Star Wars Book Tag!

So I wasn't actually tagged by anyone but in case you all didn't know, I love Star Wars. And when I was crawling around Booktube, I found a video from Elizabeth Paige with her Star Wars Book Tag, the video is found here: x

I didn't come up with this tag, I'm just sharing my answers with you all, go and check out her video for yourselves!

1) R2-D2: A book that made you laugh out loud. 

A book I'm going to pick for this question has to be Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead, Rose is just such a funny character and it's hard not to laugh along with her witty comments and thoughts, even in the most serious of times. 

2) Padme Amidala: A kick ass female character. 

I'm going to be fairly obvious with my choice for this question and I'm going to say Hermione Granger from the Harry Potter series by JK Rowling, she is your typical kick ass main female lead. She's smart, she's brave and she doesn't rely on a love interest to get her through the trials that she most obviously faces. I mean, at 11 years old, she basically faces death and doesn't even blink!

3) Leia Organa: Best or Worst Love Triangle 

For this one I'm going to do both. 

Worst:  Aspen, America and Maxon in The Selection by Kiera Cass just because I hated Aspen. He was quite possibly the most frustrating love interest ever, he was more whiny than the female lead, which is rare in YA. 

Best: I'm going to say Jem, Will and Tessa in The Infernal Devices Trilogy by Cassandra Clare, both Jem and Will must be protected at all costs. 

4) Luke Skywalker: A rising star/new author that you love. 

For this one, I'm going to say Derek E. Sullivan, who is the author of a book called Biggie. I received a copy of that book from Netgalley last year and I absolutely loved it, the storyline was interesting, the writing was incredibly fluid, I loved it in general. I don't think he has any other books out at the moment. 

5) Anakin Skywalker: A book series that started good but ended bad. 

Can I just say that I love Anakin. 

For this, I'm going to give a similar answer to Elizabeth Paige and say, The House of Night series by PC and Kristen Cast. I hate this book series now, I'm on book 10 and I'm trying to find the strength to carry on with it. Book one, Marked, was incredible, it's still one of my favourite but of course it has to be awful now. 

It's so bad. I'm gonna say worse than Anakin.

6) Qui Gon Jinn: Worst character death. 

I'm going to say Dobby because you know, Dobby. 

But also Augustus Waters (The Fault in Our Stars,) Prim (The Hunger Games,) and also Finnick. 

7) Han Solo: A book with a lot of sass. 

I'm going to say The Rain by Virginia Bergin, I think that Ruby is a pretty sassy character who holds her own pretty well and although she annoyed me in places, I think her funny personality in the face of adversity gives me a lot of joy.

8) Emperor Palpatine: Best World Building.

Game of Thrones by George R R Martin is without a doubt one of the best worlds that I have ever read. The world of that series is so complex and intricate that it's almost possible to imagine yourself being there...Except I wouldn't want to be. 

Also, The Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis, who can beat Narnia? Very few people to be honest!

9) Obi Wan/Ben Kenobi: A book you went into with low expectations that blew you away. 

The Legend Trilogy by Marie Lu, I didn't expect much, I never do for hyped books as often they're hyped for all the wrong reasons. But I was completely shot out of the water by this book series. I loved it!

10) Yoda: A book that taught you something/made you grow.

Ooooo here comes a choice that isn't YA or fiction, how different. 

I'm going to say Life With A Sprinkle of Glitter by Louise Pentland. And no, before you ask, I'm not a 14 year old who is obsessed with Youtube, I'm an 18 year old who is obsessed with Youtube. But this book, although not exactly a guidance book, did change my outlook on certain situations. I try and be a bit more positive, as I'm naturally quite pessimistic, and there's no way to read this and not feel optimistic. 

It's hard to describe, but definitely this book. 

11) Darth Vader: Your favourite villain. 

I have a lot of favourite villains. I'm sometimes more attached to the villains than I am the main character...for this I'm going to say Sebastian from The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare. I really loved this villain, I still do. He was just so lovable and I think I liked him more than I liked Clary...Is that a controversial opinion? 

