Noughts and crosses...

Don't judge a book my its cover. I know this saying letter by letter, it is only seven words after all. Living it out is a completely different story. The cover of a book can preempt the words waiting behind the covers. Therefore, I often take a book's cover pretty seriously in making my decision whether or not to get a book.

+Malorie Blackman's Noughts and Crosses has a cover black and white in colour, cut off by each other right in the middle. Strong, contrast, dangerous. These are things that crossed my mind the first time I saw the cover. I even thought it looked a little boring for a book with the sort of hype it has garnered from the few people who have read it. The title doesn't give much hint as to what might come either, therefore giving a yes to let go of my money was quite hard.

A friend and trusted book pal and I were talking about books we have read and books we have to read. She brought this book up and the phrase "must read" came up many times. Knowing her knowing me, I decided it was time, even if I knew that it would be a deep dark story and my mood was not exactly aligned to it.

Malorie Blackman writes about racial disharmony and discrimination, much like our real life world where segregation plays a constant issue in many countries. The difference in her fiction and our world is that there, the coloured people are the ones who are the high flyers, the elite, the bureaucrats where as the fair skinned are the ones on the sidelines, living day to day, scraping by with just enough. The coloured are known as Noughts and Crosses for the light skinned. The lines that separate these two groups of people a drawn hard and solid, with strong disdain between the two.

Enter Sephy and Callum. Sephy is not just any Nought, she is among the elite group with her father a major player in the political scene. Sephy's family is all power and all money. On the flip side of the coin is Callum, whose mother works for Sephy Hadley's family as a helper, with skin as fair as it gets. They live a typical Cross life serving the Noughts and living a life not full of opportunities having to dig long and hard for any light to shine through.

Sephy and Callum are close friends, given that they have known each other since Sephy was running around in diapers. As they approach the age where the blurred lines between Noughts and Crosses get clearer, they find keeping their friendship under a constant pressure from either side of the draw. Sephy's friends slant their eyes towards Callum and Callum's family accuse him of trying to be better than they are. Each dealing with troubles brought about by the harsh segregation. Caught in between the web is Sephy who tries her hardest to show that the colour of her skin means nothing to her, but each step she takes seem to push everyone away while Callum struggles to understand the inequality he faces.

The story is told through the eyes of Sephy and Callum, their voices alternating giving the reader a good perspective looking in from both sides. This gives the story an extra turbo charge flying through the plot in lightning fast pace. There seems to be no rest between pages and each word absorbed brings the reader closer and deeper into trouble that never seems to allude both of them.

I really liked this book and was really affected by the end of it. I know its good when I can't wait to go on reading through the whole series with the only thing holding me back is the need to step back into my own life for a little while (and money). The story is very intense but shakes you up and makes you reflect on life and what it might really mean. Does segregation still exist in our lives? Yes. Are we really defined by the colour of our skin? No. Why do we do it anyway?

Buy from:

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or

Would I recommend this book?
Absolutely.
How much do I rate this book?
5/5
Would I read other works by this author?
Yes

Thanks for reading!

Cinder...

When I first heard of Cinder, I remember it being described as a modern day retelling of Cinderella. I was skeptical and didn't think I would ever pick up. Reading the decription, you'll soon find out that the story revolves around a cyborg who goes by the name of Cinder. She live with her stepmother and two stepsisters reflecting the traditional Cinderella story. I was rather intrigued by how this concept can be applied to the old fairytale, and alas under the weak strength of my willpower, I bought it. Finishing the last page, I realised that the similarities between the original and the retelling just about stops there, which is a good thing.

The story is set in New Beijing in times ahead of us. There, cyborg are detested and treated as second class. Everytime the word Cyborg is mentioned, my mind instantly wanders to Cyborg from the cartoon Teen Titans, big, bulky and rough. This made it hard to conjure the image the author meant for Cinder. Their world is one which is quite different from ours and discovering the nooks and crannies of it was interesting in itself.

