The Fault in our Stars...

What can I say about a book that has been talked about so much? The hype surrounding the book was exactly why I knew about it and why I bought it, and of course why I read it.

You see, I am not the biggest follower of Young Adult books. My favourite genre tends to be fantasy. But too much of one thing is never good. But it also means less familiarity towards the other fields. News reaches me in terms of books through Youtube. Almost every booktuber was proclaiming how great this book was and I was frantically searching everywhere for a hardcopy and finally found one (not that its that hard). So of course I got it.

On the bookshelf where this book stood was a card with recommendations by the staff which said that you will definitely cry reading this book. I did cry, but I am the biggest cryer in the world it really doesn't take much to get those tears coming out.

I was on very unfamiliar ground reading his book and there is such a distinct style, but I do not know whether its his writing style or if it was his distinct style of characters. And they were very interesting. As I said, they were very distinct. The three main teenagers Augustus, Hazel Grace and Isaac sound like teenagers I would actually like to hang out with, and hopefully be liked by. I like their dry humour and their observations of the world, I believe they would not be much different even without whatever disease that plague the three of them. 

And Mr. Van Houten. I mean, how do you even create such a character! I can't even describe how lunatic he is, I wonder if John Green knows anyone personally that inspired him to come out with Mr. Van Houten.

In conclusion, its the characters that did it for me. I really liked this book and though the storyline is great, I feel my lack of exposure in the YA literature condemns me to be unable to judge exactly how good it is. But one thing for sure is the characters are amazing. The characters and their interactions are what you should look out for, and how they make you feel.

I really just want a meaningful life now...

Also, I now want to explore this mystical world of John Green by reading his other novels-Paper Towns, Looking for Alaska etc.

You can get your copy of The Fault in Our Stars from The Book Depository.

Would I recommend this book?
Yes, definitely.
How much do I rate this book? 
4/5
Will I read other works by this author?
I can't wait to!

Love xx

ps you also kind of get the meaning of the title of the book after reading it.

Week in review...

My last few posts were very bookish, and the next few ones will probably be the same. See, I roll depending on my mood and lately I have been very much into books. Maybe its a sign that reality is taking its toll on me. I am getting tired, also of college food. But thats another story (we did have chocolate eclairs tonight, which was awesome).

Anyway, this past few nights I have been freaking out of not getting any internships which will lead to unemployment upon graduation. I try my very hardest not to be such a worry freak but its proving hard.  I really need someone to feed me the chill pill. But like I said, I will try hard to put those worries away. Might also be because I have been stuck on the same page of my macroeconomic textbook for the last two weeks. Jokes not. 

I didn't really have a song I was particularly hooked to this week. But I'll put one up anyway. 

*love this song*

I had a relatively quiet week this week. All I did was sleep. I was quite brutally sleep deprived. But thats really all from me. I'm heading off to another long night of rehearsal tonight. Oh fun. I'm also expecting a whole lot of shit from Amazon tomorrow as I am on the one month free trial one day delivery thing. A whole lot of boring shit that is (hooks, ink, and a book from bookdepository)...

But for your sake, lets hope next week will be more interesting. I think it will, I've already got plans that I do not necessarily want to attend to. 

Also, I can feel myself catching a cold. Not fun.

Thanks for reading!

Love xx

Its too cold outside...

Hello again, I am obviously feeling super productive blog wise today. But I just wanted to share with you what I got from Wilkinsons in town today.

Magazine holders! I know they're not the most exciting things but my desk have been so messy I couldn't take it and so it really is quite exciting for me. These holders cost me 2 pounds 30 and honestly I am not happy because on the shelf it was 1.65 pounds. I only known when I paid and was a bit pissy but didn't say anything. 

But otherwise the actual holders themselves are pretty good. I didn't think they had that much capacity but they do and I use them to stabilise my files so they can finally be placed vertically leaving more desk space for me. My desk is huge though, so it was more to get rid of the clutter.

This is the final arrangement. I have more books and files elsewhere but these are the ones I reach out for most when I am doing my work. As you can see (or not), statistics and microeconomics textbooks. Oh the joy. And my dying rose of course. I'm sorry I keep mentioning it but I know that it will die soon and cease to be in my life when it does. So again, sorry. But pepsi bottle, funny right?

Thats all I have for now. I desperately need hooks for hooking up gigantic winter coats but I couldn't find them anyway in Tesco. What a disappointment. So I ordered them off Amazon. They should be here by Monday.

Till then, thanks for reading!

Love xx

The A Team Ed Sheeran

Book haul...

Here is my collection of books so far. I have accumulated seven books in my time that I have been here and its not good because it means luggage will be heavy when I fly back home. 

Look at my dying rose :(

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

Only Time Will Tell by Jeffrey Archer 

Man and Boy by Tony Parsons

This is the permanent recidence of my books. And yes I use assorted christmas cards as my book end because I am way to cheap to get down to Waterstones to buy that lovely bookend that I have been eyeing on. Such is a life of an international student...

