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Five Things Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell Taught Me

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

It’s May 2013, the day offers a burning heat and the air conditioning is on. I am out. I can picture it so clearly – the day I read Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. The day I felt something shift; I would not come out of it the same person.

I’ve never read a book quite like Fangirl where I have felt like I could be a part of it. I’m sure that Rainbow Rowell somehow followed me about when she was writing Cath because I feel like I am her. It’s the book I turn to when things are a bit fuzzy in my head, when I want to lose myself in the fan fiction or escape for a little bit. It is my favourite book of all time.

Recently, needing that escape, I found it once again in Fangirl. It was my first full re-read since I read it that day in 2013 and a lot has happened since then – I’m no longer the 13 year old I was then. However, I did notice that I have learnt a lot from it, and I really wanted to share that today.

Here are the life lessons that Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell taught me:

1. Sometimes it is totally acceptable to have an Emergency Kanye Party

You know sometimes you feel so full of emotion that all you can do is dance it off? This is a good thing to do. Dancing, no matter how bad you are at it, will always make you feel better. The stupider the dance moves, the better you will feel afterwards. This is a fact.

2. You don’t have to go out and party to have a good time.

I am not, by any means, a party animal. Like Cath, you’re more likely to find me curled up with a book or writing than at a party and reading Fangirl made me realise that this is okay. Being introverted isn’t a problem and not everyone likes going out. Cath made me feel like I was less alone in this feeling!

3. “Are you rooting for me?”

Find someone that you are rooting for, that you want to succeed. And find someone that will root for you in return, whether that be a friend or a loved one.The people in Cath’s life support her and there’s the clear message in Fangirl that the people who don’t care, that won’t support you in return, aren’t the ones that matter.

4. Do what you love. Write what you love.

For Cath, it’s her fanfiction and she loves the world of Simon Snow, so she writes about it.

5. Some books will always stay with you – treasure them.

There are some books that I read and loved years ago, but have returned to after and not loved as much. Fangirl, though, will always stay with me and will always mean something to me. Likewise, for Cath, the books she loves are the fictional Simon Snow series and, even though she’s getting older and people find it weird that she loves them so much, they matter to her. You shouldn’t let other people get in the way of that.

Have you read Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell? What did it teach you? Tell me your favourite thing about it in the comments below!

Recommendations

5 Books That Changed My Life

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Some books you can read and forget about after a few months, but there are others that stay with you for a long time afterwards. There are also those books that will always stick with you, no matter what, and have affected your life in some way. Here are a few of mine:

Jessie Hearts NYC by Keris Stainton

I love books for a wide range of reasons, but one of the main ones is because they’re always there when I need them most. When I was 12, a few months before I started my blog, my granddad died and it was something that affected me hugely, us being so close and me being so young. During the months after, I turned to books to help me through and one of these books was Jessie Hearts NYC. For this reason, it’s a book I’ve recommended a lot and Keris’s books, like Jessie Hearts NYC and Emma Hearts LA, are a great place to start for readers who are starting to read YA.

The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot

Continue Reading

Blog Tour

RAINBOW WARS! Fangirl Edition

IMG_1381Everyone reading this knows that Fangirl is, of course, Rainbow Rowell’s best book. It’s a well-known fact. Here are four reasons why we all love it so much:

1. It’s like revisiting Harry Potter all over again.

The Simon Snow parts are HEAVEN to all of us Potter lovers. I can’t wait to read Carry On when it comes out later this year!

2. Everyone will fall in love with Levi

Levi is one of my favourite characters in YA fiction and just thinking about him makes me want to re-read the book again!

3. Cath is SO relatable!

When I was reading Fangirl, it was almost as if I was reading about myself. I love Cath so much because she reminds me of myself so it means that I feel so much closer to the story.

4. It’s re-readable

I have read Fangirl so many times and each time I discover something new about the plot, characters and meaning behind each scene. It’s why I love it so much!

Do you agree that Fangirl is the best Rainbow Rowell book?

Landline is out in paperback on 30th July from Orion Books. 

 

Discussion

Fangirl for Fangirl…

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Sometimes I think it’s great to try to recreate your favourite book and turn it into a picture. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell is an all-time favourite of mine for a variety of reasons and I’m growing to appreciate it even more as I get older. It’s re-readability is off the scale – whenever I’m sad, I know I can pick it up and it will put a smile on my face.

I love how relationships are portrayed in Fangirl – not as simple and straightforward, but complex and with ups and downs.

