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Lucy Powrie

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DISCUSSION: Rating Systems

After much thought, I have decided to change the way I rate books. For ages now I have been giving books ratings of four and five stars and the majority of books I’ve read this year have been rated five stars by myself. I’m hoping to change this. Are these books really worth such a high rating?

My new system is going to go as following:


Five Crowns

Five crowns means that I completely fell in love with the book and would consider it one of my favourites. I’m going to be trying to make five crown books rarer because I’ve been giving a lot of books five star ratings this year when, actually, they don’t deserve it.

Four crowns means that I really enjoyed a book, and although there were some faults, I would definitely recommend it and remember it. The amount of four stars I’ve given out so far this year has been minimal when a lot of the books have deserved this rating, so I’m going to be tougher.

Three crowns means that a book is average and I’m not likely to read it or again or remember it. I may have enjoyed it whilst reading it but I didn’t connect with it or click in any way and there were quite a few faults.
Two crowns means that I didn’t enjoy the book and thought it was below average. I’m not likely to read the rest in the series or trilogy if it’s not a standalone and I’m not likely to recommend it.
One crown means that I likely DNF’d a book and didn’t enjoy it at all. I’m hoping that I won’t be giving this rating very often!
I also have half ratings which I think I’ll be using often. I’m a lot happier now that I’ve started using the system and I’ll be putting my ratings at the bottom of each review that I write and will explain why I chose that rating. 

How do you rate books?

Book Review

REVIEW: Changeling by Philippa Gregory


Summary from Goodreads:

Italy, 1453. Seventeen-year-old Luca Vero is brilliant, gorgeous—and accused of heresy. Cast out of his religious order for using the new science to question old superstitious beliefs, Luca is recruited into a secret sect: The Order of the Dragon, commissioned by Pope Nicholas V to investigate evil and danger in its many forms, and strange occurrences across Europe, in this year—the end of days.

Isolde is a seventeen-year-old girl shut up in a nunnery so she can’t inherit any of her father’s estate. As the nuns walk in their sleep and see strange visions, Isolde is accused of witchcraft—and Luca is sent to investigate her, but finds himself plotting her escape.

Despite their vows, despite themselves, love grows between Luca and Isolde as they travel across Europe with their faithful companions, Freize and Ishraq. The four young people encounter werewolves, alchemists, witches, and death-dancers as they head toward a real-life historical figure who holds the boundaries of Christendom and the secrets of the Order of the Dragon.



I really wanted to love this novel, but sadly didn’t. As a major fan of all things historical fiction, I had very high hopes because Gregory is a bestselling author here in the UK and her books have even been made into TV programmes and films. So, this is actually quite a sad review to write.
Before I get on to the reasons why I didn’t like this book, I need to talk about the positive things. The attention to detail was brilliant and I thought the settings were described well so that it was easy to picture where the book was taking place. It was easy to tell that a lot of research had taken place beforehand.

I liked the characters, but they were really bad at interacting with each other. The dialogue felt forced and I felt like screaming in frustration regularly. Isolde was probably the most understandable character, and there wasn’t a lot of competition.

Both the cover and summary are hugely misleading. Both promise a romantic aspect that sounds amazing but there was no romance in this book at all. For someone like me who lives for these moments in books, it was a major let down.

When you’re reading a book you should be able to feel that what you’re reading is true and you’re witnessing the events but this didn’t happen in Changeling. Everything felt a bit forced and I found a lot of the plot lines very unrealistic.

I didn’t enjoy this book at all and I’m so sad about that fact because I really wanted to like it. I’m going to try and read one of Gregory’s adult novels to see if I like one of them better but I don’t think I’ll be reading the rest in this series.

