Book to Movie Adaptations

Everyone who enjoys reading books has at some point been excited about a book they have read being adapted for film but do we end up being disappointed?

I always read the book before I watch the film because if you read the book first you get to imagine for yourself the world the author has created and imagine the character's appearances for yourself because everyone will imagine things in a different way than you do. Then when you watch the film you will get to see how somebody else has imagined the world because that is what an adaptation is: somebody's interpretation of a book.

There have been some great adaptations that have been very successful and widely enjoyed.

The Maze Runner by James Dashner is an example of a great adaptation, one that I really enjoyed. James Dashner created a great idea and story line, one that I was really interested in but I found his writing style was quite hard to understand at times which made it difficult for me to fully enjoy the story at times. When the film came out I really enjoyed it and I felt that although there was differences to the book a really good job had been done adapting it for the big screen.

Harry Potter by J.K Rowling is a great example of a successful book to movie adaptation. I do prefer the books (no surprise!) but I really like how they brought the story to life. It satisfied fans of the books and it also brought new fans, encouraging reading.

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness which only came to cinemas at the start of this month is another one of my favourite adaptations so if you haven't seen it yet make sure you do, but read the book first! This was just a great adaptation because not a lot changed but I think this was down to the fact that Patrick Ness wrote the screenplay which not a lot of authors do but they should if they have the option.

Of course there are millions more adaptations that I could list here but if I did then this post would go on forever! Although,  I will tell you what book I would love to be adapted for film which is Cassandra Clare's Infernal Devices series. This would be great because there is the Shadowhunters TV show which is doing well.

The only problem I used to have with film adaptations is the fact that some events that happened in the book version either happened differently in the film or didn't happen at all. This is partly down to the tight time frames that films have to fit an entire book into but also due to what I wrote earlier about interpretations. How I fixed this problem because for me it was a big one, was that I viewed both the book and the film as different things entirely.

So to answer the question at the start of this post, I think an adaptation can only disappoint you if you let it disappoint you. I mean there will obviously be times when an adaptation doesn't turn out to make a good movie but mostly your love for how you see the book in your head is contributing to any negative thoughts you may have about the film. 

What's your most anticipated adaptation coming out this year? 

Mafiosa by Catherine Doyle

Masterpiece. That's tells you all you need to know about this book and this series. It was a masterpiece.

I was so excited when I got this book but I was sad to because I knew that once I read it then a great book series would be over. I kept on trying to read as slow as I possibly could just to make it last but that plan didn't really work out since I finished the day after I got it. I would do anything to be able to be able to read this series again with a fresh pair of eyes so if you haven't started this series yet then you are lucky!

Mafiosa is the last book in the blood for blood trilogy and as you can probably tell I loved it. The series starts in Chicago when five brothers move into the old deserted mansion near where Sophie Gracewell lives and that is when things start to get interesting.

I have actually reviewed the other two books in the series. Click here for Vendetta (the first book in the series) and here for Inferno (the second book in the series).

I feel like the cover is worth mentioning because it is just so beautiful.  I mean look at that cover and the other two books are just as pretty. I love displaying them on my bookshelves.

Since I finished this book a few days ago I have not stopped thinking about the life Sophie and Luca now have and I wish I could join them because it was just such a perfect end to a wonderfully addictive series. I have never ever cried before at a perfect ending of a book but I cried at this one. It is official Catherine Doyle is now my favourite author in the world and I can hardly wait to read what she has got in store for us next.

*Spoiler and Discussion Section

Now, please bare with me as we move into the spoiler and discussion section because I have written my notes out roughly on a piece of paper but I wrote them about five seconds after I finished the book so they are a bit all over the place. Stick with me whilst I sort them out into a format you will actually be able to understand!

...Ok, so I think I have all my points set out in an good enough order!

A general point first. This was the book that  I felt that I connected most with the Falcone boys (well, some of them anyway) and I think this  was simply because our main character Sophie was living right under their roof. I still don't like the most of them but I don't dislike them quite as much as I did. The thing with this book is that it is hard to know who you can like because the lines between good and evil are less defined, which is what makes this book so interesting.

Let's discuss Valentino. I have had a kind of love-hate relationship with Valentino. I have never been able to decide whether I hated him or liked him and to be honest I'm still not a hundred percent sure. However I do like the way things were left between him and Sophie. So much so that when he was killed I was sad. I liked the genuine happiness he had for Luca and Sophie. It is clear that he would have done anything and everything for his twin and clear throughout the novel that Luca would also return this. I thought that was a lovely element to include because it is good to see the love the brothers have for one another when they always act so tough all of the time. The part in the conversation where Valentino admits that he is afraid of losing Luca to Sophie makes him feel more human and it led me to respect him where I hadn't before. I mean when you look at Valentino has been a victim of indoctrination as have the other members of the family. They have been brought up being told that their 'way of life' is the right.

Felice. How on earth did not one of the Falcones realise that Felice was not loyal to them? I mean they mentioned after the Libero incident that they knew they had someone in their presence who was disloyal. I didn't expect them to know straight away but I can't understand why they didn't take more action. They could have questioned people or maybe they did and Sophie just doesn't know? I think that the evidence Sophie brought to Valentino was enough to take some form of action against Felice. That evidence indicated that Felice thought he was reason and motive to hate the Falcone boys in the sense that he believes his brother Angelo Falcone helped his wife leave which he resented. Then there is Felice's thirst for power and to be the boss of the Falcone family. Valentino and the other boys really underestimated what he would do to get it declaring him harmless.

