A wild reader appears back, and talks about rereading books.

Rereading books is one of those things that people either do or don’t do at all. You either find people who are in love with the world and want to dive back in, find out new things that you don’t remember or you never noticed, and you have people who think rereading is boring and the world will always be the same and why should they reread a book when there’s nothing new about it.

I fall into a category of I reread books when I love them so much I feel as though I need to dive into it again. Lately I’ve not been reading a lot, and that kills me. I’m a huge fan of books, I love reading. And yet as of late I just haven’t wanted to pick up a book and read it cover to cover. So, I took the advice of multiple people, of rereading a favourite book.

Can you guess what I chose?

What I found interesting about this process was that it really really worked. I mean, I had read six books up to the point when I started rereading. And then I picked up Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone last week, and now I’m onto Prisoner of Azkaban. And I’m remembering why I love the world so much, I remember why these books got me into reading desperately in the first place. I have memories of reading them, I have memories of my first spoiler (amazingly at that point I wasn’t aware spoilers were bad, and still cried when the spoiler came true). But what I found the most interesting was, even though I could probably recite passages from these books, and I knew which bits were coming next, I was still so invested in the next part, and then the next, and I didn’t care how much I’ve read these books, I just love reading them.

And I get that nostalgia has a huge part to play in this. We reread these books because when we were younger we made a connection with the characters. Sometimes when we reread a book, we realise how juvenile they are, how much we used to love them but the writing style is so bad. Sometimes we reread them and just feel like we’re home. And I love rereading books that make me feel happy and comfortable.

So, here’s my blog, it’s about the fuzzy feelings we get when we read books, it’s reviews, it’s talking about childhood books. I read primarily Young Adult fiction because I want to be Peter Pan and never grow up, and staying in the happy phase of more exciting teenaged years than mine. So get ready world, because I have no idea how this thing is going to go.

Review: Last Chance (Blog Tour Stop)

Warning, this is a review of a sequel. The first one, The Last Keeper, is an amazing book but if you don’t want spoilers please don’t read this review, I cannot promise this won’t have spoilers.

Author: Michelle Birbeck

Publishing Company: Smashwords

Blurb: With her race saved from the brink of extinction, Serenity’s life could not be better. Married, finally, to Ray, and back in London for the first time in a century, retirement isn’t coming easy. Being a housewife was never in her make up.

But when Lizzy calls to say the Keepers’ records have been stolen, retirement is preferable over the danger they now face.

Targets once more, Serenity’s isn’t inclined to sit back and let her brothers and sisters face the losses she witnessed, but the order to move an entire race comes at a price.

Whoever is behind the threat, they show none of the mercy The Seats once did. No broken families left to suffer the loss of parents, aunts, uncles. This time they’ve gone too far, and when they take the lives of the race’s children, Serenity’s mind is made up.

This time they will be no threats, no mercy.

This time there’ll be no survivors.

My Review:

The first book, The Last Keeper I read last year. I was more than happy to read this for Michelle when she asked me to be part of the blog tour. I have to admit that it took a while to get into, but I think that was more about the crazy stuff I’ve had to do with classes and assignments and everything like that. So, when I actually got time to get into this book, it was just such a nice thing to do to actually get reading again!

The book is set a good chunk of time after the first one, so we’ve missed Serenity and Ray and how their relationship has worked together. The characters in this book still have the same spark and fun and light in them, and it was lovely to be reintroduced to these characters.

So, I loved the characters, I know I’ve just said that, but the sassiness, the bitchiness, but the way that they work together. You can see the reality that they are family and that they fight together and with each other. It’s so interesting to see these dynamics together.

The bad guys in this (I’m not spoiling) are freaking awesome. The way that it all came out, I didn’t expect what happened, and when everything kicked off. Oh my goodness I was in tears at one point (if you’ve read it then you know what I mean, if not go read it).

The only thing was, I felt like it was a little stop and go at a few points. The first major fight that happened in the book, I wanted to find out what was going on, and then after Serenity had gotten better from the fight, it was only mentioned in passing right at the end. I WANTED TO KNOW WHAT HAD HAPPENED.

