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Showing posts from May, 2017

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

Publication Date: August 8th 2011 Genre: Middle-Grade, Science Fiction My Goodreads Rating: 3/5 Source:  Own Copy Miranda is a pre-teen living in New York City with her eccentric mum. Her best friend lives only a few apartments away from her, and her mom is auditioning for a reality TV show. Her life begins to unravel, when Sal (her best friend) gets hit by a street-side bully for no reason. Then her mom's spare key is stolen, and a rather mysterious note arrives. The note claims that the writer is coming to save the life of one of Miranda's friends. It asks Miranda to write a letter to the anonymous sender of the notes. The notes keep coming, and Miranda realises that the writer seems to be able to predict-accurately predict-the future. Each message leads her to believe that she can prevent a disaster. The last note however, makes her think she's too late to avert a tragic death.

Saturday Snapshot-Warrick Castle

Hey guys! Hope you've had a great week so far. If not- never fear, because it's the weekend! You all know what that means around here- another Saturday Snapshot post, hosted by Melinda . I'll be continuing my series about my trip to the UK in 2009. Here are some pictures of Warrick Castle, courtesy of my father: A rather unconventional view of the castle.

Summer Heat

Hot, stilted air Breeze laying dead Behind the branches,  Of the shrubs along the Busy roads Sickly-sweet, Jasmine fragrance, Artificial and dominating Hangs in the air,  Waiting to be replaced By the nasty, putrid odor Of the slums and sewers, Lining the streets As soon as the air shifts Wind will come, A miracle we hope for, When it does move the air, A rush of even warmer breeze Tickles our faces,  Replacing one desolate smell With another one,  Until the blessing of rain Shallow or deep,  Shifts the air again.  -Poem Fanatic

Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell

Publication Date: February 26th 2013 Genre: Romance, Young Adult My Goodreads Rating: 5/5 Source: Own Copy Eleanor is a social misfit. Her bright red hair stands out, she uses the wrong language, wears different clothes and she generally doesn't fit. She meets Park on the bus. Park is a social misfit. He sits alone, always listens to music and just seems different. Together they are the perfect pair. They laugh before they finish their jokes, talk about the same things, worry about the same issues, and confide in one another. I think this could possibly be one of Rowell's best books. It won the Goodreads Choice Award for 2013 (the year it was released) and warmed the hearts of many fellow readers.

Saturday Snapshot-Lake District

For last week's Saturday Snapshot I shared some pictures of flowers I encountered during our family trip to the UK (2009). Continuing with that theme, this week I'm going to share with you some more pictures of nature that we saw on our trip. Thanks to Melinda @ Westmetromommyreads for hosting this meme every week! If I'm not mistaken, I believe that this is Lake District....

The Risk

Vivid green, not beautiful,  but Electric! In a pool seeped in acid. Dip your fingers in,  Then your hand Dip your toes in,  Then your feet Feel the vibration, Through your toes, Push in further till your knees, Electric! The risk will burn you out, Delve further into the risk Explore the liquid, Feel the pain! Tiled and painted, The Pool is attractive, Green and smoldering,  You no longer are The risk was great, The adrenaline too, You shall never feel it again, For the pool drained you -Poem Fanatic

The Thing About Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin

Genre: Middle-Grade Publication Date: Aug 18th 2015 My Goodreads Rating: 4/5 Source: Library Copy Suzy is convinced that her best friend, the incredible swimmer, couldn't have drowned to death. She does some research and realizes that Suzy might have been stung by a rare jellyfish. She stops talking, communicating only with herself and her research, and goes through her first year in middle school as a child determined to prove the police wrong. Her shock and grief resonate with the reader through every page, her sheer determination sets her apart from all other grieving characters and her belief in her friend's abilities strikes the audience. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome on page, Suzy Swanson!

Top Ten Tuesday- Mother's Day Freebie

Hey guys! Today's TTT theme is "Mother Freebie". The Broke and the Bookish have left the list up to us once again, and today I'm going to be breaking the list down into a few categories. Best Books where the Mother Grieves: I know it's a weird title, but what I mean is best books where the mother loses her chance to be a mother. So here are my Top 3 books in this category. 1. The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman - This is a tricky one, because technically Isabel becomes a temporary mother in the story. It was never something that could've lasted. Nevertheless, this Australian, post-war story shakes you to the very core. 2. Life Without Summer by Lynne Griffin - The mother in this story loses her young daughter while she is at school. The suffering and pain that is shown in the novel can be hard to bear, but it punctuates every word and accentuates every sentence. 3. Night Road by Kristin Hannah - This book doesn't focus on just the g

Saturday Snapshot-Flowering UK

Hello everyone! It's Saturday- and by now, you should all know what that means! It's time for another Saturday Snapshot post! Melinda hosts this meme every week, and thanks to her, today I'll be sharing some more pictures of my family trip to UK in 2009. Enjoy these pictures of flora in UK: This is definitely my favourite picture!