Cinder as  person is super cool as we,l as an amazing mechanic. She earns her living fixing gadgets in a dingy and dodgy shop in the market place. Given her reputation as one fof the best, the Prince of New Beijing out of options and in desperation seeks her help in fixing he's android. Thus is the start to all things interesting and twisted in the life of Cinder as she gets dangerously entangled in the web of the Prince's world.

Upon reading the last words of the book, I was eager to get my hands on the next book in the series. Unfortunately, the word broke is super relevant to me at the moment. Marissa Meyer did a great job creating this world as well as the characters. Cinder sounds like someone I would go on a rocket ship adventure, not to mention her computer fixing skills which would match my technological breakdown-proned self.

This book is only the beginning of what is to be an exciting adventure. It is quite different from the pool of other Young adult books out there. Cinder is an unusual heroine given her circumstance and her strong character as she navigate her way through the maze of life.

Buy from:

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or

Would I recommend this book?

Yes 

How much do I rate this?

4.5/5

Would I read other works by this author?

Hell yea the rest of the books in the series!

Intern Diaries: My Last week...

I'm praying for a good week. I mean why not? Its my last one here isn't it? I think its funny how I've stayed in two major iconic countries and steered away from the big city, only to find myself experiencing the metropolitan life here back home. I guess it isn't such a surprise surprise! thing, but I'm an oddity. My life has no pattern and make no sense even to me. 

Life is running at lightning pace and I can't help but follow along with it, time stops like never. And even though I am desperately needing time to have a breather, I know that isn't going to happen.

Anyways, Monday blues. My printing stuff hasn't arrive and I honestly don't want to spend my morning stressing out about these things. Too many things not worth it hovering across my mind. I need to teach myself how to let go. There're still a lot of things I need to learn, top of the list: Stress management.

With that, I think I'll get back to work. Although, I can't do anything now as I'm waiting for printing and orders from my supervisors, whom are incidentally on holiday/promotional trip/ US. Unconventional times making me stressed. There you go, stress management... 

Goodbye.

Iron King...

I've read quite a few books revolving around faeries and a lot of the reviews from other people claim that so far this book is the best out of the lot. I wouldn't go so far as to say it is the best, but certainly near the top and  extremely interesting.

I wanted to read this book because these days a lot of teen/youngish adult books are all dystopian, and though they're all really interesting, my favourite will always be the good old fantasy world (i.e. witches and wizards, dragons, dwarves, magic, elves. Faeries included). And so far, there has not been any faeirie series that I've been really keen on. The one I got the farthest was the Wicked Lovely series by Melissa Marr and I think I got to the third or fourth book before I just couldn't go on anymore. So with Iron King, I really didn't have much expectations since faerie books have tended to disappoint.

Megan Chase is the main character and describes herself as a rather unmemorable girl. This is quite different from other faerie books as the main characters are always seriously beautiful. Although, you'll find out a whole lot more later into the book. As usual an adventure unfolds and she finds out more about herself and things start to make sense, and as usual again she is left to make a life changing choice.

The characters in the book are really interesting and I will avoid going further into it because halfway through the book I read some reviews (why?) and kind of spoiled a little of the surprise for myself. And I hate spoilers.

I did feel at some point that once again I find that I may possibly be a little too old for these books though I'm not sure if it is me or the way the book is written. I sure hope its the book. But even with that, I really enjoyed the book and once I finished wanted to buy all the rest of the books in the series so I can read all about it. Also, there is a accompanying series with Ethan Chase Megan's brother as the main character and I wanted to get that too. I think that's a pretty good mark of a good book.

Overall the book is really interesting and I think I kind of love it. If you love the faerie world and have yet to find the one that really satisfies your needs, give this a try. If you have however, oh please do tell me which one. 

Buy from:

Book Depository
or

Would I recommend this book?
Yes!
How much do I rate this book?
4.5/5
Would I read other works by this author?
Yes

Me Before You...

I finished The Girl You Left Behind by Jojo Moyes deciding that this was an author I definitely want to read more of. And so browsing through her books I knew I had to get Me Before You, after all it was the one that my friend had confessed to loving and crying to.

