Book Haul #5 (I Had A Naughty November)

Is the title of this post really any surprise? I mean really? Shaina bought more books, who would have guessed it. Shameful thing is you guys missed out on seeing a lot of the new books I purchased when I went MIA, so here's a massive November book haul. During November I was trying to be on a book buying ban as my Mum and sister, Tegan, are spoiling me for my 17th (exactly 1 month away as I'm writing this!) as it'll be my last birthday living at home and in the top half of Queensland, Brisbane here I come! But well, that 'ban' didn't really work out and I ended up buying more in November than I did in September and October combined. Oops! In my defence, I did get to go to the city (aka Cairns) for my Graduation, which is a rare occurrence and they have real life bookstores there (and very cheap selections at Kmart and Target) so I splurged, big time! I did get a few quite cheap though, so remember that when I show you all the books I bought and you're judging the amount of money I spent ;)

New Beginnings!

Hello everyone!
Quick post today to say- I'm back! For good this time hopefully. As of the 19th of November 2014, I am a high school graduate, which means more time for the internet and reading, less time for work (for now)! So in saying that, I've decided to 'revamp' my blog and make it all new and snazzy!
From here on most of the posts you'll see will be book related, before I was a mix of lifestyle and books, but now I really want to focus on books with maybe a few personal posts! For those of you who don't know (though I'm sure everyone reading this probably does) I'm majorly obsessed with fictional worlds. Not only do they provide my entertainment as I'm not big on movies and TV, they also fascinate me to no end. The best feeling I can think of is reading a book and being so immersed in it you don't see the words anymore, you see the story unfold before your eyes. For me, whenever I think about books I've read its like a little movie inside my mind, I can never remember actually reading the books, only the stories and the images the book gave me. Quotes will stand out, but I'll remember them as the characters say them, rather than the words on the page. It's for this reason I've made the decision to move forward with this as a book-based blog, as you can see I'm quite passionate (obsessed?) about books!
There's nothing else I really want to address apart from saying a big congrats to everyone else who has graduated recently! Isn't it the best feeling? Anyways! That's all from me for now, book haul coming soon, but who's really surprised? It's not a secret I've got a problem. Talk soon!

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Books Around the World #1: Shadow & Bone

While I was on instagram earlier I realised how covers vary around the world and thought maybe I'd turn it into a series of some kind on my blog. I'm not sure if anyone else has done this - they probably have, but its still fun to do! :)  So to start this off, I decided to go with the first book in the Grisha trilogy - Shadow and Bone!

I really like all of these covers, but I think the German cover is beautiful. The rest of the series is just as attractive. I find it interesting that they differ so much, the UK version even has a different name! If you're after any of these versions, you can find them on Amazon or The Book Depository. If you haven't heard of the Shadow and Bone you can find the synopsis below!

The Shadow Fold, a swathe of impenetrable darkness, is slowly destroying the once-great nation of Ravka. 

Alina, a pale, lonely orphan, discovers a unique power that thrusts her into the world of the kingdom's magical elite - the Grisha. Could she be the key to setting Ravka free? 

The Darkling, a man of seductive charm and terrifying power. If Alina is to fulfil her destiny, she must unlock her gift and face up to her dangerous attraction to him.

But what of Mal, Alina's childhood best friend? As Alina contemplates her dazzling new future, why can't she ever quite forget him?

If you're interested in reading it, definitely check it out on goodreads! I do believe it's high fantasy, but I may be wrong. The world building is fantastic, and the characters are amazing. One especially ;)  As much as the synopsis makes it sound heavily romance based - its not. I was a lot more focused on the kick ass characters and amazing storyline, though the romance is a great added extra. The series only gets better!

Let me know down below if you like this kind of post and if you've read Shadow and Bone - what did you think of it?



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Book Haul #4

It's been like 4(?) weeks since I posted, I'm sorry. But I bought more books! I'll also be getting a new shelf soon, as I have no room for new books on my current one. It's stacked full bottom to top, so maybe I'll do a video or photo series of stacking my new shelf :) So anyway.. let's get started!

I got these books most recently, the top 5 today from Kmart, and the bottom two from the Book Depository, which I received in the mail last week. 

From top to bottom:

1. Let's Get Lost by Adi Alsaid
2. Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
3. Four by Veronica Roth
4. If I Stay by Gayle Forman
5. We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
6. Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
7. Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor

I've read all of these books except for Four by Veronica Roth! I'm not quite ready to dive back into divergent world after Allegiant  </333 

I got a couple of other books to show as well that I got a couple of weeks ago from the Book Depository. 

1. Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King
2. Popular: Vintage Wisdom For A Modern Geek by Maya Van Wagenen
3. Ask The Passengers by A.S. King
4. Me and Earl and The Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews
5. Beauty Queens by Libba Bray

Since getting these books I've read Popular, Ask The Passengers and Me and Earl and The Dying Girl. Not sure when I'll get around to the rest, turns out I own more books that I own a lot more unread books than I thought, oops! I think I'm going to stick to collecting books I've read as eBooks already for now...  

I can't wait to get reading, and setting up my hypothetical new shelf that I have not yet chosen let alone have in my possession! Its gonna be super fun :') Stay tuned for more posts and I hope you enjoyed this one!

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July

So every month I'm going to make an effort to make note of memorable things I've done, movies I've watched and whole lot of anything else I can think of. I did one of these in April, so if you wanna check that out, go ahead!
In July...
I read a lot of good books!

• Untold by Sarah Rees Brennan 
• Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo 
• Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo
• Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo
• Open Road Summer by Emery Lord
• The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa
• The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski
• Popular by Maya Van Wagenen

This past month I've started and finished one of my new favourite trilogies, The Grisha trilogy. If you haven't read it yet, go pick it up or download the eBook because it is fan-freaking-tastic and I was blown away by the writing. I loved the story, the creatures and the characters in this entire trilogy. I even found myself questioning my morals, theres a certain extremely dark character I took a liking to, and I'm not ashamed to say that I totally fell for his charm. Other favourites include, Untold (which is the second book in a series, Unspoken being the first), Open Road Summer and Popular. Popular was amazing. It was the first non-fiction book I ever read and it really inspired me. I think I'm going to pick up the guide this book was based on and try it out myself. 

I watched some cool tv shows. 

• Teen Wolf
• Pretty Little Liars
• The Fosters
• Friday Night Lights

I started two new TV shows this month. The Fosters and Friday Night Lights. I really love the Fosters, but I'm not sure what I think of FNL yet, too early to tell. I'm only 3 episodes in, so maybe stay tuned for next months wrap up to see what I think then ;) I don't think Teen Wolf or PLL is a surprise to anyone. I have an addiction to both. I started watching Teen Wolf because Colton Haynes was in it, and I have a Colton Haynes fetish, but I fell in love with the other characters as well. I gotta say, I'm liking Malia this season. I've seen her get a lot of hate, but to be honest, I think she's a total badass and she's good for Stiles. 

I did some awesome things.

• Went to the beach and SAW DOLPHINS

Okay, so that actually happened yesterday but I'll probably forget to include it when I write my August post, so yeah. This was actually really cool. If you guys don't know, I'm very anti-zoo, anti-keeping-animals-enclosed (UNLESS it's beneficial for them, not for entertainment), so I would never really go to a park to see dolphins. Let me tell you though, seeing them free and doing their thing because they want to is beautiful. 10/10 would recommend seeing animals in their natural habitat, as long as your not invading their space. This is really the only cool thing I can remember doing, but I'm sure there were more.

I also saw The Fault in Our Stars, after I finished my exams at the end of June. 5 star movie, I was so happy with how it translated to film. 

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Book Haul #3

I think pretty much all I post on my youtube and my blog are book hauls *oh well*. 
Sooo, I acquired more books! What a surprised. I actually didn't buy these, I won them! Actually I did buy two of them. Definitely trying to justify my 'habit' here, but I've bought a bunch of books you guys haven't seen so I really don't think theres any point in trying to make excuses. Let's just get started.

From top to bottom:

1. The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith 
2. The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski 
3. The Forever Song (Book #3 Blood of Eden) by Julie Kagawa
4. The Eternity Cure (Book #2 Blood of Eden) by Julie Kagawa 
5. The Immortal Rules (Book #1 Blood of Eden) by Julie Kagawa
6. Take Me On (Book #4 Pushing the Limits) by Katie McGarry

I bought both The Cuckoo's Calling and The Winner's Curse from Kmart. They were between $10-15 which is pretty expensive for a paperback if I'm being honest but it's the only place within an hours drive for me to buy books. If only I lived in America!

