Thursday 28 May 2015

The Liebster Award 2015

21:01
Not too long ago I was nominated for The Liebster Award. Well I say not too long ago, it was almost a month ago but I really haven't had the chance to upload anything because of my busy schedule as a student. But I'm doing it now, so it shouldn't really matter about before right? Right! I was nominated twice for this, both of these ladies were lovely. One was Helen from readingmywaytoinstanity.blogspot.com and the other was Rhian from uponanovel.blogspot.com. Here it is girlies, I am finally uploading this for you both.

Going slightly off topic, I do love the idea of this as it is bringing us bloggers together and it really is nice to know that you're not alone! So, let's begin!

The Rules:

  • Link back to the person who nominated you
  • Give 11 random facts about yourself
  • Answer 11 questions from your nominator (in my case though this will be 22 because the ladies have asked me completely different questions .... I think ...)
  • Nominate 11 bloggers
  • Come up with 11 questions for your nominees and inform them
11 Facts About Me:

1) My name is Alisha and I'm British. I live near Birmingham, which is the second city of England. I wasn't born here, I was born in a place called Milton Keynes. But I moved here just before my second birthday.

2) I'm turning 17 on the 5th June and I'm really glad because it means that people are going to take me seriously for once! I'm a fairly mature person and yet people (cough cough parents cough cough) still treat like an immature baby! So hopefully that will change after my birthday

3) Books have helped me, no saved me. I was a victim to bullying when I was younger and I had some hard times. Books, mainly the fictional worlds they hold, helped me get through that. Books and one other thing, 

4) Performing is the other thing. I'm a musical theatre performer and I love it, it allows me to be some else. I've mentioned it before how it allows me to suddenly become confident as I am a different person. When the bullying that I suffered was exceedingly bad, to be able to become some else for an hour or two was a blessing. Not to mention the fact that I was able to connect with other people who may be in similar situations to myself and then I'm able to create such good friendships .... sorry that was a bit of a deepish rant ... don't know where that came from!

5) In my almost 17 years on this earth, I have had almost 300 pets. Yep. I don't know the exact amount but I've definitely had over 200. No, I don't live on a zoo. I just come from a family that happen to be quite animal loving. 

6) I am attempting to teach myself Sindarin, the language of the Sindar Elves from The Lord of the Rings. I say attempting, it isn't going very well and I've been learning for almost two years now. Oh dear .... 

7) I know the basics of four languages (not including English and Sindarin) because I went to a language school up until last september. These languages are: French, German, Mandarin and Latin. I dropped German, Mandarin and Latin, though I really wish that I hadn't. I also did Spanish and Italian for a few months after school too.

8) My first ever fandom was The Lord of The Rings/The Hobbit. These were the first ever books that my dad read to me when I was a baby and I can still remember him doing his awesome voices for the different characters. I was about two when this happened. 

9) The first ever proper book I read to myself was Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and I read this to myself when I was three and ever since then I have been obsessed with the series. I've read the individual books at least over a hundred times. Especially the Philosopher's Stone which I just read every so often because why the hell not! You can tell from their condition. 

10) I have never been in a relationship (with a real life person, fictional boys don't count). Never even been asked out by anyone. Yep. Not even one of those childish one day relationships that don't even count, Nope. Maybe that's why I depend on fictional guys ........

11) I have known what I've wanted to do since I was a really little kid. When I went to see my first show and decided that I wanted to perform. I was like three years old. So that show is the reason why I am me. That and the books. How strange that these simple things have consumed my life and made me me. 

Questions from Helen:

1) Who's your book boyfriend/girlfriend? There are so many that I could pick. But I think that I am going to have to pick either Legolas from The Lord of the Rings or Levi from Fangirl. 

2) Books that got you into reading? The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien since it was the first proper book my dad read to me as a baby and Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone as it was the first book I read to myself as a little kid.  

3) Favourite bookstore? Waterstones. 

