A Reader's Playlist - October

Recently, I've become I bit bored of how repetitive my blog is at the moment.  It seems as though all I'm ever putting up is Top Ten Tuesdays and Reviews, and as much as love writing these posts, I would like to add a little more variety to my blog.  So, after thinking long and hard about what I wanted to put up that would interest me and hopefully those reading this, I decided to try out a couple of ideas, this being the first of those.  So here is my first Reader's Playlist - enjoy!

(p.s. please feel free to leave opinions on this below - I'd love to know wherever or not this goes down well!)

Numbers by Rachel Ward

A tale of a girl who knows the date of everyone she meets death.  After years of avoiding attention, she gets caught out as she saves the life of a boy she knows has longer left to live.

Can't Pretend - Tom Odell -

I wanna fight

But I can't contend

Twin Skeletons (Hotel In NYC) - Fall Out Boy -

A birth and a death on the same day,

And honey I only appeared so I could fade

I'm So Sorry - Imagine Dragons -

Life isn't always what you think it be.

Turn your head for one second and the tables turn

*

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

A story about two teenagers who meet on a plane on the way to London.  Romantic, spontaneous and just downright cute.

Come Back... Be Here - Taylor Swift -

The delicate beginning rush,

The feeling you can know so much,

Without knowing anything at all.

Dancing at the Terminal - The Icarus Account -

Gravity can't stop us today,

So I'll spin you around,

Then we're floating away

Aquaman -

Slow dancing in the darkness,

And all I know is I want to be here with you from now on

*

Everyday by David Levithan

A book about a soul who spends every day of their life in another's body.  But when they get caught up in someone else's story, they learn that some things last longer than 24 hours.

Human Again - Kodaline -

I can feel it in my bones,

I don't want to die alone.

While the World Let Go - A Rocket to the Moon -

I said don't go, I need you here.

Just hold me close until the coast is clear.

Run Boy Run - Woodkid -

Run boy run,

This world was not meant for you

*

Top Ten Tuesday Twenty

Top Ten Tropes I want to stop reading about 

Top ten tuesday is a weekly feature/meme hosted by The Broke and Bookish.  This weeks topic was one I actually found quite hard, as I am not one to give up on a book, author or series unless I really can't force myself through it.  Therefore, I eventually decided to interpret this topic as tropes which I am sick of reading about, as I knew that I would find that an easier topic to write about.  So here are some of the tropes in YA which I find most irritating:

(p.s. sorry for the rants) 

1) Love triangles including the main character's best friend - I can't tell you how many times I have read a book where everything has been going smoothly, the girl is likely falling for the guy, and suddenly her best friend comes along and confesses his love for her.  And what reason is there for it? Nothing!   

2) Confusing split POV - I'm all for a story which is told from more than one characters point of view as long as it is done well and doesn't cover ten million different characters.  But when I can't tell the difference between one character's voice and the next, or it takes me five chapters to get back to the character whose story I am actually interested in, then I honestly don't see why the author is trying to confuse me.

3) An endless list of meaningless side characters - Anyone who knows me will know that I love side characters, often even more than their leads.  But I can't deal with 15 minor side characters who are in one scene and who don't crop up anywhere else.  I like a couple of long-running side characters who influence the plot.  Not a dozen who literally don't do anything to move along or help the story.  

4) Stupid/ Complex names - This is one which I really don't see the point of.  A name like Peeta or even Alaska I can deal with, and will actually like, but when it gets to the point of a character's name being so random and stupid that they are named after an inanimate object (such as that doesn't even sound like a name, then it's going to far for me.  If it's a good story, then it doesn't matter what the main character's name is - I'm likely to remember it just because I liked the book. 

5) Main characters who can't decide who they are in love with - I can't tell you how many characters I scream at just because they can't seem to make a simple decision on their own.  I do not want to read pages and pages of them debating over who they love or stating that have feelings for both.  Love triangles I can deal with - as long as the main character is only with one person at once! 

