Sunday 27 December 2015

Twas the month of December (reads) + CRAMATHON fail

Firstly, I hope you all had a magical Christmas and are now starting (soon) a happy new year! 
I read a few books in December but the CRAMATHON was a bit of a failure as I was on holiday at the time and we were busy!
However, I did manage to read most of the books in the CRAMATHON TBR...

*In December I first finished Queen of the Tearling which was meant to be read last month. 

*I then read the next comic of Saga number 31 eeeeeeeep.

*Two Roald Dahl books were read: The Magic Finger and Esio Trot but I still have Matilda on my TBR for this month.

*On a similar theme I read A Roald Dahl Selection that I received in a university pack of books a few years ago. 

*Next, I read You by Caroline Kepnes, a gripping read that I gave 5 stars to on Goodreads. Amazing!

*The Unwritten volume 1 was a nice comic but I didn't find it that engaging... sorry.

*Then I fancied something different so I picked up Grief is the Thing with Feathers by Max Porter which was a really lovely book written in prose about the stages of grief. 

*Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff was a surprisingly good read. 

My CRAMATHON books read are:

*Teaching my Mother how to give birth by Warsan Shire

*My True Love Gave To Me by Various Authors

*November 9 by Colleen Hoover

*Supermutant Magic Academy by Jillian Tamaki (Author of This One Summer and Skim)

*Bad Feminist by Roxanne Gray... finally read it!  

I am currently ready: The Beautiful and the damned by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Peter Pan and After You by Jojo Moyes :)

Just a quick update from me and have a happy New Year everyone!
Sofiee 

Thursday 3 December 2015

I failed NaNoWriMo


I failed NaNoWriMo with a shitty total of 1,269 words, nowhere near the 50,000 to win :'(. I came up with a couple of ideas but none of them grabbed me that much. Instead I have been making them into short stories for something maybe. Oh well, maybe next year I could try again 
Just a quick update from me!
Sofiee

November Reads

Hello!

November has left us and now it's nearly Christmas! It's time to round up all of the books I read this month and I managed to read 11 books!

LOST GIRLS by Alan Moore
*A erotic novel based on the stories of Wizard of Oz, Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan*

CARRY ON by Rainbow Rowell
*I'm sure you have all heard of this! A fan fiction spin off from Fangirl*

RAVISH by Cathy Yardley
*Another erotic novel based on Sleeping Beauty, I used this for my dissertation and never finished it*

ST LUCY'S HOME FOR GIRLS RAISED BY WOLVES by Karen Russell
*Short stories with a magical realism basis. Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy all of the stories*

SIMON VS THE HOMO SAPIENS AGENDA by Becky Albertalli
*A novel about a boy coming out, it was a lovely and interesting read*

GROWN UP by Gillian Flynn
*My first Gillian Flynn read and it was very creepy*

ONLY EVER YOURS by Louise O'Neil
*I loved this book and have posted a review earlier this month*

LUMBERJANES Volume 2 by Noelle Stevenson, Grace Ellis, Shannon Watters, Brooke A. Allen
*Cute and quick comic*

WINTER by Marissa Meyer
*The final instalment in The Lunar Chronicles. I will really really miss this series of books*


For #READKIDSLIT I read:

THE TWITS by Roald Dahl

THE JOLLY POCKET POSTMAN by Allan Ahlberg, Janet Ahlberg





Unfortunately I didn't read all of the books on my TBR :'( and  I'm not doing one for next month because of #CRAMATHON and there are too many books that I want to read. (I have two piles of books for next month!) I will let you know what I read in December at the end of the month.

Happy December!
Sofiee

#CRAMATHON 2015 TBR

This will be the third #CRAMATHON I will be taking part in. It starts on December 19th (12 AM)-December 22nd (12 AM)... However, I will be travelling back from holiday on the 21st so this could be interesting. I am going to be marathoning on the plane I think!

The challenges are as follows:

1. Read an audiobook or ebook

I have just got a Kindle Fire so I might listen to an audio book on that. I was thinking about listening to Wuthering Heights but I haven't decided on this one yet.

2. Read a bind up

For a more Christmassy read I decided on My True Love Gave To Me by various writes so it's a bind up in that sense?

3. Finish a series/read the last book of a series

I decided to add Ship of Magic by Robin Hobb, this is the first book in the series but it's the last book that I really wanted to read but didn't get to on my November TBR...

4. Read a book under 200 pages

Matilda is just over 200 pages but it's one of the shorter books I own. It will also help with reading all of Roald Dahl's books!

5. Finish a book you DNF’ed

I started to read Bad Feminist by Roxanne Gray, a collection of essays, by reading an essay per night. However, I stopped reading this so I want to pick it up again.

6. Read a graphic novel series (or as many graphic novels as you can)

Super Mutant Magic Academy has been on my bookcase for a while now and I really want to read it. I might try and read more graphic novels but I think I already have too many books to read in a couple of days!

7. Read 5 books total

DONE!

And the official @cramathon twitter is https://twitter.com/CramAThon if you want to tweet your TBR or just keep up with marathon. 

Lots of Christmassy vibes,
Sofiee

My signed books :)

I thought I would share with you all the books I own which are signed :). There's nothing more that I love then a personalised note and especially in a book!

Firstly, I'll start with books that were signed for me but not the the author. In my drama years I won a poetry book: Family Phantoms by Gervase Phinn. All the poems are based on Halloween... My favourite festival! The book is signed by my old drama teachers.

Then, I received The Beautiful and Damned by F. Scott Fitzgerald which was a birthday present with a note written in the front cover from one of my friends.

Now! These are books I own that are signed by the authors. Snortyblog Comes To Earth by Marion Hough- I met the author at a book signing when I was very little. This book has a list of made up words which are used in the plot, I loved the idea of an alien language.

I own signed copies of three of George Layton's book, the first one being The Fib, that my grandmother got me.

In my adult life I stumbled across a Geek Girl signing in Birmingham and bought one of her books. I loved it by the way!

I went to a book club party in London and revived a couple of books there. The first one being Nearly Almost Somebody by Caroline Batten which I really need to read soon! (Stay tuned for a book review). Caroline was so lovely to talk to! I also received an audio book by Natalie K Martin called Love You Better. I plan on listening to this on my next long car journey.

I hope you enjoyed this post, please subscribe for more!
Sofiee

Saturday 21 November 2015

Only Ever Yours by Louise O'Neil review

Hello all!
Sorry for the lack of updates and posts...
I have been rather busy lately and not quite on track for my November TBR :'(.

However, during this month I have read is Only Ever Yours by Louise O'Neil. I thought this book was AH-MAZ-ING!
It's set in the future when females no longer exist so the government design women ('eves') and they are trained throughout their childhood in the 'School'. Here they are trained and wait until their ceremony where they are picked to be either a: companion; concubine or a chastity. A companion is the desired position as they are allowed more freedom.

This plot follows an 'eve' called 'fredia' (all names are on lower case to show insignificance) who is trying to become a companion along with her friend 'isabel'. 'isabel' becomes slightly overweight than the deemed perfect eight stone and is terrorised by her classmates who are all obsessed with looks.
There are a few plots twists that I didn't see happening and they were fantastic. I don't want to give too much away but it all kicks off when the men are introduced. I stayed up reading this all night long! The plot is apparently very similar to the Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood so I shall be reading that soon!

I would definitely recommend this book and I gave it five stars on Goodreads (obviously).
Sofiee

Sunday 8 November 2015

Shall I do NaNoWriMo?

I have a dilemma.
I want to do NaNoWriMo and I have started with a very small 913 words but my imagination seems to be lacking. I am still taking part in the Short Story course and currently on week 5 of 8 but I still haven't submitted any work. HELP.

So this post is about combining the two... For the course I am working on character development. However, my novel for NaNoWriMo at the moment is titled 'How We Met' and contains two extracts of romance stories written in different ways.

Extract one:
'PING
I’m woken up by a friend request from Peter Jenkins.
This guy is persistent. I should probably accept as we’re working for the same company. I know I’m going to regret this later.
YOU ARE NOW FRIENDS WITH PETER JENKINS.'

Extract two:
'The circumstances were not brilliant, granted. You seemed to take a shine to me. You stood there smiling at me like you know something I didn’t. I thought you looked quite ‘chavy’ in your low slung jeans, Abercrombie and Fitch top and spiked hair. But you wouldn’t leave, you drunk fool and I do love gingers.'

