Sour Album Book Tag| Carenza Bramwell

I am very late to the party, but I recently started listening to Sour by Olivia Rodrigo and I'm kinda (very) obsessed with it. I tend to listen to the same music over and over, so it's nice to have something new to listen to. So I had to do the Sour Album Book Tag. I found this on Allomanci Read's blog, which I will link here. It has all the rules and info you could need if you want to do this tag. My favourite songs from this album are brutal, good 4 u and jealousy, jealousy.

Brutal- A Book with a Lot of Teenage Angst

Loveless by Alice Oseman. This is about a young woman going away to university and discovering her sexuality after struggling to find a label that worked for her. It deals with asexuality and aromantic identities, something I haven't read much about. While it does deal with these important topics, the teenage angst/drama got a bit much for me at times. I still gave it 4/5 stars.  

Traitor- A Book that Broke Your Heart, but you still keep going back to

Without a shadow of a doubt, Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare. This was the last time I cried at a book, and I last read this in 2018. I have read this countless times. There is a section of this book, which if you know it, that breaks my heart every time I read it. I know it's coming and yet when I read it, I bawl like an idiot. I couldn't tell you why. I adore this series, it's probably one of my favourites. I will happily read it over and over. 

 

Driver's License- A book that helped you grow/become who you are today

Speaking of Cassandra Clare, it would be wrong to not mention her here. City of Bones came into my life at exactly the right time. I try not to talk about the same author twice in a book tag, but Cassie's books have had such a strong impact on me. I've always been a reader, but I became more interested in reading after discovering these books. I was totally swept away by these books. Every time I finished the series, I would start again. I must have read them 3 or 4 times back to back. These books will always hold a special place in my heart. They've shaped me into the person and the reader I am today. 

1 Step Forward, 3 Steps Back- A book which was slow paced, but so addictive that you just couldn't stop reading it

Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor. It took me 4 or 5 attempts to read this book. I finally listened to the audiobook while on holiday in Bruges back in 2019. It takes quite some time to get to the central plot, but the writing was so beautiful that I just didn't want to stop reading. Laini is such a fantastic writer, with everything she writes being in this gorgeous poetic style. I love her writing. The Strange the Dreamer duology is a favourite of mine. 

Deja Vu- A book that makes you nostalgic

The Perks of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. I must have read this around the time the film came out, which I think was 2013, and I loved it. I related a lot to Charlie and how he always felt like an outsider until he met this amazing group of friends. I was also really getting into reading at that time, so I sometimes feel nostalgic for discovering my love of reading at that time. I wish I could go back and live in that time where every book I read was amazing and brought so much joy to my life. 

 

Good 4 U- A book you almost dnf-ed but it became your favourite

I'm not someone who dnfs books, I tend to put them to one side and then come back to them at a later date. The only book I can think of is one I've already used and I don't like to use the same answer more than once. So, I'll quickly say, that Strange the Dreamer was a book that it took me a few times to get into and then became one of my favourites. 

Enough for You- A book that lived up to your incredibly high expectations

If We Were Villains by M.L Rio. I have a review, which you can read here. I had heard nothing but good things about this book and it didn't disappoint. This might be my favourite book of the year so far. I loved the characters, the writing, the story. Pretty much everything about it. I would love to read from M.L Rio again as she is a fantastic writer. I will keep on talking about this book for a very long time. 

Happier- A book/series which caused a book hangover

I don't really get book hangovers, so the closet thing I can think of is when I read Serpent and Dove by Shelby Mahurin. I loved that book so much that I couldn't stop thinking about it and it had been a while since I felt that way about a book. The story was just addictive. I wasn't the biggest fan of the sequel, so I'm not sure where I stand with this series anymore. However, I will always treasurer my first read of Serpent and Dove. 

Jealousy, Jealousy- A world you would sell your books to be a part of

It's probably very cliche, but I would love to live in Hobbiton from Lord of the Rings. I have only read one of the books, so I am basing this from the films. Oh to be a hobbit and live in a hobbit hole. To visit the Green Dragon and the Prancing Pony. It just looks like a jolly and pretty place to live. I would love to live there.

Favourite Crime- A favourite series, but a really disappointing last book

It's not a favourite series, but the final book in the Arc of a Scythe series by Neal Schusterman was really disappointing. The first book was incredible, the second was okay and the final was not great. It had such a strong premise, but for me, I lost enjoyment with each instalment. I'd like to give it a second chance at some point as I think Neal is a great writer, but something went wrong with this book.  

Hope Ur Ok- A book that healed you/your comfort book   

The Heartstopper series by Alice Oseman never fail to put a smile on my face. I recently reread them in preparation for the final volume and they just made me so happy. Alice captures this relationship well and the art style is really cute. If you are looking for an adorable graphic novel series about an LGBT+ relationship, plus it tackles the topic of mental health really well, then look no further because they're the best.  

I tag anyone who wants to do this tag! If you end up doing this tag, then tag me on Twitter (@carenzaonbooks) as I'd love to see your responses. 

Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo (Contains Spoilers)| Carenza Bramwell

Title- Clap When You Land

Author- Elizabeth Acevedo

Series- N/A

Published- 2020

Page Count- 417 pages

Publishing House- Hot Key Books

Genre- contemporary, prose

Rating- 4/5 stars

About the Author

ELIZABETH ACEVEDO is the New York Times-bestselling author of The Poet X, which won the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature, the Michael L. Printz Award, the Pura Belpré Award, the Carnegie medal, the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award, and the Walter Award. She is also the author of With the Fire on High—which was named a best book of the year by the New York Public Library, NPR, Publishers Weekly, and School Library Journal—and Clap When You Land, which was a Boston Globe–Horn Book Honor book and a Kirkus finalist.

She holds a BA in Performing Arts from The George Washington University and an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Maryland. Acevedo has been a fellow of Cave Canem, Cantomundo, and a participant in the Callaloo Writer’s Workshops. She is a National Poetry Slam Champion, and resides in Washington, DC with her love.

Taken from Elizabeth's website.

Plot

Camino Rios lives for the summers when her father visits her in the Dominican Republic. But this time, on the day when his plane is supposed to land, Camino arrives at the airport to see crowds of crying people...

In New York City, Yahaira Rios is called to the principal's office, where her mother is waiting to tell her that her father, her hero, has died in a plane crash.

Separated by distance - and Papi's secrets - the two girls are forced to face a new reality in which their father is dead and their lives are forever altered. And then, when it seems like they've lost everything of their father, they learn of each other.

Papi's death uncovers all the painful truths he kept hidden, and the love he divided across an ocean. And now, Camino and Yahaira are both left to grapple with what this new sister means to them, and what it will now take to keep their dreams alive.

In a dual narrative novel in verse that brims with both grief and love, award-winning and bestselling author Elizabeth Acevedo writes about the devastation of loss, the difficulty of forgiveness, and the bittersweet bonds that shape our lives.

Taken from Goodreads

Opinions 

This was my first time reading in prose. I had tried to read this back in October/November 2020, but I just couldn't get into it and ended up reading something else. I knew it was a style between poetry and traditional fiction. Elizabeth Acevedo is popular author in the book community, with all of her books being highly praised. I felt that it was time to read one by her.

Her writing was beautiful. While I'm not 100% it's a style for me, there was no denying that she is an incredible writer. The way she captured the two characters feelings in so few words was incredible. I can see why her books are so popular and why they've won so many awards. I know that some of her audiobooks are narrated by her and I would love to hear her read them. 

Being honest, I felt that the plot was a bit stretched. We learnt early on that the girls had lost their father and then we spent a long time on that. It was over halfway through the book before they even learned of the others existence. Their meeting and the events that followed just felt a bit rushed. I would have liked for them to have had a stronger bond. It felt like they were made to clash and then suddenly become close. Now, I don't have any siblings, so I can't speak for the authenticity of how siblings work, but from what I know from friends and their siblings, it didn't feel right. I would have liked to have spent more time with them getting to know each other and seeing them interact. Those were my favourite parts. 

Another thing I struggled with was the dual POV. While I did like learning about the two sisters, I found their voices a bit too similar at times and could only work out who was who from the supporting characters. I would have liked a bit more distinction between them as I would struggle to follow the plot at times. I've seen a few comments online about how other readers struggled with the dual POVs. I'm not the biggest fan of more than one POVs in the first place, particularly first person POVs, so this could be a personal preference.

I would strongly consider reading from Elizabeth Acevedo again and would love to read her other two books. I've seen some comments saying that some consider this her weakest novel, but that it's still good. I think she is a strong writer, with her writing style shining throughout. I gave this 4/5 stars and am very happy that I finally got around to reading it after owning it for almost a year.  

What did you think of Clap When You Land?

Favourite Films and TV Shows of 2021 So Far| Carenza Bramwell

As we are now over halfway through 2021, I thought it would be fun to look back at the year and talk about my favourite films and TV shows. As of writing this, I have watched 90 things. I have watched 59 movies and 31 TV shows. I have been rewatching a lot of favourites, including a complete rewatch of the Marvel films. I went through my list of things I've watched and picked 5 favourites. 

The Queen's Gambit

A highlight from the start of the year and one I still can't stop thinking about. I have a full review, which you can read here. I don't know how they did it, but they made chess an engaging subject. Beth and the other characters all had something about them. They were icons. I loved this show so much that I have since read the book and feel that the show is superior. If for some reason you haven't watched the show, you really should as it's one of the best I've watched in a while. The writing. The acting. The set design. The whole package. It was incredible. 

The Mauritanian 

Despite the dark subject matter of this film, you can't help but feel hopeful as it ends. Tahar Rahim as the central character brings light to an otherwise quite bleak film. As it's based on real events, it can leave you feeling angry that this happened. I still want to read the book that this is based on. I think the other cast members are just as strong in their performances, but this is Rahim's film. I'd recommend doing some research on this film before watching it. It was another one where all the elements came together to create an amazing film. You can read my review of it here. 

 

Shadow and Bone

I was not expecting to like this show. I hadn't been the biggest fan of the books so I didn't see the hype around the show. A friend of mine convinced me to watch it and I ended up watching it twice. I was that hooked that as soon as I finished watching it for the first time, I started watching it a second time. I went and reread the books because of it. They made some great changes as I really don't care for the books. I have a full review of the show, which you can read here. I think it goes without saying that I am very excited for series two and for them to introduce some of my favourite characters to this show. 

