Sunday, 27 April 2014

Dewey's Readathon Wrap-up

So the readathon has come to an end. :-(  I will admit I probably only read for around 6 hours but I read more than I would have. When it first started I still needed to do some jobs and because of that I listen to a few chapters of pride and prejudice so that I was still kind of reading at the start. After I read a section of Of Mice and Men and read nearly all of Frostbite. (Which was awesome!)

But yeah, I didn't go all out on this, you know I didn't stay up late or anything I just made sure I made a little time for reading instead of the internet or something. I really just used it as a break from revision but it also gave me motivation to read again as I haven't been reading a lot lately.

Hope any of you who took part had fun and read some good books.

Speak soon,
Jade xx

Challenge Check Point

Hello! So I got this idea from MarlinElina on youtube and basically it is just a little update on how you are doing with all those resolutions/challenges you set at the start of the year. I thought it would be a nice little catch up post to do :)

Resolution number 1- Revive this blog. As you will be able to tell this one lasted about a month. But I haven't given up on it so that counts for something right? I imagine this will happen again where I don't post for a little while but hopefully I will become consistent at some point.

Number 2- Read everyday. I haven't kept to this completely, but I would say I've read on average at least 3 times a week, which is enough for me.

3. Read 70 books this year. When I didn't finish a book in March I realised that 70 was maybe a little ambitious for such a busy year, so on goodreads I dropped it down to 42, something that I think is a bit more doable, and I believe I'm on track with that... Yep 2 books ahead. :)

4. Read 6 Classics. Well so far I have read a grand total of zero classics. I know, I'm amazing. I got a little way into Pamela though and I'm planning to read Northanger Abbey soon. So with those 2 and no doubt a few for school once I start A-levels I might be able to get at least 4 classics in.

5. Deplete TBR pile. Well I've read 14 books so far this year and brought 10 books. So that means I have decreased the pile by 4 books! Not much but its something and I can't really buy any more so no doubt by September I will be able to boast more.

Finally number 6- But less books. This I am definitely sticking to, I used to buy about 5 a month so 10 in 4 months is pretty good going in my eyes.

And that is all of them, overall a little bleak but the years only just started and doing this post has given me some motivation, I may do this again in 4 months to see where I'm at.

Speak soon,
Jade xx

Saturday, 26 April 2014

Dewey's 24 Hour Readathon

Hello :) Just a super quick post to tell you that I am going to take part in Dewey's Readathon. I haven't officially signed up or anything, I'm doing it so I can get some reading done. So for me in the UK, it is starting at 1pm; which is a nice time I think as it gives me a chance to do some jobs before hand.

The books that I would like to read are:

  • Frostbite (and maybe finish it)
  • The Book Thief (I won't finish it but would like to get a way through it).
However! I may have to compromise because I need to do revision so I think I may first read Of Mice and Men (a book I loathe but alas must study) and then carry on with Frostbite or The Book Thief it will give me motivation to read it I suppose. 

I will post my progress on either my twitter (@JellyBabyJade97) or more likely on Instagram (@Jadeling97). Let me know where you'll be updating so I can see how you're doing!

Speak soon,
Jade xx

Thursday, 24 April 2014

Cinder Review

So Cinder by Marissa Meyer is the first book of the Lunar Chronicles series. Which you probably already know because many people have read it and the third book- Cress- came out a month or two ago. And after at least a year of being on my shelves I finally picked it up and I wish I had done it sooner, I literally read in like 17 hours so under a day! That is how much I enjoyed it and then preceded to have a book-hangover for about a week because of it. Anyway on with the review!

Cinder is a retelling of Cinderella but not a super super obvious one. Yes she has a really evil step-mother and 2 step-sisters and there is a ball and a prince and all that but apart from that you just get little references. Like at one point something was referred to a pumpkin and this added something really fun to the story. However plot and character wise there is quite a big difference. For starters it is set in New Beijing after the 4th world war I think it was, and a lot has changed. The main difference is that there is now androids and cyborgs- which are looked upon as inferior- Cinder is a cyborg and this causes complications with her interaction between herself and the prince. Throughout the book there is an underlying mystery of Cinder's past and also an almost political tension between the Prince and the Queen of a race called the Lunars (who live on the moon, the moon! How cool is that!?) All these thing interlock seamlessly, creating this fast pace, complex world with these amazing characters to make us feel connected. And for me that is the most important part of a book- the characters, that is the way that I, as the reader connect and get immersed in a book. The world and plot can be brilliant but without decent characters all that is lost on me.

