5 Reasons Why You Should Absolutely Bookstagram!

Hi all!

I started off on bookstagram before I created my blog, and it has a special place in my heart. If you didn't know what bookstagram is, it's the book community on instagram that all post under the hashtag #bookstagram, and I thought I would try and convince you why you should definitely start a bookstagram account!

1. The community is one of the nicest you'll find on the internet (in my experiences anyway). Everyone is supportive and nice, and there are people who have made lifelong friendships through bookstagram! And if you ever lack inspiration, there are amazing photo challenges you can take a part in that bookstagrammers create every month! (Because they're incredibly creative and nice like that).

2. You can discover new hobbies! There are so many talented people on bookstagram that make me want to try drawing, calligraphy, and so many other new things.

3. You can connect with authors and publishers. I can't tell you how rewarding it is when an author likes or comments on your photos. The other day I posted a photo saying how much I liked Radio Girls, and the author saw it and commented, and I was really happy; not only are my photos gaining recognition, but the author has received a compliment too!

4. You can discover your new favourite book! I have lost count of the amount of times I've read a book because I've seen it on bookstagram, and while there are a few that were flops most of them have been great. Some popular series on bookstagram include the Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare, the Lunar Chronicles series by Marissa Meyer (my review for Cinder, the first book in the series, can be found here) and the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas (my review for the fourth book, Queen of Shadows, can be found here!).

5. You get to talk about books! No one minds if you ramble about your favourite series, no one minds if you squeal about a plot twist, and no one minds if you yell at them to beg them to read your favourite book EVER (and no one minds that actually you have ninety favourite books because they're in the same boat!). My friends read, but not as much as me, so bookstagram has given me an outlet to discuss my love of books with people who understand.

My bookstagram account is @Bowlerhatgirl1 if you want to follow me (shameless self-promotion there!).

Have I convinced you to join bookstagram? Or if you already have a bookstagram account, what's you're favourite thing about it?
Thanks for reading (:

An Apology & Life Updates

In case you haven’t noticed, I haven’t posted on this blog in a while…quite a while, in fact. And I am very very sorry! I could give out some excuses (school is time-consuming, I’m tired six days out of seven etc.) but it’s mainly because I was too lazy to update. I haven’t actually read a book in at least a week either! But this will hopefully change. I’m going to try and post once a week in December – we all know that probably won’t happen, but I can dream – and, failing that, at least a bit more regularly than before.

To make up for my lack of posts, here are some life updates:

Reading:

-          I have almost finished Hamlet, some required reading I have to do – and should have done a few weeks ago – but apart from that November has not been the best reading month for me! So far I’ve got through The Accident Season and The Young Elites, as well as 70 pages of Winter, but I’m trying not to put any pressure on myself. Everyone goes through reading slumps, and I think it always makes things worse if you force yourself to read something.

Writing:

-          While not being a participant of NaNoWriMo this year, I have made quite a bit of progress with my current story! A couple of days ago I passed 20,000 words, and so far I’m liking how it’s turning out. Generally I start stories and never finish them, but I’m hoping this won’t be the case this time, as I’m finally starting to get into the first draft mentality that nothing will be perfect the first time around! I’ve struggled with this before, but now I’m trying to just go with it. (However, my notes are a mess and I've introduced a new character, so that’s an issue…ah well!).

TV Shows:

-          Recently there have been so many TV shows I have wanted to watch! I’m currently watching Scream Queens and absolutely LOVE it, and then I’m catching up on Teen Wolf. At the moment I’m only on series one but it is amazing, and Lydia and Stiles are brilliant! (I’m writing this will watching a pretty tense episode actually!). I want to catch up on Faking It too before the year is over, and I would love to marathon The Man In The High Castle because it sounds so interesting.

I hope this post marks the start of a more regular posting schedule! Also, what do you think of the style of this post? Are there any readers who like Teen Wolf or Scream Queens?

Thanks for reading(:

Fairest - Mini-Review!

