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.

Netflix Book Tag!

I watch a lot of Netflix (naturally, it is 2019). In fact the only thing I do more than watching Netflix is reading, so this book tag is perfect for displaying my love for both my methods of procrastination to everyone. I had a lot of fun thinking of which books fit under these categories, and also looking at what was under each of these categories on my Netflix account!

This tag was created by A Darker Shade Of Whitney over on Youtube, so go check her out!

Recently watched: what was the last book you finished?

The Loneliest Girl in the Universe by Lauren James, which was an adorable and thought provoking sci-fi. Think Cress mixed with Passengers (the film). I don't usually read sci-fi books but this one captivated me from page one.

Top picks: Recommended to you based on another book you'd read

I was recommended Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin because I loved The Messenger of Fear by Michael Grant so much. I'm actually reading Elsewhere at the moment and I'm enjoying it (but definitely not as much as The Messenger of Fear). It talks about a similar concept (life after death) but the writing style is completely different and it isn't as scary as Michael Grant's book.

Recently Added: the last book you bought

I recently went on a mad charity shopping haul where I went around Canterbury (the big town near me) and grabbed all the books I wanted from each charity shop. Part of that haul included a really pretty edition of The Princess Bride by William Goldman that has an absolutely gorgeous black and white cover. Honestly, it is gorgeous and 100% the cover is the only reason why I bought the book.

Popular on Netflix: pick two books you've read and two you haven't which are getting the hype

Books I have read: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak and We Are Okay by Nina LaCour
Books I haven't read:  The Cruel Prince by Holly Black and Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Comedies: A funny book

I usually laugh at anything John Green writes because his characters' sense of humour is very similar to mine. My personal favourite is Turtles All the Way Down, because it is absolutely ridiculous and very sarcastic.

Dramas: A character who is a drama queen/king

Doesn't every single character in a YA novel count? They're all so pumped up with teen angst that it is hard to find a character that isn't dramatic. However, if I had to pick one character that beats all the other characters I'd have to go with Belly from The Summer I Turned Pretty series because she is far more dramatic than most.

Animated: A book with cartoons on the cover

Is it weird that I can't think of a single book for this prompt? I guess the closest thing to a comic would be the new cover of Carry On, but I'm not sure if it actually counts. Does it?

Watch It Again: A book that you want to re-read

I really want to read the Infernal Devices series again, partially because I love Tessa and Will and partially because those books feel like home to me.

Documentaries: A non-fiction book you'd recommend to everyone

I rarely read nonfiction books; I think I've four or five in my entire life. I am trying to read more nonfiction this year and the next on my list is Hidden Figures, which was turned into a film recently. (I know this doesn't really answer the question but hey ho).

Action and adventure: A book that is action packed

The Enemy series by Charlie Higgins. This whole series is packed with action, which can only be expected from a zombie series. I love this series and am hoping to re-read it in the near future.

New releases: A new release that you are excited to read

I'm kinda pumped to read Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen. M. McManus, especially as its been announced as the Booksplosion book of the month for February. The blurb for this book gave me Riverdale vibes, so hopefully it will be a fun read.

What is one book you'd recommend to everyone? And what are you watching on Netflix?
Let me know in the comments below!

And until next time, keep reading!

Books that definitely deserve more hype

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I LOVED with Fewer than 2,000 Ratings on Goodreads

I never check Goodreads before I start reading a book. Some people find that weird because they can't imagine reading without looking at all the different stats and reviews that come along with the book, but for it ruins the experience of reading. And even after I've read a book, I'll only look at my friends' reviews of the book before moving on to the next novel.

When I read this topic my first thought was 'there are books with less than 2000 ratings?' And then I thought 'how on earth am I going to find out which books have less than 2000 ratings?' Luckily, thanks to the power of Google, I figured out how to look at the number of ratings a book has. So here is a list of my top 7 books that definitely deserve more hype.

