March Wrap Up 2017| It'sCarenzaB

Hey Guys!
How are you?

In March I had my best reading month so far as I read 10 books! I read a lot for college, but I also read 4 short stories which is why I read so much. I don't think I'm going to have as good a reading month this month as I'm going to be busy. Like my last wrap up, I won't be mentioning spoilers for any of the books I read.

March Wrap Up

I only read one fantasy book in March and that was The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon. I have a review of this, so I won't go into too much detail. I gave TBS 3/5 stars as I wasn't the biggest fan of this book. I found the pacing really slow. 

Then I read this amazing contemporary which I had heard nothing but good things about. I gave this 5/5 stars, but I did have some problems which I will discuss in  my review. I found that I had lots in common with the main character.

This is one of four scripts I read in March for my Creative Writing. If you follow me on Instagram, then this is the play I went and saw three times (I'll be talking more about this in my favourites post). I gave the script 5/5 stars as I loved the play so much.

I read three other scripts which I don't have photos of and they were:
Love by Alexander Zeldin (5/5 stars)
La Ronde by Max Gill (5/5 stars)
Hedda Gabler by Henrik Ibsen, adapted by Patrick Marber (4/5 stars).

In March it was World Book Day and in the UK you can get short stories for £1. I bought two and read both of them. The first was Island by David Almond, which I gave 3/5 stars. The other was Dead of Night by Michael Grant which I gave 2/5 stars. I gave both of these books low ratings as I feel that I am getting too old for the "older readers" category in the World Book Day books. If I had been younger, I think I would have enjoyed them more.





The final two books I read I don't have photos of as I don't own copies of them. The first was Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli, which I have a review for. I gave Stargirl 2/5 stars as I found it to be a harmful book and was not a fan of the subject matter. The other book was Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf which I read for class. I also gave this 2/5 stars as I found it really hard to follow because of the writing style.

So that concludes my March Wrap Up. I also started a bunch of books which I plan on finishing this month. Let me know some of the books you read in March.
Love,
Carenza x

Winter Update- January to March 2017| It'sCarenzaB

Hey Guys!
How are you?

If you have followed me since this time last year, then you will know that every month I posted an update post. In these posts I discussed how my New Year's Revolutions were going and how things were generally. I decided to stop doing these posts every month as they became very repetitive.

1) Learn to Balance Work and Play

The first three months of 2017 have flown by and I have definitely got better at balancing the time I spend working and having fun. My year didn't get off to the best start as I got a really nasty cold only three days into 2017, which knocked me off course. I have had a lot of deadlines to meet, so I have been focusing on my schoolwork. When I haven't been working, I have been having lots of fun which has really improved my mood. 

2) Read More Than One Genre A Month

I think this may be the only Resolution I have completed every month (so far). I have been reading a lot more contemporaries as part of a reading challenge, which I will be talking about in a separate post. I have also been reading more scripts lately, which I have been enjoying.

 3) Improve Fitness

It's safe to say that I have failed this in the most spectacular fashion possible. Fail with a capital F. I have been so busy with college work and life, I barely have time to sit down to have fun and chill for a minute. I plan on starting this in the summer as I should have more free time then.

4) Be Happy

My happiness has been all over the place these past few months. College has been really stressful, which has been impacting my mental health. I haven't has as many periods were I'm sad/down for more than a week, which is good.

5) Be Organised

This one has improved a tiny bit. There have been times where I have been slacking because college is stressful all the time. It gets to a point where I'm so busy I don't tidy my room and I then spend my Friday evening tidying.

6) Join In More

I think that I have been joining in more, but not as much as I want to. I really hate contributing in class as I don't like having attention on me. I haven't really been participating much in the book community because I have been so busy. 

7) Have Fun

So far this year I have been having loads of fun. While I have been busy with college, I have been going to the theater lots and I've visited London a few times too. I had planned to go to a book signing at my local Waterstones but was unable to due to Storm Doris.

General

As you may have guessed from the amount of times I've mentioned it in this post, I have been very busy with college. I have 5 weeks until my exams so I am spending most of time revising. I've also restarted my singing lessons and I'm having so much fun doing them. 

I have recently rediscovered my love for the theater, so I have been going quite a bit. I plan on talking about it more at some point on here. 

Just a quick warning, posts are going to be a bit all over the place over the next few months because of exams. I am still going to be posting, but not as regularly because I need to focus on my exams. I hope you guys can understand why I'll be taking a little break.

So that concludes my Winter Update. I think I'll change the style for my next update which will be posted in July. 

Love,

Carenza x

Book Review Monday- The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon| It'sCarenzaB

Hey Guys!
How are you?

