Book Review: Sasquatch, Love and Other Imaginary Things

Hey guys! So I recently entered a giveaway for Sasquatch, Love and Other Imaginary Things and I won the book! It came all the way from the US so I would like to thank Betsy Aldredge and Carrie DuBois-Shaw for sending it to me.

Review

This book is different from anything I've recently read and involves a Wood Ape, some British snobs and a big guy with a camera. Sasquatch, Love and Other Imaginary Things is about the Berger family who go onto a reality TV show in search of Bigfoot to win money to save their house and pay for Sam's college tuition. Sam, the middle child in the Berger family is obsessed with caring about everyone and wants to study pre-med at college. She knows her family are secretly struggling with money and does everything she can to win Myth Gnomers; even if tat means faking clues and taking snooping around.

The Netherfield team are a competitive group of seniors wanting to win money for their school and Dr. DeGraw who is also one of the judges. Devan, Kyle and Caroline are snotty, stuck up kids who are determined to win against the Berger family. Unfortunately, love gets in the way and the family are soon faced with complications, flu and planting fake clues in order to win against the Netherfield team. Even though Sam and Devan are mortal enemies in the competition, they can't help being drawn to one another.

This book was actually a breath of fresh air to me and I found it hilarious. I hardly ever read any comedy, but YA mixed with corny jokes and sarcastic comments is my idea of a dream novel. Sam reminds me of myself and is the lovable joker of the family. She cares about everyone but worries constantly and is always sarcastic.

I also really liked Sophie, her awkward older sister and Lyssa, her slutty younger one. The whole family is embarrassing and wonderful at the same time. This book is full of family values, sacrifice and support. It's a different take on romance, love and what it means to be family.

If you're looking for a funny, awkwardly romantic YA novel, then this is for you! I hope you enjoyed this review and let me know in the comments if you've read it!

Until next time, love Vee x

10 Ways to Save Money on Your Holiday

Hey guys! So this week's post is a guest post from my wonderful partner, Oliver. He's been on many holidays with his parents and plans all of our holidays together, including our two trips to New York. Here are his top 10 Ways to Save Money on Your Holiday.

1. Be Realistic

The first thing to do before booking any trip is to be realistic about the amount of money you can afford to spend and your preferred destination. While you cannot afford to go from Europe to America for a holiday from under £300 that could be more than enough to go somewhere remotely closer.

2. Package vs DIY Holidays

Package holidays are where you go to a company or a comparison site and you pick the flights and the hotel through them. Whereas DIY holidays are where you book everything yourself such as the flights, holidays and transfers.

Depending on where you are going either of them could be the best choice. If you are going to a holiday destination such as the Caribbean. Whereas a package holiday could end up costing you a lot more when it comes to visiting a major city such as NY, London or Paris so in that case the DIY option is better.

3. Price Comparison sites

Price comparison sites are a great way to save money as long as you set the right filters. All of the sites can offer better deals depending on where/when and your choice of holiday. My favorite is JetCost which most of the time comes up with the best deals for flights and Hotels.com for the hotel. However, different people have different preferences; my tip is to check out several different ones as well as going straight to the airline/hotel and seeing whether you are getting the best price.

4. Money vs Time

This one is quite important if you are travelling longer distances. If you are travelling ultra long such as London to Sydney then you are going to have no choice but to get connecting flights. However, if you are flying from London to New York there are several ways to go that can be varying prices as well as times. It might cost a lot more to go direct than it will be to stop. You have to weigh up whether it is better to go cheaper and spend less time in your destination or spend a little more and spend more time.

5. The Tuesday Rule

A known fact in the airline industry is that it is always cheaper to book holidays on a Tuesday than on any other day of the week. This is because the weekends are when everyone is able to sit round and talk about it with their families so the price is always the most expensive as well as a Monday because everyone has the weekend hangover and a case of the Monday blues. Therefore, if you do go to book a holiday the best time to do it is on a Tuesday as the airlines start their deals on Tuesdays.