The rest I won from Birdee Mag! I think... See the thing is with these, I randomly got them in the mail one day with a vague memory of entering a competition on Birdee that maybe had these as a prize. They were shipped directly from Harlequin to me with only a shipping note attached. Plus I never got a congrats email or anything, so the whole thing is a bit... strange? But I know for certain (like 99%) that I got these books from Birdee. I remember entering some kind of competition for books, sooo let's just pretend my memory is as good as I think it is and go with the whole Birdee Mag scenario. 

Anyways, thats all for today! Let me know if you guys have read any of these books and what you thought of them :) I'll have another book haul coming soon, because I'm waiting for a bunch more books to come in the mail, oops. 

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Open Road Summer by Emery Lord

Open Road Summer

Author: Emery Lord Publisher: Walker Published: April 15th 2014 Goodreads // Book Depository
Synopsis: After breaking up with her bad-news boyfriend, Reagan O'Neill  is ready to leave her rebellious ways behind... and her best friend, country superstar Lilah Montgomery, is nursing a broken heart of her own. Fortunately Lilah's 24-city tour is about to kick off, offering a perfect opportunity for a girls-only summer of break up ballads and healing hearts. But when Matt Finch joins the tour as its opening act, his boy-next-door charm proves difficult for Reagan to resist, despite her vow to live a drama-free existence. This summer, Reagan and Lilah will navigate the ups and downs of fame and friendship as they come to see that giving your heart to the right person is a risk worth taking. 
First lets start with the non-spoilery section. Read this book. It's Winter in Australia right now and I was desperate for a little summer action and I thought this would be the perfect read. I loved this book so much. It's cute and fun, but it also slips in some really tough issues. Without turning the book into a darker contemporary read, it makes it a lot more believable. I loved the friendship between Reagan and Lilah, and I was kind of jealous to be honest. This was a really enjoyable read and if you're into summer, road trips and great friendships, definitely check this book out.
Now into the spoilers, you've been warned! 
MATT FINCH HAS BEEN ADDED TO MY LONG LIST OF BOOK BOYFRIENDS! I loved him, and I loved his character and I loved that he was friends with Reagan before he was anything else. He was obviously into her for a majority of the book, but I liked that Reagan cared more about her friendship and her friends career than she did a relationship. 
Lilah was one of my favourite characters in this book, but if I'm being real there were very few characters and I enjoyed all of them. She was sweet and she reminded me of Taylor Swift minus the serial dating aspect of her personality. Lilah Montgomery has only had one boyfriend to date, and despite her fame she did her best to keep him hidden from the media. I think the end of their relationship was really realistic, and the problem she faced in the book are problems teen stars commonly face. Fake nude photos, supposed pregnancies. And seeing how that affected Lilah really makes you realise how much it affects teens in the spotlight. Anyways, I just thought this was a really good addition to the book. 
Dee (Lilah) and Reagan's friendship was also a really big part of the book I loved. For me it was more about their friendship than Reagan's later relationship with Matt. Don't get me wrong I LOVED that part of the book, I just think the friendship aspect was really important. 
Some of the 'bigger' issues Reagan faced included her ex boyfriends 'attack' (I'm not sure what else to call it) and also the cheating. When her boyfriend hit her, I was proud of Reagan for walking away. I don't think this was necessarily the most realistic part of the book but I think it sets a good example. I liked the repetition of the cheating as well, I wasn't happy about Matt 'cheating' on Reagan but I think it showed how strong she was just walking away. She doesn't put up with sh*t, and I really liked her for that. Also side note, I really disliked Corrine from the start, and I totally guessed she'd pull a stunt like that. 
Last but not least, I really liked the writing style. I prefer first person narrative, so I really enjoyed this. 
Overall I'm sure you can tell I really liked this book. There were parts I wasn't overly in love with, but it was really solid book. 
My Rating:

I hope you enjoyed this post! There should be a book haul coming soon :)

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Between The Lives by Jessica Shirvington