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Debut-A-Thon Sign Up Post

The Debut-A-Thon is being hosted by the lovely Amber from Books of Amber  from the 27th- 30th of June.   You don’t need a blog to sign up, just somewhere to update- so, Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads or YouTube will do. I, obviously, will be posting my updates here.
Only 2013 debuts count towards your reading goals, although you can read any genre you like. Because I review and read mainly YA, I have chosen to read books from this genre.
So what will I be reading?
The first book I’ve chosen to read is ACID by Emma Pass.

2113. In Jenna Strong’s world, ACID – the most brutal, controlling police force in history – rule supreme. No throwaway comment or muttered dissent goes unnoticed – or unpunished. And it was ACID agents who locked Jenna away for life, for a bloody crime she struggles to remember.
The only female inmate in a violent high-security prison, Jenna has learned to survive by any means necessary. And when a mysterious rebel group breaks her out, she must use her strength, speed and skill to stay one step ahead of ACID – and to uncover the truth about what really happened on that dark night two years ago.
I’ve been raving about Acid for ages now. I’ve wanted to read it since its release. I’m going to hold on for a little while until the debut-a-thon though because I’m sure it will feel even more special then.
The second book I’ve chosen is The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.
Now, it’s the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth’s last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie’s only hope for rescuing her brother—or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up.

This book has spread around the blogosphere like wildfire and so I’m looking forward to seeing what everyone’s going on about.
The third book I’ve chosen to read is Pantomime by Laura Lam

R. H. Ragona’s Circus of Magic is the greatest circus of Ellada. Nestled among the glowing blue Penglass—remnants of a mysterious civilisation long gone—are wonders beyond the wildest imagination. It’s a place where anything seems possible, where if you close your eyes you can believe that the magic and knowledge of the vanished Chimaera is still there. It’s a place where anyone can hide.
Iphigenia Laurus, or Gene, the daughter of a noble family, is uncomfortable in corsets and crinoline, and prefers climbing trees to debutante balls. Micah Grey, a runaway living on the streets, joins the circus as an aerialist’s apprentice and soon becomes the circus’s rising star.
But Gene and Micah have balancing acts of their own to perform, and a secret in their blood that could unlock the mysteries of Ellada.

Pantomime has been sitting on my shelf since March and I recently won another copy so this may give me the kick I finally need to read it. 

What are you planning to read? 
Book Haul

Letterbox Love (11)

Letterbox Love is a UK based feature where book bloggers showcase the books that they received that week, be they eBooks, paperbacks, hardbacks or any other format. It is hosted by Lynsey from Narratively Speaking.

This vlog took me about 20,000 attempts to film; I just couldn’t get it right! This is my haul for the past two weeks as I was too busy reading last week to write one! Sorry that it’s such a long video!

I think this will be my last vlog for a while. After struggling to film this one, I’m going to take a break and picture my books for the next few weeks.

What did you get this week? Link back to your own posts and I’ll be sure to check them out! 

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May Recap and June Goals 2013

I can’t believe it’s nearly June! I nearly forgot to write this post, actually, because I really didn’t think it was the end of the month yet.
As always, everything written in this post is correct at the time I was writing it so I may have read more books when you’re reading this.
This month I read…
Rebel Heart by Moira Young
Glass Houses by Rachel Caine
Before I Die by Jenny Downham
Pretty Bad Things by C.J. Skuse
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K Rowling
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K Rowling 
The Runaway Queen by Cassandra Clare and Maureen Johnson- NOVELLA
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
Crossing the Line by Katie McGarry- NOVELLA

So I read fourteen books this month. 
My four favourites were….
1. The Harry Potter series- I’ve decided to put all of the books into one category because this list would be very long otherwise!
2. Before I Die by Jenny Downham

June Goals

In June I’d like to read more than 10 books. I’ll hopefully have more time as it’s the last school term and so I’m keeping my fingers crossed I won’t be loaded with homework.
I’m going to try and read:
1. ACID by Emma Pass
2. Flyaway by Lucy Christopher
3. After Eden by Helen Douglas- FOR REVIEW
4. Parallel by Lauren Miller- FOR REVIEW

I’m also going to try and film more vlogs because I’ve really enjoyed the two that I filmed this month. 
Embracing My Inner Geek has been a bit of a fail this month. I’m not sure if I’ve even posted any! I’m going to start brainstorming ideas and will hopefully get a few up.
UKYA week is also coming up and will be running from the 17th to 23rd of June. I’ve got some great posts planned and am hoping that you’ll all enjoy the posts.
What were your favourite books of May? What are your goals for June? Let me know in the comments below! 

