Bout-Of-Books ReadathonI

I have now finished the Bout of Books Readathon. In the end, I read 5 books and about 80 pages of a sixth. Here is what I read:

Full Dark, No Stars-Stephen King
Tweet Heart-Elizabeth Rudnick
Love Story-Jennifer Echols
Love You To Death-Meg Cabot
Bumped-Megan McCafferty

and the first 80 pages of Columbine by Dave Cullen.

It was a fun readathon. I know I could've read more but life got in the way.

I'm glad I participated. I think I got through a few books faster than I normally would have. And it pushed me to get through a couple of books I might've just put down(Full Dark, No Stars and Love You To Death).

Happy Halloween everyone! I'm off to watch some Halloween/scary tv shows/movies. I think I'm going to start with Halloween episodes of Buffy, then maybe Halloween episodes of My So-Called Life and Freaks and Geeks. Then maybe a movie. :)

What is everyone doing for Halloween? My boyfriend says Halloween is not a big deal at all here in England. I got upset that there were no scary movies scheduled to come on TV tonight. It just seems wrong.

Lisa aka fauvely xx

Bout-Of-Books Readathon: Day Five

Today is day 5 of the Bout of Books Readathon. So far I've read 4 and a half(ish) books. I only realized today that the Readathon goes on until Sunday night. I thought it ended tonight! That's why I was lazy and didn't finish my fifth book yet.

So far I've read:
Full Dark, No Stars
Tweet Heart
Love Story
Love You To Death(Mediator 1)
The first 100 pages of Bumped

I could've finished Bumped but I dyed my hair instead. It had been 10-12 weeks since my last dye!

Lisa aka fauvely xxx

Book Spine Poetry Challenge

This was a challenge at Actin' Up With Books. Check her out here:
http://actinupwithbooks.blogspot.com/

The challenge was to make a poem out of 3 or more book spines. Here are my attempts(I know they're not the best but I triedddd!):

But I love him nothing like you
Forbidden, going too far
You against me, tweet heart
The end of everything
A love story, one day

From where I stand,
Nothing bumped Beauty sweetly

The second one was a silly one. It's not even clever but yeah, I'm lame.

Sorry for the quality of the photos. For some reason when I tried to make them bigger, they got all blurry so they are tiny. Even though if I open them in my Windows picture viewer, they're big and clear. *Shrugs*

Lisa aka fauvely xx

Readathon Update

Today was day three of the Readathon hosted by Bout of Books. I have completed three books.

On Day One, I read Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King.

On Day Two, I started Tweet Heart by Elizabeth Rudnick. Day two was hard for me because I had a really bad headache all day, almost migraine-level. So I didn't feel like reading because my head hurt.

And today, Day Three, I finished Tweet Heart and then started and finished Love Story by Jennifer Echols.

I am not taking the term "readathon" seriously, though. If I were, I would've read 10 or more books by now. I'm just trying to read a book a day.

But yeah, Day Three is almost over and I have read three books or 987 pages!

Lisa aka fauvely xx

In My Mailbox

Thanks to Kristi at The Story Siren for holding this meme every week.

I ordered five books from Amazon last week. I received the last three today. Here is what I ordered:

The books are:
Columbine- Dave Cullen
Love Story- Jennifer Echols
Tweet Heart- Elizabeth Rudnick
Devil In Winter- Lisa Kleypas
Please Ignore Vera Dietz- A.S. King

I love to hear about what about people got in their mailboxes so leave a comment letting me know what you got this week!

Lisa aka fauvely xx

Bout-Of-Books Readathon

I decided to take part in this Readathon:

"Bout of Books will run from 12:01am 10/24 through 11:59 pm 10/30 (your time zone)".

I have started:

I am going to try to read at LEAST 5 books but we'll see. I'm only doing it as a bit of a fun challenge.

Here's the link to where you can read more about this Readathon(you still have time to sign up!):
http://onabookbender.com/2011/10/06/bout-of-books-sign-up/

Lisa aka fauvely xx

Why Buffy is better than Twilight

I've started watching Sarah Michelle Gellar's new TV show, Ringer. And it has made me want to start watching my Buffy The Vampire Slayer DVD's again.

It's quite possible and even likely that there are people out there that have read all the Twilight books but have never watched Buffy. I just want to say to these people, it's never too late!

WOW. I just looked up when the series ended. 2003. SERIOUSLY?! That makes me feel mega old.

