Kelp by Linda Aronson - Review

Hello Book Lovers!!!

The final book I managed to get finished during the Dewey's 24 Hour ReadAThon was Kelp by Linda Aronson. I didn't enjoy this one so much, it just bored me more than anything else.

This is about a girl called Emily who's family live on an island and have a seaweed business. Nothing Emily wants to do. She doesn't feel like she fits in with her family at all and feels like she belongs somewhere else doing something completely different.

However when her second cousin John turns up to help her out she can't help but feel a closer connection to him.

That's all I can really say about this book storyline wise as it didn't really have much else to it.

So although the story was easy to follow, there really wasn't a lot happening ever. I was waiting for something to happen and it just didn't. I felt like sometimes the story was dragging on and repeating things we already knew.

Although I found Emily's character quite funny, I don't think she was necessarily funny in a good way. She was so annoying! She is only 14 years old and was swooning over her second cousin who is way older than her and still has a wife! Really!

I just didn't find the story very believable at all however I know this is an older book and definitely I book of it's time. So now I don't really think the story works but I think back when it was originally published it would have worked.

Overall I found this book to be a bit pointless however like I said maybe it would have been better when I read it years ago...but I can't remember!

Rating /5

2

Happy Reading!!!

xHannahx

Five Go Gluten Free by Enid Blyton - Review

Hello Book Lovers!!!

The second book I've managed to complete in the Dewey's 24 Hour ReadAThon was Five Go Gluten Free by Enid Blyton! As a gluten free myself I knew I'd relate to this!

This is about the Famous Five, now all grown up changing their diet to gluten free. This was down to Anne's decision as she see's it as more of an adventure rather than something negative. However it takes a lot for the others to see it that way.

As they realise that it's not going to be easy to begin with they start to secretly eat food that contains gluten without the others knowing.

So they decide the best way to start something a fresh is by going somewhere different, changing their location. So this is what they do!

However this may not exactly work either...

I really enjoyed this book and found it so relatable and hilarious seeing how the characters coped with being gluten free. It made me laugh how they were just like me trying to sneak in food wherever they could!

I also adored how the five were so close and you could really see the support they gave one another even though they also liked to annoy each other.

It was great to read a more adult side to Enid Blyton's writing as well as it was something new. However I could still see her child fiction writing sneak in every now and again which I loved!

Something I would have loved to see more of is a focus on Timmy the dog. I've always loved Timmy when reading Enid Blyton's child fiction and I remember Timmy being more of a focus in some of her stories whereas with this one I felt he was more of a side character.

Other than that though I really enjoy the book and I think I'm going to have to pick up some more of her adult works.

Rating /5

4

Happy Reading!!!

xHannahx

The Stuff of Nightmares by Malorie Blackman - Review

Hello Book Lovers!!!

I've finished The Stuff of Nightmares by Malorie Blackman and I also used this as part of my Dewey's 24 Hour ReadAThon! This is my first completed book of the ReadAThon and I really enjoyed it.

This book is difficult to explain but it's about a boy called Kyle who goes on a school trip with is class on a train. However the train crashes and it appears that nobody has survived to start with except Kyle.

However as the story progresses we find out that's not exactly the case and actually there is a lot more happening than we originally realise.

I don't want to say too much more about the plot however it is a bit of a page turner and its definitely gripping. I loved the settings especially when we got to read about everyone's nightmares. I found these really enticing and exciting and I found that we got to learn a lot more about the side characters during these chapters.

I also really enjoyed the idea of the plot and how it was laid out. I don't want to say much on this however as I don't want to spoil too much for you and it would be hard not to by explaining.

I wasn't to sure on the ending as I thought it ended quite abruptly however the build ups throughout this story were fantastic.

Overall I really enjoyed this book but like I said I wasn't sure on the ending and I also didn't feel I got attached to any of the characters. However I would still give it a high rating as I felt like it kept me gripped throughout.

Rating /5

4

Happy Reading!!!

xHannahx

Dewey's 24 Hour ReadAThon TBR 2017 | BookTube

Hello Book Lovers!!!

It's the day of the Dewey's 24 Hour ReadAThon! So today I have for you my TBR for the ReadAThon! I've never participated in this ReadAThon so I'm excited to get started!

Enjoy the video!

Happy Reading!!!

xHannahx

February/March/April Book Haul 2017 | BookTube

Hello Book Lovers!!!

Today I've got for you a Book Haul! I love filming these videos as it gets me super excited to see all of the books I now have to look forward to. 

Enjoy!

If you've been getting any new books recently feel free to let me know what you've been getting as I'd love to know and I'll speak to you all very soon!

Happy Reading!!!

xHannahx

Happy Mum Happy Baby by Giovanna Fletcher - Review

 

Hello Book Lovers!!!

I've just finished Happy Mum Happy Baby by Giovanna Fletcher and absolutely loved it! I was lucky enough to meet Giovanna at her book signing and get my copy of the book signed which was so much fun. She was so lovely and even though I was so nervous she made me feel calm and collected by her welcoming manner.

Happy Mum Happy Baby is all about Giovanna's journey in becoming a mum to her two beautiful boys Buzz and Buddy. She discusses everything from the pregnancy and labour to breastfeeding and nightmare night times!

She also discusses the healing process after giving birth which is something that definitely doesn't get talked about much. Not only does she discuss the physical healing process but also the mentality she could get into during this time, as well as the pregnancy itself. 

