Book Review: Reasons To Stay Alive

In this week's blog post I want to talk about Matt Haig's Reasons To Stay Alive which I read recently and has helped me see slightly clearer.

Blurb

What does it mean to feel truly alive?

This is the true story of how Matt Haig came through crisis, triumphed over a mental illness that almost destroyed him and learned to live again. Moving, funny and joyous, Reasons To Stay Alive is more than a memoir. It is a book about making the most of your time on earth.

Review

I actually bought this book for my mum, knowing that she suffers with anxiety more so than I, but I too wanted to read it myself. It's been on my TBR for a while now and I finished it within a number of days.

Matt Haig writes from the heart, that much is true. I didn't really know what to expect when I first started reading this, but it soon became clear that he has the wildest of thoughts too, meaning I'm not alone in this battle. It's true what he says, when you have your first panic attack, you think you're the first ever person to have had one, and to have felt that bad. But you're not, for decades, people have suffered with panic attacks, anxiety and depression.

I can also understand the depression part of the book too as I have been there. It isn't there so much anymore, but the anxiety still is. It's always there, lurking, waiting for me when I'm most vulnerable. And when you have anxiety and depression mixed together like a cocktail, it has the power to break you. But what this book is about is how Haig survived the toughest of years, the worst of suicidal thoughts. He's still here; yes it may be difficult some days, but ultimately, there is so much to experience on this earth. There's so much to see, do, feel. No one wants to miss out on the good stuff, but sometimes we have to go through the shit in order to get to the good.

Mental health is still stigmatized, but if every person shares their story like Haig, the world will become less stigmatized the more we talk about it. Share your story, don't be afraid to show the real you. We have all had panic attacks, bad days and been in shit situations. You are not alone in this.

I truly enjoyed listening to the ways Haig copes with his depression and anxiety and how we should live in the moment as much as possible. It was like reading his diary. What a beautiful book it is and I urge everyone out there, with mental health problems or not, to read this. If not for you, then for someone you know who struggles. This book will help you spot the signs of mental illness more easily and how you can be there as a partner/family member for your loved one.

I hope you enjoyed this review and I'll see you soon! Love, Vee x

End Of Year Wrap Up

Hey guys! I hope you had a great Christmas and that your New Year's is even better! This post is going to be a wrap up with my favourite books of 2018, the best opportunities I've had this year and my goals for the new year ahead.

Before I start, I want to say a huge thank you to everyone who has shared and commented on my blog posts. It means the world to me and I've made so many friends along the way. Thank you to the authors who send me free books and to the people who are always there for me.

My Top Ten Books Of 2018

1. Sasquatch, Love and Other Imaginary Things
2. Floored
3. Emergency Contact
4. Eliza and Her Monsters
5. Attachments
6. My Mum Tracy Beaker
7. Another Day
8. Someday
9. Don't Stop Thinking About Tomorrow
10. Turtles All The Way Down

What are your top ten books of the year? You can read all my reviews of these books by going to my "Book Review" section.

What I'm Thankful For This Year

I'm thankful for my partner and the family I've created through blogging. I have met so many amazing and kind people. This year has been one of the hardest I've had and you all showing your support to me has made me remember that nice things can happen.

I'm thankful for all the adventures I've had this year. My partner Oli and I have been to France, Amsterdam and Croatia this year. I have tasted amazing food, swam (okay, stood) in the clear blue sea, been on a swing that hangs off a building and went on a cable car to look over the Old Town in Dubrovnik.

I'm thankful for how my blog has grown and how hard I've worked on making my dream a reality. I'm proud of myself even if I know I quit things quickly. This is who I am and I'm learning to accept I can't stand still for too long otherwise I go stir crazy.

I'm thankful for the authors, such as Alex Owumi and Lisa Williamson, who let me have such big opportunities to collab on blog posts and book tours. Without these people's help, my blog wouldn't have grown.

My Goals For 2019

I don't like New Year's resolutions because I never stick to them. But I will create some goals for myself.

1. I'd like to work more on my blog and create more content for you guys. I'd love to get to 40,000 views next year, which is a HUGE goal for me.

