Review: Birthday by Meredith Russo

Publication Date: May 2019
Publisher: Usbourne Publishing
Source: Borrowed from library

[ Goodreads ]

Blurb:

Meet Morgan and Eric: born on the same day, at the same time and bonded for life. 

In this moving dual narrative, we meet them every birthday from the age of thirteen, as Eric figures out who he is, as Morgan decides to live as her true self, and as they realize they are inextricably part of each other.

 **I Just want to preface this review by saying that after I read the book, I discovered the article on the authors domestic abuse and abuse allegations. This has made me remove my purchase link to the novel and in the review I will be discussing the book as a piece of work and not the author.** 

*Trigger warnings in this book eating disorders, trans and lgbtq hate speech and bullying, self harm, body dysphoria, homophobia, violence, alcohol abuse, grief 


This book was one I had wanted to read last year but never got round to it. I've been in a great reading mood so far this year so found it at my local library and picked it up. This book very much gripped me from beginning to end and if I sum it up in a word: wow. 

The characters in the book completely make the book for me. The novel centers around Eric and Morgan, two "boys" who share a birthday and an amazingly strong friendship. Morgan is hiding a secret burden, she is a trans woman but is scared to let anyone know. Over the course of the novel we see Morgan struggle as she tries to oppress her gender, lashes out in violence, substance abuse before finally accepting that she is a woman and works towards self acceptance and approaching others . 

Review: Simon Vs The Homosapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

Publication Date: April 2015
Publisher: Balzer + ray
Source: Borrowed from library

[ Goodreads ]           [ Book Depository ] 

Blurb: 
Sixteen-year-old and not-so-openly gay Simon Spier prefers to save his drama for the school musical. But when an email falls into the wrong hands, his secret is at risk of being thrust into the spotlight. Now Simon is actually being blackmailed: if he doesn’t play wingman for class clown Martin, his sexual identity will become everyone’s business. Worse, the privacy of Blue, the pen name of the boy he’s been emailing, will be compromised.

With some messy dynamics emerging in his once tight-knit group of friends, and his email correspondence with Blue growing more flirtatious every day, Simon’s junior year has suddenly gotten all kinds of complicated. Now, change-averse Simon has to find a way to step out of his comfort zone before he’s pushed out—without alienating his friends, compromising himself, or fumbling a shot at happiness with the most confusing, adorable guy he’s never met.

Okay so I have NO IDEA why I put off reading this book despite the rave reviews...I completely regret it. So a preface to this review, if you have this book on your TBR- move that into currently reading ASAP. 

This book was the most heart warming, funny, happy, marshmallow fluffy book I've ever read. It completely captivated me from the first page and I sped through the book in 2 days. And that's pretty impressive as I was super busy but made the time to read the book because I just needed the joy in my life. 

The book focuses on Simon, an "in the closet" teen who finds himself becoming closer and close to a boy called Blue through email. Reading about their relationship and how much closer they were getting was so well written and cute. I loved how Albertalli portrayed their closeted emotions and the inner ups and down turmoil they were feeling in terms of self acceptance. Their conversations were totally adorable and I actually found myself re-reading their emails after I finished the book. 

Review: The Coldest Girl In Coldtown by Holly Black

Publication Date: September 2013
Publisher: Little Brown Books
Source: Borrowed from library

[ Goodreads ]         [ Book Depository ] 

Blurb: 
Tana lives in a world where walled cities called Coldtowns exist. In them, quarantined monsters and humans mingle in a decadently bloody mix of predator and prey. The only problem is, once you pass through Coldtown's gates, you can never leave.

One morning, after a perfectly ordinary party, Tana wakes up surrounded by corpses. The only other survivors of this massacre are her exasperatingly endearing ex-boyfriend, infected and on the edge, and a mysterious boy burdened with a terrible secret. Shaken and determined, Tana enters a race against the clock to save the three of them the only way she knows how: by going straight to the wicked, opulent heart of Coldtown itself.

So I know y'all gonna hate me, but I've never read a Holly Black book before this one! I know, I know... I picked this book up from my library because I've heard a lot of hype around holly Blacks books and thought this would be a great spooky read for October. 

So this book takes place in a world where vampirism is a disease that had spread throughout some places in the world. The infected people and vampires are quarantined into "Coldtowns" where they are cut off from society. These coldtowns are broadcast on TV 24/7 as a reality TV show for the population. The novel kicks up a gear when Tana, our main character, has to enter a Coldtown. 