At the moment I am writing anything that my unhelpful mind is spewing out so please don't judge.

How is everyone else getting along? I need some inspiration!
Sofiee

Wednesday 4 November 2015

November TBR

The month of November (WOW it's November already?!?) is #ReadKidsLit created by the Youtuber: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6cNQjIENdg so in aid of that I will be incorporating some children's books within this month TBR!

This month I have already read Carry On by Rainbow Rowell which I really enjoyed! At first I didn't think I would enjoy the book but it surprised me. I really liked the how *Spoiler Alert* the romance between Baz and Simon was depicted.

The other books I am planning to read are:

-Simon VS. The Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
(I am currently reading this... what is with all the protagonists being called 'Simon' lately?)

-Only Ever Yours by Louise O'Neill
(I am very excited to read this!)

-Ship of Magic by Robin Hobb
(My first Robin Hobb book, I have high expectations!)

-The Queen of The Tearling by Erika Johansen

-Satin Island by Tom McCarthy
(Not sure if I am going to enjoy the lack on plot, but it seeming too intriguing not to pick up)

-Bad Feminist by Roxanne Gay

-St. Lucy's Home For Girls Raised by Wolves by Karen Russell
(This is a book of short stories which incorporate magical elements)

And the children's Literature:

-Mrs Pepperpot Stories by Alf Proysen
(I haven't read these stories since I was a young child)

-The Twits by Roald Dahl
(This is part of my Roald Dahl collection which I'm slowly making my way through)

This TBR might be a bit too ambitious but I am going to try and read all of the books!
Happy reading...
Sofiee

Saturday 31 October 2015

EPIC READS TAG

1. If you could invite one author and one of their fictional characters to tea, who would you invite and what would you serve them?

I would invite Lewis Carroll and The Mad Hattie to tea. I would serve crumpets with jam and of course half cups of tea.

2. What book do you wish an author would write a prequel to?

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern... I loved the world building and would want to read more of it and how the Circus came about.

3. Which two characters (NOT from the same book) do you think would make a good couple?

Cole from Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter and Mara Dyer in The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin. I think she would put him in his place ;)

4. If you ran into your favourite author on the subway and could say one sentence to them, who is it and what would you say?

Audrey Niffengegger and I would ask her to draw a picture of me for her next book! She is an awesome author AND artist.

5. What book made you a reader and why?

It's difficult to remember but when I was little I liked the Faraway Tree Collection (I still do!) and then later on I liked Louise Rennison's books. I think I read all of them in a very short space of time!

6. Incendio! Your bookshelf just caught fire. Show us the one book you save.

The All Souls Trilogy by Deborah E Harkness (Is this cheating, it's three books?!?)

7. Which dystopian world would you choose to live in and why?

I would live in world within the book 5 to 1 by Holly black which is set in a future with hardly any women, so at least I would be treated well...

8. What is your most epic read of all time?

Alex and Ada... all three volumes gave me soo many emotions!

Thursday 29 October 2015

A Short Story.. 'The Real Protagonist'

Okay, so lately I have been looking over some of my old work (including the poetry) and I found this short story. This was inspired my American Horror Story so it fits in well with my spooky Halloween theme right now. Don't laugh at me and I hope you enjoy it!

Prose Piece: The Real Protagonist
I have a story to tell, not a pleasant one. So if you, dear reader, would like to read a story of hope and happiness I suggest you go read another. For my story has no prince or princesses, no superheroes or happy dancing animals. My story is of darkness and that of a life which can only be described as hell, although I did not believe in such things before…

Looking back at my childhood, I recall open, wide, green meadows. We lived with a sense of freedom. My family and I were drunk on happiness. My family consisted of: Mother, Father, my little sister, Eliza and me. I always remember my Father’s pipe, the black soot and smoke as he puffed circles. He was usually unseen, far away in his work place. He would come home asking for his evening tea whilst politely pecking my Mother’s cheek. She was an Aryan beauty: all blue eyes and Marilyn Monroe hair. She was slight and slender, always. From a young age I could hug her and fit both arms around her tiny waist. Mother stayed with us at home, Eliza and me.

Little did we know that on December 5th, 1952, our lives would change forever. It was a dark and dismal day, the sky was awash with clouds. It was the start of the Great Smog. The Great Smog’s dirty smoke choked my Father to death whilst he was walking home from work. A Policeman called to tell us the news. My Mother, caught up in grief and fear, became depressed. She infected us with her illness. Slowly we found ourselves in debt. Neighbours noticed our situation but stood idly by. However, they did not notice the men Mother would bring home. “Friends”, she would tell us, “I need company”. I did not like to think about it at the time, just hoping these greasy haired, wrinkled skinned men did not speak to me. I was told the truth one day, by one of Mother’s ‘friends’. He said “that I should know, as the man of the house”. Whoring herself to pay the bills. Disgust built up inside for the woman who had mothered me, raised me. I wanted to run away and find my Famous Five, I would move to the seaside and explore with my friends. So I ran away, leaving Mother, and Eliza followed in pursuit.

We stalked the streets, never stopping. From sunset to twilight to dusk we walked on to find a new home. Eliza, my faithful, loving sister never moaned of tiredness or cried for Mother. She just quietly held my hand.

Overwhelmed with tiredness and almost starved, we found a kind-looking older lady outside a quaint pub. Leaving Eliza hiding in the shadows, unseen, I approached the lady. I asked “is there any spare food left over?”. She looked at me and then spotted my sister and waved us inside.  With caution I called Eliza across, she hesitated and then scurried to my side. We slid through the pub’s beaten up wooden doors, they creaked open easily with a tap.

Inside the whole room was alight with candles, a beer glass in every man’s hand. The air was filled with laughter. Eliza beamed at me, happy to see so many others happy. The lady spoke whilst leading us to the backroom, “I go by the name Nancy, if you’re wonderin’”. We were handed a golden roll each and we ate them greedily.

On our fourth night there, in the early hours of the morning, I awoke with a start. Eliza, who had been asleep next to me, had vanished. I heard stomach curdling screams and ran towards the noises. A man, much like the ones Mother was ‘friends’ with, stopped me. “This is for the best son”, he spoke with a snigger. In fear I yelled at the top of my lungs “ELIZA!” and everything went black.

I woke, my head heavy and feeling deliriously dizzy. I was unable to move, arms strapped tightly around my waist. I shouted repeatedly: “Eliza! Eliza!”, till I had no voice. This was to no avail. I was trapped in a padded cell…

                                                             *

‘Bang’, Jacqueline knocks on the table distracting me from my memories, “Wake up sleepy head”. A tear rolls down my cheek. Jack grabs my hand pulling me towards her and licks the tear from my face. I feel her long brown curls and stare into those violet eyes of sorrow - she is the opposite of Mother. She helped me when I first arrived here.

Later Jack sneaks into my room, her beautiful eyes spilling tears, she’s scared. “Promise me you’ll remember me” she whispers whilst stroking my lips. I nod, flashes of Eliza go through my mind. Feeling like I have just taken a bullet to the heart I sit back and rock myself as she disappears.

“Jack, are you alright?” I ask, concerned. Her response is a blank stare; she moves her head to stare outside. I touch her hand, nothing. “Jack!” I cry. I shake her shoulders, “Jacqueline, answer me!” I scream at her. Her head rolls. Someone pulls me away, still screaming, they inject something into my arm and the room swims. Locked again in a padded cage, laying on the floor, my mouth dry. Screaming… screaming… help… stuck… trapped… Jack Eliza love family free encase soot smog pain burning numb shock Father I’m help choking help die die…

Happy Halloween,
Sofiee

Some Poetry

The Typewriter
Fingers burn empathetically at the touch

Of my cold, charred metal letters. I sit,

Silently tap, tap, tapping away,

Writing past, present; creating future:                                                      



Expressing hopes; dreams; uncovering soul’s wish,

Translating desired thoughts to paper,

Silently tap, tap, tapping away,

Whilst my immortal shell slowly turns to rust.


‘The beast and the beautiful sociopath’
I am a child; creature of night,                                                      

Constantly living in daylight’s fright,                                          

Living in silence, never growing,                                      

I can read thoughts, forever knowing,                                        

I have scouted the earth for thousands of years,                

With emotions heightened I am shedding tears,                    

Years of affliction curdling out of me,                                        

I’m becoming numb; no one has my heart’s key,                    

My parents are six feet under and gone,                          

Struggling to breathe I have to stay strong,                        

My voice speaks expressionless monotone,                      

And I stay the same, forever alone.