At the end we read article about what happened on the yacht at Donata Marino mission number 2 and I found that I felt sad reading about Dom, CJ and Elena's death. In this book Elena opens up to Sophie and tells her how she wanted to end suffering, not inflict it which made come to like her, CJ I didn't know well enough to think anything about him and Dom, well I was never his biggest fan and I never will be yet still I was saddened by his death. The reason I think it upset me a little was because those deaths were just so unnecessary. They didn't need to happen. I think Sophie said at some point something along the lines of 'these families get themselves into a hell of a lot of trouble' and I agree with her, she's right.

Sophie was annoying me this entire novel. I understand she is grieving but she is using her desire for revenge as a coping method which is obviously not good. I love Sophie, she is a great character but I just wished that she would stop thanking the Falcones whenever one of them compliments her on her amazing weapon skills. It really isn't something she should want to be complimented on.

Now let's talk about our light in the darkness, Millie. No matter how hard things are for Sophie, Millie is always there for her sending a blast of positivity her way and that is what I love about Millie. The fact that she is always positive and will do anything for those that she loves. Millie by simply being herself is helping Sophie heal even though they both may not realise that. Even Luca acknowledges that Millie was a huge part of pulling Sophie out of the darkness that was consuming her. Do you remember the part in the novel where Sophie made the excuse of having a movie night with the Falcones? I have never laughed so hard as when Sophie told Millie what they were allegedly watching. Also Millie's boyfriends name: Crispin. It is such a funny name and Luca increased my laughter by asking 'What a Cris-pin was?'. I guess my point is that wherever Millie goes laughter follows. Every time. No exceptions. This is much a much needed element to a book and I applaud Catherine Doyle for writing Millie's character so perfectly. Millie really is the best friend we all want and need.

If you read my review of Vendetta and Inferno you may know that I hate Nic... just a little. Well, that has not changed. I was already gritting my teeth because he was irritating me so much and I think I was on chapter two. I honestly don't know how I stood him for that entire book, was it just me or did he get even more annoying? I don't even know if that is possible.  Again, he fought with Luca over a girl he had no chance with but he was to much of an idiot to see that. I really loved that scene though, Luca definitely shocked him. At the end of the book we see that Nic is made boss of the Falcone family and that worries me for the future but I didn't dwell on it because there were more important things to think about, leading me nicely on to my next point.

Luca and Sophie are free! Free! They are going to have happy brilliantly peaceful lives. I was so happy that Sophie got out because she was so eager to get the revenge which she thought would grant her relief but obviously would only make her feel worse about herself. And of course for the whole book she point blank refused to listen to Luca which made him then worry about her. Luca was just as bad when Valentino died as he went on the same dark path that Sophie had been on for the entirety of this book and this can only lead to disaster. Disaster that was sure to happen only they both got lucky at Donata Marino mission number one.

I'll admit I was worried about Luca for a while whilst Sophie was at Evelina's and Luca was supposedly back in Chicago going on Donata Marino mission number 2. Luckily though he had come to his senses and was racing as fast as he could to Sophie for the better life he wanted and deserved. I got the happy ending I always wanted for them. That was the one thing I wished for before reading Mafiosa and I got it!

Evelina! I should have known that there was a reason that there was so much focus on Evelina in that book! How did I not guess that she was the one who was going to look after Sophie? I don't know how I missed it but I remained convinced that she was dead for the whole entire book.

Thank you for reading this review! Please let me know what you think!

Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson

To sum this book up in two words: heartbreaking but also heartwarming.

The story follows a girl called Taylor and she has always been close with her Dad but it wasn't until her family go to spend their summer at their old lake house from the past that she really gets to know him. Taylor is confronted with people she used to be friends with until her friendship with them ended badly five years ago: the last time she visited the lake house. Although this is a sad story it is also one full of laughs and fun characters. And despite her Dad's illness Taylor finds herself having a summer she will never forget.

The title of the book tells you a lot about the story that awaits you. For our protagonist Taylor this coming summer really is a time for second chances. It is a second chance with some people from the past, a second chance to get to know her ill father and spend time with her family but also to give herself a second chance. Taylor has always ran away from her problems but this summer she finds herself put in a situation impossible to run from. She has the chance to right the past and be true to herself.

This book had a really good sense of community about it. All these people come together every summer and enjoy the summer months together. Many of the children have been coming up since they were babies and so in a way they grow up together. Many make their best friends for life over the space of a few months despite the fact that they may live hours away from one another. I thought that this was really interesting to read about.

I loved this book and I can not recommend it enough. If you have not checked it out yet, please go and do so because it really is fantastic.

*SPOILER SECTION

I wish this book had a sequel, just so that I could visit Taylor's family and friends again. There was just so many characters that I loved even though some were only minor characters: Warren, Henry, Gelsey, Lucy, Elliot, Taylor's dad, Davy, even Fred (Taylor's boss) and of course Taylor herself.

