Oh, I love books! For so long I only read on my kindle but ever since I have started to buy physical copies, I cannot seem to stop! As Christmas was coming around the corner, I was very good this month in not buying every single book I wanted, hoping I would get some more for Christmas (which I did and I was so happy and lucky to get!
I must have been in a very contemporary mood at the beginning of this month as all the books I bought were in that genre. I have already read all of these and have a full, spoiler free reviews posted so I will only give a short synopsis of the book and what I thought, linking the rest of my review in the title of the book so you can see in more detail what I thought of each one!
Published by Penguin, 2017
Genre: Young-adult Contemporary
Pages: 336
Rating: 🌟🌟🌟
Seventeen-year-old Molly Peskin-Suso knows all about unrequited love- she's lived through it twenty-six times. She crushes hard and crushes often, but always in secret. Because no matter how many times her twin sister, Cassie, tells her to woman up, Molly can't stomach the idea of rejection. So she's careful. Fat girls always have to be careful.
Then a cute girl enters Cassie's orbit, and for the first time ever, Molly's cynical twin is a lovesick mess. Meanwhile, Molly's totally not dying of loneliness - except for the part where she is. Luckily, Cassie's new girlfriend comes with a cute hipster-boy sidekick. Will is funny and flirtatious and just might be perfect crush material. Maybe more than crush material. And if Molly can win him over, she'll get her first kiss and she'll get her twin back.
There's only one problem: Molly's coworker Ried. He's an awkward Tolkien superfan with a season pass to the Ren Faire and there's absolutely no way Molly could fall for him. Right?
Goodreads
This was such a lovely light, feel-good read. It is no secret that I loved Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda so I really wanted to try Becki Albertalli's other book to see if it was just as good. I still love Simon more, but I fell in love with this story and it's characters too. Remember to click on the title of the book to get my full review!
Seventeen-year-old Molly Peskin-Suso knows all about unrequited love- she's lived through it twenty-six times. She crushes hard and crushes often, but always in secret. Because no matter how many times her twin sister, Cassie, tells her to woman up, Molly can't stomach the idea of rejection. So she's careful. Fat girls always have to be careful.
Then a cute girl enters Cassie's orbit, and for the first time ever, Molly's cynical twin is a lovesick mess. Meanwhile, Molly's totally not dying of loneliness - except for the part where she is. Luckily, Cassie's new girlfriend comes with a cute hipster-boy sidekick. Will is funny and flirtatious and just might be perfect crush material. Maybe more than crush material. And if Molly can win him over, she'll get her first kiss and she'll get her twin back.
There's only one problem: Molly's coworker Ried. He's an awkward Tolkien superfan with a season pass to the Ren Faire and there's absolutely no way Molly could fall for him. Right?
Goodreads
This was such a lovely light, feel-good read. It is no secret that I loved Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda so I really wanted to try Becki Albertalli's other book to see if it was just as good. I still love Simon more, but I fell in love with this story and it's characters too. Remember to click on the title of the book to get my full review!
Published by Macmillan, 2013
Genre: Young-adult, Contemporary
Pages: 549
Rating: 🌟🌟🌟
Cath is a Simon Snow fan.
Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan...
But for Cath, being a fan is her life - and she's really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it's what got them through their mother leaving. Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like characters for every movie premiere.
Cath's sister has grown away from fandom, but Cath can't let go. She doesn't want to.
Now that they're going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn't want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside her comfort zone. She's got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fanfiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words... And she can't stop worrying about her dad, who's loving and fragile and has never really been alone.
For Cath, the question is: Can she do this? Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? Writing her own stories?
And doe she even wants to move on if that means leaving Simon Snow behind?
There is a lot going on in this book! More than I actually realised whilst reading it. I am very behind the times in reading Fangirl as I feel like everyone has years ago or it like me and feel that they should have already and guilty that they haven't. It is another light read that is fun but you can really get involved with the characters. Again, click on the title for my full review!
Published by Penguin, 2017
Genre: Young-adult Contemporary/ Mystery
Pages: 358
Pay close attention and you might solve this.
One Monday afternoon, five students at Bayview High walk into detention.
Bronwyn, the brain, is Yale-bound and never breaks a rule.
Addy, the beauty, is the picture-perfect homecoming princess.
Nate, the criminal, is already on probation for dealing.
Cooper, the athlete, is the all-star baseball pitcher.
And Simon, the outcast, is the creator of Bayview High's notorious gossip app.
Only, Simon never makes it out of that classroom. Before the end of detention, Simon's dead. And according to investigators, his death wasn't an accident. On Monday, he died. But on Tuesday, he'd planned to post juicy reveals about all four of his high profile classmates, which makes all four of them suspects in his murder. Or are they the perfect patsies for a killer who's on the loose?
Everyone has secrets, right? What really matters is how far you would go to protect them.