6) Pointless flashbacks of scenes earlier on in the series/ flashbacks with no purpose - I am by no means saying that I don't like flashbacks - just as long as they are well placed and actually have a point!  It's when an author decides to remind the reader of the most influential and likely memorable scene of the last book as if we haven't read the rest of the series, or when all they do is add a couple of pages or an extra scene to the book and give us some more pointless information.  

The Game of Love and Death by Martha Barraclough

Review

Ever since I first heard about this when it saw it mentioned online somewhere, I knew it was one that I had to get my hands.  I liked the summary and concept so much that I picked it up the first time I saw it, reading it only a few months later.  And trust me, it didn't disappoint.  I loved every twist and turn and honestly, I found it hard to put down even after I had finished it.

To begin, the plot was amazing.  I loved almost every part of it no matter which character it decided to follow.  Every sub plot was well thought out and had a place in the story, whilst the main storyline still managed to take charge and grip me throughout.  I loved the whole concept and so loved reading about the lives of both Henry and Flora as well as the tales of Love and Death.  It gripped me from the start and so I cared about every little thing that happened to them.  

But what's a good story without great characters, such as the ones in this book.  Again, I loved almost all these characters, from the good to the bad and the main characters to the side.  I loved how strong and determined Flora was and how she never stopped chasing her dreams no matter what happened, as well as how kind and caring Henry was.  I also loved the characters of Love and Death; how similar yet how different they were, with Love being  the kind hero where Death was the broken yet devilishly evil villain. particularly when she was in the form of another.  Finally, I have to mention my favourite side character in the form of Ethan, whose growth throughout the book and whose storyline I adored.

Relating to the character of Ethan, I also liked how many different topics were covered in this book, all of which were written so well.  I don't want to mention many due to spoilers but I loved how much more they gave to the book to make it so much more than a historical romance, with the main storyline between Flora and Henry being an awful lot more heartbreaking simple due to the colour of her skin and how much of a problem that caused in this time period and setting,  And as I have said above, I also loved the addition of Ethan's subplot which was just as tragic and heartwarming as the main plot.

One thing which I always seem to love in books is the writing style, which in this one I found particularly beautiful.  It seemed to fit the story and the period so well that it just made the story come to life that little bit more.

Finally, the one problem I had with this book was the ending, which I found to be quite confusing.  It could have just been me, but without the epilogue I would have been very lost as to what actually happened in that last scene, the dramatics for me taking away from how amazing and how much of a climax it could have been.

But overall, this was one that I absolutely adored and would recommend to anyone.  I loved how tragically beautiful this tale was and it is already up there with some of my other favourites!

Favourite:

Character(s): Flora, Death and Ethan 

Scene(s): Flora and Henry dancing on the rooftop

Quote(s): I suppose that's the thing with real life.  It has a way of not living up to the one you imagine"

"A life with all its business finished is a life too cautiously lived." 

"Life is a temporary condition, Henry.  And its uncertain...Every last one of us is going to die, but if we don't live as truly as we want, if we're not with the one we want to be with, we're dead already.  

"We do not choose whom we love.  We can choose how well." 

Relate a:

Song(s): Almost is Never Enough - Ariana Grande and Nathan Sykes

Other Book(s): The Book Thief by Markus Zusak 

Rating:

5/5

Top Ten Nineteen

Top ten if you like this ... try this

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme/feature hosted by The Broke and Bookish.  This weeks topic was one I actually found quite hard to think of a list to for some reason, as alot of the books I would suggest normally I realised were either quite obvious (e.g. in the same series/ by the same author) or may have also been one alot of people would have heard of.  So with that in mind, I managed to put together a list of recommendations I hope may be less known (with some exceptions).  So here are my top ten if you like this... try this: 

1) If you liked Twilight  -  Try My Blood Approves - Another vampire series that focuses on a family, plus it includes a love triangle.  What else could you want? 

2) If you liked The Mortal Instruments - Try The Switched Series - I found it quite hard to think of another urban fantasy, so decided on this instead as it includes the supernatural element of trolls and is just another great series to try, particularly if you like some of the forbidden love and family side of the shadowhunter series.   

