So seeing as I have so many books to review at the moment I thought I would combine them into one post. Stay tuned for the end for my corresponding video.
Pages:170
Rating: 5/5
So you may know the film or even the t.v. series 10 Things I Hate About you but did you know its based off of a book? 10 Things was originally written by David Levithan and is inspired by the Shakespeare novel "Taming Of The Shrew". 10 Things is my favourite film and I've been looking for ages for the book. Well recently I finally found it on the market place of Amazon and got it for around £4 used! I couldn't believe it! You can definitely tell its been read and pre owned however its still in really good shape all things considering. If you don't know the story its set in a high school and has a few main characters. Bianca and Kat are sisters and Bianca is set on being popular and dating Joey. Kat on the other hand is pretty much anti-everything including Joey. Cameron is new to Padua High School and instantly has a crush on Bianca however to get her to go on a date he needs to find a date for her sister Kat. This is where Mr. Patrick Verona comes into play to try and whoo Kat.
Its just a really funny typical teenage book and in my eyes a classic. I really could not recommend this book or the film enough!
Pages: 448
Rating: 3/5
This book is a true story based on the authors experiences and follows her from age 5 to around 18/19. Her story starts in Buczacz, Poland with her mother and 3 brothers. This book starts straight away by telling you who dies in Alicia's family and really sets the tone for the book. You know that it's not going to be easy for her to loose so many family members and that it will take a toll on the whole family. This book is quite different to other stories I've read of Jewish people during the war and Holocaust as they usually involve a camp of some sort or being held prisoner. Alicia's story was different as it was all about hiding and doing whatever she could to feed her family and hide from the authority's. One aspect of Alicia that stood out to me was how grown up she was for her age, understandably she probably had to grow up quicker than expected and naturally didn't have the typical childhood. I really liked how Alicia in the end set up an orphanage for other children who are in the same situation as her. I did enjoy this book and it was definitely different from other Holocaust books i've read however I did loose interest towards the end of the book.
Pages: 253
Rating: 3/5
I purchased this book about 4 years ago and shamefully have only just got around to reading it! I originally got this book at the Titanic museum in Tennessee and it just so happened that the author was there signing and selling his book. I'd never heard of the book before but was interested to read this mans book (and to get him to sign it). This book contains any information you would ever want or need to know about the ship, its voyage and the passengers who travelled on the liner. Overall I found this book quite interesting and would really recommend it if you are super interested in the Titanic. This book goes into extreme detail about how the ship was made and all the statistics about it. It can at times be a bit overwhelming and hard to picture its true size.
The facts I found most interesting were about the passengers themselves as I liked to find out about their backstories and wether they survived the tragic event. It was also fascinating to read about the passengers that had bought tickets but for various reasons ended up not going on the voyage and therefor saving their lives. One stand out story was about a man who survived the Titanic however a couple years later was hit by a cab in New York and died.
One thing you realise when reading this book is that the Titanic was bound to have an accident or crash. This is because they cut so many corners such as not giving it a long enough test drive just in case it pushed back the voyage date. There was a fire on board ship and things took longer than expected and were there for rushed. Another aspect I found really shocking was the amount of life boats on board. They had enough to please the standards regulation however there wasn't nearly enough to take the amount of people on board hence why so many lost their lives.
This is a thoroughly interesting book however there is a lot of statistics and numbers that really just went over my head.
I hope you enjoyed this mini review and below is my corresponding video.
So today is going to be a trilogy round up of Quarantine by Lex Thomas.
(Lex Thomas is the pen name that two authors write under).
Quarantine is a series about a high school on lockdown after a deadly virus is exposed to the teens and they are forced to live and be quarantined within the school. I will be reviewing each book and will notify when spoilers will be present.
