Tuesday 31 May 2016

MONTHLY READS - MAY

Hello, my fellow bookworms!

I know I'm saying it all the time, but it's unbelievable that it's time for this again. It really feels like just yesterday when I posted April's reads, and we have the end of May already.

My May was awesome. I spent a week in England, on a Harry Potter themed trip, where I, of course, bought some new gems for my library. And then I spent three weeks being an assistant at a vet's instead of going to school, which meant more free time for me. More time to read.

Last month, in April, I've read five amazing books. This month, I tried to read as many good books as I could find. Well, let's have a look at it! (I'll just say that I had a pretty classical month!)

In May I've read seven books.


To Kill a Mockingbird
Harper Lee
Genre: novel
First published: 1960
Pages: 287
Language: English
Type: hardback

Rating: 3/5

This is a classic. I've heard so much praise about this novel. It's been only a few months since Harper Lee died, so I felt like it was the time I finally read the book as well. Unfortunately, I didn't see the book as the epitome of perfection just like everyone else seemed to do. I'm by no means saying it was bad, but I found myself reading in for weeks, and I still didn't seem to finish it. The book's got lots of amazing things about it; it's funny, it's wise, I even found myself enjoying certain parts a lot. But I simply couldn't get into the story for the first half of the book. Then, the second part, it was way better and I actually enjoyed it. I'm not sure how to feel about this book, though, so I might give it another shot in the future. 


The Curious Case of Benjamin Button ans Six Other Stories
Francis Scott Fitzgerald

Genre: a collection short stories
First published: 1920-1932
Pages: 202
Language: English
Type: paperback

Rating: 5/5

I cannot believe how long I went without reading Fitzgerald. It's been months since I read the Great Gatsby, and I definitely regret not reading anything else by Francis Scott way sooner. I missed his writing so much. You can read more in my review!


Northanger Abbey
Jane Austen
Genre: novel
First published: 1818
Pages: 180
Language: English
Type: paperback

Rating: 5/5

Once again, I found myself in love with Jane's writing. I love her, I love her, I love her. I love her sweet heroines and her charming heroes. I love the developing romance and the period she's describing. I love the reverent manners of the good people, and the slyness and wickedness of the bad ones. 

This novel assured me that my love and adoration for Jane and her novels is absolutely justified. Catherine, who reminds me of myself in many, many ways, is just the ultimate sweetheart, and Mr Tilney is, right next to Mr Darcy, one of the best things that have ever happened to me. This books just has it all. It's fun, it's witty, it's deep, and it's got the feels. I'd been in love since page one and I'm definitely considering this one of the best reads of 2016.


The Picture of Dorian Gray
Oscar Wilde
Genre: philosophical fiction
First published: 1890
Pages: 224
Language: English
Type: e-book

Ratings: 5/5

Guys. I cannot believe I originally, majorly started reading this book only to fill the time between finishing the Northanger Abbey and going to pick up the new books I had been waiting for, only to have something to read while being in the bus, because I didn't feel like starting a book I knew I wouldn't manage to finish before the arrival of the new ones. Oh, if only I knew.

I finished the book in two days (and it only took me so long because I have to sleep and "work" for four hours a day now). I loved it desperately. I definitely consider it to be one of the best books I have read in all my life. Definitely a top 5. It's just perfect. There's not a single thing I would dislike about it. I actually felt like re-reading it immediately after I finished it. Unfortunately, I don't own a physical copy of this brilliant piece of art—and I need to change that ASAP. (I actually felt like buying at least 15 copies of the book, reading them all in a row, and then doing so again. And again. And maybe a few times more.)


The Importance of Being Earnest
Oscar Wilde
Genre: comedy
First published: 1895
Pages: 76
Language: English
Type: e-book

Rating: 3/5

I've said it before and I'll say it again — I'm not exactly fond of plays. And as much as I adore Oscar Wilde with his witty sense of humour and undeniable talent, I simply didn't enjoy the book as much as the previous book, The Picture of Dorian Gray.


Too Late
Colleen Hoover
Genre: romance
First published: 2016
Pages: 247
Language: English
Type: e-book (this story is published for free on Wattpad)

Rating: 4/5

Guys. From the very first page, the only thing on my mind was 'This is not the Colleen Hoover I know from November 9.' Some of the scenes were really explicit, and the F-word was used so excessively that I even forgot it's a swear word (don't get me wrong, I didn't mind that). But as soon as Carter aka Luke aka Carter made appearance, I immediately felt the CoHo pattern, and fell in love with him. And then came the feels. The hatred for Asa and his 'friends'. The Carter-Sloan feels. And the tragic backgrounds. And then it was exactly the Colleen I know. "And that's where love finds you... in the tragedies."