In March I read the first book in The Bone Season septology (don't know if that's a word, but it's a seven book series). I had seen so many people rave about this series and when I found a used hardcover for £2 including postage on Amazon, I had to buy it. So I read it and I now have mixed feelings on it. Like all my reviews, I will be discussing spoilers, so if you have not read The Bone Season, you will not be able to read this review.

The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon- Contains Spoilers

Non-Spoiler Thoughts

I definitely went into this book with a lot of expectations and I have to say, this book didn't live up to expectation. I think that I am part of a minority who wasn't a huge fan of the book. I am continuing with this series as I am halfway through the second book and have seen a few spoilers for book three. I can see why people love this book, but it isn't for me. Once I have finished book three, I am going to be deciding if I will continue with this series. 

Cover Chat

I have to say that it was the covers that grabbed my attention. I have owned the paperback of The Bone Season for almost a year, but have never got round to reading it. The covers are really striking and the naked hardcover has the matching design underneath.

Plot

The year is 2059. Nineteen-year-old Paige Mahoney is working in the criminal underworld of Scion London, based at Seven Dials, employed by a man named Jaxon Hall. Her job: to scout for information by breaking into people's minds. For Paige is a dreamwalker, a clairvoyant - and, in the world of Scion, she commits treason simply by breathing.

It is raining the day her life changes for ever. Attacked, drugged and kidnapped, Paige is transported to Oxford – a city kept secret for two hundred years, controlled by a powerful, otherworldly race. Paige is assigned to Warden, a Rephaite with mysterious motives. He is her master. Her trainer. Her natural enemy. But if Paige wants to regain her freedom she must allow herself to be nurtured in this prison where she is meant to die.

The Bone Season introduces a compelling heroine into the world of fiction. It also introduces Samantha Shannon, an extraordinary young writer with huge ambition and a teeming imagination, who has created a bold new reality in this riveting debut.

Opinions

Like I said in my non-spoiler section, I was disappointed with this book. I think it was because I went in with lots of expectations, which is something I never do. I had heard lots of good things about it, so I was expecting it to be epic and for me, it wasn't.

My main problem with this book was that it was filled with info dumps. As The Bone Season is a dystopian, you tend to get lots of information about why society is that way. I felt that around 70% of this book was information and I wasn't enjoying it. I felt that I learnt more about the society than our main character Paige.

I'm going to say something that may offend fans of the series and that is I don't like either of the main characters. I found them both quite irritating. I also wasn't a fan of the whole master-slave relationship. I really don't like it when authors romanticize slavery. Slavery is not a romantic subject. It is a horrible thing that happened to so many people, it's not a subject for romance.

I will say that I loved the character of Jaxon. Despite the fact that he is supposed to a bad influence, I loved the way Shannon had written his character. I could see the bourgeoisie influence on him. I liked how he was written to be a bad character and he fits that role so well.

I also liked the setting of London in 2059. 2059 isn't that far away, so I could see some of the things Shannon had written, happening in London. When I next go to London, I am going to try and track down some of the locations used in this book.

So that concludes my review of The Bone Season. Let me know if you had any similar thoughts to me.

Love,

Carenza x  

Book Review Monday- Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli| It'sCarenzaB

Hey Guys!
How are you?

If you have followed me for a while, then you will know I love to use the Overdrive app. Overdrive is an app that connects to libraries across the world and using your library card you can see what ebooks and audiobooks your library has. My library, unfortunately, has a very poor selection of audiobooks. But recently, the audiobook for Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli had appeared and after seeing it in shops, I thought I would listen to it. 2 hours later, I didn't feel like I had gained anything from listing to the audiobook. I gave it two stars of Goodreads and in this post I am going to be discussing why I had such an issue with this book. If you have not read this book, then you will be spoiled as I plan on discussing spoilers.

Plot

Stargirl. From the day she arrives at quiet Mica High in a burst of color and sound, the hallways hum with the murmur of “Stargirl, Stargirl.” She captures Leo Borlock’ s heart with just one smile. She sparks a school-spirit revolution with just one cheer. The students of Mica High are enchanted. At first.  

Then they turn on her. Stargirl is suddenly shunned for everything that makes her different, and Leo, panicked and desperate with love, urges her to become the very thing that can destroy her: normal. 

In this celebration of nonconformity, Newbery Medalist Jerry Spinelli weaves a tense, emotional tale about the perils of popularity and the thrill and inspiration of first love. 

Opinions

Like I said at the beginning of my review/ discussion, I really didn't enjoy this book. It may be because it came out 17 years ago or it may be because it was aimed at people younger than myself. I'm just going to jump straight into why I didn't like it. When Leo and Stargirl begin dating, Leo urges her to change so that she fits in and she does. But as their relationship develops, Stargirl becomes unhappy with her new identity and Leo can't accept her for who she is. I can't remember the direct quote, but Leo says something like I was so happy she changed.