Goodreads
I really enjoyed this. It was slightly clique but I think it was meant to be and actually played to the story more than if everyone was unique and a never before seen character. I did guess the ending halfway through but I didn't mind too much as I loved reading about the characters and what they were going through throughout the whole ordeal.
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
As you can tell by my star rating, I didn't enjoy this book very much. I thought the two perspectives, one from Adam and one from this strange dead girl/ghost queen, didn't merge very well and I could have done without the latter. I really enjoyed reading about Adam and his life so would have wanted more about him. I think I missed the point with this one...
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
As you can tell by my star rating, I didn't enjoy this book very much. I thought the two perspectives, one from Adam and one from this strange dead girl/ghost queen, didn't merge very well and I could have done without the latter. I really enjoyed reading about Adam and his life so would have wanted more about him. I think I missed the point with this one...
Onto what I got for Christmas... My family were so generous with all their gifts and I got so many lovely presents, some of which were obviously books. Whilst I did write a very long list (basically my entire TBR list) I got a few surprises in there too which was fab! I am so excited to read every single one!
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
Published by Vintage Classics, 2010 (originally published in 1877)
Genre: Russian Classic
Pages: 963
Anna is a beautiful, intelligent woman whose passionate affair with the dashing Count Vronsky leads to her ruin. But her story is also about searching for meaning, and by twinning it with that of Levin, an awkward idealist whose happy marriage and domestic trials form the backdrop for a similar quest, Tolstoy creates a rich and complex masterpiece that has captures the imagination of readers for decades.
Edition Blurb
I have wanted to read Anna Karenina for a long time now and when I saw this edition, I knew I had to finally pick it up. Now, this is a HUGE book. Not only is it 963 pages long, but the actual dimensions of the book are bigger than your average paperback. It is going to take me some time to read this and I don't want to dedicate all my reading time to it for a month or two as I won't be able to read anything else in that time. Instead, I have made it one of my resolutions to read it over the next year. That way I can enjoy it more and other books that I really want to read too.
I have never tried any Russian Literature before and am really intrigued as it has such a renowned reputation. I am excited, if not a bit daunted, to get stuck into this over the next few weeks!
Anna is a beautiful, intelligent woman whose passionate affair with the dashing Count Vronsky leads to her ruin. But her story is also about searching for meaning, and by twinning it with that of Levin, an awkward idealist whose happy marriage and domestic trials form the backdrop for a similar quest, Tolstoy creates a rich and complex masterpiece that has captures the imagination of readers for decades.
Edition Blurb
I have wanted to read Anna Karenina for a long time now and when I saw this edition, I knew I had to finally pick it up. Now, this is a HUGE book. Not only is it 963 pages long, but the actual dimensions of the book are bigger than your average paperback. It is going to take me some time to read this and I don't want to dedicate all my reading time to it for a month or two as I won't be able to read anything else in that time. Instead, I have made it one of my resolutions to read it over the next year. That way I can enjoy it more and other books that I really want to read too.
I have never tried any Russian Literature before and am really intrigued as it has such a renowned reputation. I am excited, if not a bit daunted, to get stuck into this over the next few weeks!
Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
Published by Vintage Classics, 2014(originally published in 1814)
Genre: Victorian Classic
Pages: 560
Fanny Price's rich relatives offer her a place in their home so that she can be properly brought up. However, Fanny's childhood is a lonely one as she is never allowed to forget her position. Her only ally id her cousin Edmund. When her cousins befriend two glamorous new young people who have arrived in the area, Henry and Mary Crawford, Edmund starts to grow close to Mary and Fanny finds herself dealing with feelings she never experienced before.
Edition Blurb
I love Jane Austen. Each one of her books I seem to love more than the last and I cannot wait to finish reading all her works. I believe I now own a copy of all her works but have only read three (Pride and Prejudice, Emma and Persuasion) so need to get working through those! This is a beautiful edition as well which always helps to encourage me to pick up a book!
Catherine Morland is a young girl with a very active imagination. Her entry into the fashionable social scene in Bath results in an invitation to stay with new friends at Northanger Abby, but Catherine's naivety and love of sensational novels lead to embarrassing and entertaining consequences.
Edition Blurb
A book about someone who loves books? I'm there. I think this is the Austen that my teacher said was her poke at Gothic Literature which was very popular at that time. Hopefully, it will be both fun and interesting to read as a lot of the books I have to read for school are in the Gothic genre.
A Court of Thorns and Roses Box Set by Sarah J Mass
Feyre is a huntress.
She thinks nothing of slaughtering a wolf to capture its prey. But, like all mortals, she fears what lingers mercilessly beyond the forest. And she will learn that taking the life of a magical creature comes at a price...
Imprisoned in an enchanted court in her enemy's kingdom, Feyre is free to roam but forbidden to escape. Her captor's body bears the scars of fighting, and his face is always masked - but his piercing stare draws her ever closer. As Feyre's feelings for Tamlin begin to burn through every warning she's been told about his kind, an ancient, wicked shadow grows.