I particularly enjoyed the flashbacks Matson included throughout the novel as I was eager to learn more about Taylor and the time she spent at the lake house in the past. I needed to know what exactly happened five years ago at the lake house especially as Matson didn't seem to be in a rush about revealing this piece of information. I feel though that when this information was shared, it was, well, a bit disappointing. I mean, yes it certainly wasn't good that Taylor ran away and left her friends without saying goodbye but it wasn't the worst thing to happen in the world. I think it was just too built up because it was something that could be easily sorted out with an apology. I am not criticizing the book however because this was obviously just a stupid incident that over time Taylor has built up in her head to something massive. I'm just saying from Taylor's behavior I thought it was going to be a lot worse.

I admired Taylor as a character as I thought she handled her situation well especially at the end.

I hope that you enjoyed this book as much as I did!  

My Top Reads Of 2016

Hello!

From the title of the post you have probably already guessed what this post is all about. So let's get started on sharing my book highlights of 2016!

In no particular order:


1)Empire Of Storms by Sarah J Maas

Again no explanation is needed. This is the fifth book in the Throne Of Glass series and is part of a six book series. If you want to know more about the series I have a review of both Throne of Glass and Empire of Storms. I will leave a link to both reviews at the end of this post. If your not interested well just take it from me that this series is absolutely fantastic.


2)Vendetta and Inferno by Catherine Doyle

I came across this series when I met the author at a book event called Dept Con 2. I was so happy to come across this series because they are just amazing. The book starts in a quiet town where nothing really happens until five brothers move into the old run down mansion which has been uninhabited for years. If you want to know more about the series I have reviews of both books.


3) Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare 

The first book in a new series by Cassandra Clare but still set in the Shadowhunter world. This follows Emma Carstairs and the Blackthorn children in the aftermath the war between shadowhunters and Sebastian Morgenstern. I have a review of this book to if you want to know more.


4) What's a Girl Gotta do? by Holly Bourne

A epic conclusion to an epic series about the importance of feminism. I can't praise this series enough and if you haven't read it them I urge you to check it out. It begins with Am I Normal Yet?

5) Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead

I have only recently read these books since a friend of mine recommended them to me and I was so glad that I decided to give them a try because I really enjoyed them. The six book series follows a girl called Rose Hathaway and her best friend Lissa.


And that brings my last post of 2016 to a close. Obviously I have read so many more great books this year than I have listed but here is just a few that stand out to me.

All that's left for me to say now is Happy New Year!

See you next year!

Throne Of Glass Review 
Empire Of Storms Review
Vendetta Review
Inferno Review
Lady Midnight Review

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them Review

Hi everyone!

Firstly, before we get into this very exciting review I just want to make a quick apology. I have just been so busy with tests and work lately that I have had absolutely no time to even think about writing a post never mind actually sitting down and writing one. This result of this means that unfortunately I've haven't posted in a while but hopefully everything is back to normal now!

Now, you may be thinking that Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is most certainly not a book and I agree with you, it most certainly is a film not a book but I'm sure you won't mind because this is a story in the world of Harry Potter so I'm sure you can agree that this is a big thing.

Now I absolutely loved this film so much that I went to see it twice and I wouldn't object to seeing it a third time. It was that good.

I think when you set out to make a successful film a major factor is pace. It has to have perfect pacing which I think was done well in the film as everything happened at a believable and realistic pitch which made the film really enjoyable to watch.

The characters, the world and of course the fantastic beasts were all created amazingly which I knew would be because this a work of J.K. Rowling that we're talking about.

I feel like we have been so spoiled this year with all the new Harry Potter stuff between plays and screenplays and films there has just been so much. Trust me when I say that I am not complaining.

I also believe that there are going to four more films in this new series and I am beyond excited to see what J.K Rowling has in store for us. Any ideas?

So that is it for the non-spoiler section although why I'm even doing a non-spoiler section in this review because if you have not seen the film then your obviously living under a rock.

*Spoiler Section

Firstly I want to discuss the fantastic beasts. My favourite just had to be the niffler. That little thing had be laughing the whole way through, he was just like a magpie doing anything and everything to get his paws on something shiny!

My favourite character definitely had to be our little muggle, Jacob (I don't know where to start spelling his second name). I definitely want to see him reunited with Newt in the second film and also with Queenie although we do see them meet up again at the end of the film in his bakery.

I also really want Creadence to chose the right side which is definitely not Mr. Graves aka Grindelwald.

That's really it. I know it was a short review but I hoped you enjoyed it.

What's your favourite fantastic beast?

Bye!

Spoilers, Spoilers, Spoilers

Hello!

So, this post is all about... Spoilers!

Everyone I think has had their favourite books spoiled for them at some point whether it be the death of a favourite character or whatever but if you are this thinking well, I haven't had my favourite book spoiled then please feel free to comment below and tell your secrets! How do you manage it?

If your anything like me then you probably don't like spoilers or maybe you do. I have a friend and she literally checks for spoilers before she watches an episode of whatever TV show she is watching. I don't know how or rather why she does that!

It's why I always have specific spoiler section on my blog because I really hate anything that spoils even the smallest little detail. This is also why my introductions are so short because although I want you to go away and read the book, I don't want you to know much about because then it won't be as enjoyable for you.

Now then, I think we have gathered now that I really don't like spoilers, so now I am going to give you three hopefully useful ways of avoiding spoilers!

1) Avoid the Internet 

Now, I don't mean that you have to literally not go on the internet whilst you're reading a book (because in my case that would mean I would have to avoid it forever!) but rather avoid searching for anything to do with the book. Also, try and avoid the authors' websites and social media accounts.
 

