I have not been the most consistent bullet journaler in the past, I'll admit, but I'm hoping that with the new year and a new journal, I can start the year off right and keep it going. Once I'm in the swing of things, I really love planing and drawing out all the monthly pages and using it to keep track and organise life. 

I got a new Moleskine dotted journal in red (😍) for Christmas and over the last few days have been planning what to put on the first few pages to start the year off. I have made a few mistakes but I am just going to say that it makes it look more rustic... 

Firstly, I have my index page. I have left quite a few blank pages here - four in total - as if I do manage to keep this going for the whole year or longer, there will be a lot of pages to put down! But if I do run out of the room for some reason, I can also stick in another DIY page. I think I will group together as much as I can. So for example, I will label all the pages I have in my monthly set up under January Set up or somthing similar. 

Next, I have my yearly overview. I never had this in my previous journal as I completely forgot to add one in and it was sourly missed. However, I think I have also made a mistake on this one in trying to fit the entire year in one double page which means I've already run out of room to add dates too. I wanted to use this page to mark down important dates that come up months in advance that I need to remember and transfer into the monthly set up when the time comes. Hopefully, I can fit it all in but I would recommend doing this across 4 pages, or have a separate calendar completely for birthdays as they seem to have taken up the most room! 

Also, whilst flicking through many pages on Pinterest, youtube and a few blogs, I saw this really fab idea of using washi tape down the side of a page to bookmark it. I've done this on this page as I feel like I will be flicking to this page a lot! 

In my new organised year (we'll see how long that lasts!) I thought it would be good to lay out what I want to achieve this year. There just going to be simple things like get good A-levels and read Anna Karenina (it is a very big book so I think a year is a good time) so that I can flick to it, see what I wanted to achieve this year and keep my focus. I also have a bit for any goals in life, which sounds dramatic I know but I am planning to just add to this page whenever I think of somthing I want to have accomplished in life, like live in another country and go travelling. Hopefully, I can achieve some of them and keep them in focus so I can work towards achieving them throughout the year!

The next page I have is my Goodreads reading challenge. As you can see, with what I have done on the next page, the pen has bled through quite badly so I am going to have to do somthing a bit inventive (maybe find some coloured paper to stick over the top?) as I don't like how unclear it all looks. And of course, this is a very important page for me! I have decided on a goal of 45 which is lower than last year but I wasn't able to reach it and with another busy year up ahead, hopefully, this is more achievable goal than my last. 

In keeping with my goals, I thought it would be good to have a visual on how my blog and instagram page is doing. I really want to focus on growing these two this year as I love doing both, but felt like I lost focus at certain parts of the year so I am hoping this will help me to be more consistant.

And lastly, I had a spare page before I got into the January spread and couldn't think of what to fill it with. When I stumbled across something similar to this on Pinterest, I had to put it in. I love stars and the moon so it seemed like a nice visual thing to add in. I have no idea how accurate this is as all I did was searched for the 2018 lunar calander and then chose every third moon to draw... So it is not accurate at all! But at least I have a general idea of when a full moon will be.

And there are we have my set up! I will add more pages as I think of them, or see them, throughout the journal so I will keep you updated throughout the year. Have a good 2018!

Release by Patrick Ness

Published by Walker Books LTD, 2017

Genre: Young-adult Contemporary

Pages: 287

Rating: 🌟🌟

Release is one day in the life of Adam Thorn, 17. It's a big day. Things go wrong. It's intense, and all the while, weirdness approaches...

Adam Thorn is having what will turn out to be the most unsettling, difficult day of his life, with relationships fracturing, a harrowing incident at work, and a showdown between this gay teen and his preacher father that changes everything. It's a day of confrontation, running, sex, love, heartbreak, and maybe, just maybe, hope. He won't come out of it unchanged. And all the while, lurking at the edges of the story, somthing extraordinary and unsettling is on a collision course. 

Good reads

Just a warning, I didn't enjoy this book very much so if you absolutely adore it please either stop reading here or keep reading and tell me why I am so wrong! Maybe you can change my mind?

To say 'weirdness approaches' is a bit of an understatement here. I have heard a lot about Patrick Ness', with people saying that they absolutely adore his writing and storylines but for me, I didn't quite get it. He did have a very whimsical writing style, but I actually found it difficult to read with  his very long sentences that became confusing instead of poetic. This was even more evident in the parts told by the ghost. Yes, the ghost. This story was told about two people, Adam who is a gay teen struggling with first loves and the disapproval of his family, and the ghost of Katherine van Leuwen who was murdered but has now risen from the lake and is walking through the town.

I really didn't get the ghost elements to this book. It all just seemed too random. I don't think it added to the plot or help Adam to evolve as a character (he did that all on his own) so I really don't know why it was in there. Maybe there is some deeper meaning to it all and it symbolises somthing monumental but I think I missed that mark. I didn't really enjoy reading these sections either, much preferring to read about Adam and how his day was going catastrophically wrong than this confused ghost who is a Queen of some sort and is followed by a huge, magical fawn. Like I said, a bit random for me. I also struggle with books that seem to just dip their pages into the magical elements instead of just jumping right in. I had to the same issue with David Mitchell's The Bone Clocks which was perfectly normal, except for a few random pages here and there, until the last few chapters when magic scale went from 0 to 10 in the last few chapters which just confused me.