So, yeah! That was my Star Wars Book Tag, I tag anyone that reads this and thinks "Hey I like Star Wars and Books!" 

As always, let me know what your thoughts are and if you do the tag, send me the link!

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Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays

Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays/Happy Friday!

Even if you don't celebrate anything at this time of year, I want to wish you all a happy and joy-filled day, no matter what you're up too. 

I'm currently snuggled up in my new minion pjs watching children's films and thinking about books! Below I've included some of my favourite gifts and I thought I'd explain them a little! 

 

• The Legend Trilogy: The Legend Trilogy is one of my all time favourites, but I only owned a physical copy of the first one and in an unfortunate accident, i.e. me being clumsy, it got ruined by water. My parents bought me the whole trilogy!
• Nail Polish: I know I know, nail polish is such a common gift you're probably wondering why I included it, but I love make up, it's something I love owning and I love how it feels but I never get the chance to paint my nails because I work in a restaurant. These sparkly ones came with a note saying: "Wear me in uni, no restuarant work there. -Santa" I thought it was just a cute little thing my parents included. 
• Kylo Ren and BB-8: My best friend bought me these and it's because of one simple reason I love star wars. So much. 
• Scratch Map-Travel Edition: A secret Santa bought me this and I just thought it was so thoughtful, as a Geography student, I love maps and I love the planning my next adventure...
• Perfume: This perfume is heavenly

I also got clothes and little presents, but I just thought I'd share some of my favourites. My family don't tend to buy me books as you can probably see by my previous post, I have far too many!

I'm just feeling so blessed and lucky to be surrounded by love today and I hope you're having a good day, much love! 

(Excuse how cheesy I'm feeling today too.) 

QOTD: What is your obsessions outside of reading? 

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Book Shelf Makeover...Sort of...

Okay, I'll admit it. I've been very bad with organising my room lately. Ever since I moved out for University, coming home, I've just been using what I need and leaving it lying wherever I am at that time...

And unfortunately, that included my books as well.

With the new year coming up-I decided that it is time for a change. For a new year, a new me was needed...Well, at least me with a better organised bookshelf. 

N.B. Keep in mind that it isn't perfect/finished, but this is just to show my progress so far!

Before: 

As I said, I'd gotten into a bad habit of just leaving my books at my backside essentially. 

My desk, covered in books. 

Boxes filled with books.

Shame in a picture.

Even more shame in a picture. 

After:

To start the process, I moved my desk to the other side of my room, and put my two bookshelves in the corner together. 

Keep in mind my bookshelves touch the floor, so there are a lot more books than you can see in this photo. 

To each set of shelves, I added little personal nik-naks. On this one I have a teddy bear I got the day I was born, a plushie of Nyanko-Sensei from Natsume's Book of Friends, a TARDIS and a Harry Potter Box Set. 

This shelf has a Frozen mug I was given for my birthday (and the remains of a Lush Massage Bar,) fairy lights, a panda teddy, a large dalek and my personal favourite, my Jurassic Park boxset.

The side of the shelf is where I decided to stick my pass from the Fault in Our Stars movie screening, concert tickets and an All Time Low poster. 

So that's it for this little update!

As it was book related I thought I would share it with you all!

QOTD: How do you organise your  books? 

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ARC Review: You Were Here

An ARC Review or a read to review book is one that was sent to me in exchange for an honest review, either from the author or publisher, but this in no way alters my review or thoughts on the book.

Thank you to Netgalley and SOURCEBOOKS Fire. 

Title: You Were Here

Series: N/A, Standalone

Author: Cori McCarthy

Publisher: SOURCEBOOKS Fire

Publication Date: 1st March 2016

Pages: 400

My Rating: 4 stars

Jaycee wants to do what her older brother Jake couldn't do.

She wants to achieve the things he didn't by carrying on his daredevil legacy. 

On the anniversary of his death, herself and four equally messed up classmates break into an asylum, which was his favourite hiding place. And she discovers a map explaining all the dares and adventures he wanted to have before his untimely death. 

Jaycee vows to complete them all.

Even if it kills her too. 