2. I want to travel to as many places as possible!

3. I want to try things I've never done before, even if they scare me.

4. I want to build up my business and get clients!!! (SCARY)

5. I want to live more in the present than the past or future.

6. I want to save up for our own little place.

7. I would love to have a blogger's meet up!

8. I would like to read 30 books next year.

9. I'd love to make money through my blog and collab with brands.

10. I want to take better care of my mental health and learn to accept who I've become.

What are your goals for the new year?

Well, I'd like to end this post with another massive thank you and I hope your 2019 is the best year yet. Keep being you and stay strong; all your hard work is going to pay off. See you in the New Year! Love, Vee x

Blogmas: Gifts for Readers

Hey guys! I can't believe it's so close to Christmas! I wanted to write a post on what to get the reader in your family. If you have any ideas, please share them in the comments!

Gifts for Readers

• Bookmarks (you can never have enough)
• Bookish candles, these can be found on Etsy 
• Bookish subscription box (you can google where to find these but popular ones include Fairyloot, Owlcrate and Once Upon a Book Club) 
• Reading light
• Book sleeves - these can also be found on Etsy
• Book Review notebook - I have one from Fable and Black that I can write my reviews of books in 
• Bookish pins
• Bookish necklaces - I have a Fault in Our Stars one
• Bookish iron-on patches
• Bookish coasters
• A tour of their favourite author's house/book settings (such as Beatrix Potter's house)
• Prints of their favourite quotes from books/authors 
• Bookish mugs
• A book bag - not just handy for books but also shopping
• Literary tea bags - yes they do exist!
• Beanbag chair. Us bookworms love our comfy spaces
• A kindle for easy portability 

I hope this list was helpful for you! Until next time. Love, Vee x

Book Review: Floored

Hey guys! So this week is a book review about Floored, a novel about when seven lives collide and what happens in the aftermath. Enjoy!

Blurb

Floored is written by seven authors; Sara Barnard, Holly Bourne, Tanya Byrne, Non Pratt, Melinda Salisbury, Lisa Williamson and Eleanor Wood.

When they got in the lift, they were strangers. Sasha, who is desperately trying to deliver a parcel; Hugo, who knows he's the best-looking guy in the lift and is eyeing up Velvet, who knows what that look means; Dawson, who used to be on TV, used to be handsome, and is sincerely hoping no one recognizes him; Kaitlyn, who's losing her sight but won't admit it; and Joe, who shouldn't be here at all, but wants to be here the most.

And one more person, who will bring them together again on the same day every year.

Review

I bought Floored solely because Lisa Williamson had co-written it but I ended up loving all the characters and the craziness of the story. I even ended up liking Hugo, the most pompous prick there was. It was such a thrill reading this book; some nights I couldn't put it down and it really has helped me with my reading slump.

I spent the first few chapters trying to guess who's writing was who's but after a while it all melted together and I ended up thinking it was written by one person, one voice.

I think having Steven Jeffords die in the lift and the fact his death brings them together every year to celebrate life, was an excellent idea. Every single one of them has problems in their lives and although they only see one another once a year, it means more to them than any friend they've ever had. These unlikely bunch mean so much to each other, they will run all around the country to see one another. That's true friendship. No matter how often you see your best friends, they will still always be there for you in your time of need.

My personal favourite was Velvet because in the end, she finally finds her place in the world, her voice to speak up for herself. Like all of them, they find their purpose in life and having friends help you along the way is the best bit of the journey.

This book was so well written and gripping; I truly hope all the writers collab again in the future. I can't believe seven people managed to pull this off; I hardly ever read collabs because of my bad experience with them in the past, but this book has changed my mind. I cannot wait to read all the authors' other books.

This is a must read for anyone who needs a friend, a laugh or even a virtual hug from a book. Go and buy this book, now!

Don't forget to subscribe to my blog and let me know if you've read Floored or any of the authors' work in the comments. Until next time, love, Vee x

Why I'm Afraid to Succeed

Hey guys. So this week's blog is a very personal one for me. It's all about why I'm afraid of succeeding and reaching my goals. I hope others can relate to this, and that this post gives you some comfort in knowing others struggle with this too.

One of my goals in life is to become an editor in a publishing house. I'm really determined to gain as much experience in editing and proofreading as possible and I have enrolled myself on to a CPD diploma in Proofreading, Journalism and Editing. I have various experience with writing but from what a lot of research tells me, it's a very competitive career path.

