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The Fault in Our Stars

The Fault in Our Stars | Movie Review

Posted on 16 July, 2014

From IMDB:

Hazel and Gus are two teenagers who share an acerbic wit, a disdain for the conventional, and a love that sweeps them on a journey. Their relationship is all the more miraculous given that Hazel’s other constant companion is an oxygen tank, Gus jokes about his prosthetic leg, and they met and fell in love at a cancer support group.

I’ve seen The Fault in Our Stars twice now, so I think I may be able to form my thoughts into coherent sentences. It was definitely worth seeing twice, just so I could watch it once and fully immerse myself in the life of Hazel and Augustus, and then watch it a second time and notice the finer details.

Where do I start? I should probably first mention that I completely adored the film and would highly recommend it. It’s incredibly accurate when compared to the book, and I love the choices made to portray not just the cancer side of the characters, but their age. Whilst Hazel and Augustus are two extremely mature characters, they are also still teenagers and I loved how precisely this aspect was portrayed.

Shailene Woodley is Hazel Grace Lancaster. I don’t think there could have been a better person for the role, and Woodley was just how I imagined Hazel in my head.

Ansel Elgort also managed to portray Augustus’ pretentiousness perfectly which added hilarity and also familiarity because Elgort’s Augustus was very similar to John Green’s and also the Augustus in my head.

The best performances by far were by Laura Dern and Sam Trammell who played Hazel’s parents. Dern in particular showed such raw emotion that I couldn’t help but tear up. The Fault in Our Stars, to me, felt like it was mostly about the relationships and Hazel’s with her parents was very important and central to the plot – in both the book and the film.

Now for the moment of truth: Did I cry? I did the first time (loads and loads!) but not the second time. I think the second time I was concentrating more on the little things that happened rather than the overall plot.

It’s strange seeing a book you love so much brought to life, but I’m happy to be able to say that The Fault in Our Stars lived up to all of my expectations. I couldn’t have wished for a better adaptation!

Whether you’ve read the book or not (although I definitely advise reading the book!), I think it’s impossible not to find something to love about The Fault in Our Stars and I’m pleased to see so many people talking about it!

Have you seen the film, or are you planning on doing so? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!

REVIEW: Solitaire by Alice Oseman

Posted on 20 May, 2014

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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!

John 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!

Where to Start

The Multiple Copy Obsession

Posted on 19 February, 2014

I’m a sucker for gorgeous books, I really am. There’s obviously not a problem with this; I do tend to judge books by their covers before I read them, but sometimes something overcomes me and I need to buy more and more copies of books. One is never enough!

If you’ve watched any of my YouTube videos, or seen pictures of my bookcase, you may have noticed some of the multiple copies on my shelves. A question I’m frequently asked is: ‘Why do you have three copies of The Fault in Our Stars?’ That is a very good question indeed. My answer? I have no idea! I just can’t help myself. My first copy was the one I originally read, and I then found another copy in a charity shop for a very good price. I just couldn’t resist! And my final copy was my Grandma’s, which she no longer needed after reading it. I have a best copy, one to lend out, and one I shall be doing something with, which I will tell you all about in a future post.

Recently I also picked up two more of John Green’s books, which I have already read and loved. In my defence, they have been re-jacketed and the new editions are so beautiful and hug-worthy.

The Paper Towns on the left is the older edition, the right the latest. The differences between the two are striking, but I love them both. The earlier version incorporates the idea of the ‘paper towns’ on the maps, whereas I like the paper elements of the latest cover. Both really capture a core part of the book.

The older version of Looking for Alaska is on the left, the latest on the right. I prefer the latest because of it’s simplicity but also because it stands out so well. It’s also very shiny. I do really like the older version, but there’s just something about it that stops me from loving it unconditionally.

A problem I had when I got my new bookcase was if I would be able to fit all of my Stonewylde series into one ‘pod.’ Luckily, they all fit perfectly! This is the series I have the most copies of: in total I have –

3 copies of Magus of Stonewylde

2 copies of Moondance of Stonewylde

2 copies of Solstice at Stonewylde

2 copies of Shadows at Stonewylde

2 copies of Shaman of Stonewylde

The books are my favourite series and have a very special place in my heart. The first three books were originally self-published so have different covers and the content is a little different. I borrowed the first three from the library originally and then bought them when they were published by Orion afterwards, and then I found the first self-published book by chance and was gifted the second and third. The fourth book was originally published in hardback and I also bought it when it came out in paperback, and I have a best of the fifth, and another copy just because it’s my favourite. I’ve met the author, Kit Berry, twice now and so quite a few of my copies are signed, and I must re-read them all soon!

