Book Corner | Funny Girl by Nick Hornby

Rating: 2/5
Pages: 342

I originally didn't want to write or vlog about this book as I really didn't enjoy it and only gave it 2/5 stars however I like to keep a record about all the books I read and felt I owed my readers my true opinion on the book.

This book is set in Brighton/London in the 1960's and follows a girl called Barbara/Sophie who wants to make people laugh like her inspiration Lucille Ball.

I was drawn to this book solely for the fact it mentioned Lucille and thought it would actually include more about her.

This book really didn't grab me in and I couldn't relate or bond with any of the characters. I felt by the end of the book I was just reading it to say that I actually finished it. 

This book wasn't completely what I expected as I envisioned Sophie becoming some big comedic star however for most of the book she stays on the small screen like Lucille did with I Love Lucy.

The show Barbara (and Jim) reminded me very much of I Love Lucy and then when they progressed to Everyone Loves Sophie it reminded me of Here's Lucy. 

I felt this book didn't just focus on Sophie but her colleagues around her and this was something I wasn't interested in and felt was somewhat unnecessary.  

During the book Sophie had a very brief encounter with Lucy and I would of loved this scene to of been longer and for Sophie to of had a better experience meeting her. 

I really skim read the last quarter of this book as I just didn't have much of an interest to the storyline and just wanted to see how it ended.

Below is my review over on YouTube.

A very short review this time and I hope to have a better rated book next time for you.

Sophie xx

Disney Pin Haul- Ebay, Instagram, Facebook

Hey Guys so today is going to be a Disney Pin post on some of this pins I've recently bought from various sources. I've been collecting Disney pins now for over 10 years and really bought some great pins this time around! If you have any pin related questions then leave me a comment below.

This first pin was bought on Ebay and shows Minnie Mouse dressed as Mary Poppins on her carousel horse. Mary Poppins is my favourite Disney film so I just had to have it. I'm now on the hunt for the matching Mickey as Bert pin.

These two pins above were also purchased on Ebay and are an open edition of two pins released at WDW. Again super cute for anyone who is a fan of Mary Poppins.

This next pin is a tribute to my childhood and is my first Disney Soda Fountain Marquee pin. High School Musical and its films were a huge part of my childhood and I just knew I needed this pin for my collection. I managed to put in a best offer for this pin so got it a bit cheaper than it was initially priced at.

The next 5 pins my dad managed to get for me at DTD whilst he was in Florida and this was one of the ones I asked him to get. It's a set of two pins and is part of the Best Friends Series and features Pooh and Tigger.

  

This pin is part of the GenEARation D series and features Elliot the dragon from "Petes Dragon". I would really like to get the Ariel pin from this series.

This pin features Chip and Dale dress as nurses to celebrate Nurses Day.

This pin was the one I was most excited for and was the one I specifically asked my dad to get. It's part of the shield series and is the second to be released. It has Eric's crest and show Ariel and Eric in a boat during the kiss the girl scene.

This final pin that my dad got me is a Mother's Day pin as the USA were celebrating it around the time it was released. Its really pretty in person due to the glitter background.

This next pin I bought off of someone on Instagram and adds to my Disney Soda Fountain collection. I have a huge love for the fifties and was so excited to see this pin. It shows Jessica Rabbit dressed in a typcial 50's poodle skirt and stood in front of a jukebox. As you can see the back of DSF pins have little ice creams on them.

This pin I again bought off of someone on Instagram and was released also at the DSF store. It was one of four designs released but of course I had to get the Little Mermaid one. It features one of my favourite scenes at the end of the film.

This fortune cookie pin is the last one I purchased off of Instagram and is one of the chasers from the set. It features Mary Poppins and reads " Practically perfect in every way".



The next pin is my first jumbo pin and it's so pretty! I bought not only this pin but the next few Aristocats pins from a guy over on Facebook. This pin has it's own stand which I really like as it means I can display it not on a cork board. This pin is very similar to a standard size pin released on the Disney UK store however this one as more of a photo look rather than created with enamel.

Heres a size comparison of the Jumbo compared to a hidden mickey pin.

I previously owned the 3 kittens pin however when I saw he was selling the whole hidden Mickey set I knew I had to buy them!

This pin was a surprise Zap that he threw in! ( A Zap is a surprise gift or pin).

Below is my coordinating YouTube Video where you can see the pins more in depth.

I hope you enjoyed this pin post and I'll talk to you soon! Sophie x

Book Corner | The art of being normal by Lisa Williamson

Rating: 5/5
Pages: 368

I picked this book up last month on quite an impulse buy as I'd never heard about it before. But I was quite drawn to the cover and had a fair inkling as to what it would be about. I'm always looking for books that are slightly different from the normal teen romance or dystopian stories and also for those that are on subjects I don't know much about or have never read about before. Well this book ticks those boxes. This book features two protagonists and the chapters alternate between both of their perspectives. 

The first protagonist is called David and his secret is that he wants to be a girl. Only he two best friends know this and David is preparing to break the news to his parents.

The second protagonist is called Leo and for circumstances that don't become apparent towards the end of the book he has to move schools which just happens to be the same school that David goes to. 

Everyone has theories as to why Leo got kicked out of his previous school and see him as the moody scary one. However David is drawn to him especially when Leo decided to hit the bully that is picking on him.

This book follows the two as their friendship unexpectedly grows and how David is dealing with his secret.

I really enjoyed this book and gave it 5/5 stars on Goodreads. I felt that it was a very refreshing and eye opening to the subject of being transgender and it was like nothing i've read before. 

Here is the video I recored on my YouTube page.

The rest of this post contains spoilers.

Throughout the book I knew there was something big behind why Leo left his previous school. And as the book went on I had my suspicions that Leo was also transgender or gay. Well my theories turned out to be right Leo used to be a girl and he had to leave his precious school due to a large amount of bullying that was putting his safety at risk. I was extremely relieved when David and Leo both shared their secrets with each other as it meant they could really relate as to what they were going through. Naturally I wanted David and Leo to get together however I understand that that wouldn't be the realistic outcome and I'm glad Leo was able to repair his friendship with Alicia. 

It was also nice to see David's parents be so understanding about him being transgender and they acknowledged that it would take time to adjust and that they would face hurdles on the way. 

I hope you enjoyed this review and might even read it yourself. So until next time, Sophie x