Author: Marissa Meyer
Part of a series? The prequel novel to the Lunar Chronicles series.
Synopsis: Long before the events of the Lunar Chronicles, Levana was simply a Princess living in her sister's shadow. In Fairest, it is revealed how Levana went from that to the terrifying Queen she is now.
Rating: 4.5 stars.

This book was very creepy but very good! The backstory Marissa Meyer came up with is so twisted and brilliant that I completely didn't expect it, and I was constantly torn between feeling sorry for Levana and feeling horrified by her actions! I would definitely recommend reading this if you've already read the Lunar Chronicles as it adds to the world of Luna, as well as Levana's character.



*SPOILERS FROM THIS POINT ON!*

Fairest really toyed with my emotions! One moment I was pitying Levana, the pale girl that was always overlooked by her family, the girl who was hurt by her sister, the girl who had no idea what love was. And the next she was killing people and manipulating minds and goodness knows what else!! This book didn't make me feel completely sorry for her as in the end the things she did were too awful, but it did help me understand her more in a way. Levana is such a wonderful villain, and it was interesting to read about what made her become the way she is in the Lunar Chronicles (which is actually quite similar to the way she is in Fairest).

The world of Luna was explored more in Fairest, and it's so interesting! I love how fake everything in the court is, but how no one would dream of saying that, and the relationship between Evret and Winter (and SELENE!!!) was lovely to read about. The scenes between the two, and between Winter and Selene added a bit of light relief to an otherwise dark plot. Fairest didn't just give us a better view of Luna but of some of the characters we know and love already (or will do when Winter comes out!!) : Jacin, Winter, Selene. I can't wait for Winter to come out!

What were your thoughts on Fairest? Let me know in the comments(:
Thanks for reading(:

Cress - Review

Title: Cress
Author: Marissa Meyer
Part of a series? The third book in the Lunar Chronicles
Synopsis: Cress has been stuck in a satellite for most of her life. An expert hacker, she's been keeping a close eye on the band of fugitives Levana wants dead while dreaming about Earth and a certain Captain But she's going to find out that life on Earth may not be what she expected.
Cinder has accumulated an odd mix of friends, and now she's determined to save the Commonwealth and Kai from Queen Levana. The only problem is how to stop a woman as powerful as Levana, who may have something even worse than what Cinder thinks planned.
Rating: 5 stars.

Marissa Meyer has done it again! The Lunar Chronicles is fast becoming one of my all-time favourite series, and Cress did not disappoint. In this book Cress is introduced, and I loved her from the first chapter. She's sweet and different to Cinder and Scarlet in that she isn't streetwise, and she was a lot more vulnerable than our other two protagonists.

The plot completely took me by surprise. I can never guess what's going to happen in The Lunar Chronicles, but Cress was the most surprising. There was definitely a feeling that the overall story is coming to a close and that something big is building up, so I am very excited to read Winter in November!

*SPOILERS FROM THIS POINT ON - GO READ CRESS THEN COME BACK!*

I loved the world-building in this book. At first, when I started reading Cinder, I was worried about all of the sci-fi terms, as I don't generally read books in this genre, but by now I feel fairly comfortable with portscreens etc. The desert scenes were possibly my favourite, along with the ball scenes, and I had such a clear picture of Cress and Carswell walking over sand dunes in my mind.

As usual, the character in The Lunar Chronicles were one of the best features of Cress. I love how relentlessly evil Levana is, and the small chapter that was written in her point of view was very intriguing. My opinion of Throne (whom I loved in Scarlet) changed a little as, like Cress, we think he's a hero in Scarlet, but in Cress it's revealed that he kind of isn't. One thing that really struck me as different is the fact that there isn't necessarily a reason for Carswell's actions, which is so different to other characters in other books. He is a chancer and a gambler and quite self-centred, and it was refreshing to read a character who is genuinely flawed for no apparent reason. That being said, I still really really like him. A LOT.

And Iko! She is one of my favourite characters in this series, and I was so happy for her when she got the escort android body. She truly is 'the most human android', and she always provides some laughter to a serious scene.

