Paperweight by Meg Haston

Paperweight by Meg Haston
Pages: 288
Release Date: 2 July, 2015
Rating:💜💜💜💜💜
Buy it: Amazon | Book Depository
Stevie is trapped. In her life, in her body, and now in an eating-disorder treatment center. Life in the center is regimented and intrusive, a nightmare come true. But what no one knows is that Stevie doesn’t plan to stay that long. There are only twenty-seven days until the anniversary of her brother Josh’s death—the death she caused. And if Stevie gets her way, there are only twenty-seven days until she, too, will end her life.


A major trigger warning for this book: there are in depth descriptions of therapy, multiple people with eating disorders, assault and slight homophobia.

This book was ugly in a beautiful way; it took a broken girl and tried to fix her even though we knew she had limited time left. You couldn't help but get attached to Stevie from the start because you can feel how broken she is and I spent the whole book wanting to protect her.

The characterisation of Stevie was so perfect fro this story because it didn't present her as a skinny girl who was shy and bullied and didn't eat to lose weight. Instead Haston showed another side of people who have eating disorders, as a person who had started to control their eating due to the lack of control she had over the rest of her life. The descriptions of Stevie's life were so raw and graphic that there were times where I felt truly exhausted as I felt like I was going through what Stevie was going through. The descriptions of her therapy were especially hard to read, and there is one scene in particular that still haunts me. I'm not sure if this is an own voices novel, and if it isn't then Haston has an incredible way with words.

My favourite part of Paperweight was the focus on relationships and its impact on Stevie's eating disorder. She developed wonderful relationships with both Ashley and Anna, showing people who are in this situation that not everyone is against them. I especially loved that there was such a positive relationship between Stevie and Anna because so much of teenage media has a negative outlook on therapy, which is not healthy for our current society.

The ending caught me off guard, even though you pretty much know what is going to happen from the start, and it made me bawl for several hours. Maybe it was Stevie's actions or the reactions of everyone around her that got to me but I was really hit hard by the last chapter of this book, and fell into a semi reading slump for a week or two. I wish I could go back in time and read this book for the first time all over again because it was honestly so incredible and one of my favourite reads of the year.

It Only Happens in the Movies by Holly Bourne

It Only Happens in the Movies by Holly Bourne
Pages: 411
Release Date: 2017
Rating: 💜💜💜💜
Buy it: Amazon | Book Depository

Audrey is over romance. Since her parents' relationship imploded her mother's been catatonic, so she takes a cinema job to get out of the house. But there she meets wannabe film-maker Harry. Nobody expects Audrey and Harry to fall in love as hard and fast as they do. But that doesn't mean things are easy. Because real love isn't like the movies...


I love the film (500) days of Summer. The way it examines love in our world and how our expectations don't always match up to our reality fascinates me. As someone who falls in love easily but rarely acts I have been known to build up a daydream of the life I could have with the person, only for it to all come crashing down around me. In many ways I am like Tom from the film, because I want more than the person I like can give to me.

And that's exactly what this book was like. The main character, Audrey, falls hard for a boy she meets working at a movie theatre and is willing to do almost anything to stay in a relationship with Harry (the bad boy of the novel). It was interesting going into this book because you knew it wasn't a love story from the get go. Audrey has sworn off love, and announces this several times at the start of the novel, so you know that we aren't being shown a love story. But holy cow does Holly Bourne take us for a ride.

If you have ever read any of Holly Bourne's books before you have learnt that nothing is ever as it seems. Every single one of her novels has had at least 3 major plot twists that each serve a different purpose. The first one is the one you see coming, the second one is the one that changes the entire dynamic of the story and the third one leaves you in tears. This book was no exception, with each one of these living up to and crushing all of my expectations for the novel. The characters were so well written that it felt like this story was happening to your closest friends, and you just wanted Holly Bourne to LET THEM HAVE A HAPPY ENDING!

One thing I've always admired about Holly Bourne's books is the fact that the side characters aren't neglected, no matter how little time they spend actually appearing on page. From the neurotic cinema manager to Harry's group of friends I really felt like I connected to each character and got to see the deeper parts of their character. No one was a perfect person, with no flaws. Everyone had multiple sides to them, and you could understand their motives for all of their actions (even if you didn't enjoy them). Like all of Holly Bourne books I've read, this book made me feel like I'd lost a friendship group the moment I turned over the last page, which is the beauty of a well-written novel.

Possibly my favourite part about this book was all the pop culture references that were made between the characters. This has become an increasing trend in YA books, with some people falling flat but Holly Bourne has always had a way of interweaving her world with world that seems so effortless. The references to Kill Bill,  the Marvel universe, and literally every romance movie worth watching added so much to this book as you got to get inside the brain of the characters and understand the connections they are making as they are making them.