Halloween Sonnet
On all Hallow’s Eve sleep with eyes shut tight,

When monsters under your bed come out to play,

The moans and witches cackle cause a fright,

And children remain with parents to stay.

Pumpkin’s eyes along with hungry mouths carved,

The night that the dead spirits come alive,

Zombie’s tyre being six feet under starved,

The party starts when all creatures arrive.

Be sure to have garlic around your neck,

In case a vampire yearns for someone’s blood,

And keep a silver bullet gun in check,

For werewolf’s howls and footprints in the mud.

For tonight is the night that spirits rise,

And all good souls will avoid their demise.

Criticism of The beast and the beautiful sociopath and The Typewriter
In The beast and the beautiful sociopath I used a structure of four lines in each stanza each having 9, 11, or 10 beats per line. I used this to empathize the struggle the speaker is going through. Although I did not use a traditional structure, I used an usual form to contrast the rhyming couplet scheme. I used this scheme to give a child-like and hopeless feel to the poem as they are (although immortal and powerful) just lonely. I renamed this poem from The Vampire as I felt the reader should have their own interpretation of what the “creature of the night” is. Hopefully this adds a more mysterious tone to the poem. I should have used more descriptive words to add atmosphere and I would have described the being itself. However, some emotion is conveyed throughout the poem “shedding tears” and “struggling to breathe”. I was inspired by the vampire culture in television and cinema.

In The Typewriter I had to change the original poems form as it had no structured meter. Although I tried to give the poem an iambic pentameter, there are a few lines which slightly vary to 9 or 11 beats. In retrospect I would have changed the speaker from first person to make the poem more interesting. I should have made it clearer that I was personifying the typewriter as the first words “Fingers burn” is misleading. I was inspired by Carol Ann Duffy’s Text, I liked the repeated “We text, text, text” and decided to include an onomatopoeia of “tap” into my work. I changed the last word to “rust” highlighting how an inanimate object would decay in contrast to a living body that would decay to dust. I would have liked to make the poem longer so I can express how the typewriter would ‘see’ images and life.

Both poems link through their subjects, as they both are about ‘immortal’ beings.

The Halloween Sonnet was just for some festive fun!
Happy Halloween,
Sofiee

Sunday 25 October 2015

THE BOOK CLUB (TBC) 1st Year Party!!!

Hello all,

I belong to a book club on facebook and it was their first year anniversary yesterday so the creator made a party in London. And what a party it was!

We were all greeted with a good bag and a glass of wine. In the goody bag there were three books and a couple of bookmarks. At the party there was a swapping table for anyone to bring a book and swap. I bought with two books from home to swap and I found some goodies on the table :). I ended up with eight books in total and an audio book, they are:

-THOR
(This is a book with five samples of up and coming syfi books)

-Sepulchre by Kate Mosse
(Author of the Labyrinth)

-Nearly Almost Somebody by Caroline Batten
(Signed by the author and I met her at the party she is lovely. Very excited to read this book!)

-Our Endless Numbered Days by Claire Fuller
(ARC copy... lots so good!)

-The Good Liar by Nicholas Searle
(ARC copy of a psychological thriller)

-The Darkest Secret by Alex Marwood
(ARC copy, my second crime thriller)

-The Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Joy Fowler
(I can't remember if I have read this before so I might just read it again! The design is by Penguin By Hand... it's a beautiful copy)

-The Help Kathryn Stockett
(The cover is also by Penguin By Hand!)

-Love You Better by Natalie K Martin
(The audio book... I also met this author but at the end of the party so we didn't really get to chat)

I felt very lucky with all of these reads. Wine and books... what more could a girl want!

Watch out for some reviews soon...
Sofiee

Friday 23 October 2015

Futurelearn Short Story Writing Course Update

Hello!

So at the moment I am taking part in a short story writing course at: https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/start-writing-fiction with the Open University.

I am currently on week two and I think it's really helped me get into writing again! I have a new notepad for writing which I carry with me and I use this to write down anything that gives me inspiration.

Within week one we started with a writing exercise about fact and fiction. We had to write 50-100 words incorporating 1 fact and 3 fictitious elements.  My piece was about a normal day... nothing too exciting.
'We then had to write out a character sketch, mine was this:
He stepped on the first fallen Autumn leaf, then the next. His pointed shoes crunched upon the ground. Then he back stepped as if making a tune with the dead leaves. The right corner of his lip curled. I knew then that we would let along. His steps uncomfortably matched mine. I stopped as if to tie up my laces. He stopped too and stretched. As he stretch his shirt buttons puckered. My heart beat a little faster, then he help my gaze...'

Week two started with writing two scenarios. The first had to be a scenario where we liked writing and the other had to be an uncomfortable scenario, I'll let you guess which one is which:

'You sit, pen tapping in hand. Your thought broken by the chewing next to you. Something, a spark of something, comes to mind. Your pen drags along the page as the train juts to a stop. Too many distractions.'

'It's quite, a little too quite. You turn the radio on a low volume. It's just background noise. It's late and you're looking outside at the moon, hypnotised. Candles are burning. Wrapped in a dressing gown. You're getting ready... set... write!'

After that exercise we had to sketch out our character and work on that... which I'm still working on! Then add a 500 word description abut that character which I also have yet to do.

If you find these updates interesting please let me know and I'll do more...
Happy writing!
Sofiee

Thursday 22 October 2015

What I Read in October



Reading wise October was a VERY good month, in total I read 16 novels/ comics. Here they all are with mini reviews... Check out my good reads for their star ratings.

-The Witches by Roald Dahl
(I listened to this and at times I read along too.. the reader's voices were brilliant!)

-The Girl Who Soared Over Fairyland and Cut The Moon in Two by Catherine M. Valente
Cant WAIT for the book book in the series!

-Isle of The Lost by Melissa De La Cruz
This book is about the children of Disney villains... it was a nice quick read but I thought the ending was lacking.

-Carmillla by J.Sheridan Le Fanu
Finally read it... I originally bought this book in French by accident!

-Anya's Ghost by Vera Brosgol
A nice ghostly graphic novel!

-The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
Anything from Neil Gaiman is a delight to read and this didn't disappoint.

-Interview With The Vampire Claudia's Story by Anne Rice
This is an amazing graphic novel which is mainly in grey scale but with deep reds for the blood.

-Mr Fox by Helen Oyeyemi
October is Black History month so I wanted to incorporate a novel about this... I went into this novel with no idea what is was about and it's not about Black History but it was a very interesting novel! I'm going to try and read The Colour Purple soon though.

-Elizabeth is Missing by Emma Healey
Interesting narrative with an unreliable protagonist.

-Fables: Legends of Exile
I have ordered the princess version of this comic, it was good.

-The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black
I gave this book a five star rating on Goodreads... I LOVE this book!

-Skim by Mariko and Jillian Tamaki
Another good graphic novel, it wasn't the best one I've read but it wasn't the worst.

-5 to 1 by Holly Black
I also gave this book five stars on Goodreads. This novel is about the future... how there is not enough women so women are in power and get to choose their partners. Half of the story is from a woman's point of view before her arranged marriage which is in verse. The other half is in prose from one of the 'contestants' at the marriage tests.

-Lumberjanes: Beware The Kitten Holy by Stevenson, Ellis, Watters, Allen
I love Stevenson's artwork and quirkiness of this comic. The second one is on order!

-Ghostly by Audrey Niffengegger
I liked this collection of short stories, although some of the stories I wouldn't place them in the 'horror' genre. My favourites include: 'Secret Life, With Cats' and 'Click-Clack the Rattlebag'.  I finished it on Halloween and it was a suitable read.

-Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter
I didn't think I would enjoy this book as much as I did. It was very gripping and interesting. I already had the third book in the series for some reason... I will be continuing to read these books next month at some point!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN 2015 (officially!)
Sofiee

Tuesday 20 October 2015

THE FALL TIME COSY BOOK TAG

Hello all,
I am some exciting news... I am trying to expand my blog readership so I am now linked up to Google +. If you want to subscribe to my blog you now can!!!

Lately I have been feeling very Autumnal, well it is October! So I thought I would do the Fall (Autumn) time cosy tag. (Disclaimer: I didn't make this tag up it has been used on BookTube.)

