Exploring Sri Lanka’s East Coast
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Showing posts with label Book Review Blog. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Book Review Blog. Show all posts
Friday, November 27, 2015
Monday, November 23, 2015
ReadoRama Round 3 - Me Before You by JoJo Moyes
Aloha my friends,
This past weekend I took part in the booktube readorama round 3 challenge! It was a lot of fun! Please check out my video to find out more about the challenge... about the competition penguin books is currently having and for a 3 day book review on Me Before You by JoJo Moyes (most of the time with me looking half dead due to lack of makeup on my face!) haha :)
Enjoy it!!
My Links:
Friday, November 20, 2015
Tuesday, November 17, 2015
Saturday, November 7, 2015
Book Review: The Drifters by James A. Michener
Hi Everyone!
Today I'm bringing you my first ever YouTube book review. This one is on The Drifters by James A. Michener, which I gave 2 out of 5 stars because it just really wasn't my cup of tea. Sad way to start off book reviews but hey ho! There will be many more of these to come (self-confessed bookworm!)
My Links:
Thanks for watching everybody! If you liked this vid, please subscribe to my new and growing channel and I'll be sure to subscribe back and keep in touch xxx
Click Here and Subscribe to my YouTube Channel!
Thursday, May 7, 2015
On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King | Book Review
"Long live the King" hailed "Entertainment Weekly" upon the publication of Stephen King's On Writing. Part memoir, part master class by one of the bestselling authors of all time, this superb volume is a revealing and practical view of the writer's craft, comprising the basic tools of the trade every writer must have. King's advice is grounded in his vivid memories from childhood through his emergence as a writer, from his struggling early career to his widely reported near-fatal accident in 1999 -- and how the inextricable link between writing and living spurred his recovery. Brilliantly structured, friendly and inspiring, On Writing will empower and entertain everyone who reads it -- fans, writers, and anyone who loves a great story well told.
I've never read a Stephen King book before which is odd considering my love of all things horror. I'd actually never even been tempted to pluck one of his books from the shelves in my local bookstore, despite him being incredibly well-known as one of the Greats.
Why that is, I'll never really know... all that matters is that I've read one of his books now.
On Writing fell into my hands when I needed it most - and it was given to me by a very special person in my life... Handsome Bearded Fellow's mum, Cathy.
She's a published author of a book I still have yet to finish reading but from what I've read thus far - I can confidently say that it is absolutely terrific!
She told me upon giving On Writing to me that this was the book that gave her so much inspiration, advice and guidance when she was writing her novel.
She wasn't wrong.
I've sent my manuscript off to literary agents in London and have received an acceptance letter from one so far (no rejection slips just yet.....fingers crossed...). The agent requested the rest of my manuscript along with a handful of other things which I prepared and sent off to her as fast as I possibly could.
That's where I am today - Waiting... Holding my breath.
This book had a calming effect on me. To be damn bloody straight, I couldn't put the damn thing down. Ask Sam (my fiance.... smile), he lost me for a couple of days. I was enraptured in the first book I'd ever picked up of King's and also the first book on 'writing' that I have read as a writer.
The book acted as a guide, it was extremely clever and had an endless supply of (witty) wisdom on the craft at hand.
Another review on this book that I read mentioned that King came across as a 'pretentious sod.'
More than a couple of reviews had similar things to say.
At times, yes, I admit he seemed a bit condescending... a bit of a knob... but you know what? He says somewhere in this golden little book that "...if you expect to succeed as a writer, rudeness should be the second-to-least of your concerns. The least of all should be polite society and what it expects. If you intend to write as truthfully as you can, your days as a member of polite society are numbered, anyway." - Too true. So anyone who feels his book is written by a bit of a dick - then that's because he's just telling you the cold, hard truth. Someone has to.
Every writer / aspiring author should definitely treasure a copy of this book.
Monday, March 9, 2015
Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail | Book Review
Meet Cheryl, 5 years ago her mother died of cancer. Once upon a time she'd been the one that seemed to have it altogether, but as she battled through her grief, she went off the beaten track (figuratively and literally).
Before she makes the wild decision to hike the Pacific Crest Trail (a 1.100 mile hike), Cheryl loses sight of herself as she dapples in adultery, sex and drugs. When the divorce with her husband is finalized, she sets off on her journey, hoping to get back to being the woman that she once was.
There's one slight hitch though.... she's never backpacked or hiked before. Nor had she trained for this trip. She was not prepared for what she was about to get herself into at all!
Wild has gotten so many mixed reviews and mine is a combination of both good and bad.
I enjoyed this book. I found the writing excellent, the descriptions beautiful, the honesty and raw quality brutal yet addictive. Yet I found that the book droned on... seemingly never-ending and skipping between the actual story of her hike through the Pacific Crest Trail and her story before it. The story of her failed marriage and heroin addiction, sleeping around with anyone with a penis and the grief over the death of her mother...
It meshed together well because it helps you to understand how she got to where she is, but I must say that the book was far from what I was expecting.