So I actually got these four books quite a while ago and in two batches. I have written about The Book Thief and It Started with a Kiss previously. And Insurgent I brought from home last year to read on the plane. Anyway, The Fault in Our Stars and City of Bones were two books I have been wanting to read for really long time. I was in Waterstones and both books were right in front of my eyes with "buy one get one half off" stickers on their front page that any ounce of control in me just left and I walked out the store having bought those two books. They were well worth it though.

The second two, which are Only Time Will Tell and Man and Boy I got for 1 pound. Yes, 50p EACH. It was the best deal I have ever gotten in my life! I mean its not like they were written by some obscure author. So I have absolutely no idea how it got down so cheap. If you're living in Durham, I bought them in a shop in The Gates shopping centre whose name I can never quite remember. The one next to Bon Appefeet (or however it is spelled).

So take a look at The Book Depository for any of these books as they do have the best deals available. And check out their daily offers as well cause thats where I got my copy of It Started With a Kiss under 3 pounds. If you didn't already know, delivery is absolutely free to anywhere and if you're in UK it comes really quickly. I'm sure it applies to all places but the only other place I've ordered from them was while I was in Australia and obviously no complains there as it is the other side of the world.

Hope you had a great weekend.

Love xx

It started with a kiss...

Last night (effectively two nights a go now) my friend and I walked to Maiden Castle the University's sports centre to watch the rugby semi finals of the floodlit cup. By the time the second half started snow was blistering away speedily and it got worst and worst as the night went on. And just as we thought we scored a try to even things up, it turned out that it was not. And the whistle went and it was all over. I was freezing even in layers and layers of jackets. I am totally investing in a down coat for next winter and I have got my eye on a Uniqlo one (How gorgeously warm does this one look like?).  

Anyway, look what came in the mail.

I cannot remember exactly when I bought these but I do know it was rather late and I really really wanted some books. It was not completely on impulse, but still. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak is a book I have been wanting for a really long time now. All reviews of it have been fantastic and it seems like the kind of book you would need to read before you die. I believe I paid somewhere in the region of 5 pounds which really isn't a bad bargain at all. In fact its awesome! (The offer is still as of the time I am writing this!)

The other book I bought was It Started With A Kiss by Miranda Dickinson. I used to hate chick lit but I guess tastes and preferences grow as time passes. I still do not love it but every once in a while its nice to have a light and easy read to just take the mind out of reality. And I paid peanuts for it as it was on offer that day. Like below 3 pounds, I can't really remember. I bought a third book but that is still on its way. Or, it might be sitting at the front office waiting for me to collect it.

So the Met Office forecasts cold freaking weather for the next weak in England, as if it wasn't already killer cold for the past 3 months. I could have sworn that spring was on its way when a few flowers were starting to bloom. But then I woke up this morning to a really white scene outside my window. I guess I'll just have to brave the cold winter for hopefully what's left of February. But til then, I will try to stay strong.

Thanks for reading!

Love xx

ps watching Confessions of a Shopaholic for the millionth time craving for super super sweet desserts.

Week in review...

I could not have anticipated an even busier week than the last one. I almost had no sleep whatsoever having early mornings, assignments due, and training sessions at odd hours. But I survived. Yes I did. And today (Sunday) I have got absolutely nothing at all just to wind down and have a well deserved rest.

So if you read my last post, I said that I ended my week with an orchestra practice. I lied. Well, I changed my mind and instead went to watch a production of "Take me out" by my college. It was pretty funny but perhaps not worth the anxiety that dawned on me the whole week after that one skipped orchestra practice. Never doing that again.

Oh, and as you can see, it was 2 pounds.

So yesterday I was in Sheffield playing touch rugby. We (my team) have only played it like 5 times but it was really good fun. And we really enjoyed ourselves so that was awesome. We're thinking of taking it really seriously and train every week but its probably not going to happen (lol). It felt really odd as we drove back into Durham around 8pm as we felt like coming back into reality. I now have aches on the back of my hands and feet and walk around like a penguin because my thighs are hurting so badly. But it was all worth it.

But anyway, I loved this song for this week.

Falling Over Me by Demi Lovato.

Other then that, I watched The Carrie Diaries and well, I kind of like it. Not sure how much more I will continue to follow the series because of my inability to handle drama though. But at the moment (which is second episode), all is cool. Click here to see the trailer on youtube.

Lastly, on Friday night while I was leaving my room, I bumped into four guys dressed in suits carrying a rose and some chocolates. The gave me a rose and chocolate. Turns out they are part of the Romantic Committee (who knew they existed) going around spreading romance albeit a day late of Valentine's Day. It was funny, but at least I get to keep a beautiful rose. Free, might I add.

As you can see, it is now resting on top of my beloved statistic text book in a Pepsi bottle I have no pretty vase to keep it in. I really won't like to see it wilt and die. So Pepsi Bottle it is.

