The 5th Wave ADAPTATION TALK

***
I finally got round to watching The 5th Wave movie yesterday and, boy, do I have some things to say about it.
The 5th Wave is based (and I use the word 'based' loosely) on Rick Yancey's sci-fi trilogy. The trilogy is decent book series though not my favourite. I would recommend reading the books over the movie because the book is so much more detailed and the movie skims over everything too quickly.
In terms of non-spoilers, I can say that I actually quite enjoyed it. Yeah, there were many parts of the book missing and the characters were in general... lacking, but as a movie it was entertaining and gripped me. There are many controversial opinions on this movie and while I did personally think it was good, I can't see a sequel movie being made in the future.

TRAILER

AMAZON

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The movie started off pretty promising for me. The whole shoot scene was pretty similar to how I pictured it in the book. The main gist of the plot was mainly accurate to the book but obviously there was a lot- a lot- of detail missing.
I loved the actor who played Sam. Sammy was so damn cute in all of his scenes. Though, I do think he should've been included more- especially when he is working and training. He really isn't shown too much which disappointed me.

Me Before You- Jojo Moyes BOOK TALK

****
If you haven't heard of this book then- other than living under a rock- you have been missing out on a lot.
Me Before You is the novel that has been sweeping the world. I don't want to say much in terms of non-spoiler because I think it's best to go in without knowing much.
Go read it, I beg you!



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Louisa is one of the perkiest and optimistic protagonists I have ever read. Her smile was infectious and it was lovely to read in her voice. She's such a positive influence and I would love to have her as friend.
I absolutely loved Will. He was way funnier than I was expecting him to be and I adored his sense of humour. It was witty, clever and it brought a very easy smile on my face.

Writing Diary #2 - The Struggle!!!!!

Check out Writing Diary #1 if you missed it!


This is more of a rant, I feel, than an actual update but I need to get this frustration out of me.
I desperately want to finish the first draft of my book before the end of the summer holidays so have drastically increased my number of words goal per day.
So, it's the first day of the summer holidays, I'm ready and raring to right and I go straight to my laptop. I bang out a couple thousand words and I'm feeling super proud!
Then...the computer freezes.
All my work from the past few hours is lost and, though trying a million and one different ways, I cannot retrieve the file.
I'm not even joking- I sat down and cried.
I was so unbelievably proud of what I'd just written only to have it completely disappear.
Naturally, I spent the rest of the afternoon re-writing the chapter that I'd just written.
Sometimes, I hate technology.

Thanks for reading- I needed to get that out. I'm sure there's many people who can relate to that feeling. See you soon,
Chloe

August Releases and TBR 2016

Releases:
A Torch Against The Night (An Ember in the Ashes, #2) - Sabaa Tahir
The Flame Never Dies (The Stars Never Rise, #2) - Rachel Vincent
Vicarious (Vicarious, #1) - Paula Strokes 
United (Alienated, #3) - Melissa Landers
Furthermore- Taherah Mafi
Enter Title Here- Rahul Kanakia

TBR:
A Court of Mist and Fury- Sarah J. Maas
I know, I know!!! I wanted to read it last month but didn't get the chance!!!!I've already started and finished it within two days it and it is hella amazing!!! Get ready for a ridiculously long BOOK TALK!

Harry Potter and The Cursed Child- J.K Rowling, John Tiffany and Jack Thorne
August's 'Book of the Month' is obviously going to be The Cursed Child. I got the book a couple of days ago and it's so beautiful! I can't wait to read this!!!! This is set nineteen years after The Deathly Hallows and it is exciting!

Potter Challenge- In honour of The Cursed Child

In honour of The cursed Child release tomorrow (!!!!), I have decided to do the Potter Challenge! I've quickly answered each question because there are a few of them! I'd love to know your own favourite moments of the Harry Potter world!!

1. Your house
Ravenclaw (of course...)
And my Ilvermorny house is Horned Serpent, if you're interested.

2. Fave magical creature
Dragons- if not, I'd go owls but I didn't think they were... magical enough to count as a magical creature.

3. Fave Quote
"Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light." -Albus Dumbledore

July Wrap Up 2016

Kill The Boy Band- Goldy Moldavsky
***
This book was in a word mental. It followed a group of four girls who basically stalk their favourite boy band and end up accidently kidnapping one of them. This was a quirky, insane and ridiculous read but super entertaining. It's a short book and a quick read- perfect for the summer.






The Unexpected Everything- Morgan Matson
****
This new release was instantly on my radar because I've previously read Morgan Matson books and they were all amazing. This one was no different. It read really nicely and it really put me in a summer mood. Matson writes such great contemporary novels and reading them simply makes me happy.