6. Convenience vs Price

When booking a hotel how close it is to the tourist attraction or city it is the more expensive it is going to be. You are paying for the convenience of not having to travel to it. Sometimes it can be more expensive to travel into the city so make sure to do your research. If the hotel offers a free shuttle bus or there is public transportation then you may be better to stay slightly further out and then travel in.

7. Attractions

When you go on holiday everyone wants to see attractions, whether it be museums, art galleries or a theme park. The best thing to do is to do some research to see whether there might be a city pass or if you pay for them in advance or paying for two at the same time can sometimes save you some money.

8. Free Attractions

Before you go make sure you check out some blogs from people who have gone as well as looking at places such as TripAdvisor to check out whether there are any attractions that are completely free. These could be filming locations from one of your favorite TV shows to places that appeared in adverts or just a local park. My favorite free attractions are the owl cafe (Friends building) and the High Line which is an old train line in NYC.

9. Dining

One of my top tips is to check out the local supermarkets and shopping malls that are just outside of the city because you will pay an awful lot less for a fizzy drink than you would if you bought it in the city. You can also pick up some cheap souvenirs for your family and chocolate for yourself in the room.

10. Research

My top tip is do some research months before you want to book a holiday. I have a spreadsheet which has the places I want to go to and then check the prices month from month to see when the cheapest time to book is as well as the cheapest time to go. Then when you have the money to go on a trip you can look at your work and see what you can afford and the best time to go.

Before you set off make sure you have planned and know where everything is so that when you arrive at your destination you aren't blind struck by the location and don't go spending money on taxis you can't afford. This will save you time, money and you will be able to get more out of the location and actually enjoy your holiday and relax.

I hope these tips are helpful to you! Let us know some of your money saving tips. Until next time, love Vee x

Autumn Date Night Ideas

Hey guys! Since it's autumn, I wanted to publish as many autumn posts as possible because it's my favourite season. If you're struggling for date night ideas or just general activities to take part in, this is the post for you!

Autumn Date Ideas

• Go pumpkin/apple picking
• Carve pumpkins and make funny or spooky faces
• Make a list of horror movies you want to watch and check them off as you go
• Go trick or treating together
• Have a spooky party
• Make Halloween costumes together
• Make sugar cookies
• Create a new hot chocolate recipe 
• Have a bonfire and make smores
• Make a fort with blankets and eat popcorn
• Learn a new recipe together that has pumpkin in
• Make cinnamon roles together
• Go for a walk in the woods and jump in the leaf piles
• Buy a DIY candle making kit and make cinnamon/orange spiced candles
• Go to a harvest festival together
• Visit a haunted house/location
• Bake a pumpkin pie together
• Read spooky stories to each other
• Watch that new crime show on Netflix
• Collect acorns/conkers together and get crafty 
• Make caramel apples
• Go stargazing together and take a blanket and some snacks
• Go on a haunted tour of your city
• Go to a fairground
• Go to your local pottery shop and do some DIY painting
• Have a picnic in the woods
• Go away for the weekend to a log cabin and get away from your phone
• Take up a new hobby/class together
• Make a fall wreath together
• Have a look locally and see if there are any harvest/Halloween events going on in your area

I hope this list has given you some ideas! Let me know some of your autumn date night ideas in the comments. Until next time, love Vee x

Our Trip to Amsterdam

Hey guys! Last week, Oliver and I were on our way to Amsterdam! We had such an amazing time and I wanted to share where we went and what we did with you. I hope you enjoy this post and let me know in the comments if you have been or are planning to go to Amsterdam.

Day One

I booked our holiday for three days and we stayed at the Ramada Airport Schiphol hotel which was a ten minute drive from the hotel and we had a free shuttle service to and from. It was a little way out of the centre of Amsterdam but there was a supermarket close by which meant we could buy all our drinks and some food at cheaper prices. You can get the train from the airport directly to the city centre and it takes around 20 minutes.

Our flight landed at around 8am so we had a whole day and checked in to our hotel to drop off our bags. We then headed back to the airport and caught the train into the centre. On our first day, we went to the sex museum, which was funny and interesting and maybe a little embarrassing! It's only five euros each. After that we took a wander around and had some lunch at McDonald's before making our way to Jordaan and the flower markets. We did a lot of walking so I recommend catching the tram or Metro! We also purchased a three day travel card from the airport which was around twenty-eight euros each and covered us for all trains, trams, metro and ferries.

