Stacking the Shelves #3

Stacking the shelves is a blogging meme from Tynga's Reviews which I stole from Lauren Hannah. Lauren Hannah's button is in the right hand bar.

All of the books I have linked to the book depository are the editions I have them in and every link pays me 5% commission if you buy from it. I want to be upfront about this but any sale is greatly appreciated.

What would you recommend - The Dichotomous Key 

I do Biology so we're trying something a little different. Answer question 1 and it will lead you to another question. Do this until you have your book.

1a. Do you want fiction? - Go to question 2
b. Do you want non-fiction? - Go to question 3
2a. Do you want a children's book? - The Letter to the King (review 20)
b. Do you want YA? - Go to question 9
3a. Do you want a visual book? - Go to question 4
b. Do you want a non-visual book? - Go to question 7
4a. Do you want a book on travel? - Go to question 5
b. Do you want a graphic novel on history? - Anne Frank Graphic Novel (review 19)
5a. Do you want a guide book? - Go to question 6
b. Do you want a book of maps? - Maps  (review 21)
6a. Do you want a book on the whole of Europe? - 36 Hours (review 1)
b. Do you want a book on Amsterdam? - Amsterdam Guide Book (review 2)
7a. Do you want a book on self-improvement? - Go to question 8
b. Do you want a book on London and/or sailing? - Circle Line (review 3)
8a. Do you want a book on money? - How to Worry Less about Money (review 11)
b. Do you want a book on exercise and/or philosophy? - How to think about Exercise (review 10)
9a. Do you want contemporary? - Go to question 10
b. Do you want non-contemporary? - Go to question 16
10a. Do you want a mystery? - Go to question 11
b. Do you want something else? - Go to question 13
11a. Do you want something by Sara Shepherd? - Two Truths and One Lie (review 17)
b. Do you want something by someone other than Sara Shepherd? - Go to question 12
12a. Do you want a book on the rich and the devious? - We Were Liars (review 13)
b. Do you want a book with a manic pixie dream girl?  - Paper Towns (review 4)
13a. Do you want a book set in high school? - Go to question 14
b. Do you want a book set in college? - Just One Day (review 9)
14a. Do you want a book on writing? - Struck by Lightning (review 16)
b. Do you want a book on something alternative? - Go to question 15
15a. Do you want a book on being cool? - Be More Chill (review 6)
b. Are you under 15? - The Boyfriend List (review 18)
16a. Do you want a male protagonist? - Go to question 17
b. Do you want a female protagonist? - Go to question 18 
17a. Do you want a book on ghosts? - The Boy in the Smoke (review 15) 
b. Do you want a book on witches? - Half Bad (review 14)
18a. Do you want dystopia? - The Treatment (review 7)
b. Do you want fantasy? - Go to question 19
19a. Do you want a book with wolves? -Go to question 20
b. Do you want a book without wolves? - Rebel Belle (review 12)
20a. Do you want a book with werewolves? - Shiver (review 8)
b. Do you want a book on a fairytale?  - Scarlet (review 5)

Books I got from The Book Depository

1. 36 Hours - 125 Weekends in Europe

I saw this in Anthropology on Regents St but Anthro is so expensive so I got it online. This is a book by The New York Times about what to do in different cities in Europe if you are going for a weekend. I want to do more travelling in Europe as there are some lovely cities that I haven't been to or haven't been since I lived in Germany when I was really young. There is also a large section on the cities in the UK which is also really interesting as it isn't the usual tourist trail.

Buy it here

2. Amsterdam - DK Eyewitness Travel

I got this because my family visited Amsterdam in April. This is the very visual guide book with floor plans of the museums and has pages on the histories of the houses on certain streets. This is by no means the best guide book for visiting (I will always recommend Lonely Planet) but it's really interesting to look at and read, even when you're not there.

Buy it here

3. Circle Line: Around London in a Small Boat by Steffan Meyric Hughes

This is a book about a man who sails around London through canals and the River Thames. It's my first piece of travel literature and though I didn't love it, if you love Sailing and London (a love of both is necessary) this may be for you.

This is a book I've done a review for. 

