The weather is just crazy right now. According to my understanding it's supposed to be spring but apparently the weather didn't get the memo but as always we choose to focus on the good. I thought I would share one of my favourite books with you. Yes, I know I have a lot of favourite books but how can one a single favourite? There are so many amazing out there that it is almost impossible to not fall in love with one or maybe a few. 

I am a huge fan of poetry, I occasionally write some of my own. I love how I can express myself through words. There are quite a few talented writers that have a way of words that puts a loss of words. My favourite book a collection of poems and I believe it is a must-read for all. This amazing book I am talking about is Lullabies. 

I think my family is tired of me quoting it all the time and yes, I am a fan of quotes too. Lullabies is filled with beautiful pieces of writing and it is authored by Lang Leav.

Some of the poems are fairly short but trust me, just a few words are enough. The words move me and erupt feeling unknown within me, good feelings of course. This book is perfect to have on your bedside table or somewhere within reach. You can read it over and over and over again and you won't grow tired of it. 

The poems are well written and each contain something unique of about them. I recommend this book to anyone who is reading this post. Even though you may not be the biggest fan of reading or poetry do yourself a favour and read this book, the poems are easy to understand and might just change your life

Right after I put down Fangirl I picked up Eleanor and Park and by right after I mean a couple of days. I read Chasing Hope in between, which I totally don't regret. I enjoyed Fangirl so much that I needed to read another book by Rainbow Rowell. It's kind of how one becomes a fangirl, one minute you hear a cool band the next you dedicate your whole life to them. It's just the same with reading, before you know it you have been absorbed by the pages . Come on, I can't be the only person who experiences this.

I've read two books in two weeks while getting homework and blogging done. Isn't life just wonderful? I just passed 5 months since I cut my hair and now my life is falling into place. This is no coincidence, my hair was a mess and so was my life. 

I'm getting distracted, back to the review. Eleanor and Park. I loved this book, I love every book so let's get into the details. Eleanor and Park is Rainbow Rowell's first novel and was published in 2013. The book contains both Eleanor and Park's points of view which often changes between the two of them throughout the book. I absolutely love this style of writing. I'm never in the dark and I always know what the characters are thinking.

 The book is what I would describe as a non-cliché cliché. It has all the elements of a cliché love story. Boy meets girl, they fall in love and then something happens. However, the characters and the setting is anything but cliché. If you haven't guessed it, Eleanor and Park are the main characters. What? No way? Park is a half Korean boy and Eleanor is a chubby, red haired girl, they are both sixteen years old. They meet on the bus to school on Eleanor's first day. Park pays no attention to her but rudely forces her to take a seat next to him after she stands awkwardly in the bus.

Eleanor continues to take a seat next to Park everyday on the bus. Soon Park realises that Eleanor is reading his comics over his shoulder and starts putting the comics in between them. They continue reading comics on the bus without saying a word to one another and one day he hands her the comic to take home. 

Eleanor and Park lead very different lives. Eleanor is exposed to abuse and bullying and Park is just left alone. Despite their differences they manage to intermingle and share the interests they have in common. Opposites attract, right?

They get to know one another and become closer. This is just a wonderful book, I think Rainbow Rowell has earned herself a slow clap. This book shows us that a perfect love story isn't always perfect. It can feature the most unexpected people and happy endings come in different packages. 

Favourite Quotes :

"Eleanor was right. She never looked nice. She looked like art, and art wasn't supposed to look nice; it was supposed to make you feel something."

"It was the nicest thing she could imagine. It made her want to have his babies and give him both of her kidneys."

"I want everyone to meet you. You're my favorite person of all time."

On Wednesday morning at around 1am I finished reading Fangirl. Which has to say something about the book right? I started reading it on Monday and I just couldn't put it down. It has an interesting title and as a recovering Fangirl myself I just to read it. I also wanted to distract myself from thinking about school this Monday.

I think there are a few spoilers in this review, so you have been warned! 

Fangirl is written by New York Times bestselling author, Rainbow Rowell. The book was published in 2013 and is written in an interesting style. The book jumps between the book Fangirl, Gemma T. Leslie's Simon Snow books and the fanfiction by Fanfixx authors MagiCath and Wrengrade. The book is however, not confusing. The quoted parts somehow relate to the situation taking place. 

 

The book is about Cath, a fangirl (what? No way!). Cath is a big fan of Simon Snow and writes fanfiction about him. The book starts off with Cath and her twin sister, Wren, starting college. Wren suggested that they don't share a dorm so they can meet new people. 

Cath and Wren are totally different and the idea of being in college excites Wren while it frightens Cath. After a few weeks Cath befriends her roommate, Reagan and Levi, who she thinks is Reagans' s boyfriend. 

Along the way Cath and Wren start loosing their sisterly bond. Wren starts contacting their mother who left them when they were very young. This makes Cath angry and she feels betrayed. 