Another area which I found interesting to read about is how she dealt with the online comments she received of her 'after pregnancy body'. It's crazy thinking people have that much time in their lives to post nasty comments about something that should be celebrated! Her body has just gone through one heck of a journey and she still looks fabulous!

I did find myself laughing at times during reading this story especially during the chapter ' OMG, my child is so unreasonable!'. It was so funny to see how she coped with the madness of a child's emotions and her little techniques she used to calm down situations. (She does clearly state on a number of occasions that every child is different so there isn't one technique that will suit every child!).

And that brings me onto my final thoughts on this book. The main reason I loved this book was because Giovanna didn't try to sugarcoat anything. She was very raw and real in what she had to say so much so that she said things like 'is this TMI?'. Well when talking about this kind of topic I think it's important to go into detail because I don't have to be a mother to know that parenting, although it is an amazing journey, can also be complete madness! And maybe one day I'll decide that I want to give this madness a go. However for now I'm 1. Not in a stable enough position in my life to support a child and 2. Quite honestly...I'm just not ready yet.

I would love to know what you thought of this book if you've read it, and if you haven't then I definitely recommend giving it a read whether you're a parent or not. It's a fantastic read.

Rating /5

5

Happy Reading!!!

xHannahx

A-Z Bookish Survey 2017 | BookTube

Hello Book Lovers!!!

Today I'm sharing with you my A-Z Bookish Survey! This is an older video now however I've seen it floating around BookTube again so I thought I'd give it a go! 

Enjoy!

Feel free to leave any of your answers to any of these questions in the comments below and I'll speak to you all very soon!

Happy Reading!!!

xHannahx

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - Review

Hello Book Lovers!!!

I'm posting today to tell you I've finally finished another book! I have been continuing on with the Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling and have just finished Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, the third book in the series. If you've not read the Harry Potter Series or seen the films and you don't want to be spoiled then I highly suggest you go read the books and watch the films starting right now because where on earth have you been?!?!?

So anyway, in the third instalment to this series we see Harry, Hermione and Ron back at Hogwarts but this year unfortunately a mass murderer named Sirius Black has escaped from the most secure wizarding prison within this world and Harry has been hearing that this murderer is out to kill him.

All of the students and teachers at Hogwarts as well as the Ministry for Magic has been keeping watch out for Black and the guards from Azkaban, the Dementors, have not only been at the prison, but also keeping watch around Hogwarts as well. This causes a few problems for Harry, especially when he finds himself face to face with one during a Quidditch match.

As well as this, Hermione is also keeping a secret that not even Harry and Ron are aware of. This becomes apparent when both herself and Harry have to complete a task in order to save not one but two lives...and without anyone apart from Dumbledore knowing what they are doing.

That's all I'm going to say as I don't want to go into too much detail however I will say I did really enjoy this instalment to the series. I loved reading about Professor Lupin, the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher as I find him such an interesting character, and of course Sirius Black. I've always loved Sirius and when I watch the films he is one of the characters I always get excited to see, however reading about him again also made me super excited as I loved him just as much in the book as I did in the film.

I also love the time travel used within this book and how it can have serious effects on the past, present and future if its used in a dangerous way. I was surprised to see how the time travel was only in one chapter of the book however as it as been a long time since I've read this series. I watch the films all the time though so they are a lot more clearer in my head and the time travel in the film is present for a much longer period of time than it is in the book.

I also noticed quite a few other differences in this book compared to its film adaptation whereas the previous two books have been a lot more similar to their films so it was interesting to see how both the book and the film made this part of the series work. I do think both worked really well and although this is my least favourite in the series, I still thoroughly enjoyed it.

Rating /5

4

Let me know what you think of this book as I'd love to know and also whether you prefer the book or the film and I'll speak to you all very soon!

Happy Reading!!!

xHannahx

RIP it or SHIP it Book Tag 2017 | BookTube

Hello Book Lovers!!!

Today I'm sharing with you the RIP it or SHIP it Book Tag! This is quite an old tag now but I've seen some BookTubers bringing it back so I thought I'd give it a go! I hope you enjoy!

If you have any opinions on the pairs I ripped or shipped then feel free to leave those in the comments and I'll speak to you all very soon!

Happy Reading!!!

xHannahx

Book Recommendations: Easy Reads 2017 | BookTube

Hello Book Lovers!!!

Today I'm sharing with you some book recommendations that I think are perfect for if you're wanting an easier read. I've tried to cover a wide variety of subject matters/genres within this video so I hope you find something that is for you!

Enjoy!!!

If you've got any easy book recommendations then feel free to leave them in the comments below and I'll be sure to check those out!

Happy Reading!!!

xHannahx

Relatable Characters 2017 | BookTube

Hello Book Lovers!!!

Today I'm sharing with you some characters I feel I can relate to. Feel free to let me know of any characters you can relate to as well as I'd love to know! 

Enjoy!

Speak to you all soon!

Happy Reading!!!

xHannahx

Covers I Love/Covers I Hate 2017 | BookTube

Hello Book Lovers!!!

Today I'm sharing with you some of the book covers I love and some I hate. Feel free to share any covers you love or hate in the comments below as I'd love to know and I hope you enjoy the video!

Speak to you all soon!

xHannahx