Buy it here

4. Paper Towns by John Green

I own this on kindle but I've wanted a paper copy for ages and they've introduced new ones which I hate so I wanted to buy this cover before it goes out of print. This is one of my least favourite John Green books. It's about a girl, Margo Roth Spiegelman who takes her neighbour on a mission of revenge and sea world. Though the beginning is really strong and beautiful and metaphory but it does go downhill. I think you should read it though in the same way everyone should read Austen or Great Gatsby.

Buy it here

5. Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

This is the sequel to Cinder in the Lunar Chronicles, a futuristic, dystopian fairytale series where every book is a different fairytale with a twist. Cinder is based off Cinderella and Scarlet is based off Little Red Riding Hood. Though I wouldn't say you had to read Scarlet, Cinder is really good so I would ready that.

This is a book I've done a review for.

Buy Cinder here
Buy Scarlet here

6. Be More Chill by Ned Vizzini

Be More Chill is a book about a boy who eats a tiny computer that tells him how to be cool. It's witty and observational and I would definitely recommend if you are still in senior school/high school. Ned Vizzini was a really entertaining writer.

This is a book I've done a review for.

Buy it here

7. The Treatment by Suzanne Young

This is the sequel to The Program. This does have strong themes of suicide so trigger warning. I really enjoyed The Program, but I wouldn't spend money on this if I were you. It's not worth it. The full review goes more into what the book is about but I don't want this post to be triggering in any shape or form.

This is a book I've done a review for.

Buy The Program here
Buy The Treatment here

8. Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

This is YA Werewolf fiction. It involves romance, a Twilight-y atmosphere and that feeling you get when you open the fridge for too long and it beeps at you.

This is a book I've done a review for.

Buy it here

9. Just One Day by Gayle Forman

I freaking love this book. It's partly set in Paris, partly set in Amsterdam and partly set in an American college. It's a romance and it's about self discovery and I love love love books about uni. I would definitely read it.

This is a book I've done a review for.

Buy it here

10. How to think about Exercise by the School of Life

I'm currently reading this. This is a book about the philosophy of exercise. It has tips at different points in the chapters but its main message is "nerds can be fit too!" I'm not loving it at the moment.

Buy it here

11. How to Worry Less about Money by The School of Life

This isn't a book on managing money; it's about not worrying about money. It isn't really relevant for teenagers who don't earn (I'd recommend The Teenagers Guide to Money for that) but it has a really interesting perspective on money.

Buy it here

12. Rebel Belle by Rachel Hawkins

This book was gripping but eugh can a book be more annoying? When reading back my notes on this book the recurring theme was "eugh." Sort of terrible. I don't even like the cover. Dreams=crushed.

Buy it here

13. We Were Liars by E Lockhart

READ IT. Just READ IT. Go into it knowing nothing about it but READ ITTTTTTT.

Buy it here

A Book I got from WH Smiths

14. Half Bad by Sally Green

This is a book about a boy who is a witch who is half good and half bad. His father is evil and it covers the prejudice he faces as a half black witch. I really enjoyed this.

This is a book I've done a review for.

Buy it here

A Book I got from WBD at Blackwell's

15. Boy in the Smoke by Maureen Johnson

This is the prequel to The Name of The Star. Unfortunately this is no longer on sale as it was a World Book Day book but if you can borrow it off someone I would as it is creepy and just great. I did do a whole review on this

This is a book I've done a review for.

Books I got from Waterstones

16. Struck By Lightning by Chris Colfer

If mediocrity and poor writing could ever be summarised into one thing, it would be this book. It's just not great. I know, you may be a huge glee fan but this book is poor. It just is dependent on visual humour in a book and the writing is not good.

This is a book I've done a review for.

Buy it here

17. Two Truths and a Lie by Sara Shepherd

Dear Waterstones,

When you sell a book by itself by an author, can you make sure it's the first in the series? Starting on the third book makes it hard to get into and makes me buy books earlier in the series from other sellers.
Best wishes
Sophie

Buy it here
Buy the first in the series here

18. The Boyfriend List by E Lockhart

This definitely isn't my favourite E Lockhart book but it was still entertaining and funny. I would really recommend this to you if you are in your early teens as I think it would have really resonated with me if I was younger. It's an easy read but still enjoyable.

This is a book I've done a review for.

Buy it here

Books I got in Amsterdam

I went to Amsterdam in Late April and bought some really lovely books: one from the American Book Centre and one in the Anne Frank House.