If you are in a relationship with someone and they force you to change who you are so you fit in, they are not worth it. It is disgusting that the author included a character who cared more about his popularity than about his own girlfriends happiness. 

I personally found all the characters annoying. I understand that Stargirl is supposed to be seen as "unusual", but the other just made her seem mad. Maybe I read this book at the wrong age, but this book just wasn't for me. I have no intentions of picking up the sequel and I wish I could have the two hours back I spent listening to it.

So that concludes my rather short review. I decided not to do this post in my usual style as this was more of a discussion rather than a review.

Love,

Carenza x

Beauty and the Beast Live Action Movie Discussion| It'sCarenzaB

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How are you?

Last Friday, on March 17th, the live-action version of Beauty and the Beast was released into the world. It's safe to say that it has been very successful at the box office and lots of fans have been loving it. When I first heard they were doing a live-action version, I was very dubious as Beauty and the Beast is my all time favourite Disney film. I wanted to be Belle and find someone who could give me a library (still haven't found them tbh). But, in this post I am basically going to be gushing in a fangirly way over the film. This will contain spoilers for the film, so if you have not watched either versions, you cannot read this post.

Beauty and the Beast Live Action Movie Discussion- Contains Spoilers

Can I just say that I love the movie poster? I managed to buy a A4 print from eBay that was signed (someone had printed the signatures onto the print) and I can't wait to pin it up.

As I have already stated, I am a huge fan of BatB (Beauty and the Beast), so I was worried that it might not live up to my expectations and ruin my memories of the original. In my opinion, the live-action version is better than the original. It fixes plot holes the original had and I found I could relate to it more seeing real people rather than cartoons.

Emma Watson and Dan Stevens as Belle and Beast retrospectively were amazing. They had a wonderful on screen chemistry (and off-screen, I have been binge watching interviews they have been doing). The rest of the cast were brilliant and I have been listening to the soundtrack on repeat.

My favourite song is Evermore, which is a new song that the Beast sings as Belle leaves. It filled the gap that the original movie left and was one of the most emotional songs ever. Dan Stevens is an amazing singer. I am 100% going to be buying the deluxe version of the soundtrack as it is just too perfect.

When it was announced that LeFou (Josh Gad) was a gay character, there was a lot of controversy. In my opinion, the controversy hype was overwhelming. There were very subtle hints, but nothing was explicitly shown that LeFou was gay. I personally see it as him looking up to Gaston and there is a tiny bit of love in their relationship. 

The cinematography was truly beautiful. The CGI or whatever they used to create the Beast and the castle's inhabitants was amazing. I liked how you could kind of see the actors faces through the characters they played. Looking at the poster, I can see Dan Stevens face through the Beast ( I am not saying that Dan Stevens is a beast, but I can see him through the Beasts face).

I cannot wait for this to come out on DVD and I will be making another trip to my local cinema at some point soon to go and see it again because I cannot wait for it to come out on DVD.

So that concludes my fangirl-esque discussion of Beauty and the Beast. Let me know what you thought of the movie and if you loved it as much as I did.  

Love,

Carenza x

How to Bookworm #6- Book Blogging| It'sCarenzaB

Hey Guys!
How are you?
Today I have what could be my final post in my How to Bookworm series. At the moment, I am stuck for ideas, so it may be a while before another one is posted. In this one I am going to be talking about book blogging. I've been blogging for almost 2 years, and I started book blogging in January 2016, so I think I've finally got to grasps with what is important to do on a book blog. If you have any further tips that I haven't mentioned, please mention them in the comments.

Reviews

Something that I think is key to a book blog is reviews. Whether this be for a book, subscription box, bookish item or book-to-movie adaption, reviews are important. It lets people in the community now your opinions and often helps people to decide whether they are going to read the book.

I will admit that writing reviews is very hard. They're often the least read things on my blog, but I still enjoy writing them. I know a lot of book bloggers post reviews frequently, I like to post mine on a Monday, but I am thinking of changing that up a bit.

One tip that I recommend is to have a structure to your reviews. It means it's easy to read. I like to start with a disclaimer that the post will feature spoilers, then a non-spoiler section for people who haven't read the book, then a cover discussion as covers are really important, then a plot summary which I take from Goodreads and finally an opinions section in which I discuss things I like and things I don't like.  

Something that I have recently started doing is linking an Amazon page so people can go directly to purchasing the book. I also like to link the Goodreads page so then people can see what other people have thought of the book.

Discussions

Another important part of the book community, is discussions. We like to discuss issues that are relevant at the time. I know that they're are a lot of discussions about the lack of diversity in books at the moment. I like to post a discussion about once a month on an issue I feel is important. 