4) Cheapest and most expensive book you've ever bought? I remember buying a book a few years ago for 1p (it was at a car boot sale and it was basically brand new so why the hell not! Whilst the most expensive book was about £15 pounds and it was a limited edition book that I bought for a realitive a few years ago. 

5) Favourite reading weather? I love it when it rains and I can curl up and listen to the water on my window! 

6) First review you ever posted on your blog?  My first review was on the Drownibg of Arthur Braxton by Caroline Smailes. 

7) Do you plan out TBRs? I'd like to say yes because I really want to but I don't, I try to but it really doesn't work! 

8) Do you have any posters from the books you've read or their movie adaptations? No. I used to but I don't put posters up anymore. I'm really boring like that.

9) Do you read many books at the same period of time or one at time? This really depends on me at the time. If I can't get into one book then I will probably start reading another one and keep trying to go back to the original book. Also if it's a really long book then i'll read more than one. But usually I'll just read one at a time. 

10) Ebooks or Physical Copies? Physical books. 

11) Favourite book EVER? The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien (for the reason listed in the first question). 

Questions from Rhian:

1) What is your all time favourite book? That's actually fairly easy for me to answer. Because it is the book that got me into reading. This book means the world to me and this book is The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien. Need I say anything else???? 

2) Who is your favourite author? Tolkien has to be my favourite author because he created Middle Earth but I have to say that J K Rowling is a close second! 

3) Pristine or damaged book? This depends on the book. If I am buying a book that is very old and is already second hand then I quite like it damaged because it shows how loved the book is. However, I like my own books, ones that I bought brand new, to be in pristine condition because I like to know that I have looked after them. 

4) Is cracking the spine of a book acceptable in your eyes? In a hardback book yes! In a paperback book, maybe depends on the book and the size and how much I like the book. 

5) Favourite snack to eat when reading? Either chocolate (white chocolate usually), some flavoured popcorn or an assortment of biscuits. Oh and a cup of tea or mug of hot chocolate! 

6) What is your most favourite genre and your most hated genre? I think distopian is my favourite genre, especially post apocalyptic distopian books. They are so catching and usually full of suspense. Whilst the genre that I hate has the be Christian fiction, I just can't get into it and I'm a Christian myself! 

7) Favourite weather for reading? Adding to the question earlier I love stormy weather to read in. With all the low rumbles of thunder and the flashes of lightning, it really creates a mood when I read and it is perfect when their is a battle going on. It's like my own personal symphony for the scene. 

8) Do you like complete silence when reading or do you like some music or the television on etc? This really depends on me and the book I'm reading. Some books I like to have a bit of music playing off of spotify - usually one of the chill playlists. Other times I might be reading in the same room as my parents are watching telly so I don't mind listening to the telly whilst I read. But, occasionally, there is a time when I just want to sit in silence and allow myself to be completely consumed by the book. And they are my favourite reading moments, when I completely forget about the rest of the world and just live somewhere else for a few hours. 

9) Favourite book to movie adaptation? Obviously I am going to have to mention the Hobbit here because I love all three of the films but I'm going to mention something that people might think I'm crazy for doing. City of Bones. Loads of people hated this movie but I really enjoyed it. Yes it took me forever to read the book and I'm attempting to reread it now which isn't working. But the series is good and I really enjoyed the film. The cast was amazing and the acting was really good. But it gets so much hate. Yes  some things are different but at least it stays true to the book compared to a different trilogy which is completely different and the acting is appalling in it yet people adore it **cough cough divergent cough cough** 

10) Ebooks or physical copies? Physical copies. 

11) Why did you start your blog? I wanted to give my opinions to the world about books and stuff like that. And I thought that this would be a good way to do it :) 

My Questions for my Nominees:

1) Who is your favourite book villain?
2) Least favourite book to movie adaptation?
3) How often do you buy books? 
4) Do you prefer to shop online or shop in a book shop?
5) Favourite place to read?
6) What is the longest book you have ever read?
7) First fandom?
8) Reading or writing?
9) Favourite book you have read this year so far?
10) How many physical books do you own?
11) One character that you would like to meet in real life and why? 