Finally we have the victims to my obsession… Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell!

I originally read an e-ARC in spring 2013 and it immediately became one of my favourite books, and then ordered the US hardback in November because I just couldn’t say no to myself. The US hardback is amazing, and I think I slightly prefer it to the UK paperback, although the paperback contains graphics from Noelle Stevenson, or Gingerhaze, who is behind the cover, and an interview with Rainbow Rowell and bonus Simon Snow content. The paperback is decoration, whereas I know I’ll definitely be re-reading from the hardback, or my e-ARC where I have colour coded everything.

Do you collect multiple copies of books? Let me know your collection below! If you don’t, why not?

UKYA Uncategorized

I Am a Book Addict…

Posted on 30 August, 2013

If you’ve read a few of my book hauls, then it’s no secret that I seem to get loads of books each week. Why? Because I am a major bo0k buying, borrowing and requesting addict. When it comes to books, I have absolutely no self-restraint whatsoever.

I’ve always had some collecting addiction. When I was younger, it was Sylvanian Families. I was a massive collector and my room was FULL of them. Then it’s slowly turned to books, especially over the last year or two. Particularly last year, I went through a stage where I read a book a day and so I was constantly buying. That was when I hadn’t heard of TBR piles though…

This is my main shelf. My favourites are in the middle, my UKYA books at the bottom and the top shelf contains all the other books that don’t fit on my middle shelf. I’m planning on swapping things around soon because it needs clearing a bit. I really love my shelves and didn’t put them up until May this year. But because I’m so short, I need to stand on my bed to reach the top shelves sometimes, which can sometimes get annoying. Originally I only had the middle shelf and my UKYA shelf, but I then needed to upgrade to another shelf so I could fit all my books on.

This is the main part of my TBR pile. It’s organised by genre, but some of them are just randomly on there. I’ve bought the majority of them, quite a lot this year, although some go back as far as last summer. It’s so daunting because I have no idea when I’m going to get around to reading them all but I also can’t bear to get rid of any of them. I also have sequels to the first books on there, when the first is still unread. I need to stop buying books!

This is the other section of my TBR pile- my UKYA TBR. I know that at least one of these stretches back to two or three years ago which is VERY scary! I need to organise this better somehow because I often overlook it for my other TBR section. Some of these books look so good and I want to read them so bad. I WILL read them soon!

I also have multiple copies of some books, and I often get asked why when I post book hauls and videos to my YouTube channel. Sometimes I’ll find my favourite books for cheap in charity shops and so I can’t resist buying them and I’ve been given books sometimes, too.

I have three copies of The Fault in Our Stars by John Green: one copy was my original, another was a copy that my grandma read and decided to give to me, and the other I found in a charity shop. One of them is a slightly different edition to the other two so I don’t feel that bad…

These are my copies of the Stonewylde series by Kit Berry which is probably my favourite series of all time. They were first self-published so I have a self-published version of the first copy and then two of the traditionally published copies. I sadly don’t have multiple copies of the second and third books but I’d love to get hold of the self-published editions from somewhere. I then have a paperback and hardback of the fourth book and two copies of the fifth. One of the copies of the fifth book hasn’t been read and is my baby. I won’t bend the spine and hardly ever touch it for fear that I’ll damage it in some way. Most of the copies are signed, apart from four because I’ve met the author twice now. I bought the other four after I’d met her.

I think it’s clear that I need to stop buying books and need to clear out some of my books to allow room for new ones. I am going to have to go on a book buying ban but it will probably pain me to do it.

I want to see your shelves now! How big is your TBR pile? Are you a book buying addict? Tweet me a picture using the #bookaddictsunite hashtag!

Uncategorized

Top Ten Tuesday (2)- Top Ten Most Memorable Secondary Characters

Posted on 27 August, 2013

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Every week, a new topic is chosen and people are allowed to make their own lists.