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No Books Allowed (2)

Welcome to No Books Allowed. This is a new monthly feature hosted by Raimy at Readaraptor, used to discuss things things in life which aren’t connected to books. This post can be used to talk about days out, music, TV, video games, films etc for all those book bloggers out there who do occasionally do stuff other than read and go to book events!

My first try at this feature was a bit of a fail and so I’ve decided to try again. After all, practice makes perfect!

So, I’ve been listening to a lot of Imagine Dragons this month. My friend is a huge fan and so we talk about their music and she got me into them. It definitely helped that they were featured in The Host.

As I’ve said before, I’m also a massive fan of Gabrielle Aplin and her music and her first album was released this month and I’ve been playing that non-stop since. 
I started vlogging as well and that’s something that I’d like to do more of but I don’t think I’m good at putting my personality across and so I really need to come out of my shell a bit more. I’m going to try and film at least once every month now, with tags and book hauls. 
I had a litter of guinea pigs born this month and also bought a new male. It’s important to bring new blood in so that there’s no inbreeding and it also means that we get new colours in. All of our females go back to one
Ginny
Harry

guinea pig and we keep track of all the babies that are born, although I do need to organise myself a little better.

On the right is Harry. He’s an Abyssinian male and is eight weeks old. He’ll be ready to mate when he’s around six to eight months old, so it’s a bit of a wait but I don’t mind because it gives me plenty of time to look after him properly and give him lots of attention. 
On the left is Ginny, a female who will be ready to breed around the same time as Harry. Both names are inspired by Harry Potter.
 What non-bookish things have you done this month? Tell me in the comments below! 
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Book MASH

After watching a lot of videos where people shared their own book MASH experiences, I decided to do my own. I’ve tried to include well known books but will explain all of my choices and go through them below. 
As you can see, I have chosen seven categories:
Where will you live?

Occupation

Pets

Children

Husband

Best Friend:

AND

Transportation



For the Where will you live? option, I’ve chosen to include:
The Wizarding World from the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling because it’s now one of my favourite series. I’d love to live in the Wizarding World!

London Institute from The Infernal Devices trilogy by Cassandra Clare. I loved the beautiful description of the building itself and, being English myself, would probably fit in very well.

District 12 from The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins would be a pretty bad place to live, in my opinion. I’d hate to live there, which is why I picked it: I had to have some bad options!

Delirium World from Delirium by Lauren Oliver. In Delirium, love isn’t allowed. For me, the girl who practically falls in love with every fictional character she reads about, that would be torture.

Morganville from the Morganville Vampires series by Rachel Caine is a town run by vampires who control everything. I’d live in terror!

For the Occupation category, I chose:

Shadowhunter from the Cassandra Clare books because HOW AWESOME WOULD IT BE TO BE A SHADOWHUNTER?!

Minister for Magic from the Harry Potter series because I’m just completely love with the books and, if it were possible to marry a book, then we’d be married!

Assassin from Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas because I’d be useless at it. And I love Celaena…

Spy from the Gallagher Girls series because I love the books so much (I’m getting useless at this now…).

Princess of Genovia from the Princess Diaries books by Meg Cabot because I love Mia. These books were my life for ages! I can remember reading them all and I think it was one of the first YA books I read.

For the Pets category, I chose:

Hedwig from the Harry Potter series because who wouldn’t want an owl?!

Nero from the Dustlands trilogy by Moira Young because I am rather fond of that crow.