Here are the questions...

#1: Crunching Leaves: The world is full of colour. Choose a book that has reds, oranges and yellows on the cover.

On my TBR bookcase I have 5 to 1 by Holly Badger which I'm looking forward to reading. The synopsis is: 'In the year 2054, after decades of gender selection, India has a ratio of five boys to every girl, making women an incredibly valuable commodity.' Also, the book looks like it's been written in verse. It looks very interesting.

#2: Cosy Sweater: It’s finally cold enough to don warm cosy clothing. What book gives you the warm fuzzies?

When I read Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe it didn't take me very long... I love that book and the concept so much. A MUST read.

#3: Fall Storm: The wind is howling and the rain is pounding. Choose your favourite book OR genre that you like to read on a stormy day.

I have really been getting into fantasy at the moment. I keep reading books with magic incorporated in the plot. Currently, I am reading The Coldest Girl in Coldtown, by Holly Black, a book about vampires... perfect for this time of year!

#4: Cool Crisp Air: What’s the coolest character you’d want to trade places with?

I love the protagonist September from The Fairyland series by Catherine M. Valente! Excited for the fourth book which is coming out soon.

#5: Hot Apple Cider: What under hyped book do you want to see become the next biggest, hottest thing?

I think that there is not much hype around Walter Moer's books, especially The 13 1/2 Lives of Captain Bluebear. That book definitely transported me to a different world!

(bonus questions if you want to do them)
#6: Coat, Scarves and Mittens: The weather has turned cold and it’s time to cover up. What’s the most embarrassing book cover you own that you like to keep hidden in public?

For my dissertation I used an erotic novel based on Sleeping Beauty, The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty by Anne Rice. The front cover was of a flower opening up which I thought was pretty embarrassing!

#7: Pumpkin Spice: What’s your favourite fall time comfort food/foods?

I love a Pumpkin Spice hot chocolate... try it, it is seriously amazing!!!

Please feel free to use this tag and please subscribe!
Much Autumn love,
Sofiee

Sunday 18 October 2015

A little chat about readathons and an update

Hello!
This month is going really well reading wise... I have a pile to share with you all at the end of the month. As usual I got sidetracked from my TBR but I only have two and a bit books to read from the list.


On to the second topic, readathons. I have participated in a few of these over the last year or two and have found some tips that I usually stick with:


1) Have a mixture of literature: short stories, poetry, novels and I love a good graphic novel or two


2) Snacks are very important during a readathon, crisps are good but I usually go for something a little healthier like grapes.


3) Make yourself goals within the readathon, for example, within the next hour I will finish the next five chapters. Goals give you something to work towards.


4) Get up occasionally and have a stretch... you'll thank me after!


5) If the readathon has challenges join in; it makes the readathon a lot livelier and you feel like you're part a something bigger... not just sitting alone and reading.


Check back soon for my 'what I read in October mini reviews'...

Much love,
Sofiee

Thursday 1 October 2015

Spooky themed October TBR

Since the last TBR was a bit of a fail I thought I would give myself a rough TBR this month. Don't hate me if I don't stick to these books... I'm trying!

This is the spooky themed October TBR:

GHOSTLY by Audrey Niffenegger (It just came out!!!)

THE GIRL WHO SOARED OVER FAIRYLAND AND CUT THE MOON IN HALF by Catherine M.Valente

THE GRAVEYARD BOOK by Neil Gaiman

THE WITCHES by Roald Dahl

THE ISLE OF THE LOST by Dela Cruz

THE COLDEST COLD IN COLDTOWN by Holly Black

Ahhh so many books to read! I have a few more Halloween-esqe books in mind, for example, YOU by Caroline Kepnes would be perfect for freak you out.



Have a SPOOKTACULAR Halloween lovelies,
Sofiee

September reads...

This is no particular order, these are the books I managed to get through this month... my TBR wasn't very successful (I got distracted!).

Ze September books:

JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH by Roald Dahl  

THE CAT THAT WALKED BY HIMSELF AND OTHER STORIES by Rudyard Kipling

THE ROSIE EFFECT by Graeme Simsion
(The sequel to The Rosie Project and was very witty but I preferred the first book.)

DEATHNOTE VOLUME ONE by Tsugumi Ohba

THE PIRATES WISH by Cassandra Rose Clarke
(This is the second book and the series have stopped being published so I could only find this one :'( sadness)

ALEX + ADA VOLUME THREE by Jonathan Luna and Sarah Vaughn
(Love love love this comic! It made me tear up...)

LITTLE WOMEN by Louise May Alcott

NIMONA by Noelle Stevenson
(Loved it!)

YOUNG AVENGERS: STYLE SUBSTANCE by Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie

ME BEFORE YOU by Jojo Moyes
(A good take on a romance novel! Would recommend.)

MISS PEREGRINE'S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN by Ransom Riggs
(My own pick for #buddyathon and I finished it early September. The book was creepy and I'm really looking forward to Tim Burton's take on it!)

Keep tuned for another TBR for my favourite month October!
Sofiee

Tuesday 29 September 2015

Most Anticipated Books!

For the next few months there are some very interesting books coming out! I am especially excited about these few:

In November...
Winter by Marissa Meyer
This is the last(?) book in the Lunar Chronicles. So far there have been three books and a novel based on the villain of the story.

In December...
Untamed: A Splintered Companion by A.G.Howard
There are three books in this series that are based on the story of Alice in Wonderland. Very entertaining fantasy plots!

In January...
The Boy Who Lost Fairyland by Catherine M.Valente
Another book within a series. However, these books are more like adult adventure stories. They are captivating and lets your imagination run wild!

In February...
Sex Criminals Volume 3: Three the Hard Way by Chip Zdarsky, Matt Fraction
Comic series about when these two people have sex time stops... funny and a bit naughty. The plot seems to get more ridiculous but more and more funny at the same time.

Let me know if there is any literature that you are looking forward to!
Sofiee












Wednesday 16 September 2015

#BookBuddyAThon Outcome

Hello,
So I hope that your readathon was better than mine... I only managed to read two books :'(.

I read: Little Women and Nimona (it has a navy cover so I used this comic instead). The latter I gave five stars too as the art was great and so was the plot!

Also, I have read 100 pages of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children... it's really creepy so far.

Just a quick readathon round off from me,
Sofiee

Monday 7 September 2015

#BookBuddyAThon TBR

Hello!
I thought I would take part in another readathon and this one has a little bit of a twist. You have to do it with a buddy. I picked my best friend Heidi :), another book worm. The people that are leading this readathon are: Elenareadsbooks and Coldteaandcrumbs on Youtube. This readathon starts today (7th September) to the 13th September, so only a week to read five books!

The Challenges are...
1) Choose three books and get your buddy to pick one from them for you to read.
2) Buddy read a book with your buddy.
3) Read a book with your buddy's favourite colour on the cover.
4) Read a book your buddy gave 5 stars.
5) Read a book that you want to... just because.

For these I picked (I tried to incorporate some of my September TBR) ...
1) We Are Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler
2) Little Woman by Louisa May Alcott
3) Her favourite colour is navy... Magonia by Maria Dahvana Headley  
4) The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
5) Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs (Its being made into a move soon by Tim Burton!!!)

I've started with the latter book and next I am hoping to read Little Women... I shall keep you updated!


Happy reading,
Sofiee

Tuesday 1 September 2015

September 2015 TBR

Hello!
As I will be taking a year out of studying I thought that I would catch up on some reading. So here is my rather ambitions TBR for September:


  • This Shattered World by Amie Kaufman
  • 1Q84 Book 3 by Haruki Murakami
  • Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
  • Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy
  • Me Before You by Jojo Moyes
  • Elizabeth is Missing by Emma Healey
  • Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson
  • The Storied Life of A.J Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin
  • We Are Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler
I have more to read on my TBR shelf but I think that will be enough for now! Let me know if you have read any of these books...