We had a look at The Cat Boat, a little boat full of stray cats and then we walked all the way back to Dam Square and went to Ripley's Believe it or Not. I recommend looking at offers before going because we made the mistake of buying a full ticket when we could have had another tour for the same price. Ripley's was quite fun and we were there for Pride week and they were allowing people to marry for one day only so it was lovely seeing all the couples getting married!

We then walked all the way back to the Anne Frank House and had dinner at Pancakes Amsterdam, which is just across from Anne Frank. We recommend using your card more than bringing cash as we ate there three times and they don't accept cash but give you the option to pay in pounds so you don't have to pay an exchange rate. The pancakes are delicious and you get a little key ring souvenir each time you go.

We booked the 6pm slot to visit the Anne Frank House and it was the most inspiring experience; you can't go to Amsterdam without visiting. There was a screaming baby which ruined the experience slightly, but seeing the attic, where she lived, was insane. The experience made me quite emotional and we must have been there for over an hour. You get to use headsets which tell you more in detail about the way the Franks lived and what happened to them.

Day Two

On day two, all rested from the day before, we made our way out into the city early and visited Noord on the ferry. We saw online that there was a place called A'dam Lookout. It's a tall building which has a swing that swings you over the edge, so of course Oliver wanted to try it. We booked our slot and for around forty euros we went upstairs and looked around as the sights from up there were incredible. We should have bought the ticket that included lunch though as we both had paninis.

The swing, Over the Edge, was scary but an experience I'm glad I didn't miss. We made our way back downstairs and onto the ferry which departs around every six minutes and it's also free.

We then made our way to the smallest pub in Amsterdam (from the TV advert), the smallest house and the smallest cafe, where we went to have a drink.

In the evening we headed over to the Red Light District and visited the Erotic Museum which was about seven euros each. It has some of John Lennon's drawings, a weird cartoon program and lots of sex toys. We also visited the Prostitution Museum which is a few buildings down and that was around eleven euros each. You get a headset to listen to a prostitute's story and you get to visit the brothel. The end was the best part because everyone writes their sex confessions and sticks them on the wall! 

We went to the Pancake place again to kill time so it would get dark so we could see the Red Light District at night. It was weird seeing prostitutes in the windows and seeing all the guilty men coming out at only 9pm. It was interesting to see and I definitely recommend going at night when it's so busy.

Day Three

We had pretty much done everything we wanted to do and see so we headed off to the airport to drop off our luggage (only six euros each on card if you're taking hand luggage). We wanted to visit Artis Zoo so we took the Metro. It was around fifty euros for both of us to get in and it was quite a large zoo. They have everything from elephants to insects, reptiles to penguins and wolves. I definitely recommend a visit if you have time and it only takes a few hours to go around, depending on what you want to see.

We then made our way to the pancake place again where I had american pancakes with bacon and maple syrup (oh my God it was so good). By the time we had finished, it was already time to go!

I think three days was enough for Oliver and I, but it depends on what you like to do. If you're an art freak or museum nut, then you might need longer, but if you're like us and want to do little museums and attractions, then you won't need long at all.

Until next time, love Vee x

Book Review: Emergency Contact

Hey guys! In this week's blog I'm going to be reviewing Emergency Contact by Mary H.K. Choi. Let me know in the comments if you've read it and what you thought!


Overview

From debut author Mary H.K. Choi comes a compulsively readable novel that shows young love in all its awkward glory—perfect for fans of Eleanor & Park and To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before.

For Penny Lee high school was a total nonevent. Her friends were okay, her grades were fine, and while she somehow managed to land a boyfriend, he doesn’t actually know anything about her. When Penny heads to college in Austin, Texas, to learn how to become a writer, it’s seventy-nine miles and a zillion light years away from everything she can’t wait to leave behind.