19. Anne Frank - The Graphic Novel by Sid Jacobson and Ernie Colon

I've always really struggled to read Anne Frank's diary for one reason or another but this was a really accessible way of reading about it. It was smart and really beautiful. It also includes the aftermath of the diary in the concentration camps which is a bit disturbing so just a warning before you read this. The book also tells you the situation of Europe at different points in the book. Really, really great graphic novel.

This is a book I've done a review for.

Buy it here

20. The Letter for the King by Tonke Dragt

This is like everything that is good about children's fiction all in one book. How this isn't as big as The Hobbit I don't know. It's really, really enjoyable. Read it. Plus it has got a map on the inside cover.

This is a book I've done a review for.

Buy it here

A Book I got as a present

21. Maps

I got this from my Mum and Dad which was so so lovely. It's an atlas of the world and has double page spreads on individual countries and their cultures. It also has individual African countries which is really rare because Africa is often thought of as a country. I think this book is pitched at kids but I'm 17 and I love it.

Buy it here

How to Take Photos

So you want to take professional looking photos? Here's my expert advice.

You will need:

A camera or camera phone

A light (optional)

A tripod (optional)

Firstly, if you are taking photos of things inside, as shown in all my monthly wrap ups and hauls, you must address lighting. I find that the best place to take photos is in the darkest point of my room that gets very little natural day light and very little artificial light. How do I sort my lighting issue?

I use the professional IKEA Fillsta table lamp. The perks of this lamp is that it's very light so you can just hold it my one leg in one hand.

Another alternative to the lighting issue is to take your photo on an iPhone and then editing your photo until it's virtually unrecognisable on afterlight. If you think it's not going well, add about six light-leaks:

It really makes your photo look really professional.

I use a dslr but any camera will do. Got a point and shoot but want to make it out of focus? Put your hand in front of the lens and focus it and just when you are about to take the picture move your hand away.

My new professional photos shall be up soon. 

I hope this helps.

Review #42 - The Boyfriend List by E Lockhart

This is the story of a girl named Ruby who is going to therapy after all her friends stop talking to her. Her therapist makes her write down a list of every boy that she has ever dated officially or unofficially. Each chapter is on a different boy and goes through her current ordeal and her relationship with that boy.

The closest thing I could describe this book to is a cross between an Abundance of Katherines, Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging and Clarice Bean (because Clarice Bean is so amazing I'm not even being sarcastic). It had the dialogue of Clarice Bean if she was a teenager which I loved in Clarice Bean and I did really enjoy here. It felt very much like an inner monologue/diary. However, the book is probably about 1/7 footnotes which I found interrupted the story and really started to wear me down, especially as some of the footnotes spelt things out to me that I had already worked out.

Ruby was very, very boy obsessed as a character (I know, that's the point of the book). I found this quite hard to relate to as I never really have had obsessions with guys or relationships (which could be to do with being in a girls school for nine years until this year). I found it hard to really empathise with a lot of it and I didn't find it oh-so-insightful as a result. Also, I'm not currently pubescent. I think this would be a great read for a fourteen year old but not so much for a seventeen year old.

I did find it hard to keep track of all the boys she talked about - I had to keep looking at the blurb to try to remember who they were and even then I struggled to remember their stories. Maybe if the author had dropped hints maybe it would make more sense. If I'd read this book over a week instead of two days I think I would have found this confusing.

Even though I wasn't completely involved in the plot I did feel huge amounts of emotion in this book. I think E Lockhart does that really well in general. I felt so desperately sad for Ruby while reading. I also empathised with some situations even though my friends are amazing and I've never been bullied like Ruby was some of this book reminds me of that "girls school culture".

A lot of intrigue was woven in because the plot was woven in around the boys on the list. The intrigue was pulled off really well.

I would recommend this if:

You are in your early teens

You want a light read 

You want a book about boys

I gave this book three stars

If you would like to buy this book maybe click here:

Hardcover

Paperback

On buying too many books

I have a confession to make. I'm aware that this may segregate me from the book community as a whole but that is a risk I'm willing to take.

When I watch booktube or read book blogs there always seems to be one thing that links every single profile: everyone owns a huge TBR pile. I watch peoples hauls from a month and normally they're about 10 books which doesn't sound unreasonable, but most people read a book a week. They end up saying "I will read it someday" or "this is my life's library." This isn't true; you'll get excited by new books and these old books will sit on the shelves forever.

