Tuesday 15 November 2016

RECENT READS | MY THOUGHTS!




I think I've mentioned a fair few times before that I'm not much of a reader. I never have been and never thought I would be, until now...

Recently (after watching a Book Haul video on Youtube) I decided that I wanted to become a lover of books. I think they're great and I feel like reading is so good for you in lots of different ways that I wanted to try my very best to give it a go. I made an online order on WHSmiths and ordered a fair few books from the Zoella Book Club. I thought some of these books may be good introductory books. I didn't want to start myself off with longwinded books that would take me weeks to read! I wanted to invest in a couple of easy readers that would hopefully get me into the world of reading and start me off on a new little journey. 

So far, so good! 

In the space of around 3 weeks, I've managed to read 4 books. Hoorah! I thought today I would write up a post about those books, giving you a mini review of each book and share with you a few of my thoughts, considering I'm pretty proud of myself for reading them so quickly! 

If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo 

The book I decided to read first out of the bunch. A story about a girl named Amanda, who used to be Andrew. Her struggles growing up and moving schools whilst carrying around a very heavy secret. She wants the past to stay where it belongs, however that isn't always possible. It's such an eye opening book and definitely one to read if you want your heart strings pulled. After I finished reading the book, I actually read up on the Author, Meredith Russo, and I found out that the book was actually inspired by her journey growing up a trans women. It made the story feel even more real for me and I felt very emotionally connected wit the book. Knowing that information almost makes me want to read the book again, as I think I may picture it quite differently. 

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness 

I must admit, I didn't actually think I would enjoy this book. I tend to prefer girly, emotional books compared to fantasy type novels. I wasn't really sure what to expect from the book, but it was definitely a lot more moving than I thought it would be. The book tells a tale of a little boy who is struggling to come to terms with the fact that his mother is terminally ill. He has a re-occurring nightmare about a monster which unsettles him, until he realises he may not be dreaming. The book teaches a lot about strength and courage and it had me in floods of tears by the end. A good choice if you want a change from your average girly story!

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart 

I won't lie, this one was definitely my least favourite. I think the story really had potential to be great, however it wasn't easy to read at all. The book is based on a family who visit the same island every summer and when the main character Cadence suffers a knock to the head, she forgets a lot. Then, secrets from previous summers start to unfold and everything is revealed! There were so many characters being introduced and new information was constantly being thrown at me through out the book, my brain just couldn't cope and I found it very difficult to get sucked into. This is only my personal opinion and I'm sure a more advanced reader could love the story. I just really struggled to connect with the characters and it took me longer to read than the other two. Saying that, the ending was very unexpected and left my thoughts on the book in a positive place.

Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon

I am so glad that I saved this book to read last. It really was incredible and definitely my favourite out of the bunch. It was such an easy reader and the storyline was very unexpected! The book tells a story of a girl named Maddy who is allergic to the world. She's been brought up in a closed, disinfected environment to protect her from the germs of the outside world that hold the potential to kill her. Olly moves in next door and suddenly, Maddy has a need to explore the outside world. The book covers love, heartbreak, loss and discovery. It honestly could be one of my favourite books, it's so different to anything I've read in the past. It's just one of those books you could read in one sitting (if you had the time). You never want to put it down.

I hope you enjoyed this post today. It's something a little different from my usual, I know, but I thoroughly enjoyed writing it (and reading the books for that matter). I've already got a new little collection of books waiting for me, so I'm sure there will be another post like this in the near future!

Let me know if you've read any of these books, or if you have any recommendations!

Emily Rose









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