This is why I would like to study English Literature and Creative Writing at university. But for some reason, I can't bring myself to actually go for it. It may be the debt, money or job aspect holding me back, but ultimately I'm stopping myself applying through my own self-doubt.

There are lots of thoughts in my head right now saying that I can't do this, that I can't succeed and do a degree. I know these thoughts are self-sabotaging and degrading. But there's the little devil on my shoulder saying not to do it, that it'll ruin everything. When in actual fact, this is something I really want and need to do for my career. Will it be hard? Yes, definitely. Will I struggle with money? Probably, but this is an investment in myself. Will it be worth it? Absolutely. I just need to ask myself if, when I'm old, will I regret not doing it? And the answer is yes, I would regret not studying.

I've been looking into university since I was able to use the computer; it's something I really wanted to do, which is why I went into school at the age of fourteen. I had been homeschooled up until this point, so as you can imagine, it was a shock to my system going straight into high school. I ended up having panic attacks and had to leave school for my mental health. I've struggled with chronic anxiety ever since then.

I made it my mission to complete my GCSEs at home through the NEC (National Extension College) where I took English Literature, English Language and Science. We could only afford a few GCSEs which meant I wasn't able to go to college. But with the Open University, I'm able to study part time or full time and it's completely flexible for me.

I need to push myself into new adventures because otherwise I'll be stuck in the same place forever. So take the leap of faith - I'll be right there beside you. Whether it's going for a job interview, applying for university or even travelling. You can do anything if you work hard and put your mind to it!

I hope this blog post is helpful in some way to you. Until next time! Love, Vee x

Author Interview: Caitlin Conlon

Hi guys! So in this week's blog I'm going to be interviewing poet Caitlin Conlon, the author of Cavity. I hope you enjoy this interview and if you or someone you know is a poet and would like to be featured, let me know in the comments!

Interview

Was it difficult to write Cavity since it's about the months following on from a breakup?

I think it would've been more difficult for me if I hadn't written Cavity. After the events that sparked Cavity occurred I was left in a very desolate place. Ironically, these events occurred in the middle of April, National Poetry Writing Month, which means I was participating in the challenge of writing a poem a day for the entire month. 

So despite wanting nothing to do with anything, I kept forcing myself to write (not wanting to let this ruin my writing alongside everything else). And about a month later I was looking at all that I'd written, a lot more than I probably would've been able to write normally, and realized that I had something to work with.

The most difficult part wasn't so much the writing, but having to relive the pain every time I sat down to edit or work on the finer details of the chapbook. It took a lot out of me, constantly thinking about my own heartache. But at the same time I was forced to confront the reality of my situation which again, I might not have done otherwise. It seems I've gone off on a tangent, but to sum up my answer: writing Cavity was something that, looking back on it, I had to do. It was born out of necessity. 

Who is your favourite poet/author right now? Do you have an all time favourite book/poetry collection?

 

My all-time favourite poet is Richard Siken and his debut collection, Crush, is my favourite poetry collection. I first read Crush when I was a freshman in high school, which is also when I first began getting serious about writing poetry. I can so vividly remember finishing the collection, looking up from the final page, exhaling, and thinking to myself "I want to make people feel the way that I'm feeling right now." Everything since has been an attempt to do that.

Do you have any future plans for books or publishing any more work?

Definitely! I'm keeping it very hush hush right now, but I'm currently in the middle of working on a project much bigger than anything else I've done. It's something I'm really, really excited about, and can't wait to eventually share more information!

If you had to pick a quote to live by, what would it be?

"And now that you don't have to be perfect, you can be good." - John Steinbeck.

What would be your advice to an aspiring author?

My biggest piece of advice is to just keep practicing your craft. When I was first beginning to write I became so easily frustrated with myself because I wasn't creating the type of work that I wished I was. I thought that writing was something that just came to you, but it isn't. It's a muscle that you need to keep working and stretching. And you get better with utilizing that muscle the more you focus on it.

As long as you continue to write, and continue to read as much as possible, you're going to improve. Don't let your perception of how talented or untalented you are influence how dedicated you are to it.