Sam’s stuck. Literally, figuratively, emotionally, financially. He works at a café and sleeps there too, on a mattress on the floor of an empty storage room upstairs. He knows that this is the god-awful chapter of his life that will serve as inspiration for when he’s a famous movie director but right this second the seventeen bucks in his checking account and his dying laptop are really testing him.

When Sam and Penny cross paths it’s less meet-cute and more a collision of unbearable awkwardness. Still, they swap numbers and stay in touch—via text—and soon become digitally inseparable, sharing their deepest anxieties and secret dreams without the humiliating weirdness of having to see each other.


Review (may contain spoilers)

I saw the cover of this book on Instagram (as most of the books I buy are found on aesthetic Bookstagrammer's pages) and I was intrigued. The cover is so pretty and once I read the synopsis I really wanted to buy it.

When I started reading it, I was so excited after all the hype around it that it sort of fell flat at first. The writing isn't amazingly thought out; it's very much "he said, she said" and nothing more. But as the book went on I started to forget the overused verbs and enjoyed the story line.

I really warmed to Penny's weirdness and related a lot to her without even knowing it. She keeps an emergency stash of supplies in case of an apocalypse and her emotions are totally the opposite of what she wants them to be. I also thought Sam was lovable and even a gentleman. I don't want to spoil anything for you but it's so sweet and cringy when he thinks that a baby (not really a spoiler, it happens early on) can solve everyone's problems.

I actually really related to the whole texting instead of talking in real life idea. It's true, even with my partner of three years, I still have the urge to text him my feelings because I can better explain things via writing. It was a fresh idea and I think it worked well. The only thing that was slightly disappointing was Sam not getting his big break that you expect him to. 

For a debut novel, I think that Choi hit the ground running with this unique story of love, awkwardness and family drama. It has a bit of something for everyone and I even warmed to Mallory once I got to know her.

Overall, the characters were well set up, the plot was intriguing and even though the end is slightly predictable, the journey was the best part. I hope you pick it up and read it! It's such a heartfelt book.

Happy reading! Love, Vee x

Pros and Cons of Reading New Releases

Hi guys! It's Vee here ❤ In this week's blog I want to talk about the pros and cons of reading new releases. Maybe some of you will feel the same as I do. I'd love to hear your pros and cons!

Pros:

Fangirling

It's great when the next book in your favourite series is out or you've been waiting for years for the next John Green novel. Fangirling is great - especially on Instagram where so many people connect and get excited together. It's a really wonderful thing to share the excitement of a new release with your book pals and maybe even go to signings.

Getting to Read the Book Before Anyone Else

When you buy a new release, it's a rush to the finish line to see who can read the book first. Everyone wants to be the first to have read it, otherwise they'll be spoilers! Once you've stayed up all night on the high of reading, you'll be exhausted but proud. So really, it's half a con and half a pro.

Reviews

As a book blogger, reading new releases is important as loads of people are debating whether or not to buy it and your review could help make their decision. And that's a wonderful feeling to have someone say they bought a book because of your review.

Cons:

Slow Reader

As a full time apprentice and a slow reader, I can't read new releases very quickly and there's an awful lot of pressure to get the next review out. In reality, we are the ones putting pressure on ourselves to do well. But having to keep up with all these new releases is a lot of work and time and energy.

Funds

New books are expensive, guys. Let's be real - you could go down the library and take out a book for a couple of weeks. It may not be the new release you wanted but at least you won't have to spend £12 on that hardcover you wanted. You can wait until it comes out in the library.


Let me know your thoughts on this below ⇓

That's it for now. Love, Vee ❤

Review: The Sun and Her Flowers by Rupi Kaur

Well hello there! It's already February - one of my most expensive and busiest months (birthdays, anniversary etc)! Sorry I didn't post last week but it was Oli's birthday and I wanted to concentrate on him for the day. So this week I've decided to write a blog review about Rupi Kaur's most recent poetry book, The Sun and Her Flowers. I will be sharing some of my favourite poems from the book and a bit about why I love them and why I think you should too!

