happy with who she is. She  doesn't care about what other people think about her, and is happy just doing her own thing. She is the inner 5-year old that we all have and I loved her so much.

It does have an open end, which is fine, but I WANT MORE! Spinelli manages to create this plot and world that you just want to stay in forever. Even though it is based off the real world, the people and places that he created leave an imprint on your heart that leaves you wanting more. The world building in this book is so beautiful and enthralling, leaving me feeling homesick for a world I'd never been in.

This book was such a boost of self-confidence, and made me feel like I could take on the world. I highly recommend that you read this book if you're going through a hard time and need a little pick-me-up. It is a book with simple language but a complex message. But overall it is a book that teaches you that being your own person is good, and should be accepted by society.

Stardust by Neil Gaiman

Stardust by Neil Gaiman
Release Date: February 1, 1999
Pages: 196
Rating:💜💜💜
Buy it: Amazon | Book Depository

At the dawn of the Victorian era, life moves at a leisurely pace in the tiny town of Wall. Tristran Thorn has lost his heart to the beautiful Victoria Forester, but Victoria is as cold and distant as the star she and Tristran see fall from the sky one evening. For Victoria's hand, Tristran vows to retrieve the star for her. It is an oath that sends the lovelorn boy over the town's ancient wall and into a world that is dangerous and strange beyond imagining...

I wanted to love this book so much. I wanted it to sweep me off my feet, and lift me up to the stars, but it didn't.

I grew up obsessing over the film that came out of this movie. Every year I would watch it on my birthday, mouthing along to the characters lines. I loved every single one of the characters, and they became like a second family to me. If I had a bad day, Stardust would go on. If it was raining outside, Stardust would come out. No matter what, my film of choice was always Stardust.

So when I discovered it was a book I was over the moon. My favourite film in book form? I could hardly wait to read it.

But then it just didn't deliver. And it most certainly wasn't the books fault. There was piracy and intrigue, adventure and witchcraft, daring and cunning. For the most part, it was actually a pretty great story. It's quite short so you'd be able to fly through it in no time, and there is enough humour to keep you entertained when there is no action going on.

So why did I only give it 3 stars? Well, it wasn't my film. The entire time I was just waiting for certain bits of the story to happen. I was waiting for the pirates, or the witches, or the fight scene and because I knew everything that was about to happen, the suspense was lost on me. I kept on looking for bits of the film which didn't happen in the book and getting confused when there were scenes happening that didn't happen in the film.

Yes, my love for the film did ruin my  reading experience a little bit. But I still had a great time reading it, and Neil Gaiman's writing was able to teleport me straight to the world where Wall is. I just wish I'd discover the book before the film.

I'd recommend this book to anyone who loves fantasy, or wants a simple introduction to fantasy. I also think it would make a great bedtime story, and I wish I'd been read to sleep with this book. Just make sure to read it before you watch the film! (although definitely watch the film)

The Candy Book Tag

One of the main aspects of the new Westernised Halloween is the sweets that you collect whilst trick or treating. There are so many different types of sweets out there these days, and fortunately there are also a lot of different types of books. I always love matching food to books, so hopefully this tag will be just as fun.

I don't actually know who created this tag, but if you do please leave it in the comments. 

Apples: 

Ah. Healthy food. It is deep, meaningful and has probably won loads of awards but it isn't your thing.

 I actually love apples, and in a similar way I love deep and meaningful books. One book that did fall a little short for me was The Martian by Andy Wier. I really enjoyed the book as a whole, but there were several moments in the book where I truly believed I was going to have to DNF it. Maybe it is my absolute refusal to read sci-fi but there was something about the book that  made it less enjoyable.

Milk Chocolate:

A book you would recommend to everyone

I think The Book Thief by Markus Zuzak  is a great book to recommend to anyone. Although the book is about a girl, Leslie, the narrator is Death so anyone can enjoy it. It is a perfect introduction to the young adult genre for any reader, no matter what age or gender.

Black Jellybeans:

Why does these exist?

I think I have weird food tastes because I love the black jellybeans aka liquorice. However, a book that I wish was zapped out of existence is Me Before You by Jojo Moyes. I didn't enjoy this book at all and had so many problems with so much of this book.

Chocolate Kisses:

Awww this book has the cutest romance

The love triangle in The Infernal Devices trilogy is the cutest romance I've read in a while. Every single romance in this novel was adorable and I wish they could all be friends with me.

Gummy Spiders:

Eek! You made sure to check under your bed every night for a week after reading this scary one

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs terrified me and I actually had to sleep with the lights on for several nights because I was so scared. I would not recommend reading it at night!

Jumbo Lollipops:
This took you forever to get through but hey! You did it!

Most of the books I read for GCSE English took me forever to get through, but the one I remember taking me several months to get through was Spies by Michael Frayn. I spent about two months on this book and would have definitely put it down if my grade didn't depend on it.

Cotton Candy:
Admit it! You loved it when you were a child.

As a child I read every single book by Enid Blyton with Malory Towers and the Famous Five holding special places in my heart.I loved them so much as a child that I will probably read them to my children in the future.

Which book took you forever to get through? And which sweet is your favourite sweet?
Let me know in the comments below!

And until next time, keep reading!

November TBR with a reading challenge all lined up

I haven't taken part in any reading challenges this year so it was surprising when my brain decided it wanted to pick one up in the penultimate month of the year. The challenge I'm going to do actually sounds super cool readathon and is called the Mythothon.