Now, this is a fun question I love. You're stranded on an Island and you can only pick 3 people and 3 objects/things to take with you. Who and what would you take?

Okay so as far as people go I'd bring Margaret Atwood, because I believe in her survival instincts, Lorde, because I have a suspicion that she's a witch and could cast spells in order to keep us comfortable, and John Mulaney, because that man could sit in front of me doing absolutely nothing and be more entertaining than most of the general populace. 

As for three objects...this is a bit more difficult. An unlimited supply of journals (does that count as one object? I'm going to say it does), a solar-powered radio, and a Kindle pre-loaded with every book I could ever want. (I feel like I definitely cheated on this question.)

I hope you guys enjoyed this post and I'll see you next week! Love, Vee x

Book Review: Eliza and Her Monsters

Hey guys! So I've been desperate to read Eliza and Her Monsters for so long since I saw the cover and blurb. This week I'll be reviewing the book for you! Let me know in the comments whether you've read it and what you thought.

About Eliza and Her Monsters

Eliza and Her Monsters was written by Francesca Zappia in 2017 and the Children of Hypnos, which features in the book, is a bi-weekly serial posted twice a week.

Eliza Mirk is known online as LadyConstellation, the creator of Monstrous Sea, an online web comic with millions of views. Eliza spends every waking second drawing her comic, whether it be at school or home - she even misses Christmas because of how busy she is. She doesn't have any friends at school; they're all online. Until she meets Wallace, the new boy at school who's a fan of Monstrous Sea. When Eliza gets caught up in a lie, will she be able to tell Wallace who she really is before her identity is exposed?

My Review

Trigger warning: this review mentions depression and suicide.

When I started reading this I thought that Eliza was a fairly average teenager who spends too much time online. She doesn't have friends outside of the internet and she's never met her best friends - I can relate to this and I think a lot of you will too. But Eliza starts developing mental health problems; it starts off slow but becomes more intense and she can't find the motivation to practice her art anymore. We've all been there. But the difference with Eliza is, she thinks Monstrous Sea is all she has - it's who she is and without it, she fears she's no one. But if she writes the ending to her comic, she's frightened her fans will hate it.

The clever thing that Zappia has done, was to write the mental health into the book without really addressing that it's an issue to Eliza. Eliza doesn't think that it's unhealthy to spend all her time online. It's where she belongs.

Towards the end, Eliza is faced with a decision that is triggering for those with depression or suicidal thoughts. She pretty much loses everyone but her family and feels like she has nothing anymore. Her anxiety and stress over finishing the comic for Wallace to get a book deal consumes her. She feels guilty and useless. But she'll soon realize she means more than her work, and that she can still draw without it consuming her. Her parents and brothers, online friends and Wallace are a supportive network that Eliza needs in this time of self discovery.

This book is about discovering your self worth, and realizing that your art, your work, is a separate part of you; it's not why people love you or like you, you are what people love.

Full of fandom, online friendships and self discovery, Eliza and Her Monsters is a must read for lovers of Geekerella and Fangirl. You can find out more about Zappia here.

I hope you all enjoyed my review, don't forget to subscribe to receive updates on my posts. Until next time, love, Vee x

Book Review: What Nobody Knew

Hey book lovers! I was recently asked to review What Nobody Knew by Amelia Hendrey. It's a book about her life growing up in an abusive environment around her dad and step mum. It's a story of abuse, violence, coming to terms with life and how to get by on your own. I recommend not reading this if you will be triggered by the abuse and violence.

Trigger Warning

This review contains sensitive content such as abuse, violence, rape and suicide. Please stop reading at any point if you feel triggered by these events.

Review

I have wanted to read Amelia's book, What Nobody Knew, for a while now so when she messaged me asking if I would like to review a copy, I jumped at the chance. I knew it would be a hard read, having gone through abuse myself, but it was even more graphic than I expected.

However, I think that it's important that Amelia went into so much detail of the violence, as it will open up people's eyes to what really happens behind closed doors. Amelia's story is an important one and lays out what it's like to have to keep quiet when you know you'll get hurt if you tell anyone what is really going on.