So, from 1997 to 2003, a glorious show graced our presence and made a lot of people very happy. Then from 2005 to 2008, Stephanie Meyer released four books that made a lot of people crazy. Including me, when I first read them(they were addictive!)

But there is no contest for me. Buffy was blood, guts, glory and full of emotion. I've cried more times than I can remember while watching Buffy. Twilight never made me cry. It never made me feel much of anything, except slightly confused at times.

Here are some of the reasons why Buffy rocks so much harder than Twilight:

1. Buffy > Bella. Buffy falls in love with a vampire but that doesn't mean she wants to be turned into one. Instead she wants to keep killing them. Bella decides almost right away that she wants to spend the rest of her life with Edward. And when she thinks she can't, she goes despondent and puts herself into risky situations just to see Edward's apparition.
So obviously, Bella is a mental case. Whereas Buffy looks good, kicks ass, has personality and is just better in every way.

2. Spike and Angel > Edward. Spike is hilarious and pretty sexy for a guy with bleached hair. He has a british accent and is loveable even though he is a killer. Spike was always pretty much my favourite character on BTVS. Then there is Angel. Angel is more like Edward, the "good vampire" who kind of stalks the human girl he is in love with. But he is a more interesting character and the whole Buffy/Angel relationship is heartbreaking and much better than the Bella/Edward relationship. Okay, so Edward. He's a vampire who only drinks animal blood and he sparkles in the sun. At least in the books he doesn't make farty faces like Robert Pattinson makes in the movies. But yes. Spike and Angel are both so much better than Edward, it's not even funny.

3. The rest of the cast of BTVS > The rest of the cast of Twilight. What sounds better? A bunch of pale "good" vampires and topless teenage-boy werewolves OR all of the following:
a lesbian witch, a vengeance demon, a british man who helps Buffy as her "Watcher", plus Xander(who isn't anything "cool" but he does a good Snoopy impression), crazy Faith, and a werewolf. There is other stuff but it's just hard to describe all the sheer awesomeness of the cast of Buffy.

4. The story of Twilight is so simple and the characters are all pretty dull. I didn't love a single character in Twilight.
However, when it comes to Buffy, it's hard to pick my top five favourite characters! I love them all so much. They are have distinct personalities and are just brilliant. Plus the show was written so well. There were so many episodes that just stood out as being too awesome for TV. (The mental institution episode, the Hush episode, all the fun Halloween episodes, Spike/Buffy episodes, the musical episode, the funeral episode, etc).

5. I'm not going to ramble anymore. I just need to start watching Buffy again. I can not recommend this show more highly. It is AMAZING and will probably take over your life if you start watching it. I will say this, the first season is not the best so don't judge it by that!

Anyways, here are some pictures from Buffy The Vampire Slayer:

It can be creepy/scary and the special effects/ass kicking scenes are great!

Buffy and her peeps read big, creepy books about mythology and evil villians! Plus I love Giles, who makes me laugh and makes me cry.

It's not afraid to be sexy! And it was very sexy indeed. Whereas Edward freaks out if he kisses Bella for too long.

It's entertaining in every way. It's sexy, interesting, funny, smart, witty, heartbreaking, full of ass kicking AND it's romantic!

It's honestly one of my top favourite shows because it has everything you could want in a show.

JUST WATCH IT PLEASE!

Lisa aka fauvey xxx

Favorite Books Dealing With Depression

I've read many amazing books that deal with depression. I've dealt with depression in the past so it was good to read about characters I could relate to. Anyways, here is a list of my favorites dealing with this very tough issue.

1. The Catcher in the Rye- J.D Salinger(pretty sure this is considered "adult" fiction, even though it should be categorized as "Young Adult")

This is the version I own. It's very heavily underlined. I read it first when I was 17 and then again for school when I was 18(and then a bunch more times). I considered it in my top two favourite books for about 5 years. And now, I haven't touched it in a few years.

I related to it so much when I was 18. Even for a few years afterwards. But now I just think of it with a fondness that will never die.

A lot of people hate this book and I can understand why. It's very depressing, the plot is almost nonexistent and the main character is extremely moody and hates everything. I see this book as brilliant and it rips my heart out. I love Jane, even though you never meet her. Holden's memories of her are so beautiful and sweet. I just see this book as groundbreaking.