I didn't really know what to think before starting, I seem to be doing that a lot these days. And to be honest I never really felt like I wanted to read a book with the main character named Lou. I'm judgy with names, I know I shouldn't. But the combination of a great cover, another good book by Moyes, a deal on amazon, and great reviews led me to know that not getting it would only result in a lost on my part. 

So we are introduced to a seemingly plain Jane almost boring Lou who loves her job but loses it because the owner of the cafe she works in decides to close it. Right off the bat, Lou sounds like the type of girl you can count on if you gave her a chance, she just haven't done much to have a reason to. But being unemployed leaves her no choice but to change her normal rhythm of life.

Cue Will. Young successful good looking someone who lives life to the fullest and creates experiences instead of waiting for life to take over. That is until he has an accident that turns him into the man he never wanted to be. Will's mother is desperate to have any trace of her old son back and hires Lou the be his carer. She is fighting with all her might a battle she may have placed hopes too high for, but he's her son and a mother's love knows no end.

The story is essentially the  interactions of Lou and Will accompanied by their family and some friends as they fight their way through this thing that has changed all their lives. It traps you in the small confined world of Lou Clark and Will Traynor not loosening it's grip until you have no more words left to read. I always find that fiction tends to be he genre that reads the slowest for me but this was certainly not the case here. This book was supposed to keep me entertained for at least three days but instead it was all over in two, and only because I started late in the day and my eyes were drooping so heavily I couldn't keep them open. 

I felt like I was listening to Lou as she flashes back onto a distant painful memory. Moyes' characters felt so real I feel as though somewhere in England Lou and Will really do exist not less because their town is so much like the one I'm in. Sleepy town with a historic castle and summer breathing a breathe of fresh air. 

This book hardly contained any surprise for me, I hardly had a moment where i was left stunned mouthing oh my God to myself, but it was never boring and always left me wanting more. As I got nearer to the end, the reviews started making sense although I hoped I was wrong and this only intensified the need to know how it all ends. Needless to say, I fell victim to the weeping bug and found myself with more tears than I cry for myself and too much sadness for a 19 year old on a Friday night. I was still crying for a good minute or so after finishing the last sentence, it was that sad.

This might spoil the ending a bit, but Independent on Sunday likens Lou and Clark to Emma and Dex from One Day by Dave Nicholls. Now that is another book so sad I can't bring myself to watch the movie to relive the whole thing again. I clearly remember repeating no no no in disbelief when you know what happens to Emma, especially not after all that they been through. I don't know why I read this review after finishing and went crazy thinking Moyes and Nichols are so cruel to maker fall in love with their characters and twist my heart out at then end. The clue was there all along...

I guess with so many people hinting at what comes (me included) there is hardly any surprises to be thrown at you in the book. But it doesn't need to. This book is like the friend you know that has sad eyes because of her pain that you know about but it is still heartbreaking every time her story is repeated. It is definitely a story that stays in your mind and as Independent on Sunday states one that you would want to share with fiends (damn they got it so right). 

So I urge you to go out and get this book and read it at once. If not, your lost.

Buy from:
Book Depository
or

Would I recommend this book?

Yes

How much do I rate this book? 

5/5

Would I read other works by this author?

Yes

ps if I seem a little scatter brained, it's probably because I'm a little high on emotions. You see, I just finished reading the book. I mean just.

Book haul (or the lack of control of buying books)...

So I went a bit crazy buying books not so long ago...

The only thing I can say is whoops... I figured I was going to buy books at some point or another, so why not just get them all? So I doubled my away from home book collection in 5 minutes. I was also thinking about all the time I would have on my hands since its my summer holidays, I was right.

Anyway, here are the names of the books I bought:

1. The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

2. What's left of me by Kat Zhang 

3. The Last Letter From Your Lover by Jojo Moyes

4. Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

5. Cinder by Marissa Meyer

6. The Elite by Kiera Cass

7. The Noughts and Crosses Sequence Malorie Blackman

There you go. I'm kind of broke too. But guess what, I went and got myself and iPhone 5 yesterday. Whuutt?? Yea, you heard right. It was not impulsive, in fact I've been thinking of switching to a smartphone for two ish years now but always managed to convince myself that its not worth it. So finally I upgraded and naturally it would have to be the latest version of the iPhone since I know I'll be hanging on to this one for a real long time. 