Rating: 5/5Pages:
The first book is "The Loners" and starts of with there being "a drop" in the school playground that the kids are all anticipating. We don't know why or what has happened at this point. It then goes back in time to before this big event and we meet the two main protagonists. David and Will are brothers of which it is Will's first day at high school. They are walking the hallways when all of a sudden there is an explosion and the teachers start to throw up blood and instantly die ( If you think that's too gruesome this book probably isn't for you). The book then follows David and Will as they try to come to terms with the fact they are trapped within the school wondering how they will survive and get food especially since they aren't part of a group. The teens have taken it apon themselves to craft different groups such as "the pretty ones" or "the freaks". These are largely social status based but offer vital protection and food.
Let me start by saying the book is extremely violent and is probably not one for the younger readers(below 16?) There's scenes of swearing, sex, rape and acts of murder and it is just extremely brutal. Normally I would shy away from such violence however I really liked it in the book as it showed what lengths they went to to survive and how savage they had become. There was also a lot of thieving for food and people would trade whatever they owned just go get the basics.
We later find out that the virus only thrives in the bodies of teens and that it is deadly to anyone younger or older ( hence why the teachers died). We are also told that a teen who had the virus from an illegal experiment escaped and ran into the school in which the military then had to shoot at him and blew up part of the school.
In the foyer of the school is a scanner in which pupils go to on what is supposed to be their graduation day. Their grad day signifies the virus leaving their body and if the scanner recognises this then they are taking through a chamber and out of the school.
This book reminded me of The Hunger Games as it was very survival based and brutal but it also reminded me of The Maze Runner in which they had to learn to be self sufficient.
David ends up protecting a girl called Lucy and we find out that Will has had a huge crush on her however she likes David and we are faced with a love triangle storyline.
Overall this book really kept me gripped as it's very different from anything I've read before and again I actually really liked how gruesome and survival based it was.
The rest of the review contains events that happen late in the book and I suggest you don't read on unless you've read the first book. Below is a review I recoded over on my YouTube channel.
David is approached by some people called the scraps who do not belong to a group and ask him to be a leader for a group they want to be called " The Loners". David agrees and this is a natural progression for the book which I enjoyed reading about.
One day a student tries to escape during another students grad day and after that stint no more food is dropped into the quad. Things get really desperate for the teens especially for David as not only does he have a group to run but his graduation ay is approaching.
The day he's supposed to graduate the portal and scanner aren't working and David needs to find a way out to survive or risk death due to be surrounded by his friends.
Will, Lucy and the other Loners help David however we are left with a huge cliffhanger!
David find a tunnel to get out however the tunnel collapses on him and Lucy and we don't know if either of them have survived!
Finally a group of outsider teenagers manage to enter the school offering food and help. We are left not knowing who they are and if they are infected or not.
Needless to say I got straight to ordering the next two books and would highly recommend this trilogy!
Rating:5/5
Pages: 384
The second book starts off different from the first as we start to read from Will's and Lucy's perspective and are left to question what has happened to David. That being said it does pick up right where the first book left off with the group of kids called "The Saints" trying to free the quarantined students. Will and Lucy make a break for the exit and are so close to freedom when a school bus crashes into the side of the school and blocks their only way out. Faced with the reality that they are still trapped within the school the students turn to the Saints for answers about the outside world.
One of the ousiders tells them that other teens have been infected including the Saints and that family's were moving away from their children to protect themselves. The Army proceeded to shoot some of the infected teens and then put out a call for teens to hand themselves in however they didn't know that their fate would be a gas chamber. ( To me it sounded like a lot of what happened during the Holocaust and people handing themselves in not knowing what their future held for them.
Will and Lucy spot a outsider teen wearing an eyepatch that they instantly recognised as David's. When they approach the teen he tells them that he got it off a dead kid and this further backs up our thoughts that David is dead. For me I felt that his death was rather overlooked and didn't focus on it much however this did become apparent why at the end of the book.
Without David the group of Loners starts to disintegrate as they no longer have a leader to guide them. Members including Lucy reach out to new groups in hope of finding somewhere new to belong. Lucy decided to join the slut group and has to endure an initiation week... completely naked.
This leaves Will essentially on his own until Gates a member of the Saints asks him to become their leader. Will suddenly has to deal with this huge amount of power and pressure which I feel goes to his head a little.