July Book Haul 2016

A short a sweet haul this month but some really awesome reads that I can't wait to get to!


Not If I See You First- Eric Lindstrom
I saw this book for buy-one-get-one-half-price and the urge to get it was all too much! It follows a girl whole is blind and I find this to be a very interesting aspect within a book.   






Kill The Boy Band- Goldy Moldavsky
Since the first time I heard of this book, I have been urging to read it so much. It looked wacky, funny and I finally found after months and months of looking!!! It involves super fangirls which definitely sold the whole premise to me immediately.

Allegiant Movie Failure? NEWS

There has been surprising news for the Divergent fandom! (Or predictable, depending on whether you saw it coming or not).
The fourth movie in the Divergent series has been rumoured to never hit the big screen. Due to poor viewings, profit and success, the final installment in the Divergent movie franchise, Ascendant, has been said to hit the TV for the final movie. It is uncertain that stars Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Ansel Elgort and Miles Teller will be reappearing for the final movie.
However, a new TV spin-off series is being considered for the Divergent fandom.

Writing Diary #1 - The Beginning

As you may or may not know, I am currently writing the first draft of my first ever book.
I’ve decided pretty late in the game that I want to create a writing diary... thing. Basically. I thought it would be nice to track my progress as I write my first novel (oh, that sounds so cool, doesn’t it?) Because I’m a very forward-thinking person that loves looking back at memories, I thought that this would be the perfect way to look back at my experience of writing this book.
I started planning this book and writing random snippets in December 2015 and began properly writing the first draft in January 2016. As you know, it’s July now so a lot has considerably been done. I’ve written a large chunk of the book and am at 72,000 ish words which is an amazing achievement for me.

Summertime Madness BOOK TAG

As it's very nearly the summer holidays, I've decided to do the Summertime Madness BOOK TAG! I got the questions from the blog BookishRebels, so be sure to check out their post.
On with the tag...

1. Show a book with a summery cover!
Before I Die- Jenny Downham
Despite, the depressing title (and book), it has a summery cover. It was the first one that popped into my head.

2.Pick one fictional place that would be the perfect destination for a summer vacation!
The Los Angeles Institute- Lady Midnight, Cassandra Clare
There's a beach there, Shadowhunters and not to mention Julian Blackthorn! It's a win-win situation.

Notes on Being Teenage- Rosalind Jana BOOK TALK

**
I don't exactly know what I was expecting in this book but I was both pleasantly surprised and disappointed at the same time.
This book is a collection of stories about Rosalind- exploring experiences that she's been through- and the issues with society and how we grow up within this confusing and contradicting society.
This book touches on many subjects like, identity, fitting in, sexuality and being yourself. It included many stories and quotes from many different people and had recommendations of a range of different websites and books in specific subjects.
I can't really include a spoiler section as this isn't plot based but is set in chapters that talk about different subjects. (It would be hard to spoil this book).
I generally liked the voice in which this book was written. It was written in a very conversationalist way and I enjoyed this.
This novel was extremely relatable- the basic purpose of it, I think- as there were so many truths on our society that I agree with. I liked this aspect because it made it interesting to read as I was nodding along with most of what she said.
However, a huge chunk of this book didn't resonate with me at all. There was a lot of talk about fashion and how your clothes are a big part of your identity. I don't necessarily agree and this ruined a massive part of the book. I mean...It went on and on and on about clothes, make-up and modelling etc. (You get the idea).
As it wasn't plot based and was simply a conversational book, it took a long time for me to read and dragged at quite a few parts. I found myself skimming many paragraphs just to get through it quicker. This is mainly why my star rating is so low (that and the fashion thing.... not really my cup of tea).
I would definitely recommend it if you have a passion for fashion or even if you fancy a bit of a conversation (a one sided talk but a conversation nevertheless).
A decent read that did, despite my main dislike, have many redeeming qualities and important messages about growing up.

Thanks for reading! Comment any thoughts you had. See you soon,
Chloe

A Long Conversation- Cassandra Clare Mini BOOK TALK

****
A Long Conversation is a novella that shows a small but amazing scene back in the perspectives of Clary, Jace and Co. It is set during the time of Lady Midnight and I read this after Lady Midnight because it was at the back of my copy.
It was such a lovely and nostalgic novella that gave me all the feels. If you haven't already read it, I would recommend going and searching for it because it is certainly worth it.





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(TMI AND TDA SPOILERS ARE INCLUDED!)