Fat Louie from the Princess Diaries because I’ve always wanted a cat!

I picked some really random options for Children.

One and two are quite normal.

Four is the magic number!

And ten would be a lot of kids to look after!

I had a lot of fun with this category!

Will Herondale from The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare because he’s practically my husband. Back off, everyone!

Draco Malfoy from the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling because I actually have a soft spot for him. He redeemed himself in the later books.

Jared Howe from The Host by Stephenie Meyer because I loved this book so much! And he’s played by Max Irons in the film adaptation…

Ron Weasley from the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling. Gingers, FTW! I love the whole family!

Eric from Divergent by Veronica Roth because he’s not nice at all and I had to add a bad one!

Best Friend:

Charlie from The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky because I love him to pieces. He’s adorable!

Mara Dyer from The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin because I think she’d be a sucky best friend.

Hazel Lancaster from The Fault in Our Stars by John Green because it’s my favourite book.

President Snow from The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins because, who would want him as a best friend?!

Hermione Granger from Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling because I love this girl. AND SHE LIKES BOOKS!

Transportation:

Apparition from Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling because it would be super awesome to do, although I’d have to be careful not to leave an eyebrow behind.

Portal from Cassandra Clare’s books because that would be quite awesome.

Walk from a lot of books! Quite boring, yes?

Firebolt from the Harry Potter books because it would be super to ride a broomstick.

And after elimination….

I live in the Wizarding World and am married to Ron Weasley, with four children. I have Fat Louie as a pet and live in a house. My mode of transport is portal and I’m best friends with Mara Dyer. I work as a spy.

I’m quite pleased with this result, a part from the Mara Dyer being my best friend thing.

Have a go yourself and leave your results below!

Book Review

Featured on Friday (1)


Featured on Friday is a new feature to be introduced to Queen of Contemporary. Whether it be a review, interview or guest post, I’m going to feature something each week that I like, have been raving about or just want to share with you.

Summary from Goodreads:

Harry Potter has never played a sport while flying on a broomstick. He’s never worn a cloak of invisibility, befriended a giant, or helped hatch a dragon. All Harry knows is a miserable life with the Dursleys, his horrible aunt and uncle, and their abominable son, Dudley. Harry’s room is a tiny closet at the foot of the stairs, and he hasn’t had a birthday party in eleven years. But all that is about to change when a mysterious letter arrives by owl messenger: a letter with an invitation to a wonderful place he never dreamed existed. There he finds not only friends, aerial sports, and magic around every corner, but a great destiny that’s been waiting for him…if Harry can survive the encounter. Rescued from the outrageous neglect of his aunt and uncle, a young boy with a great destiny proves his worth while attending Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry.


I cannot believe that I’ve waited this long to read this series. I’ve had this on my shelf since January but still haven’t bothered to pick it up until now. I am so angry with myself because I should have read them ages ago, especially as it’s now one of my favourite books of all time!
Ginny the Guinea Pig

We first meet Harry when he is eleven years old. I don’t normally read books with protagonists as young as that but it really worked with the third person narration. Harry is treated appallingly by his aunt and uncle, them favouring his cousin Dudley. In their eyes, Dudley can do no wrong. 

One of the best things about this book was the world building. I immersed myself in the wizarding world and felt so comfortable learning about it. I loved Diagon Alley and Hogwarts. The depth that Rowling has gone to to create such a world is amazing. I was blown away by the attention to detail.

I loved all of the characters. Even the ones you’re supposed to hate (Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle etc.) did something to me and they’re such an important part of the story. And I love Hagrid. And Dumbledore. And Professor McGonagall. AND GINNY WEASLEY! I’ve even named my guinea pig after her!

I’ve already started reading the rest in the series and they get better and better. I definitely know why so many people have raved about them because THEY NEED TO BE RAVED ABOUT.

RATING: 1,000,000/5