It was really interesting to see the tables turn on Sam and to see him go from being the leader of the Varsity guys to being held hostage by the Saints and crumbling to nothing.
There became a point in the middle of the book where everyone seemed at peace with one another and their situation. They had all the supplies they wanted ( thanks to the help from the parents who visited them on the wall) and there seemed to be no major arguments between the groups.
I really liked that in this book you could read from Lucy's and Will's thoughts, experiences and perspectives. I especially liked getting to know Lucy more in the second book.
One overall point I want to make about this book is that it is just as brutal and violent as the first book which I actually really liked.
I'll stop there if you havn't read "The Saints" but if you have or want to see more of my thoughts on the end of the book then keep reading.
During Lucy and Will's time apart in separate groups they have an argument and from a reader's perspective you really want them to makeup and get together now that David's out of the picture and not complicating things. Surprise surprise not long after this point in the book they make up and even get down to... the deed... if you catch my drift.
One event that was quite unexpected and just reiterates how gruesome this book is was when Sam got killed by the pig that managed to get loose. It also showed once again how far Sam had fallen in such a short period of time. When I think of Sam being killed you would expect it to be in a fight probably shot or stabbed not mauled by a pig!
One character we start to get to know a lot in this book is Gates who is one of the Saints. Towards the start of the book we don't know that much about him but as the story progresses we not only find out about his past but I feel the school and the virus as made him go quite mad. Gates slowly starts to go crazy and hallucinate, he starts to believe that Will is his dead brother Colton ( who Gates actually killed).
The big twist at the end is when Will gets to graduate early, leaving Lucy truly on her own and we're left speculating what will happen to her and how will Will cope on the out side. When Will does get outside of the school who is he faced with but his brother! David's alive and thats where they leave it on a cliffhanger. Personally I really liked this ending as you are left with so many questions such as "How is David still alive?" " How's the rest of the state dealing with this virus?" and "How will the book end?". After reading this book I was really excited to see how the authors could possibly wrap up the trilogy and bring it all to a conclusion.
Don't read on if you havn't read the first two books.
Rating: 4/5
Pages: 272
The third book "The Burnouts" starts again exactly where book 2 left off which is a element I really like within this series. Book 3 is noticeably smaller than the first two books however I didn't feel as if there wasn't enough or too little content. After Lucy kills Gates in the first book she is kicked out of the sluts in the third book as their leader Violent also died in the same fight and the Sluts blame Lucy for her death.
One huge question left from the end of the second book is now that David's alive who is going to be in a relationship with Lucy?! We are back with the love triangle which is made even worse by the fact that Lucy is now pregnant with Will's baby! (This was a major unexpected twist).
One of the things David tells Will when he gets out is that there might be a cure for this virus and they begin to plan to find this cure. However when Will finds out Lucy is pregnant he is set on going back in to find her.
I'll stop there to save spoilers but if you want to find out more and get my review on the final book in the series then keep reading.
So Lucy is left pretty much on her own now that she is group less and stumbles across the "burnouts" who spend all their time making and taking any drug they can find in the school.(she also has a miscarriage, which we probably feel is for the best seeing what situation she is in). One twist to the story was how Hilary dies at the prom she puts on before her graduation. For me I felt like she had it coming to her and she finally got a taste of her own medicine.
David then helps the remaining kids escape the school and sees them reunited with their parents. Then the love triangle really comes to a head. Will gives Lucy an ultimatum to choose between him and David. When Lucy ultimately chooses David, Will flees town and is met by a group of people saying they have "the cure". Sadly this is not the case and the liquid they start to spray on the infected teen actually makes the start to throw up. When David,Will and Lucy start to see this they start to run but tragically Will gets shot in the head. As a reader we feel compassion for his loss but this seems not to be the case for David who essentially turns and leaves him showing very little affection. I also felt that Will's death was very abrupt in this book.