Domestic abuse is still a taboo topic. I know that there are organisations out there spreading the message - I even worked for a domestic abuse charity and heard the awful things that people were going through. But we need more coverage out there. 1 in 3 women and 1 in 5 men experience domestic abuse in their lifetime, and over 750,000 cases of child abuse are reported in the UK each year. We need books like Amelia's to bring to light what happens behind closed doors.

As you can probably tell, I am very passionate about this subject, so receiving a copy of this book was really interesting to me. I've never read anything like it. The closest I've gotten to reading about abuse is in Jacqueline Wilson's Lola Rose, which I adored.

Reading about how Amelia was abandoned by her mum as a child and brought up with an alcoholic, abusive father was scary. I can't imagine how she must have felt. The book mentions suicide because sometimes that feels like the only way out of such a terrifying situation.

I remember reading it thinking, it can't get worse than this, it just can't. She described her dad beating her, punching her and throwing her down the stairs. I thought it would get better as she went to boarding school as they couldn't hurt her anymore. But I was wrong. There are, of course, the holidays where you go back home. And that's when it got worse. This part of the book goes into detail about rape and how Amelia had to go to court to take her father to prison. It's such a devastating feeling knowing that rape happens, but when you're reading about it and the repercussions that it has, it is truly heartbreaking and eye-opening.

This book is a must read and we need more books like this to help people speak up. You don't have to go through it alone. Amelia thought she did. She had no one and then when she found people willing to help her, there was hope. It's heartbreaking and tragic but there's also a message of hope. Don't give up the fight.

Until next time, love, Vee x

Poetry Review: Pillow Thoughts

Hey guys! I hope you're having a wonderful weekend of relaxing and reading. I recently read Pillow Thoughts by Courtney Peppernell and I instantly fell in love with the way she uses her words. It was an impulse buy from Waterstones with my birthday voucher so I took a gamble to see if I liked it, and fortunately, it paid off. In this week's blog I'm going to be reviewing Pillow Thoughts and showing you some of my favourite poems.

My Review

I bought three poetry books recently and Pillow Thoughts was one of them. Pillow Thoughts is broken down into 10 sections including 'If You Are In Love,' 'If You Are Sad,' and 'If You Need A Reason To Stay.' Therefore, you can read them for any occasion and when you are feeling different emotions. I read the entire way through and could relate to so many of the poems - especially the long distance ones. My partner and I were long distance for three years and to read about all the feelings I used to feel, was enlightening. I used to feel so alone and thought the distance would never end.

I also related strongly to the 'If You Need A Reason To Stay' section as this had encouraging poems to comfort me. The way Courtney uses metaphors is beautiful and even if some of the poems seem easy to write, you can still relate to them but you would have never thought to write in that way.

I really enjoyed reading this collection and I'm looking forward to reading Pillow Thoughts II: Healing The Heart. I love modern poetry such as Amanda Lovelace's, Rupi Kaur's and Atticus' work and I think I just found a new favourite poet.

Now I'm going to show you some of my favourite poems from Pillow Thoughts! Let me know in the comments whether you've read it and what you thought!

See you next week. Love, Vee x

Attending YALC

Hi guys! So I attended YALC at Comic Con which is basically a book lover's heaven. There were book signings, publishers, workshops, talks and more. I'll be showing you what I got up to and who I met!

So the day didn't go to plan because the trains decided to have a shit fit, but when we finally got there, we went upstairs and saw so many people dressed up in costumes and went to see all the stalls in the main section of Comic Con.

First we went to sit down and listen to the talk Lisa Williamson was hosting, called 'Real World, Real Me.' It was all about mental health books, the process of writing and what they were about. It was a great talk and I also went to see Juno Dawson talk at the end of the day. She was talking about Clean and addiction and how it's still such a taboo subject.

There was a Waterstone's pop up shop where you could buy the author's books and there were so many publishing houses, including Walker books, Penguin, Bloomsbury and Quirk books.

I managed to get Floored signed by Holly Bourne and bumped into Lisa Williamson, who I interviewed on my blog. I adore Lisa and Juno and I can't wait to read more of their work. I also loved seeing all the new authors and the author talks gave me more books to put on my to be read pile!

If you went along, let me know what you thought! Until next time, Vee x

YA Book Prom

Hey guys! So last Friday I attended a YA book prom! It was to celebrate author Katherine Webber's new book Only Love Can Break Your Heart. There were other authors there including Lisa Williamson, Juno Dawson, Tanya Byrne and Connie Glynn.