Happy reading,
Sofiee

Tuesday 25 August 2015

Two days in Paris

The first day was spent travelling to Paris and then exploring the city. I didn't realise quite how big it was going to be. We stayed at the Tim Hotel Gare de l'est which was very close to the main train station. At the hotel we started to plan out our day with regards to sightseeing and we went downstairs to ask the receptionist about the tour bus. On our way downstairs a group of Germans were checking out and gave us their boat sightseeing pass for the rest of the day. It was for a company called Batobus which is a hop on and off boat. The closed stop to our hotel was at the Notre Dame so we got the Metro there and explored the area. The first stop on the (that we particularly wanted to see) Batobus was The Louvre. However, by the time we actually got there is was shut! We did wonder why the queue to get in was so short. After the disappointment we deicide to walk through the Louvre gardens and then in the near distance we could see Arc de Triomphe. There was 'tuc tucs' around the road and one was actually a motorbike with a proper carriage on the back. We thought it looked fun so we hopped on that and the driver took us round the Arc and then dropped us off at the Eiffel Tower. He boomed music and we got some funny looks.

*

After the Eiffel Tower and Joe pretending to propose to me underneath it we went to find the bookshop that I wanted to visit, Shakespeare & Co. It was a really quaint and lovely bookshop. The man working there recommended me a book written by a French author that I have yet to read... It was getting late and we wanted to go to a particular restaurant but by the time we found (by going on the Metro and getting a taxi) it the place was shutting so we went to another across the road. The meal was awful and I couldn't eat it so after reluctantly paying we quickly left. Joe bought me a crepe to cheer me up instead :).


On second day we woke up early and went down for some breakfast. We decided to visit Montmartre as I been recommended to go there. The day didn't start out quite as planned as a bird pooped on me and Joe was conned out of 20 euros before we reached the top! I tried to cheer myself up by buying a watercolour of the Moulin Rouge from a street artist. We wondered around a bit more and then got a cable car back down to the main road to visit the actual Moulin Rouge. After seeing the outside of the theatre we went to the gift shop and had a browse. Then decided to get something to eat and bought a pizza, the waiter wasn't impressed with tourists ordering pizza. 

*

By this time we decided to get our things from the hotel and on the way to the train station I popped into Sephora which had been closed for most of the day with the staff just wondering inside the shop.
We waited for our train and got croque-monsieur to try some French food (not very fancy). 

And that was our little trip to Pairs! 
Sofiee

Monday 17 August 2015

Alice Underground experience

Firstly, on our Alice in Wonderland themed day we went to the British Library. I bought the 150th anniversary book of Alice in Wonderland which was designed my Vivienne Westwood. I also bought a little book on the history of the story.

We got the Waterloo and eventually found the place where we needed to be. We all had to dress in either red or black so Joe had to buy a t shirt earlier that day saying 'Normal people scare me' (I thought it was fitting).
Our group walked in a large room covered in pages from books on the walls and a few mirrors where Alice's image spoke to us. The wall opened up and the White Rabbit came out and told us the follow him. We came to two doors, one larger and one smaller, we had to pick whether we were going to 'eat me' or 'drink me'. Joe and I decided to drink me and 'grew smaller'. After this we went into a dark room and the Cheshire Cat came out with three actors 'operating' the body and separately it mechanical head. This was very amusing but a little bit freaky. We got given identification cards to get into Wonderland. I received a spade and Joe a club so we had to split up into different groups.

In the group I was in we saw:

-The kitchen and met the couple's pig baby
-Met the card that was painting the roses red
-Met the caterpillar after walking through and up a tunnel of toadstool lights (favourite bit!)
-Saw a lizard dressed man who had the funniest accent, he told us what we were doing in Wonderland

After all this we met back up with the group and had an interval with cocktails at the Mad Hatter's tea party. The Hatter was played brilliantly by a woman too which I thought was an interesting take on the character.

Then, we sat in the court with our cards and saw the ending to the play... I won't ruin that for you all!

I bought the script book as I wanted to know what the 'eat me' group saw. I might have to go back and do that instead next time!

I would definitely recommend going, especially if you're mad!
Sofiee

Friday 31 July 2015

#TBRTakedown 2.0 last day and what I have read...

Hello,
So I have not finished all of the books I wanted to but I feel like I made a good attempt!

I managed to finish Legend by Marie Lu on the first day as it was a quick graphic novel. I can see why people love her novels so much.

On the second and third day I read ella minnow pea by Mark Dunn and finished that off, it was a really interesting and quirky read!

Next, I read Soulless by Gail Carriger which I finished yesterday but in between reading the last too books I also read: LOW volume 1 and Mr. Men in London.

I am currently over half way through The Book of Lillit by Rober Brown which is a strange but also interesting read. I hope to finish this book tonight.

Unfortunately, I didn't manage to read This Shattered World but I am putting that on top of my TBR list.

I hope you all managed to read all your chosen books,
Sofiee



An Unespected Book Crawl Around London

My boyfriend and myself decided to have a day in London and didn't know what to do. We tried to visit some interesting bookshops so without further ado here are the shops and books bought:

Persephone Books
William-an Englishman by Cicely Hamilton
(Recommended by the bookseller!)

The Persephone Book of Short Stories

Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day by Winifred  Watson
(This is a movie and I didn't know...)

Foyles 
The Days and Nights of London Now-As Told by Those Who Love It, Hate It, Live It, Left It an Long for it LONDONERS by Craig Taylor

Suicide Squad by Adam Glass et all

Mr. Men in London by Roger Hargreaves
(Just because)

Orbital Comics
LOW Volume 1 by Remender Tocchini

Death Note (Black Edition) by Tsugumi Ohba

Waterstones
Armada by Ernest Cline

The Runaway by Elizabeth Anne Hart (A £1 clearance from Persephone books!)

Now for a book buying ban!
Sofiee

Friday 24 July 2015

MINI REVIEW: A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J.Maas *No Spoilers*

I read this book for TheBookLife's (www.thebooklife.co.uk) readalong for July. There will be a live show on the August 1st at 9PM UK time/4PM EST time.

Here are my thoughts on the novel:

When I first started reading A Court of Thrones and Roses I thought that I wouldn't like due to the description. However, as I got used to Maas' writing style (this was the first book I have read of hers) I really, really enjoyed the novel.

The story is about a young woman named Feyre whose family lost their fortune and their Mother. Feyre has to hunt for meat and one day comes across a wolf and shoots it dead. However, this wolf was actually a magical creature and killing a magical creature is forbidden. She has to pay the price for her crimes...

This plot if full of twists and some very interesting sub plots. I absolutely love the love story too...

I would definitely recommend this book :)
Sofiee

Birthday Book Haul!

On the 20th of July I turned 21! I got given and bought some books that I thought I would share with you :) On my birthday I went to Paris and went to the Shakespeare and Co bookshop were some of these books are from.

Legend: A Graphic Novel by Marie Lu (reading for the #TBRTakedown)

New Suicide Squad: Volume one Pure Insanity

YOU by Caroline Kepnes

The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani

How To Run Your Home Without Help by Kay Smallshaw (Persephone books on sale!)

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

Notre-Dame de Paris by Victor Hugo

HATE a romance by Tristan Garcia

5 to 1 by Holly Bodger

Pulchritude by Ana Mardoll

ODY-C Vol 1 - Off To Far Ithicaa by Matt Fraction and Christian Ward

Shakespeare and Company book

If you have read any of these or want to review let me know :)
Sofiee


#TBRTakedown 2.0 tbr...

In preparation for the TBR Takedown readathon (midnight of 25th to 31st July) I have decided on a few books for the challenges. This readathon is lead by the lovely Leaninglights at https://twitter.com/leaninglights and youtube.

The challenges and books I have chosen are...

1) First book in a series
Soulless by Gail Carriger

2) Sequel book in a series
This Shattered World by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spoonner

3) Out of your comfort zone (genre, author ect)
The Book of Lilith by Dr. Robert G. Brown

4) On your shelf for over a year (or thee longest)
ella minnow pea: A novel without letters by Mark Dunn

5) Most recently hauled book
Legend: The Graphic Novel by Marie Lu

I am hoping to read most of these but I will be busy everyday during the time of the readathon!

Good luck book worms,
Sofiee

Wednesday 15 July 2015

My Hong Kong Adventure week two

Hong Kong Adventures continued...

Day Eight
Today we went to Ocean Park, a theme park and zoo situated half on the peak of a mountain. We started at the bottom, called 'The waterfront', where most of the animals are kept. We saw pandas and red pandas (my favourite), then saw the fishes. We went on the sea life carousel too.

After this we got the cable car to 'The Summit' to see the sharks and dolphins. Did a log flume called 'Raging River' that had a rather large drop... The 'The Rapids' was the other water ride where we sat in a large rubber ring with seating whilst being sprayed with water, very refreshing! We walked to the Arctic Zone for the 'South Pole Spectacular' (penguins) and the 'North Pole Spectacular' (walrus and sea lions). The final ride we went on was 'Arctic Blast', a very high speed roller-coaster and went around twice :S.