I did buy too many books last summer because I went on several bookshop tours and I got a kindle due to back problems which stopped me reading my new books on holiday. I then momentarily stopped reading in September due to A Levels and then I really didn't want to read these books for ages (as my winter books are very different from my summer books) so I'm reading them at the moment. It means I'm not buying many books that I am truly, truly excited for. I mean some of these books are really good but I don't think I'd repeat it this year.

What confuses me most is that most people who I read/watch pay for their own books because they're adults or are at uni or don't have amazing parents who support their ability to devour books. This means people are wasting their money on things they'll never read. They may have been able to afford those flights that they wanted to go on or take the train to Edinburgh or Paris. They may have been able to eat out at that new restaurant around the corner. They may have been able to see that new film at the cinema. Money is hard to come by and spending it on objects seems a little obsolete. 

I don't buy books I'm not going to read. I love getting new books and being so excited to read them. I am reading the books I bought last summer but it's hard to get into them.

Maybe you should try it.

Review #41 - The Treatment by Suzanne Young

Trigger warning: suicide

Spoilers - Slight spoilers to The Program

The Treatment is the sequel to The Program. It's set in the near future in the US where suicide is an epidemic so teens are put into "The Program" which cures them but with terrible side effects. 

I really liked The Program but I found The Treatment pretty boring. I didn't really enjoy the plot as a lot of it involved hiding out in buildings and fighting which wasn't really that interesting. I think the real issue is that there is much less threat involved in this book so it doesn't have the suspense of the first book.

I really didn't like James in this book and Sloane was very drippy. I didn't feel like their relationship was particularly healthy either. The dialogue felt overly sentimental and I didn't feel like I really wanted them to stay together but it was portrayed that Sloane's mental health would deteriorate if she didn't have James.

If I were to try and tell you the feel of the sequel I'd say it was a mix between Catching Fire and New Moon.

I read the whole thing because it is a quick read. A really great aspect of this series is that it only contains two books which I really enjoyed. I hate feeling like I have to slug through three books in order to get an ending but this was conclusive and I do really admire Suzanne Young for that.

I felt there was no subtlety with this book, the dialogue spelt everything out to the author which was really, really annoying. It treated me like an idiot.

Also the cover is one of those American covers so the spine is gorgeous.

I would recommend this if:

You read The Program

You love reading series

You want a good old dystopia
You want a really nice American copy of a book on your shelves

I would not recommend this if:

You were upset by the themes in the program

You are upset by suicide

I gave this two stars

If you do want to buy this I get 5% commission from the book depository:

Hardback (the cover isn't accurate on this)

Review #40 - Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

I was in the American Book Centre in Amsterdam and I saw a copy of this book out of the corner of my eye. It's not in Waterstones, it was attractive and I acknowledge this as one of the bones of YA fiction. I read the first four chapters and decided I must have it. I swear I was this close to buying the boxset. Not for a long time has the start of a book been so compelling.

Unfortunately, this book went downhill. Shiver is the story of a girl who was attacked and bitten by a wolf at a young age, only to be saved by one of them. Every winter she sees "her wolf" and feels like she has a deep connection to him. Little does she know *gasp* he's a werewolf.

The beginning of this book is compelling and full of mystery. I loved the first few chapters and that was the point that I discovered she sort-of-fancied a wolf. I found this a little weird but I am a YA reader. We are not judgemental. We are forgiving. Sure, your protagonist fancies a wolf. We'll deal with it. Move on.

The romance was really, really drippy. I really struggled to maintain interest because the dialogue just made me nauseous. I know they were just trying to be cute but it wasn't me at all. Maybe if I was five years younger and in the height of my Twilight phase...

Which leads me on nicely to this paragraph (yes I plan my blog posts this isn't a free for all). As much as I loathe to compare YA books to the mainstream YA... this had the atmosphere of Twilight. It felt like Twilight but with less of a love triangle (yey a YA werewolf book without a love triangle!). If you are currently in your Twilight phase, you may like this.

The difference between this and Twilight is that the first three Twilights end on these big battles and this didn't but it still felt like a proper finale to the book. I really liked this. It didn't rely on violence to create an ending.

A lot of this book is about the suspense of the temperature dropping (no spoilers). However, it did feel like a 300 page book with that feeling of when you have to leave the fridge open to look for something and it starts beeping at you.