She treats it as a way to get close to him, to feel his spirit with her as she goes through these dares with the help of the friends that she has pushed away over the years. Maybe just maybe, these dares will help her live...just as they helped Jake die.

I have mixed feelings about this book. 

Right, now hear me out. I loved it on one hand. Stories about dead siblings for some reason seem to appeal to me. I like the gritty recovery and the grief process. I love hearing about how people find their solace in what is ultimately, a terrible situation. 

So you would think I would be over the moon about this book. 

But I'm not. 

I liked it enough to give it four stars, and usually that means I'm borderline obsessed with it. But there just wasn't enough about the book for me to give it any lower. 

• The writing: Brilliant
• The plot: Brilliant
• The format: Brilliant

I loved the use of different mediums, first person, third person, graphic novel, graffiti. I loved it all. 

But the reason I didn't like this book to the moon and back? The characters. 

I hated them!

All of them!

Even Jaycee. She was reckless and idiotic. She planned to do the same thing that got her brother killed just because she missed him? Her parent's had already lost a child! She was still alive! Natalie was just self centred and really annoying in some places. Bishop, I hated the least. Mik, or Ryan, or whatever his name was, was simply just annoying. I didn't like him at all in the end. Zach was also pretty dumb. 

So good book, bad characters. 

QOTD: Do you like books about siblings who have died? (I've read a few and my favourite is probably The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson.)

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ARC Review: Five-Seven-Five

An ARC Review or a read to review book is one that was sent to me in exchange for an honest review, either from the author or publisher, but this in no way alters my review or thoughts on the book.

Thank you to C.E. Wilson!

Title: Five-Seven-Five

Series: The Boy With Words #1

Author: C.E. Wilson

Genre: Young adult, dystopian, mystery

Publication Date: November 20th 2015

Pages: Unknown 

My Rating: 5 stars

Take what you can, Take what won't be missed and Take what can be used. 

Because the creators are watching...They're always watching...

White Frost lives in a community that doesn't know what the outside world looks like, all they know is the grey that surrounds their everyday lives. Except for the chosen ones, who get to venture outside of the community to the outside, where the Creators live, to scavenge for supplies. But the stories her cousin, Shade, has told her, has her hopes and dreams aimed for becoming a chosen one. 

She wants to see blue skies, she wants to see clouds. And she wants to find out more about the words on the pieces of paper that Shade brings her back.

When a girl from the colony goes missing, the Chosen Ones are sent to look for her in the outside world, but when Shade dies, White's world shatters around her. 

But with the help of his friend, Salt, she learns even more of the outside and she takes it into her own hands to get there. But when she does, she finds out that everything she has even known is a lie. When she meets a being who she believes is a creator, he shows her colours she could never have imagined, light that blasts from the sky...

He shows her a life she never knew, and it leaves her questioning her own. 

I won't lie, I was shocked by how much I loved this book. 

From the get go, I was enchanted by the world. I wanted to know more, why had White never seen the outside world? What was going on with the government in her world? 

What happened to Shade?

I was so obsessed that I read this book in one sitting, something I struggle to do with ebooks, as the screens give me a headache. But I needed to get to the bottom of this book that reminded me of Legend by Marie Lu, in the aspect of her only family member dying and her taking matters into her own hands. Across the Universe by Beth Revis, in the aspect that they'd never seen the world outside and knew nothing more than the blank, grey world around them and finally The Borrowers or The Secret Life of Arrietty. 

The twist in this book was something that I did not have any idea was coming. Everything seemed so normal until that point, and then when it hits, you have to react to it in shock! It was so imaginative and unhinted at! 

I think this book is brilliant, and honestly it's worth the read, it's quick and easy and so enjoyable!

You can find it on Kindle here: x (it's £1.99 or free for Kindle Unlimited users)

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Reading Challenge Update!

As mentioned in my last reading challenge post, over the months of November and December I'm taking part in a Series Reading Challenge in an attempt to finish as many series as possible to carry into the new year on a cleaner slate. 