In Cress we also were introduced to Princess Winter, and I have to say that I like her already. I think she and Jacin will be cute together in Winter (I hope!), and I'm very interested in finding out more about her.
The only thing about Cress that mildly bothered me was that there was a large portion of the book where we didn't know what was happening to Scarlet, but her chapters were so horrifying that it was also kind of a relief! I can't believe that Levana chopped off her little finger. That being said, I love how The Lunar Chronicles focusses on all of the characters and that the cast gradually builds up with each book.

Bring on Winter!

What did you think of Cress? Let me know in the comments.
Thanks for reading(:

August Wrap-Up!

To see all the books I've acquired in August, visit my bookhaul here.
August was a good reading month for me! I read nine books in total,, compared to my usual five or six in previous months, and the books were great. I think I read so much because I went on holiday at the start of August and got through four books alone in that first week!

• Blackfin Sky by Kat Ellis - I'm working on a full review of this at the moment, and it was really good! Spooky, creepy and mysterious, the town of Blackfin was excellently created, and I look forward to reading Kat Ellis' new books, as Blackfin Sky was her debut novel. 4 stars.
• Scarlet by Marissa Meyer - This is the second book in the Lunar Chronicles series, and my full review can be found here. I loved Scarlet almost as much as Cinder, and I especially loved the introduction of Captain Carswell Thorne! If you're unsure about reading the Lunar Chronicles because of all the hype around it, try Cinder anyway, because I think it will live up to expectations. 4.5 - 5 stars.
• PS I Still Love You by Jenny Han - The sequel to To All The Boys I've Loved Before, PSISLY was just as sweet as the first book. Reading about how Lara Jean and Peter's relationship changed was fantastic, and I loved the points Jenny Han made about double standards. These books are not just a fluffy, cute romance (although they definitely have that in), but are about family and friends and high school. Family is definitely important in these two books. 4.25 stars.
• The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater - I'm also working on a review of the entire Raven Cycle so far. I enjoyed The Dream Thieves just as much as The Raven Boys, although it once again took me a while to get into the world again. Having just finished PS I Still Love You, where the love interest's surname is Kavinsky, it was quite confusing to read about another, much wilder, much less nice Kavinsky! I didn't like him at all, but I have to admit that his texts to Ronan made me laugh! Blue is such a strong character, and even though the concept of ley lines and Welsh kings are very confusing, the characters really make this series. 4.5 stars.
• Let's Get Lost - This was the perfect summer read! I loved all of the different stories, although I think Elliot's was the least satisfying. Leila was our main character, the one that linked Hudson, Elliot, Sonia, and Bree's lives together, but each of the others were well-developed and likeable. I think Leila's story was my favourite, although I loved her friendship with Bree. 4.75 stars.
• Prisoner of Night and Fog by Anne Blankman - I have a more detailed review of this on my Goodreads account, but I enjoyed this book a lot! It was an interesting, well-written historical fiction novel and I'm very excited to read the second book in this series. 4.5 stars.
• Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater - This is the third book in The Raven Cycle, and it. Was. FANTASTIC! All of the things I love about The Raven Boys and The Dream Thieves - all of the funny dialogue, all of the intriguing characters, all of the mystery - was apparent in every single page of Blue Lily, Lily Blue. I think this is one of my favourite reads of 2015 so far, and I am incredibly excited for The Raven King! 5 stars.
• Panic by Lauren Oliver - This was so very tense! I flew through Panic as I just had to know what would happen next. The challenges were crazy and very, very dangerous, and Lauren Oliver's writing was wonderful. 4 stars.
• Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins - Hex Hall was funny and entertaining. Jenna was my favourite character, and Sophie was a likeable protagonist whose sarcasm often made me giggle. There were several parts that felt a little tired, like I had read them before, but I can definitely see the potential in this series and I'm looking forward to seeing what else Sophie gets up to! 3.5 - 4 stars.
• A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams - I had to read this for school, and I wasn't expecting much. However, I was pleasantly surprised! A Streetcar Named Desire was an emotional whirlwind of a play, and I enjoyed it quite a bit. It also took next to no time to read - maybe only an hour and a half! 3.5 - 4 stars.
• I'm currently reading 1984 by George Orwell, and according to Goodreads I'm 24% done with it. So far I'm not enjoying it as much as I had hoped, but I hope that will improve as I continue.