My Nominees: (names taken from their Instagram accounts)

Reading Infinitly
(www.theinfinitereader.blogspot.com)

The Suraya
(www.thesuraya.blogspot.com)

Lady Reads Books 
(www.ladyreadsbooks.wordpress.com

Read With Royella 2.0
(www.readwithroyella.weebly.com)

Ivy.BookNerd 
(www.inwonderlandnyc.blogspot.com)

Through The Bookshelves 
(www.throughthebookshelves.blogspot.co.uk) 

Alice In Wonderbookland
(www.aliceinwonderbookland.wordpress.com) 

Book In A Nook
(www.bookinanook.wordpress.com

Need Of Book
(www.nerdofbook.wordpress.com)

Kath_Reads
(www.kathquiambo.wordpress.com)

Abbie.Reads
(www.abigailamy.wordpress.com) 




Review | A Court of Thorns and Roses, by Sarah J. Maas

09:06
What You Need To Know:

Title: A Court of Thorns and Roses
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Number of Pages: 432
Genres: Romance, Fantasy, Mythological, Fairy Tales, Action, Adventure, Retelling of a Fairy Tale.
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Published: 5th May, 2015

The Plot:

The world that Feyre lives in is a dark world that was once ruled by the High Fae and the faeries; humans were enslaved and killed for fun. Until the war. Now humanity is free to live on one half of the world whilst the faeries live on the other half. An invisible wall dividing the two; keeping the humans safe from the past.

Feyre has always feared the forest that she has to hunt in in order to feed her family; so that she can survive. This winter animals are scarce and Feyre is forced to travel deeper in forest than she has ever had to before. There she finds a deer, large enough to feed her family for weeks. However, she discovers that there is a wolf also watching her prey. So, she kills it with an ash arrow.

All seems fair and for the first time in many years, nineteen year old Feyre has extra money to spend on what she would like. But none of that can last.

The next day, the door to their cottage is destroyed and Feyre is taken away from her home into the Faerie realm. Who would have thought that some one who was once poor would live in a the house of a High Fae; would be treated so kindly even after she killed one of their own.

Days turn in weeks, weeks turn into months and something begins to happen to Feyre that she never thought possible. Tamlin; the High Fae of the Spring Court; the one who took her from her home to undertake her punishment; the one she has fallen in love with.

But there is something else in this realm of beauty that Feyre does not know and before long, the twisted evil that she has been whispered through the mortal realm will finally be realised to her. And it seems that Feyre is the only hope.

My Thoughts:

I wasn't sure about this book when I started it, I haven't read the Throne of Glass series yet so I had no idea what Sarah J. Maas' writing style was like, so I was nervous. Not to mention the fact that the first page of the book did not grip me (don't kill me for saying that). The blurb wasn't actually that intriguing either, but my friend told me to stick with it so I did.

Once I got a few more pages in it was fine, I was able to really get into it. Like once I got to the wold bit I was like, 'this is actually really really really good'. And as soon as I really got into it, I couldn't put it down!!!!!! I wasn't very well the day after I started it so that meant I was able to finish the book really really really quickly. Like I probably read it in six and a half hours! It was so good. I really felt sorry for Feyre and Tamlin. Not to mention how in  love I was with Tamlin, still am .... can I marry him please??? Screw Feyre I want the High Fae of the Spring Court!!!!!!!! He's mine Feyre!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I apologise, I get a bit protective over the fictional men/faeries/any fictional hottie that exists. Oh, and I absolutely hated 'Her'. I'm not going to tell you who her is because that would be a major spoiler but I hate her for so many things .... you will shortly find out what I mean!!!!!

Can I mention the cover too. I have to say that I was a little but confused at what it was going on about. But as the book progressed it started to make sense and I did have a real OMG moment! It wasn't until I was like three quarters of my way through the book but it did make sense. Also it is such a beautiful cover! The dark red background and the girl (Feyre) over the top. It really was such a pretty cover. I have to admit that beautiful covers are my weakness, even if the plot doesn't sound to great as long as the cover is pretty then I will likely buy the book.