The Sun and Her Flowers
The Sun and Her Flowers is more about Kaur's family, moving and learning to love herself. I am so excited for what she has coming next but I will definitely be rereading these until her next book comes along. I wanted to buy the book as soon as possible and thankfully received a Waterstone's voucher for Christmas so it was one of the books I just had to get. I must say I relate to Milk and Honey more, but I still absolutely love her books and she inspired me to just go for it and write poetry. So here we go. Enjoy!

Poem One 

I love this one because it proves that whatever us humans go through, we are always strong enough to bounce back from it; we will always recover.

Poem Two 

Kaur always has a way of writing so that I feel unique and special, even if I feel like I'm getting nowhere in life. That is poetry. You don't even have to be religious to love this, you just need to believe in yourself.

Poem Three 

I think this is absolutely true- we all crave love and want to give it but as humans we manage to ruin it or turn it into something it's not. Everyone has the capacity for love but not everyone is willing to learn how to.

Poem Four 

Such a powerful break-up poem here. I think it's beautiful because Kaur keeps repeating that it's not the end of the world. You will get through anything.

Poem Five 

Such a simple yet powerful poem for anyone feeling low or invalid.

Poem Six 

This is honestly my favourite. So beautiful that it gives me butterflies. I do believe in soul mates so this poem is perfect.

Well that's it for this week but I'll be back next week! Love, Vee.

Twenty Facts About Me

Well hello there. I think I'm getting the hang of posting regularly! So I am writing this blog because I think it's good for you guys to get to know a little bit more about me and what I enjoy.

1. I eat way too much chocolate. I am seriously considering making my life ambition to help authors with their chocolate addictions and open up a rehab. 

2. My favourite TV shows are: Friends, Gilmore Girls,The Inbetweeners, Jane the Virgin, The Vampire Diaries and Gavin and Stacey.

3. My most annoying habit is picking my nails.

4. My favourite book right now is probably Every Day by David Levithan.

5. My all time favourite series has got to be the Shiver trilogy by Maggie Stiefvater.

6. My favourite authors are: David Levithan, Rainbow Rowell, John Green, Huntley Fitzpatrick and Maggie Stiefvater (I spoke about this in a recent blog of mine).

7. I'm pansexual.

8. Apart from the UK I have been to Portugal, France, New York and the Spanish island of Ibiza.

9. Places I would like to visit: Italy, LA, Canada and Amsterdam.

10. My middle name is Leigh and my parents picked this because my aunt's name is "Kayleigh."

11. My favourite food to eat is chocolate (obviously) and burgers.

12. My favourite drink is probably a latte (none of that complicated crap like strawberry, raspberry and watermelon frappe or decaf soy latte).

13. My favourite number is 13.

14. I have an unhealthy obsession with Taylor Swift and have been a fan since I was seven years old.

15. I am in a long distance relationship.

16. I also have a long distance best friend (all the best people live far away!!)

17. My favourite movie is Bridget Jones (all three of them).

18. I want to become a published writer and freelance editor/proofreader.

19. I love unicorns. I have a onesie, stationary, ornaments, clothes, slippers and even a night light that my partner's parents bought for me.

20. Three years ago I was suffering with crippling anxiety and couldn't leave the house. And thanks to the support of friends, family and most of all, Oliver (for pushing me when I just couldn't face it) I am now able to travel to London alone, go out shopping (I've nearly conquered shopping centres) and become so much more confident in myself as a person. Without Oli's help I wouldn't be able to do the things I do today.

I hope you guys enjoyed reading 20 facts about me and don't forget to subscribe and follow my Bookstagram: @neurotic.writer.ramblings

Return to New York

Hey guys!

So Oli and I went back to New York last month and although I hate planes (as I mentioned before), I couldn't wait to plant my feet on to the New York pavement. This time, Oli bought an explorer pass to visit five attractions in New York.

Day One

On the first day - after a good night's sleep - we wandered down to our favourite place. That's right, Dunkin' Donuts for the best hot chocolate in the world.