I also love how it feels as if Cath has been created from a piece of my soul. She’s a character who I can relate to on so many levels and who I feel just gets me.

I love how every time I read it I learn something new about the characters, the plot, the settings.

I love Fangirl. I love it with all my fangirl heart.

Uncategorized

YA Starter Kit

So you may be new to reading YA, or just looking for some awesome book recommendations… Today I’m going to help you add LOTS and LOTS of books to your TBR piles!

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Undone by Cat Clarke will give you ALL THE FEELS. It made me cry so much and I loved every single second of reading it. It’s a must have on your shelf because it has LGBT themes, deals with grief and loss, and also has a brilliant plot!

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater is a favourite YA book of mine because I read it right when I was getting serious about reading YA. It’s about werewolves which may seem cheesy after Twilight but it’s such a refreshing urban fantasy novel that you can become invested in easily.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor has SO many fans. I still haven’t read the second or third books in the trilogy, but I really enjoyed the first instalment when I read it a few years ago. It’s completely unpredictable so it’s a very exciting reading experience!

The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson is one of my favourite books of 2015 so far and is about imitations of the Jack the Ripper murders happening in London. Rory, the main character, is American and starts at a boarding school in London just as the murders start to happen. I LOVE this series a lot and can’t stop recommending it! SO, SO fantastic!

Trouble by Non Pratt is about teenage pregnancy and it’s written perfectly. I enjoyed it so much and can’t wait to read Non’s next book, Remix, as I loved Trouble so much.

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We Were Liars….It really is best to lie about this book because the least you know about it the better! It took the book world by storm last year, and I still can’t believe the shock ending! I really didn’t expect it at all.

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell is one of my all-time favourite books and perfect for people who love sites like Tumblr and are involved in Internet culture. It’s about a girl called Cath who, alongside her twin sister, is starting college. Cath writes fan fiction on a book series very similar to Harry Potter!

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas is a favourite fantasy book of mine and centres around Celaena Sardothien, an assassin who is chosen by the prince to enter a competition to become the King’s Assassin. READ IT, READ IT, READ IT!

Have a Little Faith by Candy Harper is hilarious and is a relatively short book too! It’s very true to a British teenager’s life and I adored it.

Every Day by David Levithan tells the story of A, a person who wakes up in a different body each day but, one day, A finds that there’s someone they just can’t let go of. It’s unique and David Levithan writes so beautifully.

Which books would you add to my list? Have you read any of these?

Uncategorized

The Sorting Hat

I decided I’d have a bit of fun today and pull out my wand and owl for some Harry Potter-related madness.

I’ve had this post written for a very long time, but am only finally posting it. Maybe because I realise I’m probably not a very good Sorting Hat (it’s actually extremely nerve-wracking!), and the actual Sorting Hat can keep its job. It won’t be replaced easily anyway!

Let’s get started!

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First up is Gryffindor and with all her spy work Cammie Morgan will be kicking ass all the way to the common rooms. I can also imagine her as an amazing Quidditch player, right?

– The Gallagher Girls books by Ally Carter

Whilst Celaena might be on the verge of Slytherin (boo!), she does have some good in her and is incredibly brave so I’m sure she’ll be in Gryffindor.

– Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Kit Blackthorn is very action-driven and proud, which I think makes her a perfect Gryffindor match.

– Banished by Liz de Jager

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Then we have Ravenclaw, the best of the houses, if I do say so myself.

Harriet Manners is perhaps one of my favourite geeky characters and would always be able to guess the password to enter Ravenclaw Tower.

– Geek Girl by Holly Smale

Lilly Moscovitz, I think, would take over from Hermione and run S.P.E.W. It would be awesome!

– The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot

Most likely found in the library, I think Cather Avery would be one of the quiet Ravenclaws, not as self-assured and pompous as some of the others can be.

– Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

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Hufflepuffs! The second best of all the houses, not that they care!

Levi Stewart, who I’m sure I’ve talked about enough of this blog, would definitely be Hufflepuff. He epitomises Hufflepuff, and I don’t even need to think twice about it.

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

I absolutely love Kenji Kishimoto and he is just such a loveable person. Hufflepuff, definitely!

– Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

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Slytherin, home to the absolutely gorgeous Draco Malfoy. I just love him, okay?

Warner would definitely be Slytherin. An irresistible Slytherin. Need I say any more?

– Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

I think it’s obviously that Cersei Lannister would be a Death Eater Slytherin. I don’t want to hate on Slytherin and say they’re all Death Eaters, but Cersei Lannister would be the exception. EVIL!

– A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin

Mara Dyer just fits into Slytherin in my mind. She’s not exactly what I’d call a good person, but I really like her nevertheless.

– The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Which Hogwarts house are you in? Which house would your favourite book character be in?

Blog Tour

Rainbow Rowell Obsession Self-Diagnosis – Landline Blog Tour

Landline-Rainbow-RowellIt’s no secret that I’m a massive fan of Rainbow Rowell’s books. Like, seriously, if you were to come up to me and mention one of her books, it’s possible I may scream at you. I really am obsessed. Sometimes I even do silly things in the name of Rainbow and her books.

Today, as part of the Landline blog tour, I’m going to be talking about s0me of the symptoms of being a Rainbow Rowell fanatic.

1. You regularly host Emergency Kanye Dance Parties.

There is nothing better than throwing one of these when you’re feeling a bit down, and they remind me of Cath and Levi.

2. You stare at your phone all day, waiting for a phone call from the past.

I’m not sure what I’d even say if somebody rang me from the past. I’d probably be extremely freaked out at first, maybe even the whole time. If I could speak to anyone, I’d speak to my Granddad just because I can’t think of anyone I’d want to talk to more.

3. You desperately want to read the Simon Snow books, and ship Simon and Baz.

I need more Simon Snow in my life. Gemma T. Leslie, why aren’t you real?! I want to go to Watford!

4. You plan on calling your kids either Cath, Levi, Lincoln, Beth, Jennifer, Georgie, Eleanor, Park or Neal. 

I’m serious. It better happen. Populate the Earth with mini Rainbow Rowell characters please!

5. Park isn’t just a place you visit, Levi’s aren’t just jeans, Lincoln isn’t just a president, and Wren isn’t just a bird.

Too many bookish references in everyday life! TOO. MANY. TOO. FUNCTION. NORMALLY.

Are you a Rainbow Rowell fanatic? I know I am!

Landline is out now from Orion Books, and YOU NEED TO HAVE IT IN YOUR LIFE. I mean it! Go out and buy it right this minute (preferably in your local indie bookshop) and then enjoy every single word.

Book Review UKYA Where to Start

REVIEW: Solitaire by Alice Oseman

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What can I say about Solitaire that will convey my thoughts on just how perfect it is? I’ve been eagerly anticipating reading it for months now and so I started it as soon as I opened the parcel containing it.

Solitaire tells the story of Victoria Spring, whose hobbies include sleeping, blogging and drinking diet lemonade. Tori is a pessimist and prefers her own company to spending time with others. Things used to be different: she had friends and her brother, Charlie, was okay, but now things are different. When things start happening around the school, harmless pranks which then turn into something bigger, Tori is left wondering who’s behind it – who are Solitaire, and what are they trying to achieve? – and also trying to live with her own inner struggles.

Solitaire is a gorgeous and breath-taking debut novel, which, in my opinion, rivals the likes of The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger. Seeing as though Catcher is one of my all time favourite novels, it’s no surprise that Solitaire is now also a part of that list.

Filled with fandom references and incredibly realistic to teenage life, Solitaire is a book that every teenager will relate to and a book many adults will also love because of its realism and ability to just understand life on so many levels.

One of the reasons I loved this novel so much was that I felt as if I was the person in Tori’s head. It scared me in a way because so many of my own feelings were reflected in the writing. Tori, the protagonist, gets me and that made it so special to read.

Tori is juxtaposed to Michael Holden, the male protagonist in Solitaire. Before you think it, Solitaire is by no means a love story. Solitaire is a life story, and by that I mean that Solitaire captures life perfectly – life isn’t a love story, is it? Life is so much more than meeting someone and madly falling in love with him or her. I loved that about Solitaire and it’s what sets it apart from your typical YA novel.

Written from the heart, I believe Solitaire will be one of the biggest debut novels of 2014. You certainly won’t want to miss out on reading it!

 

Book in a Tweet: If you’re a teenager, or have ever been a teenager, this book has been written just for you: You’re not alone.

If you liked …. you’ll love this!

 solitaireifyouliked.pngJohn Green – love The Fault in Our Stars? Mad about Looking for Alaska and Paper Towns? Solitaire easily rivals it!

 Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell – Full of fandom references that will put a big smile on your face, Solitaire deals with the same feelings as Fangirl but is possibly even better!