1- More of Me by Kathryn Evans

(Goodreads ratings: 633)

To be totally honest, I wouldn't have read this book if it hadn't have been sent to me but I'm glad I did. Before this book I hadn't read many sci-fi novels, so this was a perfect transition from contemporaries into the sci-fi. Although I don't read many sci-fis even now, I will always appreciate this book, and the genre it introduced me to.

2- Countless by Karen Gregory

(Goodreads ratings: 477)

This book really hit home for me. It was a beautifully representative book about eating disorders and how hard it is to recover from them. It is a shame that Countless didn't get more hype because I think it was gave great representation for what it is like to live with an eating disorder and would be able to teach people more about this mental illness.

3- Forbidden Friends by Annie-Marie Conway

(Goodreads ratings: 401)

This book was cheesy to the next level, but sometimes you need that in your life. I did enjoy Butterfly Summer a lot more than this one, but the cheesiness of this book makes me want to re-read it over and over again. There are a few twists and turns in this book which caught me by surprise, but it was mostly just a fun book to read when you're feeling down.

4- The Children Who Lived in a Barn by Eleanor Graham

(Goodreads ratings: 190)

This is my mum's favourite book and I loved it too when I read it a couple of years ago. It is basically a sweeter and more innocent version of Lord of the Flies; a novelisation of everyone's dream to stake out on their own. It is a sweet family novel that shows the power of sibling ties, and makes you question what you would do in their situation.

5- The Yellow Room

(Goodreads ratings: 166)

This book was incredibly dark novel about obsession, trust and revenge. There was so much about this book that was totally unexpected that it completely strayed away from the traditional YA story line which I was expecting. I barely saw this book anywhere though, so I'm not too surprised that it has so few ratings.

6- The Inventors by Alexander Gordon Smith

(Goodreads ratings: 150)

I love this book. I remember reading it about six years ago when the author came to my school to talk about how cool his books were. Admittedly, I like his other book series a lot more than this one, but there is something quite sentimental for me about this book. I really wish he'd been able to publish this book worldwide, rather than just the UK, because it is a gripping children's book.

7- The Sign of One by Eugene Lambert 
(Goodreads ratings: 142)

I was so shocked to see that this book had so few ratings, especially as it is one of my favourite books of all time. Sci-fi, mystery, action and romance all tied up into one book, literally anyone could pick this up and enjoy. Of all the books on this list, this is the one I would most highly recommend.

Which books do you love that need more hype? Are any of them on this list?
Let me know in the comments below!

And until next time, keep reading!

Let It Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson and Lauren Myracle

Let It Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson and Lauren Myracle

Release Date: October 2, 2008

Pages: 354

Rating: 💜💜💜

Buy it: Amazon | Book Depository

An ill-timed storm on Christmas Eve buries the residents of Gracetown under multiple feet of snow. One brave soul ventures out into the storm from her stranded train and sets off a chain of events that will change quite a few lives. Over the next three days one girl takes a risky shortcut with an adorable stranger, three friends set out to win a race to the Waffle House, and the fate of a teacup pig falls into the hands of a lovesick barista.

I read this book on Christmas Eve to get myself in the Christmassy mood, as this book is set on Christmas Eve through to Christmas Day. Honestly, I wouldn't have been able to tell that it was Christmas from this book if the authors hadn't explicitly said it at the start of each of their stories. I didn't necessarily have a problem with this, I just wanted to feel more Christmassy, rather than wintery.  

As this book is split into three different stories I'm going to split my review into three different parts so that I can talk in depth about my feelings towards each story.

The Jubilee Express by Maureen Johnson

Pages: 119

Rating: 💜💜💜💜

I actually really enjoyed this story. I thought Jubilee was a well-developed character for the 119 pages that she appeared for. She was funny and I always knew where she stood with people. Her boyfriend, Noah, wasn't a villain in this story, which tends to happen in contemporary books, but you could see that he was highly motivated to do well in school. On the other end of the spectrum, Stuart seemed well-balanced and level-headed, focusing on maintaining relationships rather than having the perfect personal record. 