There is one final thing that I want to mention, I think, though I'm not one hundred percent sure, this book is based on Beauty and the Beast. A young girl forced to live with another, one who disguised himself as a hideous beast when they first met. It turns out that he has a curse upon him and the two begin to develop feelings for each other ...... see what I'm getting out, it's Beauty and the Beast.  

Rating: 

Although I didn't think I would, I absolutely loved this book. I hope she is doing a sequel, I think it is going to be a part of a new trilogy but I'm not sure. Sarah J. Maas, please please please make a sequel for me!

And that's why I have to give this book **** (I want to give it a half but I don't know how to! So this one has had 4 1/2 stars!

-IAMAGEEKINGGINGER!
Book Total of 2015 - 28
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Monday 18 May 2015

Review | Alice Through the Zombie Glass, by Gena Showalter

13:53
What You Need To Know: 

Title: Alice Through the Zombie Glass
Author: Gena Showalter
Number of Pages: 476 
Genre: Romance, Young Adult, Fairy Tale, Paranormal, Retelling of a Fairy Tale, Modern Fairy Tale. Horror
Publisher: MIRA Ink
Published: 7th February, 2014

The Plot:

This is the second book in the White Rabbit Chronicles and although all seemed well before, life could never be that simple not for someone like Alice Bell; a teenage slayer of zombiesthat only a few could actually see.

Everything seems fine, momentarily. Alice is living in the house ... no mansion ... that belongs to one of her closest friends and is spending as much time with her boy friend, Cole, as she can. Everything seems perfect. But that couldn't last.

Two new slayers joined group, Veronica (one of Cole's ex's) and Gavin. And just like when Cole and Ali first made eye contact they share a vision of an apparent affair between Gavin and Ali. And so Cole breaks up with her, knowing that the vision will come true; not wanting to get hurt.

But the two of them can't keep away from each other, the attraction is too great. Although they are don't want to get hurt, the two keep getting closer and closer. But something else is holding them back.

Then, something happens to Ali. A fellow slayer, Justin, was bit in the middle of the battle and he bits Ali. Since then, things have been strange. Ali has these urges, urges to devour flesh so that she can eat souls. Ali is turning into a Zombie. Through a mirror she begins to see changes, a second spirit in her body. A Zombie Alice wants to take over and turn her into the exact thing that she hates.

On top of that, there is a mole in the group. Someone who they trust is feeding information to a group who think that the zombies are needed in this world. A group who has decided to destroy the slayers. This mole knows what has happened to Alice and that so, once again, Alice has become a target.

For these lunatics believe that Alice will be able to cure one close to the leader of their group and these lunatics will do anything and everything to ensure that they get Alice.

My Thoughts:

I'm in love with this series. They are so interesting and completely different to anything else out there. I love it. Showalter is such an awesome writer, although there are moments in this book (like the previous one) that I found rather dull. At times there's so much action and it's amazing and then it just sort of flops like a limp fish.

I am still in love with Cole and I do occasionally want to destroy Ali so that I can have Cole. But I am now slightly in love with Gavin, even if he is a humungous he-slut. Why do you do this to me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It really isn't fair, why do I fall in love with all these fictional men???

The beginning of this book took some time to get into, nothing really happened and I was tempted to just give up on it. But I thought, no I shall read this book! I am glad that I did that because the second part of the book was .... wow!

It wasn't like a fifty fifty divide but the start with Cole and Ali breaking up and Ali mopping over the fact that she was alone and in love with him still. I, personally, found that really really boring. But then Ali got bit and from then on things started to pick up, although some parts still bored me. But later on I could not put the book down, it really annoys me.

The second part of the book is definitely the best thing, it barely took me any time to read it because I couldn't put the book down. It was awesome. I love it!