2. The Perks of Being a Wallflower-Stephen Chbosky(Young Adult)

This is like an updated, less depressing version of The Catcher in the Rye. It's main character is more likeable. It still deals with depression but it's not as in your face about it. I adore this book because it's just fantastic. My heart loves The Catcher in the Rye more but this book was definitely more enjoyable.

3. Speak-Laurie Anderson(Young Adult)

This book is flawless, in my opinion. I pretty much was this girl in high school. I was so impressed by Laurie Anderson constructing this character of a girl going through such a hard time. She really captured the voice of a teenage girl. This book was incredibly well-written and I don't think I could ever get sick of reading it.

4. White Oleander-Janet Fitch("Adult")

This book will always be a sentimental favourite. It was THE favourite for such a long time and even now when I make lists of favourite books, it is always one of the first books I write down.

I can't even tell you how much of a joke the movie is compared to the book. It's ridiculous(but I've still watched it a few times because I adore Alison Lohman). The book is so rich and so heartbreaking. Claire breaks my heart every time I read it. And the way Astrid deals with everything...this book is just raw and I love it COMPLETELY. I even have two versions of it.

5.Thirteen Reasons Why-Jay Asher(Young Adult)

This book was crazy good. I could not put it down. It was incredibly haunting and so sad. I really need to read it again(I read it about three years ago).

6.Saving June-Hannah Harrington(Young Adult)

I only read this a few months ago but it was really a good read. I loved that mixture of a girl dealing with her sister's suicide with the road trip aspect.

7.The Virgin Suicides-Jeffrey Eugenides("Adult")

This man is a fantastic writer. This book was so beautiful. The movie is also recommended. They are both heartbreaking in such a pretty way.

The last five books I'm just going to mention. I loved them all and they all had to do with depression and/or depressed characters. They are also all "adult" books.
She's Come Undone-Wally Lamb(AMAZING book. One of my all time favourites!)
The Bell Jar-Sylvia Plath(Extremely depressing book. So raw and full of pain.)
The Pact-Jodi Picoult(Simple and sad. Thought-provoking.)
Prozac Nation-Elizabeth Wurtzel(This girl is a bit annoying but the book is quite good.)
Girl, Interrupted-Susanna Kaysen (A look into mental institutions. Very sad.)

Has anyone read anything not on my list that deals with depression? I would like to hear your thoughts and comments. Do you like reading about this subject?

Lisa aka fauvely xxx

Review: The Name of the Star-Maureen Johnson

The day Louisiana teenager Rory Deveaux arrives in London marks a memorable occasion. For Rory, it's the start of a new life at a London boarding school. But for many, this will be remembered as the day a series of brutal murders broke out across the city, gruesome crimes mimicking the horrific Jack the Ripper events of more than a century ago.
Soon "Rippermania" takes hold of modern-day London, and the police are left with few leads and no witnesses. Except one. Rory spotted the man police believe to be the prime suspect. But she is the only one who saw him. Even her roommate, who was walking with her at the time, didn't notice the mysterious man. So why can only Rory see him? And more urgently, why has Rory become his next target? In this edge-of-your-seat thriller, full of suspense, humor, and romance, Rory will learn the truth about the secret ghost police of London and discover her own shocking abilities.

I really enjoyed this. I usually don't like the "paranormal/fantasy" books going around(I do like certain ones but I hate the majority).

But this was more to do with ghosts and I always enjoy stories dealing with ghosts. I tend to get annoyed with vampires and werewolves but I adore ghost stories. And I adore Maureen Johnson. I like the quirky things she mentions, like cheez whiz. I always love the humour present in her books.

I admit after reading the first 72 pages, I put it down and didn't touch it at all for two whole days. So I wasn't completely absorbed by the story at first. But then I picked it up today and read the rest in one sitting(about 300 pages).

I thought the story and characters were very interesting. I liked the idea of the "Shades" and I enjoyed what the title meant. And the villain was well written. I liked all the characters, really. Maybe not Jerome so much but everyone else.

Plus who doesn't find Jack the Ripper a fascinating murderer? No one will ever know who he was or why he committed his crimes. So I liked that some aspect of "Jack the Ripper" was in the story, as well as the London setting(in a boarding school, at that!) I just loved the unsettling atmosphere.

I also liked the ending. The whole ending. I enjoyed the violent act that happened. I liked that Maureen Johnson wasn't afraid to get a little gruesome. I also liked the mysterious ending as it left me wanting to know what happened.