I gave Cinder 5 stars and I would give it more if I could. Its just fantastic and I need to get my hands on Scarlet now! I know this is very brief and vague but that is partly on purpose. I went into Cinder without knowing much about it at all, and that's what I want you guys to do. So if you haven't already I urge you to pick it up and go into it blind, just make sure you have a day or two to spare cause you won't be able to stop reading it!

Speak soon,
Jade xx

P.S. I also read 3 novellas that are on wattpad to this series 2 were prequels to Cinder which really added to Cinder's character and her families too, and the 3rd was a Scarlet prequel which gave us a little more info on something that was touched on in Cinder.

Monday, 21 April 2014

A Catch up.

Since its been a while since I posted excluding my Easter TBR, I thought it might make sense to just clue you in on what I have read over the past few months. Before I get into it though a little pre-warning that some of these books may cross over into my April Wrap-up when I do that at the end of the month.

1. Miss Peregrines Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs. I went into this without really knowing what it was about over than the concept (with was awesome! the photos slotted into the story perfectly). But the storyline and characters were really cool too. I liked the sense of adventure and gave it 4 stars.

2.Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead. I flew through this and it is the first vampire novel I have enjoyed. I was surprised at how complex and deep the world, characters and especially the relationships. I gave this one 4 stars. I wanted to read it so I could go see the movie but of course that fell flat on its face. Anyone in the UK actually know if it will be showing at all in the UK? If so please tell me!

3. Paper Towns by John Green. I had high expectations for this book and though it wasn't as good as John's other books I still enjoyed it. But I found the middle a little slow and the ending plot wise odd however philosophically I really connected to it. Again 4 stars.

4.Divergent by Veronica Roth. Been meaning to read this for ages and the movie kicked my butt into gear. I had a very mixed relationship with this book. I found it slow and the characters a bit flat but at the same time I couldn't put it down and the world I loved. I gave it 4 stars on goodreads but I think really I'd say 3.5 stars and the film was good too, but I think it could of done with a bit more romance. I thought the book had got a really good balance of action and romance and the film didn't keep that unfortunately.

5.Cinder by Marissa Meyer. This one I am doing a review for later on so won't talk about it that much but lets put it this way I read it in less than 24 hours! And I also read the 3 short stories that go with the Lunar Chronicles too.

So that's it! Not that many I know but they were all pretty good :)

Speak soon,
Jade xx

Saturday, 19 April 2014

Easter TBR

Hello! So even though I am now half way through my holidays I thought I would share the books I hope to read over my break. :) A few weeks ago I got into a reading slump, so I am in the middle of quite a few books and my main aim is to finish those really.

First on my list is The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, I have been reading this for a while and I am really enjoying it, the writing is so unique and beautifully poetic. It is just so big, its a beast of a book! I am looking forward to finishing this, but perhaps not the ending, I hear it is a bit of a tearjerker.

I am also currently reading Frostbite by Richelle Mead, I always said that I didn't really like vampires, but this series is changing my mind. I found Vampire Academy fun and I love the relationship between Rose and Lissa, and dare I say it? But Dimitri. I'm sure that is all I need to say and the people who have read it will understand. ;)

The last book I'm in the middle of that I am planning on finishing in the next week is Miki Falls: Summer by Mark Crilley. This is the 2nd in his graphic novel series that I have a hankering to re-read, so after I've finished this 1 I will continue on to Autumn and Winter.

I am planning to start 2 more books if I can and both are by the name of Northanger Abbey. First I want to read Jane Austen's and then I want to to read the modernized version by Val McDermid. It is part of The Austen Project where authors are rewriting Austen's books; I think so far they have done Sense and Sensibility as well as Northanger Abbey.

So that's that, I don't know if I'll finish or even get to the last 2 but ambition is supposed to be good right?

Happy Easter!

Jade xx
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