I never got a chance to go to prom because I was homeschooled so hearing that I could go to the prom as an adult with books was a dream come true. I dressed up (as you can see below) and went with my partner and my trusting book bag! The night was full of networking, buying books, awards, a quiz (that did go badly wrong, I won't lie!), dancing and pizza. There was also the opportunity to freely go up and get your book signed by the authors and to have a conversation with them.

I primarily wanted to meet Juno Dawson and Lisa Williamson because I've read some of their work and I have an interview with Lisa coming out on the blog soon. I adored The Art of Being Normal and wanted to tell her in person how much I enjoyed it and to thank her for agreeing to make time in her busy schedule to answer a few of my questions.

I also met a few new authors including Tanya Byrne who offered to sign my book, Floored (which is also co written by Lisa and a lot of other authors!). She was so sweet and I can't wait to read her work.

I thought that it was wonderful to meet other book nerds and it was great to see the effort they went to for the prom. I just hope if there is another prom, there will be a lot more activities and organisation involved!

If you went along to the prom, let me know what you thought! 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

5 Ways Books Make You Rich

Hi guys. This week's blog is all about how books make us rich and not in the monetary sense of the word. Have a look at the 5 ways books make you rich and add some of your own in the comments if I forget anything.

Knowledge is Power

Books give us knowledge and the power to use words - either for good or bad reasons. As J.K Rowling wrote: "Words are in my not-so-humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic. Capable of both inflicting injury, and remedying it."

Comfort

We all need comfort, whether it's from family and friends or from characters in books and the stories that authors tell. Books are an invaluable source of comfort for any bookworm and they will always be there for you when you feel alone.

Strength

It may be similar to knowledge but strength is absorbed from books and the morals within them. Books give us the strength to stand up to people, to tell someone we love them; to seize the day. To me, that's what a book is all about.

Role Models

Role models are an important part of any book - every person in the world needs to look up to someone, whether that person's fictional or non fictional. Some people look up to Katniss Everdeen for courage whereas others look up to Luna Lovegood for being her authentic, quirky self.

Authors

As readers, we often read a book and don't think twice about the author unless they're well known or we want to read more of their work. However, authors are an important part of the world we live in because if it wasn't for them, we wouldn't have stories to brag about on Insta or bookshelves of stories to read when we need someone to be their for us. Authors make us rich by giving us the stories we crave; the stories the world needs.


I hope you enjoyed this list but please feel free to add your own ways that books make you rich. Until next time, Vee x

Book Review: Sam and Ilsa's Last Hurrah

Hey guys! I hope you're all well and enjoying June so far. In this post I'm going to be reviewing Sam and Ilsa's Last Hurrah which was written by David Levithan and Rachel Cohn. If you've read my blog before you'll know I'm a massive fan of Levitan's and that I met him at the YA Extravaganza at Waterstones in London.

First off, let me just say that I've read Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist which was also co-written by Levithan and Cohn and I was not impressed. David's side of the story was written well as always but I did not enjoy Rachel's writing in the slightest. It was so easy to tell who had written what. I've never seen so much profanity through an entire book.

But this time, I was satisfied with what I was reading and both authors' writing was on point and flowed easily. I bought Sam and Ilsa's Last Hurrah at the Waterstones event for David to sign and I was dubious about whether this book would be better or worse than Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist. However, I was pleasantly surprised about how much I was getting into this book, even though I don't usually like stories that take place in one night.

Sam and Ilsa's Last Hurrah takes place at their grandmother's apartment at the Stanwyck where they are hosting their last dinner party before the apartment is sold. Sam and Ilsa are allowed to invite three guests each but mustn't tell each other who. Full of mystery, life lessons and realizations, this book will definitely take you on a whirlwind of emotions and weirdness - especially when you meet Caspian the sock puppet.

I enjoyed meeting the characters as they arrived at the dinner party. I liked the fact David and Rachel crammed so much backstory into the book without the book being dull. There's a lot of information about all the guests to absorb and the way both authors collaborated and made it work was very well done. Even Cohn's character, Ilsa, reminded me of myself; I try to make everyone think I'm such a badass and I have everything figured out but inside I'm really a mess and trying to figure life out.

