What I Was by Meg Rosoff

Review -

After trying and failing to read this book quite a while ago, I finally decided to give it another shot recently.  And, I have to say that, although it did keep me reading, I wasn't amazed by it.  I don't know whether I just didn't fully understand the plot or if it just wasn't my kind of book, but I just found it all a little lack-luster.  It didn't grab me as much as I expected it to, and overall I think I just wanted more of a story out of it than I got.  

Despite not loving this, one aspect that I did enjoy was the writing style.  I found it very unique, with it having a very old-fashioned vibe to it.  I loved how it was told, in basic yet interesting way which fitted extremely well with the setting of the book.  I felt as though it really helped to transport me to the little hut by the coast, the beauty in how it is told reflecting the setting and characters amazingly well.  

However, an aspect that was slightly unsure on was the plot as a whole.  Half the time, I found the simplicity of it worked well, with it allowing the characters themselves to shine through more.  But the other half I found myself bored and often skipping sections that just dragged over something I really wasn't too interested in.  I also found myself more than a little annoyed at the ending of this book, especially after the dramatic build-up to it.  I expected more than I got, and honestly just found it very disappointing, with it leaving me confused and feeling as though there was little point to it all, even if that is meant to be the beauty of it.  

Overall, I did like this, despite how negative I may sound about it.  Particularly later on, it kept me interested and intrigued about what was going to happen.  I'm glad I gave it another shot, but still doubt I would have had it been longer than it is.  

Quotes: 

"...but now I'm older I've seen how little it takes to turn a person's life around for the better or worse.  An event will do, or an idea.  Another person.  An idea of a person."

"It's not that he lacked poetry.  But his poetry was of the body, not the mind,"

"In our dance of friendship, he led and I followed."

Songs:

Old Shoes - Adam Barnes 

For my help - Hayden Calnin

Salvation - Gabrielle Aplin

Other Books:

How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff - Another book by Meg Rosoff, but one with a slightly deeper plot and storyline. 

The Prince of Mist by Carlos Ruiz Zafon - This book also includes a seaside setting, a strange boy, but with a slightly darker and spookier secret hidden. 

My Completed Series

Firstly, I apologise for neglecting this blog for over a month, but I just wasn't enjoying writing on here, and I felt as though everything I did put up was not So, in an attempt to make this blog all more diverse, more enjoyable, more manageable and something I feel has more of me in it (if that makes any sense at all), I have decided to not necessarily restart my blog, but more just create posts that I would be interested to read rather than just reviews and top ten Tuesdays.  So, in spirit of that, here is a list of my Completed series, both those I loved, and those I wasn't as keen on:

1) Noughts and Crosses series by Malorie Blackman - This was one of the first series I remember reading, and was likely the one that really got me in to reading, so you could say that I owe a lot to these books.

2) If I Stay duology by Gayle Forman - I read both of these last year, and definitely preferred the first to the second.  I'm slightly divided on my opinion of this duology, as I wasn't amazingly keen on the second of the two, Where she Went (review here), but I did like the first.  Despite this though, I did like returning back to the characters and learning how their stories ended.  

3) The Watersong series by Amanda Hocking - This was the second of Amanda Hocking's series that I have read, and I am still debating over whether or not it is my favourite.  I love the concept and the plot, but most of all I love the characters, particularly Harper and Daniel.  I really enjoyed making my way through this series!

4) Gone by Michael Grant - I received the first three books in this series as a Christmas present around three years ago now, but only read the entire series later on in the year; and I'm really glad I did.  I love this series (despite it's length) and encourage any one to at least give it a good go!

5) The Trylle trilogy by Amanda Hocking - This was my first Amanda Hocking series, and it honestly made me fall in love with her books.  I loved diving into this fantastical, unique world, and the characters are some which I still list as some of my favourites.

6) Lament/ Ballad duology by Maggie Stevifater - I have to admit, I was not in love with these, although I do remember much preferring the first to the second.  Despite the faerie/ fantastical aspect, I found myself very lost and confused throughout them, and I put this down to them not engaging with me at all.