Despite it's flaws, it was pretty gripping.  It also had a very very definite ending which I really liked. I don't feel I need to read the sequel.

I would recommend this if:

You want a overly-soppy romance

You want a book on werewolves

You love Twilight

I gave it three stars.

If you want the most beautiful book ever (it's American) and maybe pay me 5% commission:

Paperback

Hardback
Paperback boxset
Hardback boxset

Thank you to anyone who buys from my link, it means so much to me.

Review #39 - The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown

The Da Vinci Code is often heralded as one of the books you should read before you die along with Pride and Prejudice, Harry Potter and Great Expectations. It's about a professor, Robert Langdon in Paris when a man is killed in the Louvre. It's a mystery which is political and is overall pretty tense.

A lot of the plot is woven around Da Vinci and the Bible and the symbolism around the two. The really clever thing is that it is all utter rubbish, but it is so clever and well written and utterly believable that it really makes you believe the story. It added so much to the plot as it merged the real world with the fictional world. I have never read a book that was so convincing. I actually wanted to read it around this time last year but we were told we couldn't read this before our RS exam because we'd believe it.

Suspense is maintained brilliantly for the entirety of the book. It was dark and creepy and really well pulled off as an atmosphere. I honestly couldn't put it down towards the end around the big reveals and the whodunnit. I did guess one of the big plot twist/reveals which was a shame but the rest came as a massive surprise which was great.

The plot is great and such a good idea but I found it very long. I am a very fast reader so I find it really hard for a book to sustain my interest if it's really long. It was really good for something that long but I still struggled. Also, I found the maiming thing really weird.

Sophie was so smart and I loved her as a character. However, was there supposed to be chemistry between Sophie and Robert? I didn't feel that there was any chemistry between them.

I would read this if:
You want to read an exciting modern classic
You want a book that merges art and literature
You want a book that's full of suspense

I gave this four stars

If you would like to buy it maybe you could buy it through my book depository link? It pays me 5% commission and I really want a pair of Kurt Geiger sandals. And money for Paris.
Paperback
Hardback

Review #38 - Just One Day by Gayle Forman

Just One Day is a novel by Gayle Forman about Allyson who's spent the summer before college on a European tour. On the last day of the tour she meets Willem and they go for one whirlwind day in Paris. The book is set into two parts: the day in Paris and the year after at college.

This is very much a romance YA novel with an air of un-tragic TFIOS and Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. The romance is great though I didn't fall in love with Willem which is a shame because it's fantastic when you fall in love with a character. However it is top of it's game in the contemporary YA romance.

It is set in Paris (which is not my favourite European city by a long way), Amsterdam (yes yes yes), an American college and a tiny bit in Stratford and London. The European settings are gorgeous and very romanticised which I liked because it is first person. It is an insight into Allyson (rather than general oh Europe is amazing writing). I also always love books about uni.

My favourite part was the part at college because it made my little feminist heart warm and also the most character development occurred here and it was a really important moment in the plot. I feel like everyone overlooks this and focuses on the romance but I really loved the bits in college (especially the bits about Shakespeare).

I thought the characters were wonderful (apart from maybe Willem) and really colourful. I loved their relationships and the way they interacted. So much was very subtle and I really enjoyed that because I hate it when authors treat their readers like idiots. I really liked how Allyson was more preoccupied about finding herself in the novel that Willem which again, pleased by little feminist heart.

I would recommend this if:
You want a good YA romance
You loved the Fangirl setting
You want to visit Europe

I gave this five stars.

I get 5% commission from the book depository so if you would like to buy from me you can here (also it's cheaper than most places):
Hardback
Paperback
I would be so grateful for any purchases you make using a link of mine.

Favourite quotes:
“I think you cry in movies that aren't even sad because you have a soft heart, though you don't let it show. I think you do things that scare you, and that makes you braver than those adrenaline junkies who bungee-jump off bridges.”
“No one is who they pretend to be.”

What Time Is It?

I will be setting up a summer time series on this blog about what to do this summer in the UK, London, which books are best for holidays etc etc. This is named What Time Is It? after the HSM2 Song - (abbreviated to WTII?) because HSM

I am queen of making series I just can't live up to, but let's give it a shot, eh?