I think I would have enjoyed it a lot more if it was more about Adam and his life. Because for me, they were the most interesting parts and the ones I wanted to read about. It's a short book anyway and with the added ghost bits, I really felt like I only got a very small window into Adams life and I would have liked to have seen more of it.

Also the cover is so clever with the river forming the silhouettes of (I assume) Adam and Katherine!

Beleive it or not after this review, I am going to try some more of Partick Ness. He is so well loved by a lot of people and I was recommended another one of his books by @court_of_readers_and_writers on Instagram so I am going to give that a go and hopefully I will love it a whole lot more than this one.

If you also love Partick Ness, please recommend your favourite and why so that I can read it and hopefully love Patrick Ness too! 

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

March 2018

Zélie Adebola remembers when the soil of Orïsha hummed with magic. Burners ignited flames, Tiders beckoned waves, and Zélie's Reaper mother summoned forth souls. 

But everything changed the night magic disappeared. Under the orders of a ruthless king, maji were targeted and killed, leaving Zélie without a mother and her people without hope. 

New, Zélie has one chance to bring back magic and strike against the monarchy. With the help of a rogue princess, Zélie must outwit and outrun the crown prince, who is hell-bent on eradicating magic for good. 

Danger lurks in Orïsha, where snow leoponaires prowl and vengeful spirits wait in the waters. Yet the greatest danger may be Zélie herself as she struggles to control her powers - and her growing feelings for the enemy. 

Goodreads

My English teacher sent me an article about Tomi Adeymeni's debut novel, Children of Blood and Bone and it sounds amazing. I love books based on mythology as their stories are so interesting but West African mythology is not somthing that I have read very much about or seen a lot in literature so I am really excited to read about somthing new. Tomi Adeyemi also sounds amazing. I have linked the article above as I don't think I can do her much justice but she sounds like an empowering and inspirational women who does not let herself be pushed around and stands up for what she believes in. I also agree with her that YA literature has the power to make a difference to society and change the way people think, hopefully for the better.

Leah on the Offbeat by Becki Albertalli

April 2018

When it comes to drumming, Leah Burke is usually on beat - but real life isn't always so rhythmic. An anomaly in her friend group, she's the only child of a young, single mom, and her life is decidedly less privileged. She loves to draw but is too self-consious to show it. And even though her mom knows she's bisexual, she hasn't mustered the courage to tell her friends - no even her openly gay BFF, Simon. 

So Leah really doesn't know what to do when her rock-solid friend group starts to fracture in unexpected ways. With prom and college on the horizon, tensions are running high. It's hard for Leah to strike the right note while the people she loves are fighting - especially when she realizes she might love one of them more than she ever intended. 

Goodreads

I am so excited for this one. Becki Albertalli is one of my favourite YA contemporary authors and Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda was one of my favourite books that I have read this year. So when I found out she was realising another book, I was excited. When I found out she was realising another book about Leah from Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda, I was ecstatic. I mentioned in my review of Becki Albertalli's The Upside of Unrequited that I love it when you get a sneak peak into how characters are doing from other books so for me this is a dream come true. I was planning to re-read Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda soon but I think I will hold off until April now so that the characters are fresh in my mind, ready to dive into this and fall in love, once again, with Becki Albertalli's characters.

War Storm by Victoria Aveyard
May 2018
VICTORY COMES AT A PRICE

Mare Barrow learned this all too well when Cal's betrayal nearly destroyed her. Now determined to protect her heart - and secure freedom for Reds and newbloods like her - Mare resolves to overthrow the kingdom of Norta once and for all... starting with the crown on Maven's head. 

But no battle is won alone, and before the Reds may rise as one, Mare must side with the boy who broke her heart in order to defeat the boy who almost broke her. Cals powerful Silver allies, alongside Mare and the Scarlet Guard, rove a formidable force. But Maven is driven by an obsession so deep, he will stop at nothing to have Mare as his own again, even if it means demolishing everything - and everyone - in his path. 

War is coming, and all Mare has fought for hangs in the balance. Will victory be enough to topple the silver kingdoms? Or will the little lightening girl be forever silenced?

In the epic conclusion to Victoria Aveyard's stunning series, Mare must embrace her fate and summon all her power.. for all will be tested, but not all will survive. 

Goodreads

So it is not unknown that I absolutely love the Red Queen series. It was the first proper fantasy series that I read and it is was fueled my interest in the genre, which now happens to be my most read genre this year. A lot of people say that it is like a lot of other fantasies but I really don't see it - all fantasies are similar in some way or another aren't they? I powered through the first three books in this series at the beginning of the year and some of the facts are a bit fuzzy now so I will definitely be re-reading it all before I get onto this one. It comes out in the middle of my exams so I will have to wait until they are finished to get onto it but that will just give me more incentive to get all my work done! 

Legendary by Stephanie Garber
May 2018


Stephanie Garber's limitless imagination takes flight once more in the colourful, mesmerizing, and immersive sequel to the bestselling and breakout debut Caraval, following Scarlett's younger sister, Tella, on a journey to the empire's capital to fulfill a mysterious bargain. 