2) Don't Tell Your Friends You Like Something If You Know They Like It Too

Basically, if you know that your friends really like a certain book series and you have just recently started it, don't tell them until after you've finished it because then it's less likely that your friend will accidentally spoil anything for you.


3) Read and Read Fast

Get your hands on a book as soon as it comes out and then read it as fast as you possibly can. Make sure you are one of the first to finish!


Finally, you don't want to spoil something for anyone else so here is a piece of advice so that you don't spoil a book for someone else without meaning too!

1) Warnings

If you are writing a blog post about a book always make sure you label spoilers before you write them!

I hope you enjoyed this nice and short post about spoilers.

Bye for now!

Inferno by Catherine Doyle

Hi!

Today, I'm going to be reviewing as you might have guessed Inferno by Catherine Doyle. The amazingly, wonderful sequel to the amazingly, wonderful Vendetta.

Catherine Doyle is a really talented author with a real gift for storytelling. I would absolutely love to be even half as good a writer as she is one day.

If you haven't read or even heard of this amazing series by Catherine Doyle, well don't worry, I have a review of the first book in the series so you can see exactly what you've been missing out on.

Review of Vendetta:
http://youneedtoreadthese.blogspot.co.uk/2016/11/vendetta-by-catherine-doyle.html

After book one, I had very high expectations for book two, Catherine Doyle certainly set the bar high for herself but she passed with flying colours. In fact, she exceeded my expectations with this amazing book and if you have read it then I am sure you'll agree.

Now let us move on to this book where I can go into much greater detail about my opinions or certain happenings within this book.

*SPOILER SECTION


I feel like I discussed a lot of my opinions and views of the majority of characters in my review of book one which leaves only a few left that I want to discuss.

I character that met the most horrible and most unfair fate was poor Sara Marino. Sara was so easy to like and she made an instant connection with our main character Sophie. Sara had a passion for music and had a desire to study it at university. Only Sara never got that chance because Sara had the misfortune to be born into the wrong family. Sara was born into the Marino family, a family that had been in a feud with another family, the Falcones, a family we know all too well.

The fact that Nicoli killed that innocent girl who had her whole life ahead of her just makes me hate him even more if that is even possible. I hate that he thinks he still has a chance with Sophie and hate that he shoved Luca out a window because if it. I have so many more examples up my sleeve which can tell you why I hate Nicoli so much but if I don't stop now then we will be here all night. Plus I have already went to great detail in my review of book one which you can check out if you want.

I just want to ask you one question. Why is Luca the only person in the Falcone family that knows the difference between right and wrong? I understand that they have been born into the family and have been brought up in that way. Even still, if Luca can see that what they are doing is wrong then why can't his brothers at least admit it? I'm sick of them all acting like heroes.

Next, I would like to talk about Sophie's uncle, Jack. I always thought that their was something off about him but I never expected him to be so uncaring when Sophie's mother was killed, especially since it was all his fault. As the novel went on, I came to suspect that maybe Jack and Sophie's dad were the long lost Marinos so it wasn't a huge shock to me, although I was interested to see what Sophie made of the news.

Sophie was told that she was a Marino in the worst possible way. She was told by the Falcones whilst she was looking for their help. This was certainly not at all helpful to Sophie's plea for help as it just made her look like a spy sent to get information from the Falcones.

Also I cannot believe Sophie's dad was involved all along. I honestly thought that him murdering Angelo Falcone was just an unfortunate accident and I feel so bad for so bad for Sophie who basically has lost her whole family within days.

Before I go, I just want to talk briefly about Sophie's mum again. I was so heartbroken that she died and to be honest I don't really know how Sophie is going to cope now that her mother who alongside Millie was the one to keep her grounded.

I was so thankful that Luca came to help her as it is definitely not good for  to bottle up her feelings, the way she was. I love the thing Luca and Sophie have going on. She saves him, he saves her.

Anyways, I am so excited for Mafiosa, it's already pre-ordered and January can't come fast enough.

What are your thoughts on this book?

See you next week!

Vendetta by Catherine Doyle

Hello!

I'm back with another review!

Today I am going to be reviewing book one in Catherine Doyle's blood for blood saga, Vendetta!

I'm obsessed with this series, in fact both books made it on to my shelf with Sarah J Maas and Cassandra Clare, which is in other words my favourite shelf.

This book is the romantic thriller genre but when I purchased the book I had absolutely no clue what it was about, all I knew was that people have been talking about it and I have only ever heard good things.

I don't want to tell those of you who haven't read the book much about it simply because I myself really enjoyed not knowing a great deal but don't worry I'll leave you with a nice short cryptic little  explanation to intrigue you further.

Sophie Gracewell has a pretty dull summer ahead of her working shifts at her family's diner until one day five brothers move into the old, deserted house known as Priestly manor. But are the brothers who they appear to be?

I would one hundred percent recommend this book to anyone looking for a real page turner, a book that is utterly impossible to put down. Honestly, whilst reading this book no matter how many times I tried to put it down, five minutes later I had picked it up and was reading more. You won't be able to rest until you know what happens and then you will instantly need the second one and then after that you will be forced to wait for the third (and final) book which doesn't come out until January. I can't wait that long!