Those were the books I read in August! What books did you read in August? Have you read any I've mentioned? What did you think?
Thanks for reading(:

August Bookhaul!

Once again, I have accumulated too many books for my bookhaul and wrap-up to be in the same post (unless you want an extremely long post). In one month I managed to buy 22 books. 22! I'm 100% going on a book-buying ban in September.

Books for school:

I start school again in September and in English Literature we're studying four texts, so I went out and bought the ones that I could, only for one of my friends to tell me that I didn't need to buy two of them! They were:

• 1984 by George Orwell - This is featured in my August wrap-up post, which can be found here.
• A Streetcar Named Desire - I don't know if you've ever seen a copy of this, but it's the size of one chapter of a normal book. Why did it cost £9.99??? (This was one of the books I didn't need to buy, so I'm a bit annoyed about it!).
• Hamlet by William Shakespeare

I don't really have an excuse for the other nineteen...I did find out my exam results and they were really good, so some of them were yay-I-passed purchases. And then one of my best friends and I went shopping, and we both have out of control TBR piles, and we both bought loads of books (and now we both are on bans!)
Anyway, here are the many, many books I've acquired in August:

• The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
• Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier
• Lair of Dreams by Libba Bray
• Get Even by Gretchen McNeil
• Darkmere by Helen Maslin
• The Ruby in the Smoke by Philip Pullman
• The Accident Season by Moïra Fowley-Doyle
• The Glass Sentence by S.E. Grove
• Never Always Sometimes by Adi Alsaid
• Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes
• The Improbable Theory of Ana and Zak by Brian Katcher
• The Archived by Victoria Schwab
• Fairest by Marissa Meyer
• Bad Girls Don't Die by Katie Alender
• Famous Last Words by Katie Alender
• Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly
• For Real by Alison Cherry
• The Fixer by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
• Conspiracy of Blood and Smoke by Anne Blankman

I won't do summaries of each book as otherwise this post could last forever! But if you want to know what a book is about, tell me in the comments and I'll reply.

Have you read any of these books? What did you think (no spoilers please!)? Let me know in the comments.
Thanks for reading(:

May Book Haul & Wrap Up!

Despite being in the middle of exams, May has been quite a good reading month for me! I read four and a half books, and all of them were really good. I also seemed to have been in a reviewing mood this month; I reviewed three out of the four books I read! And yes, I know I said I was on a book-buying ban, and yes, it does say book haul in the title. BUT, I only received two books: Rook by Sharon Cameron, which I pre-ordered in April and looks STUNNING, and Night School by C.J.Daugherty, which I received from Atom books. So that's progress, right? Let's be honest, fellow booklovers, when we say, "I'm on a book-buying ban", we really mean, "I will be less books this month, but not none."


Onto the books I read in May!

• Cinder by Marissa Meyer. I LOVED this book. At first, I was a little unsure of what to expect as there has been so much hype around The Lunar Chronicles; I was worried that I wouldn't love it as much as everyone else. Luckily, I was pleasantly surprised! I gave this 5 stars, and my full review is here.
• Fire With Fire by Jenny Han & Siobhan Vivian.  It had been a while since I read Burn for Burn, but I really enjoyed it when I did, and this sequel did not disappoint. 4.5 stars. Full review here.
• And then I read Ashes to Ashes by Jenny Han & Siobhan Vivian, the concluding book in the Burn for Burn trilogy, and...wow. 4.5 stars. Full review here.
• The final full book I read in May was The Bane Chronicles by Cassandra Clare, Maureen Johnson, and Sarah Rees Brennan. Overall, I loved each story, and it was so nice to be back in the Shadowhunting world I love. The Bane Chronicles was humorous and full of the fantabulous High Warlock of Brooklyn, before he became the High Warlock of Brooklyn. The writing styles of the authors mostly blended together well, and there were malec feels, which made me very happy! And a certain wonderful Welsh Herondale in it, which made me VERY happy. I would have done a full review on it, but school got in the way. Anyway, I gave this book a 4.5 stars, which seems to be my average review rating of this month! What can I say? I read some great books in May!

