NaNoWriMo 2014 - Announcement

As you can probably tell from the title, I have an important announcement to make today...

I'm participating in NaNoWriMo this year! 

I'm sure that most of you know what NaNoWriMo is, but if you don't, here's a brief summary. For the month of November, you try and write a 50,000 word novel. Yep, that's right. A novel. In 30 days. It sounds crazy, but so many people all over the world participate each year, and in 2014, I'm going to be one of those people. If you're interested in this super crazy idea, there's a link at the end of this post. 

So for obvious reasons, I'm not going to be sticking to my usual posting schedule during the month of November. Instead, I'll be making one post a week (every Friday) all about the progress I've made during that week. If you're not interested in NaNoWriMo, then I'm sorry, and things will go back to normal from the start of December. 

I'm not going to be giving you any details about my idea, because I don't like to do that. But I will be giving you updates about my word count and those kinds of things. I'm also going to be daily vlogging on my YouTube channel, so if that sounds like something you'd be interested in, there's a link at the end of this video like always. 

Let me know if you're participating in NaNoWriMo, and you can add me as a writing buddy here. Good luck to everyone who's participating!! 

You can find out more about NaNoWriMo here. 

You can follow me on Twitter here.

You can add me as a friend of Goodreads here.

You can subscribe to me on YouTube here.

Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas - Review

**A note on my notes: This review will be spoiler free if you have read Throne of Glass and Crown of Midnight.**

"Queen of Traitor? Only she can decide."

Heir of Fire starts off with Celaena in Wendlyn. She's desperate to find some answers regarding the Wrydkeys and how to stop the King from using them. In order to do so, she's forced to spend several months training with a Fae warrior called Rowan, and Celaena is not very keen on this at all. The novel also follows Chaol and Dorian back in Adarlan, as well as introducing some new perspectives.

The Good
This book introduces a lot of new characters, and I loved all of them. All of their voices were different, and it was very easy to tell when the perspective changed, which is always a sign of a talented author. Heir of Fire brings a lot (and I mean a lot) more information about the world the story is set in. There's a lot more backstory and a lot of new discoveries that answered some of the many questions I had after reading Crown of Midnight. The last 100 or so pages of this book just take it to a whole new level, and I read the end section probably twice as fast as I read the beginning.

The Bad Slightly Less Than Good 
It took me a lot longer to get into this book that it did for the first two. But the ending really made up for it, so I wasn't bothered at all by the extra time it took me. This book is also a lot longer than the first two, which again, isn't a bad thing at all... It just means that it takes a little longer to get through. Other than that, I can't really fault this book at all.

The Recommendation
Obviously, if you've read the first two books, then you should 100% continue on with the series. If you haven't read the first two books, you really need to. They're amazing. I've done reviews for them here and here. I've also done video review for all three books on my YouTube channel, which is linked at the end of each post. I've you're into any kind of fantasy, then you will really love this series.

You can find out more about Heir of Fire here. 

You can follow me on Twitter here.

You can add me as a friend of Goodreads here.

You can subscribe to me on YouTube here.

Dewey's 24 Hour ReadAThon - Wrap Up!!

It's done!! The past 24 hours (32, by the time this goes live) have been completely hectic, and I'm now very, very tired. I will be uploading a video where I talk in more detail about my readathon experience, but in the meantime, you can all read a quick review about the books I read here. Also, if you want to find out more about any of these books, click the book title to visit their Goodreads pages (I know, I'm a technology whiz).

MAUS - The Complete Volumes by Art Spiegelelman
I'm not going to talk about these separately because I read them right after each other, with only a few hours sleep in between. This was my first experience with a graphic novel, and it was a good one. The story was told in a way that really suited the content, and I was really engaged in the narrative. I'm so glad that I read this story, and it's sticking in my mind still, which is always a good sign! I would really recommend this graphic novel to everyone, because it deals with really important historical content and themes.


Slaugherhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut
I picked this book up for the weekend because it was really short (only 175 pages) so I knew I would easily be able to get through it in the 24 hours. It did take me a lot longer than I thought it would, because the content of this book is somewhat strange... But I loved this story and it contained so many amazing quotes that I couldn't help but highlight. It's hard to tell you what genre this book is in, and I can only describe it as a mixture between dystopian, science fiction and historical fiction, as well as a reflective piece about a character's life... If that sounds like your kind of book, then for sure read this.


Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
I only read 51 pages of this before the 10pm cut off, but I really love it so far. The world is so interesting and I'm very invested in the story at the moment. I'll be sure to post a full non-spoiler review on my blog when I finish it, and if I have anything somewhat interesting (and spoilerly) to say about it then I might post a video as well.