The ending made me sob for a good two or three minutes with how perfect it was. You get to see just how much Audrey has grown as a character, and also the influence she has had on Harry as a person. It was one of the most beautiful endings to a YA romance I have ever read and exceeded my expectations on so many levels. And even though I knew what was coming the second time I read this book, it still made me weep like a Disney princess (dramatically throws self on bed).

Overall this book is well worth the read, even if you aren't the biggest fan of romance, because it is so much more than a love story. It has a feminist take on the typical romance novel that takes down all your expectations and rebuilds them into the story you didn't realise you needed (plus it has zombies, which is pretty awesome).

Reviewing books

Reviewing books is hard. (I don't do it very well)

You have to put all the emotions you experienced whilst reading this book into words that tell other people exactly what you felt.

You have to make sure you include everything you want to say, but also make sure that you don't just ramble on about the possibility of living in that universe or cake. (which is hard. Cake takes up a lot of space).

But most of all (and this is the bit I hate the most), you have to put all your feelings into a certain amount of stars.

THOSE BLOOMIN' STARS!

I always find it hard to put my feelings into star ratings, meaning I literally have to make pro and con lists every time I review a book. Sometimes I give a book 3 stars and feel like it is too harsh because technically I liked the book; it just wasn't incredible. So over  the last few weeks I've come up with a system that correctly represents my feelings. And here it is:

💜- I hated it / couldn't finish reading it. It made me fall asleep and/or want to rip my eyes out. Read this only if you have a death wish (or you want to, I won't judge) (yes I will)

💜💜- I had some major problems with this book which I will never be able to get over. If you asked me for my least favourite book it would probably have this rating. However, it wasn't totally bad and I could see the potential (it just wasn't acted on)

💜💜💜- This book was okay. I enjoyed reading it but it isn't going to stick with me. In the long run this book was just a filler book between the last really great book I read and the next one I'm going to read. (A lot of contemporaries fall under this category; I enjoy them but at the end of the day they are all the same)

💜💜💜💜- I really really liked this book. Sure there were problems but I can overlook them when this story was so fabulous. I'll probably re-read it in the future and it will always have a spot on my bookshelf.

💜💜💜💜💜- I loved this book! It made me feel so many emotions and now I need to sit here and stroke it whilst telling everyone to read it!

💜💜💜💜💜💜- I LOVED IT! NEW FAVOURITE! EVERYONE HAS TO READ IT! (I've already re-read it at least 7 times and named my children after the characters and forced everyone I know to read it so...)

I hope this guide has been helpful to anyone who was unsure of how I rate my books. It is quite hard to decide which category the books I read fit into, but I think this captures it best.

How do you rate your books? Do you have a system similar to mine, or a you just a random reviewer? Let me know in the comments below!

And until next time, keep reading!

Best books from the best genre: historical fiction

I adore all historical fiction books. As a fully fledged history nerd I feel it is my duty to read as many historical fiction books as possible so I've read a lot of historical fiction. I love exploring the worlds gone by, especially those set in World War Two, and discovering more about how people used to live. This prompt was super hard for me because how can I possibly pick just 10 books from a genre I love?! I tried really hard to pick out some books that you might not have heard, as a well as some popular ones that I'm sure everyone knows (because they're popular for a reason right?)

1- All the Light We Cannot See by Andrew Doerr

This book is beautiful, it is poetry, and if you haven't read it you need to now! It is dual perspective between a blind French girl and a German boy during the Second World War, so you get to see how both sides of the war felt about the other side. It is a little difficult to get into, but once you've read the first 20 pages it flies past so fast!

2- Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

I know this is technically a fantasy book but the whole Infernal Devices series is set in Victorian London so I'm counting it as historical fiction. These books mix the fantastical elements to the historical elements in such an effective manner that I'm finding it hard to believe that these books series aren't actually real life accounts of what happened and Cassie Clare isn't a warlock. The atmosphere of Victorian London adds so much to the story and it deepens the plot in a way that wouldn't have happened if it was set in the present. (As you can see I have a lot of feelings about this book and I'm actually planning on re-reading it this month. Anyways... I'm going to move on now).

3- The Book Theif by Markus Zuzak

This book devastated me. I read it over two days because it is so addictive and then cried for about 2 hours after reading it. I adore this book so much (it is own of my all-time favourites) and I plan to re-read it again soon. I guessing most people have read this book already but if you haven't a- where have you been? and b- get on it!