From what I know, I started reading this story at just the right time so I didn't have to wait for Colleen to update the story—it was already published. Thank god, I wouldn't have survived having to wait. This was an incredible read. (And you should go, make an account on wattpad, and read it as well.)


One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Ken Kesey
Genre: novel
First published: 1962
Pages: 281
Language: English
Type: paperback

Rating: 5/5

I absolutely loved this novel. As I mentioned when I first talked about this book in #fridayreads, I genuinely enjoyed the topic, the raw reality of a 60's asylum, the numbing pills, the EST and lobotomy. I enjoyed all the characters as well; McMurphy is one of the most interesting characters I've ever read about. I cannot really express all the feels in just one paragraph of text,  so just go and read the review!



And what about your May in books? Have you read any brilliant/awful books? Have you bought any of this month's new releases? How do you feel about this month and your reading progress? Share your month with me in the comments!

Friday 27 May 2016

#FRIDAYREADS

Hello my fellow bookworms!

I was inspired by quite a few of you and decided to start making my own #fridayreads posts. (Because I love oversharing on the Internet, obviously.) So I welcome you to my very first post where I'll show you what I'm currently reading.

This Friday, I'm enjoying the company of Mr Ken Kesey and his One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.


This story of a tyrannical nurse in a mental hospital who rules the ward with strict rules and routine, and the reality of numbing pills and electric shock therapy, first published in 1962, is something I'm genuinely enjoying. (I'm also enjoying the very fact that Kesey starts this book with writing about his experience with psychoactive drugs. And the fact that he was connected with Mr Ginsberg and Mr Burroughs, who are my favourites.)


With the appearance of Mr McMurphy, the routine and regime in the hospital are disrupted. He resolves to do the exact opposite of what he's said to do. He's a trickster with a devilish grin and a passion for poker.

The story is told from the point of view of Chief Bromden, a half-Indian who claims to be deaf-and-dumb. He's describing the life in the mental hospital, and through him, Kesey shows us the line between sanity and madness.


I picked this book up in Waterstone's when I was in England, and I regret nothing. It's about a topic I'm desperately enjoying, the writing is absolutely incredible, not to mention how amazing are the doodles adorning the pages.

I'm really excited about reading this book, and I'm even more excited to read about your experience with this one. Have you read this book? What do you think about it? Did you enjoy it, or was it a disappointment for you? 



Monday 16 May 2016

REVIEW | The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Six Other Stories by Francis Scott Fitzgerald

Francis Scott Fitzgerald

Genre: a collection short stories
First published: 1920-1932
Pages: 202
Language: English

Rating: 5/5

Synopsis

Full grown with a long, smoke-coloured beard, requiring the services of a cane and fonder of cigars than warm milk, Benjamin Button is a very curious baby. And, as Benjamin becomes increasingly youthful with the passing years, his family wonders why he persists in the embarrassing folly of living in reverse. In this imaginative fable of ageing and the other tales collected here — including the Cut-Glass Bowl, in which an ill-meant gift haunts a family's misfortunes, The Four Fists, where a man's life is shaped by a series of punches to his face, and the revelry, mobs and anguish of May Day — Francis Scott Fitzgerald displays his unmatched gift as a writer of short stories.



I cannot believe how long I went without reading Fitzgerald. It's been months since I read the Great Gatsby, and I definitely regret not reading anything else by Francis Scott way sooner. I missed his writing so much. I thought about reading his Tender is the Night or The Beautiful and Damned, or This Side of Paradise, which are all on my list of books to buy, but when I came into a bookstore and saw this collection of short stories (which I usually don't really like), it was obvious the book would come home with me.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
 was entirely not what I expected. I thought it would be the same story as pictured in the film with Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett. Turns out, the film only sticked to the original idea of ageing backwards. I wasn't disappointed at all, though, because Fitzgerald's writing is so beautiful that it made my heart skip a beat even without all the romance and heartbreak we experience in the film adaptation.

Besides Benjamin Button, I enjoyed all the other six stories as well. Some of them a bit more than the others—The Four Fists, 'O Russet Witch!', or May Day were my absolute favourites—but there wasn't a single story that I would consider bad. I won't go in much detail, because I'm awful when it comes to reviewing short stories, I'll just say that every single word Francis had ever written is worth reading. I'd be perfectly fine with reading about what he had for dinner, because he'd be able to put it in such a beautiful way that it would overcome many other writers.