Review #37 - Lean In For Graduates by Sheryl Sandberg

This, dear readers, is the famous book by Facebook-executive-super-powerful Sheryl Sandberg. This is basically regarded as the feminist bible and it deserves all the praise it has received. The graduate edition has the original Lean In within it plus extra chapters that are relevant to graduates.

I am a feminist in the modern sense rather than the mysogynistic "if you're a feminist you must hate all men and be super angry" way. However it was really interesting to me for one) giving me and insight into the workplace and two) showing me what needed to be changed about the world. Side note - it made me so aware how amazing my school is at treating the girls so well. It was just really illuminating all round and made me very aware about how to make things better for women.

It was engaging and I think that is one of the main advantages to this book because it is so rare in non-fiction books. It made me think a lot in a good way and I really enjoyed that aspect of it.

Some chapters felt quite irrelevant to me as a 17 year old (like how to balance work and children; I am basically still the problem you have to balance work with). However, the graduate chapters were really good. Rosianna, who is a wonderful youtuber, is in this version as one of the extra chapters so go Rosianna (it's really good).

I think this book is extremely important culturally and therefore you should definitely try and read this.

I would recommend this if:

You want an insight into being a woman

You want to make your life better for women

You want a really engaging book about feminism

I gave this five stars 

On My Shelf

This is a blog response to a video made by Sanne aka booksandquills (who I met in October at Cheltenham Literature Festival and she is lovely).

This is a series where you talk about the books you wouldn't normally talk about. A set of numbers in pairs are assigned to you randomly, the first number being the bookshelf and the second being the book. You then talk about the books

The numbers set by Sanne are:

1,5

Squids will be Squids

This is a book I got (I think) when I was six. It's a set of fables with slightly odd morals such as "elephants never forget, except sometimes" and "everyone knows frogs can't skateboard, but it's kind of sad that they believe everything they see on TV." It's just a really funny book with great illustrations.

2,5

Scrap Simple

I used to scrapbook a lot but I stopped when I started to get busy with GCSE stuff but this book was really cool, but far too ambitious for me.

6,3

A Map of the World according to Artists and Storytellers

This book is geographically inaccurate but it is one of my favourite books ever

4,5

Brooklyn Girls

I do own a lot of fiction, promise. This is a book I got as an ARC and I loved it because it's new adult that isn't about romance romance romance, the lead has a career goal and initiative. It's exciting and pleased my little feminist heart. We don't need no man

7,11

The Care and Keeping of You

This is an American Girl book because I was so obsessed with American Girl for a long part of childhood. I don't need this anymore because it's very much about puberty (and at 17, you'd hope I was out of puberty) but I loved this book so I can't bring myself to throw it out. It was just really formative and really important to me from about 11-13.

If you do want to do this my numbers are:

8,2
5,7
3,10
1,1
10,4

Review #36 - Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

Scarlet is the sequel to Cinder in The Lunar Chronicles. Where Cinder was a futuristic version of Cinderella, Scarlet is a futuristic version of Little Red Riding Hood. It still has the same evil-Lunar themes running throughout it and the plot of Little Red Riding Hood run alongside the plot involving Cinder and Kai.

The plot lines were weaved together really well between the chapters involving Scarlet and Wolf and the chapters involving Cinder and Kai. Both Scarlet and Kai's chapters talked about Cinder which was done really well, especially in the Scarlet chapters. It managed to have its own plot line without compromising the sequel-ness of it.

I was much less emotionally invested in the romance in Scarlet than I was in Cinder. In Cinder my heart and soul was obsessed with Kai and Kai and Kai but Wolf was just an interesting character rather than the kind of guy I want to marry/be my boyfriend/general male interest. Also, frankly, he has fangs and that's weird.

It wasn't quite as fast moving as Cinder and that was a shame as Cinder had this great flow to it and it just felt really natural, whereas this felt a little bit stinted, pace wise. However I really loved the last 33% as it was so fast moving and I was just obsessed and all I wanted to do was read.

Kai was so annoying in this book, however to give Meyer credit, her female characters kick butt and are not whiny at all, whereas Kai is sort of the opposite to this. We get it - he feels betrayed.

Little Red Riding Hood is a much shorter fairytale than Cinderella so the plot felt ad-libbed for most of it which was a shame. It just didn't feel as clever as Cinder. However, I loved loved loved the bit about "grandmother what big teeth you have!"