If there is an issue you feel strongly about, write a post about it and see what others think. You may encounter people who have different opinions, but you will have to learn to respect their opinions even if you don't agree.

Tags

Sometimes I feel as though tags are limited to BookTubers, but tags are fine on blogs too. If there's a certain theme for a tag you want to do, do it. I know that there are a lot of Disney themed tags and there's at least one Hamilton tag that I would love to do.

Tags allow your audience to get to know you without you having to spew random information about you. You may also find people who share your opinions and you could find a new friend out of it.

Promote other bloggers and companies

This is something I want to start doing as I feel very out of touch with the blogging community. The blogging community was how I discovered the book community. A lot of people in the book community have blogs which they spend a lot of time on. Find blogs that you like and see what they are talking about. It might led you to discover something new that you didn't know you liked.

So that concludes my How to Bookworm post on book blogging. Like I said at the start, let me know if you have any other tips for book bloggers.

Love,

Carenza x

Book Review Monday- The Crown's Game by Evelyn Skye| It'sCarenzaB

Hey Guys!
How are you?

Recently I read The Crown's Game by Evelyn Skye and as I really enjoyed it, I thought I would review it. With the sequel coming out in a few months (June 29th in the UK), it is the perfect time to pick it up. If you love fantasy and emperors, then you will love this book. To read a summary on Goodreads, click here. To buy it from Amazon, click here. Like all my reviews, this will contains spoilers, so if you have not read this book, you will not be able to read this review.

The Crown's Game by Evelyn Skye- Contains Spoilers

Non-Spoiler Thoughts

I gave this book 4/5 stars, but looking back I think it's closer to a 3.5/5. While I did really enjoy it, I had issues with the pacing and at times I found it a bit predictable. I am looking forward to the sequel coming out and as far as I know it is a duology. 

Cover Chat

Despite that my copy is a bit battered, I do love the design for the cover. It looks like a city and a crown, the cover for the second book is just as beautiful!

Plot

Vika Andreyeva can summon the snow and turn ash into gold. Nikolai Karimov can see through walls and conjure bridges out of thin air. They are enchanters—the only two in Russia—and with the Ottoman Empire and the Kazakhs threatening, the tsar needs a powerful enchanter by his side.

And so he initiates the Crown’s Game, an ancient duel of magical skill—the greatest test an enchanter will ever know. The victor becomes the Imperial Enchanter and the tsar’s most respected adviser. The defeated is sentenced to death.

Raised on tiny Ovchinin Island her whole life, Vika is eager for the chance to show off her talent in the grand capital of Saint Petersburg. But can she kill another enchanter—even when his magic calls to her like nothing else ever has?

For Nikolai, an orphan, the Crown’s Game is the chance of a lifetime. But his deadly opponent is a force to be reckoned with—beautiful, whip-smart, imaginative—and he can’t stop thinking about her.

And when Pasha, Nikolai’s best friend and heir to the throne, also starts to fall for the mysterious enchantress, Nikolai must defeat the girl they both love…or be killed himself.

As long-buried secrets emerge, threating the future of  the empire, it becomes dangerously clear- the Crown's Game is not one to lose.

As always, this summary is taken from Goodreads were the average rating is 3.82/5 stars.

Opinions

Like I said in my non-spoiler section, I did really enjoy the Crown's Game. I've never read a story quite like it and it was nice to read a story set in Russia. As I have studied Russian history in school and college, it really helped me with my current studies. 

My main issue with this book was the pacing. I've been having this issue a lot recently. It might just be because of how busy my personal life is, but I found the pacing to be really slow. It was all in the final 50 or so pages that everything seemed to happen. I personally like the action to be spread out through all the book.

Another thing I had a bit of an issue with was the romance. Despite the fact that it is stated in the plot summary there will be a love triangle, I still didn't enjoy it. I am really not a huge fan of a love triangle, the only one I like is from The Infernal Devices. The romance felt very typical for a YA, it was very much an insta-love story. 

The magical elements were my favourite to read. I could clearly picture them in my mind and that is what makes me love reading. As magic was a predominate part of this story, the descriptions showed how important the magic was to the characters.

So that concludes my review of The Crown's Game. Let me know what you thought of it in the comments.

Love,

Carenza x

February Fairyloot Review| It'sCarenzaB

Hey Guys!
How are you?

As you guys know, I have a subscription to Fairyloot. This means that I can post monthly reviews on the boxes I get. The February box was one of my favourite boxes I have received so far. I'm pretty sure that it is safe to post this review as the March boxes are being shipped next week. If you don't want to be spoiled, do not read this review.

February Fairyloot- Emperors and Fugitives

So this is an overview of what was in the box. There was quite a lot packed into it.