Can't really think of anything else as I'll likely repeat myself as the things that annoy me in this book are basically the same as the things that annoyed me in the last book.

Rating:

And that's why I have given this book ***

Friday 15 May 2015

Review | Alice in Zombieland, by Gena Showalter

09:22
What You Need To Know:

Title: Alice In Zombieland
Author: Gena Showalter
Number of Pages: 256
Genres: Romance, Young Adult, Fairy Tale, Paranormal, Retelling of a Fairy Tale, Modern Fairy Tale, Horror.
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Published: 1st June, 2012

The Plot:

Alice Bell is someone how appears to be an ordinary teenage girl. Except for the fact that her father won't let her do anything outside after dusk and he patrols the house at night with a gun. But, hey, all families are weird right? Wrong. Ali's family are far stranger.

On the night of Ali's birthday - something that her parents have forgotten .... again ... - she is finally able to convince her dad to leave the house in order to see her little sister in her latest recital.

That was a big mistake.

On there way home, during the dead of night, Ali and her family are involved in a horrible car crash. Her mother was ripped to shreds, her father thrown through the window and her sister's neck twisted like an Owl's all the way round. But Ali was left unharmed. It was in that moment that Ali's world came crashing down around her, along with the fragments of her own reality. Bodies were hunched over her father's and their heads seemed to be sinking and rising into his body; seemingly eating his organs and only coming up for air.

That night, Alice Bell was made an orphan and suddenly everything in her life no longer made sense.

She moves in with her grandma and grandad and is forced to change school; that makes her life even stranger. One boy, one of the apparent bad ones, she feels that she has a strange connection with. She is physically attracted to him. his handsome face, rippling body, scars. Oh and the strange visions that the two are sharing each time they make eye contact for the first time that day.

Time passes and she keeps seeing these strange visions as well as these creatures that seem to be regularly appearing near her house; almost stalking her. After finally approaching Cole - her vision bad boy - and his fellow bad boy friends, Ali is able to finally understand what she sees and the war that she is about to enter.

They are the strange, horrifying creatures that are only really mentioned in horror stories and films from years ago. But they are real, as real as the nose on Alice's face. Alice is about to fight ....

Zombies.

My Thoughts:

This is a series that I really wanted to read for ages, but haven't had the opportunity to read it because I couldn't find any of in any book shop in the whole of England!!!!!! Okay, maybe I'm over exaggerating a tiny bit I have good reason too, I couldn't find them anywhere! But then I was in a shop and the three books were available for £5. Not £5 each. Oh no, 3 for £5!!!!!!! EKKKKKK! And my dad brought them for me! I was out competing and he said that since I was doing well them he would buy them for me!!!! YES!

I've heard a lot of good things about this book, so I was excited to read it. And I have to say it did not disappoint.

Currently I am loving the modern fairytales, or the retelling of classic fairy tales. I've read quite a few lately (check out my reviews page if you want to check them out) and this book really kept up the rest … mostly.

There were some things in the book that I actually found quite boring. Moments when I really didn't connect with any of the characters. * And that really really annoyed me because the book was so good, but I found myself unable to read it for long periods of time because it bored me. **

Ali was a good character, I pitied her and I fell in love with Cole too. Though he did piss me off at times .... sorry about my French.

And the ending, I'm not going to release any spoilers but I have to say that I was both screaming and sobbing. Yep, it was one of those endings! I really can't go into too much detail because I will spoil everything ... it is one of these books .... Sorry, but I don't want to spoil anything for you.