I would read Cinder first if you do want to read this.

I would recommend this if:
You want more than just Cinder
You want a sci-fi book that isn't totally focused on a demographic of 14/40 year old boys
You want a fairytale with a twist

I gave this three stars. Good, but not stunning.

Look at this fan art though

Review #35 - The Letter to the King by Tonke Dragt

The Letter for the King is a Dutch children's book that has just been translated into English. I got this at the American Book Centre in Spui, Amsterdam. The man on the checkout told me that this is one of his all time favourite children's books. I'm pretty sure it's up there in mine.

It's about a 16 year old boy, Tiuri, who is sitting in a chapel keeping his vigil before being knighted the following morning. He hears a knock at the window and opens the door and undertakes a dangerous task that stop him becoming a knight.

I think if I were to compare it to another children's book I'd compare it to The Hobbit. However, I hated The Hobbit (sorry Tolkien lovers) and I really loved Letter to the King. It has the same dynamic and both involve travelling to a destination and back from it. Letter to the King however is has no fantastical beasts or creatures (think BBC Merlin without the magic and bromance, mainly knights riding through places) which I really enjoyed. Also Letter to the King felt very much like all the plot points linked unlike The Hobbit which felt like a collection of shore stories. The Letter to the King's plot twists were better and more exciting. The style seemed to really work with The Letter to the King.

I really liked the pace of Letter to the King especially as it started very quickly which is actually what sold it to me. It had me hooked from a very early point. It does slow down but I don't think the matters. The suspense keeps it going from the constant danger he feels.

I read a lot of books that are either set in America or feel American because the YA genre is dominated by the US. This was beautifully European as a book. I felt like I had a lot of heritage as a book, in it's European Dynamic and the history of it with it's forests and knights and wars about land. I felt like this was a real strong point to this book.

The relationships between the characters were captured really well and were complex especially as there was a lot of prejudice to Tiuri. I liked the misconceptions. My favourite character was the horse. That horse. I think it's because it is Tiuri's validation as a hero symbolically.

If you get the amazing hardcover version like I have (I'm not sure about 1) if there is an English paperback 2) if it contains the map) it has a beautiful map at the cover which made the story really come alive and a lot of the reason I loved this book was because I could relate this book to something visual.

I would read this book if:
You want a children's book that is just wonderful
You want a book that captures European culture
You just want to own the world's most beautiful book

Five stars for you Glenn Coco, you go Glenn Coco

Review #34 - Anne Frank: The Anne Frank House Authorized Graphic Biography by Sid Jacobson & Ernie Colón

This is the Anne Frank graphic biography which goes from her parent's early life to her death and her family's death in the concentration camps. It covers the time after her diary ends and it's sad and gorgeous and perfectly done.

I got this at the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam which was underwhelming due to the sheer volume of very loud seven year olds. I was so impressed with the 9/11 memorial when I went in the summer and the british war graves in France when I went three and five years ago on school trips but this didn't quite have the same effect.

I've always really struggled to read the actual Anne Frank Diary as it is very long and I find it hard to be very interested in historical fiction and non-fiction. I really liked the graphic novel as it also went into her experiences after she left the annex and it was more accessible. The speech was done well and it was excellently paced.

The book is absolutely gorgeous and is definitely my favourite graphic novel. It captured their day to day lives really well and I think they did a very good job at capturing their personalities. It was just done really well.

I would read this if:
You want to know more about Anne Frank
You are just about to visit Amsterdam
You want to know more about European History and Nazi Occupation

I gave this five stars.

The Wall

So I'm really struggling to blog at the moment. Honestly, I'm really struggling to be creative at the moment. I'm trying to write and read but it's hard. I'm putting pressure on myself to review the Anne Frank graphic novel and do the sunflower award thing but the more I push myself, the more I just stop being able to write coherent English.

It's exam season at the moment in the UK and my AS levels mean a lot to me. Far more than they should but they do because I've worked so hard all year and I'll be gutted if I don't get my grades. 

I've started running and I walk everyday because my back starts to go into spasm if I don't which sucks. Also I'm on some mad power tidy at the moment. I am really enjoying these tasks, oddly.

I will return to blogging soon but right now, it will be sporadic.