4- Girl with the Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier

I think this the oldest historical fiction I have read (and by that I mean set furthest in the past) and I was surprised I loved it so much. I actually watched the film before I read the book because it had never really interested me before. However, the film was incredible and I borrowed the book from the library the very next day. It is quite short but a very intense read so I would highly recommend picking it up. I will say that, unlike most of the other books on this list, if you don't like historical fiction don't bother with this one because it is very heavily linked to the Dutch culture of the time.

5- Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers

Another one set far back in the past and another incredible story. It is set in the French courts of the early 1600s and follows an assassin who has been trained by nuns. This book, and the following two in the series, explore so many different elements of this society form the castles to the expectations of women to the warfare of the time. It is nice to see a historical fiction not set during the world wars that so thoroughly explores society as a whole, rather than a small  pocket in a certain village.

6- Code Name Verity by Eliabeth Wein

Speaking of World War Two books, here is another one. This book focuses on two women during the war and their incredible mission to help the Allies win the war. One of the women is a spy and the other is her pilot, and the story is based around the spy trying to escape a German prison. It deals with flashbacks and dual perspectives and is generally an all round incredible novel.

7- My name is not Friday by Jon Walter

There are very young adult books that are based around slavery or the American Civil War, but this one is and it is pretty cool. The story follows a young educated boy who has been sold into slavery, despite his status and education. It then follows him as he comes to terms with the fact that he is now a slave, exploring the strict and alien rules that are being imposed on him and how he reacts to the new life he is leads. It is a beautiful yet moving book that appears to capture the essence of the confusion and trauma that came with the slave trade.

8- The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne

How could I write this list and not include this book? The most scarring book of my childhood and the one that still makes me cry every time I read it. This book tugs at everyone's heart strings and I think only evil people don't cry at this book (if you want to know someone's true nature make them read this book and then watch their every movement. if they don't cry, ditch them)

9- The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien

Has anyone ever read a book set during the Vietnam War? This is the only one I've ever heard and I would be genuinely interested to know if anyone knows  of any others. Technically this counts as a historical fiction, despite the fact that the Vietnam War only ended in 1975, and it is a great read. It is kind of similar to All Quiet on the Western Front but focuses on the physical things that the soldiers carried with them. It is semi-autobiographical and incredibly insightful so I would recommend if you like war books that focus on the people not the places.

10- Les Miserables by Victor Hugo

Haha! This counts as historical fiction despite the fact it was written in 1862. I'll be entirely honest, I haven't finished this book yet (I'm about 100 pages in) but I really wanted to include it on this list. The film and BBC adaptation of this novel are both incredible (although the BBC show is a little more accurate) and I've even read it in manga form, so I think I'm qualified enough to say that it is a bloomin' incredible book. I'm not going to push anyone to read it but definitely consume this story somehow because it paints a beautiful picture of the French Revolution that is only slightly Romantic (because all frenchmen are secretly romantics).

What is your favourite genre? Have you read any of the books on this list?

Let me know in the comments below (and leave a link to your TTT)!

And until next time, keep reading!

My return from an unofficial hiatus with a June TBR!

So I'm back. I decided to take a break from blogging whilst my exams were happening, but now I'm into the second week of exams and don't need to revise as intensely, so I can get back to blogging. I have a lot of reviews lined up for the next few weeks but I thought I'd start with a casual TBR and chat so that I can slip back into blogging.

(accurate representation of me this month)

I know this month is Pride month (which I'm very excited about) but I haven't been able to find a pride-related book that I could read this month. My main problem has been that I have no idea which books have pride rep in them so if anyone has some YA recommendations for pride I would very much appreciate that!

For the past few months I've been taking part in a really fun reading challenge called the Harry Potter Challenge over on Goodreads, where I've got to read 14 books to pass my exams and become an auror. There are so many wizarding careers to choose from so I would highly recommend you go check out the challenge yourself. For my challenge this month I'm going to read Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard, The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde and possibly Who Runs the World by Virginia Bergin which will wrap up my challenge completely!

On the note of Harry Potter, the annual Harry Potter readathon starts on June 10 this moth so I will be reading the first three books in the Harry Potter series towards the end of the month. Also, exciting news! It is the readathon's 5-year anniversary this year so it is a super special readathon this year!

Final readathon that I'm taking part in this month is the Ghilbi-a-thon which is taking place from June 10 - June 16 (which is during my last week exams but it's fine). As I'm going to be super busy that week I'm only planning on reading 3 books for these challenges but you never know! I might have a super reading sprint on the weekend and read books for all the prompts (fat chance). I'm going to read Howl's Moving Castle (group read), Clockwork Angel (Arriety) and The Good, The Bad and The Dumped (The Wind Rises) for this challenge and might even watch a Ghilbi film.

