Last Week's Shenanigans (6th June - 12th June)...

Having had a lovely two weeks off, this was my first week back at work! That being said, I still actually managed to do a lot of interesting things this week, which was nice. On Monday, Mat and I went to the cinema to watch Alice Through The Looking Glass. As a film, it didn't turn out nearly as bad as I thought (I didn't have high hopes because though I love Tim Burton AND 'Alice In Wonderland', I've heard mixed reviews, and sequels tend to be something to be wary of). The visuals were spectacular (with the occasional terrible CGI) and the story was pretty compelling, if a little silly at times. The next day I was supposed to return to work but had a training day, so ended up being home and free for much of the afternoon (which is always nice).

Mat and I have started looking for our own flat to rent and we had our first viewing on Saturday, before work. It was a nice place though not one we'll end up going for ourselves. It's been exciting, getting to look for a place of our own and I shall keep you all updated as our search progresses! On Sunday, to begin a lovely couple of days, I went down to my hometown visit my parents. We went to see my Grandparents at their local Village Fete and I really enjoyed my lovely afternoon out. My Aunts, Uncles and Cousins on my Mum's side were there too; I got to meet my future Godson too (the Christening is a couple of weeks away) which I was thrilled about! He is adorable! After the fete, we came home and chatted/played games and I stayed over.

I Read:

I Received:

- 'The Girl On The Train' by Paula Hawkins: Bought on Amazon (10/06/16)
- 'Rebel Of The Sands' by Alwyn Hamilton: Bought on Amazon (10/06/16)
- 'The Girl Of Ink & Stars' by Kiran Millwood Hargrave: Bought on Amazon (10/06/16)

Memes:

Top Ten Tuesday: Reasons I Love Once Upon A Time/Game Of Thrones
Six Degrees Of Separation: #ReadProud Choice

I Posted:

Late Bookish Bingo Sign-Up Post!

Book Review: Salt To Sea; Ruta Sepetys.

My first read of June has been a pretty good one. It definitely got better as I progressed through the story, and I can't wait to tell you guys my thoughts on this book.

SOURCE: Netgalley
TYPE: E-Read

TITLE: Salt To The Sea
AUTHOR: Ruta Sepetys
SERIES: --
PUBLISHER: Puffin
PAGES: 400
GENRE: Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Adventure

RATING: 3.5/5 Stars

Blurb:
Winter, 1945. Four teenagers. Four secrets.

Each one born of a different homeland; each one hunted, and haunted, by tragedy, lies…and war.

As thousands of desperate refugees flock to the coast in the midst of a Soviet advance, four paths converge, vying for passage aboard the Wilhelm Gustloff, a ship that promises safety and freedom.

Yet not all promises can be kept.

What I Liked:

• The world-building was so good. I can tell that Sepetys has really done her homework on this little-known maritime tragedy, as well as really looking into Operation Hannibal itself and the mystery of the Amber Room. It really helped to build up the story, as well as make the characters' backstories so much more in-depth and realistic.  Even the characters that didn't get their own chapters, such as Ingrid or the Shoe Poet were so interesting and once the group had formed, I became very attached. I read the Author's notes afterwards and I would definitely recommend doing so if you are interested in the whole story. I learnt so much!
• The second half of the book, once the characters met up and begin to interact together, was beautifully woven and flowed so well. It was during this part of the book that I felt totally gripped, especially once they reached the port where they were to board the boat. I really liked Sepetys' writing too, and I found that her character's conversations felt natural and well-structured. Her decision to write the book for a YA audience and from the POVs of teenagers was a really good one. So much Historical Fiction focuses on the adult world, especially during the war. Many teens and children suffered too!

What I Disliked:

• I have to say that to begin with, I wasn't totally sold on this book. In fact, I found myself disappointed because it had received such rave reviews and yet it took me a long time to get into it and understand what was going on. The POV chapters were too short and didn't allow me time to get to know each character, and because at that point the stories didn't intertwine, I got very confused about who was who.

Overall Conclusion:

I don't read a lot of wartime fiction, and it's very rare to find one aimed at a YA audience. Sepetys did a great job at finding her audience and I found the entire reading experience educational, informative and shocking in that I had never heard of a tragedy that proved so deadly to so many people. The characters were written beautifully and there came a point where I physically couldn't put the book down I was so desperate to find out what would happen! That being said the beginning didn't really grab me and it's confusing, jumpy layout made it difficult to get into the story. I'm not sure I'm totally satisfied with the ending either, as the letter didn't really provide much closure and I would rather have seen another POV chapter instead to round things off. I'm eager to read 'Between Shades Of Grey', having heard that it features Joana's cousin, Lina!