I recommend it. It was a good creepy book to read during October.

4/5 stars!

I have the UK cover pictured above which I like much more than the US cover. Plus mine is signed! :D

Have you read it? What did you think?

Lisa aka fauvely xxx

Wish List

The following is what is currently on my Amazon "wishlist". There are other books I have an interest in buying but this is what I have on Amazon. A lot of these books I put on my list because of reviews I read or recommendations.

So here it is! (it's pretty much in order of newest to oldest added to the wishlist)

My Wishlist!
Young Adult Wish List
The Replacement- Brenna Yovanoff
The Graveyard Book- Neil Gaiman
A Monster Calls- Patrick Ness
How To Save A Life-Sara Zarr
The Invention of Hugo Cabret
Epic Fail- Claire LeZebnik
A Season of Eden- Jennifer Laurens
Jailbait- Leslea Newman
Same Difference- Siobhan Vivian
Love Story- Jennifer Echols
Chain Reaction- Simone Elkeles
The Probability of Miracles- Wendy Wunder
Audition- Stacia Ward Kehoe(even though I found out it's written in verse!)
With or Without You- Brian Farrey
A Little Wanting Song- Cath Crowley
Why We Broke Up- Daniel Handler
Heart on my Sleeve- Ellen Wittlinger
Shine- Lauren Myracle
Playing Hurt- Holly Schindler
Mockingbird- Kathryn Erskine
Sometimes It Happens- Lauren Barnholdt
Getting The Girl- Markus Zusak
I Am The Messenger- Markus Zusak
Anna And The French Kiss- Stephanie Perkins(I want a physical copy!)
Tweet Heart- Elizabeth Rudnick
Never Eighteen- Megan Bostic
The Icarus Girl- Helen Oyeyemi
The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer-Michelle Hodkin
All These Things That I've Done- Gabrielle Zevin
Not That Kind of Girl- Siobhan Vivian
Leaving Paradise/Return to Paradise-Simone Elkeles
Family- Micol Ostow(another one written in verse..sigh)
Invincible Summer- Hannah Moskowit
Lark- Tracey Porter
Brother/Sister- Sean Olin
The Everafter- Amy Huntley
Lessons From a Dead Girl- Jo Knowles
The View From The Top- Hillary Frank
Crazy Beautiful- Lauren Baratz-Logsted
Teach Me- R.A Nelson
Jane- April Lindner
Bliss- Lauren Myracle
Babe in Boyland- Jody Gehrman
Sing Me To Sleep- Angela Morrison
What Would Emma Do?- Eileen Cook
You Are Here- Jennifer E. Smith
Jumping Off Swings- Jo Knowles
Sticky Fingers- Niki Burnham
Crash Into Me- Albert Borris
Caleb and Kate- Cindy Coloma
Take Me There- Carolee Dean
The Key to the Golden Firebird- Maureen Johnson
Please Ignore Vera Dietz- A.S King
The Fine Art Of Truth Or Dare- Melissa Jensen


Adult Wishlist
The True Story of Hansel and Gretal- Louise Murphy
Columbine- Dave Cullen
Devil in Winter- Lisa Kleypas
East of Eden- John Steinbeck


Here are the books I'd like to order SOON:
Columbine- Dave Cullen
Why We Broke Up- Daniel Handler(but it's not out yet!)
Please Ignore Vera Dietz- A.S King
Tweet Heart- Elizabeth Rudnick
Leaving Paradise- Simone Elkeles
Teach Me- R.A Nelson
Sing Me To Sleep- Angela Morrison
Devil In Winter- Lisa Kleypas


What's on your wishlist? What are books you want NOW?

Lisa aka fauvely xx

TBR List

Today I'm going to list what's on my "To Be Read" bookshelf.


