6 Books You Will Want to Read in a Day.

As mentioned in a previous post, I am transferring my blog posts from the last year (they were on a different site) so here is number 7 of 9! Enjoy!

This was originally posted on 03/08/2017.

It's no secret that I am a bookworm. My love of books goes way back and I've had a book in my hand for as long as I can remember. So in all honesty, I'm not entirely sure why it's taken me so long to incorporate books into my blog. I have done the occasional review or book-related post, but I definitely want to start making it a more regular thing. As you have probably figured out from the title, here are 6 books that you will want to read in a day... at least I did! These are all books that I have read and couldn't put down. You may notice that they are all in the teen/young adult romance kind of genre. This genre is honestly one of my favourites. I love a lot of different genres but I often find that these are the 'I can't put it down' kind of books which I adore. So, I have waffled on enough... I give you 6 books you will want to read in a day!

1. Everything Everything

Everything, Everything

At this point, 'Everything, Everything' is a pretty well-known book and has even been made into a film. So it's apparent that I am not the only fan. I read this book last summer when I was on holiday in Egypt and let me tell you, it is the perfect sit by the pool and read a book. I was thoroughly gripped by this book and the characters and I can't wait to see the film adaption too. 

"Madeline Whittier is allergic to the outside world.

So allergic, in fact, that she has never left the house in all of her seventeen years.

But when Olly moves in next door, and wants to talk to Maddy,

tiny holes start to appear in the protective bubble her mother has built around her.

Olly writes his IM address on a piece of paper, shows it at her window,

and suddenly, a door opens.

Maddy is certainly going to fall in love with Olly.

It's almost certainly going to be a disaster."

2. If I Stay

If I Stay


This is also a pretty well-known book which got made into a film. I actually watched the film before discovering the book and honestly, I love them both. There is also a second book to this story (which hasn't been made into a film... yet *please*) and I loved seeing how the characters developed. This is such a gripping story and was just another put I simply could not put down.

"For seventeen-year-old Mia, surrounded by a wonderful family,

friends and a gorgeous boyfriend decisions might seem tough,

but they're all about a future full of music and love,

a future that's brimming with hope.

But life can change in an instant.

A cold February morning ...a snowy road ...

and suddenly all of Mia's choices are gone.

Except one.

As alone as she'll ever be, Mia must make the most difficult choice of all.

Haunting, heartrending and ultimately life-affirming,

If I Stay will make you appreciate all that you have,

all that you've lost - and all that might be."

3. Matched

 
Matched  

'Matched' is actually part of the series I am currently reading! I am on book 2/3 and loving it. If you love dystopian society books then you will love this. I know some people find dystopian society books almost repetitive but I honestly love them and I love a series even more. I often find with series you almost grow with the characters and you end up feeling attached to them, which of course makes the end of a book that much more painful... but its worth it.

"On her seventeenth birthday, Cassia meets her Match.

Society dictates he is her perfect partner for life.

Except he's not.

In Cassia's society, Officials decide who people love.

How many children they have.

Where they work. When they die.

But, as Cassia finds herself falling in love with another boy,

she is determined to make some choices of her own."

4. Eleanor & Park

Eleanor & Park

'Eleanor & Park' is actually a book I read a little while ago but I decided to include it because I remember really really liking it. Rainbow Rowell has another book that was quite popular called 'Fangirl' that I believe was in Zoella's book club. So if you ever read that then there is a good chance you'll enjoy this. I think Rainbow Rowell does a good job of writing relatable books that also delve into some more serious issues and I love her style of writing. 

"Eleanor is the new girl in town, and she's never felt more alone.

All mismatched clothes, mad red hair and chaotic home life,

 she couldn't stick out more if she tried.

Then she takes the seat on the bus next to Park.

Quiet, careful and - in Eleanor's eyes - impossibly cool,

Park's worked out that flying under the radar is the best way to get by.

Slowly, steadily, through late-night conversations and an ever-growing stack of mix tapes,

Eleanor and Park fall in love.

They fall in love the way you do the first time, when you're 16,

and you have nothing and everything to lose."

5. Holding up the universe 

Holding Up the Universe

This book is actually written by Jennifer Niven, the author of 'All the brightplaces'. Now don't kill me but I haven't actually read that yet (I know, I know I'm getting to it) but I know that it has been a massive hit, so if you loved that then you will love this for sure. I love Jennifer Nivens writing style and I adored these characters. I seriously loved this one.

"Everyone thinks they know Libby Strout, the girl once dubbed 'America's Fattest Teen'.

But no one's taken the time to look past her weight to get to see who she really is.

Since her mum's death, she's been picking up the pieces in the privacy of her home,

dealing with her heartbroken father and her own grief.

Now, Libby's ready: for high school, for new friends, for love,

and for EVERY POSSIBILITY LIFE HAS TO OFFER.

I know the part I want to play here at MVB High. I want to be the girl who can do anything.