I feel like, in this mini BOOK TALK, I'll just be talking about how cute my ships were but... oh, well!
Let's start with Malec because they were gorgeous as usual. Whenever they were mentioned my Malec heart was fangirling so hard. It's so cute to see them with their kids because they make such amazing parents!

Lady Midnight- Cassandra Clare BOOK TALK

*****
I'm so happy I finished this! This is my favourite Cassandra Clare by far! It was fast-paced, humorous and action-packed. The plot was executed effortlessly and I sped through it!
Lady Midnight follows the Shadowhunter world, five years after the Dark War. We follow Emma and Julian (parabatai) in the LA Institute. Murders are sweeping the city- including faeries as well as humans. Emma, Julian and co. must figure out this mystery whilst sorting through problems of their own- law breaking problems.
I would definitely recommend reading The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices before you get to this book because it will make a lot more sense and you'll understand a lot of the smaller and finer details- making the book even better! I'm sure reading The Shadowhunter Academy series made it better as well but I haven't read those books yet and it didn't spoil my enjoyment of Lady Midnight so it's not crucial for reading this instalment.
If you haven't already, please go read it- you will not regret it!

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(MILD TMI AND TID SPOILERS INCLUDED)
I was blown away by this book. This has, by far, been my favourite of the Shadowhunter Chronicles. As we already know everything to do with this Shadowhunter world, Cassie doesn't need to as much world building and can jump straight into the action which I love! World building is necessary in fantasy books but, to be honest, it can sometimes make the book drag. As this book needed none of this explanation, we could dive straight into the deep end.

The Whispering of Trees- C. Y. Bourgeois BOOK TALK

**
This story was very unique and had a nice balance of fun and serious subjects. The story follows Aggie who is a shaman. The story shows her development into a shaman and her journey into womanhood. Aggie goes through a lot of traumatic events within this story and it shows how strong she is in this book.
This was a good book but it didn't necessarily grip me and have me on the edge of my seat. Nevertheless, it dealt with many untouched subjects in fiction and I appreciated it's honesty and realism on these points.
This story had a range of character perspective. It wasn't solely focused on Aggie and many other smaller characters had the chance to shine as well.
Would I recommend it? Well, give it a try and see.


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Okay. So.

July Releases and TBR 2016

Releases:
31st Harry Potter and The Cursed Child-J.K Rowling, Jack Thorne, John Tiffany
5th Paper and Fire- Rachel Caine
26th PS I Like You- Katie West
5th This Savage song- Victoria Schwab 


TBR:

A bit of an ambitious TBR this month considering I'm so busy these next few weeks but I'm going to try... I'll try...

Kill The Boy Band- Goldy Moldavsky
I've started reading this book already and I purely picked it up on a whim. From descriptions it sounded funny, quirky and crazy. I aim to finish this month and am enjoying it immensely so far.

Notes On Being Teenage- Rosalind Jana 
The second I saw this book, I was immediately interested. It looks quick, quirky and relatable. I'll definitely be getting to it this month and I'm so excited!

Me Before You- Jojo Moyes
Me Before You is the 'Book of the Month' for July and I am thrilled to finally be able to read it. I've been to see the movie (Adaptation Talk up if you'd like to read it) and it was so amazing! I can't wait to read the original story of Lou and Will and I'm certainly ready to stack up on tissues.

Me Before You ADAPTATION TALK

*****

I've recently been to see this movie and it completely blew me away. It was stunning and I literally just want to go and see it again and again and again.
It was original and so refreshing.
I haven't yet read the book so I cannot compare it to the book but I've heard that the actors are very loyal to the characters.
The set for this movie was beautiful and I am completely obsessed with this movie's soundtrack. Including the talents of Ed Sheeran and Imagine Dragons, the music fitted the story immaculately. As soon as I heard Ed Sheeran in the background, I knew I'd be dissolving into a puddle of tears. Damn, Ed Sheeran!
If you haven't already watched this, I would strongly recommend it. I can't say whether it's worth reading the book but, in general, I would advise it.

TRAILER

AMAZON

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The first thing I freaked out about with this movie was Neville!!! I can't think what his real name is but Neville Longbottom was in this movie I had no idea beforehand!! The joy I had when first seeing him was huge and I started fangirling right then and there in the cinema (and this was only a couple of minutes in). He is such a great actor and I could not stop smiling whenever he was on screen.
This film was so much funnier than I would've thought. All I'd heard about this movie was that it was a tearjerker and this immediately makes me think that the film will be morose and depressing. It was anything but! (If you exclude the ending...) Lou and Will exchange so many witty quips and it made me smile like an idiot. Will's dry and sarcastic humour was amazing because, personally, that's my favourite sense of humour. They both had me laughing and it gave the film such a light and endearing tone.