Review: Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

Publisher: Walker Books
Publication Date: December 2011
Source: Borrowed from library
Series: The Infernal Devices #2
[ Goodreads ]        [ Book Depository ] 

Blurb: 
In the magical underworld of Victorian London, Tessa Gray has found safety with the Shadowhunters. But that safety proves fleeting when it becomes clear that the mysterious Magister will stop at nothing to use Tessa’s powers for his own dark ends.

With the help of the handsome, tortured Will and the devoted Jem, Tessa discovers that the Magister’s war on the Shadowhunters is deeply personal and fueled by revenge. To unravel the secrets of the past, the trio journeys from mist-shrouded Yorkshire to a manor house that holds untold horrors. When they encounter a clockwork demon bearing a warning for Will, they realize that the Magister knows their every move—and that one of their own has betrayed them.

Tessa is drawn more and more to Jem, though her longing for Will continues to unsettle her. But something is changing in Will. Could finding the Magister free Will from his secrets and give Tessa answers about who she really is? As their search leads to deadly peril, Tessa learns that secrets and lies can corrupt even the purest heart.

So finally picking back up this series months after I was gripped by Clockwork Angel.. I know, I suck at being a blogger- can I insert "hectic life" excuses here?

Anyway, I'm so glad I started getting into this series after years of loving The Mortal Instruments, I am kicking myself fro not caving to the book peer pressure sooner! (Speaking of, please pressure me into reading some more of your favorite books in the comments below!)

So for me, Clockwork Prince was the character development book in the series. I feel like Clockwork Angel was the book to introduce the characters, story-line, villain and main story thread that will run through the series and this book was to delve deeper into the relationships and characters themselves while also engaging with the plot. 

The characters of the novel are really the main driving force behind this series. I think everyone who begins the series just wants to hear more and more of the characters and also have the plot and action going on in the background. The Will fan-girls would honestly pay Cassie for a 500 page novel of a week in the life of Will Herondale at this point! 
But back to my review..the characters definitely o through a lot of development as the reader begins to learn more about them and about what motivates them both individually and as their slightly dysfunctional Institute family. 

Review: Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

Publication Date: August 2010
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Source: Bought
Series: The Infernal Devices #1

[ Goodreads ]         [ Book Depository ] 

Blurb: 
In a time when Shadowhunters are barely winning the fight against the forces of darkness, one battle will change the course of history forever. 

The year is 1878. Tessa Gray descends into London’s dark supernatural underworld in search of her missing brother. She soon discovers that her only allies are the demon-slaying Shadowhunters—including Will and Jem, the mysterious boys she is attracted to. Soon they find themselves up against the Pandemonium Club, a secret organization of vampires, demons, warlocks, and humans. Equipped with a magical army of unstoppable clockwork creatures, the Club is out to rule the British Empire, and only Tessa and her allies can stop them...

I know, it's shocking that I have not read any of The Infernal Devices series before now...#BadBlogger 

I'm so glad to be finally getting back on the Cassandra Clare book wagon! I have just started reading more of The Mortal Instruments series and decided it was time to read The Infernal devices before I accidentally spoiled myself! 

So this book started off badly for me. It took me a long time, maybe 150 pages, before I felt any connection to the characters or felt the plots pace was picking up. The very beginning of the novel with the  dark sisters was written very slowly and I found myself quite bored. Thankfully, the book picked up and I found myself enjoying the steady pace of the novel. 

Tessa was an up and down character for me, I found myself loving her one minute and then cringing at her the next. I know the book is set in Victorian England, but Tessa's anti-feminist views and slight stand offish relationship with other women was not my favourite thing to read about. I especially cringed / eye rolled when she said she wanted to move into a flat with her brother and clean the house and cook for him all day long... 

Review: Knights of the Borrowed Dark by Dave Rudden

Publication Date: March 10th 2016
Publisher: Puffin Books
Source: Borrowed

[ Goodreads ]               [ Book Depository ] 

Blurb: 

Denizen Hardwick is an orphan, and his life is, well, normal. Sure, in storybooks orphans are rescued from drudgery when they discover they are a wizard or a warrior or a prophesied king. But this is real life—orphans are just kids without parents. At least that’s what Denizen thought. . . . 
 