We saw a ocean show with amazing dolphins and two walruses. I wanted to get the train down the mountain instead of the cable car so we did that, the train was made to look very futuristic. Then to finish the trip we visited to bakery and souvenir shop.

Day Nine
One of our friends was going home this day so we decided to do something not too far from the apartment. We got a tram to the top of the Peak (further up the Peak than we were staying) and got a cheeky Starbucks, then did some souvenir shopping.

We had an earlier dinner of pizza and then got the taxi to take our friend to the train station to go to the airport. The remaining two of us went to Happy Valley horse racing course. Shared a jug of beer and watched the racing and then the Brazilian dancers.

Day Ten 
Had a lay in and then went to Joy Ocean to try foot reflexology which was a strange experience as the masseuse was hitting my calf muscle during the massage. We did a spot of shopping and then had Vietnamese for dinner, Pho Tia (beef soup), soo good! After we went to TST to see the light show where some of the buildings on the main land light up in time to the music.

Day Eleven
This was the day I was excited about! Going to Disneyland! We got the Disney train which was pimped out with mickey mouse handlebars and all.

We started in 'Adventure land', based around the story of Tarzan, there was a boat ride and a walk around Tarzan's tree house. Later we went back to this land to see 'The Festival of the Lion King' which is much like the West End Show I believe.

We moved to 'Grizzly Gulch' for the 'Big Grizzly Mountain Runaway Mine', a roller-coaster that also went backwards. We came back to go on this ride again later too, one of my favourites!

Next land after this one was 'Mystic Manor', a ride that was electric seating that moved around the house showing artefacts coming to life. We also came back to this ride.

After was 'Toy Story land' for a ride called 'Slinky Dog Spin'. Then I went to 'Andy's Toy box' to get a souvenir.

For lunch we walked to 'Tomorrowland' and we went to 'Star liner Diner'.

Back-tracked to 'Fantasyland' for: 'It's a Small World', 'Mad Hatter Teacups', 'Cinderella Carousel', 'The mainly Adventures of Winnie the Pooh' and finally 'Mickey's PhilharMagic' (a 3D movie).

Then, we went back to 'Tomorrowland' to go on the rides there. I was forced onto 'Space Mountain' which actually wasn't too bad in the darkness. After that my throat was aching from screaming too much! We did 'Autopia' but this was a very boring driving track.

Finished the night watching a parade and eating a Mickey Mouse waffle.. yum!

Day Twelve
This day was spent walking through Causeway Bay looking for a particular present that my brother wanted, they didn't have the present in the end. We got to have some ice cream in a Haagen-Dazs shop though so all was okay.

Day Thirteen
Went back to Stanley for a lazy beach day and got another two bags in the market. We had drinks at Vern's Beach Bar, an american style bar.

Day Fourteen
Home day :'(
Luckily my case didn't weight too much! Had to leave the apartment around 6am to get the Airport Express to the Airport. Then 13 hours later I was back home!

Hope you enjoyed reading about my trip!
Sofiee



Tuesday 14 July 2015

My Hong Kong Adventure week one

We did some much within the two weeks that we went away for so I thought I would break it up into two posts...

Day One
Got Cathay Pacific to Hong Kong airport. I didn't realise how many classes there could be on a airline! I was in economy of course. Twleve-ish hours later and we made it. We had a quick shower and went out for a Chinese ;).

Day Two
We stayed on the Peak so there were quite a few steps down to get to the station. Our first day was spent at Stanley Island, where we saw the Pak Tai temple. We ate a really good salad and sandwich at Stanley's Cave, then browsed the market.
On the way back to the flat we got an ice cream with toppings that was smushed together as if rolling dough... very interesting. After we got a cheeky holiday cocktail from a bar called Lotus in SOHO.

Day Three
We planned to get up early so we could get the escalators down the Peak (they stop going down at 10am and then starting running up). However, we didn't make it in time. We got a ferry to Lama Island where I got sea sick! We walked through the island to the beach, here we swam to the pontoon and I struggled a bit to swim back... The rest of the walk took us an hour to get to the other side of the island. Then we stopped for an Indian meal at the waterfront. After this we went back to the apartment.

Freshened up to go to the Night market where we got some goodies and got a drink at Castro's (I had a Mai Tai).  

Day Four
Today was Big Buddha day which meant getting a train to Tung Chung and then a cable car (fear of heights kicked in!) to the top of the mountain. We went to a traditional tea shop and had a rose black tea and a jasmine flower tea. Our server was being trained so the whole sequence of tea making took a while. After our refreshment we walked up the 200 steps to the Big Buddha and had a nosey around. Downstairs we saw the Po Lin Monastery.

The next part of our day was to catch a coach to Tai O to go see the pink dolphins... however, we didn't manage to see any :'(.

Got back to the apartment to get ready for a night on the town! We had Thai for dinner at Koh Thai, they have a-mazing green curry. Them, we went to a pub called  Stormies in Lang Wai for drinks and jelly shot syringes. We decided to go out clubbing and picked Deja Vu for the music, we danced and made some friends.  

Day Five
After the night before we decided to have a lazier day so we visited the Zoological gardens to see some animals and a hollow water fountain. We then got the MTR to Mong Kok for the Ladies' market where I managed to buy four bags... eeek.
That night we had Mexican food (very multi-cultural food trip) and got some more drinks.

Day Six
Dragons's Back walk in Shek O day. This was a two hour hike over rocks and the trail is meant to resemble a dragon's back in shape and colour. However, it did rain halfway through which was refreshing but made the ground slippery.
After we hydrated on beer (not a good idea) and got Thai food again. We had a quite night in after all the walking.

Day Seven 
We managed to get a lot done on this day... We started at the Nan Lian Gardens and had a wander round. The gardens led to the 'Nunnery' in Chi Lin where the doors have steps to get into a room in order for the devil not to enter as they believe the devil cannot jump.
After we had lunch which was Dim Sum (the guide book said to try it) in a veggie restaurant and we sat inside a water fountain! Then,
we made our way to Wing Tai and visited the Temple which was very pretty, I especially like the little bridge. Got the train to Sha Tin to the 10,000 Buddha's Monastery. Some of the status looked almost comical, with eyebrows down to their feet and one very long arm. There was a lot of steps to do here too and got the Star Ferry, the oldest ferry company in Hong Kong, to Central. We got burgers for dinner at Wagyu (really good food).
P.S. I bought a Moon cake... it was gross.

The Big Buddha... excuse my face.



That is the end of my Hong Kong trip part one, stay tuned for part two!
Sofiee

REVIEW: To Catch a Rabbit by Helen Cadbury *NO SPOILERS*

I would like to start this review by thanking the author, Helen Cadbury (awesome name by the way), for sending me a copy. This will be an honest review and no spoilers.

Firstly, the front cover makes a great first impression and especially as I was hesitant to read a crime novel as I don't usually enjoy them.
We follow the lives of Sean Denton, 'Doncaster's youngest PCSO'. I felt that he was a very relatable and sometimes awkward character. However, we really see him grow as a person throughout this book. Then, there is Karen who is probably my favourite character in this book. Early on in the novel we find out her brother is missing and her story and Sean's case mix together.

The crimes are all to do with the sex trade which makes the story, although quite dark, a very interesting read. Helen's descriptive writing is so engaging and I could really imagine a lot of the action as if it was in-front of me.

It was a quick paced book and a absolute delight to read for a review. I am really looking forward to the next instalment!

I might start reading some more crime novels!
Sofiee

Monday 13 July 2015

#CramAThon Wrap up

Hello little book worms,

I hope you are all doing well.
I have half an hour to go until the cramathon stops in England. I thought I would do a wrap up now as I don't think many more books will be read!

Here are the crams...
- We won't see Auschwitz
Based on the author's trip to Poland to find out more about his Grandmother's heritage. Interesting but at I felt that some parts were unnecessary and confusing. Great art work.

- Very Good Lives
J.K. Rowling's very inspirational speech written down with nice illustrations too. An uplifting read.

- Anthem for Doomed Youth
Poems from Wilfred Owen; nostalgic of A Level English.

- Peter Rabbit library
Loved these books and managed to sail through all twelve (they are very small). The illustrations are brilliant too. The protagonist are very "British".