I read Caraval when it was first released and gave it three stars so I am really interested to see how it evolves in the next book. Whilst Tella was a key part of the plot of Caraval, she wasn't part of the actual story as she went missing so obviously, wasn't actually there... So I think it will be really interesting to find out more about her as she seemed like a fun character. The descripti9on doesn't give too much away so I don't really know what it is about which is exciting as I like going into a book not knowing too much about it.







What If It's Us? by Becki Albertalli and Adam Silvera

Fall 2018

This is the most exciting thing I have heard all year! https://t.co/IqBX5AJZYU pic.twitter.com/cYvaSqlehd

— Kizzi May (@Kizzimay) December 16, 2017

What If It's Us opens as Arther and Ben meet as the post office as Ben is shipping his ex-boyfriend's things back to him. They subsequently endure the frustration of knowing there was a missed connection, before the universe pushes them back together again in a series of failed "first" dates. 

Goodreads

So I only found out that Beck Albertalli and Adam Silvera where co-writing a book the other day and I cannot believe that I didn't know about it sooner. I have only read one of Adam Silvera's books, History is All You Left Me, which I gave three stars and I really want to read some of his other books so this match sounds incredible. I can see how the two authors fit together and their story of how they became friends and came up with the idea of the book is great. Becki Albertalli writes her parts from the perspective of Arther, and Adam Silver from the point of view of Ben, which is a really great way of getting the two different voices across. I really can't wait to see how this comes together, in a hopefully heartwarming, if not with some slightly sad moments as it is Adam Silvera, book that I will love.


So those are the top releases that I have seen and am desperate to read! But as always, I am always wanted to add more to my TBR list so if you have seen anything that you think looks amazing coming out next year, make sure to mention it down in the comments below!

Simon Vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda is one of my favourite contemporaries and probably one of my favourite books I've read this year. Every since then, I have been wanting to read Becki Albertalli's other book, The Upside of Unrequited, but for some reason never picked it up. But whilst preparing for my week of mock exams, I went through a really big contemporary bookish phase with exam stress as I find them to be the perfect switch off. So I decided to order a few online and when I was scrolling through  Book Depository and saw this on my wishlist, I thought why not? I probably shouldn't have as I was meant to be revising instead of reading but oh well...

I wasn't disappointed. I have to say that didn't enjoy it quite as much as I did Simon Vs the Homo Sapiens agenda but as I really loved that book, it had a lot to live up to. It still made me smile throughout at the brewing romance, family dilemmas and it was pretty much everything I was looking for at that time.

The Upside of Unrequited is about Molly, a teen girl who has had 26 unrequited crushes. She doesn't really expect much to happen in the summer, but of course, it gets a whole lot more interesting. Her twin sister Cathy gets a new girlfriend who brings along with her a best friend Will, a handsome hipster that seems to be showing some interest in Molly... But then there is Ried, the geeky co-worker at her new job who is strangely really easy to talk to and is actually quite good looking too... Its story about family, romance, coming of age and is a general feel-good book!

The love triangle trope may be overdone but I am not going to lie, I don't mind a good love triangle so this really didn't bother me. Even so, if you absolutely detest the triangle of love, it is so clear who is best for Molly that it never really becomes a full-on love triangle and I doubt it would annoy most people.

I really loved the characters and I could really relate to Molly with her insecurities which I think are pretty normal for a teenager to have. As I am the same age (or there about) as Molly, reading about her thoughts and problems just made everything seem a bit more normal as I know I think about the same things and others do too. Her family is also amazing, her sister and baby brother, her mums (as it's American should I say moms?) are all so fab and supportive and fun, I loved reading about them and how their life worked.

I love Becki Albertalli and I know that if I pick up her books again to re-read, they will definitely make me smile and laugh. Also, there was a little look into some character from Simon Vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda which I always love as I like to have a little updated on how some of my favourite characters are doing 😃.

Have you read any Beck Albertalli? What did you think?

Published by Simon and Schuster, 2017
Genre: Young-adult, Contemporary
Pages: 292
Rating: 🌟🌟🌟

This was the second book I bought in the buy-one-get-one-half-price deal at the airport alongside Orbiting Jupiter. Honestly, I'm not really sure why I picked this up but I saw it and decided why not? It was probably some subconscious thing as since buying it, I have noticed Adam Silvera is everywhere, especially with his new release They Both Die in the End so I probably recognised the name and thought I must have read a review somewhere.

Griffin is still trying to get over his first and only love, Theo, who moved to the other side of America and got a new boyfriend. But when the love of his life tragically drowns, it seems like every day just gets duller, more and more difficult to get through. Griffin pushes everyone away with his grief but he ends up finding comfort in the least suspecting person- Theo's new boyfriend, Jackson. This is a story about the struggles of grief, first loves, second loves and friendship.

I expected to cry with this book and was slightly disappointed when I didn't. Sounds like an odd criticism and don't get me wrong, I don't go into every book wishing for it to make me cry, but when you expect it, you expect it. For me, if a book can make me cry, it must be a good book. I don't cry often so it must have really made me feel some strong emotions for those characters and what happened to them. Sadly I didn't get that with this. I think it is maybe that it started off sad, was sad throughout most of the book, but actually had a happier ending than expected which meant there wasn't a sudden moment of sadness that really got me, as it was a sadness then kept throughout the book.