 

The Machines vs the Mitchells 

If you are looking for something funny, heartwarming and beautiful, then look no further. This is probably my favourite film of 2021 so far. It was great from start to end. I loved the characters, the animation, the story. I don't think there was a single thing I didn't like about this film. Olivia Coleman voices the villain and is clearly having a blast. At it's core, this is a film about a family coming together despite being very different. I loved all of their storylines. I think, to put it simply, I loved this film. 

Breeders Series Two

I watched this series in one day because I could not stop watching. I had rewatched series one and thought it was good, but this series knocked it out of the park. Obviously as it's a second series, I won't be going into details so I can avoid spoilers. They threw everything they could at these characters. I found the storylines really engaging. They tackled some important topics. The performances were superb. If you are looking for a new sitcom, then I'd strongly recommend this one. This is a show about parenting and as someone who is very much not a parent (and won't be for quite some time, if ever), there is something for everyone in this show. We all know people like that. 

So that was a very quick list of my favourite films and TV shows of 2021 so far. I'll be doing an updated one at the end of this year, with hopefully some more things on it. Have you watched anything from this list? What are some of your favourites so far? 

The Outpost TV Show Review (Contains Spoilers)| Carenza Bramwell

Taken from Google Images

Title- The Outpost  

Creators- Jason Faller and Kynan Griffin  
Cast- Jessica Green, Jake Stormoen, Imogen Waterhouse and Anand Desai-Barochia plus ensemble cast

Genre- fantasy adventure, drama 

Length- 36 episodes

Platform- Syfy (UK) 

Rating- 4/5 stars

Plot

Talon, the lone survivor of the Blackbloods, sets off to track her family's killers, and discovers her supernatural powers, which she must learn to harness. 

Taken from IMDb

Opinions 

A friend of mine had started watching it and for various reasons which I will expand on, she wanted me to watch it. So we ended up watching it from the beginning. It was certainly an interesting experience. I am glad my friend made me watch it as it was fun. If you are looking for a new fantasy show, then I would suggest this one.

Taken from Google Images

One of the reasons my friend wanted me to watch it was because of the writing. I just finished my degree in Creative and Professional Writing, specialising in screenwriting. I think the nicest way of describing the writing for this show would be that it's questionable in places. They've clearly done something well to get three seasons, but the writing at times is bad. It just feels clunky and unrealistic. Yes, this is a fantasy show, but the writing and dialogue can be quite gimmicky at times. I think the only way to explain what I'm saying is to watch the show and see what you think. 

Taken from Google Images

The cast does an okay job with the scripts. One of the things that stands out are the inconsistent accents. It's supposed to be either British or Australian. A lot of the cast isn't British and their accents aren't the best. The performances are either quite wooden or very over the top. They aren't always the same within a series. Like with the writing, I think the nicest thing would be to say that it's questionable at times.

Taken from Google Images

I feel like I've said a lot of negative things, which is odd as I did enjoy it. I think the second series was the best of the ones I've seen. The first was a lot of world-building and character introduction. It also introduced a massive love triangle (square more like). The second was were it seemed to find it's footing. The story arc was more interesting, with the characters having developed. I found the ending of part one of series three disappointing as it undermined the whole arc of the show. I am sad that I probably won't get to watch part two as I don't have access to the platform anymore. 

Despite all the flaws this show has, I would say it's worth watching. I don't think I've seen a fantasy show with a female protagonist. The characters do compliment each other and you can tell the cast is having a lot of fun making this show. If you are looking for a new fantasy show, then I would recommend this one. 

What did you think of The Outpost?  

My Honest Thoughts on My University Experience| Carenza Bramwell

The time has come to reflect on my three years at university. As of publishing this post, I finished my degree five weeks ago. I've had some time to think about my university experience, which is something I've spoken about quite openly on this blog. In this post, I am going to be as honest as I can be about how I feel about my time at uni. A quick disclaimer- I won't be going into specifics to protect the people that are involved in these stories. I will be talking vaguely about certain areas, such as my social life as it's unfair to those people and some things I will be keeping for just me. In this post, I will be talking my academic experience, living experience and what it was like to complete my degree in a pandemic. 

Context

For anyone who is stumbling across this post, I thought I'd provide a little bit of context at the start. I studied Creative and Professional Writing from 2018-2021. I lived in Bristol for almost half of that time in three different houses. I came straight from finishing at school. I was supposed to graduate this year, but due to the pandemic, my ceremony has been delayed. 

The Academic Experience

Let's start this post by talking about my academic experience. Overall, I had an okay experience during my time at university. Studying a creative subject is quite difficult as unlike more "academic" subjects like science etc, there is no right or wrong answer. It's a very subjective course. At times this was difficult as you could put a lot of effort into a piece of work and get a lower grade than expected for various reasons. With writing, I would pour my heart and soul into my pieces. Not to toot my horn too much, but I pride myself on being a very hard worker, so I worked a lot on my pieces. I would write multiple drafts of every piece, always taking feedback and trying to make them better. Sometimes it would feel like my hard work hadn't been rewarded. I experienced a few confidence knocks when something didn't go how I thought it would. While that did happen, I learnt so much from this course. Before starting, I had never heard of copywriting or how to write a screenplay. I look at my work from first year compared to my final year and I can see a lot of growth. I am glad that I have been able to improve my work and gain experience working with industry professionals. During my time at university, I worked on the student magazine for almost two years. I had my work published in local publications. I gained some valuable experience alongside the academic work. 