Young Adult TBR List:
The Name of the Star-Maureen Johnson (currently reading)
The Missing Girl- Norma Fox Mazer
Spin- Catherine McKenzie (I think this is Y.A, anyways)
Lola Rose- Jacqueline Wilson
A Ring of Endless Light- Madeleine L'engle
Love You To Death- Meg Cabot
Notes From the Teenage Underground- Simone Howell
Beauty- Robin McKinley
Revolution- Jennifer Donnelly
The Anatomy of Wings-Karen Foxlee
Princess Diaries books 2 to 8- Meg Cabot
Summer Cool- Kate Petty
Witch Child- Celia Rees
Sisters Red- Jackson Pearce
Bumped- Megan McCafferty
A Series of Unfortunate Events Books 3 to 10- Lemony Snicket


"Adult" TBR List:
Sarah's Key- Tatiana De Rosnay
Starter for Ten- David Nicholls
A Thousand Splendid Suns- Khaled Hosseini
The Life Before My Eyes- Laura Kasischke
The Bones in the Womb- Patricia Tyrrell
The Fellowship of the Ring- J.R.R Tolkien
Catch 22- Joseph Heller
Songs of the Humpback Whale- Jodi Picoult
Angela's Ashes- Frank McCourt
The Poisonwood Bible- Barbara Kingsolver
Juliet, Naked- Nick Hornby
The Intimate Adventures of a London Call Girl- Belle De Jour
The Boleyn Inheritance- Phillippa Gregory
The Constant Princess- Phillippa Gregory
Chocolat- Joanne Harris
Girl With A Pearl Earring- Tracy Chevalier
Running With Scissors- Augusten Burroughs
A Piece of Cake- Cupcake Brown
An Exclusive Love- Johanna Adorjan
Jack of Jumps- David Seabrook
Vanishing Acts- Jodi Picoult
Second Glance- Jodi Picoult
Queen of Babble "Omnibus"(2 books)-Meg Cabot
Diary of a Manhattan Call Girl- Tracy Quan
Full Dark, No Stars- Stephen King
24 Declassified Trogan Horse- Marc Cerasini
The Reading Group- Elizabeth Noble
The Pillars of the Earth- Ken Follet
Hold Tight- Harlan Coben


Library TBR List:
Frankenstein- Mary Shelley
What I Saw and How I Lied- Judy Blundell
The Knife of Never Letting Go- Patrick Ness
From Where I Stand- Tabitha Suzuma
Leslie's Journal- Allan Stratton (this will be a re-read if I get a chance)


REALLY-Cheesy-Girly-Books TBR List
It Happened In Paris- Molly Hopkins
Shopaholic Abroad- Sophie Kinsella
Meet Me at the Cupcake Cafe-Jenny Colgan
Shopaholic Ties The Knot- Sophie Kinsella
The Wedding Gift- Madeleine Wickham
The Marsh Kings Daughter-Elizabeth Chadwick
I Heart Paris- Lindsey Kelk
Restoring Grace- Katie Fforde
Highland Fling- Katie Fforde
Rachel's Holiday- Marian Keyes
From Notting Hill with Love...Actually- Ali McNamara
Me and Mr. Darcy- Alexandra Potter
The Truth About Melody Browne- Lisa Jewell

As I talked about in my "How Do I Decide What To Read Next" entry, I bought A LOT of books from charity shops. Books that were £1 or less. Some were three for £1! The first eight Princess Diaries books I got for £4! Actually, all the girly books I got for 50 pence or less. One of them(The Truth About Melody Browne) came free with a magazine!

I'm a sucker for a bargain, even if it's for things I don't need or even want.

Oh sigh. I wish I had the ambition to take two or three days and try to read the ones that I probably won't even like. I think I'd like to sit down and try a few books and see if they'll be worth my time(I don't want to read 400-500 pages of a book I'm not enjoying).

Has anyone read anything on my TBR list? Any suggestions of what I should put at the top of my list?

What's on your to-be-read list?

Lisa aka fauvely xxx

Scary/Creepy Reads

In honour of Halloween, which is my favourite holiday, I've decided to make a list of books I've read over the years that creeped me out.

I don't really read a lot of "horror" because I don't like when the book tries too hard to scare me. I'd much rather read something psychological than flat out "horror". (but if anyone has any suggestions of a good horror book, feel free to leave a comment!)

Here is a list of books I thought of:

Coraline- Neil Gaiman (Young Adult/Childrens)
This is SUCH a good book. It is delightfully creepy. It's about a girl who finds a door that leads to another world that is a creepy version of reality. In this "Other World", she has her "other mother" and "other father", who both have button eyes. She also has a cat who talks to her. It's a great story. I read it a couple of years before the movie came out. The movie is okay but the book is much better.