The first item in the box was this exclusive full size Kalusian Sunset candle designed by Happy Piranha. I love that Fairyloot includes a candle almost every month.

It is this amazing purple colour that matches the purple worms Fairyloot uses. The scent is strawberry and champagne. It's probably my favourite candle Fairyloot has included.

Then there was this Rebel of the Sands pouch designed exclusively by Alisse Courtier. This is my favourite item in the box as I had been in need of a small pouch to keep all my important items in when I'm at college as my rucksack has no pockets. It says "the world makes things for each place" and is in this beautiful typography.

Fairyloot included a Baby Groot keychain Pop Funko. I only have one keychain Pop Funko, so I'm happy to have more.

He's so tiny and detailed. He's also a bobble head keyring. I'd attach this to my keys, but I'm terrified it will fall off!

This is my first ever book themed bath bomb and it was designed exclusively by Bathing Beauties. It's a celestial gunpowder bath bomb and smells of cupcakes. I'm not the biggest fan of sweet scents, but this one isn't too bad and I can't wait to use it.

Another first for me is bookish coasters. This one was designed exclusively by Read at Midnight. The quote is from Illuminae, which I have not read. I am going to read it, I think I'm going to wait for all the books to be out and then read it. I love this coaster as it's minimalistic.

 This blue space girl bookmark was designed exclusively by Till and Dill. I have wanted to get one of their bookmarks for ages, so I was really happy when Fairyloot included this. It reminds me of the Blue lady in Guardians of the Galaxy played by Karen Gillian.

Fairyloot included another double sided print this month. It was from Throne of Glass and this side is Prince Dorian (my fave). This was designed exclusively by Taratjah. I have been dying to get my hands on some of her designs and I'm definitely going to be getting some in the future. I love her Cassandra Clare designs the most.

The other side of the print is Manon. I'm probably one of the few people who doesn't like Manon, so I have mine displaying Dorian.

The book included was Empress of a Thousand Skies by Rhoda Belleza. I hadn't heard of this book before, but I understand that it's a mix between fantasy and sci-fi. I've read a chapter and I'm finding a bit confusing, but hopefully I'll get into it soon.

As always, Fairyloot included this amazing info graphic card. I love the designs Fairyloot uses.

Fairyloot has this system that helps you find your reading buddy. Out of the 5 boxes I have got, I've only found my buddy once. My hashtag for February was #FairyLoot06878.

Since September, Fairyloot has included Fairyscoop. It's a leaflet which interviews the author and includes articles on the back from someone in the book community.

Fairyloot is amazing at including promotions for bookish companies and publishing houses. This months was a 30% discount code for MyBookmark. I haven't used this as the bookmarks are very expensive and unfortunately I can't justify that much money on a bookmark.

The other promotional item was for The One Memory of Flora Banks by Emily Barr. This book is already out, so I'll pick it up eventually.












So that concludes my review of Fairyloot. I've decided to move my reviews to earlier in the month as I feel that the end of the month is too late.
Love,
Carenza x

Book Review Monday- After You by Jojo Moyes| It'sCarenzaB

Hey Guys!
How are you?

Last Monday, I posted my review of Me Before You by Jojo Moyes and this week I am reviewing the sequel, After You. As After You is a sequel, you will not be able to read this review if you have not read either books. I am going to be discussing spoilers, so you have been warned.

After You by Jojo Moyes- Contains Spoilers

Non-Spoiler Thoughts

I will say that I preferred Me Before You as I felt After You was simply answering the fans questions and giving the fans what they wanted. I didn't feel as though it added much to the overall story and I was quite content with how Me Before You ended. However, I did enjoy it as I have been loving contemporary books at the moment. I gave After You 4/5 stars, but looking back I feel as though it was more of a 3.5/5 star book.

Cover Chat

I quite like how minimalistic these covers are. I do wish I had the matching edition of Me Before You, but I do love my movie tie in edition.

Plot

Lou Clark has lots of questions.
Like how it is she's ended up working in an airport bar, spending every shift watching other people jet off to new places.
Or why the flat she's owned for a year still doesn't feel like home.
Whether her close-knit family can forgive her for what she did eighteen months ago.
And will she ever get over the love of her life.
What Lou does know for certain is that something has to change.
Then, one night, it does.
But does the stranger on her doorstep hold the answers Lou is searching for - or just more questions?
Close the door and life continues: simple, ordered, safe.
But Lou once made a promise to live. And if she's going to keep it, she's going to have to invite them in...

This summary is taken from Goodreads and the average rating on Goodreads is 3.71/5 stars.

