It's About Love by Steven Camden

Disclaimer this isn't so much a review as a musing on what this book made me feel and think about. After all, that's what literature is meant to do.

  

"Real life is messier than the movies. A bold, thought-provoking novel from the exceptionally talented, Steven Camden.

He's Luke. She's Leia.

Just like in Star Wars. Just like they’re made for each other. Same film studies course, different backgrounds, different ends of town.

Only this isn't a film. This is real life. This is where monsters from the past come back to take revenge. This is where you are sometimes the monster.

But real life? Sometimes, only sometimes, it turns out just like in the movies…

… maybe."

Mini Review

Five stars! This was beautiful, thought provoking and completely different from what I originally thought it was going to be. Although parts of the plot were dramatic and shocking you always felt like it could be a true story. That was such an important aspect of the book because if it didn't feel real it wouldn't be as powerful. This story could have been happening in my local estate which is perhaps why I found it so poignant. Please, please, please read this book you won't regret it.

Thoughts and Musings

I can count on one hand the number of books that after reading them have made me want to put pen to paper and just write. About what I thought, what I agree with, what I disagree with and all thoughts that have been triggered as a result. Therefore, the fact that this book made me want to write says an awful lot about it.

Firstly, I want to talk about some of the marketing and the promotion associated with this book. I loved how creative it was. The author Steven Camden is a spoken word poet I have loved spoken word poetry ever since I was first introduced to it (Thank You Colleen Hoover for your masterpiece Slammed). So Steven wrote a poem introducing his book to his followers and I will link his poem right here: It's About Love- Introductory Poem Please watch it because it is amazing.

So the title. It's About Love. I have never read a truer sentence, and reading this book makes the meaning of that even clearer. Because everything is about love. Every emotion, decision, and action stem from love. Not just Romantic love but love for your family, friends, literature, art, music, maths whatever. Anger, hatred, passion- all are aspects of love. All of these things make us human. Isn't that one of the main points in Lauren Oliver's book Delirium? Without love, we are nothing but shells of human beings. Merely going through day to day life with no purpose or no meaning.

Love is an aspect of the human condition and perhaps the only thing that connects every human being that is or ever was alive. This book demonstrates that so perfectly. There is no pretentious flowery language. No overly complicated plot. You don't need someone to go through it with you to help you understand it. It is accessible which encompasses the message of the book. It doesn't matter if you are a rich kid from the right side of town or someone from the local estate whose brother just got out of jail. Everyone is bound through love.

The journey of self-love that Luke is on in the beginning follows every kind of love imaginable. Despite a few cliches, this was a fantastic book. In fact, it inspired all of these philosophical musings on love and its omnipotent presence etc. Also, I am not one to be this impassioned about love.

Please share your thoughts because I would love to hear your opinion.

Talk to you again :)

The Manifesto on How to be Interesting by Holly Bourne

"Apparently I'm boring. A nobody. But that's all about to change. Because I am starting a project. Here. Now. For myself. And if you want to come along for the ride then you're very welcome.

Bree is a loser, a wannabe author who hides behind words. Most of the time she hates her life, her school, her never-there parents. So she writes.

But when she’s told she needs to start living a life worth writing about, The Manifesto on How to Be Interesting is born. Six steps on how to be interesting. Six steps that will see her infiltrate the popular set, fall in love with someone forbidden and make the biggest mistake of her life.

From the bestselling author of Soulmates comes a fearlessly frank take on school, cliques and crushes."


Yet again Holly Bourne has produced a book which has exceeded all of my expectations and blew me away! I cannot wait for new releases from this author in the future. I love this book! It was so much more than the usual coming of age story; it is incredibly moving and so relevant to issues prevalent in today's society.

Bree has the courage to do what so many others are too scared to do- she changes. She changes her looks, personality and even her friends all in a quest to become a more interesting person. Bree is such a relatable character and whilst reading you feel like she is speaking directly to you about your school and your friends.

I was lucky enough to read and review Holly Bourne's first book "Soulmates" and although this book was very different they are equally as enjoyable and well written.

I cannot say anything more than READ THIS BOOK!!! I give it an easy 5 out of 5 and believe me when I say I will be recommending it to everyone I know.

Black Ice by Becca Fitzpatrick

"Britt Pfeiffer has trained to backpack the Teton Range, but she isn't prepared when her ex-boyfriend, who still haunts her every thought, wants to join her. Before Britt can explore her feelings for Calvin, an unexpected blizzard forces her to seek shelter in a remote cabin, accepting the hospitality of its two very handsome occupants—but these men are fugitives, and they take her hostage. 

In exchange for her life, Britt agrees to guide the men off the mountain. As they set off, Britt knows she must stay alive long enough for Calvin to find her. The task is made even more complicated when Britt finds chilling evidence of a series of murders that have taken place there... and in uncovering this, she may become the killer’s next target. 

But nothing is as it seems in the mountains, and everyone is keeping secrets, including Mason, one of her kidnappers. His kindness is confusing Britt. Is he an enemy? Or an ally?"

