Browsing Tag

alice oseman

Book Haul

Books, Books, Glorious Books! | Book Haul

IMG_2577

The past few weeks have been seriously good for books. I seem to be buying a lot more than usual lately because there are so many books I’m excited to read, and I’ve also been very lucky to receive some from lots of lovely publishers. SO MANY AMAZING BOOKS!

Spot the Difference by Juno Dawson is one of this year’s World Book Day titles and I’m currently reading it. Juno always delivers amazing books, so of course I’m loving it!

Kindred Spirits by Rainbow Rowell is the other YA World Book Day title for 2016 and tells the story of Elena, who is queueing outside her local cinema for the opening of the new Star Wars film. It was super cute and a great choice of book to read if you’re in between books and want something quick but extremely gripping.

The Trouble with Women by Jacky Fleming is a look at women through history and how, as Fleming puts it, men have put women in the Dustbin of History. Its witty illustrations and satirical tone make it impossible not to laugh whilst read it, or bang your head against your bookshelf in horror at all Mankind.

Radio Silence by Alice Oseman is one of my most-anticipated releases of 2016, especially as I loved Solitaire so much. I’m going to be starting it right away because I can’t wait any longer! Alice is an incredible writer and I already know I’m going to love Radio Silence just as much as I loved Solitaire.

The #1 Rule for Girls by Rachel McIntyre looks at life post-break up for main character, Daisy. I enjoyed Me and Mr J, her debut novel, when I read it last year, so I was very pleased to hear that Rachel had a new book out this year. Thank you, Electric Monkey!

I read Crush by Eve Ainsworth last summer and have been desperate to talk about it since, but it’s only just been released! Eve is perfect at writing gritty contemporaries, and Crush explores what it’s like to be in a toxic relationship. Highly recommended! Thank you, Scholastic!

Half Lost by Sally Green is the conclusion to the Half Bad trilogy and I am so excited to see what happens! The trilogy has been absolutely amazing, so it will be a tiny bit sad to say goodbye to it, but I know there will be lots of other exciting books from Sally Green in the future. Thank you, Penguin Platform!

I’ve never read anything by Emery Lord before so when a copy of When We Collided popped through my letterbox, I was very happy. It comes out in April, so I’ll hopefully be reading and reviewing it before then. I’ve heard great things about Emery’s books. Thank you, Bloomsbury!

Kill the Boy Band by Goldy Moldavsky looks at fandom culture and what happens when it goes wrong. Fandom culture is everywhere at the moment, so Kill the Boy Band is going to be very current. Thank you, My Kinda Book!

Finding a copy of the Complete Sonnets by William Shakespeare probably shouldn’t have excited me as much as it did, but I’ve been looking for a copy for ages. I’m reading lots of poetry at the moment and have read a few of Shakespeare’s sonnets, so I’m looking forward to reading the rest. SUPER EXCITED!

Head Over Heels by Holly Smale is the latest instalment in the Geek Girl series and I’m hoping to marathon read this and the previous book, All That Glitters, sometime in the next month. I need to catch up with Harriet! Thank you, Harper Children’s!

 

What books have you acquired recently? Are there any books on my list that you’ve read or are excited to read?

Uncategorized

My Favourite Books of 2014

P1000321

 

Whilst I definitely didn’t read as much as I usually do in 2014, there were many amazing books that I did read. This year has felt like one massive reading slump, but each of the books featured on this list captured my heart and I’ve been recommending them non-stop since reading them.

Vendetta by Catherine Doyle

Out on 1st January, this is the most recent edition to my list. Vendetta is Catherine Doyle’s debut novel and I’ve read many books by well-established authors that I didn’t love half as much as I loved Vendetta! It’s thrilling and adventurous – I couldn’t put it down!

Landline by Rainbow Rowell

I love all of Rainbow Rowell’s books so I couldn’t miss Landline out of my list! I read it at a very special time and all of Rainbow Rowell’s books are like a big, warm hug. It’s hard not to fall in love with every word!

A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin

I am OBSESSED with this series! I’ve started to watch the TV series, but I much prefer the books. I’ve now read the second and third books, which I loved even more. Incredible!

Have a Little Faith by Candy Harper

Candy Harper never fails to make me laugh. I read the two Faith books earlier in the year and I love them! They’re the funniest books I’ve read in a long time and so easy to read. I’d recommend them to anyone!

P1000325

Starring Kitty by Keris Stainton

Wow! This book amazed me when I read it – it has LGBT, feminism and diverse characters. I fell head over heels in love with it!

The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides

I don’t think I’ve spoken about The Virgin Suicides on the blog yet, but I have a few times on my YouTube channel. Whilst it’s primarily targeted at adults, I think this book has a huge crossover appeal and I’d love to see more teenagers reading it. It’s a haunting read that will stay with you for a long time after you’ve finished it.

Winger by Andrew Smith 

Winger is a truly original novel that portrays teenage life and experience perfectly. It even has cartoon images that I adored when reading it! READ IT, READ IT, READ IT.

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

Although this book is hated by many, I was one of the people who loved it. Even though it was written over 60 years ago, it’s still very current a bookish rite of passage! Definitely worth reading at least once during your lifetime.

Trouble by Non Pratt

Trouble is a brilliant book all about teenage pregnancy! Non isn’t afraid to tackle subjects that many authors shy away from and I can’t wait to read more from her in 2015!

Solitaire by Alice Oseman

And now for my favourite book of the year… Solitaire! My review of Solitaire is the easiest review I’ve ever written and I will not rest until I get everyone to read it. It’s phenomenal and I haven’t seen a bad review for it in the five or so months since its release.

P1000340

Book Review UKYA Where to Start

REVIEW: Solitaire by Alice Oseman

[book-info]

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!