LATE Bookish Bingo (June 2016 - August 2016) Sign-Up Post.

So I realised that I've been spending the last half a month planning my Bookish Bingo reads, but had totally forgot to actually sign-up for the challenge! Whoops! So here is my official post for joining the challenge. Better late than never, right? Let's check out Bekka's (Pretty Deadly Blog) new card.

I adore this month's card! Some of the books I've already decided for each category are ones I've wanted to read for ages!

Six Degrees Of Separation: YA Edition! (#ReadProud Choice)

I'm a little late in joining this month because I've been on holiday, but there was no way I was ever going to miss this one. It's #ReadProud month, and in honour of that, Jim (YAYeahYeah) has kindly let us pick our own books! The only rule is that they are an LGBT read and so I've picked a wonderful starter read that then leads on to five other great reads that cover LGBT issues!

My starter choice, 'Aristotle & Dante Discover The Secret Of The Universe' by Benjamin Alire Sáenz is quite probably my favourite on this list. It was the first book that I can remember reading that solely focused on an LGBT relationship developing over time, and I loved it! Ari, the angry teen had so much angst but was a really interesting narrative to read the book from. Dante was the exact opposite: open and determined to see the positive things in life. Their relationship was the most satisfying thing to watch develop, and I would recommend this as a great book for anyone wanting to start reading LGBT fiction.

'Aristotle & Dante Discover The Secrets Of The Universe' was a  book that I'd seen everywhere when I first read it and had received countless recommendations about. The same applies to 'More Than This' by Patrick Ness. Both books displayed some phenomenal writing skills and had me completely gripped from start to finish as well. Their main similarity is the male POV (which is actually fairly hard to find in YA literature) and of course Seth is a sad, angry teenager who has a fraught, tumultuous relationship with his parents, just like Ari!

My next pick is an interesting one because it's from a completely different genre. However, I chose Laura Lam's 'Pantomime' for a variety of reasons. The first is that, like in 'More Than This', the LGBT part of the story is actually not necessarily the main plot-point. Ness' book is a Dystopian Thriller that includes a gay MC, and 'Pantomime' is a Fantasy that happens to have an intersex protagonist. I love stumbling across stories like this! Both stories are built up in the form of flashbacks too, and we learn more about the character's past issues in order to understand how they got to the present.

I chose Liz Kessler's 'Read Me Like A Book' because although I didn't enjoy it nearly as much as my other choices, it does cover the confusion that comes with LGBT issues very well. Just like Gene in 'Pantomime', Ashleigh is an unsettled young girl who goes on a journey of self-discovery. She doesn't understand why she has a crush on her female teacher, or why her boyfriend doesn't give her the same butterflies. Gene's situation is equally as complicated and misunderstood by those around her.

'Seven Ways We Lie' by Riley Redgate is up next, and I chose it purely for the setting. Just like 'Read Me Like A Book', it's set in a school! Of course, there is so much more to this story and it's honestly up there with my favourite reads this year! It features a character who openly identifies as Pansexual, who starts to fall for a guy who seems to display traits of Asexuality, even if he doesn't know it yet. I love that Redgate managed to feature characters who are comfortable with themselves, and others who are confused. It's such a great representation of teens right now!

My last pick sits on that border between YA and Adult reading, but I'm including it anyway because this book really needs more love and attention. 'Good Kings, Bad Kings' by Susan Nussbaum is difficult to read at times, but I highly recommend it for the huge amount of diversity it displays. Not only does it feature a Lesbian POV, but it's cast is ethnically and mentally diverse too, just like 'Seven Ways We Lie'. Both of these stories are told from multiple POVs and every voice is distinct, unique and important to hear.

Top Ten Tuesday: My picks for 'Reasons I Love Game Of Thrones/Once Upon A Time'.

So when this topic came up, I instantly knew that I wasn't in the mood to right it about books. So many of these lists are book related, but I have other interests too, such as watching great TV Series. These two are my favourite currently (I couldn't choose between them) and for very different reasons.

Game Of Thrones...

1) The adrenaline.

Honestly, I can't think of a single show, other than Game Of Thrones, that has me feeling really nervous just before I watch it. Every episode is a roller-coaster of emotion from start to finish. I'm scared to form attachments to characters because the directors truly have no mercy. They aren't afraid to kill, maim and torture every viewer's most beloved character and it leaves me not knowing whether to laugh, cry, or scream in frustration.

2) Badass female characters.