We had a bit of a lazy day and walked around the Highline. We've walked the Highline before when it had snowed, but it was such a nice day and they always have art displays on the overgrown tracks. They are really interesting to read and the sights over the Highline always puts a smile on my face. Last time, when we went, the Red Arrows were flying over. We were incredibly lucky to see them as they weren't in the US for very long.

We got back to the hotel and then I had a look on Instagram and saw that there was a Taylor Swift Pop Up. So Oli and I rushed on to the subway and queued for two hours to get in to what Oliver called "a shop" (rolls eyes). However, Oli was kind enough to buy me some Taylor Swift pins and I took some photos of the outfits and I even used the same phone that Taylor used in her Look What You Made Me Do music video.

It turned out that Taylor showed up at the Pop Up 20 minutes after we left so obviously I cried like a little baby. However, I did get two Taylor magazines exclusive to Target so I was rather happy. As you can tell, it was the perfect time to visit New York - a day after the release of her album.


Day Two

The second day was slightly more chaotic as we made our way to the Empire State building. It was a bit foggy so we couldn't see a lot but the view was breathtaking - you could see everything. We spent a lot of money on souvenirs this time and even bought some Empire State chocolate. We then went to Taylor's house once again and then to the 9/11 museum. It was very strange and eerie seeing pictures of everyone who tragically died. It's an amazing place to see though and I highly recommend going.

We then made our way to the Statue of Liberty and bought more souvenirs in the gift shop (a Statue of Liberty Panda and Penguin. Yes, we are daft). It's surprisingly smaller than I thought it was but it was still a great sight to behold.

We then got on the boat to Ellis Island and went around the museum but we were so tired we could barely walk. The museum is great if you enjoy reading - but for us, we had walked so much we just wanted to sit down! I highly recommend going if you're interested in the history of Ellis Island. It's phenomenal how many people came through its doors to live in New York.

Day Three

On our last day, we had Dunkin' Donuts again (can you tell we're obsessed?) and made our way to the Intrepid Air, Sea and Space museum where we saw a space shuttle and bought astronaut ice cream. The space shuttle was huge and took us by surprise, It's crazy to think that something that big has gone to space.

With our legs buckling and being too tired to stand, we made our way (long way) to the Natural History museum through Central Park. I was too hungry to enjoy myself and we kept getting lost. One thing they need more of? Sign posts. However, the museum was interesting and the displays were well put together. There's so much rich history. I was mostly interested in the animals/bird displays so we wandered around those for a while. There's a makeshift forest in the middle of the museum and it does feel rather scary! There's also a huge dining hall where you can pay to spend the evening under a ginormous whale statue.

We had to make our way to the airport for our overnight flight and the turbulence on the plane was the worst I've felt - but I did manage to sleep for a while. It was sad to come back to the UK again. We hope we can go back again one day and stay a bit longer. And maybe even live there one day.

If you enjoy my blogs, please subscribe and follow my Instagram page: neurotic.writer.ramblings or my Facebook page.

Book Review #2 All The Bright Places By Jennifer Niven

So, as some of you may know, I'm trying to post more book reviews on my blog! This month's book review is based on All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven.

Warning: spoilers ahead!

About

All the Bright Places is about a girl called Violet who learns to live from a boy called Finch who wants to die. Violet's sister, Eleanor died in a car crash and Violet blames herself. Finch is a boy who is bullied at school and called a 'freak' and his parents don't seem to care much about him. His dad ran off with another family and his mother is too busy and clueless to know what is going on.

Violet meets Finch on top of the school's bell tower where they seem to both talk each other off the ledge. Soon enough, Finch is obsessed with wanting to be Violet's friend and the two strike up a friendship when they are assigned a group project to wander Indiana before they graduate and go off to college.

Violet counts down the days until she leaves school but Finch teaches her that she doesn't need to stop living just because Eleanor is gone; she has to learn to live with the pain and not let it consume her life.

Review

As much as I enjoyed this YA contemporary novel about two people I can relate to personalty wise, I have to say I felt as if Niven almost romanticized dying - I don't believe this is her intention at all; after all, Niven lost someone she loved to suicide. But the book reminded me a lot of John Green's The Fault in Our Stars and I can't help but feel that some contemporary books for young adults romanticize anything they can with poetry and riddles.