Now fast forward to the last chapter of the book. Lucy and David are reunited and the biggest plot twist of all is that Lucy is still pregnant! When she previously had her miscarriage she only lost of of 2 twins she was carrying! This was really unexpected and its sad that Will never got to know about this other child he had. This last chapter really left me hanging and I would of liked there to of been some kind of epilogue set in the future to see how they tried to get mack to normality.
Overall I really enjoyed reading this series as it really was a different read for me!
I would really recommend you start reading this series if it interest you and until next time,
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.
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
Moloka'i is centered around a Hawaiian seven year old girl called Rachel who lives in Honolulu. However whilst living there she contracts leprosy ( also known as Hansen's disease). Rachel is forced to be sent to the island Molokai within Hawaii to a leprosy settlement camp in Kalaupapa. There the only person she knows is her Uncle who was sent there before her also diagnosed with leprosy. This book is fiction however it is based off of true events. Between 1866 and 1969 Kalaupapa did have a settlement camp and people still live there today but there are no active cases of the disease.
Throughout this book we see Rachel grow up on Molokai from the age of 7 all the way up to old age. I really enjoyed this aspect of the book as you really connected and grew up with the character. This book follows Rachel as she comes to terms with her condition, how she deals with it and even how she tries to cure it.
When Rachel first moves to Molokai' she is forced to stay in a convent with other underage girls rather than with her uncle. This infuriates Rachel as he is the only familiar person to her on the island and she even risks her life one night to go and visit him.
One main theme for me in this book is death as it heavily features throughout. Her uncle is just one of many people she has to say goodbye to throughout her life. The other theme that stuck out for me was family, not only does Rachel leave all her family behind but she learns to create friendships with people on Molokai that then become family to her despite not being blood relatives.
One relationship that grew throughout the book and became more valued was that of Rachel and Sister Catherine who she first met aged seven at the convent. They started out not on the best of terms but as Rachel grows older they start to become friends and Rachel even saves her from committing suicide.
Due to the long time span of this book we see the introduction of a lot of technology, for example: planes, moving pictures and electricity in homes. We also get an inside view of what it was like for Hawaiians during the Pearl Harbour attack.
At times I did find it a little hard to take in all the native Hawaiian words and I think it would of been really helpful for there to of been a dictionary at the back for if you forget what a word means.
If you haven't read the book or are intending to then DON'T read on as the rest of the post contains spoilers.
Rachel meets a man called Kenji and they end up getting married and having a baby girl called Ruth. However to prevent their baby from contacting leprosy they have to give her up for adoption within hours of being birthed.
Rachel had to be tested 6 negative times for leprosy in order to be able to leave the island. When this eventually did happen late in life Rachel went in search for her family. She first found one of her aunts who basically shuts the door in her face and doesn't want to know her or to be reminded of what happened to their family.
She then found her sister Sarah who was more than happy to see her. Sadly one of her brothers also contracted leprosy at a young age and died quickly, therefore they thought Rachel would of also shared the same fate.
However what Rachel wants most is to find her daughter who she finds living in California. Her daughter Ruth was shocked when she heard her birth mother had Leprosy but was also pleased to learn her mother really had no other option but to give her up as the government forced Rachel and Kenji to.
The book ends with Ruth and her daughter attending her mother's funeral in Honolulu. It was nice that Ruth was able to see where her Mother grew up and too see how different it is to the United States.
Overall I was really pleased with this book and I feel a lot more educated on what went on at that time in Hawaii and how people had to deal with leprosy and all the prejudice families faced when a member of their family contracted it. I found it really refreshing to read as it's like nothing I've ever read before.
Below is the review I filmed over on my Youtube page:
I hope you enjoyed this recap and review of the book.
City Of Women follows a german civilian called Sigrid Schroder who try's to be the perfect German and perfect soldiers wife. Sigrid lives with her mother-in-law in Berlin however she hides a secret. Whilst Sigrid's husband is serving on the eastern front fighting for his country she has been meeting up and having an affair with a Jewish lover.
We follow Sigrid as she not only try's to keep that a secret but also one of the girl who lives in the same building; she's part of a group that helps to hide and transport Jews and others people trying to avoid the Nazi's.