The Social Experience

While at university, I have made some friends that will be with me for the rest of my life. They have made this an incredible experience. I made some great memories that I won't forget anytime soon. I can't put into words how happy I am that I met these people. Before coming to university, I had never lived with people my own age as I am an only child. It required a bit of an adjustment period. Without going into too much detail, my first term living arrangements weren't ideal. Sadly, they kinda set the tone for the rest of my experience. I had some good memories while living in my student houses, but I also had some bad ones. Having moved home, I can safely say that I think living at home is better for me and my lifestyle. Out of my three houses, my final one was my favourite. It was also the one I spent the least amount of time living in due to the pandemic. I wish I had been able to make the most of being a student living in Bristol, but various things got in the way of that. Like most things in life, there were good times and there were bad times. I think they just about balance out. 

The COVID-19 Experience

We have to talk about what it was like to be a student during the pandemic. The short answer is that it was shit. I don't think any university handled the pandemic well. The sudden move to online learning was a huge disruption. Between March 2020 to the end of my degree, I was on campus twice. I much preferred learning on campus. I do feel lucky compared to the students that started in 2019 because at least I got a whole year as a normal student. Learning online was absolutely not worth the money. I spent most of my time from March 2020 to the end of my degree at home. I do feel that COVID has tainted my university experience. If I had known when I was starting my degree, I would have chosen to do something else. I found online learning exhausting. Compared to March 2020, I struggled a lot with my work. My grade average dropped because of it. My heart goes out to the students returning in September with the uncertainty still there.

Overall, while I am glad I have my degree, various factors made it a less than enjoyable experience. I was interested in doing a Masters, but have since changed my mind. I do think the pandemic had a strong impact on how I feel. It has certainly been an interesting experience.

What was your university experience like?      

One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston Book Review (Contains Spoilers)| Carenza Bramwell

Title- One Last Stop

Author- Casey McQuiston

Series- N/A

Published-2021 

Page Count- 417 pages

Publishing House- Macmillan 

Genre- LGBT, Romance

Rating- 4/5 stars

About the Author

Hi, I'm Casey!
I'm a writer—books, essays, books, articles, books. I live at the intersection of fun, escapist romantic adventure and smart-mouthed characters with bad manners and big hearts. I was born and raised in the Deep South, which taught me how to love a good story and a great biscuit, and now I live and work in New York City with my dog, Pepper. I’m represented by Sara Megibow at KT Literary.

Taken from Casey's website. 

Plot

From the New York Times bestselling author of Red, White & Royal Blue comes a new romantic comedy that will stop readers in their tracks...

For cynical twenty-three-year-old August, moving to New York City is supposed to prove her right: that things like magic and cinematic love stories don’t exist, and the only smart way to go through life is alone. She can’t imagine how waiting tables at a 24-hour pancake diner and moving in with too many weird roommates could possibly change that. And there’s certainly no chance of her subway commute being anything more than a daily trudge through boredom and electrical failures.

But then, there’s this gorgeous girl on the train.

Jane. Dazzling, charming, mysterious, impossible Jane. Jane with her rough edges and swoopy hair and soft smile, showing up in a leather jacket to save August’s day when she needed it most. August’s subway crush becomes the best part of her day, but pretty soon, she discovers there’s one big problem: Jane doesn’t just look like an old school punk rocker. She’s literally displaced in time from the 1970s, and August is going to have to use everything she tried to leave in her own past to help her. Maybe it’s time to start believing in some things, after all.

Casey McQuiston’s One Last Stop is a magical, sexy, big-hearted romance where the impossible becomes possible as August does everything in her power to save the girl lost in time.

Taken from Goodreads. 

Opinions 

My reading month in June, which you can read my wrap up for here, wasn't great. A slight spoiler for that post was that this was the only book in June that I didn't give 3/5 stars. I read Casey's other book, Red, White and Royal Blue in August 2019 in Bruges (oh what I'd give to be on holiday right now, but I'll wait until it's safe to travel again) and I really enjoyed it. Her books are summer hits, perfect to be read during the summer months. Who doesn't love a good, fluffy and funny romance when it gets warm outside? After a bleh reading month, and it also being Pride Month, I needed something fun to read and this hit the spot. I flew through it in 4 days.

That being said, I can't not mention that it was a bit predictable. As soon as it was mentioned that August's uncle vanished in 1973, I knew he was connected to Jane. It wasn't a surprise when it was revealed that they knew each other. They even had the same name! I do wish they hadn't had the same name, like something similar would have been nice. It also got a bit confusing at times, especially when I was a bit tired. Like which August or Augie am I reading about now? It was also predictable that August and Jane would end up together, with a happy ending. But it was a good predictable, the right ending. It was part of the reason why I took a star off as I like to be surprised.

Jane and August were a sweet couple. They had chemistry. I loved their banter. I've seen some comments online that this book isn't getting the same level of hype as RW&RB because it's two women in a relationship rather than two men. I remember the two leads of RW&RB having great chemistry and the same goes for this book. It was quite a natural progression of their relationship. It wasn't insta love. I liked that. They also formed a genuine connection before progressing to a romance. I'd like to read more love stories like that. Casey is great at writing these amazing LGBT romances. 