Everyone thinks they know Jack Masselin too.

Yes, he's got swagger, but he's also mastered the art of fitting in.

What no one knows is that Jack has a secret: he can't recognize faces.

Even his own brothers are strangers to him.

He's the guy who can re-engineer and rebuild anything,

but he can't understand what's going on with the inner workings of his own brain.

So he tells himself to play it cool: Be charming. Be hilarious. Don't get too close to anyone.

Until he meets Libby.

When the two get tangled up in a cruel high school game which lands them in group counseling,

Libby and Jack are both angry, and then surprised.

Because the more time they spend together, the less alone they feel. Because sometimes when you meet someone, it changes the world - theirs and yours. "

6. Saint Anything
 

Saint Anything

Now I love Sarah Dessen books with a passion. Every single one of her books I could (and have) read in a day. I am pretty sure they are aimed for an audience a bit younger than I am, but honestly I don't care. Sarah Dessen writes in a way that literally leaves you unable to put the book down.

"Peyton, Sydney's charismatic older brother, has always been the star of the family,

receiving the lion's share of their parents' attention and - lately - concern.

When Peyton's increasingly reckless behaviour culminates in an accident,

a drunk driving conviction, and a jail sentence, Sydney is cast adrift,

searching for her place in the family and the world.

When everyone else is so worried about Peyton,

is she the only one concerned about the victim of the accident?

Enter the Chathams, a warm, chaotic family who run a pizza parlour,

play bluegrass on weekends and pitch in to care for their mother,

who has multiple sclerosis. Here Sydney experiences unquestioning acceptance.

And here she meets Mac: gentle, watchful, and protective,

who makes Sydney feel seen, really seen, for the first time."

So, there we have 6 books you will want to read in a day. As a fellow book lover, I love hearing other peoples book recommendations so feel free to leave yours in the comments.

Thanks for reading and I will speak to you soon,

Holly X

DISCLAIMER: AFFILIATE LINKS INCLUDED

My 4 Favourite Read's from Last Year.

Being the bookworm I am, I am always on the hunt for new books to read. Therefore, I thought that today I would share with you all my top 4 books that I read last year. Although I will read practically any book, the 'young adult' genre is my favourite, so unsurprisingly my top 4 are YA. 

The Girl With All The Gifts - M.R.Carey.

Hello and happy Friday! I hope that you have had a good week. If you haven't then well done for making it through. For today's post, I wanted to do an almost book review. I don't really like using the word review but I guess it is more about me sharing my thoughts and opinions as oppose to a formal review. So with that said... let's get on with it.

I started reading this book quite a few weeks or even months ago. However, I actually purchased this book a little while ago on one of my book shopping sprees I believe and only got around to reading it recently. There are some books that I can read within days because they are such an easy read. However, there are others that take me a little longer, like this one, due to being busy as well as the book needing a little more of my focus. I don't want to go and give away the storyline but here is the blurb...

"Every morning, Melanie waits in her cell to be collected for class. When they come for her, Sergeant Parks keeps his gun pointing at her while two of his people strap her into the wheelchair. She thinks they don't like her. She jokes that she won't bite, but they don't laugh."

This novel was surprisingly thrilling, thought-provoking and just pure genius. 

It takes a concept that has been attempted by many and took an entirely new approach to it, in my opinion. The characters, storyline, and setting were thought out really well as well as being very well written. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, even though it took me longer to read that usual. I may even go as far as to say that the storyline is one of the best I have ever read.

I don't want to say too much more, as I don't want to ruin it for anybody. However, I will recommend that you go and purchase this book as I absolutely loved it. 

Thanks for reading and have a great weekend! 

Holly X

p.s- Sorry that this post is a bit mysterious and secretive but I just don't want to give anything away.

Eleanor & Park

As a fellow book lover, you can often find me snuggled up in some corner with a book. So, today I decided to dedicate to the last book I finished, 'Eleanor & Park' by Rainbow Rowell. Firstly, let me start by saying that I simply couldn't put the book down. It was all I could think about for ages and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. 

Now I don't want to go and give away the story but I will say that this is a very sweet little romance book, yet it has a little more to it. It explored areas that aren't often visited in your everyday romance novel and touches upon difficult situations and emotions that come along the way

Now some say that I am simply pleased, however, I enjoyed this book a lot and would recommend it to those who (like myself) love a good love story (but with a little more to it).

Thanks for reading,

Holly X

What I am currently reading

As I have mentioned before, I love books. Reading is a very enjoyable hobby of mine that I intend on keeping for a long time. So, I thought I would share what I am reading currently and my thoughts on the book so far.

The book I am reading at the moment is 'The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out Of The Window And Disappeared'. Now that is one heck of a title! I am only on page 62 of 394 but I feel like now would be a good time to share my options and then once I have finished reading I will give a review and see how my opinion changes. 