Anyways, for those of you still to read the book I hope you enjoy but for those of you have already read it then please stay with me as I move into the spoiler section where I will discuss different aspects of the book.

*SPOILER SECTION

First of all, can we please discuss Nic's character? Sorry, Nicoli, I don't think he's worthy of a nickname. I have never met a more unlikeable character. He lies about everything and anything, sure Nicoli lies about lying. He is deceitful and definitely not worthy Sophie. What makes Nicoli even more irritating is that he always thinks he is right about everything when he is rarely right about anything. Seriously, how does he think that it acceptable to shoot someone? Then after shooting Sophie's uncle he goes to the hospital and pretends like nothing ever happened. As usual, he's convinced he's done nothing and poor Sophie is so out of it that she can't get him to go away.

Next, I would love to talk about Millie, Sophie's best friend. Millie is such a good person, I mean just look at how good a friend she is to Sophie. She has stuck by Sophie through thick and thin. Millie, is a character who brings light into the story, she is a character who we readers can relate to more so than other characters. Based on the nature of this novel and the story line it can be really hard to make a connection with many of the characters but Millie isn't like this which is why I think it is so important that she is there for us, readers and of course for Sophie. I don't think Sophie would be very strong character without Millie which is why I really appreciate her presence in the novel.

Another character I have been eager to discuss is Luca. I absolutely love him and this love grows throughout this series but obviously since this is a review of book one I will stick to book one. I love the relationship he and Sophie have in Vendetta. I love his witty remarks and comebacks which never failed to make me laugh. Let's skip to the end of the book for a minute, when Luca got shot. Even the way it's described through Sophie's eyes as how it was like a scene from the movies where it is always slow and dramatic. When Luca was shot it was quick and he was lying on the ground in a pool of blood when just seconds before he was up on his feet. This is effective because it creates tension for us readers but it also gives us an insight into how Sophie feels about the situation and  I think that it's obvious that she isn't happy. I was so happy that Sophie took action and saved Luca because if he died let's just say there would have been a lot of tears involved. I loved their little passing of notes on the last page, I especially loved Nic's confusion because well, it serves him right!

Sophie I think is a good protagonist and I like her a lot. I feel like she is such a strong character at the start of Vendetta considering all that she has been through already with her father being in prison, I mean she is working at the diner to help with the situation at her home and also she has to deal with people gossiping about her every move. By the end, of Vendetta she is stronger still and went through so much. Throughout the novel she was brave and fearless and made some quite stupid decisions, but good stupid decisions if you know what I mean.

Overall I absolutely loved this book, it was filled with such interesting characters and an original story line.

I can't wait to review the sequel to Vendetta called Inferno! Please let me know what your thoughts are on this book?

Bye!

My Experience of Meeting Sarah J Maas

Hello Everyone!

So, if you've read by blog before then I am sure you've probably guessed that I am a massive Sarah J. Maas fan.

I absolutely love Sarah's books and I am so attached to the characters and worlds that she has created.

If you haven't read any of her books or even heard of Sarah J. Maas before then let me tell you what you've been missing. You've been missing two massive fantasy series. One by the name of Throne of Glass and the other by the name of A Court of Thorns and Roses.

Throne Of Glass follows a young assassin named Celaena and her journey to achieving her freedom after she lost it when she made the mistake of being captured. Currently there are five books in the series however the last one is coming out September 2017.

A Court Of Thorns and Roses follows another girl called Feyre who will stop at nothing to protect her family. One day, Feyre kills a wolf to put food on the table however it might have been the biggest mistake of her life when she discovers the wolf wasn't really a wolf but a faerie and the cost for killing him is high. Two books are currently released and the final book is expected to be out in May 2017.

Anyway, coming back to the point of this post is to tell you all about my experience of meeting my favourite author.

I was one of the first to purchase my tickets to Dept Con 2 which is Ireland's only YA book convention, as I had a great time when I attended Dept Con 1 the year before. In fact I enjoyed it so much that I bought my ticket before even finding out which authors were attending!

I had suspected that maybe, just maybe Sarah J Maas would come as her UK tour was to be around the same time but I wasn't getting my hopes up. However, one day I came home from school and I had no idea that the first author had been announced. My mum happily told me that Sarah J Maas was going and you can only imagine my reaction. Lets just say it involved a lot of jumping around the house with excitement.

Now, the actual event! It was just fantastic, Sarah talked for about an hour and the venue was packed with excited fans. It was so interesting, Sarah talked about how she connects music to scenes from her books and loads more!

Afterwards followed a signing and I was so nervous meeting her but I made myself speak because I knew that I would regret it if I didn't. Hopefully I didn't make to big a fool of myself! I also gave Sarah a book of quotes that I had made for her, filled with quotes from all of her books. I hope she liked it.

That's all for now, I hoped you enjoyed this post!

Bye!

Related posts:

Dept Con 2: http://youneedtoreadthese.blogspot.co.uk/2016/10/dept-con-2-irelands-only-ya-convenrion.html

Throne of Glass Review: http://youneedtoreadthese.blogspot.co.uk/2016/01/fantasy-corner-throne-of-glass-review.html

Empire Of Storms Review: http://youneedtoreadthese.blogspot.co.uk/2016/10/fantasy-corner-empire-of-storms-by.html

The Call by Peadar O'Guilin

Hi!

A new book review! 