I was lucky enough to be sent an advanced copy of this book by Lovereading.co.uk and I am so glad because this is the sort of book I wouldn't necessarily pick up on my own. I am not a thriller sort of girl- I mean I get scared watching Hocus Pocus- but this was absolutely amazing and I am so glad I read it because it was such an incredible read! Also the fact that it was a book by Becca Fitzpatrick also pushed me to read it because I love the Hush, Hush series.

Twist after twist after twist. This book was so suspenseful and completely unpredictable. I loved the complexity of the story line and how you could trust no one. I don't want to say too much in case I give any of the plot line away. But I will say it is a must read! My favourite character was Britt because she was so strong she even surprised herself. And Mason is by far the most cryptic well put together character I have read in a long time. 

Yet again another amazing book from Becca Fitzpatrick, author of the best selling Hush, Hush series. Easily 5/5 stars! I hope there are many more books like this to come from her in the future. 

For my review on this book and many others visit www.lovereading4kids.co.uk/

Endgame by James Frey

"Twelve thousand years ago, they came. They descended from the sky amid smoke and fire, and created humanity and gave us rules to live by. They needed gold and they built our earliest civilizations to mine it for them. When they had what they needed, they left. But before they left, they told us someday they would come back, and when they did, a game would be played. A game that would determine our future.

This is Endgame.

For ten thousand years the lines have existed in secret. The 12 original lines of humanity. Each had to have a Player prepared at all times. They have trained generation after generation after generation. In weapons, languages, history, tactics, disguise assassination. Together the players are everything: strong, kind, ruthless, loyal, smart, stupid, ugly, lustful, mean, fickle, beautiful, calculating, lazy, exuberant, weak. They are good and evil. Like you. Like all.

This is Endgame.

When the game starts, the players will have to find three keys. The keys are somewhere on earth. The only rule of their Endgame is that there are no rules. Whoever finds the keys first wins the game. Endgame: The Calling is about the hunt for the first key. And just as it tells the story of the hunt for a hidden key, written into the book is a puzzle. It invites readers to play their own Endgame and to try to solve the puzzle. Whoever does will open a case filled with gold. Alongside the puzzle will be a revolutionary mobile game built by Google’s Niantic Labs that will allow you to play a real-world version of Endgame where you can join one of the lines and do battle with people around you.

Will exuberance beat strength? Stupidity top kindness? Laziness thwart beauty? Will the winner be good or evil? There is only one way to find out.

Play.

Survive.

Solve.

People of Earth.

Endgame has begun"

Fast paced, action packed, addictive read! This is mystery, action and part treasure hunt all in one! Also the clues throughout the book make it an interactive experience that is unlike anything else. 

This book was so exciting and the multiple points of view made it even more intense! Also, there was no one character who was my favourite which was interesting as in this sort of "fight to the death" situation you would expect there to be one main character that I would like but there were so many characters I liked.

The clues in the book was such a clever idea as they sent you all over the internet from watching videos to reading articles it was so much fun because you felt like you were a player in the book too!
In sort I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it to everyone!

This book was sent to me by lovereading.co.uk there are reviews of this book and many others on lovereading.co.uk

Top 5 Tuesday #1- New Adult Books/Series

The top five series have been flying around the blogosphere for quite some time now so I decided to hop on the bandwagon and start my own series. This will be pretty self-explanatory every week I will pick a category and tell you my top five in that category.

This week I am going to look at my top five favourite New Adult books and/or series. My only reason for this is because I feel as though New Adult isn't as talked about as it really should be so without further ado lets get started!

1. The Book Boyfriend Series by Erin Noelle

I love this series so so so much I mean lets be real who doesn't have a book boyfriend (if not multiple boyfriends I will happily admit I am a total book boy slut I will steal them and keep them all if I could). This is a fantastic story of how two book nerd best friends venture out into college and decide to set a challenge to meet and/or date all the different kinds of book boyfriends eg. rockstar, surfer and of course the all-American, boy next door etc. This book is funny, sexy and fun! I highly recommend this series for someone who doesn't mind a few lot of sex scenes.
Book 1: Metamorphosis

2. The Wanted series by Kelly Elliot

If you have followed my blog for a while, it will be no shock to see this series included as I have raved about it a lot! I did a whole post on the series a few months back which you can see here. If you like any country romance book you will love this series! In fact, I can no longer read any other country/ranch based romance cause it will always come second to these books. I talked about book boyfriends above and I can promise you there are some cracker book boyfriends in here! Basically, it is a series that follows a girl called Ellie and all of her friends and her brother. It's sexy, funny and also a tad sad in a non-depressing way. It is a brilliant book but be prepared for some sex scenes

Book 1: Wanted

3. The Boy Who Sneaks In My Bedroom Window by Kirsty Moseley

IGNORE THE TITLE! I know it sounds stalker-ish and kind of creepy, but honestly this is the sweetest book ever! If you were giving an award for best boyfriend in literature Liam would get it. Although 95% of this book is pure adorableness be aware that this does cover abuse/ rape but it is not graphic at all!!!!That is all you really need to know this is a beautiful book that is fan-flipping-tastic!!!

