April Wrap Up 2017

It was a month of re-reads this month- bar a couple at the end of the month. Great quality as well! Many five star books that I'd definitely recommend! I read 10 books this month!!! I don't know where I find the time, honestly.

Half-Blood (Covenant #1)- Jennifer L. Armentrout (Re-read)
*****
This was an ultimate re-read for me- it's one of my favourite series ever and it's the first ever JLA book I ever read- holding sentimental value to me because of that. This series has the best and sassiest characters you will ever meet and each book gets better and better.



Pure (Covenant #2)- JLA (Re-read)
*****

Lo and behold, this book just got better. This series is so captivating and is so funny! JLA creates the most likeable characters and her prose is so humorous! I fly through these books so quickly (even when I've read them three times and know exactly what happens) because they are simply some of the best fantasy, Greek mythology books out there- eat your heart out, Percy Jackson.

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Thanks! Stay amazing!
Chloe

Writing Diary #9- I Get By with a Little Help from my... Brother

Side note: Previous Writing Diaries will be linked below this post in case you missed any! 

As well as my novel that I've recently finished the second draft for, I've had an idea for another and have started an extensive plan for the first book (I'm calling this Project Prophecy). With my first novel, I didn't have much of it planned and went where the story took me but for Project Prophecy, I'm planning it all to a tee.
And I'm feeling so buzzed!! I've been a little down lately and a little creatively dissatisfied as I've had nothing to work on but.... now I'm super excited!
I've just had a 'meeting' discussion with my brother over the full timeline of my new story and all the details and I'm super happy with the outcome! Talking to Ryan (I feel like I've mentioned my brother enough that I can use move to first-name basis on here), has opened... a fountain of possibilities, if you will, and suddenly I have so many great ideas that will work really well!!

April Book Haul 2017

Only a few books but quality definitely takes place of quantity this month!

The Struggle (Titan #3)- Jennifer L. Armentrout
The Struggle came out this month and, obviously, I had to instantly get it and add it to my beautiful JLA collection. The Titan series is a spin-off to the Covenant series (one of my favourites out there) and I'd definitely recommend reading the Covenant series first. We follow mainly old characters with a few new here and there and it's so good!! I've already read this, have a review coming up soon and it was so amazing! Exactly what I would expect from JLA!
Don't be put off by the cheesy romance covers- these books are epic!!







It Ends With Us- Colleen Hoover
This was a spur of the moment buy off Amazon and, having literally just finished the book, I'm so happy I did!!! This is such a heart-hitting book and it completely took me by surprise. Having purchased it, I instantly began reading and... couldn't stop. I won't lie- there were tears and very very ugly crying but.... this book was just indescribable.

The Walking Dead 3x08 'Made to Suffer' TV TALK

This episode was super humorous, entertaining and bad-ass!! We meet a few new faces in this one and lots of things are happening!!!! Lots and lots of exciting things!
Honestly, there's not much I can say in non-spoiler sections this far into the show but, if you haven't for some reason looked into watching this show, I beg you to try it. You'll thank me for it later!


TWD TV TALKS:
Season 1: | 1x01 | 1x02 | 1x03 | 1x04 | 1x05 | 1x06
Season 2: | 2x01 | 2x02 | 2x03 | 2x04 | 2x05 | 2x06 | 2x07 | 2x08 | 2x09 | 2x10 | 2x11 | 2x12 | 2x13
Season 3: | 3x01 | 3x02 | 3x03 | 3x04 | 3x05 | 3x06 | 3x07

SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD
We start the episode with new characters which is cool and everything but... all I really care about is our own group at the moment. We meet Tyreese, Sasha, Ben, Allen and Donna- the latter three probably destined to die by the end of the season... oh, look. Donna kicked the bucket already. Way to go Donna! One down, two to go.
Watching Andrea act all lovey-dovey with the Governor is sickening. It's the cringiest thing and it makes me want to sock Andrea over the head for being so blind!
And then, the Governor goes to his daughter and sings a lullaby to her! He's purely delusional and God help us all if he doesn't die ASAP.