In a nutshell, I loved it, I highly recommend it to everyone, and I need more Fitzgerald in my life.


Friday 13 May 2016

NEW ON SHELF | From my week in England

Honey, I'm home!

I've just come back from my week long Harry Potter themed trip to England. I have to say, a week is such a short time for trips to England. I want to go back, and at least for several months this time!

And what did I buy in England? Apart from food and a few pieces of clothing in Primark, I, as the bookworm that I am, bought a few new friends for my books at home. Let's have a look at them!

This, my dear friends, is the Royal Pavilion in Brighton, where I spent a large amount of time on Monday. It's absolutely stunning, and most definitely one of the most beautiful places I've ever been to. The interior is seriously stunning, and walking the halls and rooms, I was left speechless.

Apart from that, though, they have a shop. And in this shop, you can buy Brighton themed souveniers and you can buy books there. And that's exactly what I did because I'm a terrible human.




As you can see, they're all amazing. The thing is, I only spent about £20, because they were all under £5 and they were 2+1 free. I'm sorry but I had to buy six. I just had to.

Three of the books are written by my favourite (favourite) woman in the universe—the amazing Jane Austen. Then there are Wuthering Heights which I read, loved but didn't own. And Great Expectations and Far from the Madding Crowd were just shouting at me to buy them. I couldn't have said no, see?

But we're not even halfway through!

Next, we visited Christ Church in Oxford. I loved Oxford, and I loved the Christ Church College, and I just loved the whole time spent there. And I also loved the souvenier shop! There was a section specifically dedicated for Alice in Wonderland! It was so cute. I was overwhelmed by the beauty of the building and I didn't want to leave.


And so I bought a few things to always remember my visit to this beautiful place. And what did I buy?


Yes. All of the Harry Potter books. (I'm sure Hanička is now proud of me, aren't you??) I don't regret anything about this £60 purchase. It was worth every penny. And it was also worth looking at the faces of my teachers and school-mates when they saw me carrying a huge bag full of books. By that time they thought I needed pills.


But, I mean, do you see the covers? I'm in love. I fell in love immediately when I saw the books and I hadn't been able to fall out since. I was unable to resist.

BUT. That's not all.

This, my dear readers, is the death of me in one picture.

It's the Waterstone's bookshop where I had spent about an hour of my time and from where I never wanted to go.

I was tempted to buy every single book there was. (I pretty much did.)


This is what I came out with. Again, I regret nothing. (Well, maybe there's one thing. I wanted to buy the Raven cycle, but they only had the 1st and 4th book in the series, so I decided against it and bought Six of Crows instead.)


As you can see, I bought the classic—my favourite Francis Scott Fitzgerald and his short stories. I'm very excted to read them. Then there's my favourite Chocolat, which I finally can call my own. Then we have my love Dan Brown and his Angels & Demons here, Me Before You or All the Light We Cannot See. I'm very happy about all of these and I cannot wait to read them.


If you counted properly, you can see that I bought 20 new books. I'm an awful human but I couldn't help myself. 


I finally have a TBR pile.


Thursday 5 May 2016

TOP 5 | Series written by women I want to read

Hello, my dear readers!


I welcome you to a TOP 5 article.  Today I'm going to show you the TOP 5 series I want to read that were written by women because we can celebrate #ReadWomen every single day of the year. 


Maggie Stiefvater

Fantasy novels have never looked so good. The Internet is literally obsessed with Blue, Gansey, Adam, Noah and Ronan, and I need to know just why. This series is definitely up high on my list of books to buy/read.

Cassandra Clare

I'm sorry but everyone needs a bit of Shadowhunters in their lives. Everyone. And when the Shadowhunter series are set in Victorian London, I think there's nothing that would stop me from reading it.


Leigh Bardugo

See the covers? That alone would make me excited enough to want to read these. The fact that these books follow a criminal prodigy, Kaz Brekker, is just a very nice bonus. (I'm joking, of course the story is important as well.) I'd also love to read The Grisha Trilogy by this author.



Marissa Meyer

Because who wouldn't love a futuristic YA retelling of fairytales? I would. I hope it's as good as everyone says it is.



J. K. Rowling
I'm probably the last person in the world who's never actually read the Harry Potter series and I need to change that ASAP.



What about you? Do you have any series written by women you would like to read? Maybe some that aren't mentioned in this post? Definitely share them with me!