However, that doesn't go to say that I didn't enjoy it. Now thinking back, I think I actually enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I did when I first finished. The character development of Griffin who started off completely consumed by is first love with Theo and couldn't see anything past that, or the guilt in moving on, grows so much by the end of the novel. And he grows in a way that isn't necessarily noticeable until the end so I really loved how Adam Silvera dealt with that.

I really want to read some of Adam Silvera's other books (and I saw he has a few more in the pipeline for the next few years on his Instagram including one with Becki Albertalli so that's very exciting) as I really loved his writing and characters. His other books also sound really interesting one of which is definitely meant to be a cryer so fingers crossed!

Published by Penguin, 2017

Genre: Young-adult Contemporary/ Mystery 

Pages: 358

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

What would you do if someone was poisoned during detention? And then you were accused of their murder...

One of Us is Lying begins with 5 kids heading to detention, all there for somthing they didn't do.But when Simon, the outsider who runs the school gossip app, drops down dying from an allergic reaction, they begin to take notice. Addy is your typical popular school girl with the perfect boyfriend, on the outside anyway. Cooper is the typical action man look-a-like, baseball player destined to be a star, but even he has his secrets. Brooklyn gets perfect scores on every test and plans to follow to footsteps of her parents at Yale University. And then Nate, the bad boy who is rumoured to already be on probation and a known drug dealer. Who would blame?

I have to admit, I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would. I would say it was a cross between Gossip Girl, Pretty Little Liars, and The Breakfast Club so it is a little cheesy with its classic high school tropes, but it's a really fun YA mystery to read and I really got into it and enjoyed it! Despite it sounding like a heavy plot line it managed to be quite a light read that was perfect for when I read it.

It is told through switching perspectives from each of the four accused of murdering Simon and what I really liked is the doubt placed on each one. Maybe because I am in the middle of my English Literature coursework so I am probably completely over analysing it, but Karen Mcmanus slips in these one line that makes you doubt whether or not the narrator is telling you the whole story. When reading somthing in the first person, it's too easy to assume they are telling you everything that happened and we tend to trust them without even realising it. I liked how Mcmanus played on this instead of just focusing on one character so we just had to start doubting all the others.

For me, it wasn't wholly unpredictable as I did guess most of the main big plot points and twists before they happened, but I don't really mind that too much. I didn't go in expecting a bind blowing mystery that would have me guessing all the way through. This was more about the character development and general friendships in high school, both the fake ones and the real ones that show themselves when you need them to and family pressures and relationships.



For me, it was the perfect break away from heavy work and I really loved reading it, getting to know the characters see them all develop throughout the story! Also, how beautiful are these sprayed pages? I only have a few other books like this and I love it!

Have you read One of Us is Lying? What did you think?

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

I am way behind reading Fangirl, I know, but I finally got my act together, ordered it, and then preceded to power through it. Even though this has been everywhere for years, I actually knew very little about it when I picked it up as I never looked into it much. But, I did have a hunch it was about a fanfiction writer... I know I am such a detective.

If you are like me and have been living under a rock and have no idea what Fangirl is about apart from the obvious, here is a little synopsis for you. Cath and Wren are twins, built in best friends. But when they both head off to college, Wren decides to she wants to spread her wings and live the wild college life with a new roommate. Cath, however, is more anxious about this new adventure and her rather blunt roommate and her maybe, maybe not boyfriend. Instead of partying, she prefers to stick to her room and write her fan fiction for Simon Snow, a made up series which I think is based on Harry Potter.

Rainbow Rowell has also brought out her own version on some of Caths fanfiction, Carry On, which is so cool! There are extracts throughout Fangirl from both the Simon Snow series and Cath's own fanfiction but I have to admit I skipped some of them. I know it's bad. I normally don't skip any bits in books but I found these to be slightly boring compared to the rest of the book and I just wanted to find out what happened next to Cath. But I would really not recommend doing this. When I got to the end I felt cheated out of an ending as it finished on an extract from Simon Snow which didn't make much sense to me and would probably make much more of an impact if I had read it properly. 

I loved Cath. For someone who obviously loves books and can get quite geeky about my favourite series, (I am sure my friends are sick of me trying to force books upon them,) I completely loved her geeky side and her refusal to give up on it, even though it might not be deemed cool. I've never really read any fanfiction but I am always upset when my favourite series ends and I no longer get updates on my favourite character, how they are, what they're doing (does anyone else gets possibly too connected to characters? Or just me...) so maybe fanfiction is the way to go?

Of course, there was a bit of romance throughout the book which I thought was really lovely how it grew throughout the book. There was a moment when something happened (I am really trying not to spoil anything!) with the guy (I'm not going to say who it is either!) which really made me severely dislike him for a while and I felt so bad for Cath, I just wanted to give her a big hug!

Cath's family is a big part of her life. Her mum left when she and her sister were young, leaving them to be brought up by their dad who loves them but couldn't always care for them as he struggles with mental health. So not only is Cath dealing with trying to settle into university, her classes, and for the first time being without her sister, she also has to worry about her father being left on his own. Cath is so strong to cope with everything going on and all the added pressures she puts on herself. But her development as a character is fab as she grows to learn that these added pressures aren't always as important as she makes them, somthing I need to take into account from time to time too!

I am very glad that I finally got on the Fangirl train and I am really excited to try some more Rainbow Rowell books. Which one would you recommend next? 