- Rat Queens volume two
Even better than the first volume and the plot is getting saucy...

- The Wicked the the Divine volume two
A bit confused from this as the ending left a massive cliff hanger! Waiting for the next instalment.

- The Time Machine
I've read most of this. I am over half way and I will try to finish it before the end.

I have completed ALL of the challenges (just need to finish the novella... The Time Machine)!!!

Let me know what you read  :)
Sofiee

Saturday 11 July 2015

#CRAMATHON Update... halfway through!

Hello!
I am currently halfway through #CramAThon as it's Saturday night. So far I have read more than I thought I would.

- We won't see Auschwitz
- Very good lives
- Anthem for doomed youth
- Instead of two Peter Rabbit books I have managed to read the whole library :)

Next I will read the two comics that my boyfriend got for me earlier today and after that we shall see. I might try and find a novella to read! 

Keep reading!
Sofiee

Thursday 9 July 2015

#CramAThon starts!

Woke up at 7:40am (in Britain) and we couldn't decide when 12am on the 10th was... very awkward so I missed a bit of the readathon but now I'm cracking on!

I think I might start with the children's books :).
Happy reading,
Sofiee

(Down below is whittney's twitter page and a tweet from me)

#CRAMATHON

Hello lovelies,
I will be trying to cram-read as many books from midnight tomorrow until 11:59pm Sunday. This will be difficult as I am driving to Liverpool for the weekend!

The challenges to this readathon are:

1) Read a children's book
I have picked The Tale of Peter Rabbit and The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin by Beatrix Potter as they are easy reads. I have just been gifted the Beatrix book set for my birthday :)

2) Read a hardback
I have a copy of Very Good Lives by J.K. Rowling which I am very excited to read.

3) Read 2 books in 24 hours
This will most probably be the Beatrix Potter books

4) Read a graphic novel
We Won't See Auschwitz by Jeremie Dres has been on sitting on my shelf for a while and its a black and white comic style story.

5) Read a book written in verse
I chose one of the Penguin Black Classics, Anthem for Doomed Youth by Wilfred Owen. I really liked some of his poetry and I thought this would be a different kind of read for the readathon.

6) Read a novella
I haven't picked a novella yet as I think my little pile of books might be too much for a busy weekend away. However, if I manage to read one you will be updated!

7)) Read 5 books in total  
DONE.

Good luck and get reading...
Sofiee

Wednesday 8 July 2015

REVIEW: Princess Diaries Royal Wedding By Meg Cabot *NO SPOILERS*

So I was a bit dubious about picking this book up. An adult novel about Princess Diaries felt like it would ruin my childhood memories. However, I started reading and not only was it an easy read, it was very nostalgic. The only reason I wouldn't let a young teenager read this novel is because of some swearing and adult themes which I felt matched nicely with the age of the protagonist, 26. I liked that Cabot had the same diary layout for the final novel. Also, I liked that she used texting as a form of literature which added lots of humour and quickened the pace of the novel. There was some unexpected plot twists and one expected one... a proposal (hence the name 'Royal Wedding'). The unexpected ones I felt added even more drama and in the end happiness for the characters which was really uplifting to read.

I was sad to read the end of this series but the outcome for our Princess was the most heart warming and feel good ending. Overall I would definitely recommend any lover of Princess Diaries to read this novel or even if you just fancy a girlie novel to read. I read this on holiday and felt it was perfect for that environment :).

Happy reading,
Sofiee

Tuesday 7 July 2015

Top highlights in Amsterdam!

Our trip in lists:

Day one
1) The fact it took us 35 minutes in the plane
2) Amsterdam sign!
3) Ice bakery for a nutella and banana waffle - a good start to the trip
4) Sex museum - an awkward laugh
5) Hash, marijuana and hemp museum - interesting weed
6) The Ice bar - a shitter version of the London one
7) Baba's shwarma

Our hotel
Day two
1) Heineken museum - and a free boat ride
2) Canal bike - where we managed to scrap along side The Flying Dutchman with all the passengers laughing at us.
3) Bulldog cafe - a Dutch breakfast of: croissant, toast, ham, cheese, egg, butter, jam and nutella. We also had a herbal mix to smoke ;)
4) Amsterdam hat - we both got bobble hats with Amsterdam stitched onto the side, no regrets
5) MacDonald's pistachio milkshake - yum

Heineken... cheers




Day three
1) Anne Frank's house - we tried to find it the day before and found it just when it was closing. Turns out we were staying on the same road...
2) Museum of Prostitution - very interesting stuff
3) Argentinian steakhouse
4) Falafel shop - a takeaway dinner in the rain

Day four
1) Katten Kabinet - he made friends with a cat, purrr
2) Bagel and hot chocomel - my new favourite drink!
3) Vondel park and pancakes

Generally I had a fantastic time with the boyfriend and I would definitely visit again!
Sofiee


Sunday 14 June 2015

Latest travels

Hello all,
Tomorrow I am going to Hong Kong for two weeks with some friends. I will be posting about my journey on here so check it out!
Also, an Amsterdam blog should be posted within this month... I've been lazy   :P.

Stay tuned,
Sofiee

Tuesday 2 June 2015

Book haul

I was a little bit naughty and bought a few books...

-The Hollow Chocolate Bunnies of the Apocalypse by Robert Rankin
I fancied a funny novel and spotted this is Foyles.

-How to Be Both by Ali Smith
Voted number one in Foyles so I though I'd give it a go.

-The Fade Out by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips
I really fancied reading a comic and this was recommend to me, please give me more comic recommendations!

-Far from the Maddening Crowd by Thomas Hardy
I want to read it before the movie comes out... love a bit of Hardy's description.

-Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover
I thought this was a good Hoover novel to start with but I had to buy it from the book depository, I could't find it anywhere else.

-The Versions of Us by Laura Barnett
Top seller in Waterstones and I thought it looked like a holiday read :)

Happy reading,
Sofiee

Recent Reads

Here's what I've been reading last week:

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

This is a really easy and nice read. About a girl 'Cather' moving to college and her struggles, a little bit of a becoming of age novel. I loved Levi's character and I thought the fan fiction aspect was a great way to break up the chapters. However, I would have like to have more character building for Nick so he could be perceived as a true villain. Also, I feel that the could be a sequel [SPOILER] where we see Levi and Cather's relationship develop?


I, Robot by Issac Asimov

Although the movie I, Robot is based on this novel the two are nothing a like. I liked the concept of the robot rules and how they can be interpreted. There are similar concepts within Do Androids dream of electric sheep? I thought some of the chapters/ mini stories were a bit boring and I didn't really understand Powell and his co worker's characters. But as a whole this is an interesting book and if you love sci-fi read it.

I'll have more reviews next week,
Sofiee

Sunday 17 May 2015

#crushyourtbr finished!

Hello, I hope your read-a-thons are going well :)
So although I was working until 9-10pm both days... here are the books that I finished:

Splintered by A.G.Howard
- I really liked the 'love triangle' in this novel and thought the world building was very vivid, particularly the Wonderland descriptions. The description of bugs in the novel creeped me out a bit though.

The Search by Eric Heuvel et al
-Although very sad this comic  was not only a good read but it was also educational. The art work was done nicely and I feel that it had an interesting perspective on the Holocaust.

Aristotle and Dante discover the secrets to the universe by  Benjamin Alire Sáenz
-Well you can tell why it's won so many awards. The language used in this novel was simply beautiful and the plot was quite predictable but again beautiful. Also, this was the first novel that I have read set around a Mexican protagonist... and I fell in love with him!

Geek Girl: Geek Drama by Holly Smale
-I am halfway through this novella and I hope to finish it this evening. It's just as funny as her first novel and has all the cringe-worthy protagonist problems.

I didn't have time to read Goblin Market by Christina Rossetti but I shall be reading it soon!

Adiós amigos...
Sofiee


Thursday 14 May 2015

#crushyourtbr TBR

Hello beauties,
I am very excited to take part in my second read-a-thon! It starts at 2am (your time) on the Friday until Sunday and they are going to be every Month! However, I will be working all weekend so I didn't set myself very difficult targets... if I read more I will let you know.
So without further ado here are the books:

The Search by Eric Heuvel et al... A comic about the Holocaust, bought in Anne Frank House in Amsterdam

Geek Girl: Geek Drama by Holly Smale... a world book day £1 book, something light after the comic!