Make sure you all let me know how your readathon went if you participated. As always, happy reading!!

You can follow me on Twitter here.

You can add me as a friend of Goodreads here.

You can subscribe to me on YouTube here.

Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins - Review

**A note on my notes: This review is spoiler free.**

"A blank canvas...has unlimited possibilities."

Isla and the Happily Ever After is the second and final companion novel in the Anna and the French Kiss trilogy. The story is once again set in the School of America in Paris; however, this time it follows Isla, her best friend Kurt and her love interest Josh, as they try to navigate through their senior years.

The Good 
I loved this book. I flew through it so quickly because it was just so adorable and easy to read. The plot was very interesting and I felt like the problems Isla and Josh faced were a lot more realistic than the problems Lola and Anna faced in the previous books. The romance is adorable. Isla as a character is going to be very relatable to some people because she has absolutely no idea what she wants to do with her life and is extremely jealous of those who are passionate about something.

The Bad
First of all, I really enjoyed this book. In saying that, I've seen a few other reviews where people haven't enjoyed this book that much at all, and it's all because of the characters. Some have said they thought the characters were a little flat, that they had no substance. On the other hand, I didn't think that at all. Isla is completely consumed in Josh; all she thinks about is him, all she wants to do is be with him, and that can get a little annoying sometimes.

The Recommendation
If you read the previous two books, then I would recommend looking into this one. The love story isn't as developed, but it's still a really good read. If you haven't read the other two books, then I strongly suggest that you read them first! While it's not critical, you will be spoiled about some major details at the end of Isla, and you'll for sure regret not reading the other books first. I've done reviews on them here and here.

Happy Reading!

You can find out more about Isla and the Happily Ever After here. 

You can follow me on Twitter here.

You can add me as a friend of Goodreads here.

You can subscribe to me on YouTube here.

Dewey's 24 Hour ReadAThon!!

First of all, I know! It's Thursday and I'm posting something. Don't worry, a review will be up tomorrow like usual... This is just a little something extra, because the Dewey's 24 Hour ReadAThon is happening this weekend!!!

If you've never participated in this readathon before (don't worry, neither have I), then you can find out more information here. But basically, it starts on the 18th of October and finishes 24 hours later on the 19th, and in that time you just read as many books as you can. Depending on where you live, your starting time on the 18th will be different, so you can check out a list of different start times here.

If you're interested in seeing my TBR list for the 24 hours, you can watch me talk about it in this video:

I'll also be doing a little week-long readathon that follows immediately on from this one, that is being hosted by Cat from Little Book Owl. This isn't anything official, just something that she's doing for fun and I decided to join in too. If you want to see the video where she talks about it or to see her TBR list, click here. 

If you're interested in participating in Dewey's readathon, then you can sign up here. If you're participating in the readathon, make sure you keep an eye on my YouTube channel and my Twitter for my reading updates, and if you're going to keep readathoning after the 24 hours with Cat, then make sure you watch her video and let her know in the comments. 

 Happy Reading!!

You can follow me on Twitter here.

You can add me as a friend of Goodreads here.

You can subscribe to me on YouTube here. 

Reign Season One - Review

**A note on my notes: This review is spoiler free.**

Reign tells the story of Mary Queen of Scots' rise to power. The series begins with Mary returning to the French castle at age fifteen, and follows her as she tries to navigate her way through French Court with her four best friends and ladies in waiting. The show is very much a drama with many romances and betrayals.

The Good
I saw this show advertised on social media as Gossip Girl in the medieval era, which is why I started watching it. And I absolutely love this show! There is always so much going on; there are so many plot lines that begin before its preceding one concludes. I really enjoyed the acting for every character. The setting is always beautiful, as is the costumes (the dresses the girls get to wear are always so gorgeous). The episodes are easy to watch and the storylines are very easy to follow. This show is so addicting and the cliffhangers immediately made me want to watch the next episode.

The Bad
Like all good dramas, there is obviously a lot of dramatic elements to the show. There are so many betrayals, so many problems to be dealt with that sometimes the show can seem to be a bit repetitive. Characters sometimes make the same mistakes more than once, which can be frustrating for the audience.

The Recommendation 
If you're a fan of Gossip Girl or any drama that's similar, then I recommend that you watch this show. It's very addictive, so make sure you start it at a time where you can binge watch it if necessary.

Happy Watching

You can find out more about Reign here. 

You can follow me on Twitter here.

You can add me as a friend of Goodreads here.

You can subscribe to me on YouTube here.

Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas - Review

**A note on my notes: If you haven't read Throne of Glass, then you might be spoiled. If you have, there are no spoilers.**

"Before she was deadly. Now she is unstoppable." 

Crown of Midnight is the second book in the Throne of Glass series. I posted my review of the first book here, and a further discussion of my thoughts here. Crown of Midnight follows Celaena, the newly appointed King's Champion, as she does whatever she can to save the lives of those she's been ordered to kill. In doing so, she falls further and further into troubles and alliances that she never wanted to be a part of.

The Good
I loved this book a lot more than I loved Throne of Glass, which really is saying something because I gave them both five stars. Crown of Midnight really is a step up from the first book: there's a lot more action, a lot more Chaol and a lot more intensely interesting discoveries. The magic of the world and what happened to it is a lot more foregrounded in this book, which I really liked. I also loved the ending. And, Celaena is a lot more kickass in this one.

The Bad Not as Good
If you're team Dorian, then you might not enjoy this as much because it's Choal's time to shine. This book is also a lot more emotional than Throne of Glass, which really isn't a bad thing but it really does tug on your heart strings.

The Recommendation
Obviously, if you read Throne of Glass and you loved it, then you should for sure pick of this book. If you read Throne of Glass and you didn't think it lived up to the hype, then you should still give this book a go, because I think this one really steps up.

Happy Reading!! 

You can find out more about Crown of Midnight here. 

You can follow me on Twitter here.

You can add me as a friend of Goodreads here.

You can subscribe to me on YouTube here.

The Giver - Movie Review

**A note on my notes: This review is spoiler free**


"The worse part of holding the memories is not the pain. It's the loneliness of it. Memories need to be shared."

The Giver was originally a book published in 1993 (which I've posted a review on here). The story follows a young boy called Jonas who lives in a perfect world where everything is the same and everyone is equal. There's no war, no famine, no hunger and no hatred; yet, Jonas knows something is still missing. This film is a beautiful commentary on the importance of the freedom of choice and the value of love. 

The Good 

If you've read the book before going into this movie, then you won't be disappointed. There are several changes and a lot of things were added in, but I felt that these things only added to the story rather than taking away from it. I thought the acting was really good; even Taylor Swift did an alright job in this regard. The world building was done pretty well. The ending was so beautiful and it made me feel so warm and fuzzy inside. I also really enjoyed the soundtrack.

The Bad 

I didn't like the beginning of this movie. I found it boring and dragged on for a little too long. The same goes for the whole black and white thing... If you go to see this movie, don't stress!! Eventually things do become in colour, but I wish that there was some illusion to this in the beginning. The only other thing I didn't like was the characterisation of the Elder. In saying this though, it didn't take away from the movie's message. 

The Recommendation

If you read this book, no matter how many years ago it was, then I think you will enjoy this adaptation. If you haven't read this book, then you're not at a disadvantage because for the most part, everything is clearly explained. If you're a dystopian fan, then this world would be really interesting for you as well! 

You can find out more about The Giver (book) here. 

You can follow me on Twitter here.

You can add me as a friend of Goodreads here.

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The Giver by Lois Lowry - Review

**A note on my notes: This review is spoiler free.**

"The worse part of holding the memories is not the pain. It's the loneliness of it. Memories need to be shared."

The Giver is a young adult dystopian novel that seeks to question the importance of choice and freedom. The story follows Jonas, a young boy who lives within a perfect community, a community with no war, no hunger and no pain, and Jonas couldn't imagine it any other way. Until, of course, he can.

The Good

This world was fantastic! I was so intrigued about the world that I could read books upon books that just described it, because I'm still desperate to know more. The story was also extremely fast paced, and the book is short so I got through it very quickly. The overall concept of this novel is extremely interesting and thought-provoking. I really enjoyed this read!

The Bad

I loved this world so much that I wanted to hear more about it, and there was just so much left unexplained. I also think the ending was a little too ambiguous; however, there are two companion novels and one direct sequel which were written over a decade after The Giver's first publication. I found that the novel did jump ahead in time a lot more than I liked, especially towards the middle and ending... The first third of the novel follows almost every day of Jonas' life, but from the middle onwards chapters sometimes jumped weeks ahead, which I found annoying because I just wanted to know more.

The Recommendation 

Everyone should read this book. Absolutely everyone, because it raises important questions and values that everyone can learn from. I would especially recommend this book to someone who was new to the dystopian genre, or if you've been reading a lot of dystopians and you want something from that genre that is a lot less violent. 

Happy Reading! 

You can find out more about The Giver here. 

You can follow me on Twitter here.

You can add me as a friend of Goodreads here.

You can subscribe to me on YouTube here.