This week the topic is the top ten most memorable secondary characters. I had lots of fun, but also found it really hard, choosing the characters to feature on today’s list.

1) Iko from Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Iko was the first character that popped into my head when I was thinking of this list. I love Marissa Meyer’s books and Iko is a very strong secondary character, one who is instantly memorable.

2) Isaac from The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

I really loved the scenes with Isaac in them because he’s just so funny and cheery, even when he was going through some really tough stuff.

3) Kenji from Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Kenji is so funny and never fails to put a smile on my face. I love this guy!

4) Tiny Cooper from Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green & David Levithan

I seem to have a thing for funny characters, and Tiny Cooper is no exception! He made me laugh throughout and is such a great character.

5) Luna Lovegood from the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling

Luna is such a unique character and, in my opinion, very inspirational. She’s eccentric and quirky and not to afraid to be herself.

6) Lulu from Airhead by Meg Cabot

I LOVE this series and Lulu is hilarious!

7) Toby from Geek Girl by Holly Smale

I love this little stalker guy! *strangle hugs*

8) Finnick Odair from The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Finnick is so much better than the main characters, in my opinion. I want a spin-off all about him!

9) Park’s mum from Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

Park’s mum is so likable and she really stood out as a character for me.

Have you read any of the books? What did you think? Link me back to your own posts!

Uncategorized

Top Ten Tuesday (1)

Posted on 13 August, 2013

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Every week, a new topic is chosen and people are allowed to make their own lists

This week the topic is…

Top Ten Favorite Books With X Setting (ie: futuristic world, set mostly in schools, during World War II, books set in California etc. etc. So many possibilities!)

I’ve chosen to talk about my favourite books with contemporary settings, seeing as though my blog is called Queen of Contemporary!

1. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

This is such a cute novel and, set in Paris, I absolutely adored it. I really want to visit Paris after reading this.

2. Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally

I love Hundred Oaks and all the characters have just stuck with me. I’m so attached to this book!

3. From What I Remember by Stacy Kramer and Valerie Thomas

This is such a fun book and has a crazy road trip in it. I must re-read it soon!

4. Just One Day by Gayle Forman

I really want to go to Amsterdam after reading this (and The Fault in Our Stars, and because I’ve just finished a big project on Anne Frank.). It flows so well and it’s such a sweet novel.

5. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Probably my favourite novel of all time and has made me want to travel to America, particularly Omaha. I love everything about this novel. I can’t fault it at all!

6. The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen

I can’t fault Sarah Dessen’s ability to make me crave for the places she creates. A perfect summer read!

7. The Avery Shaw Experiment by Kelly Oram

I read this in July and didn’t expect to love it as much as I did. It was only supposed to be a quick read but I haven’t forgotten about it since.

8. The Duff by Kody Keplinger

I read this the other week and really loved it. The plot, the characterisation, everything else, was done just right and I’d highly recommend it.

9. The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson

This is an emotional and captivating book that I really enjoyed, and it has a very beautiful cover design.

10. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

A very obvious choice for very obvious reasons. It made me laugh, it made me cry, it made me tear my hair out in despair. An all time favourite!

What would your choices be?

Uncategorized

Feature and Follow Friday (6)

Posted on 9 August, 2013

The Feature & Follow is hosted by TWO hosts, Parajunkee of Parajunkee’s View and Alison of Alison Can Read. Each host will have their own Feature Blog and this way it’ll allow us to show off more new blogs!

I haven’t done one of these for ages but I’ve decided to start doing them again because of my move to WordPress and I’m hoping to find lots of new blogs, too.

This week’s question is…

Back to school. Create a reading list for the imaginary English Lit class you’ll be teaching this semester.

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett is one of my favourite classics and so this is an obvious choice for me. I’ve studied it myself and it really sparked my love for the book.

If we’re talking about more contemporary texts then I think something like The Fault in Our Stars by John Green, or My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult would be good. I haven’t finished My Sister’s Keeper yet but I’ve loved what I’ve read of it so far.

Leave the links to your own posts below and I’ll give you a follow! Bloglovin’ is my preferred method, or using the WordPress following option. Or you can follow using RSS/email by going to the sidebar or in my header. Thank you!