My Current TBR shelf

For me, this year has been the year that my book buying addiction has really gone wild. I try my hardest to wait until I finish a book to buy another one, but more often than not I find myself drawn towards Waterstones or Amazon, and because of this my TBR pile is larger than it's ever been. It's not massive (I see people on booktube with TBR piles of 40+) but it's the most books I've ever owned but not read.

The shelf total currently stands at 14 books:

• Noughts & Crosses by Malorie Blackman: I have owned this book for years and I actually read back when I first bought it. I remember loving it, but then I got sucked into The Hunger Games and never continued the series.
• Generation Dead by Daniel Waters: Another book I've owned for years. I started reading it a while a go and got about 100 pages in, but something made me put it down. I don't know if I will get all the way through it, but I think it deserves a second chance before it gets carted to the charity shop.
• The House of Silk by Anthony Horowitz: Yet another book i've owned for years, this one was acually my brothers. He never read it and it got moved onto my shelf when he left for university and was going to be gotten rid of, however my love for Sherlock Holmes has bloomed over the past 6 months or so, and it was that that saved this from the charity shop.
• Morrissey: Autobiography: This was a Christmas present and something I actually asked for, I just haven't found a long enough period of time when I was in the right mood to read this one. However, I plan to take it on holiday with me this summer.
• The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul by Deboroah Rodriguez: This one was given to me by my mum who loved it, so I'm sure I'll get around to reading it eventually
• Angelmaker by Nick Harkaway: I am so so so excited about reading this book. I really cannot wait, however it is pretty heavy and way to big to carry to school with me everyday, so it may have to wait until the summer
• Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo: The first in a series I have heard nothing but good things about. Once I finish the series I'm currently halfway through, this will be top of the pile
• Wonder by R.J. Palacio: another recommendation from my mum, I'm sure this will be fantastic, and I have a feeling that once City of Heavenly Fire is over, I'll be reading a lot more contemporary
• How to Save a Life by Sara Zarr: a wonderful charity shop find costing me only 75p and it's in perfect condition!
• Here's Looking at You by Mhairi McFarlane: This book has been on my radar for months, and when I saw it in Oxfam for 65p, I couldn't say no
• The Millennium Trilogy (The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played with Fire and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest) by Steig Larsson: my most exciting charity shop find, I got the whole trilogy in perfect condition for £2.75. How could anyone resist?
• Dreams of Gods and Monsters by Laini Taylor: The next book I plan to read after I finish Shades of Earth by Beth Revis. The moment I finished Dreams of Blood and Starlight I ordered this and it is so beautiful (seriously, the UK covers are amazing!) and I cannot wait to see how this series ends!

So that is my current TBR shelf, however there are a few books coming out this month I plan to buy so no doubt it will continue to grow! (although City of Heavenly Fire won't even touch the shelf. It will come straight through the door into my eager hands to be read right away!)

2014 so far...

Seeing as I haven't posted anything here since the end of 2013, it thought the first thing I needed to share with you was the list of what I have read so far this year! This year I originally set out to complete the 52 Book Challenge, however when I reached the half way point after only a couple of months, I decided to up my goal. So, at the moment my target is to read 100 books in 2014. At the moment I am actually ahead of schedule (Which is fantastic with exams looming which will swallow up over a month of my life) at 38 books read so far. So, with the no further ado, here is my current list (Books in Bold are re-reads):

1. A Study in Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
2. Fringe: The Zodiac Paradox by Christa Faust
3. Specials by Scott Westerfeld
4. Starter For Ten by David Nicholls
5. I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai
6. The Mangle Street Murders by M.R.C. Kasasian
7. The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion
8. Fringe: The Burning Man by Christa Faust
9. Ask the Passengers by A.S. King
10. The Shock of The Fall by Nathan Filer
11. The Sign of The Four by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
12. Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
13. Allegiant by Veronica Roth
14. Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowlling
15. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
16. How To Be A Woman by Caitlin Moran
17. A Walk In The Park by Jill Mansell
18. Change of Heart by Jodie Picoult
19. Keeping You A Secret by Julie Anne Peters
20. Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King
21. Eleven by Mark Watson
22. The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
23. The Infernal Devices: Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
24. The Mortal Instruments: City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare
25. Killing Bono by Neil McCormick
26. The Spectacular Now by Tim Tharp
27. The Infernal Devices: Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare
28. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
29. Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
30. The Infernal Devices: Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare
31. Across The Universe by Beth Revis
32. The Mortal Instruments: City of Glass by Cassandra Clare
33. The Shadowhunter's Codex by Cassandra Clare
34. Origin by Jessica Khoury
35. Half Bad by Sally Green
36. Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor
37. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
38. A Million Suns by Beth Revis

So there we have it, the books I have read so far this year. Some have been good, some have been bad (coughTHESPECTACULARNOWcough), some have been utterly amazing. I won't be posting reviews for all of them, but there are a few I may share a few thoughts about.

Back from the dead!

So... Hello again. Long time no post...

A lot has happened since I last posted on this blog, mostly school just got in the way. I didn't anticipate how much time A-levels would take up! But, that being said I have been reading more than ever. So far this year I've read 37 books (a list I will post at some point in the near future) and although I've been cataloging them on Goodreads, something just made me want to start actually reviewing books again. When I finish a book, I have this urge to talk about it to anyone and everyone (something that has really been annoying my family and friends this year!) and so why not start back up my blog again. Summer's coming up soon which means I'll have a lot more free time to actually sit down and write reviews, so I thought I'd get back into the swing of things now. I'll hopefully get some posts up soon talking about my year in reading so far and my plans for the rest of the year!