Another qualm I had with this book was that at times I struggled with the writing. Sometimes it would feel a bit description heavy. It could be that I was reading this book against a personal goal (read it by the end of the month), but there were times when I found the writing off putting. I've seen a couple of other comments like this, so I know I'm not alone. It's just a little personal preference.

Having enjoyed both of her current releases, I would 100% read from Casey in the future. She has become an auto-buy author for me. I'm excited to see what she writes next as I know it will be another fun, fluffy and amazing book.  

What did you think of One Last Stop?

What I've Been Reading Recently- End of Degree Edition| Carenza Bramwell

I say this at the beginning of every wrap up, but I can't believe that another two months have gone. We are now over halfway through 2021. This year is racing by. The last time I wrote one of these posts, I was working towards finishing my degree and now it's been over four weeks since I finished. As I was finishing my degree, it meant I didn't have as much time to read as I would have liked. I read 10 books, 5 per month. I'm looking forward to having more time to read now that I'm done with uni and don't have a job yet. 

May

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

This was a reread from my "to read and go shelf". I recently pulled quite a few books of my shelf to reread and decide how I feel about them. I remember really enjoying it when I read it in 2015, it was one of the first YA books I read because it was big at the time. I have fond memories of this book because of that, but this reread was nothing special. I didn't care for the characters or the story. I also remembered the big twist, so it wasn't as powerful this time around. I have continued with this series out of curiosity. I gave it 3/5 stars. 

Whatever Happened to Interracial Love? by Kathleen Collins

I'm so glad I finally read this as I bought it back in 2017. It was a lovely collection of short stories, all around the theme of interracial love. Some where better than others, I did find myself loosing interest towards the end. It has made me want to read more short story collections. I gave it 4/5 stars. 

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

I have a feeling that I am in the minority with my thoughts about this book, but I was disappointed by this book. I had heard nothing but good things about it so I was very surprised when I didn't like it. I actually have a full review, which you can read here. It was the execution of the idea that bothered me. I did find the writing style quite enjoyable. Unsure if it was the right time to read this book, so I would consider giving it a second chance in the future. I gave it 3/5 stars. 

Heartstopper Volume 4 by Alice Oseman

Anyone who has seen a previous wrap of mine will know that I adore these books. This volume was no exception. There was a bit too much drama at times and the timeline confused me a bit, but aside from that, it was another great addition to the series. I obviously gave it 5/5 stars and am very sad the next volume is the last one. 

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

My final read was another reread. After loving the show, I had to reread the books. It's probably a crime against the book community, but I do prefer the show to the books. They have updated a lot of the problems with the books. It felt very classic, 2012 YA. However, I did enjoy my time rereading it. I gave it 4/5 stars. 

June

Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo

Unlike my experience with Shadow and Bone, my experience with the next book wasn't as good. I remember struggling with this one when I read it in 2017 too. I love the introduction of Nikolai because he's one of my favourite characters, but aside from that I didn't really like it. I found that there was too much drama. I gave it 3/5 stars.

Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo

Similar to Siege and Storm, I didn't really enjoy this reread. It was different to my 2018 read as it had been over a year between books. Again, I just felt that there was too much drama. It wasn't quite the ending I had wanted. I also gave this one 3/5 stars. 

Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo

Another book I had wanted to love, but ended up falling flat. I actually have a full review of this, which you can read here. I felt like there were too many interesting plot lines to follow and that dampened them. The extra POVs at the end of each part didn't add anything to the story. Yet another book I gave 3/5 stars this month.   

Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard

This was also a reread from my reread and go shelf. It took me almost two weeks to read this book. I remember being disappointed with it as a sequel when I first read it back in 2016. I have one more book in this series that I've read and then it will be first time reads for me. I do want to know how this series ends, so I am persevering with it. This was the final book I gave 3/5 stars in June. 

One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston

A book I'll be reviewing soon (my review will be coming out this week). I loved Red, White and Royal Blue. This book was another fun and fluffy romance. There were some elements that were very predictable, but aside from that I had a great time with this book. I gave it 4/5 stars.

What books have you read recently?? 

Cruella Film Review (Contains Spoilers)| Carenza Bramwell

Taken from Google Images

Title- Cruella

Creator- Dana Fox and Tony McNamara (writers) and Craig Gillespie (Director) 

Cast- Emma Stone, Emma Thompson, Joel Fry, Mark Strong and ensemble cast 

Genre- crime, comedy, drama 

Length- 2hours 15minutes 

Platform- Disney+ or the cinema (UK)

Rating- 4/5 stars 

Plot

A live action prequel feature film following a young Cruella de Vil. 

Taken from IMDb. 

Opinions 

Taken from Google Images

Cruella was my first cinema experience since March 2020. I think it was a really good film to see in the cinema. I had seen the trailer and thought it was promising. I am glad I saw it in the cinema. I have missed it so much and can't wait to go back more now it's safer to do so. If you can and feel able to, I'd recommend going and seeing it in the cinema. It's a solid cinematic experience. 