Opinions

Like I said at the beginning, I did prefer Me Before You. I do think the story could have survived without this book, but I do understand why the fans wanted this. Me Before You left it open to interpretation, so it was interesting seeing where the author would take it. 

I'm going to say that I really didn't like Lily and found her story line uninteresting. She was really self-centred and just kept on getting into trouble. The only moment where I felt sorry for her was when she revealed someone had indecent photos of her. I would have been quite happy if she hadn't been in the book.

I also felt that it would be very unlikely for someone working in an ambulance to use it as a taxi and let people have lifts in it. It is an ambulance, not a taxi. It is used to save lives, not to drive people around. It would be highly unlikely for a paramedic to let someone distract them while on the job and also put that persons life at risk.

It was nice seeing how the relationship between Lou's family had changed. I did feel a bit disconnected from Lou's mum trying to become a feminist as I felt that it was put in there to make people laugh at Lou's father's reaction.

I did like how Lou had kept in touch with Nathan and that he had been able to move on. It was good that Nathan helped her get a job, which meant she could finally move on. I was happy that the author chose not to go down the romance line again. 

Overall, I did enjoy this, but felt that it wasn't necessary to the overall plot. Let me know what you thought in the comments.

Love,

Carenza x 

 

February 2017 Favourites| It'sCarenzaB

Hey Guys!
How are you?

It's reached that point in the month when I tell you what some of my favourites were from the previous month. This is probably the smallest favourites I have ever done as February just seemed to go so quickly and I had so much on I can't remember what happened. My posts are usually a lot longer, but I have under five favourites for this month. For the first time since I introduced the Bits'n'Bobs category, I have no random favourites.

Books

My favourite book that I read in February was Caraval by Stephanie Garber. I have a review of this, which you can read here. I have seen some mixed reviews about this book, but I personally loved it. I had started to hate reading fantasy, but this made me rethink my love for fantasy.

Culture

I only have one cultural favourite and that was a trip to London I made in mid-February. My family and I went to the British Museum and we saw an amazing exhibition on South Africa. I do like going to exhibitions, but sometimes I can find them a bit overwhelming, especially after a long journey. But I really enjoyed this one. We then went to a pub, which for the life of me I cannot remember the name, but it was one of the best pubs I have ever been to. But, the main reason we went to London was to see a play called La Ronde at a theater called the Bunker. It had one of my all time favourite actors in it, Alexander Vlahos. This play was definitely for more mature people as it dealt with sex and relationships. I'm not sure if it is still on, but if it is, I highly recommend.

My other vaguely cultural related thing is that I have been enjoying buying books from charity shops. Most of the books I have been buying are from charity shops. I feel that books from charity shops get a bad rep because they can be damaged, but at the end of the day you are getting a book and a charity is getting money towards its cause.

So that concludes my February favourites. I know this post is tiny compared to my usual favourite posts, but February went so quickly.

Love,

Carenza x    

Book Review Monday- Me Before You by Jojo Moyes| It'sCarenzaB

Hey Guys!
How are you?

I recently read Me Before You by Jojo Moyes and I knew that I had to review it. I had seen lots of people in the book community talking about it, but never got around to picking up a copy until January this year. This review will contain spoilers, so if you have not read this book, you will not be able to read this review.

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes- Contains Spoilers

Non-Spoiler Thoughts

At first, I wasn't overwhelmed by this book and for a while, I couldn't understand why there was so much hype around it. It wasn't until I was about half way through, that I began to understand why this book is so loved. It does cover a difficult and slightly controversial issue, but it covers it very well. I gave it 5/5 stars and had I not been on a train whilst finishing it, I would have cried.

Cover Chat

The version I have is the Movie Tie-In edition as the movie came out last year. I do like getting tie-in editions as it shows that a book was popular/ successful enough to become a movie. 

Plot

Louisa Clark is an ordinary girl living an exceedingly ordinary life—steady boyfriend, close family—who has never been farther afield than their tiny village. She takes a badly needed job working for ex-Master of the Universe Will Traynor, who is wheelchair-bound after an accident. Will has always lived a huge life—big deals, extreme sports, worldwide travel—and now he’s pretty sure he cannot live the way he is.

Will is acerbic, moody, bossy—but Lou refuses to treat him with kid gloves, and soon his happiness means more to her than she expected. When she learns that Will has shocking plans of his own, she sets out to show him that life is still worth living.

A love story for this generation, Me Before You brings to life two people who couldn’t have less in common—a heartbreakingly romantic novel that asks, What do you do when making the person you love happy also means breaking your own heart?