Don't get me wrong, there are some fantastic male characters too. But it's through the women that I really begin to understand what this show is about: power. Or rather, the lack of for a lot of characters, particularly the women. But they make the best of their situation in so many ways and I love it!

3) The politics.

It's called 'Game Of Thrones' for a reason. The whole show is about men, women and children playing games in politics and war, and trying to be the one on top every time. It's the thing I love most about the books and the TV Show does a great job of really bringing the tension to those situations that the characters get in.

4) The world-building.

But even more so, the TV Show really helps bring George R.R. Martin's world to life. The settings are amazing, the clothes/costumes, the magic, everything! The scenery is so breathtaking at times: from the momentous frozen Wall to the sunny shores of Dorne or the magnificent cities of Essos. It only gets better as the seasons go on and the effects for some of the more fantastical aspects are breathtaking!

5) The music.

I am a huge fan of music, and the soundtrack of Game Of Thrones is phenomenally put together. Ramin Djawadi is a genius. I love recognising the little motifs (such as Littlefinger's themes) and watching it play into the plot so well. It's really clever, and of course, everyone knows that the awesome Opening Credits is the best part of the show in so many respects!

Once Upon A Time...

1) It contains one of my favourite TV characters of all time.

Regina. Mills. A.K.A. the Evil Queen! I love this woman. In fact, I think I'm in love with her. It doesn't matter if she's Season 1 evil or Season 5 redeeming herself, she's absolutely fantastic and Lana Parrilla is the perfect person to play her. There are some other, great characters in this show (Emma obviously, Rumplestiltskin, Snow White etc.) but I think Regina just kills it. I'll never forget the moment she crashes Snow White's wedding in the Pilot episode...

2) It contains some of my favourite OTPS, whose ships I would go down with a thousand times.

Any watcher of this programme will probably have heard of the many fandom nicknames for the couples in this programme . Canon ones such as Captain Swan, Outlaw Queen, Swanfire and my personal favourite Rumbelle, or non-canon such as Swan Queen (which I may secretly support...). So many great moments, and of course you can always rely on Charming & Snow White to add some much needed fluff to any situation.

3) Watching my favourite Fairy Tales...with a twist.

No one can fault OUAT for it's interesting takes on some classic tales. It mixes and matches so well, combining more than one most of the time into the lives of each character. Rumplestiltskin crosses with Beauty & The Beast. Red Riding Hood contains inklings of Peter & The Wolf. It's so clever and imaginative, I love it! It adds whole new dimensions too.

4) The venture into LGBT territory.

A surprisingly small amount of shows actually do this, but what makes this one extra special is that it's about Fairy Tales! In fact, the costuming and characters involved are very heavily Disney related! So to see a character like Mulan falling in love with a woman is wonderful, despite the fact that I miss Li Shang. I'm halfway through Season 5, so I hope to see more!

5) The terrible CGI.

Oh come on, even seriously big fans of the show have to admit that the CGI is pretty awful. Be it fire/fireball throwing or magic casting (or even a lot of the Enchanted Forest green screening) I never find myself completely convinced. Yet for me, it kind of adds to the charm of the show. It also provides some pretty comic moments!

Last TWO Week's Shenanigans (23rd May - 5th June)...I'm back!

It's been a very busy couple of weeks off, but I'm back! I thought it would be better to do a big summary of the whole two weeks I've been off, and it makes it easier for me too in terms of organisation. So, without further ado, let me tell you all about my time off of work! On Monday 23rd, Mat and I went back to Ashford to meet up with some of Mat's family. We spent the day bowling and having a fun time out for dinner, which was a lot of fun! On Wednesday 25th, Mat and I decided to head off to the cinema to go and watch the newest X-Men film: 'X-Men Apocalypse'! Everyone knows that the continuity in those films is not fantastic, but it was still a very enjoyable watch and I'm glad we went.

The next day, we headed off in the afternoon to the Premier Inn by Gatwick Airport, ready for our holiday! It was a lovely short stay, and we headed to Giraffe for dinner that evening before an early night ready for or 3AM start the next morning. Getting up was actually no where near as difficult as I thought and the airport wait wasn't too bad, though our flight was delayed. We ended up reaching our hotel in Italy early afternoon, giving us the rest of the day to explore and get our bearings. First impressions of Sorrento were lovely, and the views were beautiful! I'm honestly so glad we picked this as our place to stay, it's definitely the most interesting and lively accommodation area we've had.