Orbiting Jupiter by Gary D. Schmidt

Published by Andersen Press Limited, 2015

Genre: Young-adult/ middle-grade

Pages: 183

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

This was a bit of an impulse buy and not one that I was planning at all but when you are delayed in an airport for 5 hours with only a small WHSmith, I think it is necessary to buy a few books to cheer yourself up. And when they are buy-one-get-one-half-price how could I resist?

As this was an impulse buy, I didn't realise it was a middle-grade book, assuming it to be YA until I picked it up and noticing the simplicity in the writing, it dawned on me. I am not normally one to read middle-grade books and I don't think I have actually read one since I was in middle grade (or primary school for us English folk) but I found myself really enjoying the simplistic writing but, actually, a very heavy plot line. 

Told from 12-year-old Jack's point of view, when his parents adopt 14-year-old Joseph who has had a tough life, is angry at the world and has a three-month-old daughter; one who he has never met but is desperate to be apart of her life. This is a really beautiful story about friendship, family and the tough reality of life. I will admit, if you cry at books at all, get the tissues ready as this one really got to me and I was stuggling to read because of the tears! 

It is a sad book and I am wholly impressed that Gary D. Schmidt managed to depict such an emotional story in 183 pages. But I think it was the straightforwardness that comes from being told from the mind of a 12-year-old, without all the added drama, which made it so hard-hitting. I think it is one of those books that talk about those situations in life that rarely happen to you, but do happen to others and may well happen to you one day and that insight is quite shocking but important to read about as these things do happen. 

So overall, I would completely recommend this book to anyone who likes real-life fiction that deals with heavy topics but are also easy to read and enjoyable, with both highs and lows. It is beautifully written and feels as though you really are being told from the mind of a 12-year-old boy living what happened in real life. 

I gave this book a three out of five-star rating as, whilst I wasn't blown away by it, it wasn't a bad book either, a solid middle book. What I really liked about this was that the plot was really different from a lot of other fantasy books, focusing more on the magical elements and building on the culture, religion and general world of the island Skane. 

For those who don't know, A Shiver of Snow and Sky is about an island where the sky changes colour: green meaning that their Goddess is happy; blue as a warning for snow and a storm; and then red means a deadly plague about to be brought upon the inhabitants of Skane. When the sky once again turns red, Òsa goes on a quest to seek out the Goddess in hope to stop this plague from killing her neighbours and the people she loves. There are also some pretty evil, murdering monsters also trying to take over the island...

For me, I really like character-driven books as when a book has some really amazing characters who I connect with (*cough* Six of Crows *cough*), I fall completely in love it and cannot get enough of it, never wanting to stop reading about them. However, I feel that the character building just wasn't quite there with this book and not on the same level as the world building. Maybe it was because it wasn't a very long book as it was told from a dual perspective of Òsa and Ivar, I felt that I didn't get enough time to get to know that characters. There is no doubt about it, they are both strong and brave protagonist but there just wasn't much else to them.

It has to be said that the writing was beautiful, building vivid images of the world and what it would be like to live there. However, in some places, I found it to be too overly dramatic at points when it really wasn't necessary which in turn made the more dramatic points feel less exciting and the tension was lost. It did take me a while to get used to Lueddecke's writing, as it was quite a slow paced and took a whilst to get into the main action of the book. I believe this is her first book so I would be interested in seeing how she develops as a writer in her second book which I have heard she is working on. I am intrigued to read more of her work as I do want to see whether or not the characters become more three dimensional and how the world develops.

What are your thoughts on A Shiver of Snow and Sky?

Fancy being Instagram friends? I am going to do a follow for follow so just comment on my photo of A Shiver of Snow and Sky telling me you came from this post! 

So I caved. I bought Turtles All the Way Down. When this was released on the 10th October, it was absolutely everywhere and still is. It seemed everyone on my Goodreads was reading it, it was all over Instagram and Twitter, booktube, which is probably why I caved into that side of me that is always saying I need to buy more books. I went ahead and bought it, even though I said I wasn't going to because (apologies to those who love everything and anything by John Green) when I read the only other two books of his, I really did not like them. As I read them so long ago now I can't even remember the specifics as to why, I just have the vague memory of not being very impressed with the plot or the characters and found his whole style to be too wordy, which it true for Turtles All the Way Down is too, but somehow it didn't hinder the book for me as much as it did for the others.

But I am so glad that I gave in and bought it as 1. it was surprisingly cheap when I spotted it on Amazon, especially for a lovely hardback, 2. I love the cover with the bright orange, and 3. The message behind this book is so important and eye-opening, I can't recommend it enough

For those who don't know, Turtles All the Way Down is about a girl, Aza, who struggles daily with OCD, a mental illness that prevents her from doing things like eating her lunch without her mind constantly worried about the microbes surrounding her. For someone who doesn't struggle with OCD, I can only give my own view on the subject from an outside perspective, but this insight into what it is like to live with such an illness that is so incredible and realistically portrayed by John Green, is something everyone should have. Not to sympathise with those who deal every day with similar illnesses, but to gain some kind of empathy for what it is like to live with and some perspective.