I will get my only negative out of the way now. I felt that the plot was questionable. It was very much you just have to roll with it as it wasn't the best. Her origin story was that her adoptive mother was killed by her birth mother who used some dogs? It was a bit weak. However, I think if you remind yourself that it's just a film, then it's okay. Asides from this plotline, the rest was good. I liked that she was unapologetically herself and you can see her moving towards the Cruella we know from 101 Dalmatians. 

Taken from Google Images

The performances were great. Emma Stone and Emma Thompson were clearly having a blast in this movie. The rest were also having a great time. I think the cast made this film. They made the story believable and enjoyable. You really can't go wrong with having Emma Stone and Emma Thompson in your film. One of the best casts I've seen in a long time. 

Taken from Google Images

The music and set designs were also impeccable. Honestly, aside from the plot, I didn't have any problems with this film. The costume designs were amazing. Someone clearly had a lot of fun designing all of these amazing costumes. The punk-rock music went alongside this so well. I don't want to repeat myself, but everything but the plot was great in this film. 

Taken from Google Images

This was a thoroughly enjoyable film and surprisingly good at that. You leave the cinema feeling empowered by this story. I would happily watch it again and I know a sequel is in the works, which I would be excited to watch. They can have some fun with this character and take her on this journey towards becoming the puppy killer we know she is.   

What did you think of Cruella?

The Mid Year Freak Out Tag 2021| Carenza Bramwell

Despite the fact that we're still in a global pandemic, time is going very fast and we're over halfway through the year. As we're over halfway through, I thought I would do the Mid Year Freak Out Tag. This is my third time answering these questions on here and I love looking back on my answers from previous years.

 

1) Best Book You've Read So Far in 2021

Hands down the best book I've read so far is If We Were Villains by M.L Rio. I have a full review, which you can read here. I was hooked from beginning to end. I didn't want to stop reading. I loved the story and the characters. I imagine this will be one of my favourite books of the year. 

2) Best Sequel You've Read So Far in 2021

I'm technically cheating as last year I chose Heartstopper Volume Three and this year I'm choosing Heartstopper Volume Four by Alice Oseman. These are some of my favourite books. I reread the whole series so far in preparation for this volume and it made me happy. These are fun and fluffy, yet capture some serious topics beautifully at the same time. I can't believe this series ends with the next volume. 

 

3) New Release You Haven't Read Yet, But Want To

I'm putting off reading Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid for one reason and that is because the book is set in August, so I want to read it in August. I just thought it would add to the reading experience reading it in the same month it's set in. I have loved the two other books from Taylor Jenkins Reid, so I imagine I'll enjoy this one too. 

4) Most Anticipated Release for the Second Half of The Year

I have chosen Gods&Monsters by Shelby Mahurin as it's one of the few books I know that's coming out later this year. I had mixed feelings about Blood&Honey, but I'm going to reread the series in prep for this one and hopefully my love will come back. I remember being blown away by Serpent&Dove and I want that feeling again.  

5) Biggest Disappointment

This may come as surprise to some, especially those that have been reading my blog for a while, but I was really disappointed by Chain of Iron by Cassandra Clare. I have a review, which you can read here. But this series nowhere near lives up to Clockwork Angel, which is my favourite Cassie Clare series. I want to love it, but I don't care for the plot at all. I still really enjoyed it, but for me to give a Cassie Clare book anything other than 5 stars is quite rare. 

6) Biggest Surprise

I struggled for an answer for this question, but then I remember being surprised by Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas. I read it really quickly, as it had that "I need to know more" factor. I have a review of this book, which you can read here. This is the perfect Halloween book, with amazing LGBT+ rep. Aiden is a great writer and I can't wait to see what they write next. 

7) New Favourite Author (Debut or New to You)

R.F Kuang has to be a new favourite author. I adored The Poppy War and can't wait to dive back into this series. I know she is writing some kind of dark academia book, which looks really good. I have a feeling she's going to be an auto buy author for the future. 

8) New Fictional Crush

As mentioned in my answers to these questions for the 2020 version, I don't really do fictional crushes, so I'm going to give Jesper from Shadow and Bone show a shout out as a new favourite character. I think I just have a thing for characters that begin with J, such as Jaskier from the Witcher and Jake from Brooklyn Nine-Nine. 

9) New Favourite Character

Speaking of new favourite characters, I had to choose Rin from The Poppy War by R.F Kuang. She's just so badass and we need more badass characters out there. I'm very excited to see where her journey goes in the other books in the series. 

10) Book That Made You Cry

I haven't cried over a book since 2018 so I can't answer this question. It really takes a lot for me to cry at a book. 

11) Book That Made Me Happy

A book that made me very happy was Flake by Matthew Dooley. This is an adorable graphic novel and I adored it. It's set in the North-West of England, which is where my family is from, so the humour in this book really appealed to me. I laughed out loud at multiple times while reading this. It's going to be a favourite of mine for a while. 

12) Most Beautiful Book You've Bought/Received This Year

Like last year, I am choosing the Fairyloot edition of Chain of Iron by Cassandra Clare. Despite my problems with Fairyloot, they really do the prettiest editions of books. They're stunning. 

13) What Books Do You Need to Read by the End of the Year?

I have decided that I want to read the complete Sherlock Holmes stories by the end of the year. I have had them for so long and adore variations of these stories. It's high time I actually read them.