I found this book to have a really interesting plot line and its not like anything I've read before. Firstly it was quite a nice change to hear a story from a German who doesn't necessarily have to worry about being persecuted but it was intriguing to see her still put herself and others around her in so much danger. However overall I wasn't too thrilled with the book and I wasn't racing to finish it, I felt that I didn't really warm to any of the characters and that played a big part of me enjoying the book, hence only giving it 3/5 on Goodreads.
I must say this isn't a ww2 book to read if your below the age of 16/17, I found it to be very graphic and sexual at times so that's something to bare in mind going into it.
I was also quite shocked how common it seemed for the characters in the book to have affairs and sleep with multiple people whilst their other half was either back at home or on the frontline.
One event in the book really stood out to me and that was when Sigrid's husband comes home and tells her how he and his comrades set a barn on fire with a group of innocent people trapped inside it. Needless to say it was a graphic scene but it also made Sigrid realise what she didn't want to admit, that her husband really was a murderer.
I wouldn't race to re-read this however I do think it has an interesting plot line that many would enjoy.
I filmed a corresponding video on my thoughts which you can see over on my Youtube page.
For Christmas I received Mario Lopez's autobiography "Just Between Us" and this month I finished it and therefor wanted to review it. Firstly I'll start off by saying I'm a huge fan of Mario and Saved By The Bell and he even replied to my tweet on twitter! Major fangirl moment.
I found this book to be a very quick read and it was nice to read an autobiography that was so recently written.
Mario's book follows him from growing up in southern California to being on Saved By The Bell and then to the present day and having his two children.
I found it interesting to read about how Mario was expected to die as a baby yet his dad took him to Mexico to see a witch doctor and subsequently survived defying doctors opinions. It was intriguing to read about such an experience and how sometimes out of the ordinary remedies can work.
I found that Mario was extremely open about his life which I find admirable and shows that he was really willing to put everything into this book. Two events in particular show this the first being when Mario got a girl pregnant at quite a young age. Even though he knew they were probably too young to have a child Mario was willing to stop his acting jobs and get a "proper job" to help support this girl and their baby. He knew either way that it was the girls decision to abort the baby or not and he was about to fully stand behind her whatever her decision, (Spoiler she had it aborted). The second event was when Mario invested $60k into a bar business in Mexico that eventually was unsuccessful and a waste of money. However despite these two things happening Mario has always taken responsibility for his actions and he seems very down earth because of it.
One part of Mario's life that I did want to hear more about was his time on Saved By The Bell. I was intrigued to find out about the shows schedule (which we did) but also about the cast dynamics and the gossip that went on around set. We did hear a little about what Mario thought of his cast mates and lifelong friends however we of course can't ask for more than what he has written.
I found myself enjoying the book more towards the end when the events he were talking about were more recent including his time on Extra, interviewing celebrities and meeting his future wife. In particular it was interesting to read about the struggle they faced to have their children and how happy he seems to now be a father.
Overall I gave this book 3/5 stars on my Goodreads page which you can see here. I found it one of the better autobiography's to read and is a nice light read. Like I said I would of liked to hear more about his time on SBTB and all the gossip from his interviews but it was also nice to hear how he got to that stage in his life and how he still values his Mexican roots.
That's all for today's post so until next time pick up a book and read! Sophie x
Girl Online is Youtube sensation Zoe Sugg aka Zoella's debut novel. Its been widely reviewed both good and bad and she has been criticised for using a co-writer (Siobhan Curham) to help write the story. However this being said I LOVED IT. I really had no expectations going into this book and didn't know much about the plot line therefore I really was pleasantly surprised.
The story follows a girl called Penny from Brighton (remind us of anyone?) and needless to say she isn't the best for social situations. Penny also writes a blog and uses that as her way of distressing. Penny's parents are wedding planners and are offered the chance to plan a last minute wedding in... NEW YORK of all places. Penny suffers from anxiety since being in a car crash therefore is initially worried about being on a plane and far from home however with her best friend Elliot the four of them make the journey to the big apple.