The Boy Who Sneaks In My Bedroom Window

4. Friend-Zoned by Belle Aurora

My best friend actually got me hooked on this book and I am so glad she did! This book is so incredibly funny and very sexy. The main guy in this book is so so hot and the girl is by far the funniest sweetest girl in any book I have ever read I swear I want her as my best friend. This is a really good book with a couple of brilliant twists throughout and I cannot recommend it enough!

Friend-Zoned

5. Foolish Games series by Leah Spiegel

A girl follows a band on tour instead of getting a job whilst her friend blogs about said band and the girl meets and starts to date the lead singer of the band. Sound realistic? Of course not but that is half the fun of this book! It is ridiculous and funny and just such an easy read that I love so much! I highly recommend this if you're looking for a fun light read.

Foolish Games Book 1

I hope you enjoyed this little post I have plenty more recommendations in this genre so if you would like a part 2 let me know.

Afterworlds by Scott Westerfeld

"Darcy Patel has put college and everything else on hold to publish her teen novel, Afterworlds. Arriving in New York with no apartment or friends she wonders whether she's made the right decision until she falls in with a crowd of other seasoned and fledgling writers who take her under their wings… 

Told in alternating chapters is Darcy's novel, a suspenseful thriller about Lizzie, a teen who slips into the 'Afterworld' to survive a terrorist attack. But the Afterworld is a place between the living and the dead and as Lizzie drifts between our world and that of the Afterworld, she discovers that many unsolved - and terrifying - stories need to be reconciled. And when a new threat resurfaces, Lizzie learns her special gifts may not be enough to protect those she loves and cares about most."

The only thing better than one great book is one great book inside a fantastic book!!!This was so original and exciting. The book never really slowed down as when Darcy's story line was not very exciting Lizzie's story was enticing and vice-versa.

   I thought Darcy was such a refreshing protagonist I loved how she noticeably matured throughout the book however I still think she has more growing up to do-Seriously Darcy, be more careful with money! 

   It is incredibly difficult for me to pick a favourite story line within the book but if I absolutely had to choose it would be Darcy's as it was her point of view that help me become invested in Lizzie's story. Also as someone who wants to get into the publishing world I found Darcy's story so interesting if not a little frightening

I highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone!!!

Underrated Books #1

I have decided to start a new series on this blog in which I highlight books and/or authors that I feel are under appreciated. Also seeing as I am from Ireland I feel like I can showcase some books that are lesser known in other countries.

1. Soulmates by Holly Bourne

I have already reviewed this book and you can read my full review here, however I still feel as though not enough people have read this book. Holly Bourne has an amazing way with words and makes you fall in love with all the characters in the story. This book is a modern tragic love story with all the ups and downs you'd expect. There is also aside story of two researchers/scientists that runs in alternate chapters throughout the book. In the second storyline of the scientists we hear how this relationship will only end up in disaster however, you as a reader still keep hope until the last few pages. This is a fabulous book which I highly recommend!

2. All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill

Yet again I am aware I have raved about this book several times prior to this but it still doesn't take away from the fact that this is an INSANELY good book! With the amount of dystopian novels appearing at the moment I can see how it may get lost in the crowd but with a plot as original and exciting as this it would be a damned shame if this book didn't get the hype it deserves! This book not only has a rich and exciting plot line but also has the most interesting character development I have ever read! I do have a fuller review of this book which you can see here.

3. Jacqueline Wilson

This woman was my all time favourite author from the age of 6 until I was 13/14 and I love all of her books. I know she is very well known in the UK and Ireland but outside of here she is never talked about and that has to change! She is an amazing writer who is not afraid to deal with hard hitting topics despite her target audience being middle grade and young teens. Through her books I have been reading about abuse, bullying, self image issues, coming out, mental illness and so much more from a fairly young age. Because of this I believe I have turned into a more understanding person and I owe a lot of it to Miss Wilson! If I were to suggest a few books of hers I would suggest: Kiss, My Sister Jodie, the Girls series and Diamond Girls. But really you can't really go wrong with any of this woman's books.

4. The Butterfly series by Denise Deegan

I truly believe this book isn't already hyped up because it was published by an Irish based company therefore it hasn't hit a large enough audience. This is such a surprising series I picked up the first one expecting not to like it that much but ended up loving it and the second book is one of only a handful of books that have literally moved me to tears! The series follows a group of friends who attend a well off school in Dublin, the first book follows Alex who is the daughter of emotionally distant rock star Dad and still struggles with her Mum's death. That's all you need to know it is best to go into all these books with little knowledge of what they are about. Trust me give this book a chance and you will not regret it because it just sucks you in and keeps you entertained from start to finish.

That's it for the first in my "Underrated Books" series let me know what you think of it and please let me know what books you think are completely underrated. Have a nice day and I'll see you again soon.