7) The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins - Along with some of the other series on this list, this is one which I believe most people, readers or not, have at least tried to read.  Personally, I love this trilogy, as it not only was a gripping story with interesting and memorable characters, but these books also hold a special place in my heart as they were likely the ones that really propelled me into reading, and drove me to read more and more!

8) The Twilight Saga by Stephanie Meyer - This was another series which I know a lot of people have read, and it was again one of the first YA series I read.  At the time, I loved it, but after reading a lot more books, I don't know if I still hold this opinion.  I feel as though I need to reread this series to see whether I really did love them, or whether I just wanted to so much that I did.  

9) The Matched trilogy by Ally Condie - This, like Twilight above, is another series I read a fair while ago, and I'm now unsure as to I would still like it now.  I do however think that the concept for these books are originally, and I do still love some of the characters in this series, mainly those introduced later on in the series.  

10) The Divergent trilogy by Veronica Roth - I read all three of these books last year just before the first movie came out, and I loved most of them: unfortunately, I am not very keen at all on the last book, mainly because of the sudden and major changes.  However, I did really enjoy the first two and parts of the third, and these are more characters which have stayed with me long after reading them.  

Top Ten Tuesday Ten

Top ten books I'd relate a song to

Top ten tuesday is a weekly meme/feature hosted by The Broke and Bookish.  If you've ever read my reviews, then you will know that I almost always add three songs to the end of each, so it's quite clear that I am a massive fan of both books and music, and even more so when it comes to combining them.  So, I figured that, seeing as this top ten tuesday was a freebie, I would use this opportunity to list both my favourites out of the books I have already reviewed on here, as well as to share songs that I relate to books that I have never reviewed.  So here are my top ten books I would relate a song to:

1) Gone by Micheal Grant - Laura Palmer by Bastille - I think that both the song and the books are fairly dark at times, as well as both dramatic, so I personally think these two work well together; plus, whether I hear this, I can just see fast-paced, dramatic scenes, exactly like some of the events in the Gone books. - "All the people of the town, cast their eyes right to the ground."

2) Looking For Alaska by John Green - Come Together by Echosmith - Personally, I think this perfectly dictates the first half of the book, when they first all meet and begin playing pranks and stuff.  Also, the bridge relates well to the second half. - "With the smoke in the mirror I can see your face, so lets run to the fire escape"

3) The Book Thief by Markus Zusak - The People by Nina Nesbitt - This is such a intense and emotional song, and this book is full of events like this, and so as soon as I heard this I knew that it fitted perfectly with this book, especially how it builds from being very soft and delicate to loud and dramatic. - "We are the people, we watch as things go."

4) The Originals by Cat Patrick - Safest Place by Echosmith - This song perfectly sums up the deception and hidden secrets that are a constant in this book, and honestly the lyrics relate so well to the story as well. - "If you're looking for truth, don't come looking for me." 

5) Dash and Lily's Book of Dares by David Levithan and Rachel Cohn - Everybody by Ingird Michelson - Both the song and the book are just so quirky and cute, and the lyrics fit so well to the story.  I can even imagine Lily walking along the street to this! - "Trying to make your heart fit like a glove."

6) The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins - Centuries by Fall Out Boy - I love this song, and think it fits quite well as they are both very dramatic and some of the lyrics just fit very well with the whole idea of the games - "You will remember me, remember me for centuries"

7) The Trylle Trilogy by Amanda Hocking - Kings and Queens by Thirty Seconds To Mars - Personally this song fits so well with the entire series, and some of the lyrics are just so perfect for this book; even the title fits well! - "The sound of a fight, father has spoken."

8) We Were Liars by E. Lockhart - This Love by Taylor Swift - I think that this song perfectly sums up the book, and I'm sure any who has read it will understand why, as it not only sounds very magically and mysterious, both of which I believe this book definitely is, but some of the lyrics really relate to aspects of it as well, some of which you may only encounter further into it... - "Clear blue water, high tide came and brought you in."