3) If you liked Anna and The French Kiss -  Try The Geography of You and Me - Another cutesy romance which includes amazing settings and some truly heartwarming scenes.  

4) If you liked The Perks of Being a Wallflower - Try We All Looked Up -  Another story set around school and unique, different characters as well as a key friendship.  Its also just an amazing read! 

5) If you liked We Were Liars -  Try Ketchup Clouds - I actually have yet to finish this one, but that doesn't mean it can't be recommended.  Another with a secret and betrayal which always keeps you guessing, jumps between present and past and is told in a unique style.  

6) If you liked The Book Thief - Try The Midnight Palace - If haven't read one or either of these books, then you need to because they are both amazing stories told beautifully and set against a historical backdrop.

7) If you liked If I Stay - Try Everyday - Both of the main characters in these spent most of the book in out of body experiences, with the main character in Everyday being more of a soul than a body.  They also both show how love can have life changing effects.  

8) If you liked The Fault In Our Stars - Try Before I Die - Again, I know many people have also heard of this one, but if you have yet to read it and liked TFIOS, then I would definitely give it a go.  A story about a girl with cancer falling in love and learning to make the most of the time she has left.  Warning, it's also just as emotional.  

Amy and Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

Review:

After reading Since you've been gone last year, I picked this one up just before the summer hoping for another good book.  I had loved the addition of playlists in that one, as well as enjoying her style and so was excited to read another of her books, especially as this one promised more 'extra content'.  I'd also heard alot about this one from other people, and so wanted to pick it up at last.

Firstly, I really liked the beginning of the book and how the plot developed.  I liked reading about the growth of both of the main characters, Roger and Amy, and really enjoyed watching as they slowly became closer throughout the story.  It was nice to see Amy come out of her shell as she began to trust Roger more and more, something I loved seeing.

I also liked the flashbacks that seamlessly slipped their into the story, with one always coming at just the right moment.  I liked how the mystery of the crash slowly came to light to us as it did to Roger and loved hearing stories of her past as Amy slowly learnt to deal with it herself.  I enjoyed getting a glimpse into her old life, the flashbacks giving alot more to the story than a simple explanation would have.

Moving on from that, I also liked almost all the characters we meet, no matter how insignificant or small a part they played.  There was not one person who the pair meet on their travels that I majorly disliked, something I was not expecting.  I also found that I never got bored of either Amy or Roger, something I expected to happen as most, as they are the two characters we spend by far the most time with.  I actually found Roger reminding of Frank from Since You've Been Gone slightly, that a comparison I was by no means against!

However, there was one aspect relating to the pair that I wasn't the fondest of - the romance.  Going into this, I knew it was almost guaranteed that they would end up together, as is the way with many romance novels, and despite not having any problem with this, I did feel slightly underwhelmed by it all.  After rooting for them all along, I just found the ending of their story to be a bit iffy, and quite brief.  Don't get me wrong, I loved the scene when one of them finally stepped up, but after that it just went downhill for me.  Sorry!

Onto an more positive note, one of the aspects which adored was the travel side of things, as well as the added content that came along with it.  I loved reading about the new places they explored and the new people they meet, and loved seeing what they picked up from each place.  But as before, my favourite out of them had to be the playlist, something I once again loved.  Music is another one of my loves, and so I liked reading through each one and trying to pick out anything that sounded interesting or that I had heard of before.  I also liked seeing the comparison between both of their music tastes, something which made them seem so much more real.

So overall, I did like this one, with only a few things niggling at me after I read it.  I would definitely tell anyone to give it a read if you want a quick little read with a deeper story woven into it, or if you just fancy giving it a go!

Favourite:

Character: Roger

Scene:  Amy talking to Walcott on the golf course 

Quote: "The best discoveries always happened to the people who weren't looking for them."

"You've got to have pride in your home.  You are where you're from.  Otherwise, you're always going to be lost." 

Relate a:

Song(s): If You Lived Here, You'd Be Home Now - The Lucksmiths

Other Book(s): The Geography of You and Me by Jennifer E. Smith 

Rating 

4/5