The Mythothon is run by Louise over at Foxes And Fairy tales, and takes place over the entire month of November. There are 24 challenges for you to try to complete, with each challenge being based off of a different Greek God.  I'm going to try and do as many of the challenges as possible, although I'm not sure if I'll be able to read 24 books this month.

Onto the books!

Zeus (King of Gods, God of Sky): Read a book that 400+ pages long

Just One Day by Gayle Foreman

Hera (Queen of Gods, Goddess of Marriage, Mothers + Families): Read a book about royalty
Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

Hebe (Goddess of Eternal Youth): Read a Middle Grad book
Catching Falling Stars by Karen McCombie

Poseidon (God of the Sea): Read a book which features the sea
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis

Hermes (God of Travellers and Thieves): Read a book set in a country not you own
Destination:Chile by Katy Collins

Aphrodite (Goddess of Love and Beauty): Read a book with a beautiful cover
Beautiful Broken Things by Sara Barnard

The Hydra (Multiheaded Serpent): Read a book with multiple POVs
Unwind by Neal Shusterman

Iris (Goddess of Rainbows): Read a book with your favourite colour on the cover or in the title
Letters to the Lost by Brigid Kemmerer

Ancient Greece: Read a book set in the past
Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

Hestia (Goddess of the Hearth): Read the first book in a series
Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare

Dionysus (God of Wine): Celebrate this year by reading a 2018 release
The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

Achilles and Patroclus: Read a book with a LGBT+ protagonist
Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green

Homer: Read a retelling
Cress by Marissa Meyer

Hephaestus (God of Fire and Smiths): Read a book with a disabled character
The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzie Lee

Ares (God of War): Read a book written from the villain's POV
Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov

Echidna (Mother of Monsters): Read a book about monsters
The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan

Herakles: Read a popular book
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

Gaia (Primordial Earth Goddess): Read a book published 5+ years go
Sunlit Stage by Simonetta Wenkert

Artemis (Goddess of the Moon and Hunt): Read a book with an animal on the cover/ in the title
Sunset by Erin Hunter

Athena (Goddess of Widsom, Strategy + Crafts): Read a book that isn't first in a series
City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare

Persephone (Goddess of the Underworld and Springtime): Read a book under 200 pages
The Woman in Black by Susan Hill

Apollo (God of Prophesy, Plague and Poetry): Read a collection of poetry
Everyday Poetry: Emily Dickinson anthology

Hades (God of the Underworld and Riches): Read a book you got for free
How To Be Happy by Eva Woods

Demeter (Goddess of Agriculture): Read a book with a nature word in the title
Sunshine over Wildflower Cottage by Milly Johnson

I don't think I'm going to get through every book on this list but I'm to try and get through at least half of this list. Who knows how much reading I'll get done?

The villains that terrified (and fascinated) me most

I love villains. They are so interesting, with each villain having a different reason for doing what they are doing. Most heroes are exactly the same, wanting to fight for the greater good of the world with some personal vendetta against the villain. But every single  villain has a different backstory, a different motivation, a different goal. Every villain is unique.

As a reader I mainly stick to the contemporary genre, meaning I don't read a lot of books with villains in them. However, occasionally I feel brave and decide to read a book from another genre which, invariably, has a villain in it. And I love it.

Onto the villains!

1- Johnathan Morgenstern from The Mortal Instruments

How could you not love Johnathan? He is so completely evil and psychotic that he is the perfect villain. Although he doesn't start all the drama that carries through the last three books of the Mortal Instrument series he is the one who carries it all out and adds to the drama. I know we're meant to hate him because he is a villain, but I can't help but love him.

2- The Grand Witch from The Witches

This woman was evil. There was not a single strand of good in her, she was just evil in the purest form. She was prepared to do anything to take over the world, even turn two children into mice. Not only were her plans evil, they were incredibly well though out. She was so smart and cunning that she became twice as terrifying.

3- Big Brother from 1984

Even though Big Brother isn't present in the book the concept of Big Brother is what keeps people in line. Without Big Brother the world would be less controlled, less strict and the government would be easily overthrown. And the scariest thing about Big Brother? He isn't really a foreign concept. 

4- The White Witch from The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe

The White Witch terrified me as a child. I remember the first time I watched the film and I had to sleep with the light on because she scared me so much. She managed to break up the Pensive family, and came so close to victory that it felt like she was certain to win. I can't imagine anything more terrifying than permanent Winter under her reign.

5- Mephistopheles from Dr Faustus

Although we can never be sure if he was truly a villain, Mephistopheles definitely does some morally grey things during his time on Earth. He convinces Faustus to do things that mean he would never be able to be redeemed and generally pushes Faustus to exploit his new found powers in the wrong 

ways.

6- Count Olaf from A Series of Unfortunate Events

An evil and cunning man, Olaf will stop at nothing to get his hands on the Baudelaire fortune. I loved Neil Patrick Harris' interpretation of Olaf: a funny but evil man who is willing to kill three children so that he get his hands on the money. He is one of my favourite villains of all time because of how ridiculous he is.

7- Celeste Newsome from the Selection Series

Not everyone would count her as a villain, and she definitely isn't the most nefarious person on this list, but Celeste is cunning and evil which is enough to earn her a spot on this list. From the start of the Selection she is determined to beat America and the other contestants, and will stop at nothing to marry Prince Maxon. She is hilarious, dramatic and cunning; making her a perfect villain.

Who is your favourite villain? Are they on this list?

Let me know in the comments below!

And until next time, keep reading!