January and February reads

Don't think I've ever read this many good books in a row. January and February just happened to be great reading months, encouraged by reviews from fellow bloggers and friends. I hope March reading is just as good!


There is nothing like a bad book to spoil my reading appetite, and nothing like a good book to keep my obsession going strong.


Harlan Coben - Shelter (I'm a huge Harlan Coben fan and was so excited to hear that he was publishing a YA book. Was just as suspenseful and riveting as his other books, and I loved that the characters intertwined)


Rachel Cohn & David Levithan - Dash and Lily's book of dares (took me a while to get into this one but once I did, I absolutely loved it. Such a cute read). 


John Green - Paper Towns (Read such great reviews of this book and can honestly say that I didn't enjoy it at all. Didn't feel a single thing for either characters.)


Angela Morrison - Sing me to Sleep (I really enjoyed this book. I cried so much at the end. Though I was a little unsure about some of the relationships within the book, it was overall a good read) 


John Boyne - The Boy in the Stripped Pajamas (I have been meaning to read this for so long and finally got it out at the library. I've read a lot of Holocaust books and this one, despite being a YA book, was no less unsettling. I watched the movie right after. Definitely a must read.)


Jeanette Walls - The Glass Castle (I went through stages with this book. Some parts I loved and some parts I hated. Was definitely interesting to read about that lifestyle and get into the psychology behind it. And was very uplifting in the end, in that the author had such a poor and horrific childhood but still made a good future for herself) 


Cat Patrick - Forgotten (Was a very complicated book to write without coming across some loopholes and slips to the plot. I did have some questions unanswered, and felt like the end didn't really related to the rest of the book, but overall it was enjoyable. And a really gorgeous love story.)


Gareth Crocker - Finding Jack (Nothing to say other than I loved this book. It made me smile and made me cry. I read it all in one sitting on an airplane and felt so drained by the end of it. Really incredible story.) 


Sarah Addison Allen - The Girl who Chased the Moon (Usually I don't like when fantasy is mixed with real life, but I absolutely adored the magical element to this book. It was such an enjoyable read.)


John Green - The Fault in our Stars (Was so hesitant to read this after Paper Towns... but John Green is redeemed. I loved this book. The writing was... incredible. His characterization was flawless and he had me crying hysterically for the last 60 pages. Adored this book soooooo much)


Cath Crowley - Graffiti Moon (I was so excited for this book to come out! It wasn't as fantastic as I expected, but I did really enjoy it. I loved the snippets of poetry throughout it, and I loved how it was told from both perspectives.)

Mailbox Monday

Amy & Roger's Epic Detour - Morgan Matson

Graffiti Moon - Cath Crowley

The Fine Art of Truth or Dare - Melissa Jenen

I'm very excited for some March reading (although I've just about finished Graffiti Moon)

Polaroid

I got a polaroid for my birthday. 

(Unfortunately, neither of the photos below were taken from the polaroid.)

But I love it. My mum wants to know why I'm going backwards in technology. Why I want a camera that has such expensive film, that if you take a bad photo, you've just wasted $2. Why don't I want to use my digital camera where I can take as many photos as I want without wasting money?

Because I love the moment the polaroid keeps. 

I love that I only have one chance to capture whatever it is I want to capture. 

I love that I have use it sparingly, because it means that the photos I do take have so much more significance. 

I love that that photo can't be taken 10 times in a row, from slightly different angles. 

I love the anticipation as you wait for the image to emerge from the whiteness. 

I love the way it moulds into my hands. 

I'm just pretty much in love right now. Once I've taken a few more photos, I will share them with you all 

A weeping reader

I've read a lot of sad books. Books that have made me tear up, books that make me call the people I love to tell them how much I  appreciate them. Books that stay with me for months after reading the last pages.


The other night, I was reading Sing me to Sleep by Angela Morrison in bed while my boyfriend was on his computer. Next thing he knew, I had thrown the book down and was balling my eyes out. I was inconsolable for hours. 

THE TRANSFORMATION
Beth has always been "The Beast" - that's what everyone at school calls her because of her awkward height, facial scars, and thick glasses. Beth's only friend is geeky, golden-haired Scott. That is, until she's selected to be her choir's soprano soloist, and receives the makeover that will change her life forever.
THE LOVE AFFAIR
When Beth's choir travels to Switzerland, she meets Derek: pale, brooding, totally dreamy. Derek's untethered passion - for music, and for Beth - leaves her breathless. Because in Derek's eyes? She's not The Beast, she's The Beauty.
THE IMPOSSIBLE CHOICE
When Beth comes home, Scott, her best friend in the world, makes a confession that leaves her completely torn. Should she stand by sweet, steady Scott or follow the dangerous, intense new feelings she has for Derek?
THE HEARTBREAK
The closer Beth gets to Derek, the further away he seems. Then Beth discovers that Derek's been hiding a dark secret from her ...one that could shatter everything.