This is how I've done so far:

• Total Number of Books read in November as of (27/11/15): 34
• These are; 
• Betrayed (House of Night 2)
• Chosen (House of Night 3)
• Reunion (Mediator 3)
• Darkest Hour (Mediator 4)
• The Carnivorous Carnival (A Series of Unfortunate Events #9)
• The Grim Grotto (A Series of Unfortunate Events #10)
• The Slippery Slope (A Series of Unfortunate Events #11)
• The Penultimate Peril (A Series of Unfortunate Events #12)
• The End (A Series of Unfortunate Events #13)
• Eclipse (Twilight #3)
• The Second Short Life of Bree Tanner (Twilight #3.5)
• Blue Blood (Blue Bloods #1)
• Masquerade (Blue Bloods #2)
• Revelations (Blue Bloods #3)
• Fall of Night (The Morganville Vampires #14)
• Daylighters (The Morganville Vampires #15)
• The Magician's Nephew (The Chronicles of Narnia #1)
• The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (The Chronicles of Narnia #2)
• The Horse and his Boy (The Chronicles of Narnia #3)
• Prince Caspian (The Chronicles of Narnia #4)
• The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (The Chronicles of Narnia #5)
• The Silver Chair (The Chronicles of Narnia #6)
• The Last Battle (The Chronicles of Narnia #7)
• To All The Boys I've Loved Before (To All The Boys I've Loved Before #1)
• Game of Thrones (A Song of Fire and Ice #1)
• Fathomless (Fairytale Retellings #3)
• Abby and the Cute One (Backstage Pass #5)
• Dark Flame (The Immortals #4)
• Night Star (The Immortals #5)
• Passion (Fallen #3)
• Fallen in Love (Fallen 3.5)

• Books not in a series: 
• The November Criminals
• Rain Saga 
• Completed Series: 3 (Narnia, Morganville Vampires and A Series of Unfortunate Events)

How is your reading month going? 

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ARC Review: Rain Saga

An ARC Review or a read to review book is one that was sent to me in exchange for an honest review, either from the author or publisher, but this in no way alters my review or thoughts on the book. 

Thank you to Riley Barton!

Title: Rain Saga

Series: As of now, a stand alone

Author: Riley Barton

Genre: Young adult, dystopian, adventure

Release Date: May 22nd 2015

Pages: 288

My rating: 4 stars

The year is 2119. 

The world has changed. 

And not for the better. 

Ravished by storms, floods and disease; including the deadly Blister Wart Disease, millions have died. 

Luna's parents were among the small amount that lived and now 18 years later, Luna is researching a cure for Blister Wart Disease, not only to save millions of people's lives, but her own as well. When she discovers an enzyme with the potential to eliminate this disease, she has to go into one of the dangerous swamped areas to collect another sample. 

But things don't go to plan, and Luna is left to consider that the people she once trusted, maybe aren't as trustworthy as she'd like to believe, and maybe things aren't as they seem. 

The future beckoned like the first light of the new day. Her rain saga was over, but her life was just beginning. 

I went into this book completely blind. 

And I was actually pretty shocked by how much I enjoyed it. Starting with the characters, I liked Luna as a main heroine. She wasn't whiny about her illness and she continued going in her research, not letting the fact that it may kill her, stop her. She seemed a lot less selfish than many main female leads and I liked the fact that she didn't need any love interest to make her strong. She was strong in her own right. 

The only character I had an issue with was Bridget, for no other reason than she was annoying. I understand that everyone has that person in their lives but she gave me a bit of a headache, poor Keith (read the book and you'll get the reference.)

The plot was something that I'd never heard of before and the dystopian vibes were really prominent in the story, but also in a way that made you feel like you wanted to know more about the world. It interested me how whole cities lay in ruins. I was just imagining a worldwide Chernobyl sort of situation the whole way through the book. 

The writing was fast paced and interesting, enough to keep your focus on the book and it is the type of book that you can read in one sitting!

The reason this book was a four star book and not a five star book was because I wasn't grasped immediately, it took me about a chapter to really get into the flow of this book, but the chapters aren't long!

I really did enjoy this book, and I think that it is an excellent debut. 

Check out the book on Amazon Kindle here: {x}

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