Book Review: Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion

Title: Warm Bodies

Author: Isaac Marion

Genre: Comedy, Horror, Romance

Publish Date: October 14th 2010

Length: 270 Pages

'R' is a Zombie. He has no name, no memories, and no pulse, but he has dreams. He is a little different from his fellow Dead. Among the Ruin of an abandoned city, R meets a girl.

Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion is a new twist on the classic tragedy Romeo and Juliet, bringing together wonderfully aspects of Comedy, Romance and Suspense. R is not like the rest of the dead who inhabit the Earth. He can't remember a single thing about his life before death, but he is different from the rest of his kind: He can talk, although not in a very sophisticated fashion, and he is probably the most sarcastic Zombie I've ever heard of. One day, when out on a hunting trip, he encounters a girl named Julie (R and Julie… Seeing the parallels yet?). Instead of eating her, he saves her a brings her back to his home in an abandoned airport. Something odd grows between the two of them, and through Julie's company, R seems to grow less and less dead. However, Julie can't stay hidden with him forever, not that she wants to, and with her Dad being the head of a group of humans trying to eradicate the Zombie race, things don't look good for R. But what if he was no longer Dead? Things are changing in the world, and R and Julie are just the catalyst needed to spark a revolution.

Review: I absolutely loved this book. As someone who isn't a fan of anything Zombie related (I get nightmares at Shawn of The Dead, what a wimp), I was surprised by how quickly I got into this book. R is the perfect blend of Sarcastic and Profound, and I never thought I'd find myself sympathising with a Zombie. The Romeo and Juliet parallels and quite obvious, (there's even a balcony scene) and at times I wish they'd been more subtle, however they do not spoil the book completely. Julie is a fairly well rounded character, some people have criticised her for being inconsistent just to facilitate the direction in which Marion wanted to take the novel, however, who wouldn't be pretty inconsistent when they've been kidnapped by a Zombie who wants to make friends? 

As for supporting characters Nora is fantastic, I really love her as a character and she in some ways reminds my of Darcy in Thor (although that may be because I watched the films on the same day). 

Yes, it is fairly predictable, but really, there were only two or three directions the story could have gone in, so it really isn't a fault in the writing. For me, as a step on my way to getting over my fear of Zombies, it was fantastic. It's funny and heartwarming, and a nice quick read. What's not to love?

Would I recommend it?: I would definitely recommend it to anyone like me who isn't overly fond of Zombie horror, but still wants to experience the genre. For those who love 'real' Zombie fiction (I'm talking full on nightmare inducing horror) this may not be for you, it's pretty tame compared to some of the other stuff out there. I'd also definitely recommend the film too, Nicholas Hoult is a wonderful R, and he's pretty gorgeous too which doesn't hurt (Is it weird to be attracted to a Zombie…?)

Rating: 7.5/10

Buy it here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Warm-Bodies-Isaac-Marion/dp/0099583828

Book Review: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Title: The Night Circus

Author: Erin Morgenstern

Genre: Fantasy, Romance

Publish Date: September 13th 2011

Length: 490 pages

The Circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it... It  is simply there, when Yesterday it was not"

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern is a whirlwind journey through a world of magic, mystery, romance and illusions. Set late in 19th Century London, the book tells the story of the gifted prodigies of two great 'magicians': Prospero the Enchanter and Mr A.H. (most often referred to as The Man in the Grey Suit). The two are bound together at an early age, destined to spend their lives playing out the tormenting game of their tutors. They are given no rules, no boundaries, not even the identity of their competitor. All they know is that the setting for this game is an intriguing Circus open only at night.

Le Cirque des Reves or Circus of Dreams is unlike any other carnival seen before. Open only when the sun sets, many of the sights inside are mere illusions, however various members of the cast hide their true magical abilities under the guise of trickery. Celia, the daughter of Prospero, takes on the role of the enchanter in this circus, performing wondrous feats in her act, whilst also using her abilities to hold together the fragile circus more than anyone else understands. Her competitor Marco, the orphan ward of Mr A.H. keeps his distance from the Circus, working for its proprietor the eccentric Chandresh Lefevre, however he is also vital in the uphold of the Circus. However, despite the magic that binds them to battle against one another, they fall in love, not knowing the true repercussions this could hold for them and all those involved with the Circus.

Review: This book really was a pleasure to read. The imagery used is beautiful and encapsulating, and after a few chapters I found myself longing to visit a circus again. Erin Morgenstern has created such a wonderfully believable, yet truly magical world for the story that you cannot help but expect to see the Circus's black and white tents on the outskirts of your town. The characters are complex and genuine, and although the cast is rather large, you are never lost through the twining threads. It is written in a non-linear style, each chapter starting with the date and location. My advice would be to make sure you read these or you will soon start wondering what just happened in the chronology.

The two main threads of the story, the first of Celia and Marco, and the story of Bailey and the Twins seem hard to relate to each other at first, but by the end they collide so beautifully. Stay away from spoilers or the temptation to glance at the last few pages; it really will be worth your time. 

Would I recommend it?: Most definitely. Although this books seems to predominately appeal to those interested in magic and childish delights, I can really see anyone enjoying this book. So if you consider yourself a dreamer, why not join the ranks of the Reveurs and step into the Circus?

Rating: 8.5/10

Buy is here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Night-Circus-Erin-Morgenstern/dp/0099554798/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1382182902&sr=8-1&keywords=the+night+circus