If you don't want to know how the book ends, I suggest you come back after you have read it!

Throughout Violet and Finch's wanderings through Indiana, they leave things behind and go to insignificant, 'lovely' places that aren't the usual tourist attractions. Finch befriends Violet on Facebook and they start using Virginia Woolf quotes throughout their messages. When Finch disappears, he leaves behind notes and clues for Violet; which reminds me of John Green's Papertowns. These clues eventually lead Violet to realise that Finch has taken his own life.

Finch teaches Violet that things most people would find insignificant or ugly, are actually rather lovely and these make the best memories. Violet learns to let herself heal and eventually comes out of the dark she has been hiding in for so long. I just feel as if Violet will now go back the way she was when Eleanor died; after all, she has now lost two people who meant the world to her.

At Finch's funeral, his family refuses to call his death a suicide because of the stigma and shame surrounded by the word. They let people believe it was a tragic accident instead of blaming themselves for not paying enough attention, not reading the signs. Which makes it even more unbelievable that Violet would not notice it; she was closer to him than anyone. It's true that you can hide your depression from others, but I feel like with Finch's character, someone should have noticed other than the counselor. However, I do understand where Finch is coming from when he doesn't want to be labelled as Bipolar or anyone with a mental illness. But it is important to get help and recognize that you do have a mental illness. You don't have to let a label control you; anxiety, suicidal thoughts, depression, bipolar disorder, OCD, any mental illness doesn't define who you are.

As much as Niven has highlighted suicide and depression, I can't help but feel that Violet would have seen the signs - after all, didn't Niven portray Violet as someone with depression? This is also something that bothers me about the book: we don't receive enough  insight into the characters, least of all, Violet.

In real life, someone with depression isn't usually fascinated with suicide facts and quotes and memoirs. Somehow, I feel Niven has made Finch obsessed with dying and when he leaves Violet and his family behind without a word to them - just clues - I felt as if this was quite unrealistic. This topic is sensitive to me in more than a few ways and I feel as if Finch reminds me of someone I once knew. Maybe this is why I didn't enjoy the book, maybe why I didn't shed a tear, maybe why I didn't feel that flippy feeling in my stomach every time I read a good book.

I understand there are probably hundreds of people who feel the same way as Finch and Violet, but I just felt the characters didn't feel real and raw enough. They were written in first person but by the way they would talk, it sounded more like they were written by someone on the outside, in third person.

Suicide is a tricky subject to write about and I applaud Niven for writing from the heart. It takes a lot of courage but it is also what makes you a good writer.

                                                                                                 
I did like that the places Niven described in the book were real and lovely in their own, wonderfully weird way: I especially liked the roller coasters created by John Ivers, the Milltown Shoe Tree, the world's Largest Ball of Paint, the Ultraviolet Apocalypse and the Taylor Prayer Chapel. These places may be insignificant tourist attractions but they are all beautiful and I'm glad Niven introduced me to these places.

I couldn't find any good photos of the rest but if you Google them, they will come up! These two images were sourced from Google.

                                                                                                 
I'm going to rate this book as 2/5☆ since I feel uncomfortable with the subject and I'm not sure how I feel about the portrayal of characters. I do think that these books are extremely important, no matter how they are written! Just as long as the message gets across!

Let me know in the comments what you think of the book! Everyone has different opinions!

Don' forget to follow my Bookstagram account on Instagram: @neurotic.writer.ramblings

If you feel depressed, suicidal or anxious, please talk to someone. It is so important! I'm going to put some suicide hotlines down below:

Samaritans UK and ROI: 116 123

Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide: 0300 111 5065

SupportLine: 01708 765200

New York

For our anniversary, Oliver took us to New York on a big adventure...

For someone who has only been on a two and a half hour plane journey to Portugal, going on an eight hour flight to New York was more than daunting. Turbulence scares the hell out of me and being in a big machine catapulting across the sky obviously brought out my anxiety.

However, our journey there and back with Norwegian was fairly smooth - even though take off is always the worst! For me, I like to grip on to Oli so hard he has to pull my claws off him!