Here are my first impressions...

1- It moves on pretty quickly.  

I feel like despite only being 62 pages in, a lot has happened so far and I have found that pretty difficult to keep up. Now I think this is only an issue because I have been reading it for a long time instead of regularly. I have been pretty busy and not reading very often meaning I often forget who is who and what is happening. I don't think this would be as much of an issue if I read it more regularly. 

2- I love the main character.

I am in love with the old man 'Allan Karlsson'. I generally am a fan of most old characters but I just love his personality in particular. I find his character to be so upbeat and rather alert despite his age. He also just gets on with things and doesn't let life bring him down, and I think that is fab. If I were to meet Allan, I think we would get on like a house on fire.

3- I have a bad memory. 

Like I mentioned earlier, I keep forgetting their names. I think because it moves on so quickly, it makes it harder to remember the names, but that might just be me and my bad memory. Typically in books, when you get introduced to a character you find out a lot of information at the start and then you put a name to this image you have created in your head. Yet in this book, I feel like you are given more information as you go along which does confuse me a little but hopefully this issue will solve itself as I continue the story.

All in all, I am really enjoying this book and can't wait to read more of it.

Holly x

You Against Me - Jenny Downham

Welcome to what I do believe is my very first book review! How exciting! 

Today I will be reviewing You Against Me by Jenny Downham. I recently finished this book and just had to share it. However do just bear with me because like I said this is my very first book review, but I guess we will just have to see how it goes.

A few month ago I was pondering around Waterstones, looking for a few new books. One of the things that intrigued me the most about this book was the blurb. 

"If someone hurts your sister and you're any kind of man, you seek revenge, right?If your brother's accused of a terrible crime but says he didn't do it, you defend him, don't you?
When Mikey's sister claims a boy assaulted her, his world begins to fall apart.
When Ellie's brother is charged with the offence, her world begins to unravel."

Now I am a sucker for romance but I had been looking for something with a little more depth, and this was perfect. Without trying to give any spoilers I will try and give you a rough outline of the story. The book is based on a crime accusation and how the truth comes out. The victim of the crime has an older brother Mikey, one of the main characters. The other main character goes by the name of Ellie. Ellie's older brother is the one being accused of committing the crime. Both Ellie and Mikey are trying to do what is right and protect their sibling. However, in the midst of it all, they fall in love.

That is all I shall say as I don't want to ruin it for anybody who wishes to read this book, and I do recommend that you read this as I loved it and simply couldn't put it down. So if you are looking for a romance with a little more depth, why not give this a try? However, I must say that this book taps into sexual violence so please bare this in mind before purchasing

I give this book .... 10/10!

I thou-rally enjoyed this book and really wanted to share it, so I apologise if this isn't a very good review but I simply felt like I had to share it.

Thanks for reading,

xxX Holly Xxx

Waterstones haul

On 8th November it was my 16th birthday.

Now being a fellow book lover I had asked for some Waterstones vouchers,

and in return, I received £75 worth of vouchers.

So now that I have pretty much spent all of that money I figured I would share some of my more recent purchases and do a little blog haul. I am only going to show a few for now or this post would go on forever! Sorry about the image quality, I know it's not the best.

So the first book I am going to share with you is 'The light between oceans' by M.L.Stedman.

This book was £7.99.

Although I haven't read this yet from what I do know this book is about 

a boat washing up on a remote island, and inside the boat is a dead man and a baby.

Unfortunately, that's all I know for the time being but it sounds rather exciting.

This book had been described as 'gripping' and 'moving'.

So yes, I am very excited to read this!

This next book is 'The moon and more' by Sarah Dessen.

Now I am quite a fan of Sarah Dessen books. I find that whenever I start one of 

her books I can not put it down. Personally, I find her style of writing super and I am a definite fan.

Anyway, her books are more teenage based I find and more romance, but me being 

an absolute sucker for romance, am obsessed.

I am also yet to read this book but it is about the main character 'Colby' having

to choose between two guys.

This book is also £7.99.

This next book is also by Sarah Dessen and this is 'Along for the ride'.

Now I actually have read this book and I absolutely loved it!

This is about a rather unsocial girl called 'Auden' who goes to stay with her dad

for the summer. She gets to know more about herself as well as meeting

a 'mysterious' guy.

If you are looking for an easy read and love a bit of romance then I recommend this one.

This was again £7.99.

This is 'You against me' by Jenny Downham. 

Now this is the book that I am going to start reading next, this sounds really good and I can't wait to see if it is as good as it sounds. 

This book was £6.99

I don't really know how to describe the story yet as I haven't read it

but it has been described as 'intense' , 'gripping' and 'a tale of love'.

All of which makes me very excited to read this.

So that is all for today. Although I do have a ton more books to share, 

I figured that would do for now. Maybe I will do another book haul soon, I don't know.

Thanks for reading, 

xxX Holly Xxx