I am halfway through the first book and so far so good! Not sure if I like it as much as I did Throne of Glass but that took until the third book to get really good so I am going to stick with it! I have so many people raving about this but also not liking it so much so I am interested to see how this one goes! Plus, getting the boxset means that I can just marathon it and really get into the series!
May We Borrow Your Language? by Philip Gooden
Published by Head of Zeus Ltd, 2016
Genre: Non-Fiction
Pages: 359
The English language that is spoken by one billion people around the world is a linguistic mongrel, its vocabulary a diverse mix resulting from centuries of borrowing from other tongues.
May We Borrow Your Language? explores the intriguing and unfamiliar stories behind scores of familiar words that English has filched from abroad; in doing so, it also sheds fascinating light on the wider history of the development of the English we speak today.
Full of etymological nuggets to intrigue and delight the reader, this is a gift book for word buffs to cherish - as cerebrally stimulating as it is more-highly entertaining.
This sounds like such an interesting book. I was saying in my 2017 wrap up post that I have read no factual books this year and I am going to change that this year and this seems like the perfect way to start! I love learning about different languages and one of my regrets is not carrying on French for A Level but it is one of my aspirations to become fluent in a foreign language.
The English language is so strange as it is made up of so money others and is the most spoken language across the world. I really think that I will enjoy this read and it will help me to understand more about my language!
And that is that! Quite a lot there for me to work my way through (I also got a £20 book token which I mayor may not have spent already...) and will keep me busy! What bookish treats did you get this Christmas?
Fanny Price's rich relatives offer her a place in their home so that she can be properly brought up. However, Fanny's childhood is a lonely one as she is never allowed to forget her position. Her only ally id her cousin Edmund. When her cousins befriend two glamorous new young people who have arrived in the area, Henry and Mary Crawford, Edmund starts to grow close to Mary and Fanny finds herself dealing with feelings she never experienced before.
Edition Blurb
I love Jane Austen. Each one of her books I seem to love more than the last and I cannot wait to finish reading all her works. I believe I now own a copy of all her works but have only read three (Pride and Prejudice, Emma and Persuasion) so need to get working through those! This is a beautiful edition as well which always helps to encourage me to pick up a book!
Northanger Abby by Jane Austen
Published by Vintage Classics, 2014 (originally published in 1818)
Genre: Victorian Classic
Pages: 286
Catherine Morland is a young girl with a very active imagination. Her entry into the fashionable social scene in Bath results in an invitation to stay with new friends at Northanger Abby, but Catherine's naivety and love of sensational novels lead to embarrassing and entertaining consequences.
Edition Blurb
A book about someone who loves books? I'm there. I think this is the Austen that my teacher said was her poke at Gothic Literature which was very popular at that time. Hopefully, it will be both fun and interesting to read as a lot of the books I have to read for school are in the Gothic genre.
A Court of Thorns and Roses Box Set by Sarah J Mass
Published by Bloomsbury Publishing
Genre: YA Fantasy
Feyre is a huntress.
She thinks nothing of slaughtering a wolf to capture its prey. But, like all mortals, she fears what lingers mercilessly beyond the forest. And she will learn that taking the life of a magical creature comes at a price...
Imprisoned in an enchanted court in her enemy's kingdom, Feyre is free to roam but forbidden to escape. Her captor's body bears the scars of fighting, and his face is always masked - but his piercing stare draws her ever closer. As Feyre's feelings for Tamlin begin to burn through every warning she's been told about his kind, an ancient, wicked shadow grows.
I am halfway through the first book and so far so good! Not sure if I like it as much as I did Throne of Glass but that took until the third book to get really good so I am going to stick with it! I have so many people raving about this but also not liking it so much so I am interested to see how this one goes! Plus, getting the boxset means that I can just marathon it and really get into the series!
May We Borrow Your Language? by Philip Gooden
Published by Head of Zeus Ltd, 2016
Genre: Non-Fiction
Pages: 359
The English language that is spoken by one billion people around the world is a linguistic mongrel, its vocabulary a diverse mix resulting from centuries of borrowing from other tongues.
May We Borrow Your Language? explores the intriguing and unfamiliar stories behind scores of familiar words that English has filched from abroad; in doing so, it also sheds fascinating light on the wider history of the development of the English we speak today.
Full of etymological nuggets to intrigue and delight the reader, this is a gift book for word buffs to cherish - as cerebrally stimulating as it is more-highly entertaining.
This sounds like such an interesting book. I was saying in my 2017 wrap up post that I have read no factual books this year and I am going to change that this year and this seems like the perfect way to start! I love learning about different languages and one of my regrets is not carrying on French for A Level but it is one of my aspirations to become fluent in a foreign language.
The English language is so strange as it is made up of so money others and is the most spoken language across the world. I really think that I will enjoy this read and it will help me to understand more about my language!
And that is that! Quite a lot there for me to work my way through (I also got a £20 book token which I may