9) The Mortal Instruments: City of Glass by Cassandra Clare - When The Darkness Comes by Colbie Caillat - This is from the City of Bones soundtrack, and it's such a good song that I feel it can also relate to the softer and sadder parts of the book so well - "Now the door is open, the world I knew is broken."

10) Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell - While The World Let Go by A Rocket To The Moon - Again, I think that this just captures their whole relationship pretty well, particularly the first verse and bridge, during which the lyrics relate so well to later events... - "I swore I'd never let you end up on your own, I'll always be around to let you know." 

The Originals by Cat Patrick

Review:

I first read this book probably around 2 years ago, and if I'm truly honest I don't remember enjoying as much as I loved both Revived and Forgotten.  However, I was keen to reread this as - likely down to the fact that I didn't love it - I remembered only the very basics of the plot, as well as the fact that I really wanted to be able to say that I like this as much as the other two.  Now, after reading this, I believe for only the second time, I have to admit that, although i did enjoy it, I am afraid that I did not love it.

To begin, I found the writing style very simple compared to some authors, and this both helped and hindered the book in different ways.  It meant that the characters and story-line were the main focus in the book, and stopped any points being over-complicated due to more complex and detailed writing.  However, it did sometimes cause the story to come across as quite blunt, with sections not being well described at all.  

Secondly, I found this to be very fast-paced, not so much with action and drama, but more with the fact that it moved over subjects very quickly, allowing for many different events to take place within only a couple of chapters.  It didn't seem to even skim over any pointless pieces of information, which sometimes made this hard to follow and ultimately made this a very quick read.  

Despite the main focus of the book being the three sisters/clones, romance is another theme played on a lot, something, which I have to admit, I quite liked.  I feel like it not only gave the story another dynamic, but also helped to lighten the overall mood of the book.  The romance was so cute and heartfelt, and I liked how it affect the main story-line.

One thing that I wasn't to keen on, however, was how underdeveloped the story and plot felt to me.  I don't think that it was at all complex and, although there is a major plot twist in this, I really felt the lack of twists and turns.  Personally, for a book with this unique and original concept, I would have liked to see more plot twists and just a more complicated story-line.

Overall, I think I am quite conflicted about this particular book.  I liked how quick a read it was, and how gripped I became, but I did feel very underwhelmed by the ending and lack of complexity.  I definitely think that, despite the deep underlying aspects, this is a fairly lighthearted read, but I would still say to give it go if you have read any of Cat Patrick's books, or if you are looking for a fast, light read.  

Quotes - (only found two - sorry!) 

"In life we make choices, and then we live with them... Live with the choice you made." 
"I guess it's hard to know where you going when you don't know where you've come from." 

Songs - 

I Know Places - Taylor Swift -I feel as though the lyrics of this relate quite well to the main relationship in this.
Safest Place - Echosmith - This song perfectly sums up the deception and hidden secrets that are a constant in this book, and honestly the lyrics relate so well to the story.
Home - Gabrielle Aplin- I think that some of the lyrics and overall meaning behind this song really relate well to Lizzie's life and her views, particularly as you get further into the book.

Other Books - 

Forgotten and Revived (review here) by Cat Patrick - I doubt these need explanations, but I will say that please don't let this review put you off Cat Patrick, as I have to admit that this is unfortunately my least favourite out of the three, and I love both of these so much, so definitely pick these up. 
Numbers by Rachel Ward - This is another book about a teenager girl's life with a twist, but this is a lot more action packed, and focuses less on romance and other aspects that this book centers on more.  
The Spectacular Now by Tim Tharp - This is a contemporary that I'm sure most people have heard of, but I think relates to the relationships that form in The Originals, even if they are not clearly similar.  