On a particularly dark night, the gates of Crosscaper Orphanage open to a car that almost growls with power. The car and the man in it retrieve Denizen with the promise of introducing him to a long-lost aunt. But on the ride into the city, they are attacked. Denizen soon learns that monsters can grow out of the shadows. And there is an ancient order of knights who keep them at bay. Denizen has a unique connection to these knights, but everything they tell him feels like a half-truth.
 If Denizen joins the order, is he fulfilling his destiny, or turning his back on everything his family did to keep him alive?

So this is a book I have seen so much buzz and chatter around since its release two years ago! I was so glad to finally pick it up so that I could see what all the hype was about. 

I was really looking forward to reading this novel as my interest was re-instated after seeing the recent publication of the third novel earlier this year. This series had taken the internet and my Instagram by storm! I really enjoy a gripping and adventurous middle grade novel and had not read one for a while, the final Percy Jackson book not included. This book also has one of the best first sentences I've ever read: "Looking back, it had been a mistake to fill the orphanage with books."

Review: Midnight by Jacqueline Wilson

Publication Date: October 25th 2004
Publisher: Corgi
Source: Own

[ Goodreads ]          [ Book Depository ] 

Blurb: 

Violet has always been in the shadow of her mesmerizing, controlling brother Will -- by turns delightful and terrifying. Now that Will has learned a shocking secret about his own past, things seem to be getting worse. Violet retreats further into her fantasy world built around the fairy characters created by her favourite author, Casper Dream. The arrival of Jasmine, a new girl at school who immediately befriends Violet, seems like it might change Violet’s life for the better and allow her to break free of Will’s spell. But is Jasmine a true friend? 

 Jacqueline Wilson was one of the most influential authors on my reading life. Her novels lit the spark to my love for reading and I knew I needed to read this novel as one of her only "classics" that I had not yet read. 

The novel centered around Violet, a thirteen year old girl with a love for fantastical worlds and her favourite author Casper Dream. Violet was a really well written main character. Jacqueline definitely captured the odd internal conflict of being a girl at that age, of wanting to hold onto your childhood but also wanting to be an adult and feel more adult as a teenager. 

Review: Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon

Publisher: Corgi Childrens Books
Publication Date: September 3rd 2015
Source: Gift from my Book Blogger Secret Santa!

[ Goodreads ]         [ Book Depository ] 


Blurb: 

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 Maddie, 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. But does Maddie dare to step outside her comfort zone?

 I received this book as a gift the first year I hosted the Book Blogger Secret Santa and for some reason had never gotten around to reading it. I am kicking myself at not reading this sooner because it is definitely one of my new favourite novels! (Also how cute is it that Nicola Yoon's husband illustrated the novel!)

The novel deals with Madeline, a girl who has not left her house in 17 years as she is allergic to the outside world and exposure to it could kill her. This was such an interesting and unique plot that captivated me. I have never read any books that deal with SCID and found it so interesting to read about Maddy's life in her incubator home. Descriptions of Maddy's sterile white home were so vivid that I almost felt I was there too breathing in the filtered air and sitting in her all white room. 

Review: Solitaire by Alice Oseman

Publication Date: 31 July 2014

Publisher: Harper Collins

Source: Borrowed from Library 

[ Goodreads ]            [ Book Depository ]


Blurb: 

In case you’re wondering, this is not a love story.

My name is Tori Spring. I like to sleep and I like to blog. Last year – before all that stuff with Charlie and before I had to face the harsh realities of A-Levels and university applications and the fact that one day I really will have to start talking to people – I had friends. Things were very different, I guess, but that’s all over now.

Now there’s Solitaire.  And Michael Holden.
I don’t know what Solitaire are trying to do, and I don’t care about Michael Holden.  I really don’t.

 So Solitaire is a novel I have heard so much praise and hype for, especially from Lucy Powrie aka Queen Of Contemporary, who I think is a reliable source of book recommendations. 

I was glad to find a copy at my local library and checked it out so as to see what all this hype was about. I flew through this one and can honestly say it deserves the hype. 

The novel centers around Tori, a seventeen year old girl with a pessimistic outlook on life, friends and pretty much everything apart from her blog. Tori is a character you find yourself either immediately identifying with or feeling very much distant from. The strong over dramatic "glass half empty" personality Tori possesses drew me in and I felt I could relate to some of her views. Although at times the reader wants to shake Tori out of this pessimistic view on life, Tori was wonderfully vibrant and realistic. 