Between The Lives

Author: Jessica Shirvington Publisher: HarperCollins Australia Published: May 1st 2013 Goodreads // Book Depository Synopsis: For as long as she can remember, Sabine has lived two lives. Every 24 hours she Shifts to her 'other' life - a life where she is exactly the same, but absolutely everything else is different: a different family, different friends, different social expectations. In one life she has a sister, in the other she does not. In one life she's a straight-A student with the perfect boyfriend, in the other she's considered a reckless delinquent. Nothing about her situation has ever changed, until the day when she discovers a glitch: the arm she breaks in one life is perfectly fine in another. 
With this new knowledge, Sabine begins a series of increasingly risky experiments which bring her dangerously close to the life she's always wanted.... But just what - and who - is she really risking? 
I really enjoyed this book, and there were very few things I didn't like about it. Jessica Shirvington has created a fantastic story that engages readers from the very beginning. I would recommend this to everyone, it's definitely one of my favourite books this year (so far)! Spoilers below, so read at your own risk! The plot of this book was really good, I feel like there weren't any holes. I've seen some people complain we don't know why this has happened to Sabine, but I think Ethan was right when he said that it happened to everyone, they just didn't remember. I don't think we needed to know, especially because by the end Sabine didn't want or need to know herself. The contrast of her two families was also really great to read. In one life, she only had one sister whom she was incredibly close to and in contrast in her other life, Sabine had brothers who were somewhat distant until the end of the book. Shirvington has written an original story that was thoroughly enjoyable and I can't wait to read more of her work.  I really liked this book, although there were a few things I didn't like. I'll talk about the things I did first.  Somehow I could sympathise and understand what Sabine was going through. I obviously don't shift into a new life every night at midnight, but I feel like there are situations where I'm not exactly the same person as I usually am. I can't imagine what it would be like for Sabine to live like this forever, just reading about it made me anxious.  I really like Sabine's character development, it took a while for her to understand but eventually she did; even if it was partly because of Ethan (whom I loved). I was happy she ended up in a good place before the book ended. Ethan was a fantastic addition to the story, I knew as soon as they met at the chemist (or pharmacy) that her parents managed, that he would be the love interest in this story. I liked that he saw the worst of her before he started to see her best. The relief Sabine felt when he told her he believed her, was shared by me. The fact that Ethan believed in her enough to even test it showed that he had feelings for her.  There are a lot more things about this book that I loved, but there's too many to mention. Sabine's relationship with Ethan and her character development were the two most important things. Especially because they were so closely related, without Ethan, Sabine would not be in the place she was by the end of the book. I loved that there were two Ethan's, that without a doubt they would end up together even after Roxbury Ethan was gone. I liked how this was also a continuation of Ethan mentioning that he would know if he knew Sabine, and when she meets other Ethan, he does. At his core he feels like he's met her before.  Now for the things I didn't like.  I didn't like the scene where Sabine was cutting herself, I cringed as I read it and if I were to take out any scene, it would be that one. It lasted a little too long for my liking and I feel as if it could have been better written.  The only other thing I didn't like about this book was that Ethan dies. I don't think I've ever been so heartbroken for a fictional character (apart from Tobias). Ethan was such a big part of Sabine's recovery (because let's face it she was going a little bit crazy for a while). It broke my heart that he died, but it also made me extremely angry that he didn't tell her it was going to happen. This wasn't a massive negative for me, it just made me upset. I did really like that he left his things to her, it was so sweet. Although their relationship seemed somewhat rushed, and almost seemed like insta-love, but I think more time passed in the book than I think so it's not a massive thing for me.  Overall, I think this book was fantastic. It was easy to follow and the storyline was quite original. I haven't read anything like this before, or seen anything with the same idea. Jessica Shirvington broke my heart and made me smile all in one book.  Final Rating:

I hope you enjoyed this review! More coming soon :)
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Disclaimer: This book was provided to me by the published via Netgalley but all opinions are my own and unaffected by the way I received this book.

Bookshelf Tour

So, it's been a while! I'm super sorry for not posting in over a week, school has been getting really busy and it's finally starting to let up just a little bit. During this time though, I did have time to film a bookshelf tour! I'm going to embed it below, I hope you guys enjoy!

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April

I don't want to call this my April Faves because it's more like an April Wrap Up of things I did, things I read, shows I watched and anything else I can think of.
In April...
I read:

• Girl With A Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier
• Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire
• The Nightmare Affair by Mindee Arnett
• Rebel Belle by Rachel Hawkins
• To All The Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han
• Pushing the Limits by Katy McGarry
• Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy by Ally Carter
• Don't Judge A Girl By Her Cover by Ally Carter
• Only The Good Spy Young by Ally Carter
• Out of Sight, Out of Time by Ally Carter

I started the Gallagher Girls series in March and became slightly obsessed during the second half of April. I'm reading the final book now and I'm so sad to end the series. I think it'll always hold a special place in my heart, it's definitely one of my new favourite series'. Three of the books I read were new releases on my TBR long before they came out. Girl With A Pearl Earring was for school, and the other two were just for fun. 