Opinion

I'm going to start this section by talking about why there is so much controversy surrounding this book. As Will is a disabled man, he believes he cannot going on the way he is. He isn't happy with his life and wants to die. The author is not saying that all disabled people feel like this or that they should all kill themselves, she is simply saying that this individual feels that their life isn't worth living. I'm sure that the author never intended to offend anyone. There are cases in the media of people who have become severely disabled through illness or accident who want to die because they feel they cannot live their lives to their full extent. I can see why there is controversy, but at the end of the day, this is a work of fiction and these characters are not real.

It would have been interesting if the author had chosen to write this from Will's perspective rather than Lou's, as at some points Lou's feelings cloud her judgement and gets in the way. At times I found Lou irritating as she wouldn't respect Will's wishes and feelings. I understand that in that situation it is hard, but it was Will's wishes and she was unwilling to respect it.

This story was not your traditional love story, which I was happy about. It was very subtle and didn't take over the central plot. I was happy that the author chose not to let Lou's involvement in Will's life change his decision. It would have felt like "oh, I just let this pretty girl change my decision".

I really liked the characters as they all had different voices. However, I felt it unnecessary when the author would change the chapters perspective as it felt as though she was doing this to fill us in. It didn't add to the story, it felt more like a info dump. If this was something she wanted to do, she could have chosen to add more chapters with perspectives from characters other than Lou's.

It wasn't until I was half way through, that I began to feel connected to a character. I guess this is because this book is for adults and I am used to reading about teenagers.  This was one of the most emotional reads I have ever read and like I said in my non-spoiler section, I would have cried if I hadn't been on public transport.

I'll end this on a positive, while this book deals with a saddening issue,  this book had moments of being really funny. Will and Lou's relationship was quite humorous. They would joke about each other and I really liked this as it lightened the mood for the whole book.

So that concludes my review of Me Before You. Let me know what you thought and if you agreed with me at all.
Love,
Carenza x      

February Wrap Up 2017| It'sCarenzaB

Hey Guys!
How are you?

Today I am going to be sharing with you the books I read in February. How are we already done with the first two months of 2017? I've decided to stop posting TBRs as I never stick to them and I want to be able to pick up books I'm interested in, rather than books that are on my TBR. So these posts from now on are going to be just wrap ups. These posts will be spoiler free, so if you have not read any of the books I have mentioned, you will not be spoiled.

February Wrap Up

The first book I read/ finished was Wayfarer by Alexandra Bracken. This was the conclusion to the Passenger duology. I have a review up of this on here. I definitely preferred this to Passenger and I was very satisfied with the ending.

The next book I read was Caraval by Stephanie Garber. I absolutely loved this book. Again, this is another book I have a review for. I gave this book 5/5 stars and I cannot wait for the sequel!

 The next two books I read were Me Before You and After You by Jojo Moyes. I will be reviewing these books soon. I gave Me Before You 5/5 stars and if I hadn't been on public transport at the time of finishing this book, I would have cried. I enjoyed After You, but not as much as Me Before You.

Then I read the Crown's Game by Evelyn Skye. I read this because it was set in Russia and I am studying Russian history, so this was really helpful in helping me to understanding Russia's history. I gave this book 4.5/5 stars. I did enjoy this, but I did have some problems with it.

The final book I read was Columbine by David Cullen. This is a non-fiction book about the Columbine shooting in 1999. At times this was tough to read, so I would go through phases where I wouldn't read it. It was tough to read due to the subject matter. I read this as part of research project for class and I borrowed it from the library. I will be purchasing a copy at some point and I want to start reading more non-fiction books.





So that concludes my February wrap up. Let me know what books you read this month and if you have read any of these books.
Love,
Carenza x








 

Book Review Monday- Caraval by Stephanie Garber| It'sCarenzaB

Hey Guys!
How are you?

Today I am going to be reviewing the January Fairyloot book, Caraval by Stephanie Garber. If you are a part of the book community, then you will have probably heard of this book as it has been very hyped. Like all my other reviews, this review will contain spoilers, so if you have not read Caraval, you will not be able to read this review.

Caraval by Stephanie Garber- Contains Spoilers

Non-Spoiler Thoughts

When I first heard about Caraval, I knew that I would love it. It was more mystery fantasy, than epic fantasy, which is the type of fantasy books I enjoy reading. Recently, I had fallen out of love with fantasy, but this book helped me fall back in love with fantasy. I gave 5/5 stars and I cannot wait for the sequel to come out.

Cover Chat

I absolutely love the UK edition of Caraval. The dust jacket has a line down the middle where it changes from black to white. The UK edition also has five secret covers under the dust jacket and I got the clock, which I think is my favourite.

Plot

Whatever you've heard about Caraval, it doesn't compare to the reality. It's more than just a game or a performance. It's the closest you'll ever find to magic in this world . . . 

Welcome, welcome to Caraval―Stephanie Garber’s sweeping tale of two sisters who escape their ruthless father when they enter the dangerous intrigue of a legendary game.