The fact that Sam's sexual orientation isn't a big deal makes the book even better in my opinion; times are moving on and we should be writing about all genders and sexual orientations without making it the sole premise of books. I know that it's important to have novels that focus on coming out and gender identity, but really, it shows that we are moving on by incorporating them into books without it being the only exciting thing.

Although Ilsa finds something out about herself, the authors do not let this consume the entire plot of the story. There is talk of labels not being important and I think more authors need to take this approach to writing to make teenagers feel less pressure in deciding on what to call their identity or sexual orientation.

I highly recommend this book and it won't take you long to read either. Let me know in the comments if you have read or are planning to read Sam and Ilsa's Last Hurrah and what you thought about it. Until next time, Vee x

Film Review: Every Day

Hey guys! So in this week's blog I'm going to be reviewing the film Every Day. The book was written by David Levithan and is one of my favourites.

However, the book is always better and in this case it certainly is. The book made sense and was reality mixed with the impossible. The ending is different from different perspectives - like in Another Day we see Rhiannon's point of view and in Every Day we see A's.

The film could have been better executed in so many ways; for instance, they could have had A and Rhiannon narrate the story so we could actually understand what was happening - unless you read the book first this would be a very disappointing film. The ending is different to the book and the overall acting was dramatized and cringy. The way they run off and have adventures is completely different from the book and the French restaurant they meet at was hardly mentioned.

For anyone thinking teen romance films are already too cringy, their opinion would be valid if they saw this movie.

The speed of which they got through the scenes made little to no sense and there was hardly any comedy or train of thought. It was as if the film was making tons of scenes and lobbing them together, regardless of whether or not they made any sense. There was no transition is what I'm trying to say.

The film had the potential to be really well done, and even though some of the scenes reminded me of the book, the ending is disheartening for anyone who hasn't read it first. I was really looking forward to seeing how they pulled this film off but the time and effort wasn't there and it certainly didn't show.

I hope Levithan will stick to the books because they are so much better than any movie could be. I hate to give a bad review but I have to be honest, even if it's a product from my favourite author.

Please let me know your thoughts in the comments and let me know if you read the book first or after! Until next time, love Vee x

My First Book Group

Hey guys! So as you might know, I'm an introvert and the thought of starting new groups or clubs scares me so much. However, I recently found out one of the bookstores I like has a "detox" evening of reading.

They leave the store open late to let others come along to read. I was hesitant by the idea of going to a new group alone until my friend offered to come with me and several friends were there! It's so good to have friends who read or draw or who do any number of different arts or crafts.

I have been struggling recently to sit down and unwind after work and having a reading slump is never fun. Especially when it's a book you've wanted to read for a while. However, going to this group, even for just an hour, relaxed me in such a way that all my negative energy from work and from the day miraculously lifted from my shoulders. I felt light, relaxed and sleepy. I walked home afterwards thinking I felt really positive.

(Picture from The Book Hive website)

It was wonderful sitting upstairs on the cushions in the window of The Book Hive. It's a lovely little bookstore and if you live in or around Norwich, I definitely recommend it for any bookworm. If you're an introvert like me and new things scare you, I'm here to tell you that you need to dive into the unknown. You need to conquer that fear.

I recommend trying to find a friend who is willing to go with you or even trying to make a conversation with someone new at the book club. It's a great way to meet new people and get new book recommendations! You can dive into the depths of the unknown and come out the other side. Don't let your anxiety ruin opportunities and experiences. You've got this!

Let me know about your book group experiences below! And if you want to check out The Book Hive, click here. Until next time, Vee x

How To Get Over Reading Slumps

Hey guys! I hope you're having a lovely weekend. In this week's blog I'm going to be talking about reading slumps and how I deal with them, as well as how others overcome it.

Reading slumps can make you feel sad, depressed and even lonely. But the important thing to remember is that you shouldn't feel guilty about not reaching your reading goal this month. Take your time, breathe and come back to it when you can.

We know that most people, including me, are sometimes too busy to read because of working or studying full time. It must be especially hard to read when studying full time as you're already diving into textbooks all day! Although reading is important to me, I am guilty of just streaming Netflix because I'm so tired from work.