I loved the addition of Flobie Santa Village, with Jubilee's parents getting so invested in the world that they had built, especially when you saw how it had influenced Jubilee. She knew what she was talking about with each piece, and could easily value any item from the village just by looking at it. I felt like this is true for any child who is forced to take an interest in their parent's hobbies, as they slowly pick up the information about it without even realising what is happening. 

This story was by far my favourite of the three; I found  the characters sweet and funny, I loved the family dynamic that we were introduced to and the romance in this section was super cute. A strong start to an otherwise weak book.

A Cheertastic Christmas Miracle by John Green

Pages: 94

Rating:💜💜💜

This story had John Green written all over it. The high-school characters who speak like college graduates, the quirky girl who isn't like those who like stereotypical girl things and the pair of boys who have been friends since birth. Every single John Green book has the same makeup and this story was no exception.

That isn't to say I didn't like it. I enjoyed the high speed race through Gracetown as they tried to get to the Waffle House, with the car slipping and sliding everywhere on the 6-foot high snow. I loved the banter between the three friends; a clear display of John Green's ability to write good relationships. It followed on quite nicely from Maureen Johnson's story especially with the links that he made to her story (the most obvious being the cheerleaders), showing that they had worked together to create this book instead of writing a story each and then putting them into a book. 

The reason why I rated this story lower than the first one is because I didn't enjoy the cheerleader part of it. Not only were the boys willing to brave the worst snowstorm in FIFTY YEARS for the chance to stare at some cheerleaders, but they didn't actually end up talking to them when they got there. All of the boys in this book acted like sex-obsessed shells who only wanted to be around the girls with short skirts on, which made reading it less enjoyable. 

So yes, overall this story was good, the characters were fun to read but the obsession with the cheerleaders pulled it down for me a little. I'm actually on the fence about giving this book three or four stars because the more I think about it, the more I remember enjoying this story (I'll leave it at three for now).

The Patron Saint of Pigs by Lauren Myracle

Pages: 141

Rating:💜

I'm deliberating between giving this story one or two stars, but I think it deserves one right now.

I didn't enjoy this story at all. I hated the main character who was whiny, narrow minded and annoying. She had no depth, she just complained about her life and she was always blaming other people for things that she did wrong. She cheats on her boyfriend and them makes up 101 different excuses about why it wasn't such a bad thing and how she still loves her boyfriend (who she practically begs to forgive her) and then she gets her happy ending! Honestly, the fact that she got her happy ending was the most infuriating part of this story because she didn't deserve it (I'm not saying she doesn't deserve to be happy, I'm saying she doesn't deserve the happiness that she got). 

I almost DNF'ed this book because of how annoying I found Addie but I decided to push through and read to the end. I'm glad I did because the reappearance of John Green and Maureen Johnson's characters made this story more bearable (even if their dialogue was stilted).

If you do read Let It Snow maybe give the last story a miss, or only the last three or four chapters of it to save yourself of the horror that is Addie. I enjoyed the other two stories, and it was a shame that his one almost ruined it for me.

Couples that make me realise how lonely I am

Top Ten Tuesday:  Favourite Couples In Books

Valentine's Day is coming up this week and as much as I joke about it being a commercial waste of time I am jealous of all the couples who can spend the day together. I am a hopeless romantic at heart, lapping up any chance of consuming more love (especially as my life seem to be severely lacking). As a result, when I'm not watching romantic films or listening to love songs I read as many cheesy romance novels as possible, falling in love with the love that these characters are sharing.

Today I'm going to share some of my favourite couples that make me feel all the feels and believe that love does exist (also, are you proud of me? there are adult books on this list!)

Lennie and Joe
(The Sky is Everywhere)

These two will forever be my OTP, no couple can be cuter than them and nobody can change my mind. This book is one of my favourites, especially with the poetry interludes that we get between each chapter, and the romance in this book is just as fantastic.

Tessa and Will (Infernal Devices)

Everyone is love with this trilogy and I will happily jump on that bandwagon. I personally love this love this triangle more than the Jace/Clary romance in TMI, but that might just be because I relate with the characters more in this novel. I aspire to have the romance that Tessa and Will have because you can feel their love pouring out of the book.