My Life in Books TAG

I first saw this done by the girls over at PS. I Love That Book and I decided to give it a try. I'll link their post here if you'd like to give it a read!
I wanted to do a quick and easy post this week so... enjoy!  

1. Find a book for each of your initials. 

C- Cress- Marissa Meyer  

H- Heir of Fire- Sarah J. Maas

2. Count your age along your bookshelf: What book is it?

Only the Good Spy Young- Ally Carter

Writing Diary #8- Stressy Self-doubt Struggles

I wish, Caroline

Side note: All the previous Writing  Diaries will be linked under this post in case you missed any! 

I know my book isn't great- far from it. But I'm having a serious slump at the moment. Which is normal.
I think.
Before printing my novel for my first beta reader to see, I wanted to go through it one last time for a quick proof read. I know full well that the first half of my book isn't great and that it gets better throughout but.... reading those first few chapters is so depressing and shoves so much self-doubt into me.
I read a good four chapters- took me about 40 minutes- and... nothing had happened!!! It was all terrible descriptors and pointless introductions and the thought of someone other than me reading it is shameful!!!

The next day
I've read up to chapter 9 now and...I'm feeling so down! The writing is awful, the characters are unrealistic, the relationships are way too quick, there's no grip to the story and the dialogue is flat.

A Monster Calls ADAPTATION TALK

Based off the novel by Patrick Ness, this was a great adaptation and impressively accurate to the original works. I was really impressed by the quality of the film and the casting was on point in my opinion. It isn't a ridiculously long book anyway, so it was surely easier to fit in everything from the book and keep true to the plot.

This isn't exactly a happy movie and is definitely a tear-jerker so... if you're looking for a classic rom-com, I'd suggest looking elsewhere, This story is about a boy fighting the truth and coming to terms with what's going on around him. It's a very eye-opening story and I'd certainly recommend it- though, obviously, I'd suggest reading the book first if you haven't. 

I also have an A Monster Calls Book Talk which I'll link in case you missed it.

TRAILER

AMAZON

SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD

First things first, the one thing I have to rave about is how damn beautiful this production was. The cinematography was stunning all throughout and I loved the use of watercolours in the story segments- it added a dreamy and imaginative feel that was spot on to how the book felt.
I loved how the monster was portrayed in the movie- it was pretty much exact to how I imagined him. Liam Neeson was the perfect voice for the monster- I can't imagine anyone else doing it as well.
The story was beautifully paced and it was great to see the book faithfully portrayed.
It was definitely sad at the end and I loved how they alluded at the end about Conor's mum possibly knowing the monster too.

Thanks for reading! Feel free to comment your thoughts! Stay amazing!
Chloe 

The Walking Dead 3x07 'When the Dead Come Knocking' TV TALK

This was a very stressful episode to watch- lots of terrible things are happening to beautiful characters and it's so difficult to watch all the pain!!! Why can't we just go back to happily singing around campfires??
I went through many emotions in not a lot of time and, frankly, was a bit hysterical by the end.
But I suppose that's a good thing- I would never ask for anything less.



TWD TV TALKS:
Season 1: | 1x01 | 1x02 | 1x03 | 1x04 | 1x05 | 1x06
Season 2: | 2x01 | 2x02 | 2x03 | 2x04 | 2x05 | 2x06 | 2x07 | 2x08  2x09 | 2x10 | 2x11 | 2x12 | 2x13
Season 3: | 3x01 | 3x02 | 3x03 | 3x04 | 3x05 | 3x06


SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD
I love how we started with a little reunion with Carol and the group! Her hugging Rick and finding out about Lori was a total tear-jerker and it was a punch in the gut to realise that Carol would essentially be the baby's mother figure now.
But, to more important things... where was the Daryl/Carol hug? Yeah, he carried her back to safety but where was that hug?!? We didn't have nearly enough Daryl in this episode.
Michonne was 'welcomed' to the group in this episode but it was more like a reluctant acceptance on Rick's part. The only reason she's still there is because she knows where they've taken Glenn and Maggie.

Writing Diary #7- Finishing the Second Draft

Previous Writing Diaries will be linked blow this post in case you missed any!