I watched:

• Wild At Heart
• Vampire Diaries
• The Originals
• Keeping Up With The Kardashians

I watched no movies this month. I won tickets to an advanced screening of The Fault in Our Stars on May 5th but I can't attend so that sucks. But obviously my watch list is a lot smaller than my read list. I finished the last two season of Wild At Heart, a show I started watching a long time ago. An English vet moves to Africa and it makes for a really amazing TV series. I tried out watching Twisted and Starcrossed, but neither of those lasted very long. 

That's about all I read and watched in April. I didn't include what I did because almost everything revolved around school or work, neither of which are very exciting. Either way, I hope you enjoyed this post. Maybe I'll make it a monthly thing.

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Perfect Playlist #1

It's been almost a week since I've posted, oops. Here's a post about my current fave songs. I make playlists all the time, and I listen to them until I get bored of the songs and then I'll make a new one. The playlist I have now though, I've been listening to for a while and I'm still sooo in love with the songs so I thought I'd share it with you guys!
01 - Do I Wanna Know? // Arctic Monkeys 02 - Alleyways // The Neighbourhood 03 - Kissed, Tricked, Addict // Greta Stanley (a local girl, you should check out her soundcloud here) 04 - She's Thunderstorms // Arctic Monkeys 05 - R U Mine? // Arctic Monkeys 06 - Chocolate // The 1975 07 - Let It Go // The Neighbourhood 08 - She Way Out // The 1975 09 - Arabella // Arctic Monkeys 10 - W.D.Y.W.F.M // The Neighbourhood 11 - Girls // The 1975 12 - Flawless // The Neighbourhood 13 - I Wanna Be Yours // Arctic Monkeys 14 - Welcome Home // Radical Face 15 - Knee Socks // Arctic Monkeys 16 - Always Gold // Radical Face 17 - Snap Out Of It // Arctic Monkeys 18 - Sweater Weather // The Neighbourhood 19 - Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High // Arctic Monkeys 20 - Female Robbery // The Neighbourhood
I honestly never make playlists for working out, studying etc. I only ever have one at a time. I usually play it on shuffle and enjoy. I really want to listen to some new artists/bands so leave suggestions below! 
I hope you enjoyed this post, sorry it's so short!


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Book Haul #2

Ahh another book haul! There will be another one coming soon as well. I've just put in an order on The Book Depository website which should be here in a week or two.  But for now, let's get started with this one! 
My Mum got all off these books from Kmart, excluding the top book. I'm not sure on prices but you could find them all online for fairly cheap if you want to buy them. I also won one of these books from Goodreads First Reads! I was super excited to win it, it's the first book I've ever won!

From top to bottom:

1. Dead Ends by Erin Lange
2. Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead 
3. Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare
4. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
5. Hades by Alexandra Adornetto 
6. Disruption by Jessive Shirvington

I've read Clockwork Princess but I've been looking for the shorter (height wise) edition for ages so it would match the rest of my Cassandra Clare collection. The last book, Disruption looks fantastic and has a 4.5 star rating on goodreads. I won Dead Ends by Erin Lange on Goodreads First Reads, and I was so excited to get it in the mail! The publisher included a letter saying that they hope I enjoy the book, and I'm sure I will. There will be a review of this book up on my blog when I get around to reading it!

Both Ender's Game and Vampire Academy are movie tie in editions, but I'm not that fussed. I actually really love the movie book cover for Vampire Academy, I just really want it to match the rest of the series which probably won't happen now. I cannot stand series' that don't match but hopefully I can get over it for this one. 

I hope you enjoyed this short book haul post! Let me know what new books you've gotten recently in the comments below!