Laze away

Languidly they lie, Creating a Sepulchral, Desolate emotion beneath them For those lives underneath,  Dusted by the dunes, They provide hope of  Temporary relief and sanity They never give way to their  Bulging stomachs, or to the Wishes of those who pray These clouds laze away For all eternity Through the summer haze -Poem Fanatic

Ink by Amanda Sun (Paper Gods #1)

Publication Date: June 8th 2013 Genre: Young Adult & Mythological/Fantasy My Goodreads Rating: 3/5 Source : Own Copy Katie Greene has just lost her parents, but to make the situation even worse she's being sent across the world to live with her aunt in Shizuoka, Japan. Katie feels lost in a new culture, struggling to learn Japanese and Asian cultures as she tries to fit in at her new Japanese school. Then she meets Tomohiro, the star of the school's Kendo team. His mysterious scar draws Katie in, but when she sees his drawings moving, she understands that she may not be prepared to understand how he really got hurt. Katie and Tomohiro make a dangerous team. A team dangerous enough to put a target on their backs.

Top Ten Tuesday- Things I'd like to see more of in books

Hey guys! Today, I'll be sharing with you the Top Ten things I'd like to see more of in books. I'm linking up with The Broke and The Bookish  for another Top Ten Tuesday this week. Hope you enjoy my list (which hasn't been written in any particular order)! 1. Historical Fictions set in Asia- Th only series I've read that falls into this category is Alex Rutherford's Empire of the Moghul s eries. I've read many historical fictions set in Germany and England. But I need more Asian History! 2. YA Books set outside US and UK -  I know I'm not the only one who struggles with this! I've read so many YA Books, and most of them are either set in the US or UK, or they're set in a completely different world. Someone please recommend a good YA book set around the world! 3. Books about book-haters - I can't help but think how interesting it would be for a group of book lovers to sit together and read about a main character who actively ha

Saturday Snapshot- The World of Beatrix Potter

Hey everyone! It's time to link up with Melinda once again, for another Saturday Snapshot. As you know, I've been sharing pictures of the family trip to UK back in 2009, so I'm going to show you some more pictures of the same vacation today. These pictures are all from "The World of Beatrix Potter", the author of the Flopsy Bunny series. We'd read the series as kids, and so of course, we just had to go visit the Flospy Bunnies!

Popular: Vintage Wisdom for the Modern Geek by Maya Van Wagenen

Publication Date: January 1st 2014 Genre: Memoir (both middle-grade and YA) My Goodreads Rating: 4/5 Source:  Own Copy Maya Van Wagenen used to be a shy, antisocial, awkward girl who attended a public school at Brownsville, Texas ( shares a border with Mexico). That all changed, however, when Maya found an old '50s book teaching girls how to be more popular. Maya signed herself up for a social experiment, following contemporary teen model Betty Cornel's advice for the entire school year, and documenting it as a memoir. This true story brought my attention to the entire genre of memoirs and opened my eyes to the world of young-adult non-fiction.

Top Ten Tuesday- Favourite Blue Covers

Thanks to Broke and Bookish , I'm back with another Top Ten Tuesday Post. This week's theme is a Freebie about Covers- which means I can basically create my own topic. I know there'll be some really creative lists out there, but I'm going to post my favourite blue covers and stick to the basics. So here are my Top Ten Favourite Blue Covers ( in no particular order) 1. This Adventure Ends by Emma Mills: I love the texture that this replicates! 2. Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi I wish I could say that I loved the book as much as I loved the writing..... 3. Anything But Typical by Nora Raleigh Baskin Doodles on covers aways draw me in. No matter what! 4.  Made You Up by Francesca Zappia If you hadn't guessed already, I have a weakness for watercolour/inked paintings! 5. The Thing about Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin  I just finished this book and I absolutely LOVED IT! (Look out for my review soon)! 6. Crossed by Ally Condie This entire s