My most anticipated reads...

Here are 3 books I am most looking forward to reading.

They may not be new, and they may not be popular and I may not even have them in my possession, but I sure as hell am excited to read them!

What are you most excited about reading at the moment?

Happy Reading!

Emma

Double Book Review: Attachments and Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

I recently, well when I mean recently I really mean in the last month, finished Rainbow Rowell's first two novels Attachment and Eleanor & Park.

These books have created a rather big stir in the BookTube community as well as bloggers alike, so of course I just had to read them.

Attachments

Beth and Jennifer are best friends working their local newspaper. Although in different departments they constantly communicate through their internal work email, however this is against the rules.
It is a very well known fact that everyone's emails are screened, they don't know who does it, but they do know that people are given warnings and reminded that certain language and conversations are not appropriate usage of work emails. This does not deter the two girls, and they go ahead like nothing is wrong. 
Lionel is the screener. He hates his job, he is under-challenged and even though the pay is good, his life is beginning to get him down. That is until Beth and Jennifer's conversation is flagged up on his computer screen. He can't help but smile when he reads about their daily life, and he becomes attached, almost obsessed with learning all about their interesting lives.

Lionel creeped me out, I guess it was his secrecy, but his behaviour was beginning to become obsessive and rather stalker-y. If this was in real life and I had a friend that behaved like Lionel I would be seriously worried about Beth/Jennifer's safety!
It was an easy and interesting read, but nothing I would rave about. The characters are relatable and the use of Email as a way of communicating story was a nice change to first person narrative.

Star Rating: 3/5


Eleanor & Park

Set over one year Eleanor & Park tells the story of Eleanor, a new girl at school who just doesn't fit in and doesn't want to, and Park who may not be a total jock but gets by just fine by keeping quiet and a low profile. A modern day Romeo and Juliet, or so they would have you think, their love isn't an easy one. Eleanor's family life is disruptive and unhappy, while Park's is practically idyllic. It portrays a realistic painting of first young love and the difficulties of teenage life.

This book has been given such rave reviews online that I was so excited to pick it up.
I must admit, I was rather disappointed.
Eleanor was annoying as hell, and tried to push everyone and everything away. She was afraid to show emotion and just frustrated me so much. I guess that was what RR was going for, but it was not a good way of making Eleanor readable or likeable.

It was very realistic, and sometimes sweet, but the characters, particularly Eleanor, were selfish and egoistic. Not a very enjoyable read if you don't like that sort of thing.

Star Rating: A very small 3/5

Have you read either of these books? What did you think?
I'm very weary to read Rainbow Rowell's latest book Fangirl, as I was just not impressed with her previous, but I expect I will give it a go.

Happy Reading.


 

Book Review: The Knife of Never Letting Go - Patrick Ness

4 1/2 Stars

I have read my fair share of YA Dystopian novels, most of which contain a female protagonist running from a suppressive regime. Fighting for the little guy, doing what's right.

This book was a surprising relief from what I had learned to expect from this type of novel. 

Centered around Todd Hewitt (yes, that's right...a boy!), The Knife of Never Letting Go pulls the reader into a world where all the women have died, Todd is the youngest member of society, and all the men can hear each other's "Noise". Basically everything they think, want to say, have said/seen in the past is constantly on show for the rest to hear.

When Todd goes out into the swamp in search of apples he stumbles across something that he never thought he would ever find: silence. His world will never be the same again. 

Ben and Cillian, the only parent like figures he has ever known, force him to flee town and go on the run. For what reason, Todd does not know. 

Todd has to grow up quickly, even though according to his culture, he doesn't become a man for another 2 weeks. He struggles with his morals, loyalty and conscious battling things he thought he would never have to. 

This book is exciting, fast paced and somewhat un-put-down-able. With tinges of romance and some gory action scenes The Knife of Never Letting Go is suitable for everyone.

My favourite thing was his relationship between Todd and his dog Manchee.

Did I mention that because of the Noise everyone can hear what animals are saying too? 

Yeh, dogs can talk!

If that's not an incentive to read this book, I don't know what is.