June Wrap Up 2016

I read a total of ten book this month and no re-reads!! There are so many books that I need to read at the moment so it's impossible for me to have time to re-read anything, even if I wanted to. I read a great range of books this month so let's get straight into it.


The Winner's Trilogy- Marie Rutkoski
****
The Winner's Curse   The Winner's Crime   The Winner's Kiss
I started this month off by reading this trilogy back-to-back and, boy, did I love it. This trilogy was so mysterious, fascinating and gripping form the start. Despite me not being totally crazy for the ending, I liked this series a lot. I've done a whole series BOOK TALK for this trilogy if you want to see some of my more in-depth thoughts.





The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight- Jennifer E. Smith
***
After reading a whole trilogy of high fantasy, this book the best story I could've picked up. It was short, lovable and 100% adorable. Set over a 24 hour period, it's a short and sweet story of two people meeting and the pure luck of chance. Such a lovely book to fall into and it didn't take me long to read at all. I would definitely recommend it if you're in a book slump.

 

The Shadow Queen- C. J. Redwine
****
The Shadow Queen was June's 'Book of The Month' and I freaking loved it! I was on the verge of a 5/5 stars. It reminds me a bit of the movie Snow White and The Huntsman and if fantasy, romance and awesomeness takes your fancy- this book would be a good one to look into. I have a BOOK TALK up if you're interested in more info.

This Is What Goodbye Looks Like- Olivia Rivers BOOK TALK

****
This is exactly the kind of book I needed to read right now! It gripped me from the very beginning and I didn't want it to end.
It's a story that I couldn't put down and stayed up until ugly hours to finish. It's been a while since I've been all-consumed by a book so it's nice to get that feeling back.
This story follows a girl called Lea. Lea watched a boy die in the same car accident that ruined her legs and put her sister in a coma. She's the only eye-witness and had the opportunity to put the drunk driver responsible into jail, giving justice to the boy's family.
But, instead, she lied in order to keep her mum out of jail.
With the trial over and her sister still in a coma, Lea attempts to rebuild her shattered life. When transferring schools, she finds herself in the same class as Seth Ashbury- the brother of the boy who died in the accident. As she grows closer to him, the lies begin to pile up and Lea has to decide whether to continue with an oblivious Seth and comforting them both or telling the truth and risk destroying this new life that she's built herself.
I'm obsessed with this book and I wanted it to go forever. This book just had that special 'it' factor that I can't name.
This book was phenomenal and, obviously, I would recommend it. Be sure to pick it up!

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First of all, I'd like to thank the publishers for sending me this so that I could review it!
This book was so adorable and yet it had so many dark subjects weaved throughout. This whole story centres around grief, despair and pain and it was portrayed so flawlessly and dealt with so maturely. Personally, I'm a big fan of very dark and melancholy themes and it was written so well in this book. This was beautifully realistic and it was pulled off effortlessly.

June Book Haul 2016

This haul is going to be short and sweet and very contemporary based. I didn't get many books but I'm really excited to get to the ones that I have. Also, it's a bit of a tear-jerker month...



My Sister's Keeper- Jodi Picoult
Jodi Picoult is such a popular contemporary author and I've only read one of her books (Between The Lines- written with her daughter Samantha Van Leer). This is one of the better known books and I've wanted to read it for a while. And when the book is £1 in a charity shop...I couldn't resist.

The Shadow Queen- C. J. Redwine BOOK TALK

****
I loved this book and was completely on the verge of awarding a 5 star rating to it!
This is a Snow White retelling that follows Lorelai. Lorelai has been on the run ever since the evil witch, Irina, infiltrated her family, killed her father and took over the kingdom that is rightfully hers. Finding out that Lorelai is still alive and a threat to her life, Irina sets a hunter- a shape shifting dragon prince from another kingdom- to hunt Lorelai down and take her heart.
It's so good! For me, I would say that it's a mix between the movie Snow White and the Huntsman and the book Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas. It has magic, shape shifting, royal politics, kingdoms and romance! So, basically, it has it all! Definitely worthy the read!



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Lets start with Lorelai. She was such an awesome heroine and was completely bad-ass! I liked her the second I met her. She was a determined and loyal woman and she continues despite the odds against her and all she goes through. She is exactly what a heroine should be and she was truly inspiring.
From the first mention of Leo, I loved him. He had to be one of my favourite characters. And yet he was ripped away from us so quickly!! I couldn't believe he'd died so early on in the book and it still caused such an impact on my heart. I was so sad- he shouldn't have died!