Goblin Market by Christina Rosseti... a colletion of poems I've wanted to read for a while as they are mentioned in The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making and I love that book.

I am also currently reading Splintered by A.G. Howard which I am loving! I might have to buy the other two in the series soon :)

Let me know what is on your TBR and if you have read any of these books,
Sofiee

Tuesday 12 May 2015

#crushyourtbr readathon

Hello my lovelies!

I shall be doing another read-a-thon- this weekend, 15th -17th May.

In preparation I have done an afternoon read-a-thon, I thought I'd let you know what I have read so far:
Twisted Dark (Creepy...)
The Sculptor (AMAZING!)
And now I am reading The hen who dreamed she could fly :)

Stay tuned for my #crushyourtbr TBR!
Sofiee

Sunday 26 April 2015

HOUR 24- Nearly there! TAG

End of Event Meme:

Which hour was most daunting for you?
2am I started to feel tired and at 2:30am I completely dropped off, sorry. Shouldn't have gone out the night before :S

Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year?
I found reading things like comics, plays and short stories kept my engaged, I made sure I read one type of literature then another so it wasn't too samey.

Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year?
Maybe add a forum for people before the event to talk about their TBRs/ past experiences.

What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon?
Breaking up the reading with challenges every hour.

How many books did you read?
10- my lucky number!

What were the names of the books you read?
Peter and Alice by John Logan
The Hogwarts Library
Lips to chilled by Matsuo Basho
The last three Alan Ayckbourne plays
The Wicked and the divine
Sex criminals volume one
Ms Marvel volume two
and I'm just finishing The yellow wall-paper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

Which book did you enjoy most?
The wicked and the divine, awesome art!

Which did you enjoy least?
The Alan Ayckbourne plays... sorry.

If you were a Cheerleader, do you have any advice for next year’s Cheerleaders?
I might offer to be one next time :)

How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time?
I would definitely participant again but next time I might ask to run a challenge and get a cheerleader to sour me on.

Much love,
Sofiee

I fell asleep!!!! HOUR 15, 16, 18, 20 mini challenges TAG

I'm sorry okay.... I crashed at 2:30am, bad right? Well here's the mini challenges I missed whilst dozing. Sorry I mashed them all together to get it done, woops!

HOUR 15- Music is Muse
Why does it remind you of a character?
Muse- Butterflies and Hurricanes reminds me of Lolita in Lolita.

Does it symbolise something in the book?
I think it represents the confusion and I was listening to Muse's album when I read it.

Are your emotions reflected in the music?
Confusion, pain, not knowing one's self?


HOUR 16- Reading Story
1. Story must be six words exactly. - Two fairytale characters meet, creates magic!!!
 #DeweySixWordStory


HOUR 18- Best of my Reading Year
Best YA Book of Your Reading Year
Geek Girl (and the author is lovely too!)

Best Sci-Fi/ Fantasy Book of Your Reading Year
All of The Lunar Chronicles

Best Children’s Book of Your Reading Year
The Magic Faraway Tree Collection


HOUR 20- Draw it Out 
So what's your current book about? No, don't tell me in words, I want to see a picture! Please draw a scene from your current read (or any one you're read during the readathon)

Good luck working out the book! I'll give you a clue, it's a series...
Sofiee

Saturday 25 April 2015

HOUR 10- READATHON MINI-CHALLENGE: PLAN A BOOKISH PARTY! TAG

Here are my answers...


What book is your party themed around?
The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

What food will you serve?
Anything shaped as letters and/ or numbers... potato shapes, sweets, cake ect

What’s your signature drink?
Juice in cartons and colourful cocktails (why not ;) )

What games will you play?
Go-karting and some meaningless games like finding a 'needle in a haystack'...

What party favors will you send home with your guests?
A goodie bag with: a large rubbery pencil, a pot of slime and a toy race car

'Tick Tock'
Sofiee

HOUR 9- 24 Read-a-Thon Reading Challenge: On Food and Books TAG

So for this challenge I need to: 'Make a post where you will share your best "book-inspired" recipe and explain its origin, inspiration, etc. Be as original as you want; as whimsical as you feel.'

I am going to use Bridget Jones' Diary and I have is very simple five step recipe (which I think if you've seen the film/ read the book it's self-explanatory)...

x5 leaks
x8 potatoes
salt
pepper
blue string

Step one wrap your leak together with the blue string.

Step two boil a large pan of water.

Step three place leak with blue string into boiling water.

Step four mash potatoes and then add them to the water.

Step five add salt and pepper.

And voila you have blue soup!!!

This is why I do not cook,
Sofiee

HOUR 8- Mini-Challenge: Book Spine Poetry TAG

For this challenge I need to make a poem out of book spines so here goes (most of my books are packed so please don't hate the lack of choice):

Sorry about the dressing gown!

My penguin 80p book spine poem is...

The stupid life of a man,

Woman much missed,

A pair of silk stockings, 

Lips too chilled,

The beautiful Cassandra. 

Hope you enjoyed it,
Sofiee

HOUR 7- Dewey’s Readathon: Mini-challenge – Treasure Hunt TAG

So far I've read one short story, two comics and a play... Still going strong.

Here's the books for my treasure hunt:

1) A tree

















2) Snow




3) A weapon


These are all amazing books/ comic that I really recommend to read!
Sofiee

HOUR 2- Readathon Mini-Challenge: Classic Words of Wisdom. TAG

My "Classic Words of Wisdom" would be:

I picked this as most people would described me as a bit bonkers. However, I've learnt that not caring what people think about you in life makes life in general a lot easier and happier!

Hope you enjoy my classic words of wisdom!
Sofiee

HOUR 3- Seasons in Four Covers TAG

Here are the covers that I think represent: Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter

And now I will explain why :)
For Spring I chose All I know now as Carrie talks about growing up and nature grows in Spring.
For Summer I picked The bookshop book as this Summer I plan on exploring the different places mentioned in the book.
For Autumn I used The Glam Guide as I find in Autumn I like to dress up more in the cooler weather and I love wearing dark greens, reds and blacks!
And finally for Winter the dreary cover of The evolution of Mara Dyer was picked, a quite depressing but a series that I am really enjoying!

Hope you enjoyed my seasons in four covers,
Sofiee

HOUR 0 – WHAT THE READATHON MEANS TO ME + THE OPENING MEME TAG

1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today?

I am reading from Coventry, England :)

2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to?

Peter and Alice by John Logan

3) Which snack are you most looking forward to?

Salted caramel chocolate fingers!

4) Tell us a little something about yourself!

I have just finished all of my university lectures forever!!!! Dun Dun Duuuuuuuuuuuuun

5) If you participated in the last read-a-thon, what’s one thing you’ll do different today? If this is your first read-a-thon, what are you most looking forward to?

This is my first readathon and I am looking forward to hopefully winning a challenge! Also getting lots of reading done!!
Sofiee

Dewey's readathon starts now!




Okay people in England get ready! The time has come :)
#Readathon #Dewey #MiniChallenge #RahRahReadathon

I have a cup of coffee at the ready! I am quite hungover and look like rubbish but ready for some reading!
Sofiee

Friday 24 April 2015

TBR! Dewey's 24 Hour Readathon April 2015

Hello you lovely people!

I will be taking time off the old dissertation tomorrow to take part in Dewey's 24 Hour Readathon!
In England the start time is 1pm, so from 1pm to 1pm I will be trying to read as many books as possible. You don't have to stay up the whole time but I feel that the times for England really suits my schedule and I might be able to do it...
So without further ado here is my TBR (this might be a bit ambitious btw):

Comics 
Ms Marvel Generation Why
The Wicked and The Divine The Faust Act
Sex Criminals One Weird Trick

Plays
Peter and Alice by John Logan
Life and Beth/ My Wonderful Day/ Life of Riley by Alan Ayckbourn

Short Stories
The Hogwarts Library by J.K Rowling
Han's Anderson's Fairy Tales

Poetry 
Edgar Allen Poe selected poetry

Other
x13 Penguin 80p books
All I know Now by Carrie Fletcher
The Glam Guide by Fleur de Force

And if that's not enough I also want to finish:

The Evolution of Mara Dyer
Bridget Jones Edge of Reason

If you want to get involved here's a link... http://24hourreadathon.com/2015/03/26/april-2015-reader-sign-ups/

I'll be updating my blog on the day so stay tuned and wish me luck!!!
Sofiee