The Mortal Instruments: City Of Glass by Cassandra Clare

Review:

So, despite my first review of the year being Where She Went, this was actually the first book I read this year.  I read both City of Bones and City of Ashes last summer, so this was a long overdue read of mine; however, despite picking it up as more of a need-to-read rather than a want-to-read book, I really enjoyed this.  I liked both of the first two books, preferring City of Ashes, and this was no exception; in fact, this is probably my favourite out of the series so far!

Firstly, I loved the characters, both new and returning.  I am already fan of many of the characters, so I liked learning more about each of them in this book.  I particularly liked seeing more of Simon and Alec (or more Alec and Magnus..), with Simon being one of my favourites out of the entire series.  I also enjoyed the introduction of new characters such as Armatis and Sebastion and loved how much more they added to the story.

Another factor that really drew me in was the setting, or more change of it.  I didn't realize at first that the entire book would take place in Idris, but I loved the fact that it did.  I think it brought something new to the book, as well as allowing us to delve so much deeper into the world of the Shadowhunters, something which I loved doing.

Something which I have loved in all books, and again with this one, was the writing and the quick-paced change of character perspective.  The fact that the books are written in third person allows Cassandra Clare to show so many different events that happen to so many different characters in a short space of time, and this technique was so prominent but used so well in this.  Often key moments would be split, to allow all characters perspectives to be shown at the same time, but instead of leading to confusion this only added to the writing and story more.  It kept me, and I'm sure others gripped and on the edge of my seat; it kept the plot even more gripping than it already was, and prevented me from even thinking about putting it down, myself keen to go back to characters whose sections had been left on cliffhangers.

As you may have guessed from my extremely positive review so far, I found very little wrong with this.  However, I did find a few small points which really didn't appeal to me, such as how long it took for the story to get going.  Despite most of this book being fast-paced and exciting, the start I found quite slow and unexciting, with nothing really drawing me in or causing me to want to keep reading.  I also didn't like how much of a final book this felt like.  The were so many questions that were answered and so many problems were solved in this book, that I kind of don't know what there is left to make three more books out of.  Although I obviously wanted things to be sorted out, a few loose ends would have perhaps given a bit more mystery to the next book.

Finally, I really enjoyed this book.  I loved how fast paced the plot was, and the characters and setting was were amazingly written, with Idris being such a magical place to set this third book.  The entire book was so well written, with lines that made me laugh out loud complemented by plot twists that I never saw coming.  Overall I adored this book and can't wait to pick up City of Fallen Angels.

Quotes -

"Normal isn't all it's cracked up to be." 
"People aren't born good or bad.  Maybe they're born with tendencies either way, but it's the way you live your live that matters."
"I asked you if I had a choice once.. And you said, 'we always have choices.'.. In the end that was the choice you made, and it doesn't matter how hard it was to make.  It matters that you did."

Songs -

God Put A Smile Upon Your Face - Coldplay - This is quite a strange one, and it certainly wasn't one I thought I would be putting on here, but I think the lyrics and overall feel of the song connects so well to so many different points of the book that it just fits to well not to put on here.
When The Darkness Comes - Colbie Caillat - This is from the City of Bones soundtrack, and it's such a good song that I feel it can also relate to the softer and sadder parts of the book so well.
Everybody Wants To Rule the World - Lorde - I feel this sums up the darker side of the book really well, despite it being from the Catching Fire soundtrack.

Other Books -

Switched by Amanda Hocking - This book is another one with a supernatural element, with trolls being the main focus.  I adore this entire series, and so definitely recommend it, and other Amanda Hocking series, if you want to delve more into other supernatural creatures.  

Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendrae Blake - This book tells the story of a ghost hunter who falls in love with a ghost he is sent to kill, and so I figured that the whole Shadowhunter/ghost hunter thing connected these two, and after loving Anna, I had to suggest it just because of this connection.

Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman - As a lot of people may know, I love this series, and this is definitely a book/series to pick up if you liked forbidden love element of the book, but even if it wasn't your cup of tea, I would still pick this up as I find both of these quite similar, even if at first they don't seem it...