So, this book is in the horror genre (just in time for Halloween) and I have to say that it really is an unnerving read.

The book is set in Ireland and it is quite a scary Ireland. Basically one day, about twenty years ago Ireland was closed off from the rest of the world. Nobody could get into Ireland and nobody could get out. This is because the Sídhe which is Irish for faeries want to take back the Ireland that was stolen from them by the Irish years ago. This affects everyone in Ireland but it affects teenagers the most because at some point in their teenage years they are called to the grey land which is Sídhe land. In the real world when the teenagers are called they are gone for three minutes but in the grey land it is a full day. The teenagers are more likely to return dead than alive.

This book is very good with a great, original story line and I cannot wait for the sequel to this. I would definitely recommend giving this  a read if you haven't already.

*SPOILER SECTION 

The book follows main character, Nessa who is disabled and guaranteed to die during the call which just makes her more determined to survive and she worked so much harder than the rest to ensure that she at least stood a chance. I was so happy that she survived.

The plot line of when Conor and his knights are planning to murder Nessa because she "disrespected him" is just complete and utterly ridiculous. Seriously what is wrong with Conor? Even during his call, he was so happy to be in the grey land. It was like he had just arrived at the world's best party. I just don't understand him and even though he is dead now, I still want to understand his motives. I mean there has to be a reason, maybe he was a Sídhe.

When Megan did not survive her call, I was so upset. She was such a strong character who always spoke her mind. Even though she didn't survive I am still so happy that she managed to get the message back to the others to warn them of the danger that was coming their way. In a way she achieved what she set out to do.

I love Anto and when he got called I was terrified for him but something inside me knew he would survive and even though they made him a giant at least he returned alive. I was so happy for him and Nessa to hopefully have the future they should have had without the fight. 

When I met Peadar O'Guilin at Dept Con 2 I asked him about outside Ireland and what the other counties are doing about Ireland. Do they even know? His answer to me was that we will definitely get the answer to this in the next book. 

For anyone interested I have a post about my experience of Dept Con 2 here:

 http://youneedtoreadthese.blogspot.co.uk/2016/10/dept-con-2-irelands-only-ya-convenrion.html

So I hope you enjoyed this review. Please comment and let me know!

Bye for now! 

Dept Con 2- Ireland's only YA convention

So last weekend (oct 14th and 15th) I attended Ireland's one and only YA convention Dept Con 2 in Dublin. I also attended the first ever dept con last October (150 attended) and can I say dept con 2 has widely expanded this year. Featured were twenty four authors and four hundred in the audience as the event was completely sold out.

Friday's panels began at around four in the afternoon with a panel featuring authors David Levithan and Rachel Cohn. Both of these writers write separately but they also co-write a lot producing books such as Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist. In the panel the authors read a bit from their latest novel and spoke about how they got writing together. Both authors provided very interesting points on writing advice, Rachel Cohn suggested setting yourself small goals which will eventually become part of a bigger goal.

Following the panel there was a signing which provided me with the chance to get my books signed and also have a chat with the authors. This was the structure of every author panel.

Also on Friday featured the amazing Holly Bourne, author of Am I Normal Yet? talking about feminism and I felt so lucky because I got the first copy signed of her new novella in the Spinister club world due to be released in Novemeber.

The funniest panel by far was the panel containing Derek Landy author of Skulduggery Pleasant. Also featured on this panel was Cecelia Ahern, author of PS I Love You and Eoin Colfer author of Artemis Fowl. Every time I encounter Derek Landy (I think this was my fifth time) he never fails to make me laugh. I don't know where he gets his sense of humor from but he had the whole audience dying of laughter and of course Cecelia Ahern and Eoin Colfer had their part to play in this also.

Coming up last on Friday night was Sarah J Maas, author of Throne Of Glass and her panel was just fantastic. It was so interesting to listen to her talk about her writing habits, favourite shows and fighting with her publishers to let her keep Manon in Heir Of Fire (thank goodness they let her!!). Even getting to chat with Sarah J Maas for a few minutes whilst she signed my books is a memory I think I will always have with me. Sarah J Maas will more than likely have her own post dedicated to my experience of her panel at Dept Con so watch out for that!

Opening up on Saturday morning with an early start was Laini Taylor, author of Daughter Of Smoke and Bone. I particularly enjoyed listening to her talk. Laini Taylor said something that I found very interesting, something I thought was odd for a bestselling author. She said that writing doesn't always come easily to her and sometimes she has to sit down and force herself to write. This was something I found I agreed with and when meeting her I told as much. Her advice to me was to set myself goals (similar to Rachel Cohn) otherwise my book will never get written and she is quite right so I plan to put this in action; hopefully I will be able to manage writing two chapters a week.

Up next was Estelle Maskame and Eilis Barrett whom were part of the young published authors panel.

 Estelle Maskame is just nineteen and already has three books published in her Did I Mention I Love You? trilogy and she is currently working  on a contemporary standalone novel which I am so excited for.

Eilis Barrett author of Oasis is just sixteen years only and already she has her first book out in the world, she is currently working on the sequel to this. I was very interested to read her novel after hearing her talk at Dept Con 1 last year and I have to say she did a very good job. I really enjoyed the story and I await the sequel. Eilis made me realise that my dream is achievable and I plan to work really hard on my own novel to get it as good as it can possibly be.