My awesome possum case :D

I have to say, I like it. Obviously it's not a drastic change of life or whatever but I do enjoy having one. The only fear I have is my phone getting stolen now cause before i knew no person in their right mind would bother stealing my old phone. Anyways, happy days :)

I also got an awesome phone case! I think I'm more excited by the case than the actual phone itself. I know something's wrong with me..

Hope you have a great day today!

The Book Thief...

This was one of those books that I keep picking up and putting down every time I find it in the bookstores. I would look at the cover and think how interesting, read the description and always decide not to buy it because of uncertainty of how the book would pan out. It took about two years and a lot of raving from various different people about how good the book is for me to finally part with what little money I have to have one I could call my own.

So the gist of the story is that it follows the life of a girl called Liesel Meminger who was a child at the untimely period of World War II in Germany. What sets the book out even more is that it is told through the narration of death. 

I think one of the problems before I bought the book was that I did not have an idea of what direction the book would veer in. That was the uncertainty that held me back. In all honesty, it took me a while into the book before I manage to find a grasp on it. I regret that I cannot be one of those people to say fantastic things about the book, I just found myself going through the story very slowly. To be fair, I was reading this in between breaks revision and during my exam period, so such a serious book would not have manage to grab my tired attention.

The first struggle was to get used to the way the story was presented. As mentioned, it was told through Death and I have never read anything else told by Death, or even Death as a person (somewhat). The next thing was that it went by pretty slow. There were not a lot of exciting events happening, much more of wartime mundanities, which are probably not that mundane at all. But it was certainly interesting if not educational.

Although what I have said so far seems to be pretty negative, I do not think the book is bad at all. In fact, I think it is really good. However, I do think that the reader needs to be in a certain time and place, and also a state of mind to be able to appreciate fully the story. It is like a work of art that needs more understanding than just the naked eye in order to have emotions stirred up. I wondered why I didn't enjoy it as much as I probably should and thought maybe its because I do not really feel such a deep connection with WWII in relation to Europe. WWII was devastating all over but people are always bound to hurt more when it comes to something close to their heart, like home. In addition, I do not really know too much about the war itself let alone its devastation and effects in Europe. Therefore it might have contributed to why I could not feel what the author probably meant his readers to feel. 

It was odd however, that I visited the Anne Frank House a few days before I finally managed to finish the book. After that visit, I did feel that the story was livelier, but at the same time, it could have been because it was the climax and would have been anyway without the visit.

The book does make you make you question certain things in life. It brings to the front human greed and faults and paints humanity in its realest picture around the time of the war. Its quite sickening to think that people would engage in war even with the devastation it brings to people not directly in contact with war. Even though the main character was a girl who had to go through tough times no one should ever need to go through, I find that Hans Hubermann intrigued me the most. I feel like he should not have been in that period and were he living in another more pleasant time, he would reflect the good side of humanity. Kind, caring, generous and loving to people in his own special way. Its such a shame how war tears apart lives that were perfectly fine to start with.

I do not think I can say too much without being inaccurate due to the fact that I started the book such a while ago and have forgotten many bits of it. But I do know that it is a good book that can stir up great emotions within some people. I liked the book and would probably re read it with a better equipped knowledge of WWII next time. Although I do not think this book as one of those with a sense of urgent need to be read, I do think that it is certainly one you should not miss.

Buy from:
Book Depository

Amazon

Would I recommend this book?

Yes, but I would suggest having a little knowledge about Nazi Germany and WWII. (Most people probably do already)

How much do I rate this book?

3.5/5

Would I read other works from this author?

Yes

Hope this helps. Thanks for reading!

Anna and the French Kiss...