Which is why I gave this book 4 stars as whilst the plot itself wasn't all that great, lacking a bit of something to really make it stand on its own two feet, the powerful depiction of Aza's life made this novel one that will affect some and help many others. To broach a topic which many people shy away from, John Green is once again shining the light onto what needs to be discussed instead of avoiding it. The more people who do so, the better it will hopefully become for those who they themselves suffer from mental illness, or knows and cares for someone who does, as the archaic view of ignoring those who struggle with mental health can destroyed, instead making way to discover new ways to help.

At the end of Turtles All the Way Down, John Green left some websites for those who were affected by the topics of the book, either worried for themselves of those they care about, and I thought I would leave them linked below for anyone else who might be in need of them. 

Thank you so much for reading, if you read and enjoyed or disliked Turtles All the Way Down or it affected you in any way, comment below your thoughts. 

UK

www.mind.org.uk

www.youngminds.org.uk

www.headmeds.org.uk

www.elefriends.org.uk

www.place2be.org.uk

www.getconnected.org.uk

www.supportline.org.uk

www.samaritans.org.uk

AUSTRALIA

www.kidshelpline.com.au

www.lifeline.org.au

www.thesamaritans.org.au

www.suicidecallbackservice.org.au

www.sosbsa.org.au

NEW ZEALAND

www.depression.org.nz

www.lifeline.org.nz

www.samaritans.org.nz

www.youthline.co.nz

SOUTH AFRICA

www.childline.org.za

www.lifelinesa.co.za

I feel that October was I very good reading month for me, and just a good month in general! If it wasn't for the increasingly darkening days, which are getting colder and colder, October would be my favourite months of the year, with the trees turning all autumnal colours and the festive season beginning with the build-up to Halloween and the knowledge that there are only two months left until Christmas! I am one of those people that as soon as Halloween is done, it is time to get into the Christmas mood, start singing those favourite Christmas tunes we all love and planning presents to buy my friends and family. It is also my last official Christmas at home before I head off to University (obviously I will be back for future Christmas') so I plan to make the most of it. 

If any of you follow me on Instagram and look at my stories, you will have seen a few days ago I also got to see London Grammar play at the O2 Academy in Brixton and it was so amazing! The lead singer Hannah Reid has the most amazing voice that on CD sounds amazing but in person was phenomenal. When she sang, with no instrumental back up, the beginning of Rooting For You (which also has a very high note) I was blown away. I haven't been to many gigs before and this was completely worth standing for hours and the travel into London. If you like their music, definitely go and see them as you will love it! I also got a signed poster which I am going to have framed have to get framed before I put it on my wall as all my other posters seemed to get completely shredded to pieces! And I have no idea how it happens...

So back to the books... Out of the five books in my October TBR, I managed to read three which isn't too bad at all, but I also managed to top that and read an extra five books! Wow, I didn't realise it was that much! I think this has to have been my best reading month all year, mainly due to the half term holiday when I pretty much read for the entire week straight (the dream right?) fitting in three books and the first half of another. Below, I have given my star rated and a general overview of what I thought of each book as well as leave links to my full reviews (or when the post will be published for those coming in the next week or two) if you want a read of that too! 

NORTH AND SOUTH BY ELIZABETH GASKELL 

Started: 15th September

Finished: 5th October

Star Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Pages: 530

Thoughts: So you may be thinking that this may not count as most of the time I spent reading it was in September but I only read about 80 of the 530 pages in September, marathoning the rest in the first week of October. I had some incentive to get through it with some new books I bought and desperate to start reading! But, that is not to say that this was boring, no no no, I just find that when reading Victorian classics I to have to concentrate a  lot more than with YA books, thoroughly reading each page as they are much denser than so it takes a lot more time to read. 

I absolutely loved this book, mainly told from the point of view of Margret Hale, who began the story living with her rich aunt in the social scene of London, but when she returns to live with her father and mother in the countryside, they have to move from her childhood home into the industrial city of Milton-Northern. Margret was such a normal character- her opinions and the opinions others had of her is what I imagine others having of me and I really related to her. I also was very excited for the possible romance between Margret and Mr Thornton, willing for it to happen all throughout the book, never know if it was going to happen or not (and I won't tell you if it does as you'll have to read it to find out for yourself!). 

I also loved the insight into what it was like living in the industrial era for the people involved and those more removed from it. If you are studying English literature at A Level, especially if you are studying any Victorian literature, I would say this should be a must read as it will give you so much context into what it was like to live during that era as it was such an accurate retelling of life at that time. 

WE WERE LIARS BY E. LOCKHART

Started: 7th October

Finished: 7th October

Star Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Pages: 225

Thoughts: I have a full review up of this already which you can read here! This was one I have seen a lot and I have heard very good things about E. Lockhart so when I saw this beautiful cover in Waterstones I couldn't resist. Well, I did for 24 hours but then I had to go back. And it was worth it as it looks oh so beautiful on my shelf and was one of the best books I read this month. It was one that whilst reading it, I wasn't too sure, even when I finished it (sobbing my heart out may I add) I still didn't sure if I liked it. The following few days, it kept popping into my head, and I found myself thinking about the characters and that twist that completely changed the story. That's why I decided on it being an amazing book. I keep recommending it to anyone who will listen as I want to talk about it with everyone and see what they think of it! 