Both of the above authors have two very different views on the publishing of their novels. When asked (by me!) during the Q and A about their experiences of publishing, Estelle Maskame responded by telling everyone in attendance about her experience of writing for fun. She explained how when she was thirteen, she locked herself in her bedroom to write a chapter a week for keen readers on Wattpad. She had said that it was always a dream of hers to get published but outlined her shock when she came home one day to discover she had been offered a book deal. Estelle Maskame is very big on the idea of writing for yourself first and she views all her fans and readers as an extra bonus. However Eilis Barrett has a very different perspective stating that she never uploaded any of her novel to the internet because she always knew she wanted it to be published.

The next panel I want to discuss is the panel with Peadar O'Guilin, author of The Call moderated by David Maybury who photobombed my picture with Peadar O'Guilin. The panel itself was hilarious and the signing was great also. As I said above my picture was photobombed which was so funny and the picture is so good! I got my copy of The Call signed along with a copy for my school libarian.

The last two authors of the night was Sarah Crossan, author of One and Brian Conoghan, author of The Bombs that Brought Us Together. These two authors I believe have wrote a book together called, We Come Apart and this will be released on Febuary 9th 2017. When speaking to Brian Conoghan at the signing afterwards he told me not to give up on writing my novel which I very much appreciated.

Overall Dept Con was just fantastic and amazing and wonderful. I would like to say a special thanks to everyone at easons who made Dept Con 2 happen. Until next time! 

A Guide for Non-Readers- What to Read?

Hi non-readers!

So welcome back to my guide for non-readers! This time I am going to be talking to you about what exactly you should read if your just getting started.

For those of you who haven't been here before I have two previous posts in this little series.

Why should you read?
http://youneedtoreadthese.blogspot.co.uk/2016/05/a-guide-for-non-readers-why-should-you.html

And also, How to find the time to read.
http://youneedtoreadthese.blogspot.co.uk/2016/08/a-guide-for-non-readers-how-to-find.html

I definitely don't want to offend anyone by naming a particular genre or age group of books. What I want to help you to do is narrow a specific group of books for you so that you can discover the joy of reading.

So, What type of shows do you watch on TV? This is the first step, narrowing down a genre specific to your interests. Think about what you like to watch on TV and what your hobbies/interests are. Once you have discovered a genre you like whether this be horror, fantasy or contemporary you have completed step one and already you have narrowed down your options which will lead to you hopefully finding your ideal book.

Step two is to select a handful of books from the genre and read its synopsis then choose the one you think you will like the most.

This is all there is to it really however piece of advice. It probably isn't the best idea if your just getting started reading to read a 600 page book, start with something smaller.

For my recommendations section I will select some genres and recommend some books from them. Sorry, if I leave out your genre.

Fantasy: City of Bones by Cassandra Clare (this is quite lengthy but it is very addictive.)
Horror: Cirque du Freak by Darren Shan
Contemporary: Am I Normal Yet? by Holly Bourne

That's all for now, Bye! 

Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas

Hi!

Today I am going to be reviewing the fifth book in the Throne of Glass series by the Queen of fantasy Sarah J. Maas. I feel like I won't do this book any justice in my review because it is just so fantastic so all I can do is urge you to read the latest installment of the series regardless of what I say here.  If you have no idea what this series even is, where have you been? However ever there is no need to worry because I have a review of the first book which isn't great as its my first ever review but it will tell you what the book is about.

My review of the first book for anyone interested:
http://youneedtoreadthese.blogspot.co.uk/2016/01/fantasy-corner-throne-of-glass-review.html

 So, where do I even start in reviewing this amazing book! I am very sorry but this review is probably going to be all over the place but I hope you like it all the same!

I was so nervous but excited for this book and the lead up to its release was just great.  I had so many speculations and expectations for this book and Sarah J. Maas did not disappoint.

There isn't very much I can say as I don't want to give anything away because trust me when I say you don't want this book spoiled for you so if you haven't read it yet, please go away but definitely come back when you have!

*SPOILER SECTION

The book opens up with a chapter from Elena's perspective all those years ago and I thought this was quite interesting to begin with.

Something that annoyed me and it's a point I think everyone noticed (it was quite obvious) was the complete lack of Chaol. Chaol is one of all-time favourite characters in this series even after the last book Queen Of Shadows. Yes, the way he behaved last book annoyed me but I can understand and the amount of hate he got upsets me. I mean Aelin told him that the only thing to do would be to kill his best friend, how would you react to that? Even look at the way Celaena/Aelin reacted when she dicovered Nehema. Anyone that was a minor problem I had with Empire Of Storms but hopefully he will be back next book.

Manon. When Manon was introduced to us back in Heir Of Fire I wasn't really interested, in fact I used to skip her chapters becuase I was just so desperate to get back to the characters I knew. However I really like her now and I feel like we got to see the real her a lot more than we did last book. I cannot believe she is Crochan Queen, I mean how much royalty is there now? I'm really interested to see her character develop further in the next and last (oh no!) book.

Dorian did not disappoint in this book either. His magic continues to impress me and I can't wait for him to get some proper training so that he can be as powerful as Aelin. I felt so upset when he lost his Kingdom but i'm sure he will get it back. Well, he better get it back, Dorian Havilliard is the best thing that ever happened to Adarlan and he can make such a big difference. I'm a bit scared for him next book because I have a slight feeling that Sarah J. Maas may kill him off. I could be wrong (I hope I am because Dorian is another one of my favourites) because I don't have any reason for thinking this, the thought just came and never left.