One way I try to combat reader's block is simply by not reading! I figure, that when my brain is ready to come back to Earth and read, it will. I need to give myself time to think and while reading, I can't concentrate on my problems; this can be a blessing to help me forget my surroundings or it can be a burden as I sometimes read the same paragraph over again and again.

Another way I try to overcome reader's block is by picking up a short story; recently I was reading Turtles All the Way Down by John Green and because it's such a heavy subject and it takes me a while to take in his stories, I decided to pick up Because You Love to Hate Me which is compiled of 13 short stories. I have been slowly making my way through these stories while taking a break from Turtles All the Way Down.

I asked members of The Fiction Cafe - Book Club to give examples of how they overcome reader slumps.

Krista said she "Will turn to YA fiction. Something that's an easy read." Sometimes changing genre really does help a reader slump!

Ulrike said his way of overcoming slumps is to "Watch a lot of Netflix/Amazon Prime/iPlayer until my brain starts craving books again. It allows me to catch up with all the TV I like so I embrace the odd reader's block." I also do this and enjoy watching all the shows I'm binge watching.

Brenda said: "I usually change genres or read graphic novels and manga books to get over my reading slump."

Lynda said: "It always helps me to re-read a favourite book." I think we all have a go-to book that we love and it can help to re-read it every now and then!

Megan said that "Sometimes I re-read something I really loved to return the spark. Even something I liked from my childhood can bring back a bit of magic. I do occasionally have a read through a few very dog-eared Enid Blyton novels!" My childhood favourites were Jacqueline Wilson books and are the only ones that I have re-read!

What are some of your ways of coping with reader slumps? I'd love to know so comment down below! Until next time, love Vee x

Books: Childhood Favourites

Hey guys, Vee here. I hope your week hasn't been too bad and I hope you have a fabulous weekend. In this week's blog I'm going to be talking about my childhood favourite books that got me into reading.

A Series Of Unfortunate Events

This series was a godsend when I was younger. I thought the world was just one bad thing after another and even though the books are quite morbid, they were also a comfort to me. My mum started reading them to me from an early age, maybe 7? And we carried on from there. After a while mum bought me the audio tapes and we'd listen to them together until I fell asleep. To this day I still listen to them and I think they're suitable for anyone at any age. I will certainly be reading them to my children.

Those are my most vivid memories from that age - curling up with the Baudelair's and mum to listen to the adventures they were having. I recommend them to any mums wanting to read to their young children or even if you are a teen wanting to start the series.

I didn't start reading until I was about 9 because I didn't go to school and was reluctant to read. Once I picked up a book, that was it, I had found my escape.

(I apologise for images; I borrowed these from the library so don't have mine own.)

Warrior Cats

I started reading Warrior Cats when I was about 9 and absolutely loved that cats could talk with each other and have never ending adventures. They really helped me learn to read and I think I went through all 6 books really quickly. I started the new series but gave up because it felt repetitive.

I definitely recommend Warrior Cats to young children starting to read longer books. I still remember sitting down and being transfixed by this story.

Jacqueline Wilson

Of course I grew up in the time of Tracy Beaker and Jacqueline Wilson, who didn't? I remember reading loads of her books when I was little - I had them handed down or bought for me by my aunt. Lola Rose is one that I've read multiple times; I think because I related to it so much and I loved the fact that Lola had escaped and given herself a new identity. Her books are an obvious must read for any young person and even teens.

I hope you guys enjoyed this. Let me know in the comments what your childhood favourites were. Love, Vee x

Bookish Memes

Hey guys! Here's some bookworm memes to brighten up your day. I hope you find them as amusing as I did!

1. And then you have to wait ages for a sequel! 😠

2. Sometimes, I just really need some along time to cry after a good book... or a sad one.

3. This one is so me! I always feel like people are judging what I'm reading.

4. I will hunt you down and make you rewrite this book.

5. The smell of fresh pages... Or musty old ones... ahh

6. This is me! This is why I'm such a slow reader and everyone reads like 3 books a day.

7. Authors are angels and devils all at once.

8. There's not enough time or money in the world, guys. It makes me very sad.

Feel free to post some bookish memes in the comments! I hope you enjoyed this post and I'll see you next week. Lots of love, Vee x