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To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han

To All the Boys I've Loved Before

Author: Jenny Han Publisher: Simon & Schuster  Published: April 15th 2014 Goodreads // Book Depository
Synopsis: What if all the crushes you ever had found out how you felt about them - all at once? Lara Jean Song keeps her love letters in a hatbox her mother gave her. They aren't love letters that anyone else wrote for her; these are the ones she's written. One for every boy she's ever loved - five in all.  When she write, she pours out her heart and soul and says all the things she never would say in real life, because her letters are for her eyes only. Until the day her secret letters are mailed, and suddenly, Lara Jean's love life goes from imaginary to out of control. 
This was such a cute, quirky, fun read that is great for all ages. I really enjoyed Lara Jean's narrative and would recommend this to anyone who is into chick lit or just really cute love stories in general. While being a love story, this book also contains very realistic family dynamics. I loved how Lara Jean interacted with her sisters. If you think this book would interest you, give it a read. Spoilers below :)

In Chapter 1 when Josh is introduced, I knew straight away that Lara Jean had or has feelings for him. And I felt for her, having to see her sister be with him everyday, that's pretty harsh even if no one actually knows that's how she feels. When Peter is introduced, I liked him straight away. He comes across as slightly arrogant and self obsessed but he's likeable and funny and I could tell that he liked Lara Jean the longer they were fake dating.

I have a  soft spot for enemies turn lovers books, and while To All The Boys I've Loved Before wasn't exactly that, two people who didn't necessarily like each other struck a deal to fake-date, each of them getting something out of it, but ending up with more than they bargained for. I love books like this.   Lara Jean's dynamic with her sisters was one of the most realistic I've read. After their mother died Margot became the Mum and Lara Jean looked up to her for that. I really liked Margot at the start of this book, but by the end I wasn't a fan of her. When she got back even before she found out about Josh kissing Lara Jean, she was so critical of her. I felt sorry for Lara Jean. I really loved Kitty, she was adorable. I think her relationship with Lara Jean was one of my favourites in the whole book. Kitty knew what was up with Lara Jean and Peter before they knew themselves. I liked that Kitty was such a big part of the book, and didn't just get pushed aside so we could focus on Lara Jean and Peter.

Lara Jean and Peter were the best. I loved them. I loved their friendship, and their fake relationship as well. I knew before they knew themselves that they were starting to actually like each other. When they kissed in the hot tub, I was so happy! Finally, Lara Jean was actually acting on her feelings. I also thought it was so sweet that Peter was open about his first. Peter was so great with Kitty which is something I enjoyed so much. Once again Kitty was such a big part of the story line considering this all happened because of her, which we find out in the end.     I really liked the way the book ended, but I wanted more. I just found out this is going to be a duology and I'm so extremely excited to read the next book!
Final Rating:

I hope you enjoyed this book review. Check back soon for a new post :)
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Insecurities

Everyone has insecurities, whether it's your stomach or thighs, or maybe even the way your voice sounds. I've always been insecure about all of these things, as well as a bunch of other things. But I realise now more than I ever have, that everyone has insecurities, they may not show it but they're thinking about how their legs look in their shorts just as much as you do. 

For me, one of my biggest insecurities is my hands, I feel like they're kind of chubby and not as and just really unattractive. Since starting the job I have now, with all the burns and cuts and scars I've gained, I like the way they look. Not because I like that they're scarred or cut, but because I feel like this job is a life experience that's reflected on my hands.
It's okay to be insecure, we're all going to have bumps and bruises we don't like, but they're part of life and they make us who we are. We might not like our thighs or our stomaches, but someone will. Someone will look at us, and fall in love. Being insecure doesn't make you insufficient or unworthy, it just means you have a healthy amount of doubt. Keeping that in mind though, we need to love ourselves before we can love anyone else. We need to learn to love our insecurities, even if it does end up being a love/hate relationship. 
Another important thing to remember is that everyone has insecurities, even the most confident people. I feel like to a lot of people I come across as having my life very put together, but I'm always so worried that I'm inadequate when it comes to school, and when I speak to people I'm always worried that they're going to judge what I say. But slowly I've learned to not care as much. Obviously I still make an effort, but if someone doesn't like what I say or judges me for how I say it, then I'm not going to waste my time on them. 
Be friends with people who don't pick at your insecurities, who don't think that your insecurities define you. Be with people who make you forget about those little things you don't like about yourself. In the end, it comes down to you and how you choose to react to insecurities, but being around positive people makes it a lot better to deal with. Positivity breeds positivity. 
I hope you liked this post! And remember, you're just as beautiful as the next person, there isn't one solid mould of 'beauty'. 

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Favourite Quotes #1

I've been trying to come up with ideas about what to post today, and in the end I decided to do a post about my favourite quotes. Whenever I read eBooks, I always take advantage of the notes and highlight feature, I really like saving my favourite quotes that way. I usually only find 3-4 per book, but it's something I enjoy. I wouldn't dare highlight one of my physical copies! Plus, not all my favourite quotes are from books. Anyway, without further ado, here are my favourite quotes!