Review: Forever by Judy Blume

Publication Date: 1975 (!!!)
Publisher: Mac Millan 
Source: Purchased copy


[Goodreads]              [Book Depository]



Blurb: 

Katherine and Michael meet on New Year's Eve and their attraction is instantaneous. Completely involved with each other, filled with all the wonder of "the first time," they are blissfully unaware of the complications real love presents. When they are separated that summer and Katherine meets someone new, she faces a dilemma. Is her love for Michael merely a stepping-stone to a world of passion and discovery? Or the kind of love that lasts a lifetime?

 I was so excited to pick up this book in Easons for just eight euro! This is the 40th anniversary special edition of this novel and the book even has red sprayed edges!

This is a novel my mum has been recommending to me for ages. She introduced me to Judy Blume when I was eleven, I read the classics Blubber and Are You There God? It's Me Margaret  at the right times for them to be poignant and make me as big a fan of Judy Blume as my mum had been as a teenager. 

One common thing I've noticed from peoples accounts of reading this novel as a teen is that the novel was held in high regard by teenage girls at the time as one of the only novels available with realistic accounts of sex and first love. The subject matter was controversial at the time but is less so now. 

The realistic descriptions of first love and first sexual relationship were wonderfully written. The novel shows our teenage protagonist, Katherine, being mentally and emotionally mature enough to engage in sexual intercourse. The sex in the novel is not portrayed in a negative or shameful way, it is a positive experience for Katherine and her boyfriend. They talk freely about sex and are not embarrassed. The novel shows the sexual aspect to her relationship with her boyfriend as a natural and positive part of their relationship which would have been an uncommon theme for literature written at this time.  

The "Help Me!" Book Tag

This tag was created by Aria over at BookGeekMovieFreak on Youtube, click here to see her original video.  I was tagged by my friend Cooleen  from CooleenBooks on Youtube. Thank you for tagging me! 




The Questions:





1. You have a test tomorrow, but instead of studying you’ve been reading. Which fictional character do you call to help you cram for this test?


The character I would call to help me cram for my exam would have to be Tyrion from George RR Martins A Song Of Ice and Fire series. I love Tyrion, he is so smart and intelligent and hilarious. He would definitely help me cram and make me laugh at the same time!

Check out my reviews of the ASOIAF Series - A Game of Thrones ( here ) , Clash of Kings  ( here ) , A Storm of Swords ( here) . 
 
2. Payday is still 2 weeks away, but you are broke. Which rich character do you ask for money to help you out?


For this one I think I'm going to have to go with Harry Potter. Now, as we all know, Harry is a nice guy who is very loyal to his friends, but we also know he has a ton of cash in Gringotts that his parents left him. If Harry and I were friends, he'd definitely help me out. 

 
3. There is a burglar in your house, which character to you call to help you beat up the burglar?


Hmmm, I think for this one I would have to call Warden from The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon. So Warden is a badass Rephaim, so he knows how to defend himself and me from an evil burglar. 

Check out my review of The Bone Season ( here ) .
 
4. There is a spider/snake/something else that really scares you in your house. Which character do you call to get rid of it for you?


If this happened I would definitely call up the awesome and brave Katniss Everdeen. Although Katniss would probably laugh at me for being scared of something as small as a spider when she has faced horrors, she would definitely get rid of it for me and then we could be best friends...hopefully. 

Check out my reviews of THG series - The Hunger Games ( here ),  Catching Fire ( here ), Mockingjay ( here) . 
 
5. You’ve had a really bad week, which character do you call to cheer you up?

Oh this is so tough to pick just one character I'd call to cheer me up, but I think I would have to go with Simon from The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare. Simon is so funny and such a great friend to Clary, I know he'd cheer me up if I was feeling down.

Check out my reviews of TMI series - City Of Bones ( here ),  City of Ashes ( here ), City of Glass ( here ) City of Fallen Angels ( here ) . 

SUPER MASSIVE BOOK HAUL !

Hi guys! Okay so it's been a couple of crazy months with college exams, returning to college, getting my exam results (I passed everything=yay!) and trying to get back into the routine of college aka doing assignments, getting little sleep and having almost no time to read for leisure or update this blog! 

I'm working out a routine that will hopefully allow me to allocate time for reading and blogging each day so it doesn't interfere with college work but if you want to keep up to date with my bookish updates and life updates, follow my twitter ( @Shannonbookworm ) which I update a little too regularly when I should be doing actual work - ahem. 