The Long Walk- Richard Bachman(Stephen King)
I read this book of short stories when I was about 13 years old. I still remember them. I usually don't care for Stephen King(I admire his writing and his ability to tell a billion stories but I haven't enjoyed many of his books) but I liked this. "The Long Walk" was so disturbing. It's kind of dystopian, I guess, about a "game/contest" where a group of men have to walk. It sounds simple but they have to walk at a specific pace and basically it ends when there is only one person left. It's obviously better than I just made it sound. The other three stories in the book aren't bad either, from what I recall.

A Clockwork Orange- Anthony Burgess
This book is sickkkkk. It's realllllly realllly crazy and amazing. It's so frightening. It's about violent youth and people trying to brainwash them into being "good". I have not been able to bring myself to watch the movie yet. I saw a little bit one time and had to turn it off.

Helter Skelter-Vincent Bugliosi
I have such a fascination with the Manson family. I don't know why. I just find it crazy how these hippies were all brainwashed by this one man. This book was really fascinating but it left me wanting more information about what happened before the murders started. I wanted to know more about what led to everything that happened. (Oh, I watched the movie after I read the book and I thought the book was much better)

The Collector- John Knowles
This book was the most pyschologically horrifying books I've ever read. It was an assigned book in an English course I did in University. I'm so glad it was assigned, otherwise I probably never would've discovered it. I loved it. It was awful and amazingly sad but I loved it. I even bought a nicer copy afterwards. It's about a young man who kidnaps a girl. It tells the story from his point-of-view and then from the girls. It's chilling.

Nothing- Janne teller(Young Adult)
This was thought provoking, creepy and also annoying. It was a story about a group of 13-14 year olds who decide to make a "heap of meaning" to prove to a classmate that life means something. It turns into a creepfest with vicious mob mentality.

Apt Pupil(in the book Different Seasons)- Stephen King
My favourite story from this collection. It was so sinister and evil. It's about a young boy who blackmails an ex-Nazi into telling him all about the Holocaust. The young boy wants to know all about the "gory stuff" because it "turns him on". The story continues until the boy finishes high school.

Still Missing- Chevy Stevens
This book impressed me so much. It's about a real estate agent who is abducted while showing a house. It then flips between her experiences with her abductor to her current life. It is told through visits to her therapist. This book is so disturbing but I honestly could not put it down.

What Happened To Cass McBride?- Gail Giles(Young Adult)
This is about a girl who is taken and buried. She is buried in a way that she has enough air to keep living and she is able to communicate with the person who buried her. This was painful to read at times because I'm claustrophobic.

Batman:The Killing Joke- Alan Moore
Not exactly scary but something about the drawings is so sinister. The Joker looks absolutely off his tits. This comic has some seriously disturbing things happening in it.

Edgar Allan Poe
I'm just going to say his name. I recommend going out and a book with his complete writings. He is awesome and perfect to read during Halloween(or anytime, really). I've read a lot of his stories: "The Black Cat", "The Tell-Tale Heart", "The Raven", "The Cask of Amontillado", "Lenore", etc. He was brilliant and his stories are so creepy. I love him.

Lord of the Flies- William Golding
A creepy story about a group of British boys who become stranded on an island. They try to be civilized but then their animal nature comes out. Amazing classic.

Living Dead Girl- Elizabeth Scott(Young Adult)
Sickening book about a girl who is kidnapped as a child and is now 15 and scared her abductor is going to kill her because she isn't "young enough for him" anymore. It's short but will make you want to scream and cry.

Leslies Journal-Allan Stratton(Young Adult)
This is about a girl who gets involved with the wrong guy. It is creepy because it shows how easily a person can get put in a horrible situation.

Night-Elie Wiesel
This book is a true story, about Elie Wiesel's experiences during the Holocaust. It's terrifying to read about something that happened because it makes you wonder how people could be so evil.

The Amityville Horror- Jay Anson
A "true story" about a haunted house. I don't remember if this book was good(because I read it when I was a teenager) but the movies were good(the original and the remake).

Go Ask Alice-"Anonymous"(Young Adult)
I know this book wasn't real but it was very convincing. It definitely has some nightmare-inducing things going on in it. It's written in diary form and is about a girl who starts using drugs and how it turns her life into hell.


The last two books are being included because they are full of magic and I think they would be good books to read during October.

The Princess Bride-William Goldman
Such a good story. It's full of magic, adventure and true love. Sigh.

Harry Potter Series-J.K Rowling("Childrens")
Just because. It's freaking Harry Potter! It has a billion oodles of magic in it!