Cath is hoping to finish her final fanfiction before Gemma T. Leslie releases the final Simon Snow book. On Tuesdays and Thursdays Cath writes an 'anti-love' story with Nick, a boy she met in her fiction-writing class. This was going quite well until Nick decides to hand in the story as his own, again Cath feels betrayed. 

Things are not going well for Cath at college and her father's health is deteriorating back at home in Ohama. Cath misses exams and tells her father that she doesn't want to go back. Her father isn't happy about that, so Cath decides to stay one more Semester and decide afterwards. 

Cath's fiction writing professor gives her another chance to hand in her story. She also gives her some advice as she knows Cath struggles with writing fiction other than Simon Snow. 

Cath goes through a series of ups and downs. The book captures her experiences very well. This book has its equal share of humour, friendship and love which will keep you glued to it.

The perks of being a wallflower. Why did anyone not tell me about this book earlier? I actually started reading it last year. After about reading 5 pages I put it away and totally forgot about it. I do regret it.

It is a book by Stephen Chbosky and was published on February 1, 1999 which makes it older than me. There is also a movie which I am yet to see. 

The book is written as a series of letters from a shy, introverted 15 year old boy named Charlie to a stranger who he knew would never be judgemental . The story begins on August 25, 1991. 

He writes to the stranger about the traumatic things he's experienced such as the death of his favourite aunt and the suicide of his friend Michael. At the beginning of freshman year Charlie befriends Patrick and Sam. They're seniors and later introduce him to their group of friends. 

Charlie's teacher, Bill, notices his love for reading and writing and constantly gives him extra books to read and essays to write. As the story advances Charlie begins to experiment with cigarettes, alcohol and other drugs. As the end of the school year comes closer to an end Charlie begins to feel anxious about Sam and his other friends leaving.

Towards the end of the story Charlie is sent to a mental hospital where some of his traumatic experiences are revealed. Upon returning home Charlie stops writing letters to the stranger so he can participate in life.

I know the review was rather vague but it is such an amazing book I want you to read it yourself. 

Favourite Quotes:

"We accept the love we think we deserve. "

"So, this is my life. And I want you to know that I am both happy and sad and I'm still trying to figure out how that could be. "

“I think that if I ever have kids, and they are upset, I won't tell them that people are starving in China or anything like that because it wouldn't change the fact that they were upset. And even if somebody else has it much worse, that doesn't really change the fact that you have what you have.” 

"I was looking at the photographs and I started thinking that there was a time when these weren't memories.” 

*quotes the whole book*

Firstly I would like to apologise for the lack of posts. I've just been such a busy little bee. I've also read quite a few books since my last 'Recent Reads' post. I read Looking For Alaska about two months ago which makes it a not so recent read but it will have to do.   

It is actually the the first book by John Green I've read. Which means I am yet to read The Fault In Our Stars. I refused to read it when everyone was doing doing so for the simple reason that I don't enjoy doing what everyone else is doing. I did however watch the movie when it was released which doesn't make much sense. Now that the fuss has died down a bit I decided to give it a try. I am currently half way through it and I'm loving it.   

Back to Looking For Alaska, it was absolutely amazing! I either had a grin from ear to ear or tears streaming down my face whilst reading it. Which got my family questioning my sanity.   

The style in which the book is written was something I liked. Starting from  one hundred and thirty six days before going on  until one hundred and thirty six days after. I admit,  I was tempted to flip through to 'the day' but I remained strong and I'm very proud of myself. I considered putting in a little spoiler but I decided against it so you better do yourself a favour and read the book.   

The story begins with Miles Halter's party as he is about to depart for boarding school. He has no friends and hardly anyone shows up. He studies people's last words and states that his reason for leaving is to seek his own 'Great Perhaps' ( quoting Francois Rabelais' last words: "I go to seek a great perhaps. ")   

Upon his arrival at Culver Creek he meets Chip Martin also known as Colonel who gives Miles the nickname Pudge due to his skinny appearance.  

 Miles also befriends Alaska Young,  Takumi and Lara who introduce him to mischievous acts such as drinking and smoking. Miles gets to know Colonel and Alaska better and learns why they are the way they are.  Miles develops a crush on Alaska who has a boyfriend in college.  

One night Alaska and Miles share a  kiss. Alaska gets a phone call from her boyfriend and rushes off but not before saying the words "To be continued" to Miles. They following day the principal makes an announcement to the school that shocks many and nothing is ever the same again.   

Favourite Quotes:

"So I walked back to my room and collapsed on the bottom bunk, thinking that if people were rain, I was drizzle and she was a hurricane."  

 "You spend your whole life stuck in the labyrinth, thinking about how you'll escape one day, and how awesome it will be, and imagining that future keeps you going, but you never do it. You just use the future to escape the present."   

"What is an "instant" death anyway? How long is an instant? Is it one second? Ten? The pain of those seconds must have been awful as her heart burst and her lungs collapsed and there was no air and no blood to her brain and only raw panic. What the hell is instant? Nothing is instant. Instant rice takes five minutes, instant pudding an hour. I doubt that an instant of blinding pain feels particularly instantaneous."