Once there Penny meets a boy called Noah who we all fall in love with and is such a sweetheart, however we get the impression he's hiding something from here. My initial thought was that he was famous ( if you've read the book you know what happened) and we find this huge plot twist out near the end of the book. When this twist did happen I was so intrigued to see how the book ended and raced through the last 100 pages.
Zoe/Siobhan's writing really reminded me of British children's writer Jacqueline Wilson and I can see why it would appeal to anyone from the age of 8-15 but even I as an 18 year old could enjoy it. Despite having a ghost writer I could see where Zoe had her input especially when it came to Penny's anxiety. When she described Penny on the plane I could really relate to what she was going through and the symptoms Penny was feeling. ( I plan to write a blog post soon on my Anxiety journey).
When Penny was writing her soulmate list about Noah I could completely relate to my younger self and I'm sure a lot of youngsters have done that at some point.
Overall I found this book really cheesy but I adored it for that, it was slightly predictable at times but the plot twist saved the story. The chapters were small which I personally like as I find it easier to read more in a session.
I gave this book 5/5 stars as it really had me gripped, I would recommend it more to younger teenagers but it is still relatable to older teens.
Over on my Youtube channel I have a corresponding video of me reviewing this book which you can see below.
In light of it being 70 years since the atrocities of the Holocaust I have decided to compile a list of my top 5 Holocaust related books. I have a real interest for ww2 and the Holocaust as I studied it at GCSE's and have myself visited 2 concentration camps.
1. The Diary Of A Young Girl by Anne Frank: This book is a classic when it comes to non-fiction books. I'm sure you all know about Anne Frank and her story but if not it is about her and her Jewish family having to live in a secret annex for years to avoid persecution. It is a timeless book and is amazing to have it written as it was happening rather than many decades later.
2. Anne Frank Remembered by Miep Gies: Miep Gies is one of the few people that helped to hide the Frank and Van Pels families. I found it really interesting to get an outsiders point of view and to see what risks she took to hide them. This book not only features the hard times but also shows how Miep was still able to laugh during that period. It definitely one to read if you are interested in Anne's story.
3. Annexed by Sharon Dogar: Sharon's book is of a diary style of which features what it would of been like for Peter Van Pels ( the young boy also staying in the annex) and what he might of been feeling during that time. Again it is a great to have another potential view on their situation and is a must read if you liked Peter and Anne's diary. I gave it 5 stars on Goodreads.
4. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak: This is another classic when it comes to Holocaust related books and since its publishing has been turned into an amazing movie. The book features a young girl called Liesel who stays with a couple in Germany in which they later have to hide a jew. The book follows how Liesel deals with the new addition as well as doing anything to get her hands on some new books. I would completely recommend this book to anyone who wants to start reading ww2 related books.
5. Out Of Hitler Time by Judith Kerr: This books is a bind up of three of Judith's books which are; "When Hitler stole pink rabbit", "The other way around" and "A small person far away" Despite reading this many years ago I remember really enjoying it and was one of the first ww2 books I read. It follows a girl called Anna who is just a child in the first book and then throughout the following books we see grow up. I would definitely recommend this series.
I filmed a corresponding video which you can see here.
If you've got any Holocaust or ww2 related books then leave me a comment I'd love to get some new recommendations.
So after reading The Book Thief I was in desperate need of reading something more light hearted and an easy read. So I decided it was the perfect time to read Joan Rivers "Diary Of A Mad Diva" which I picked up last month (actually 2 days after her passing). As you can see from the image above this little gem is a signed copy and as soon as I saw it I grabbed it and put it in my basket! Its amazing to think she once touched this book and seeing as it was the only signed one there it was definitely meant to be that I had it.
Needless to say this book is Joan therefore should probably be read from the age of 16 upwards as it contains adult themes and bold comedy on somewhat sensitive issues. At the front of the book Joan/her publicist states that this book should definitely be taken with a pinch of salt! I say if you didn't like Joan's humour don't read it.