THE GREAT GATSBY BY F, SCOTT FITZGERALD

Started: 12th October

Finished: 14th October

Star Rating: 🌟🌟

Pages: 191

Thoughts: I really wanted to fall completely in love with this book as so many people do but I just didn't. I didn't particularly like the narrative writing style and when I was finished I was just left feeling a bit meh. I don't know if maybe I missed something and if I re-read it I'll enjoy it more, I don't know. I tried reading it a long time ago but put it down after a few pages and never picked it up again as it just didn't catch my interest. I just found it a bit boring to be completely honest. I do want to try some more of F. Scott Fitzgerald's work as he is such a renowned writer and maybe I will prefer some of his other work or after reading more of his style, I'll enjoy it more. 

THREE DARK CROWNS & ONE DARK THRONE BY KENARE BLAKE

Started: 15th October

Finished: 20th October

Star Rating: 🌟🌟🌟

Pages: 407

Thoughts: Last week I posted a joint book review on both Three Dark Crowns and One Dark Throne which you can read here if you're interested! I wasn't blown away by the first book. I found it incredibly slow with little to no action in the first half to three quarters. It took me quite a lot of willpower to keep pursuing it as I kept getting distracted, however as soon as the action started in the last third, I speed through it and cliffhanger at the end is really what saved it for me and brought that star rating up to a three, giving me the encouragement I needed to get onto reading the next one.

Started: 21st October 

Finished: 22nd October

Star Rating: 🌟🌟🌟

Pages: 450

Thoughts: Much more action-packed than the first one, with more development into the characters, I did enjoy this book a lot more and is a far more solid three than before. The ending wasn't as good and didn't leave me as eager to read the next book but the romances greatly improved and I much prefered the pace and general writing of the book. 

HEIR OF FIRE BY SARAH J MASS

Started: 23rd October

Finished: 25th October

Star Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Pages: 562

Thoughts: Oh ma word. I LOVED this book so much and it is the best of the three Throne of Glass books I have read so far. In fact, I loved it so much, I went a bit trigger happy with a book depository order buying all three of the next books. Meaning I can just power through them as I cannot stand the waiting! Of course, the fifth book had to arrive before the fourth and is now sitting on my shelf just taunting me, but I can see that it is much bigger and when I see the books increasing in size in a series I am really enjoying, I get very excited as it means more time with the characters and the amazing world!

I feel that the world, the characters and the plot was taken to a whole new level with so much more development, especially Celaena who was baddass to start with but the emotional side of her is explored so much more and I just loved seeing that. Also, can we take a moment to just appreciate Rowan...wait... Ok, we can move on now. 

The only thing I would say was a downside was that the parts from the witch's perspective were a bit boring and I found myself counting down the pages, eager to get to the next chapter. But even that isn't enough to bring the star rating down to a four as it was just so dang good. I really hope Queen of Shadows lives up to this one! 

TURTLES ALL THE WAY DOWN BY JOHN GREEN

Started: 25th October 

Finished: 26th October

Star Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Pages: 286

Thoughts: I did it, I jumped onto the I love John Green bandwagon. Even though this book is EVERYWHERE: bookstagram, twitter, booktube, the shops, I wasn't planning on buying it. I read The Fault in Our Stars a few years ago before the film came out and (I apologise to those who absolutely love this book and have a hundred copies) I just didn't like it. I can't even remember why now but I just remember really not being a fan, so I really wasn't going to read it. But then I saw it on Amazon for only £7 and, I challenge any of you resisting a new hardback release for only £7, I just couldn't resist. And I am surprisingly thankful that I did as I ended up giving it a four-star rating!

John Green takes subjects that tend to make people uncomfortable, death, mental illness, topics which are normally avoided or brushed under the carpet, and makes sure everyone is talking about them. The protagonist in Turtles all the Way Down, Aza, struggles with OCD and whilst I don't suffer from mental illness so can't say from personal experience, I image John Green has managed to create a very realistic portrayal of what it is like to live with this illness. More and more people are discussing mental illness, either from their own experience or supporting those who suffer from it, and I think that it is so important for us all the keep pushing to get away from that negative stigma that has surrounded mental illness for so long. Books like this, that place it into everyday life and reflect the reality of it, that will help to break up that stigma. 

What stopped this becoming a straight out five out of five was that the plot lacked a bit. It is understandable as the emphasis of the story is Aza dealing with her OCD, but there was just something missing.

I will have a full review up on the 6th October.

A SHIVER OF SNOW AND SKY BY LISA LUEDDECKE

Started: 26th October

Finished: 28th October

Star Rating: 🌟🌟🌟

Pages: 341

Thoughts: The synopsis of this book is really what sold me and I had to pick it up. Ósa lives in the very cold island of Skane where the lights in the sky tell the word of the Goddess. When they turn red, Ósa has to find a way to stop a plague and beasts from invading her village and threatening those she loves.

I kind of have the same feeling towards this as I did the Three Dark Crown series: it was good, but not amazing. I think it was mainly the writing style as some bits didn't really flow and I found the dialogue a bit stiff. The plot, however, was unique and different from anything I have read before and the romance wasn't too stuffy. It is Lisa Leuddecke's first book and I am hoping that with the second one, the writing will flow a bit better and the dialogue will fit the characters more as I would love to read the next one which I hear she is working on at the moment!

I will have a full review up on the 10th October.