My final TBR for this month:

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

Who Runs The World by Virginia Bergin

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Askaban

Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

The Good, the Bad and the Dumped by Jenny Colgan

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare 

I honestly wasn't planning on reading this many books this month but I'm so excited for all the books I'm going to be reading that I don't really mind too much. I'm most excited to re-read Clockwork Angel because I've been obsessively thinking about it since I read Lady Midnight, but I'm pretty stoked for all these books.

What books are you going to read this month? Are you taking part in any readathons?
Let me know in the comments below!

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
Release Date: May 6, 2014
Pages: 531
Rating:💜💜💜💜💜
Buy it: Amazon | Book Depository
For Marie-Laure, blind since the age of six, the world is full of mazes. The miniature of a Paris neighbourhood, made by her father to teach her the way home. The microscopic layers within the invaluable diamond that her father guards in the Museum of Natural History. The city by the sea, where she takes refuge from the Nazis, drawing her ever closer to Werner, a German orphan, destined to labour in the mines until a broken radio fills his life with possibility and brings him to the notice of the Hitler Youth.

I remember when this book was getting all the hype and I thought 'I am never going to read this book'. I had no interest in reading this book, I though I wouldn't enjoy it and I was convinced that it wasn't going to be that great.

It wasn't until I had to make up an excuse for who I wasn't writing my history coursework in the lessons set aside for the specific purpose of writing my history coursework (I know, I'm a good student) that I decided to read this book. Considering I was writing my history coursework on World War Two I somehow managed to convince my teacher that me reading a book about WW2 was me doing work. I think he just liked the fact that I got all my work done the night of getting given it. Whatever his reason was it gave me the chance to read this book, and boy was it one heck of a ride.

I'd started reading this book before but never got into the story (mainly because I hated any book that wasn't standard text, but hey ho). But this time something had clearly change because I was addicted to the story and couldn't put the book done. I could only read it in snatches of time that grabbed throughout my school days but I lived for these moments, desperately wanting to find out what happened next.

All of the characters in this book were so incredibly complicated, with each chapter revealing a new layer to their story. There was the blind girl who could see with her fingers, the Nazi boy who loved to invent, his little sister who hated him for being a Nazi, and the eccentric uncle who loved his family with all his heart. Even these little descriptions of the characters aren't enough; the characters you see at the start of this book aren't the ones you are left with at the end because Anthony Doerr really knows how to develop a character.

I loved the grime of this story; the fact that society felt tainted by the war, that you could see the devastation within each chapter. So many YA war novels miss out the fact that everyone was affected by the war, and not just because of the loss of lives. Throughout the novel we see relationships fall apart, new ones build up and see how families change and evolve due to the strain of the war. The realistic nature of this story was similar to that of The Book Thief, proving that no one is truly safe from the nature of the war.

This book is the kind of book where you have to sit down and think about it, rather than just rushing from this book to another one. The beauty of the prose, the nature of the character's relationships, and the deep historical connections gave this book a place in my heart that it will keep for years to come.

Macbeth by William Shakespeare

Macbeth by William Shakespeare
Pages: 103
Release Date: 1606
Rating: 💜💜💜💜
Buy it: Amazon | Book Depository

Macbeth himself, a brave warrior, is fatally impelled by supernatural forces, by his proud wife, and by his own burgeoning ambition. As he embarks on his murderous course to gain and retain the crown of Scotland, we see the appalling emotional and psychological effects on both Lady Macbeth and himself. The cruel ironies of their destiny are conveyed in poetry of unsurpassed power.


In an attempt to read more old/classic books I decided to read another play by Shakespeare because why step out of comfort zones if you don't want to. Right?

I love Macbeth. I've read it before, but that was 5 years ago, so I felt it was time to revisit this world of turmoil and see what does down. I  hadn't forgotten as much as I thought I had, which isn't that surprising when you realise that the play is only 103 pages long.

My favourite fact about this play is that it is so short because James 1 didn't like long plays and Shakespeare wanted to make sure he paid attention for the entire duration of the play, because we all know that Shakespeare is the Queen of Sass. As a result this play is short and full of jokes, although there is just the right of murder in here to balance the play out. The way that Shakespeare showed the characters' slow descent into madness was almost poetic, as with each act you could see more and more of their sanity disappear.

In a way this play is very similar to Hamlet: people hung up on power eventually kill everyone before conveniently dying themselves. Plus, female suicide! But all jokes aside there are clear parallels, from the language used to the characters involved, that made this play seem oddly familiar to me. I think Shakespeare had a thing for corrupt countries that needed saving.

In conclusion, I still love Macbeth. I think it is a great book to read if you are just starting off with Shakespeare, as it is short and has iconic lines such as 'You egg!' The English in this play isn't hard to understand and you can fall into the story quite fast. With all the action and adventure that takes place, it is easy to forget that this play was written 500 years ago.