Anna and the French Kiss has got to be one of the most popular books within the online community. The first time I came across this book is in the blog Una Bella Vita where Betsey listed this book as one of her all time favourites (I think she's gotten rid of the post). And among the booktube community, there has been a lot of hype about it since the companion book, Lola and the Boy Next Door, to it has been released quite recently. So I feel like this will not be the freshest of information but nonetheless, there may be people out there who might find it helpful.

So, this book is about Anna who is sent against her will to a boarding school in Paris because her dad who is a best selling author wants to appear more cultured. She is thus forced to leave her seemingly perfect life and relocate to a part of the world where she would have to make new friends and build a new life on top of learning a whole new language. Once there, she meets a gorgeous English boy and is torn between the cute co worker back home and this new guy. The rest of the book follows Anna through her final year in school steering through an already complicated teen life without the extra headaches bestowed upon her. 

I have to be completely honest here and say that this book will not make my favourites list. But if you consider the books on that list (Harry Potter, Artemis Fowl, Eragon...) I think it is fair to say that its not because the book is not good but rather that I am fanatically obsessed in stories with other worldly creatures and magical adventures. Nonetheless, it was an enjoyable read. This book outlines the main problems a teenager goes through such as friendship, love, family and life. It is perfectly relatable to anyone as it portrays teenagers who make mistakes in their decisions and have to learn to get over it and move on. 

To me, I liked the development of friendship between Rashmi and Anna the most although it is not one of the main story lines. I also like how Stephanie Perkins writes about loathsome family members and how we can never choose the family we are in. But above all, I completely related to Anna about feeling a little lost with what home really means. When in Paris she counts down the days to when she is finally back home in Atlanta but once home during vacation, everything is not the same and she finds herself longing for Paris. I think most people who have had to leave home for anything especially academic reasons will be able to see the truth in this.

Another point I have to add is that I am glad that I have not been to Paris yet. Because, after reading this book, I am very much intoxicated with Paris and am dying to stand on Point Zero and make a wish. Thank you, Stephanie Perkins.

I will definitely recommend this book to people especially those who likes the romantic/chick lit/young adult genre. I have in mind somebody who I intend to gift this book as a birthday present next month. It is a good book for a light read which contains just enough drama with nothing that goes over the top. As mentioned, expect a trip to Paris soon from me.

You can get a copy The Book Depository or from Amazon.

Would I recommend this book?

Yes, definitely.

How much do I rate this book?

3.5/5

Will I read other works from this author?

Probably

I hope this helps. Thanks for reading :)

City of Bones...

Fantasy is my favourite genre. But for some reason I felt like if I read this when I was 15 I would be in love with this book as oppose to what I feel now, which is rather subdued satisfaction. I remember reading somewhere that this book had vampires and after all the diamond shining skins of Twilight's vampires I had enough. But promise, this is nothing like that. In fact there is hardly any importance to the vampires here, at least in the first book.

I guess the fact that its a whole series of books put me off buying it. I thought I would be desperate to get my hands on the next book after finishing this book, but I did not. I will eventually, there's just no urgent desire for it.

I quite like the story and certainly want to know what happens next. I don't really know what to say without giving too much away since my biggest impression of the book is basically the whole point of the book. So I won't say much at all. 

It was a good read, didn't bore me to death and was definitely exciting at certain points. I'd definitely recommend it as a read but if you're a little older (or if you see yourself as more mature), passing on it wouldn't be like missing a momentous life event or anything like that. Overall it was pretty enjoyable.

Would I recommend this book?

Yes

How much do I rate this book?

3.5/5

Will I read other works from this author?

Yes 

You can always get your copy of The City of Bones from The Book Depository.

Thanks for reading! Hope you have a lovely Easter :)

Love xx

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.

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.

Book Review: Inheritance...

Inheritance by Christopher Paolini

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I've never felt a feeling of greater loss than i did with finishing this book (except maybe Harry Potter). I remember as i approached the last few pages i really felt like delaying the end cause as much as i wanted to know the ending, i did not want it to end, such conflicting intentions...