Karou and Akiva (Daughter of Smoke and Bone)

Any romance intense enough to survive a war is a good romance, and this romance is the perfect example of that. Karou and Akiva have such a sweet but intense love story and I couldn't stop reading about them.

Clare and Henry (Time Traveller's Wife)

So there are some major flaws with this love story, but the amount of love that they shared was just incredible. Clare was willing to spend her life waiting for Henry to come back again, just that she could spend another day with the man she loved. Imagine having a love so strong that you would spend days alone just so that you could see them again.

Dexter and Emma (One Day)

This has a similar premise to Time Traveller's Wife, with their love spanning over 40 years. I loved the film version of this book as well, especially as Anne Hathaway played the role of Emma. I've read this book three times, and every time I am still destroyed by the ending and the love that they share. 

Rosie and Alex (Love, Rosie)

One of my favourite romance tropes is childhood friends turned lovers and this book delivered on so many levels. Every time I read this book I feel overwhelming happiness and have a sense of cosiness inside me. I wish I could end up in this kind of relationship, one that lasts years and years.

Ismae and Duval (Grave Mercy)

I loved this book and the romance that formed between these two. It was so subtle that you barely noticed the romance developing, but somehow you always knew you wanted it to happen. After the past that Ismae had I'm so glad t hat she found love in the form of Duval.

Which fictional couples are your favourites? Are any of them on this list?
Let me know in the comments below!

And until next time, keep reading!

The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski

The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski
Release date: March 4, 2014
Pages: 359
Rating:💜💜💜💜
Buy it: Amazon | Book Depository

As a general's daughter Kestrel has two choices: join the military or get married. Kestrel has other ideas. One day she finds a kindred spirit in Arin, a young slave up for auction. Following her instinct Kestrel buys him, and soon has to hide her growing love for him. But little does she know, she is not the only one with secrets.

I actually had no idea what to expect going into this book. I managed to avoid any spoilers when the hype around this book was massive and the premise never interested me, so I didn't look into it. However, I saw the cover the other day when I was charity shopping and I knew I had to have a copy of this book on my bookshelf. So this book is 100% a cover buy for me.

(But can you blame me? It is gorgeous.)

As the result of not anything about the book before I read it, I was confused when I read the first few chapters. I had got it into my head that Kestrel was an assassin who was training to kill people (when she is the complete opposite). When I realised that she wasn't an assassin I began to enjoy the book a lot more. I thought the fact that Kestrel was a brilliant strategist was very unique (in a good way) as most books these days have the brave female hero fighting for her rights. By placing her in the commander's shoes we got to see a whole different way to take down regimes. Kestrel was smart and calculating, which created more action than if she had just been a cold-blooded killer. It also meant that we got to see what life is like for those behind the battlefield, those who plot and mark out where the next move should be.

The romance that is hinted at in the blurb barely made it into the novel, but I think that was for the best. There were hints here and there, but it was so rare that you could see that their feelings were genuine instead of the stereotypical insta-love that comes in novels like this. Kestrel refuses to face her feelings, ignoring Arin at all costs and  searching for reasons why she shouldn't fall in love with him. Arin is naturally oblivious to any feelings she might have for him, making all the moments they share together far more special and exciting than if they had been upfront about their feelings.

This book made several interesting comments on colonisation and the effects it has on the people who used to live there. As there are two different communities living on the same land we get to see quite personally how each community has developed since the invasion happened. The results are similar to that of the Native Americans, with them being treated as lesser beings by the settlers. This was interesting to see in this novel, especially as the Valorian managed to take over and destroy everything without a flicker of guilt.

I always say this when I read a fantasy or dystopian novel, but I am a sucker for a world with good politics. This book didn't fail me on that front, so that may be part of the reason why I loved this book so much. However, I do think this book is generally very good with strong characters and even an even stronger plot that is clearly going to continue through into the two other novels very effectively. I have no clue what genre this novel would fit into but I think that fantasy lovers would like it because it has all the feelings of a fantasy novel. I would especially recommend it to people who love strong female characters, politics and gory battles.