It's been a long time coming but, here I am!!!
The second draft of my novel is finally finished!!!

Current Status:
278 pages
134,600 words (exactly!)

I've been working on the second draft since January and, for some reason, during the last month, I've become an editing machine and have been racing through the final half of my book in lightening speed. All I wanted to do is edit and I got through a good three chapters a day- it was a physical need! 
But, for me, that was great. I've always worried that I wouldn't have the motivation and determination to be a writer- that's always been my main doubt. I'd never considered myself as being a workaholic because I love my free time too much- could never imagine myself staying up late to finish a chapter but now... I am that workaholic- that person that stays up late because they just itch to write. And I'm so unbelievably happy and proud of that. 
Let's hope it continues that way. 

A Monster Calls- Patrick Ness BOOK TALK

Sidenote: Notice how I posted this at exactly 12.07....... I'm so proud of my ingenuity that it's sad.
***
After much recommendation from Kaitlin @ Liber Amoris, I finally read this book and not long after watched the movie adaptation (stay tuned for that review). It was definitely a short read so, if you're desperate to power through your reading challenge for the year, this is a solid starter.
The one thing I really loved about this book was the unique perspective of a child (though, I completely acknowledge that the protagonist is literally only three years younger than me). It felt like he was younger than thirteen so...
This story hit a bit close to home but I think that, in the long run, it made me appreciate it and relate to it a lot more. So, I don't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing...

GOODREADS

AMAZON

SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS HEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD
The part I loved most about this book were the twisted stories that the monster told- I love tales that alter your whole perception of things and really get you thinking. They reminded me a bit of the ones included in We Were Liars which gave it a nice and eerie feel for me.

The Vampire Diaries 8x10 'Nostalgia's a Bitch' TV TALK

Nostalgia is definitely a bitch. That's what we established in this episode. This is a Damon Salvatore quote from season one said to Anna (ahhh- remember Anna? I loved her) and it's fits perfectly for this episode. I'm super impressed with all the chosen quotes for these episodes- I look forward to them as much as the actual show content.

SHOCKER!! NO ELENA MENTIONS TODAY!

TVD 8x01 TV TALK  |  TVD 8x02 TV TALK  |  TVD 8x03 TV TALK  |  TVD 8x04 TV TALK

TVD 8x05 TV TALK  |  TVD 8x06 TV TALK  |  TVD 8x07 TV TALK  |  TVD 8x08 TV TALK  |  TVD 8x09 TV TALK

SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD
That Violet girl didn't last very long at all!! I knew she'd end up dead but not in the first three minutes of the next episode!
Of course Damon would trap himself inside his own head until he could forgive Stefan. It's typical Damon to go all brooding now that his humanity's back.
I love that Caroline and Bonnie both had to forgive Damon- it shows a lot of promise for their future relationships. I also love the fact that we see Damon's thoughts. We find out what he blames himself for (namely Vicki and Tyler etc).
And we got to see old characters! I wasn't as bothered with Tyler (we only saw him a while ago) but seeing Vicki and Liz was super nice.
It was such a big thing for Caroline to see her mum and Bonnie to see Grams again. Although, I feel kinda bad for Caroline because her mum starts freaking torturing her whilst Bonnie has a nice cup of tea with her Grams. Some people are just spoiled, am I right?

GALLERY OPENING!!!

I've decided to make a page on this blog that's purely dedicated to having a collection of photos on it. So far, there is a collection of when me and Kaitlin went to meet Rachel Caine in March 2016 (it's doesn't feel that long ago!!) and one of our more recent trips- a cosplay adventure when Katniss Everdeen met Emma Carstairs. All of those collections are available for you to look at now so, if you click the link at the top of this blog, you can check them out!

Each collection has a brief overview and for a full page of all the photos, you can click on the 'SEE MORE' link for each collection. I'd really appreciate anyone looking at them- they took a long time and I'm really pleased with the outcome!

In the future, I hope to add to it and end up having a nice montage of memories to look back at in the future,
Future collection will include further Cosplay Adventures and I may also add a section for when I see Hamilton at the West End next year! But, with each new collection, I'll create a normal blog post to tell you guys about it (just so you don't miss anything).