The book I'm currently reading is Night School by C.J. Daugherty, and a review of it will be up as soon as I can!


What books did you read in May? What was your favourite? Let me know!
Thanks for reading(:

Cinder - Review

Title: Cinder
Author: Marissa Meyer
Part of a Series? Yes, The Lunar Chronicles
Synopsis (from Goodreads): Cinder, a gifted mechanic in New Beijing, is also a cyborg. She's reviled by her step,other and blamed for her stepsister's sudden illness. But when her life becomes entwined with the handsome Prince Kai's, she finds herself at the centre of a violent struggle between the desires of an evil queen - and a dangerous temptation.
Rating: 5 stars

Wow. I finally get what all of the hype over the Lunar Chronicles is about! If they're all as strong as Cinder, I cannot wait to read them! Cinder has got to be one of my favourite protagonists ever; she was so likeable and relatable and just so REAL. It feels like it's been a while since I've read a book where I could picture meeting a person with the protagonist's personality. Kai is adorable and, once again, felt real. The plot was convincing and made sense, not predictable at all and not boring at any part (although I kind of suspected towards the end that Cinder was...Cinder, if you get what I mean*coughs* ending *coughs*). I would have liked to know that there's a MASSIVE cliff of a cliffhanger at the end before I had read it, because now I'm desperate to read Scarlett! Also, don't look at the cast on Goodreads because there's kind of a spoiler about the identity of someone in it (which I did NOT know about. Thanks Goodreads).

*SPOILERS FROM THIS POINT ON SO GO READ CINDER AND COME BACK*

Peony. Iko.

*runs to friend and cries*

But seriously, I couldn't believe it when Peony died. I genuinely thought that they would find a cure throughout the novel, and when Levana gave Kai the cure I immediately thought GIVE IT TO PEONY! I was reading this in public, so I didn't cry, but that's what I felt like doing. And Iko's kind-of death was heartbreaking, because I love that android!

Pearl was confusing: she would be horrible to Cinder's face, and then have moments of kindness which would leave me puzzled. I think she'll be a bigger part of the plot in Scarlett and Cress, which is good because we didn't really find out much about her in Cinder.

I was so sure Dr. Erland was the bad guy when we first met him, but that theory clearly wasn't right! I thought something weird was happening at the beginning when he convinced Cinder to not attack him with a wrench, but I never made the link between that and the powers of the Lunars (which are quite scary, but not as scary as Queen Levana).

The political tensions between the Lunars and the Earthens was surprisingly fun to read about! I loved the way Meyer didn't tell us everything about the world, but rather slipped things in like the Fourth World War and the fact that Lunars live ON THE MOON, and everyone is fine with it because it's normal to them. I hope we get to go onto the Lunar planet in the other books, as I think it would be really interesting to read about. I also hope that Cinder finds a way to defeat Levana and become Queen!

My favourite scene had to be the ballroom scene. I loved the image of Cinder walking through the crowds even though she's terrified, even though her dress is ruined and she's wearing her old foot, just to warn Kai. Levana was terrifying in this scene, especially when she almost confined Cinder to shoot herself. I almost cried when Kai didn't kiss Cinder, and when he said he was going to marry Levana, and...well, for most of that chapter, really.

The writing was superb. Everything flowed well, and it was an easy world to get sucked into. I was a little apprehensive at first, having never really read much sci-fi, but I understood everything and didn't feel daunted by the world. Also, did anyone else's picture the androids like Eva in Wall-e?

I wish I had read this book sooner! And I wish I could say that I'm now onto Scarlett, but I won't be buying that until July, after exams:(

Have you read Cinder? What did you think? Let me know in the comments.
Thanks for reading(: