Tag: JohnGreen

October 2017 Talk!

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October is approaching at a rapid pace and I am ready to welcome it with open arms. October is easily one of my favourite months because it is 100% fall, there are amazing Disney movies out and also Halloween! There are also a few books to make it more exciting, and here are the ones I am looking forward to.

~Books~

All the Crooked Saints by Maggie Stiefvater

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If you didn’t know, Maggie Stiefvater is the author of The Raven Cycle series, which I am slowly making my way through and am ultimately enjoying. Now since that series has concluded, she is coming out with a brand new book and I cannot wait to get my hands on it! I personally like going into Maggie Stiefvater’s books without knowing or understanding the synopsis, but I can tell this is going to be a dark and whimsical book just like all of her others. October 10, 2017

Turtles All the Way Down by John Green

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 I know I am not the biggest John Green fan, but I always read his books so I know eventually I will pick up this one too. Turtles All the Way Down follows sixteen year old Aza, who for the prize of $100,000, investigates the mystery of the fugitive billionaire Russell Pickett with the help of her friend Daisy. This seems a bit different than what John Green usually writes but nonetheless, I am interested to see what it is like. October 10, 2017

Sadly there were no movies I was really looking forward to, but those are the few books I am excited to get my hands on! I hope you enjoyed this quick October 2017 Talk, and don’t forget to check out my last blog post: Reading/Writing Update.

 

 

 

July 2017 Book Haul!

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I went to my local library the other day and found two books that looked interesting for the price of $0.00. Awesome right? So yes, I have a bit of a book haul to share because I also got an exciting new release that I cannot wait to get into!

Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia

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I was so, so, so excited to read it because Eliza and Her Monsters looked really funny and relatable, which it was. Eliza and Her Monsters follows a girl named Eliza Mirk who is the creator of  the really popular online comic series, Monstrous Sea. And while her online life is thriving, her offline life…not so much. That is until Wallace comes along, who is a popular fanfic writer who writes fanfic based off of Monstrous Sea. I have started the first few pages and cannot wait to continue on with this book!

An Abundance of Katherines by John Green

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I am not a huge John Green fan, but I have read most of his books and didn’t mind them. When I saw this book on the library cart for free, I thought, why not? From what I have gathered, this book is about a boy who is into girls who have the name Katherine, but one day he meets a girl who is NOT named Katherine, and he wonders if she can break his trend. It sounds like a fun, easy going book and I am curious to see how much I will enjoy it.

The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman

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This book is one I have seen around BookTube and have heard good things about, so since it was free I decided to pick it up. I read the synopsis but honestly, it was really complicated and long so I am just going to go into it with no expectations whatsoever! I do believe this is middle grade though and I have not read any middle grade for a very long time so this book is much needed.

Those are all of the books I bought in the month of July and I hope you enjoyed. Don’t forget to check out my last blog post: Reading/Writing Update!

 

Summer Reading Recommendations!

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Summer is within arms reach so make sure you have your sunglasses, sunscreen and a pile of books ready to be read. If you need some help figuring out which books to read though, here are a few recommendations that are perfect beach reads!

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Since You’ve Been Gone by Morgan Matson – This book is the perfect summer romance story to indulge in during the summer. It follows a girl named Emily whose best friend, Sloane, has mysteriously disappeared, leaving behind only a summer bucket list for Emily. As Emily sets off to complete this list, in hopes of it leading her to Sloane, she runs into some unexpected new friends that help her live an unforgettable summer. I love Morgan Matson books, but this one is definitely by favourite and I recommend you read it if you love contemporaries like myself!

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Paper Towns by John Green – I am not a huge John Green fan, but I didn’t mind Paper Towns and I thought it was a great beach read. It has a summer adventure and fun characters to follow so it is definitely worth a shot. Paper Towns follows this boy named Quentin, who is determined to find the girl he has been pining after for years, after she mysteriously disappears. Along with a few friends, they work together to follow the clues Margo left behind, to figure out where in the world she is. There is also a movie adaptation of this book which is also entertaining so I recommend you watch it after you read the book if you already haven’t!

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The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare – Since its summer, start a new series! I recommend The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare because it is fantastic, and even if you have already read it, re read it! There six books in this series, and the first one, City of Bones, follows a girl named Clary whose mother disappears and we follow her as she sets off on a journey to find her. Along the way, she realizes the world she lives in is really a world of demons and angels, and discovers that she has more to do with this world than she thought. This series is action packed and has a great cast of characters so I really recommend you jump right into this series and enjoy the fun ride!

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Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan – This is also a great series to read during the summer because is witty and extremely fast paced. You also learn a lot about mythology in this series, considering it is based around Greek mythology. The first book of five is called The Lightning Thief, and it follows a young boy named Percy Jackson who discovers he is the son of a Greek god and is being accused of stealing Zeus’s master lightning bolt. Now he has to go on a quest to find the real lightning thief along with two friends, Annabeth and Grover, and find the bolt before the end of the summer solstice. I love, love, love this series and think it is something anyone can enjoy!

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Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen – I am currently reading this along with Lord of Shadows by Cassandra Clare, and I am really enjoying it so far! It takes a few pages to adjust to the language, but once you have you don’t want to stop. Pride and Prejudice follows the Mr and Mrs Bennett and their five daughters, and how they find love during this completely different era. There are witty characters and romances and I cannot wait to continue diving into the book!

Those are all of my summer reading recommendations and I hope you enjoyed. Don’t forget to check out my last blog post: Reading/Writing Update!

 

Shadowhunter Runes Book Tag (Original)

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There are so many Shadowhunter runes out there, so I decided to get a little creative and create my own tag using some of the runes. If you want to do this tag don’t forget to tag me in it so I can see all of your answers to the questions I have chosen!

Anyways, onto the tag!

Trust – Pick a Book/Series Where Trust Was Betrayed

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If you haven’t read Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan than do not keep reading!!!

The book I chose for this question is Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan, and the character is yes, you guessed it, Luke Castellan. I really liked Luke and then all of a sudden we realized he wasn’t who we thought he was, and it broke my heart. However, I remember thinking how genius it was to have a character so close to one of the main characters become the villain. It made for a more interesting and tense series that 10-14-year-old me loved. Honestly, I still love it even now.

Acceleration – Pick a Book/Series That You Accelerated Through

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I have flown through many, many books, but the first one that came to my mind was Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare. This is a pretty massive book, being over 660 pages, and I was so sucked into the world and the characters that I finished it in less than 48 hours. Every spare time I had before school, during school and after school was used to read this amazing book and I have absolutely no regrets.

Deflect/Block – Pick a Book/Series That You Have Blocked Out From Your Mind

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A book I try not to think about at all is The Infinite Sea by Rick Yancy, the sequel to The 5th Wave. I really, really enjoyed The 5th Wave. I thought it was fun and action-packed, and so I was super excited to jump into the sequel…only to be utterly disappointed. I did not like this book at all and I try and block it out from my mind. There were multiple POVs in this book that I did enjoy reading from, and overall, the story felt stagnant.

Recall – Pick the First Book/Series You Read

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The first book series I remember the most vividly that I read, would be Junie B Jones by Barbara Park. I borrowed them all from my older cousin and sometimes refused to give them back until I re-read them a couple of times. While I am not sure if I read all of them, I am certain I read a good chunk of the series and absolutely adored them. They lead me to read more little chapter books like Geronimo Stilton and The Magic Treehouse that eventually lead me to read the books I do today.

Friendship – Pick a Book/Series That Has an Awesome Friendship

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I have to go cliche with this one, and say the Golden Trio from Harry Potter by JK Rowling! They are different in many ways, making them unbeatable when they are together. When you think of an ideal friendship, you cannot help but think of Harry, Hermione and Ron.

Surefooted – Pick a Confident Character from a Book/Series

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Who else can I say but Jace from The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare? Jace is such a cocky, arrogant character, but you can’t help but be head over heels for him because he does mean well. He knows people look at him in awe and drool as he walks by, and honestly, who can blame them?

Insight/Foresight – Pick a Book/Series with a Predictable Ending

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It wasn’t necessarily a bad thing that this ending was predictable, but still, it was pretty obvious. The ending I am talking about is the one for The Selection by Kiera Cass because we all knew what was going to happen. I won’t spoil it for anyone who hasn’t picked up these books, but the cover of the third book also gave it away so…

Waterproof – Pick a Book/Series That Everyone Else but You Cried While Reading

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The Fault and Our Stars by John Green hands down! I liked the story to an extent, but I felt no emotional attachment to the characters so I didn’t cry…at all. As a matter of fact, during the movie, I forced myself to cry just so people wouldn’t think I was a monster with a black hole where my heart should be! Now, I realize not that many people cried during it either.

Power – Pick a Book/Series That Has a Powerful Message

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There is a lot of hype over the TV series at the moment so I thought this would be a suitable choice, and that is Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher. I thought that this story holds a very important message that more people should be aware of. People need to watch out for signs from loved ones, or even the people around them, of suicide and realize it is not a joke. While I do believe the idea of suicide in Thirteen Reasons Why is a bit romanticized, I am glad that it is becoming a jumping point for more conversations and awareness around suicide.

That is all for my Shadowhunter Runes Tag, and if you want to do it than I tag you! Don’t forget to check out my last blog post: Spring/Summer 2017 TBR

 

 

Unpopular Book Opinions!

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This book tag was originally created by TheBookArcher on YouTube, and it looked like a lot of fun so I decided to do it!

  1. A Popular Book or Series You Didn’t Like

Twilight by Stephanie Meyers…I didn’t hate the first book but I could not get into it whatsoever. I read the first hundred or so pages, but then skimmed the rest and the only reason I know what happens is because I have seen the movies, which honestly, I prefer over the books.

2. A Popular Book or Series that Everyone Else Seems to Hate but You Love

I wouldn’t necessarily say everyone hates it, but there is controversy surrounding this trilogy and that is The Summer I Turned Pretty trilogy by Jenny Han. It is very cliché, and I do see its flaws, but overall I really enjoyed it and can see myself re reading it in the future!

3. A Love Triangle Where the Main Character Ended Up with the Person You Did NOT Want Them to End Up with, or an OTP You Don’t Like

I am going to go with an OTP I don’t like,and if you haven’t read Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare, you might not want to read this, but it isn’t that big of a spoiler. For this I am going to have to say Mark Blackthorn and Kieran because I do not like Kieran. I think Mark deserves SO much better and while Kieran does have his moments, he did something that I will never, ever forgive him for.

4. A Popular Book Genre That You Hardly Reach For

I do have a few books of this genre, but I hardly ever reach for it on my own, and that is sci-fi. I do have the first two books in the 5th Wave trilogy by Rick Yancy, and also the Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer, but other than that I don’t really read to much sci-fi.

5. A Popular or Beloved Character that You Do Not Like

Hmm…okay a popular character I don’t like that everyone else seems to is Lissa from Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead. Lissa is portrayed as a very sweet character, but I found her very, very annoying at times.

 6. A Popular Author that You Can’t Seem to Get Into

John Green! I have read three of his books and I mean, they were okay, but I don’t think I will pick up anything else of his. I just find his stories are all the same and his writing just isn’t for me!

7. A Popular Book Trope That You Are Tired of Seeing

Hmm, there are a lot but I am going to have to say the “I really like them but I am not good for them” book trope because ugh, it is so aggravating. If you like the person don’t push them away! Even if you think you are “bad” for them, they probably won’t care if they also like you.

8. A Popular Book Series That You Have No Interest in Reading

Okay, so I am not going to say I will never read this because I am sure eventually I will, but at the moment I have no desire to read Illuminae by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman…I am sure it is amazing, from what I have heard, but at the moment it just doesn’t sound like something I would be into, but possibly sometime in the future!

9. The Saying Goes “The Book is Always Better than the Movie” but What Movie or TV Show Adaptation Do You Prefer Over the Book?

For this I am going to have to go with, hands down, The Maze Runner by James Dashner. I enjoyed the movie (both of them) way, way more than the books. I found the books very plain and not very captivating, but I thought the movies were pretty good!

Those are my answers for the Unpopular Opinions Book Tag and I hope you enjoyed. Don’t forget to check out my last blog post: Reading/Writing Update!

 

Books That Need a Sequel!

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Sometimes when a book ends, it doesn’t need a squeal…but when you finish it and there are a whole bunch of open ended questions, you want the answers to them! Here are a few books that I personally think should have a sequels. It doesn’t have to be a long sequel, just one that answers all of my questions. (P.S May contain spoilers below)

Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell – Umm I bet you are all thinking the same because that ending left us with nothing! It seems like Rainbow Rowell enjoys leaving us with unanswered questions in the end because she does it a lot. I want to know how Park lives his life after Eleanor leaves him with a terrible explanation…does he meet someone else? Or can his undying love for Eleanor never go away? Also, what happens to Eleanor? Is she happy with her new life, or does she maybe regret the choices she has previously made? Answers to all these things would be great Rainbow Rowell!!!

Anna and the French Kiss and Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins – These books end with no cliff hangers or anything, but I want to see how all these characters live their lives after the events in these books! I want to see them happy and how their future lives play out. I would be fine with no sequel but I would love to read one…

Paper Towns by John Green – I didn’t love this book, but I did not find it satisfying that Quentin just gave up on Margo after she turned him down. Like yes, Margo is not good for him whatsoever but if he actually loved her he wouldn’t let her go that easy! I want to know if he tries to go after her again, or if he finds someone new…what happens?!

The One by Kiera Cass – I know we have The Heir and The Crown that take place years later after The One, but I want a sequel solely based on Maxon and America and their lives right after they get married and Maxon gets crowned King! I love them together and am dying to see what happens on their honeymoon, and when they first get pregnant with Eadlyn. It doesn’t even have to be a full book, a novella would be fine by me.

Anyways, those are a few books I would really like sequels too! I hope you enjoyed and don’t forget to check out my last blog post: December 2016 Talk!

Mental Illness Book Recommendations

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This week is Mental Illness Awareness Week and I thought it would be a good idea to recommend a few books that involve mental illness. It is really important to be aware of mental illness because it is something that affects many, many people. Anyway, here are a few books with mental illness and I hope you enjoy!

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky – This book displays mental illness fantastically and I really think everyone, whether you have a mental illness or not, should pick it up. It follows Charlie who suffers from anxiety and PTSD, as he struggles to fit in after loosing his best friend to suicide the pervious year. That year though, he meets two friends named Sam and Patrick and they turn his world around for the better. I absolutely loved this book more than I ever thought I would and it is a great way to understand what is going on in someone’s head who suffers from a mental illness.

Looking for Alaska by John Green – I was hesitant about putting this one in just because I think it really romanticises the concept of mental illness but overall, it does make you aware of it. Looking for Alaska is about a boy named Miles who is sent to this boarding school where he meets this smart, funny and very messed up girl named Alaska. It is obvious from the start that Alaska suffers from depression and bi polar disorder  but I just wished they were displayed better than how they were in the novel. Needless to say, it was still informative and it was an interesting read.

Just Listen by Sarah Dessen – I actually just completed this book and I had to add it in here because even though the mental illness isn’t the main part of this novel, it does play a big part. Just Listen is about a girl named Annabelle who on the outside looks like she lives a perfect life but really the total opposite of that. She starts the school year with no friends and a career she doesn’t want. That is, until she meets Owen and he begins brightening up her life. The mental illness that plays a part in this novel affects Annabelle’s sister, Whitney who suffers from an eating disorder. This totally changes Annabelle’s way of life and I found it to be very realistic and accurate.

The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly – I am reading this book in my English class and while it is a fantasy book there is mental illness portrayed in it. This book is about a 12 year old boy named David who after he just lost his mother, has begin hearing his books talk and has been seeing things that shouldn’t be possible. This book really plays with your head as you are trying to decide whether or not this is real or just all in David’s head. Apart from deciding what is reality or not, it is clear David suffers from OCD as we see at the beginning of the book right before and after his mother has died. I know quite a few people with OCD so I felt like I got to understand their illness better after reading this.

Those are a few recommendations and I hope you enjoyed! Please don’t forget to spread the word about mental illness, not just this week but always.

 

 

Top 5 Least Favourite Book-to-Movie Adaptations

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Hey guys! I just wanted to say that these are just my own personal opinions so please don’t take it too seriously! Comment some of your least favourite book-to-movie adaptations!

The Fault in Our Stars – I am okay with this movie, but I was a bit disappointed with this movie. The book wasn’t my favourite either but I was really hoping the movie would be much better just because they had AMAZING actors but what can you do 🙂

Insurgent – I loved Divergent but Insurgent was kind of boring in my opinion. I am able to watch it from time to time but when I went watched it in the theatres I actually fell asleep oops…

Beautiful Creatures – I haven’t read this book but I don’t think I will just because the movie was pretty bad and kind of tainted any good review I had on it. The acting was just really weird, and the effects were kind of bad…I’m sure the books are better though!

Eclipse – I really enjoyed Twilight the most out of these and enjoyed Eclipse the least…I just felt that nothing really happened and it was a bit of an annoying movie honestly…

Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief – I think we can all agree that this was a pretty terrible book-to-movie adaptation but the actors were really good. I actually enjoy watching this movie every once and a while but I have to make sure I separate it from the books.

Those are a few of my least favourite book-to-movie adaptations. Please no hate these are just my personal opinions and honestly I don’t hate any of these! I just don’t like them as much as others.