What are your favourite scary/creepy reads?

Lisa aka fauvely xxx

How I decide what to read next

Here is my explanation of how I choose my next read.

There is no exact method to my madness. I literally always have over two full shelves of books "to be read" and I'm constantly adding to it! I feel like I am never catching up because my books are split into the following categories:

1. "OMG-can't-wait-to-read-this!" books. These are the special books which are always at the top of my list. "Lola and the Boy Next Door" was one of those books. Today, I picked up "The Name Of The Star" by Maureen Johnson and I HAD to start it right away.

2. "This-book-is-going-to-be-soooo-good-but-I-can-put-it-off-for-now-because-I-want-to-read-my-OMG-books-first" books. These books are the books that aren't "exciting". Maybe it was exciting when I bought them but then they got put on the shelf and are constantly on "almost there" status. They are the kind of books that you know have great potential but for whatever reason, you aren't dying to read them. Currently, "A Thousand Splendid Suns" and "Starter For Ten" are two such books for me.

3. The classics. I always try to read a classic now and then but it's hard to motivate myself to do it sometimes. Most classics I've read are kind of dull(even when they're good, they still seem dull). At the moment, the first "Lord of the Rings" book and "Catch 22" are two such books that are waiting for me. And today, I picked up "Frankenstein" from the library.

4. The books I bought because they were cheap. These are the kind of books that are "OMG-it's-only-50p!" I always buy books that would be great for someone else but they are books I will probably never read. Mostly they are chick lit. I have about 10-20 chick lit books that I bought with good intention to read. I was all "Oh yeah, this will be a good, fun read. And it's only 50p!" But really, do I need a book called "From Notting Hill with Love...Actually"? No. Charity shops are bad for me.

5. Books I bought on pure impulse. Pretty much like number 4. These books are usually books I've heard about and always want to buy because I want to read them and have an opinion on them. Even if the mere thought of reading them makes me cringe. Like "The Lord of the Rings". I HATED the movies and I've heard the books are ridiculously dragged out. But it's like a challenge. I keep seeing "The Da Vinci Code" in charity shops and have not yet bought it. I keep thinking, "I need to read it because everyone else seems to have read it and I want to know if it's worth the hype!" But do I want to read it? NO. I'm sick, obviously.

6. Library books. I can only take out 6 at a time(which feels like nothing when you're trying to choose). But yeah, this adds to my already large TBR list. And then I have to try to fit them in around my more exciting books. I usually get books from the library that have hype around them. Books that I wouldn't give a chance to if they weren't free. For example, the first book in the Mortal Instruments-"City of Bones", I think? Yeah, I didn't like it. Today I picked up "The Knife of Never Letting Go" which I'm hoping will surprise me.

7.Netgalley books. Oh netgalley. How I love you but you make my life harder sometimes. I hate how your books have expiry dates. When you have library books and netgalley books, it makes it hard to get to your actual books! Plus, I don't really enjoy reading off my computer screen. But I can't complain too much because it is pretty awesome. I mean, I read "Lisel & Po" and "Saving June" because of Netgalley and those were great reads.

I think that's it. I'm sure I have 80-100 unread books on my actual bookshelf, plus any netgalley books.

The ridiculous thing is I keep buying books, as well as borrowing them from the library. I never feel like I catch up and I read between 10-20 books a month!

Okay. So here's how I decide what to read next. I glance at my bookshelf and I think for a few minutes about what I feel like reading. If there are no "OMG!" books, I reach for the closest thing. Sometimes, I "force" myself to read something I don't want to read that badly. I don't know why but I feel very productive when I get a few forced reads in.

Anyways, this has been an unproductive rant.

How do you decide what to read next? Do you have any kind of system or are you like me, constantly trying to catch up?

Lisa aka fauvely xxx

Review: Lola and the Boy Next Door-Stephanie Perkins

“And if I'm the stars, Cricket Bell is entire galaxies.”


LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVEEEEE.

So, I pre-ordered this book on Amazon and they had the NERVE to only ship in on October 6th. I finally got it today and I started reading it right away. And about 20 times I thought "I should add this to my currently reading shelf" or "I should put this quote as my status" or something like that.

But I just kept. on. reading. Zombie Lisa like book.