I have nothing else to share as my week aside from Sheffield Games was largely uneventful and filled with academic worries which I don't think you'd be particularly interested in. Just a heads up, the rest of term is most probably going to be like this. Oh the fun...

Forgive me for the unchronicled events of my week. I am a bit too scatter brain to sort it out at the moment. But I hope you have a great week ahead of you. Lets beat the Monday Blues.

Thank you for reading!

Week in review...

This week's been good, somewhat. I survived a crazy hectic week running up and down the hill all over town. Got my outing cancelled because of the crazy wind and felt the cold creeping in on us once again after finally subsiding for just a little while. But what did I expect? English weather, as they all constantly remind me. 

My friend's scored a date (or two! same guy, of course) and we all got crazily excited and I wonder again how it feels to feel in love and to love, and we talked and got giggly all about it. Such excitement... 

I missed out on a major celebration for the first time in my life but it was moderated by the presence of others who are missing out on big occasions as well. People make things easier and better.  

And as always, I'll end my week later tonight by attending the long intensive orchestra practice that will suck all the life out of me and I'll miss the highly exciting Take Me Out college event. But that's ok, priorities...

I've been quite hooked on a song especially in the latter part of this week, which is: Hunter Hayes' Wanted.

Also, I have been crazily lusting over a jacket. No, I have got to re-describe this piece of work, the most awesome jacket on earth.

Oh my they are way too cool. But I am also way to keen too keen on this pair of boots.

My taste is clearly shifting. I finished a book which I shouldn't have (should have stayed up reading the textbook instead) but clearly Jeffrey Archer would be much more interesting than any other textbook on any given day.

I now want to read all his other books. Bad thing. I got no time for that, but maybe in my Easter break (which lasts five weeks!).

Anyway, hope you all had a good week. And hope next week will be great for all of us. Thank you so much for reading!

Much love...

Jacket can be found here.

Boots can be found here.

Only time will Tell-Jeffrey Archer can be found here.

I want to make you feel wanted...

Maybe one day I will finally fall in love with you.

I am sitting here wondering if things are finally coming into place. I remember the last time it happened I was so full of joy after a windy afternoon in front of that wall containing names of capital cities in Sunshine State thinking that the stars have finally aligned together. I remember sitting there dreaming together about visiting all those cities. But then it all fell apart, we all fell apart. 

But this time its been real slow, a gradual build up brick by brick sort of casual foundation. Maybe I am being too optimistic, after all, life has proven to me that I almost never get what I want. So please just don't rip it out of me, as long as you don't leave me alone crying on the stone cold floor at the end of day, I'll be fine.

I have been facing this world with courage I never knew I had. The hardships that have presented themselves have been absolutely crazy and I sometimes wished I could just run away. I am just hoping it will pay off one day. All will be good.

The amount of possibilities that exist is crazy. I can't wrap my head around the number of things and places I can see. I remember crying and clutching my heart on the hammock outside the house after rejection after rejection came. But I guess things happen for a reason, now I'm starting to think that my thing is to be free, to be able to choose to do whatever I want. Maybe this first step still requires me to be tied to the hip to my parents not being able to be independent but that buys me my freedom doesn't it? There is no clause insisting that I be at a particular place for 5 years after my graduation telling me exactly what I have to do. 

I am truly blessed. I am starting to see that bit by bit every day. 

Much love...

Wanted, Hunter Hayes

Photo credits:Durham University International Office Photo competition-King Leung Yung

But what if time is running out...

What if my time to live and love and laugh is running out? What if I told you I haven't had a proper hearty fucking teary eyed snorting stomach good laugh in a fucking while? What if I told you that I have not had a proper heart to heart tell you everything nothing to hide conversation with a real true friend that I can count on for 3 years? What if I told you my problem is I don't have that real true friend that I can count on no matter how shit the world gets?

I've lost it all.

Tell you stories of mine...

Hi mom,

Eight more days and it would be a month since we had a proper conversation together. Well you are always so busy and I am never free when its good to skype and I guess it just let on for so long that now all I really want is to hear your voice. I don't care if you talk about nothing in particular, and though I wish I could just sit on the front sit while you drive to wherever while you tell me your stories I know that's too much to ask for, so I only ask for your voice now. 

I hear you're in New Zealand now, I bet it is super awesome there now. I wish I was with you. Durham is cold as always. The snow has melted away and I can finally walk normally again but the wind is like a murderer trying to blast you away from the ground into whatever universe is out there. But don't worry, my feet are still on the ground.

I can't wait for winter to be over. I am well and truly sick of it. I can even feel an illness creeping up on me so I have been ruthlessly consuming Vitamins and whatever other health stuff dad insisted I bring. I hope I can tough it out and shrug it off instead of getting a cold. I really don't want that.

But how are you, mom? Are you constantly working as always? Please take a break. I get tired just listening to the list of projects you have to complete. Please take a break and appear on skype so we can finally talk to each other. I miss you.

Much love...

Ben Howard Promise