I thought this book was so well written and so worth all the wait Paolini put us through (from 2 books, becoming a trilogy, then becoming a series? I mean i was like just end it already!) The entire series was just full of details and intricate story lines that come together at the end revealing a much more intertwined web of history that i never could have imagined. It left me jaw dropped in awe.

When i finished the book, all i wanted to do was to talk about it to someone, anyone. Unfortunately, my friends don't follow this series, so i was pretty much alone.

Anyway, do read this. I have to say at times (not so much in this book) it gets a little draggy just cause you're so anxious about what's going to happen, but all that reading and spending time alone in your room like a hermit reading away sacrificing breakfast, lunch, dinner, sleep and social life, is so worth it.

My verdict: Read this.

View all my reviews

You can get Inheritance here. And if you haven't read the earlier books, their sequence goes like this, Eragon, Eldest, Brisingr and Inheritance. The first three books are all currently under 6 pounds on The Book Depository, so I'd rush out and get them quick before the discount ends. Alternatively, you could get the Inheritance Cycle Box Set for GBP 52.95, all hardcover. How can you resist? I do recommend getting hardcovers since the books are all so thick. It would also make a great Christmas present to anyone who loves reading.

Happy reading :)

And the walls will shake as I break away from you...

I have been wanting more than a couple of books for quite some time now. Most of them from going through random books in the store and reading a few pages but not buying any after because sometimes you just can't get what you want. 

Anyway, here are the selection of books I would love to get my hands on. Note, I've added the description from The Book Depository because I can't remember what some are about. All I know is that I added them onto my wish list.

If Nobody Speaks of Remarkable Things

On a street in a town in the North of England, ordinary people are going through the motions of their everyday existence. A young man is in love with a neighbour who does not even know his name. An old couple make their way up to the nearby bus stop. But then a terrible event shatters the quiet of the early summer evening

The Hundred Year Old Man: Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared

It all starts on the one-hundredth birthday of Allan Karlsson. Sitting quietly in his room in an old people's home, he is waiting for the party he-never-wanted-anyway to begin. The mayor is going to be there. The press is going to be there. But, as it turns out, Allan is not...Slowly but surely Allan climbs out of his bedroom window, into the flowerbed (in his slippers) and makes his getaway. And so begins his picaresque and unlikely journey involving criminals, several murders, a suitcase full of cash, and incompetent police. As his escapades unfold, we learn something of Allan's earlier life in which - remarkably - he helped to make the atom bomb, became friends with American presidents, Russian tyrants, and Chinese leaders, and was a participant behind the scenes in many key events of the twentieth century.

One Hundred Names

Journalist Kitty Logan's career has been destroyed by scandal, and she now faces losing the woman who guided her and taught her everything she knew. At her mentor's bedside, Kitty asks her - what is the one story she always wanted to write? The answer lies in a file buried in Constance's office: a list of one hundred names. There is no synopsis, no explanation, nothing else to explain what the story is or who these people are. The list is simply a mystery. But before Kitty can talk to her friend, it is too late. With everything to prove, Kitty is assigned the most important task of her life - to write the story her mentor never had the opportunity to. Kitty has to not only track down and meet the people on the list, but find out what connects them. And, in the process of hearing ordinary people's stories, she uncovers Constance's - and starts to understand her own...

Before I Die

Tessa has just months to live. Fighting back against hospital visits, endless tests, and drugs with excruciating side effects, Tessa compiles a list. It's her To Do Before I Die list. And number one is Sex. Released from the constraints of "normal" life, Tessa tastes new experiences to make her feel alive while her failing body struggles to keep up. Tessa's feelings, her relationships with her father and brother, her estranged mother, her best friend, and her new boyfriend, are all painfully crystallized in the precious weeks before Tessa's time finally runs out. 

Capital

Pepys Road: an ordinary street in the Capital. At forty, Roger Yount is blessed with an expensively groomed wife, two small sons and a powerful job in the City. An annual bonus of a million might seem excessive, but with second homes and nannies to maintain, he's not sure he can get by without it.

Check out my Goodreads page. I sometimes post things on it. However the website itself is pretty awesome.

Savannah Outen House of Cards