Rating: 

Although I did enjoy this book, there were moments that I really annoyed me and I found them fairly boring. And that is why I am giving this book ****

-IAMAGEEKINGGINGER!
Book Total of 2015 - 26
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*spoilers - I'm finding that with the second book (Alice Through the Zombie Glass) as well. I'm reading that one at the minute.*

** another spoiler - I still feel like this for the second book **


Sunday 3 May 2015

Review | Cinder, by Marissa Meyer

19:59
What You Need To Know: 

Title: Cinder
Author: Marissa Meyer
Number of Pages: 387
Genres: Young Adult, Romance, Science Fiction, Dystopian,
Publisher: Macmillan Publishers
Published: 3rd January 2012

The Plot:

Cinder is a retelling of a classic fairy tale; a fairy tale we all know well. Cinderella who lives with her evil stepmother and ugly stepsisters. Forced to be a maid in her father's household. Given a chance to go the ball by her fairy godmother. Falls in love with the prince. Becomes a princess. We all know the story, right? Right!

Well, this is loosely based on that … and when I say loosely, I mean loosely!

Meet Cinder, a mechanic, an unloved adopted child … oh and she's a cyborg. Cinder lives in New Beijing with her step mother and two stepsisters. One of her sisters is lovely, her name is Peony, whilst the other is as bitter as her step mother.

In this world that they live in a disease runs rampant and all who get it die; they have no chance of survival. It's know as the blue plague and as soon as someone gets it then they are doomed. That's what happens to Peony, and everyone blames Cinder because of it; they were together at the time and an outbreak had occurred only a few hours before near where Cinder had been so it was obviously her fault!

Out of anger, Cinder's stepmother volunteers Cinder to undertake treatment that may help discover a cure for the disease. There she meets Doctor Erland and she discovers the first of many interesting things about herself; she's immune!

Not only that but she has Prince Kai to worry about! Every single girl is in love with him; including Cinder by the looks of things. Initially she was only meant to fix his droid. But as time goes on, and their encounters get more frequent, she discovers that perhaps she might have feelings for him.

And to make matters worse, the queen of the Lunars has a plan for world domination - though she claims that she really wants peace - and to complete this she has to marry Prince Kai. Something always has to get in the way of love in these stories; doesn't it.

Cinder is forced to fight not only her new found emotions for Prince Kai but also her fears towards her recently discovered identity. All of this she has to battle to ensure that Kai is safe so she has to do one thing, the one thing she really doesn't want to do. Cinder has to go to the ball.

My Thoughts: 

As you can likely tell from the fairly long description of the book, I really enjoyed this. Not an enjoy like, oh it was fairly good, but an enjoy like 'I WANT TO FINISH IT BUT NO AND UGH!' But I'll go into detail as to why soon.

When I was in the bookshop like three weeks ago, I really didn't know whether i'd like that book. Everyone on booktube and bookstagram person seems to love this series and I was like ... maybe ... I don't know if I'll like it; not really sure about a futuristic retelling of Cinderella. But I thought, hey ho, who gives a damn! I fancied a new book and everyone was giving this amazing views, so I bought it.

I have to say that I'm so glad I did; it was so amazing! But I'll get on to that later.

I really enjoyed Marissa Meyer's writing style. It was such a refreshing style. It wasn't too in depth so it didn't complicate the book (unlike my previous read which was written a bit like a dissertation). However, it was detailed as well. I know that that contradicts itself in a way but it is true. In a fairly unique way Meyer explains her world without going into unnecessary detail.

The book instantly hooked me. There was something about the opening quote that really really hooked me. I'm going to mention it to you now, because it really is amazing: 'Even in the future the story begins with Once Upon a Time'. I love that quote. To me it was that that really hooked me. It seemed to be the perfect way to initially grip a reader.

From then on, I knew that I would like the book. I literally fell in love with Prince Kai and I really felt sorry for everything that happened to Cinder.

I have to say that I did predict the overall outcome at the end of the book when it was vaguely mentioned. But how that occurred I couldn't really guess. Yes I did sort of figure that out near the end but I didn't straight away, which is good! I forgive the above facts because the book was just so blooming amazing!!!!!!!

Review: 


Yes, there were tiny faults. Like how predicable the final was for me. But the rest I didn't see coming, at all. And the writing was just so nice. I really really loved reading this book. And because of that I have to give this *****

-IAMAGEEKINGGINGER!
Book Total of 2015 - 24
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