Um. This was perfection. At first when the book introduced Cricket, I was all "Psshaw. Lola is mad at him so he must've done something really shit-tayyyy". Before long, I was head over heels for this fictional boy. Cricket Bell is now my favourite literary male character ever(on the SWOON scale).

I loved all the characters. This book had PERSONALITY. I always love that in books. When characters seem so real and witty. Oh, and the sexual tension. LOVE that.

I personally liked this more than "Anna and the French Kiss". I thought that book was AMAZING but something about this I adored that little bit extra. I just liked Lola and Cricket more than Anna and St. Clair. Just that little bit extra.

I guess because I identified more with Lola than Anna. I like colour and expressing myself through silly clothes sometimes. I'm nowhere like Lola but I don't like to blend in, really. I actually envied Lola because she seemed to have the coolest clothes ever. And Cricket was adorable and tugged at my heartstrings a MILLION times.

While the cover is cute, the boy on it looks nothing like how I pictured Cricket. I pictured some cute, nerdy, tall guy with wild hair. The way he's described is different from the boy on the cover.

But yes! I loved this. I LOVED it. The writing was so good and there were so many times when a sentence would be so pretty that I just wanted to write it down and draw hearts around it.

For realz. HEARTS.

Also, it was nice to see Anna and St. Clair in this book. Not even as a small appearance. I loved that.

So yes. I recommend this to anyone who likes Y.A books or romantic stories. I loved this so much.

“Once upon a time, there was a girl who talked to the moon. And she was mysterious and she was perfect, in that way that girls who talk to moons are. In the house next door, there lived a boy. And the boy watched the girl grow more and more perfect, more and more beautiful with each passing year. He watched her watch the moon. And he began to wonder if the moon would help him unravel the mystery of the beautiful girl. So the boy looked into the sky. But he couldn't concentrate on the moon. He was too distracted by the stars. And it didn't matter how many songs or poems had already been written about them, because whenever he thought about the girl, the stars shone brighter. As if she were the one keeping them illuminated.

One day, the boy had to move away. He couldn't bring the girl with him, so he brought the stars. When he'd look out his window at night, he would start with one. One star. And the boy would make a wish on it, and the wish would be her name.

At the sound of her name, a second star would appear. And then he'd wish her name again, and the stars would double into four. And four became eight, and eight became sixteen, and so on, in the greatest mathematical equation the universe had ever seen. And by the time an hour had passed, the sky would be filled with so many stars that it would wake the neighbors. People wondered who'd turned on the floodlights.

The boy did. By thinking about the girl.”

BILLIONS OF STARS(out of five)

Have any of you read it? What did you think?

Lisa aka fauvely xxx

What I read in...

September!

I can't believe it's October 1st. This year has gone so quickly. Plus I love the month of October because I like that slight chill in the air and watching/reading creepy things in honor of Halloween. I usually watch tons of horror movies during the month of October.

Anyways, here is my list of books I read in September:

The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty-Anne Rice
North of Beautiful-Justina Chen Headly
Safe Haven-Nicholas Sparks
Ten Things We Shouldn't Have Done-Sarah Mlynowski
The End of Everything-Megan Abbot
Saving June-Hannah Harrington
The Princess Diaries-Meg Cabot
Across the Universe-Beth Revis
Nobody's Girl-Sarra Manning (RE-READ)
Speak-Laurie Anderson (RE-READ)

So I managed to read ten books in September despite a 10 day "vacation" where I didn't get to read. My vacation involved three days in Paris and 4 days in London. It was quite exhasting.

My favorite reads of the month were:
North of Beautiful
The End of Everything
Saving June
(Speak and Nobody's Girl were re-reads so obviously I loved them already.)

Those first three books were very well-written and full of discovery. And two involved travel so I loved that.

The books that disappointed me were:
The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty
The Princess Diaries

The other few books were "okay", or entertaining for a read. Safe Haven was actually a well-paced read and I enjoyed it(I don't usually like Nicholas Sparks that much).

This month, I hope to read a few creepy books. My ideas are:
Carrie-Stephen King(I also have a collection of short stories by him)
A cheap book I found in a used book store called With Child by Laurie R. King
I also found a book about a serial killer(true crime, not fiction)

And I'm hoping to maybe order one or two more creepy books online. I've had my eyes on Nothing by Jaane Teller.

And if I begin Pottermore this month, I will be trying to read some Harry Potter!

What did you read in September? What do you want to read in October?

Lisa aka fauvely xxx