Scarlett has never left the tiny island where she and her beloved sister, Tella, live with their powerful, and cruel, father. Now Scarlett’s father has arranged a marriage for her, and Scarlett thinks her dreams of seeing Caraval, the far-away, once-a-year performance where the audience participates in the show, are over.

But this year, Scarlett’s long-dreamt of invitation finally arrives. With the help of a mysterious sailor, Tella whisks Scarlett away to the show. Only, as soon as they arrive, Tella is kidnapped by Caraval’s mastermind organizer, Legend. It turns out that this season’s Caraval revolves around Tella, and whoever finds her first is the winner.

Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is only an elaborate performance. But she nevertheless becomes enmeshed in a game of love, heartbreak, and magic with the other players in the game. And whether Caraval is real or not, she must find Tella before the five nights of the game are over, a dangerous domino effect of consequences is set off, and her sister disappears forever. 

As always, this summary is taken Goodreads and the average rating is 4.12/5 stars.

Opinions

Like I said at the beginning of my review, I loved this book. It's something new and fresh in YA fantasy and as a huge fantasy lover, this was amazing. Sometimes in books, stories can get told over and over again, and as a reader, we need new things to read. This was the book I had been looking for to help me fall back in love with fantasy.

The world was intoxicating and I felt as though I was apart of the story. The characters were very realistic and dealt with real issues such as parental abuse and arranged marriages. It was refreshing to read of a relationship in a book that was family, specifically sisterly love, rather than romantic. While I enjoy reading about romantic relationships, I prefer reading about family and friend love.  

My only issue with this book is that some of the plot twists felt unnecessary. I understand that books need plot twists, but these twists felt too much. I am not a huge fan of authors killing off characters and then bringing them back, so this may just how I feel.

I am very excited to read the sequel and am very interested to see where she takes the story. Let me know what you thought of Caraval and if you had some of the similar opinions to me.

Love,

Carenza x 

January Fairyloot Review| It'sCarenzaB

Hey Guys!
How are you?

Today I am going to be reviewing the January Mystery and Mischief Fairyloot box. I'm sure it is safe to post this as the February boxes have been shipped. I am going to bringing you guys a review every month from now on as I have a monthly subscription.

So this is an overview of what was in this months box. As you can see there was a lot in this box. There is actually one thing missing from this photo and that is a second book!

As part of the Mystery and Mischief theme, Fairyloot included either a Game of Thrones or Harry Potter mystery mini Pop Funko. I got Nagini from Harry Potter, which I already have, so I gave it to my mum.

Fairyloot have started to include candles regularly in their boxes and this month's candle was made by Meraki Candles. The candle was named by the author of the month and it smells of cocoa, berries and musk. Like most things in this box, this is exclusive to Fairyloot.

Inside it is this gorgeous pink colour which fits really well with the book.

This cushion cover was a first for Fairyloot. It was designed exclusively by Risa Rodil. It is themed around the Night Circus (which I have been dying to read) and fits an 18 by 18 inch cushion filler. This was probably my favourite item as I love putting cushions on my bed.

The other book in the box was How to Think Like Sherlock by Daniel Smith. A fun little book to help you improve your deduction skills and become more like Sherlock.

The final item was this double sided Alice in Wonderland designed exclusively by Read at Midnight. This is a really sturdy bookmark and the design is super pretty.

The other side of the bookmark.

This exclusive rose necklace was designed by Oh Panda Eyes. Each necklace was handmade and had a little cinema style ticket attached.

The book included in Fairyloot's January box was Caraval by Stephanie Garber. I have read this and gave it 5/5 stars, my review is coming on Monday. I love this UK edition as it has 5 secret covers to collect and the secret cover I got was...

The clock! I think that this is my favourite of the secret covers.

As always, Fairyloot included a signed bookplate to stick in your book.

Once again, Fairyloot included Fairyscoop.

Inside is an interview with the author as well as some book recommendations. I'm definitely going to have to pick up the US edition of Heartless by Marissa Myer.

On the back is an interview with my favourite BookTuber, Emma from Emmmabooks. I love these little shout outs to people in the book community.

Every month Fairyloot includes a unique hashtag to find your reading buddy and I found my reading buddy for this month!

I love these letters that Fairyloot includes in every box, I have stuck mine in the front cover of my copy of Caraval.

This was the graphic info card for the January box.

As a bonus, Fairyloot included this cute Caraval themed print.

There was also a matching bookmark!

Fairyloot is really good at including promo for other books and these were the promo items included in this months box.












So that concludes my January Fairyloot review. Would you guys prefer it if I posted these in the middle of the month rather than the end of the month?
Love,
Carenza x