Has anyone else read the other two books in this series?

I am really looking forward to starting them. I was definitely left on a cliff, hanging. 

Emma

Book Review: Death Comes to Pemberley - P.D. James

This book is perfect if you love Jane Austen and Pride and Prejudice in particular. 

Unfortunately I wouldn't be classed as a fan of either.

I still enjoyed this book thoroughly, however.

Having read Pride and Prejudice as well as seeing the movie, it was a great transition and it was as if Jane herself had written a sequel. 

Every time someone asked what I was reading, and saw the author, exclaimed that they had heard of P.D. James. Must admit, I had not. 

I was promptly told that some of her work had been made into TV shows, which explained why people recognised the name.

It leads on from the marriage of Elizabeth and Darcy (Spoiler if you haven't read P&P) as well as her sisters, and centres around a gruesome murder that occurs on the Darcy's land. Suspicions are high, confusion is in abundance and the story goes somewhere you never thought it would. It keeps you guessing and thinking right until the end.

Death Comes to Pemberley successfully continues the world famous story of Pride and Prejudice and the relationships between the characters are 100% accurate.

Actually, we see different sides to the beloved characters and it makes you think about P&P in a different light. What we we thought about certain people after reading Pride and Prejudice may not be how you feel once you read Death Comes to Pemberley.

After reading this I am not sure if I would read any more of P.D. James' work, crime fiction is not really my cup of tea. I cannot fault her talent, and this book was highly entertaining, but give me some romance/comedy any day.

Happy Reading.

Emma. 

Book Review: Ready Player One - Ernest Cline

Sorry for the lack of action on here in the last month or so. I have been really busy with Uni, then the Easter holidays came and I was off to American for a few weeks. Lots of fun.

Whilst waiting in the airport for my flight home I found this book and I immediately bought it. There have been a few good reviews on it, so I was really excited to see what it was like.

I was happily surprised that the author lived in Austin, and so it was fate that I had to read it. Austin is my home, well not really, just symbolically.

Wade Watts is your typical teenager living in 2044. Trying to escape from the ruined world outside him he immerses himself in the virtual reality computer program OASIS. When OASIS's creator James Halliday dies, he sets out to give his unbelievable fortune to whoever finds his hidden object in the OASIS. Wade, also known as Parzival online, sets out to crack the code and find the object before a large corporation does. It's a race against time and powerful bad guys. It's exciting, gripping and heartwarming all at the same time.

What I loved about this book was how easily you were transported into the virtual reality world of the OASIS and then back into the real world of the characters. I thought I would get confused with who was doing what and where, but it was really easy to follow.

The characters were really likeable and believable, and it also served as an insight into the future where everyone lives their lives online.
You root for the goodies, and hate the baddies. There are a lot of references to the 80's and even though most of them were beyond my knowledge, it still sets the scene perfectly.

There are connotations to life in the 21st century, as we are constantly online and always pining for the good old days of yore. Even fashion now-a-days is influenced by our parents generation and the need for retro products and things are ever so apparent in our every day lives.

This book is fun, exciting, and unputdownable.

Rating: 4.5/5

Have you read it? What did you think?

Happy Reading

Emma

I've been a bad, bad blogger.

It seems that I haven't posted in nearly two months! Shocking!

Having started my new University course in September I have had literally no time to myself.
It has been near impossible to sit down and read, which is really upsetting as it's something I just love to do.
Blogging was a fun part of my week, so I really want to schedule the time in to getting this blog going again. I promise.
The last book I read, and finished, was The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak. I am hoping to write a review on it in the next couple of days and post it. Normally I can go through at least two books a week, but in last month that's the only book I have read. Currently reading Bridget Jones Diary. A easy, entertaining read to say the least. Hopefully it will get me back into the swing of things.

I really hope that studying English doesn't dampen my enthusiasm for reading, and that it doesn't become a chore.
Are there any other English students out there?
Have you ever had a "dry reading patch" during the semester?
Any tips for over coming the drought?

I can't be the only one out there who feels this way.

Happy Reading (hope you will get through more than me!)

Emma