I hope you enjoyed this tag! 

Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo Book Review (Contains Spoilers)| Carenza Bramwell

Title- Last Night at the Telegraph Club        

Author- Malinda Lo

Series- N/A

Published- 2021

Page Count- 394 pages

Publishing House- Dutton Books for Young Readers

Genre- YA Contemporary, LGBT, Historical Fiction

Rating- 3/5 stars 

About the Author

Malinda Lo is the critically acclaimed and bestselling author of several young adult novels, including Last Night at the Telegraph Club, which received eight starred reviews. Her debut novel Ash, a lesbian retelling of Cinderella, was a finalist for the William C. Morris YA Debut Award, the Andre Norton Award for YA Science Fiction and Fantasy, the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award, and was a Kirkus Best Book for Children and Teens. She has been a three-time finalist for the Lambda Literary Award. Malinda’s short fiction and nonfiction has been published by The New York Times, NPR, Autostraddle, The Horn Book, and multiple anthologies. She lives in Massachusetts with her partner and their dog. She writes the biweekly newsletter Lo & Behold on writing and culture, and she can be found on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Her website is malindalo.com.

Taken from Malinda's website.

Plot

Acclaimed author of Ash Malinda Lo returns with her most personal and ambitious novel yet, a gripping story of love and duty set in San Francisco's Chinatown during the Red Scare.

“That book. It was about two women, and they fell in love with each other.” And then Lily asked the question that had taken root in her, that was even now unfurling its leaves and demanding to be shown the sun: “Have you ever heard of such a thing?”

Seventeen-year-old Lily Hu can’t remember exactly when the question took root, but the answer was in full bloom the moment she and Kathleen Miller walked under the flashing neon sign of a lesbian bar called the Telegraph Club.

America in 1954 is not a safe place for two girls to fall in love, especially not in Chinatown. Red-Scare paranoia threatens everyone, including Chinese Americans like Lily. With deportation looming over her father—despite his hard-won citizenship—Lily and Kath risk everything to let their love see the light of day.

"Lo's writing, restrained yet luscious, shimmers with the thrills of youthful desire. A lovely, memorable novel about listening to the whispers of a wayward heart and claiming a place in the world."—Sarah Waters, bestselling and award winning author of Tipping the Velvet and The Night Watch

Taken from Goodreads.

Opinions 

Last Night at the Telegraph Club was a book I had been really excited for. I had heard a lot of good things about it. It sounded like a book I would enjoy. A YA historical LGBT book? Definitely something I would read. I had heard good things about Malinda Lo as a writer, particularly her Ash series. I always like to support LGBT and POC writers, so I decided to get this book. However, I ended up not enjoying it as much as I thought I would. It started out strong, but ended up letting me down. I've now seen a couple of reviews that have similar thoughts to mine. 

While I didn't enjoy it, I did find this book an easy read. I could read a 100 pages a day quite easily. The information was easy to absorb. I did quite like that it wasn't too dense as I was in the mood for something a bit lighter and fun. However, the pacing was all over the place. I wanted to see Kath and Lily's relationship develop a bit quicker than it did as this was a slow burn romance. It wasn't until the last 100 pages that there was an indication that they were in a relationship. Given that this book, well the main story line, covers from September 1954 to January 1955, it took a long time to get to the heart of the action. 

A lot of people have commented on this, but I have to say that I really didn't like the random other perspectives we would get at the end of each section. They didn't really add anything to the story. I feel like they could have been removed and the story would have been fine. It felt like an odd creative decision to have five other POV moments that didn't add to the central story. 

I think the main let down of this book was that it tried to pull the reader in too many directions. The main plot was about Lily learning about the LGBT community in a time when it wasn't widely accepted. I found that the most interesting plot line, especially with some of the side characters. We then also had the communist plot line, which was interesting but took away from the main plot line. Then there were also information about the space race and a beauty competition. All of these together just felt a bit much. I think I would have liked a stronger focus on the LGBT community and Lily's passion for science. Those were the plot lines I had the most interest in. 

Despite this, I have a feeling I would read from Malinda Lo again. I am interested in reading her Ash series. I think for LGBT and POC rep, then these books are strong, but plot and character wise, this one was a bit of a let down. 

What did you think of Last Night at the Telegraph Club?     

So, What Comes Next? My Life Beyond Uni| Carenza Bramwell

As of June 4th 2021, I have officially finished my degree. I am going to write a whole blog post about the experience in July when I've had some time to think about it, but for now I thought I'd share what my plans are now that I've finished. It's very strange to think this is something I've done as I was always someone who wanted to go to uni and now I've done that. 

So, what comes next? Well that is a very good question. I don't have any short or long term plans. COVID has made it a bit difficult to plan anything. For example, I was supposed to go travelling around Europe last summer but had to cancel. I can't go this summer, so it looks like it will be another year before that happens. When this goes live, I will have had my first COVID vaccine, which means I'm one step closer to life going back to normal.  

My short term plans (i.e my plans for the next few months) involve the following: going back to my uni accommodation to have one last hoorah as a student, seeing family I haven't seen in nearly a year and working towards getting a job. I have started the process of trying to secure my first job and it's not going very well. I've applied for 8 jobs in the last three months and have been rejected from them all. If I'm being honest, I don't see myself getting a job this side of 2021. I know it's going to be a long process. The job market has been decimated by COVID, especially the creative sector, which is where I want to work. So, I am going to spend some time working towards getting a job.

