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Showing posts from March, 2020

Unprecedented Times

I feel so selfish. We live in unprecedented times. I don't know how many times I have heard that in the last couple of days. In my head and flicking through social media trying to find a purpose. It's never-ending and I do it because it gives me something. Because I need it. I need to do something else because if I have time to think: I worry.  It has affected me but in a small way. No one in my immediate family has had it although I do know someone, a distant relative, who has died which is why I feel so selfish. People are dying and I am worried about me. I feel so stupid to say but I am. It sucks but I am. You see while we have been curled up in our rooms and houses for a week my education continues. I'm still at University and by September I am still expected to hand in a dissertation. A dissertation that I can't finish because everything is closed. I have an essay due in at the beginning of May and I can't complete it properly because my university's close

Five Reasons To Read The Relic Guild Trilogy by Edward Cox

*I am reviewing these books which I was gifted for free by Gollancz in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own. * So a while ago I was asked to review The Relic Guild Trilogy by Edward Cox and although I am a little behind schedule, I am finally going to tell you some reasons why you should pick up the books. So let's get started... 1. Interesting Characters  Often fantasy series can have very typical characters but I really enjoyed the diverse group of characters that were featured in the book. Although the characters themselves may not be typically likeable, it was interesting to see the journeys that they went on and to see if they would warm to each other.  2. A Complex World System I am not the best at reading fantasy series or fantasy books in general but I think that a lot of fantasies have a very stereotypical setting and it was great that this was different. I liked seeing the world of the Labyrinth evolve and grow and serve the plot in diff

10 Bookish Questions Tag

So last week, I was tagged by A Books Neverland to do a tag that she created on her Youtube three years ago but transitioned to her blog. It is the 10 Bookish Questions Tag so let's get started... Question One: How many books do you currently own? Honestly, I really don't want to count all of my books but know that I have a lot. I have about 275 on my Kindle, 40 audiobooks and A LOT of physical books probably around 300 books but there are a lot of them.  Question Two: How many books are you currently reading? About 4 books but mainly A Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin, Rebel, Run by Manjeet Mann, Fleabag: The Scriptures by Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Ayoade on Top by Richard Ayoade.  Question Three: Choose a couple books you read but didn't enjoy? The two that I go on about all the time are The November Criminals by Sam Munson and When Everything Feels Like the Movies by Raziel Reid. Both are really bad and are problematic and just no to both of them.  Que

Reading Experiment: Why I No Longer Decide To Rate Books (and Films)

In the book community, especially on Goodreads, and in the film community seen with sites like Letterboxd, we are asked to give anything a star rating. Something that I have always done, when I got Goodreads in 2013, and in Letterboxd, a couple of years ago. I used rating to judge if something was good or if something was bad and made it lead how I would think. I would press marked as read or list it as watched and would need to rate it straight away and then it would be over.  But this year it all changed. (It's not as dramatic as it sounds) I wasn't expecting it to. I started the year off normally, rating the books and then films I  was watching were still rated and I just decided to stop. It was a little bit of a trial at the first but it's March now and I quite like the no rating thing.  Even though it seems like a sudden thing. It wasn't really. I have gone through phases in my reading and watching life when it often felt like I had no favourites and that not

Book Review: One Shot by Tayna Landman

*I am reviewing these books which I was gifted for free by Barrington Stoke in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own. * Title: One Shot Author: Tayna Landman  Publisher: Barrington Stoke Source: From Publisher Rating: 4/5 stars ( Amazon | Goodreads ) Book Summary: A powerful and deeply moving coming-of-age drama from Carnegie Medal-winning author Tanya Landman, inspired by the life of infamous sharpshooter Annie Oakley. After the death of her beloved father, Maggie and her family are thrown into a life of destitution. With little income and no way to live off their poor land, Maggie tries to provide for her family the way her father always had – with his hunting rifle and whatever animals the forest would provide. But when her mother is confronted with her 'unladylike' behaviour, she abandons Maggie to a life of unthinkable cruelty and abuse. With no one to care for her and only the hope of escape, all Maggie can do is survive. A profoundly

The Osemanverse Book Tag

So in September, Layla from ReadableLife created a book tag based around the characters of Alice Oseman. As I wasn’t really posting at the time, I kinda missed the opportunity to do it but as a massive fan of her work, I still wanted to do it. Also, check out Layla's blog as she is a great blogger! So let’s get started…  JIMMY KAGA-RICCI A CHARACTER YOU LOVE THAT OVERCAME SOMETHING HUGE Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games: I mean it’s a bit obvious, but Katniss went through a lot. Like a lot and she is one of my favourite characters from one of my favourite series so Katniss who definitely overcame a lot.  ROWAN OMONDI FAVOURITE PROTECTIVE CHARACTER Iorek  Byrison & Lee Scoresby from His Dark Materials: Lyra doesn't really have the best parents in her life and both characters kind of take her under their wings especially Lee as he is really resistant to at the beginning to the series. LISTER BIRD CHARACTER THAT OOZES CHARM Magnus Bane from basically any