I also really want to write about Elide and Lorcan. I am so happy that those two crossed paths and I love to read their chapters and it is so funny how much I really love Lorcan now as I hated him before. I think Elide really helped his true personality come out. I also really love Elide and how loyal she is to Aelin and Terrasen before even meeting her. I love that she didn't buy into what Lorcan told her about Aelin.

I don't really feel the same connection to Aelin that I once did as she has just become so strong and powerful now but I still support her. I am really, really scared for her  especially with the way things were left and I cannot believe I have to wait a year to find out.

Fenrys and Gavriel. The latest additions crew and the once members of Rowan's cadre. Gavriel I think is reasonable to say is definitely the most serious of the two and he takes his oath to Maeve very seriously. Although Gavriel himself, was most certainly not happy when the oath was severed I have to say that I was. I think with time Gavriel will come around to the idea and I am very interested to see how the father-son relationship develops between Gavriel and Aedion in the next book. I was however sad that Fenrys' oath was not severed also but of course Maeve wouldn't give him what he wanted as she wants to punish the two. I hope that Fenrys can find a way to get around Maeve's orders and hopefully leave some clues for Rowan trying to rescue Aelin because she definitely cannot die.

So, that's it for this review, I really hope you liked it. I hope that my reviews are improving as they go along, please let me know!

Bye!

A guide for non readers- how to find the time to read

Hi everyone!!

So I haven't done one of these in a while but for anyone that doesn't know this is a guide that I hope will help encourage you to read if your not a massive fan of books.

Here is a link to my last post which outlines why you should read (sorry I haven't updated in so long):
http://youneedtoreadthese.blogspot.co.uk/2016/05/a-guide-for-non-readers-why-should-you.html?m=1

So this time I thought I'd write about how to find the time to read. The first piece of advice I will give you is to bring a book everywhere and I mean everywhere. You never know when your going to get the chance to read, you might get a five minute break or a free period where your able to read.

Another idea is to plan when you are going to read such as before bedtime or after dinner. Put aside an hour or half an hour where you know that during that time you are going to read.  

That's all I can really say so I hoped it helped. This time I am going to recommend you to read Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas because the fifth book in the series is coming out this September. I have reviewed this book although it isn't very good because it is my first ever review.

Throne of Glass review-
http://youneedtoreadthese.blogspot.co.uk/2016/01/fantasy-corner-throne-of-glass-review.html?m=1

Buy Throne of Glass-
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/140883233X/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1471466781&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=throne+of+glass&dpPl=1&dpID=51765NmOIvL&ref=plSrch

Bye for now!

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Anna and French kiss book review!  

Ok so, I didn't expect to enjoy this book as much as I did but much to my suprise it was actually really really good and I had finished the book after a few hours of reading.

So, the book is about a girl called Anna (obviously) from America and her dad sends her to an American boarding school in Paris, France called SOAP which stands for School of America in Paris.  I think it is fair to say that Anna doesn't like the idea of moving to France on her own for year and leaving behind all her friends as she puts up quite a fight. However, Anna settled into life in Paris just  fine making great friends: Meredith, Rashmi, Josh and of course Étienne St Clair.

This book is definitely worth the read; the Paris setting is beautiful and this book has some really strong characters who really developed well. This book is part of a three book series however the other books aren't centred around the main characters of this book although these characters do make appearances throughout the following books in the series. 

Of course I don't want to spoil the book for anyone who hasn't read it yet so if you haven't read the book yet I would really recommend that you think about giving it a go. 

*SPOILER SECTION- BEWARE

I actually don't really have a whole to say about the book apart from the fact that I loved it so this section is probably going to be pretty short!

The main thing I want to comment on is Anna's character which is in my opinion very strong. Moving away from everything you have known to a place which is unfamiliar has to be pretty hard especially if it is not even your own choice. I don't think I could do it but look how well Anna coped. Yes, she was upset at the beginning but look how she managed to pull herself together and make friends and relax into a new culture where she didn't even know the language. Yes, it took a while for her to completely relax but in just a few months she felt comfortable going places on her own without her new friends by her side. Look how strong Anna was near the end even when it was hard and she fought with Meredith she was still able to stand up for her friend. Yes, I think she made a mistake not trying to talk to her friends and Étienne (St Clair??) but nobody is perfect and it all worked out well in the end which is the main thing.

The other character I would like to discuss is Étienne St Clair. I just want to say that I loved his character he was so funny and a generally happy person. I love his friendship with Josh they have such a good friendship and I imagine Josh will miss him very much when he goes off to university in Berekeley. The only thing I wish Étienne had done earlier was end things with Ellie however I understand that he was scared to do this but I'm glad this resolved in the end. I also wish Étienne had the strength to stand up to his dad sooner although I am really happy that Anna helped him (even though I don't think she should have been listening to the conversation between Étienne and his dad!) with this and I know that Étienne will be able to this in the future.

Overall I really enjoyed this book by Stephanie Perkins. I loved the Paris setting and I know that the author put in a lot of research into the book to make places in Paris were represented properly and i liked how the author did include many places in Paris to add to the story she was trying to tell.