But that's just the thing isn't it? Judging a book by the cover is one of the biggest crimes in the book world. I walked into my local bookstore and saw a book with a roughed up hiking boot slapped on the front cover and thought, 'Wow! This looks like something I'd love to read!'
And for the record I did love reading it. I related SO much to Cheryl throughout the course of the book. By the third page I was actually convinced this book was written about me! Even with her silly decisions that make you want to shout down into the pages at her... it was just brilliant. Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant!
This is a REAL book about things that can and probably will go wrong if you decide to venture out into the wild by yourself. It is a book of mistakes and life lessons, of reality and hardships! It is a book about being independent and brave.
It is a book that will resonate in me for a very, very long time.
Tuesday, February 10, 2015
A Street Cat Named Bob by James Bowen - Book Review
Have you ever read a book you loved so much that you feel even a glowing book review won't do it any justice? Well, that's what 'A Street Cat Named Bob,' was for me.
I found the book in this quirky little bookstore nestled in Kalk Bay, Cape Town and although I could barely afford to scrape enough together for dinner that night, I just couldn't leave the store without it.
I'll admit, at first I thought it was hilarious. Over the years I have managed to adopt the nickname, Crazy Cat Lady, among my friends... so when I laid eyes on this book in the store I had to laugh and take a photo of it for my friends. I knew they would find it funny.
But after snapping a quick picture, curiosity got the better of me and I picked the book up to read the blurb on the back:
"When James Bowen found an injured, ginger street cat curled up in the hallway of his sheltered accommodation, he had no idea just how much his life was about to change. James was living hand to mouth on the streets of London and the last thing he needed was a pet.
Yet James couldn't resist helping the strikingly intelligent tom cat, whom he quickly christened Bob. He slowly nursed Bob back to health and then sent the cat on his way, imagining he would never see him again. But Bob had other ideas.
Soon the two were inseparable and their diverse, comic and occasionally dangerous adventures would transform both their lives, slowly healing the scars of each other's troubled pasts.
A Street Cat Named Bob is a moving and uplifting story that will touch the heart of anyone who reads it."
Needless to say, after that I was hooked!
It is an absolutely gorgeous true story about a busking, heroine addict living on the streets of London. While struggling to beat his addiction, he stumbles upon a seemingly homeless ginger tom cat. Little does he know that this friendly feline is about to turn his life around.
It is an absolutely gorgeous true story about a busking, heroine addict living on the streets of London. While struggling to beat his addiction, he stumbles upon a seemingly homeless ginger tom cat. Little does he know that this friendly feline is about to turn his life around.
This book is so heartwarming and emotionally touching. It is filled with hope and love! It's a story about angel's, blessings and guidance in the most realistic way possible. What I love most about this book is that it isn't written over-dramatically. It is believable and enjoyable to the point where you really can't put it down. I read the entire thing back to front within two days and was absolutely gutted when it came to an end - only because I didn't want it to! So for all the bad that is in this book, like it being quite repetitive, it really would be your loss if you chose not to read it because of the negative aspects it contains.
I know that this book is based in London - but being put into the shoes of a homeless person for the duration of the read was really eye-opening for someone living in South Africa. Seeing things from their perspective is hard to take in but it is so important to understand it too
It is so true that people perceive homeless people (or as we call them, 'hobo's), drug addicts and beggars differently. Very often we don't give them a chance and reading this completely changed my view on how to handle it when approached by someone on the streets again. As the author says, he could have been asking someone for the time but the second they see his appearance they shoo him off and won't give him the time of day. It really pulled at my heartstrings.
One thing that this book reinforced for me was just how clever and incredible cats are... or any animal really. They choose people, you don't choose them - and that was exactly what happened in this book.
Animals make the world a better place and they make our lives complete too. They are the best companions you could ever ask for and one thing this book really encourages is for you to just appreciate your furry friends.
I was smiling the ENTIRE way through this book. It was such a feel-good read and to top it off, it had such a happy ending.
Thursday, December 4, 2014
The Fault In Our Stars by John Green | Book Review
Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel’s story is about to be completely rewritten.
Insightful, bold, irreverent, and raw, The Fault in Our Stars is award-winning-author John Green’s most ambitious and heartbreaking work yet, brilliantly exploring the funny, thrilling, and tragic business of being alive and in love.
Blurb taken from: Amazon
 |
| This is literally the process of reading The Fault In Our Stars |
I'm a slow reader. It literally takes me about a month to finish a book because I'm always so busy with juggling a full-time job,studying journalism, writing my second novel and being a girlfriend.
Even so, everything else took a backseat as I picked up this book. By the end of the first night, I'd already devoured half of it! That has never happened to me before.
When I started to read it, I was really skeptical. Cancer and illnesses petrify me. I like to pretend that if I ignore them then they don't exist. After very nearly losing my dad last year, it is a very tender topic for me but I battled through in the hopes of there being beauty in the pain and inspiration in the pages of heartache.
Well, there was all of that and more.
Just because this book is about a sixteen year old girl called Hazel Grace who is falling in love for the first time while she battles through a cancer-ridden life - that in no way means that the target market is sixteen year old girls. I'm going into my mid-twenties and this book touched my heart in so many ways. It is such a special novel that anyone, man or woman could enjoy, no matter what age.
