Saturday 30 March 2013

Update!

So I haven't finished any books lately (in fact I'm annoyed at myself because my friend who doesn't read that much has read more than me this year) but I have a few books on the go at this point that I'd like to give a few updates on so you guys aren't left reviewless and postless.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by JK Rowling

This is just a lovely wonderful nostalgia filled read that I'm so happy I'm reading. It's strange because I'm currently sitting in my room at home, in my bed, reading a book I remember so many memories of reading at school and when I was younger. It's pretty amazing to be reading it again. I'm taking this one pretty slow though. Harry's only just gotten onto Platform 9 3/4 so yeah. It's awesome to read though.

The Vampire Stalker by Allison von Diepen

This book just takes me back to my badly written, fanfiction obsessed days. The days when I genuinely couldn't stop thinking about what would happen if this happened or this happened or this. It's one of those books that I'm really enjoying quite a bit, but not because it's anything spectacular. It's a stupid read but it's one that you can kinda enjoy if you don't take it seriously.

Last Chance by Michelle Birbeck

This one is an ARC that lovely Michelle sent me. It's the sequel to her first book The Last Keeper. I won't be reviewing this until very very later. I'm helping with her blog tour, so that's exciting! I'm taking this one slowly so I can write up a concise and fun review. But I have to say, I'm already getting excited to see the same characters popping up and being so fun and similar and everything.

Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux

Surprisingly, yes I am reading a Gothic Classic! I know crazy. Basically we're doing a big Gothic Conference at my University, and my friend and I are helping with a big opening to the Phantom Overture, and with the day in general really. However, to get myself in the mood for this big Gothic Conference, I wanted to actually read the book. I'm five chapters in so far and I'm really enjoying it! I'm surprised at how much I'm enjoying it to be fair, I'm not a Classics girl and I will openly admit that. However, I have a love of Frankenstein, and this is kinda reminding me of my love for that. I'm also planning on reading Dracula. I'm interested in going to some of the roots of some of the horror films we see today (I'm quite a big Horror film buff, though a lot of them make me laugh). So you might be seeing a big list of Gothic fiction reviews coming up in the next few months.

And right now that's all that I'm obsessed with book wise. Unless you count the Zombies, Run! app as a story. Because seriously that app keeps shocking me and making me want to run more just to hear what'll happen.

Okay I'm going off on a tangent. Hopefully I'll have a review up of The Vampire Stalker and get a few more review up of other things. Unfortunately I don't think I will I'm apparently doing a lot of rereading/reading of books I can't review as of yet. Sorry guys. I will get to it I promise!

Monday 11 March 2013

I keep being bad at book club

So I was planning to read Cloud Atlas, but as it turns out its a ridiculously big book and I don't have time this month to read it. I'm sorry but classes come first.

Instead, I'm rereading a classic, a childhood favourite, and a book that already has almost made me cry three times in chapter 1 (mainly from nostalgia)

I'm rereading Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by JK Rowling.

It still fits in with my book club requirements, but it's something quick and easy to read as well as something nice to remember. Last year was the first time that I didn't read a single Harry Potter book all year since I was eleven.

So now we've established how bad I am at picking a book, let me promise you this. I will finish reading this book by the end of March.

Sunday 3 March 2013

Yup. I didn't finish it.

Were you expecting much from me? I went to see a film with an old friend and when I got back home, my flatmates were going out to play pool. It was a chance for actual human interaction, it doesn't happen that often.

So yeah, I haven't finished Uncommon Criminals yet. I PLAN TO FINISH IT THOUGH. I will be reading it and reviewing it later on in the month. Basically Uni comes first and then sometimes when I really need to go out and just relax from Uni work, books are left. Yeah, I'm sorry I'm a bad bookworm.

This month's theme is now up on Once A Month Book Club, and the theme is a book that has been turned into a film/tv series. And I have loads of these. Seriously, I have so many. However, I decided to pick up a book I wouldn't usually read, and that I'm excited for the film. And that is:


 Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell

Goodreads Summary: A reluctant voyager crossing the Pacific in 1850; a disinherited composer blagging a precarious livelihood in between-the-wars Belgium; a high-minded journalist in Governor Reagan’s California; a vanity publisher fleeing his gangland creditors; a genetically modified “dinery server” on death-row; and Zachry, a young Pacific Islander witnessing the nightfall of science and civilisation—the narrators of Cloud Atlas hear each other’s echoes down the corridor of history, and their destinies are changed in ways great and small.

In his captivating third novel, David Mitchell erases the boundaries of language, genre and time to offer a meditation on humanity’s dangerous will to power, and where it may lead us.


Now, since buying this book, I've been told by a fair few people that it's hard to read. However I'm determined to read it. So I've decided if I read 20 or so pages a night and leave it at that, then I can probably get through it.

As always if I finish it I will try to post a review on here, and I'll try to do a few updates throughout the week. If you'd like to participate let me know below what you'd want to read, or go visit the blog and tell us there. We also have a Goodreads bookclub up too! There's no excuse for you not to join one of them. Go on. It's not crazy pressure, it's a lot easier than you'd expect. We don't bite promise!

If you've read Cloud Atlas let me know, tell me what you thought too I'd love to hear!

Friday 1 March 2013

One day until the end of the book club and...

....yeah I haven't finished my book. To be fair the past week has been crazy busy, I have barely had time to sit down and think never mind read.

I'm now up to Chapter Ten and about a quarter of the way through the book. I'm not going to give up though! I'm going to read as much of this book as I can in the next twelve hours and hopefully I'll have a review up by tonight of it. Maybe tomorrow.

So far what I think of it:

It's very typical Ally Carter, very fun quick reads that you can enjoy reading and don't have to worry too much about understanding them. The characters still work the way they do, Hale and Kat are still having their little weird thing. Gabrielle is having her normal bored tone. I was really interested to see how she'd move on from Heist Society, because bar the Visily Romani part, it could be a stand alone book, and really even if you have that element, you could just read Heist Society and leave it like that.

I think overall so far I'm really enjoying it, I'm just annoyed I've been so busy with essay writing and helping people out with Medieval Extravaganzas and Radio dramas. Don't get me wrong, I've had some awesome fun times in them, it's just left me a bit more than stressed out.

So yeah, no more updates on this months book until I finish it (and yes I'm aware it's technically March, but the book club blog says the new challenge goes up Saturday, so that's fine with me)

Comment below if you've read this book (no spoilers please, I'm still in the process of reading it) and I'll talk to you guys later

Happy reading!