I don't want to give away too much about this book. But I couldn't put it down all weekend. I was just starting to feel a certain way about Derek when the author dropped this huge bomb that changed everything. I admit that I could guess the ending before it happened, but not to the extent that it happens, and the way she wrote just made it all the more shocking.


I have never cried over a book but could hardly breathe at this one. I was so distraught. Made worse by the fact that it is based loosely on a true story and there were photos of the real person in the back of the book.


Which books have you made you shed more than just a few tears?

Mailbox Monday

I was just going to make a post on what I got to read this week when I realised it was Mailbox Monday. How convenient! Hosted by At Home with Books for the Month of January, Mailbox Monday is a gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week and explore great book blogs. 
Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

by Annie Barrows, Mary Ann Shaffer

A friend of mine read this book for her book club and apparently it was everyone's favourite book of last year. Definitely sounds intriguing. 

The Sex Diaries

by Bettina Arndt

Can't say this doesn't sound interesting. 

Finding Jack: A Novel

by Gareth Crocker 

I found this at a sale at work (oh the perks of working in a publishing house) and picked it up for $2. SO excited to read it! It combines my love of the military and dogs. Will hopefully get my boyfriend to read this one as well. 

The Girl Who Chased the Moon

by Sarah Addison Allen 

I finally got this book in the mail after lusting for it for ages. I just think it sounds so beautiful. 

The End of Everything

by Megan Abbott

Picked this up from work for $2 as well and thought it sounded cute. Doesn't have the best reviews but definitely worth a shot. 

The Fault in Our Stars

by John Green

I'm not going to lie, I'm a little hesitant about this. I've heard such wonderful things about John Green that I had to buy this, and while I waited for it to arrive, I read another one of his books, which was meant to be amazing. And I didn't like it At all. So while the synopsis of this book sounds really great, I do have my hesitations. My copy did arrive signed though, which is pretty cool. 

Falling for a song

Florence And The Machine - Cosmic Love 

A falling star fell from your heart and landed in my eyes
I screamed aloud, as it tore through them, and now it's left me blind

The stars, the moon, they have all been blown out
You left me in the dark
No dawn, no day, I'm always in this twilight
In the shadow of your heart

And in the dark, I can hear your heartbeat
I tried to find the sound
But then, it stopped, and I was in the darkness,
So darkness I became

The stars, the moon, they have all been blown out
You left me in the dark
No dawn, no day, I'm always in this twilight
In the shadow of your heart

I took the stars from my eyes, and then I made a map
And knew that somehow I could find my way back
Then I heard your heart beating, you were in the darkness too
So I stayed in the darkness with you

The stars, the moon, they have all been blown out
You left me in the dark
No dawn, no day, I'm always in this twilight
In the shadow of your heart

The stars, the moon, they have all been blown out
You left me in the dark
No dawn, no day, I'm always in this twilight
In the shadow of your heart

finding inspiration in the city

My boyfriend's mum is here on holidays from New York - or should I say 'mom' - , and I've been playing tour guide all around Melbourne. Today we woke up early and went for breakfast before the heat settled. We went to Degraves Street in the CBD, which is lane-way full of people, cute cafes and boutique stores. After, we went to the State Library and just ventured around the streets. 


I love Melbourne. I've had this idea of moving to London to find literary inspiration but I haven't appreciated what's right in front of me.

I would love to take a month off work and go every day to a different cafe, in different suburbs, take a few photos and write for a few hours. 

What's happened since NaNo...

To be honest, I have been avoiding my blog.
And not just my blog, but a lot of blogs.


The reason is that I didn't complete NaNoWriMo (this was the first year I was attempting it) and have been pretty upset about it. I was doing really well and made it to 25 000 words. I was waking up early and writing every morning before work, because that was when I wrote best. Then I had some conferences I had to go to for work and lost 5 days of morning writing time. I lost two weekends because I had weddings, family functions and other occasions. And I panicked because I had research to do and no time to do it, and didn't want to write made-up crap.
Another thing I struggled with along the way was that I have never written anything of that length before, and after reading over it now, I realise there is so much room to expand on what I've written.


Coming on to blogger and seeing everyone who finished NaNo just made me really upset and disappointed with myself. So I avoided all blogs and NaNo reminders for a while. It took a lot of comforting from my friends to cheer me up about it.


Despite failing NaNo - failing is such a harsh word... lets say not-completing instead - I am really happy with the words I've done so far and am definitely going to continue with the story this year. And I will definitely attempt NaNo again next year. 


Anyway, not that I've got that off my chest, lets see what I read in November and December:

Sarah Dessen - Just Listen

Dana Reinhardt - The things a brother knows

Lisa Schroeder - Far from you

Suzanna Collins - The Hunger Games

Nina LaCour - Hold Still

Lee Child - Killing Floor

Carol Lynch Williams - The Chosen One

Laini Taylor - Daughter of Smoke and Bone

Laura Harrington - Alice Bliss

Stephanie Perkins - Lola and the boy next door. 

Now, on to 2012...