Thanks for reading! feel free to comment your thoughts! Stay amazing!
Chloe

The Walking Dead 3x06 'Hounded' TV TALK

I loved this episode (no surprises there, then). I'm so excited that certain characters are beginning to meet and find out that others are still alive. We had a lovely little reunion and it poses very very interesting plot lines for the future.





TWD TV TALKS:
Season 1: | 1x01 | 1x02 | 1x03 | 1x04 | 1x05 | 1x06

Season 2: | 2x01 | 2x02 | 2x03 | 2x04 | 2x05 | 2x06 | 2x07 | 2x08  2x09 | 2x10 | 2x11 | 2x12 | 2x13

Season 3: | 3x01 | 3x02 | 3x03 | 3x04 | 3x05

SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD
This was another very hard episode for Rick's character. He was in a really bad place and that shone through in his screen time- darkening the show even more.
I was instantly wary of the 'people' on the phone. Rick was not in a good place and it was very sketchy from the beginning that they knew specific things about Rick and the group. I like how it turned out to be a hallucination of former group members- Amy, Jim and Jacqui. I'm surprised I didn't recognise their voices earlier.

Boxing Up Books NOT-TECHNICALLY-UNHAUL

I recently re-organised my bookshelves. Yay! But the problem is, I don't have enough room to fit the hundreds of books in my collection. Because of this, I've decided to box up some books (I'm not getting rid of any!!!) for various reasons- listed below. I managed to whittle it down to roughly 50 books.
This means that, when I'm older and have my own house and loads of room for books (I hope), I can bring these books out again to their rightful place on my shelves. For now, they're just hibernating for a while.
Even after they were all gone, I still barely have enough room on my shelves!!!! A Bookshelf Tour will hopefully be up soon- as soon as I can bring myself to do it.
So, to do them justice, I'm doing an unhaul of sorts with all the books I'm boxing up. Let's get started.

Books I didn't overly love:
Fallen- Lauren Kate
Torment- Lauren Kate
Passion- Lauren Kate
Fallen in Love- Lauren Kate
Rapture- Lauren Kate
The Martian- Andy Weir
Lament- Maggie Steifvater
The Game of Love and Death- Malorie Brockenrough
Hush Hush- Becca Fitzpatrick
Crescendo- Becca Fitzpatrick
Silence- Becca Fitzpatrick
Finale- Becca Fitzpatrick
The Good, The Bad and The Dumped- Jenny Colgan
Devil's Bargain- Rachel Caine
Shiver- Maggie Steifvater
Linger- Maggie Steifvater
Forever- Maggie Stiefvater
An Abundance of Katherine's- John Green
Looking for Alaska- John Green
This Is What Happy Looks Like- Jennifer E. Smith
Bodyguard: Hostage- Chris Bradford
All Fall Down- Ally Carter

Cosplay Adventures #1 with Kaitlin!!!

In honour of World Book Day 2017, I partnered up with Kaitlin @ Liber Amoris to overcome public anxiety and showcase our book pride in the name of reading... and look awesome whilst doing it!





Starring (drum roll, please):
Kaitlin as Katniss Everdeen
Chloe as Emma Carstairs 

Kailtin as Katniss Everdeen                                         Chloe as Emma Carstairs

The Vampire Diaries 8x09 'The Simple Intimacy of the Near Touch' TV TALK

This episode was essentially a flashback of the Miss Mystic Falls episode in season one- the title for this episode more than fitting. I liked this episode more than the last but we did get some monotonous conversations and predictable plot lines... I'm really hoping the story line picks up again- this is the last ever season for Christ's sake!