Also, just to say Michelle, if you’re reading this, which I hope you are. WHAT THE HELL WAS UP WITH THAT ENDING?! SERIOUSLY?! I need the next book ASAP please. Thank you.

My rating:

Setting: 4 out of 5

Characters: 4.5 out of 5

Plot: 3 out of 5

Writing: 3.5 out of 5

If you read the book, I hope you enjoy(ed) it, and I’ll talk to you guys later! Bye x

Review: The Hallowed Ones

Author: Laura Bickle

Publishing Company: Graphia

Blurb: If your home was the last safe place on earth, would you let a stranger in?

Katie is on the verge of her Rumspringa, the time in Amish life when teenagers are free to experience non-Amish culture before officially joining the church. But before Rumspringa arrives, Katie's safe world starts to crumble. It begins with a fiery helicopter crash in the cornfields, followed by rumors of massive unrest and the disappearance of huge numbers of people all over the world. Something is out there...and it is making a killing.

Unsure why they haven't yet been attacked, the Amish Elders make a decree: No one goes outside their community, and no one is allowed in. But when Katie finds a gravely injured young man lying just outside the boundary of their land, she can't leave him to die. She refuses to submit to the Elders' rule and secretly brings the stranger into her community - but what else is she bringing in with him?

My Review:

I picked this one up with some pretty high hopes. The blurb sounds fantastic, it's a different culture, end of the world, fiery helicopters. Sounds awesome right? Wrong.

It's unbelievable how disappointed I was with this book. The start I was really hoping for something good. Instead I got a book where so little happened! Katie was a good character, but sometimes she was lacking something. I was in love with Elijah at the beginning, and as the book went on he just made me angrier and angrier and angrier. There was so much that I wanted from the characters, and yet they lacked it, they weren't pushed far enough, and they changed so drastically.

The evil things that destroyed the world were really not as well explained as they should have been, in my opinion. You hear biochemical warfare, zombies is what you leap to. Then they come out to be vampires. Okay. Wasn't expecting that. But these vampires aren't the normal vampires, they're cunning, evil, smart, animalistic. Great! Thank goodness it's not some flowery vampire that we always see. Then again, they weren't in it that much. How can we be excited about a bunch of vampires who aren't in the book too much.

Oh, and there's one part that's so predictable that it's unreal. I'm not going to say what it is until I get to the spoiler bit, but I really saw it coming from a mile off. It was ridiculous.

I think one of my problems with this book was how content Katie was with her life. She was dead excited for Rumspringa, but there was so much that she just took. And I get culture differences and everything, it's just...weird though.

This book made me angry more than anything, I have to say. I got angry with the characters, I got angry that the vampires weren't in it enough, I got angry at how confusing it got with everything. Some bits were overkill, and I was so annoyed that I got bored. This book looked amazing, and it turned out to be blah. More than blah.

FROM HERE ON UNTIL YOU SEE BOLD WILL BE SPOILERS PLEASE DON'T READ IF YOU HAVE NOT READ THE BOOK

Prepare for a rant. So, you know Elijah's brothers? How they went missing at the very start of the book? And then you're told that the enemy is vampires? Yeah. Just. Predictable. I was so annoyed at that because you knew it was coming from a mile off.

And what was with Elijah's constant changing mood? He was a nice guy at the start! And then he was mourning, I get that. But then...he was suddenly all like 'yep, I'm getting baptised, you should do it as well, God will save us, and I'm now a man so you should just get over it'. Gah, I just wanted to punch him (and quite a few other characters) in the face! And then at the end when he was trying to...just, he was supposed to be a good guy, and he turned into something horrible and disgusting and out of character from what he'd been set up to be at the start.

SPOILERS DONE

I'm not sure if I'll pick up the second one. I know, I've ranted about how I hated this book and I'm considering picking up the second, weird huh? But the second one seems like it could be decent, it's a chance to see more action and violence, and throw some new things at us. I may have to kindle sample it first and see what I think.

My rating:

Setting: 3 out of 5

Characters: 2 out of 5

Plot: 2 out of 5

Writing: 3 out of 5

If you read the book, I hope you enjoy(ed) it, and I'll talk to you guys later! Bye x

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!

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.

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!

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!