Night 

March/April 2014 Wrap Up

March

1. Matched by Ally Condie (★★★☆☆)
2. Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut (★★★★☆)
3. The Assassin's Blade by Sarah J. Maas (★★★★★)
4. The Demigod Diaries by Rick Riordan (★★★★☆)
5. Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood (★★★★☆)
6. Half Bad by Sally Green (★★★★☆)

April

1. Be More Chill by Ned Vizzini (★★★★☆)
2. The Isobel Journal by Isobel Harrop (★★★☆☆)
3. Struck By Lightning: The Carson Phillips Journal by Chris Colfer (★★☆☆☆)
4. The Boy in the Smoke by Maureen Johnson (★★★☆☆)
5. Circle Line: Around London in a Small Boat by Steffan Meyric Hughes (★★★☆☆)
6. The Year of the Rat by Clare Furniss (★★★☆☆)
7. Anne Frank: The Anne Frank House Authorized Graphic Biography by Sid Jacobson, Ernie Colón (★★★★★)
8. The Letter for the King by Tonke Dragt (★★★★★)

9. Scarlet by Marissa Meyer (★★★★☆)

London Count for March: 4
London Count for April: 2

Exciting things from March and April

I went to Amsterdam for three days.

I wrote to Alexia Casale and she wrote back. We're twitter friends now.

I went to the Hunterian twice

I went to Columbia Road Flower Market with my friend Brodie.
My blog won a Sunflower award which I'm doing asap

1. I want to do well academically eugh revising
2. I want to get interviews for medicine  (n/a)
3. I want to start writing a novel  myehhhhh
4. I want to get well enough to go to South Africa with Biology.  I ran the other day. This is absolutely amazing.
5. I want to write more. I've been so busy
6. I want to write more reviews. I think so (to quote Nithya - "you've been writing a lot lately")
7. I want to blog more consistently. I think so
8. I want to do more for my future.  Really struggling. Seriously, hospitals, please let me shadow you?
9. I want to take more photos.  Doing so much better #100happydays
10. I want to keep my room tidy. Doing much better. And then I started revising.
11. I want to be more productive.  Yes I'm doing so much more
12. I want to stop being terrified of growing up. Uni prospectuses have made me so excited.

Review #32 - Circle Line: Around London in a Small Boat by Steffan Meyric Hughes

I am going to apologise up front for this review because I'm post-migraine and therefore a little less eloquent than usual.

Circle Line is a book I found in that travel bookshop on Long Acre and anyone who knows me knows I love London (I mean really love this-is-where-I-belong kind of love). This is a book about sailing around London along canals and the Thames in a week. I bought this because I am obsessed with London (also it's freaking gorgeous) but it didn't quite live up to my little fangirl heart. 

The first couple of chapters are full of sailing jargon which I felt made me feel excluded from the readership. I get it, it's a book about sailing, but it was very much marketed as a book about London because that is where the market is. I felt like when you know someone in a group of friends so you hang out with them and you just feel awkward: you don't get their jokes and they all went to that party you didn't go to. It was odd because I always feel that books are talking directly to me and that I am the only readership but I felt excluded by this book.

Some parts were really slow which was a shame because some bits were pretty interesting (especially the bits about Paddington as a westerner. I will have passionate conversations about trains with Nithya). Some of the history was really interesting but the part about turtles was a little slower.

I love maps in books but the one at the front of the book was quite hard to read in relation to places mentioned in the book, even for someone who spends quite a lot of time in London. The book wasn't quite clear enough to not have a map but it might as well as had no map.

This is my first ever book on travel so it could be super good for travel I just didn't love it.

I would recommend this if:

You love sailing and it consumes your life

You love London and it consumes your life

You want something a little bit different

I gave this three stars.

Today is for... (2)

• Doing a physics practical exam
• Doing your first A Level exam
• Revising on the train
• Going for celebratory ice cream
• Going to the adventure playground
• Falling off the end of the slide
• Listening to Taylor Swift
• Being told off for singing Taylor Swift in the library
• Doing chemistry papers
• Walking four and a half miles
• Going to Topshop to buy Disney merch
• Going to GBK
• Getting a veggie burger
• Going for a girly chat 
• Driving home by myself
• Taking photos of books for blog posts
• Talking to my parent's friends
• Getting payed by the book depository in commissions
• Reading Sheryl Sandburg