On Saturday, our first full day, Mat and I took the plunge and made our way to Naples on the train. So many people have told me what a lovely city Naples is, and I really liked it! Especially the older areas (the new being like a very hot London). There were so many pretty little shops to visit and narrow streets to work our way round. We had pizza, which was delicious (pizza from Naples is famed for being the best) and spent a lot of time pottering around, though the bulk of our time was spent underground. Napoli Sotterranea is a 10 Euro underground tour of a very old Aqueduct (dating back to the Roman era) that came well recommended and it was easy to see why! The tunnels were narrow and dark, but the tour was so interesting and we loved it! I advise anyone touring Naples to make time for this cheap two hour tour that even includes an interesting walk around a very old Theatre.

Sunday was our most relaxing day in that we spent it all in Sorrento! In the morning, we went on a tour with our holiday reps around the town and learnt a lot about it's history, as well as seeing some amazing views and eating/drinking plenty of free samples! It was certainly a lot of fun learning about the local culture and proved to be a very relaxing trip. Later in the evening, Mat and I went on our own little walk down to the local fishing port and found it a very interesting, refreshing jaunt which allowed us to watch the sun setting. Bliss!

Monday marked the first of many excursions for Mat and I, and our chosen destination was the small island of Capri! There wasn't a whole lot to do on the Island itself but it was certainly spectacular in it's beauty and views. To start with, we visited the town of Anacapri, at the top of the Island. It contained a lot of very nice shops and stalls to look at and I bought a bar of Lemon flavoured chocolate, which is delicious! There was a lift up to the highest point of the Island for a great view, but Mat and I opted to pay 1 Euro to visit some small, pretty gardens instead. Then, in the lower area of Capri, we boarded a boat and made a trip around the whole Island where we saw a great deal of sights including the famous Faraglioni rocks, before some free time by the port and then back to the hotel!

Tuesday was probably our favourite day as it contained the excursion we'd been most looking forward to: Vesuvius and Pompeii! We went to the volcano first (there was a rather large group of us) and though the climb to the very top was very steep and tiring, I'm glad we did it. The crater is truly something to behold, and it's scary to thing that under all the rocks and ash, there's a whole lot of lava just waiting to explode. We could even see the steam to prove it! Pompeii, the town that was famed for being destroyed by Vesuvius in 79AD, was equally as stunning to behold in how well preserved it was. Viewing the Roman city as if it had only been inhabited yesterday was both fascinating and more than a little creepy. An amazing chunk of history that I'm so glad I finally got to see.

Wednesday was the day for a drive around the Amalfi coast, which was exactly what we did. It rained a little, but of course it was still hot, and we visited three beautiful towns on our trip round: Positano, Amalfi and Ravello. At Amalfi, we also boarded a boat for a tour of the coast which I really enjoyed, and provided a much needed break from the coach. This trip was mostly spent driving around and enjoying free time in each time, but it was still very enjoyable, with some pretty views and memorable moments.

Thursday was our last trip before returning home but while we were mostly left to our own devices, I loved it. We went to Ischia, another small Island about an hour away from Sorrento by boat (the journey on which was nothing short of horrendous) which is home to a famous Thermal Spa and the Mortella Gardens. We went to these gardens for a few hours and they were nothing short of stunning. So many gorgeous plants, fountains, ponds and statues and I couldn't believe just how big and beautiful the whole garden actually was! I also had a lovely afternoon cup of tea to round the whole trip off as something really special.

Sadly, Friday was another day of travelling. We left Sorrento early in the morning and arrived home mid-afternoon with a lot of unpacking and other bits and bobs to do. I was glad that I had booked off the entire week off so didn't have to go back to work the very next day because I was so tired. Not only that, but Saturday was actually a very special day in itself, because my sister came to visit us with her boyfriend! We all spent the day first at Sweet, the nearby dessert cafe, and then at London Zoo which was a whole lot of fun! I'm a big fan of animals, and I have to say the 'In With The Lemurs' exhibition was the highlight for me!

And there ends my rather exciting two weeks! I've had a fabulous break, but I ave missed blogging a lot (and reading of course) so can't wait to really get stuck into June!

I Read:

I Received:

- 'The Inquisition' by Taran Matharu: Approved by Netgalley (24/05)
- 'The Bone Sparrow' by Zana Fraillon: Approved by Netgalley (24/05)
- 'The Muse' by Jessie Burton: Approved by Edelweiss (25/05)
- 'Crow Moon' by Anna McKerrow: Bought on Amazon (25/05)
- 'Memories Of Ash' by Intisar Khanani: Pre-Ordered on Amazon (31/05)
- 'Notes On Being Teenage' by Rosalind Jana: Approved by Netgalley (05/06)

Memes:

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Feel Differently About After Reading Their Sequels

I Posted:

May Wrap-Up
Planned Reads For June