And there are the eight books I have somehow managed to read this month! I have a feeling that November won't be as successful on the reading front, especially towards the end of the month as I have the dreaded mock exams during the first week of December so will sadly have to prioritise that.

Who has decided to take part in NaNoWriMo? I was really wanted to but I'm only eight chapters into outlining my idea and with school deciding to up the amount of work, I just don't think I will have the time I want to have to dedicate towards it. I love hearing about how everyone else is going and watching writing vlogs so I am so excited to see how everyone else gets on and if you're taking part, good luck!

What was your favourite book you read in October?

As I mentioned doing in my recent book haul, I thought I would but both my reviews for Kendare Blake's Three Dark Crowns and it's sequel, One Dark Throne, in one big post. If you haven't read either and want a spoiler-free review, keep on reading but obviously, stop when it gets onto the One Dark Throne and pop back once you have finished the first book and ready for the next. If you have read both, read as much of the reviews as you like and comment below what you thought! 

THREE DARK CROWNS

Three sisters. One Crown. A fight to the death.

In every generation on the island of Fennbirn, a set of triplets is born: three queens, all equal heir to the crown and each possessor of a converted magic. Mirabella is a fierce elemental, able to spark hungry flames or vicious storms at the snap of her fingers. Katerine is a prisoner, one who can ingest the deadliest poisons without so much as a stomach ache, Arsinow, a naturalist, is said to have the ability to bloom the reddest rose and control the fiercest of lions. 

But becoming the Queen Crowned isn't solely a matter of royal birth. Each sister has to fight for it. And it's not a game of win or lose... it's life or death. The night the sisters turn sixteen, the battle begins. 

The last queen standing gets the crown.

So I was really excited to get into this book as I loved the Red Queen series, which was one of the first fantasies I read, and I felt that this definitely had the same feel to it. I was fully prepared to love it just as much, but sadly that didn't happen. Before I list the things that ultimately lead to it being a bit of a disappointment, I do want to say that this is a good book. Not great or especially unique, but a good book that I would still say for people to read and I know a lot of people love it and have been raving about. For me, it's just not the first one I would recommend if people asked. So if you have this book or were thinking of picking it up, still do as you may like it more than me!

I found this book to be slow. Especially the first half and kept finding myself becoming distracted and had to really tell myself to power through. When reading a fantasy, and this may just be because I haven't read too broadly within the genre, but I want something that has action, pace and intrigue, as well as building the world and story around it. But with this book, I just felt that there was too much of just building how the world worked, and the action was kind of put away to the side until the last third of the book, which consequently I flew through.

Something that was only a small bugbear but something I noticed was the changing in perspective was very erratic and took me a while to get over. It was told in the third person but one paragraph it would be focusing on the feelings and thoughts of one person in the scene, and then changed to another in the next paragraph. 

And the romance... I was not sold on it at all. There was some instant love in there and also some brewing love (I have no idea if that is the best way to describe it but I'm going with it) but I didn't even find that completely believable and did not like the guy who it involved. Overall it was a bit meh and I wasn't rooting for it or that intrigued. I am not ashamed to admit that I am a complete romantic when it comes to characters in books (less so in real life but that is totally acceptable...) and sadly I just didn't feel that excited when it came to reading those parts when reading this book. 

However, after saying all that, the ending was good and it left me needing to read the next book ASAP. As I did have the second book, I was able to jump straight into it momentum from the faster paced ending meant I speed through that book too, enjoying it much more than the first. Reading them both one after the other was probably the best way to do it for me as I have a feeling that if I left it, I would have taken a while to go out and buy it, and may not have gotten round to doing so at all.

ONE DARK THRONE

The battle of the crowns has begun, but which of the three sisters will prevail?

With the unforgettable events of the Quickening behind them and the Ascension Year underway, all bets are off. Katherine, once the weak and feeble sister, is stronger than ever before. Arsinoe, after discovering the truth about her powers, must figure out how to make her secret talent work in her favour without anyone finding out. And Mirabella, once thought to be the strongest sister of all and the certain Queen Crowned, faces attacks like never before - ones that put those around her in danger she can't seem to prevent.

Fennbirn's deadliest queens must face the one thing standing in their way of the crown: each other.

With much more action and plot, I enjoyed the second instalment of the Three Dark Crown series much more than the first. I was still left feeling as though it wasn't my going to be one of favourite series I've read, but I am definitely more intrigued to carry on with the series.

The romance improved, becoming much more believable and I was more interested in it and the character. Not as much as I normally would have been as I wasn't completely rooting for them or bothered if it all worked out. I'm not sure why but I think it is because I didn't really connect with the characters in this series, there was no one I particularly liked, and no one I really, really hated, mainly reading it as I hate not finishing a book and it was really quite a quick read. I just feel as though something was missing for me but I am not sure entirely what. The ending wasn't as good as the last and I wasn't left desperate to read the next book but I do think I will probably be picking up the next one just to see how it all ends and wraps up. 

I feel as though I have just been completely destroying these books and I am so sorry if you are someone who loved this series! I don't want to completely turn away from this books after reading this review as I did give both three stars and it was an enjoyable read, I just wouldn't go in expecting it to be a new found favourite. Please comment below your thoughts on these books or if you plan on reading them as I would love to know who agrees with me and who disagrees! Happy Thursday everyone!