When we landed it took us over an hour to get through the border and we went on the sky train and subway.

Once we got to Hotel Pennsylvania and checked in to our room, our smoke alarm wouldn't stop beeping, there was mold on the walls and plug sockets hanging askew off the wall. We requested a change of rooms, exhausted (it was nearly 4am UK time). We were so happy with our new room - you wouldn't think it was the same hotel!

Day One

On our first proper day we headed to Dunkin' Donuts for the best hot chocolate ever(!!!) and croissants. After that we went on the subway to Tribeca, where Taylor Swift's apartment is located. Being a Swiftie, this moment was precious to me. I had stood where she stood, walked where she walked. I just wish she had been there!

After seeing Taylor's apartment we walked to the Brooklyn Bridge, crossed it and had pizza which was only $7! We came back and walked a very long way to the ferry. We thought it would be cheaper to see the Statue of Liberty from the Staten Island ferry than it would be to go and see it close up! (It's worth it to just go on the ferry unless you're desperate to get a close up for those Insta posts! 😉)

After walking from the ferry, we went to Ground Zero. It is such a surreal place. You don't realise how big and wide the towers were. We went to Times Square to get McDonald's and went back to the hotel.

Once back at the hotel we relaxed, watching Friends in America(!!!), before going out to Times Square for something to eat. We went to Applebee's but we were so stuffed from croissants, pizza and McDonald's that we barely ate. We ended up having giant pretzels afterwards though...

Day 2

On day two we went to the Friends Building and fangirled. Then we walked up to the High Line and along it and saw some good art pieces, including this hilarious piece...

While we were walking across the High Line we saw the Patrouille de France who were doing their first tour of the US. We then walked back to Times Square and saw the Rockefeller Centre. Strolling along at this point, our legs killing us, we went to the Gossip Girl Hotel and Grand Central. I pretty much risked my life to take a photo in the middle of the road of Grand Central.

We then went and saw the Chrysler building and the Empire State building and walked back through 5th Avenue to our hotel. And, of course, like the Instagram oriented person that I am, I decided I wanted a photo of the aesthetic brown Starbucks up several blocks from us. At this point I had already gone past a shop full of puppies in the window (cruel, I know. I wanted to take them all home!) and was eagerly trying to catch a look before Oliver pulled me away.

Once I had taken a photo of Starbucks, I was determined to set foot in Barnes and Noble and to take a picture of it. It is every book worm's dream! It was at least three floors of beautiful bounded books: contemporary, fiction, non-fiction and the classics where I dragged Oli around looking at all the huge books that couldn't possibly fit in my suitcase. We then went to TGI Fridays for the first time ever - I hadn't even eaten anything there in the UK.

Day 3

So, after attempting to go to Ellen's Stardust Dinner for ice cream several times, we decided to wait again on our last day. We waited before and they told us the electric had cut out when we had been waiting half an hour and the queue was stretching further and further down the block. We were told this even though we could clearly see there were people still in the dinner. So on our last day we queued for about forty-five minutes before they told us they were changing the menu from breakfast to lunch and then they told us half an hour later that a group of school children would be taking up the whole dinner - bear in mind the queue was now stretching around the block. We eventually entered after freezing to death for two hours and sat down to order ice cream, just to be told we couldn't order it as it was melting. I would not recommend this place at all.

After wasting two precious hours in the city that never sleeps, we were starved and started walking to Columbus Circle and to the mall which had the most expensive cafes inside. So eventually we went to Starbucks and walked through Central Park with a pretzel in hand. This was the coldest day we had had and we walked to Belvedere Castle and then hobbled to the MET (aka Gossip Girl steps). Oliver found it hard to walk after the past few days' adventures. And then we finally went to another Gossip Girl location - the Museum of the City of New York.

Finally, we took the tube and walked past the New York Public Library to TGI Fridays once again for lunch. This time I had a burger instead of salad and it was honestly the best burger I have ever eaten. After lunch we headed to the Flat Iron building and then made our way back home after grabbing more Dunkin' Donuts!


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