So lets get into the real reason you're all viewing this post with your eyes......MY BOOK HAUL. 

Okay so I've been a little stressed lately and you know what happens when I get stressed? I buy books!! 

So here are some of the books I've bought, received, won and have generally entered my possession since the beginning of 2015. 

Hold onto you're hats because there is quite a few! 

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Received For Review:

Thank you to Hot Key Books & Quercus Publishing for these great titles! 

May 2014 New Releases

Release Date: May 1 2014
Blurb: It begins as an assignment for English class: Write a letter to a dead person. Laurel chooses Kurt Cobain because her sister, May, loved him. And he died young, just like May did. Soon, Laurel has a notebook full of letters to people like Janis Joplin, Amy Winehouse, Amelia Earhart, Heath Ledger, and more; though she never gives a single one of them to her teacher. She writes about starting high school, navigating new friendships, falling in love for the first time, learning to live with her splintering family. And, finally, about the abuse she suffered while May was supposed to be looking out for her. Only then, once Laurel has written down the truth about what happened to herself, can she truly begin to accept what happened to May. And only when Laurel has begun to see her sister as the person she was; lovely and amazing and deeply flawed; can she begin to discover her own path.

Release Date: May 1 2014  [My Review Here]
Blurb: It's a year and a half on from Paper Aeroplanes, and Renée is now living with her Aunty Jo. They even have geese, and Renée likes to sit and watch them, wondering if she'll ever find 'the One' - someone who will love her no matter what, and be there for her no matter how bad things get. She and Flo are in their final year at school, and they've got some tough choices to make - like will they go to university? And if so where - and will they go together? Renée's usual ambivalence on the matter shocks Flo, who had assumed they'd continue as they were, the best and closest of friends, forever. She feels as though she needs Renée's support more than ever, so when a handsome young boy enters Flo's life, she finds herself powerfully drawn to his kindness, and his faith. Renée and Flo's friendship will soon be tested in a way neither of them could have expected - and if Paper Aeroplanes was a book about finding friendship, Goose is the novel that explores whether it's possible to keep hold of it.

Christmas Haul 2013 (Book Haul)

Merry (Late) Christmas !

Hello readers, Shannon here. I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, or holiday. I really enjoyed  my Christmas with my family- the food is always the best part right?! 

l just want to say before I get into my haul, that I am so grateful for the quality of life I live. I know so many other people do not have the same opportunites that I have and I am in no way boasting. I just want to share the books and book related items I received as I also love seeing people's christmas book hauls. 

Click Here to see last years haul post. 

Gifts I Received From My Parents: 

This glorious House Stark T-Shirt with their slogan "Winter Is Coming". I am a huge Game Of Thrones fan !

This beautiful book containing maps of the Game Of Thrones world. One day, I will frame these and hang them up in my house. 

Close up of the inside of the book of maps. 

I am a Whovian and I adored the 50th special, click here to see my review. And I got this great Doctor Who Calander containing pictures of all the Doctors regenerations and this pack of Doctor Who Top Trumps cards...which I now collect. 

As above, major Whovian right here! I got these books which were released around the 50th anniversary.
 Links: Doctor Who 11 Stories [Goodreads],
100 Scariest Monsters from Doctor Who [Goodreads]
Whoology [Goodreads]

Review: Missing Me (#3) by Sophie Mc Kenzie

Publisher: Simon & Schuster | Pages: 304 | Release Date:13 September 2012 | Source: Borrowed |

Blurb: Six years have passed since the end of Sister, Missing and Madison is now a teenager. During a visit to her older sister Lauren, Madison learns that their biological father was an anonymous sperm donor and sets out to track him down. Her search bears fruit sooner than she expects, but is the father she discovers all he seems? As Madison gets drawn into a mysterious investigation involving missing girls and secret hideaways, she finds herself in more and more danger. A tense and thrilling end to the bestselling series, not to be missed!






Review: 

I am a huge fan of Sophie Mc Kenzie's novels and the Girl, Missing series is one I've been a fan of since I was just twelve years old. To see reviews of the second novel in the series click here. 


The characters in this book were great. I really enjoyed seeing the characters I've grown to love over the series back for the final novel,. This book is set a few years after the end of Sister, Missing and we get to see the character much older than before . I liked reading the novel from a new point of view as we usually read from Laurens point of view and it was nice to hear Madisons side of the story. I also loved the relationship Madison had with Wolf.