While I do that, it does mean for the first time since I started my blog and other social media platforms, that I am able to essentially do this full time. I can go back to writing two blog posts a week and I'm thinking of posting everyday on Instagram. I started putting in a lot more effort to my social media sites in January and have seen a bit of growth, but not much. I don't do this for the numbers or to get famous, but I know a lot of creatives will agree with me, that it is nice when your hard work is recognised. So I might as well make the most of it and do this full time while I can. 

My long term plans are to get some kind of writing related job. I'm not sure what that will be yet, I've been applying for script editor positions, jobs in publishing and social media assistants, so hopefully along those lines. All I know is that I want to be a writer and have some kind of job connected to it. Writing has been a passion of mine for ages and I can't see myself turning my back on it.   

So this was a bit of a rambly post on what the future holds for me. As much as the job hunt makes me anxious, I am excited for what comes after uni and to have the time to work on my blog. I can't wait to share new content with you guys.

Shadow and Bone TV Show Review (Contains Spoilers)| Carenza Bramwell

Taken from Google Images

Title- Shadow and Bone

Creators- Leigh Bardugo and Eric Heisserer

Cast- Jessie Mei Li, Archie Renuax, Freddy Carter, Amita Suman, Kit Young, Ben Barnes plus ensemble cast

Genre- YA, Fantasy

Length- 8 episodes

Platform- Netflix

Rating- 4/5 stars

Plot

Alina Starkov, a cartographer in the First Army of Ravka, discovers that she is a Grisha (a person who can perform "small science") with the ability of summoning light. When her ability is revealed to the world, tensions arise between the nations of Ravka, Shu Han, and Fjerda. With the mentorship of General Kirigan, a Grisha with the ability to control darkness, Alina becomes Ravka's only hope of destroying the Shadow Fold—a region of impenetrable darkness that has stained the land for hundreds of years and split East and West Ravka. At the same time, a crew of thieves in the trade hub of Ketterdam known as the Crows attempt to kidnap Alina and win a fortune.

Taken from Wikipeida

Opinions

I will be totally honest and say I was not that bothered about this show before it's release. I knew that the Grishaverse was being adapted and that was it. I had read the books between 2017-19 and thought they were okay. I feel I was one of the few people that wasn't blown away by Six of Crows. I had seen the trailer and thought it looked good. A friend of mine convinced me to watch it as I wasn't planning on watching it around the time it was released.

Taken from Google Images

I have now watched it twice. After a underwhelming start, this show really picked up. At first, I found the writing, the dialogue especially, to be very clunky. Now this could be because I was going through the process of rewriting my own scripts and my mind was very dialogue focused, but the first couple of episodes had some not so great dialogue in my opinion. The actors managed to salvage it. As the show went on, the writing got better and by the end, I was desperate to know what happened next. I finished watching it and found myself in a position where I didn't know what to watch next. So I decided to rewatch it, because why not.

Taken from Google Images

I knew they were planning on intertwining the storylines and I actually quite enjoyed it. I really liked the episodes were we had the three storylines of Alina's story, the Crow's story and Nina's story. Those episodes stood out to me and were the ones I couldn't stop watching. They moved between the three quite naturally, in a way that always kept you interested. It was a smart choice not to just adapt the Shadow and Bone storyline on it's own as that wouldn't have been as strong.

Taken from Google Images

Let's talk about the design/technical side of the show. I loved the music, and have listened to it several times since. The set and costume designs were great. Aside from the writing, I don't really have any complaints about the show. I thought the actors all did incredible jobs in their roles. That Netflix budget really came through and made this a solid show. 

Taken from Google Images

As already mentioned, I read the books back in 2017-19 and was underwhelmed by them. I remembered enjoying the Shadow and Bone series over the Six of Crows series, which meant it was odd when I ended up preferring the Six of Crows storyline. I thought the cast had great chemistry and felt like they were the characters (from what I remembered about them). I remember loving Jesper and thought Kit Young played him very well. I'm excited to see what they do with their storyline when we get to it.

Taken from Google Images

I think it would be unfair of me to not mention some of the controversies around this show. The first one was about the attitudes towards race within the show and how it wasn't needed. Some people have liked it, saying it was powerful, other people have said it was unnecessary. Then there was the inconsistent way it was handled, and how it seemed to be only Alina on the receiving end, when in the show Mal, Zoya, Inej and Jesper are all people of colour. Zoya seemed to be the one making most of the statements towards Alina, I'll link an interesting article on it so you can read it here. Recently, it was revealed that Amita Suman's stunt double was in fact a white woman who was made up to look like she was the same ethnicity as Amita. A lot of fans have called that out, with the show-runner making a formal apology. I hope these are issues that are fixed for the future.    

We're all now waiting for it to be renewed for a second series. I'm kinda surprised that it's taken this long as normally it's within a month a show gets renewed, but there's still time for it to be renewed. It would be a shame if the show didn't get a second series as it was well received by fans, despite the things I mentioned above. Hopefully we'll find out soon.

What did you think of Shadow and Bone?