This episode was also very Elena-orientated...
Elena Mentions: 21
Elena Flashbacks: 11
Elena Indirect References: 5

TVD 8x01 TV TALK  |  TVD 8x02 TV TALK  |  TVD 8x03 TV TALK  |  TVD 8x04 TV TALK

TVD 8x05 TV TALK  |  TVD 8x06 TV TALK  |  TVD 8x07 TV TALK  |  TVD 8x08 TV TALK

SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD
This was a really important episode for Damon- he finally fought off Sybil and is starting to make his way back to Elena. I love how Sybil deliberately dressed like Elena- there were so many flashback parallels from season one and now.
I also felt super sorry for Caroline- having to deal with Evil Stefan around. He's was tormenting her throughout this episode and I don't blame her for killing him- nice throw with that stake, Care!
I love the bond that's beginning to grow between Care and Damon- they're supporting each other in the absence of their loves (because Bonnie's not doing anything useful/supportive now that she has Enzo). Caroline also understands the extent of what Sybil did to Damon's mind and is already starting to forgive him for the things he couldn't control.
Caroline said such a.... Caroline line in this and I just had to highlight it because it's such a prime reason as to why Caroline is arguably my favourite character in this entire show:
"It should look effortless ladies and don't forget to smile... But not because society says you have to but because you're happy to be at such an illustrious town event!"
If you compare Season 1 Caroline to Season 8 Caroline, there's such a huge difference. She's grown so much as a person and she's just super amazing now. Caroline should never change.

The Walking Dead 3x05 'Say The Word' TV TALK

This was a very emotional driven episode in the grand scheme of things- we've all been through a lot and morale is extremely down while problems are rapidly rising. But, still, it was entertaining!!!
Also, two words: Cherokee. Rose.
Oh, the feels!!!!! This needs to freaking resolve itself!!


TWD TV TALKS:
Season 1: | 1x01 | 1x02 | 1x03 | 1x04 | 1x05 | 1x06

Season 2: | 2x01 | 2x02 | 2x03 | 2x04 | 2x05 | 2x06 | 2x07 | 2x08                    2x09 | 2x10 | 2x11 | 2x12 | 2x13

Season 3: | 3x01 | 3x02 | 3x03 | 3x04


SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD
It was intense to watch Rick's mindset. He didn't say a single word until the final scene -hello?- and it was so captivating to watch such raw emotion in his character- a character who always keeps morale high and supports everyone else. This episode had such great acting by Andrew Lincoln (he deserves a gold star!). It was just so difficult to watch him go on that Walker-killing rampage and then turn on Glenn!! He's in a really bad place and it makes the show even more darker than it already was!
Members of our group we doing various things this episode; Maggie and Daryl were on a hunt for baby formula and Glenn dug some graves with the help of the two prisoners.
I hate that they all think that Carol is dead! Where is she? She was still alive the last time I saw her- she must be around somewhere! I hate that they just assume she's dead- have a little faith in her!
I need a Carol/Daryl reunion when he's relieved that she's alive and they hug it out... I freaking need that like I need oxygen.

Writing Exercises #3- Top 100 Words

The basic idea for this writing exercise is to create a short, story poem, etc., using only the top 100 most frequently used words. You don't need to use all of them but it's still so goddamn difficult!!!! The most used words are so insignificant that it's hard to write anything coherent with them but I gave it a good try anyway.
I'll link the list of the top 100 most frequently used words here if you'd like to give it a go yourself.
With mine, I firstly constructed sentences that would make sense and then I shoved them together to make an... abstract piece- it works!
So here goes my example...(don't judge too harshly).

How did I get into this?
How? Why? When?
This day, this year.
I know that person
but I don't
which way do I go?
with who can I be me?

time will not give.
work will not
because any one of these days,
they will see.
I am not good.
I am not her.

The Walking Dead 3x04 'Killer Within' TV TALK

This was such an amazing episode- my favourite of the series so far. It was so tension filled and panicky!! Very very panicky!! I was on the edge of my entire seat the entire time and for the first time in a long time.... there was ugly crying.
I also love the title of this episode cause it refers to so many things.... and my literary geek just appreciates how clever it is.