"The only way to survive eternity is to be able to appreciate each moment." -Lauren Kate, Fallen
This quote is more or less a beautiful rendition of live in the moment. We don't know when our time will end, or what's around the corner, but what we do know is that at least we have today. Live in the moment, be spontaneous, don't put things you really want to do on hold, do them now because you never know when you'll get the chance again. 

"Some things aren't meant to be known. Only believed."-Mary E. Pearson, The Adoration of Jenna Fox
We're so caught up on proving everything, we have to find evidence that this exists and that exists, or this is real and that is real. There's very little that people just believe in these days, without trying to prove or disprove. Like other lifeforms (or aliens) for example, sure it'd be great to know that there are actually other living lifeforms out there, but the universe is extraordinary, we can't possibly know where it ends and it's completely legitimate to believe that there are others out there.

"I don't know a perfect person. I only know flawed people who are still worth loving." -John Green
I think this day and age is full of unrealistic ideas and expectations. Flaws are what make us original, people fall in love with them. Imperfection does not mean weakness or inadequacy, it makes you original, different and completely loveable. If everyone was the same, what would be the point of love? What would there be to fall in love with?
This is kind of a deep post, and I have plenty other favourite quotes that are a lot more light hearted, but I didn't think they really went well. Maybe next time! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this post! Something pretty different to my previous posts, but I was thinking of doing these once a month, let me know what you think in the comments!

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Pen Pals

Spending time writing a letter, decorating the page and envelope is so pleasing and fulfilling, it's almost become an obsession. I've had a pen pal for a few months now and I recently acquired another, and nothing makes me happier than the time I get to spend replying to their letters. I also really enjoy getting their letters and seeing how they have to say. 

Beautiful Envelopes from Roberta & letters from Heather

For me it's calming to sit down and be creative. I can spend hours coming up with ideas on how to decorate the paper and envelope. It may seem excessive, but this year it's the only free time I've had to myself with school and work. It's something that I enjoy doing and hopefully get to continue to do it. 

Although postage takes a while and that's less than ideal, I love putting letters in the mailbox knowing that they're going to someone who's never met me and judges me only by what I write. I hated my handwriting until I started writing letters, but now I don't think there's any possible way for written letters to be ugly. There's something beautiful and nostalgic about the activity. I think that it's amazing that someone I've met on the internet, 3 states away is in possession of something I wrote, something I've drawn, something I've spent hours on. There's something about that, that makes me so content. It's an amazing feeling and if you every get the opportunity to write to someone, please do so. It's so satisfying and you make a friend in the process. 

Letter from Roberta

I hadn't really been friends with my pen pals prior to writing to them. I met them both through tumblr. I met Roberta when she hosted submissions to be matched with a pen pal. Robi matched me with her and we've been writing ever since! My second pen pal Heather was one of the first blogs I followed when I made my tropical tumblr. Later on, I opened submissions to be matched with a pen pal and next thing I knew I was sending the first letter. I love them both, their letters always make me smile. When I'm having a bad day and I get a letter in the mail, it never fails to make things even a little bit better.  
If you're worried about safety, I had seen both Heather and Roberta's faces on instagram and tumblr before we became pen pals, plus I have a P.O. Box so I wasn't that bothered, but they both gave me their home addresses, so they obviously trusted me. I think there are a lot of people on the internet that you can't trust but if you can find someone you do trust, definitely give it a go!
I hope you enjoyed this post and maybe you're thinking of getting a pen pal! If you are, let me know in the comments below, I might be able to help you out :)

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Succulents & Cacti

Pictured: Ellie the Parodia Scopa Cactus

Two of my all time favourite things are succulents and cacti. I have 8 on my windowsill and I'm absolutely in love with them. They're utterly adorable and there's no possible way for me to kill them because they're incredibly drought resistant. Fun Fact: All cacti are succulents, but not all succulents are cacti, so I guess they don't really count as 2 of my favourite things after all.  

Succulents and Cacti are also really affordable. I picked mine up from my local garden centre for a pretty decent price. My cheapest succulent was $3(!) and the most I've paid for one is $13 which I don't find too steep at all, considering how in love I am with them. They're also extremely versatile, you can plant them all in one massive pot and have an incredibly adorable cacti garden or have them in their own individual pots like I do. The possibilities with succulents are endless. There are a bunch of different shapes, sizes and colours of cacti and succulents, you just have to find the ones that you like best! I have a few on my wish list that I can't find anywhere!