This book is unlike Joan's other books as it's in a diary form covering a whole year (2013). She doesn't necessarily write every day and somedays all you get is a sentence or two but realistically who really sits everyday writing pages and pages in their diary? I certainly don't. This book is just shy of 300 pages so its easily read within a day or two and would be perfect to read by the pool or beach. For the more avid readers this book would be really good to read between long books or to get through a reading slump.
I found it really poignant to read Joan's entry's around her birthday as she talks about being 80 and her thoughts on dying. The same with her new years entry as she talks about ringing in 2015 which we now know won't happen.
Overall this book is just a good laugh, an easy read and should be taken very light heartedly.
Pages: 552 Film Length: 125 minutes Book Rating: 5/5 Film Rating: 5/5
Book Review
So this was my second time reading The Book Thief as I first read it about 3 or 4 years ago. I chose to pick up The Book Thief again as I finally managed to get my hands on the DVD and I wanted to compare the two. The first time I read The Book Thief I was studying GCSE History therefore it was really relevant to my work as we were looking at Hitlers rise to power and the ww2 period. This book opened my eyes to this whole genre surrounding the Holocaust and I've been hooked ever since.
From reading it the first time I remembered the general plot line however I couldn't really remember how it ended. I also remembered little things such as the mentioning of Jesse Owens as me and my classmate were able to discuss this with out teacher as we'd both read the book. Overall I really remembered enjoying the book and the way it was narrated.
Second time around my views were the same, I was still a little unsure of death narrating the book and giving slight spoilers to the rest of the story but as the book went on it just fitted so well and was a very unique aspect. As expected I instantly warmed to Hans Hubermann (Liesel's new father) and I could see that Liesel's mother did love her she just had a more disciplined view on things.
Spoilers- If you haven't read the book or seen the film I suggest you don't read on as I talk about the end of the book.
Second time around and I was still saddened by the ending and Liesel being the only one to survive the bombing. I feel this really says something about the book as it gave as much impact as if I was reading it for the first time. On the other hand I was overjoyed that Max survived and was able to return to Liesel however I wanted to know what happened between them in the following weeks/months.
Film Comparison
Going into the film I didn't know what to expect from it as I didn't know any of the characters and I hadn't read any reviews on it either. From that I can happily say that I loved the film and it really brought the book to life. Yes there were things that didn't look how I imagined them to be, for instance I expected the Hubermann's house to be smaller and for Himmel Street to be one straight road). I felt that the cast for the Hubermann's was perfect as I again warmed to Hans Hubermann and disliked(at the start) Frau Hubermann.
One character I did like more in the film than the book was Rudy. He had such a cheekiness to him that I instantly adored and I bawled when he died on the street.
One scene I felt was the most poignant and powerful was the Kristallnacht scene where Jews were being thrown out of their houses and their businesses destroyed. The singing of the Hitler Youth alongside this bought a sense of innocence to the children compared to the outrageous acts of the party members.
Another aspect I didn't anticipate for was how big the Mayor's house was, it was just huge!
One of my favourite scenes was the snowball fight in the basement. I loved how they snuck the snow in and really brought the fun side out of Frau Hubermann ( I think this was her turning point in the film).
A few things I wanted them to include more in the film were:
-Seeing her Father swap seats on the truck and therefore saving his life
-Liesel actually seeing Max in the parade of Jews.
-There wasn't enough concentration of Liesel actually being a thief.
-Hans Hubermann being a non party member/sympathiser.
Now I know if they had included more it would of been 3 hrs long but I felt that these were some really important parts and in some cases there just wasn't enough emphasis.
I also feel that in the film you're made to assume more that death is narrating whereas in the book its almost told to you.
Overall I really enjoyed the film and book and would definitely recommend both.
So I've definitely neglected this blog for a while mainly due to finishing my course at college and then withdrawing from my course at uni ( I may go into this in more detail at a later date but for now its still a little raw). One thing I also regretfully have been putting on the back burner is reading, I did quite a bit at the end of August when I was on holiday but since being at uni I had no desire to read. However today I finally finished "Before I Fall" by Lauren Oliver.
When I first picked up this book back in early September I was excited to read something else by Oliver as I previously have read the "Delirium" Trilogy ( click here to read my review on the series). However I quickly realised that this book wasn't grabbing my attention and that I wasn't fully engaging with the characters.
The plot line follows a girl called named Samantha Kingston who is in the "popular" group at her school. Early into the book we learn that one Friday night she is in a drink driving accident which leads to what she thought was her death. However the next day she wakes up reliving that Friday morning and the same thing happens the day after that and the day after that.
At the start of the book I took a huge disliking to Sam and her 3 friends as they came across mean, overly cocky and that nothing or no one could touch them. However as the book progressed and Sam was made to relive more and more of the same day she started to change how the day panned out and started to realise why she is disliked so much. She tries to put right some of her past mistakes and becomes a better person and by the end of the book I appreciated her efforts however I still wasn't overly fond of her character.
As the story unfolds I feel that Sam starts to listen to her own mind rather than being brainwashed by what her other popular friends think. We also learn that each of Sam's friends no matter how popular they are still keep a dark secret or have an issue they'd rather not talk about.
The rest of this review contains spoilers to the plot line and ending therefore do not proceed unless you have read the book.
One aspect I did like in the book is the relationship development between Sam and Kent as Sam finally sees that he isn't as weird as the populars made him out to be and she remembers the bond they had when they were younger. This relationship is one of the reasons why I hated the ending! You get so wrapped up in the idea of them being together that I just couldn't imagine Kent having to live without Sam. I also feel that when Sam throws herself into the road to save Juliet its left a little misty as to what happens next and we're left to guess. Personally I wanted to know how Kent and Sam's friends were feeling after her death and why Sam was living in the state between life and death. Naturally I wanted there to be some kind of loop hole that meant Sam could carry on living her "new life" as if that Friday night accident was all a dream.
Overall I was a little underwhelmed and I am yet to be wowed by Lauren Oliver's work.
My target for 2014 is to read a minimum of 40 books, below is a list of some books I really want to get to reading this year!
1. Allegiant by Veronica Roth
Believe it or not I still haven't got my hands on this book, now this for a few reasons:
I'm waiting to order the US cover so it matches my other books as I really dislike the British editions!
Im trying to finish up some of my other unfinished series
Finally it means i'm going to have to re-read Divergent and Insurgent, I have quite a bad memory so I tend to forget book plots easily
2. Jump Ship by Josh Shipp
This is Josh Shipp's second book that was released mid December, i've read his first book called "The teens guide to world domination" it is an amazingly inspirational book that I would recommend to any teenager who's questioning people in their life or what to do with their lives. In this second book Shipp advises on how to turn your passion into a profession.
For anyone in the UK you can get shipps books off Amazon or The Book Depository.
3. 10 things I hate about you by David Levithan
10 things I hate about you is one of my absolute favourite films partly because the cast includes Heath Ledger! I really want to read the book that inspired the film however this book is extremely hard to buy and I will have to do some major searching to find it.
4. The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey
In 2013 I heard nothing but good things about this book by various booktubers and knew it was something I was interested in reading. It is part of a trilogy which is why I've hesitated to start it as previously stated I want to tie up some unfinished series.
5. Requiem by lauren Oliver
Earlier this year I read Delirium which is the first book in this trilogy, it is about a dystopian world who are trying to cure "love". I remember really liking it and proceded to buy Pandemonium ... however I still haven't read it! My thoughts are to buy this book and just read through them all then I can just pick up the next book and not have to wait.
6. Legend by Marie Lu
This book had been on my " To be read" book for nearly a year! I first saw it on Elle Fowlers Vlog channel in one of her glitteratures. It is a trilogy but I definitely want to set time aside for it!
These are just a few of my top books that I want to read this year, if your have any recommendations then leave them below and also let me know what books you want to read this year.