TWD TV TALKS:
Season 1: | 1x01 | 1x02 | 1x03 | 1x04 | 1x05 | 1x06
Season 2: | 2x01 | 2x02 | 2x03 | 2x04 | 2x05 | 2x06 | 2x07 | 2x08 | 2x09 | 2x10 | 2x11 | 2x12 | 2x13
Season 3: | 3x01 | 3x02 | 3x03

SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD
We got little snippet of Woodbury in this episode but it is definitely not the sole focus. Merle wants to find Daryl which is kinda nice and I can't wait for Michonne to find some evidence against the Governor and prove Andrea wrong about him being good.

We start with some pretty mundane rubbish- we're all deciding whether it's ethical or not to kill Axel and Oscar (the last two prisoners), let them join the group or kick them out. It's nothing we haven't discussed a billion times in the past.
But then... the Walkers! That last prisoner that I forgot completely about lured a load of Walkers to our group and... hell, we're trapped!! Poor Hershel is struggling because he's on crutches and the timing was very convenient to happen at the exact moment he tried to walk outside in them.

Perfect- Cecelia Ahern BOOK TALK

* * * * *
This book was perfect (yes, I'm completely aware of how this is a terrible pun). It was just as good as the first book and kept me gripped and excited the whole way through.
I received this book as an ARC and read it last month but, now that's the books finally been released, I can post my Book Talk!!
I love the family aspect in this book and how the political angle of the book was executed. The whole political angle was captivating and intrigued me when this topic in a book usually bores me.
The story was superbly paced and everything came together beautifully in the end.
This novel explores of an alternate perfect society where people are punished and branded for being morally Flawed. Their skin gets branded and their segregated from the rest of society. The first book, Flawed, was fascinating and stunning, so I'd definitely recommend this book for anyone!
Flawed Book Talk

GOODREADS

AMAZON

SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD
First off, I loved how symmetrical this book was to Flawed. The book started with a definition of the title, short first chapter and then a chapter beginning with a quote from her Granddad. This was a really small detail but I really appreciated it- being the organised and detailed person I am.
I didn't mention it in my Flawed Book Talk, but I adore her Granddad. He's a stubborn guy who stands up for his beliefs- 'set in his ways' is the perfect phrase to describe him, I think. He's brilliant and endlessly entertaining. He's also extremely loyal which I appreciate in this world.
I've waited for more Carrick/Celestine interactions for a painfully long time and it was brilliant to see them together- I had a major fangirl over them.
Celestarrick (the ship name I've given them) are so beautiful together and I waited so long for them to kiss each other's scars!!! I will say, though, that they got together a lot quicker than I thought they would.

April Releases and TBR 2017

Releases:
The Dead List- Jennifer L. Armentrout
Favourite Author Alert!! Would definitely recommend this one- it's amazing!!!
Perfect (Flawed #2)- Cecelia Ahern
Another of my favourite recent reads- would also recommend anyone picking up this duology! My Book Talk will be up on the release date!
Alex and Eliza: A Love Story- Melissa de la Cruz
For all those Hamilton fans out there! (Aka, me).
Doing It- Hannah Witton
Legion- Julie Kagawa
The Upside of Unrequited- Becky Albertalli

TBR:
The Covenant series- Jennifer L. Armentrout (Re-read for the third time)
Half-Blood | Pure | Deity | Apollyon | Sentinel
Favourite Author Alert! I love JLA so freaking much- I've read many of her series (Covenant, Titan and Lux being my ultimate faves) and since her new book The Struggle just came out last month, I wanted to re-read this series once again before diving into the Titan series again. The Titan series (see below) is a spin-off of The Covenant series and you definitely need to read this series before venturing into that one- though this is no issue at all because these book are pure sass, romance, action, humour, epicness and humour.... did I say humour already?
I'm currently on Pure at the moment and re-reading these books for the millionth time is the best feeling in the world.

The Titan series #1-#3- Jennifer L. Armentrout (Re-read- spinoff of Covenant series)
The Return | The Power | The Struggle
The Titan series is New Adult as opposed to The Covenant series being Young Adult so there are definitely more sexy times in these books. I've only read the first two and have yet to read The Struggle since it's just come out! The last book in this series, The Prophecy comes out next year and I'm so sad that we'll be saying goodbye to these characters for good! But I've still got time to comfort myself with these beautiful and sassy characters that I've grown to love.