Hazel is surviving thyroid cancer on a miracle drug which author, John Green, makes very clear does not exist in the back pages of the book once the story comes to the end (if only it did...).
She is drowning not only literally in her own dysfunctional lungs but also in a painful depression that worries her family and the doctors treating her.
She walks around attached to a oxygen tank and carting around a cannula every day of her life, with tubes up her nostrils and her head buried in books if not religiously following reality TV shows.
In an effort to have her daughter make friends, Hazel's mum begs her to go to a Cancer Support Group instead of lounging in front of the television, watching America's Next Top Model marathons all day long. It is there that she meets the charismatic, blue-eyed boy, Augustus Waters, who (spoiler alert but pretty inevitably!) changes her life.
Have you ever been in love with your best friend?
It's an infinite and unconditional love. Deeper than all others. That is what Augustus and Hazel structured between themselves, among their meaningful conversations that were well beyond their years.
They shared a never ending love that was raw and real; that showed appreciation, support and strength like no other I have seen before. A bond that is so rare that some only ever dream of experiencing it.
Reading their story was the perfected balance between heart-wrenching and heart-warming - with characters you can't help but fall in love with.
It is beautiful yet infuriating all at once.
Green's writing shows you a deeper side to teen literature. So often these days the shelves are crammed with awful teenage ramblings that is pretty vile to be blatantly honest - Green has finally broken past that barrier and with palm forward literally said, 'In Your Face!'
If a novel could be poetry - this would be it.
Now I cannot WAIT to watch the film!!!
Have you seen it or read the book? What were your thoughts on them?
Thursday, July 3, 2014
Happily Ever After by Harriet Evans | Book Review
"At twenty-two, Eleanor Bee is sure about three things: she wants to move
to London and become a literary superstar, she wants to be able to
afford a to buy a coffee and croissant every morning, and she doesn't
believe in happy endings. Ten years on, and Elle's life has changed in
ways she could never have predicted. Because the past has a funny way of
catching up with you, and Happily Ever After comes in all shapes and
sizes."
This is the second Harriet Evans book that I am both reading
and reviewing. The first book I read of hers also happened to be my first book
review on this blog back in May 2012 : I Remember You by Harriet Evans | Book Review
Her first book completely underwhelmed me and I had no
intention of ever reading her work again. That being said, I had absolutely no
idea that it was the same author when I picked up this book in the shop.
I read the back and it stood out to me as something that I
would really enjoy considering it was the perfect cocktail mixture.
A dash of London.
A twist of New York.
A sprinkle of the glamorous world of the publishing industry.
A slice or two of the sweet and sourness of sex and relationships.
And a hearty lug of real life problems that one can easily relate to.
So I bought it without even realizing it was the same author I had previously picked apart!
A dash of London.
A twist of New York.
A sprinkle of the glamorous world of the publishing industry.
A slice or two of the sweet and sourness of sex and relationships.
And a hearty lug of real life problems that one can easily relate to.
So I bought it without even realizing it was the same author I had previously picked apart!
Once I had figured it out (it took me a while,) I found that
I was really pleasantly surprised.
I adored the way she described every intricate detail so beautifully - though at times I felt like because the book was written over a series of years through the key characters life, that the author slid in a lot of unnecessary things relating to the year in which the chapter was supposed to be based on. That was its only downfall - oh; and it be brutally honest I must admit that the key character did annoy me a bit. She seemed clueless to me at times - not a 'strong' heroine to me nor someone I'd look up to even when she was reveling in her successes.
I couldn’t have read this book at a better time in my life –
I probably say that about the majority of books I read but I guess that you
pick up exactly what you need to from every book you come across.
This book takes you all throughout Elle’s life, from the
dreaded days of teenage school life all the way up to her thirties.
It touches on the years in between those times, on the
trials and hardships she faces as well as the successes and saucy secrets of an independent female.
It takes you on a journey from a messy, sporadic girls
situation in life where she can barely afford lunch - where she is practically
bowing down to those she works with (sound familiar to anyone???), she's at the bottom of the food chain… to blossoming into a
woman.
A woman with power and confidence.
A woman who inevitably still has
problems – like we all do.That's a good message I picked up from this book.
As a woman in my mid-twenties, falling out of bed at 7am
each morning and procrastinating against gym, then feeling guilty and doing
squats in the shower while brushing my teeth at the same time; scarpering
around the gallery I work for making coffee for everyone and typing out the bosses
handwritten letters – it was a perfect read.
It’s just a great book to read when you’re at that sort of stage in
your life; just trying to get by.
Neither here nor there.
Dreaming of something
big but needing to make ‘Right Now’ work as best you can.
It reminds you that you have no idea where you’ll be a year
from now – even a month from now.
Every tiny thing that happens in life, sets you on a
different course that you could never have thought of.
No one knows where they’ll
end up.
And that’s the beauty and the excitement of life.
Even in our darkest moments - there will be light at the end of the tunnel.
Even Cinderella eventually got her happy ending...
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