I'm not ashamed to say that I've named all of my succulents after book characters. There's Ellie in the picture above, who was named after Ellie from This Is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith which I read in late 2013 and really loved, plus 7 more. I've even got a Tobias and a Tris. Most of them are named after books I've read except Percy named after the main character of Percy Jackson & The Lightening Thief. I know, I know, I'm like the only person who hasn't read it, but I promise I will soon enough! The names of my other cacti & succulents are Chubs (The Darkest Minds), Isadora (The Chaos of Stars), and Gale (The Hunger Games). My 8th succulent, pictured above, isn't named yet. I've been feeling uninspired and I have no idea what I should name her (yes, I know for sure it's a girl) :(

All in all, if you're looking for some super cute plants that you won't be able to kill because you forget to water them, succulents are the way to go. You can pick them up from your local garden centre and supermarkets even sell them sometimes. I'm going to check out my local nursery and see if there are any cute ones there. Before long, I'll be a complete cacti hoarder! 

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Beach Blondes by Katherine Applegate

Beach Blondes

Author: Katherine Applegate Publisher: Simon Pulse Published: May 6th 2008 Goodreads // Book Depository
Synopsis:  Summer Smith is in for the best summer of her life. Between the cold weather and her boyfriendless existence in Minnesota, Summer is ready for sun, sand and boys in the Florida Keys. And by the end of the first day, she has more than enough to keep her busy: Adam, the senator's son, has looks, power and all the money in the world. Diver, the mystery man, is mellow, intriguing, and definitely unique. And Seth, the perfect guy... only he has a girlfriend. But with new friends, cute guys and miles of hot white sand, Summer's in for more trouble than she thinks. 

I really enjoyed this book, it got me in the mood for Summer (despite it Autumn in Australia right now) and got me out of a massive reading slump. If you're into kinda cliche summer novels with a few surprising plot twists, definitely check out this book. 
Spoilers ahead, so if you plan on reading this book but you don't wanna know what happened, leave now! 
This book surprised me, I didn't expect to like it as much as. I had mixed feelings by the end. There were a few kind of predictable twists in the story line but I was on the right track every time I took a guess at what would happen next. I like books that surprise me, but I didn't really expect this one to, so I was pleased by the mild plot twists I wasn't able to guess. 
The character development was lacking a lot for me, I feel like none of the characters grew, except for Diana. I don't think Summer herself learnt a lot or overcame anything apart from having to choose between 3 guys. The rape storyline with Diana was one that I think helped progress the story more than anything. Diana had more character development than all of the other characters combined. 
I also feel like the ending was very rushed, everything was wrapped up very quickly. We find out that Diver is her brother in the second last chapter, and I definitely would have liked more of their relationship. This was hinted at earlier in the book when Diana finds all of the clothes she, Summer and Marquez had bought him, along with the deflated red ball. We get a quick conversation between the two and then Summer's off trying to get Seth back.
The ending with Seth was rushed. The fact that within 5 minutes of getting on that plane, Seth had forgiven her after she cheated on him is extremely unlikely. I definitely think more time should have been spent on this part of the story.
Overall I really did enjoy this book, it got me out of a massive reading slump (having not read a book since the start of March). I'm surprised I managed to get through it, being over 700 pages. I will be reading the next book whenever I can purchase it, I'd like to see how the story progresses and hopefully how Summer goes about introducing Diver back into the family.
Final Rating:

I hope you enjoyed this book review! More to come soon! 

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Book Haul #1

First and foremost, welcome to my blog! I hope you like what you see so far, there's definitely more to come! I'd like to post once or twice a week, so make sure you subscribe by email to get a notification when I post!

Today's post is going to be my first book haul on this blog! I bought all of these books on The Book Depository (thebookdepository.co.uk) and I'm sure you'll find with time that most of my books are from there. Okay so let's get into it!

From top to bottom;

1. The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black
2. Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson
3. The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey
4. Legend by Marie Lu 
5. The Chaos of Stars by Kiersten White
6. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
7. Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins

I've read and enjoyed each of these books in eBook form before I actually purchased them (having the budget of a student sucks). A few of these may be reviewed in the near future, but I don't wanna make any promises, but stay tuned! 

I hope you enjoyed this very short and sweet introductory post/book haul! 

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