Sunday, 9 October 2016

The Wolf of Wall Street by Jordan Belfort

Title: The Wolf of Wall Street
Author: Jordon Belfort
Publisher: Hodder
Release Date: 19th December 2013
Genre: Non-Fiction, Autobiography

Summary:
Jordon Belfort, the real Wolf of Wall Street, tells the story of how he rose - rather ungraciously - to be be the master of Wall Street and how he fell - most spectacularly. 

Review:
I have been reading The Wolf of Wall Street for quite some time due to be very busy and not having anytime to read for pleasure. However, by reading about twenty pages a day - I finally finished it! I will, however, make this quick as I have a lot of work to do!

Sunday, 2 October 2016

A Country Bumpkin Trying to Survive in London

The View From My Favourite Spot in Goldsmiths Library
I recently started my Masters at Goldsmiths, University of London. Not only does this mark a new chapter in my educational career but it also means - for the first time ever - I am living away from home. This was a daunting thing in itself but I had to choose the worst place to do it - The Big Smoke!

When I told my friends I was moving to London; they laughed. "Why?! You are such a country bumpkin! You will hate it!" This is true as I absolutely love large fields, grass, grazing cattle and walking my dogs. But needs must. If I can survive in London by myself for a year - I can do anything (hopefully!).

Monday, 5 September 2016

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins


Title: The Girl on the Train
Author: Paula Hawkins
Publisher: Black Swan
Release Date: 7th May 2015
Genre: Thriller, Fiction, Crime

Summary:Rachel's daily routine involves sitting on the same train everyday. Sitting next to the same people in the same seat watching the same row of houses go by.

The people she sees out of the train window have the perfect lives. They're happy. They're gorgeous. They're rich. Longing to be a part of their lives, Rachel stumbles in, in the most shocking, and dangerous, way.

Review:
I am not quite sure where to start with my review of this book. It was amazing in every-way.

Sunday, 28 August 2016

I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes

Title: I Am Pilgrim
Author: Terry Hayes
Publisher: Corgi Books
Release Date: 2nd August 2013
Genre: Thriller, Fiction, Crime

Summary:
Evil forces - long in the making - are about to descend on the United States of America. Pilgrim - a retired government security operative - must unravel years of international mystery, and find the thread that connects a series of random events, to stop one man killing millions.

Review:
I have been wanting to read I Am Pilgrim for a long time and finally took the plunge and I am so glad I did! Whilst it was a very long read - not the short crime, thriller I thought it was - it was so worth it as I could not put it down! I LOVED it.

Tuesday, 16 August 2016

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by J. K. Rowling, John Tiffany and Jack Thorne

Title: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Author: J. K.  Rowling, John Tiffany and Jack Thorne
Publisher: Little, Brown
Release Date: 2016
Genre: Screenplay, Young Adult, Fantasy

Summary:
Alongside the premiere of the Harry Potter and the Cursed Child play in the West End, the screenplay has also been released  alongside it. The play takes place nineteen years after the last Harry Potter book and follows the adventures of the next generation of Hogwarts students including Harry's son, Albus Potter.

Review:
I was fortunate enough to get tickets to see a preview performance of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child before it's opening night. I therefore already knew the play and its' plot. However, I wanted to read the screenplay too as (obviously) I wanted to have the complete collection of Harry Potter books and to see what those fans who did not get tickets to see it, would read and how they would compare. There was a big difference.

Monday, 8 August 2016

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: So Long, And Thanks For All The Fish

Title: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: So Long, And Thanks For All The Fish
Author: Douglas Adams
Publisher: Pan
Release Date: 1984
Genre: Sci-Fi, Classic, Humour

Summary:
Bleurgh.

Review:
Unfortunately, I brought the fourth instalment at the same time as the third (my dismal review of which can be found here). Like the previous instalments of the series, I did not like this book. I cannot put my finger on what exactly went wrong for this series for me personally. It might be down to the lack of intellectual stimulation this series possess, and everything is just too silly and far-fetched for me.

Thursday, 28 July 2016

The End of the World Running Club by Adrian J Walker

Title: The End of the World Running Club
Author: Adrian J Walker
Publisher: Del Rey
Release Date: 2016
Genre: Sci-Fi, Fiction

Summary:
Edgar Hill could be considered the world's worst father. However, he soon realises what he has and what he will do to protect his wife and children. It only took the end of the world to happen...

Review:
My thing at the moment is running, so when I saw this on the shelf of my local supermarket I was immediately drawn to it. This could have been a fatal mistake and I could have been stuck with a dull read, but I was extremely lucky. I loved this book. 

Sunday, 17 July 2016

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Life, The Universe and Everything by Douglas Adams

Title: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Life, The Universe and Everything
Author: Douglas Adams
Publisher: Pan
Release Date: 1982
Genre: Sci-Fi, Classic, Humour

Summary:
I am not quite sure what happens to be honest...

Review:
As you can probably tell from my very brief summary, I have absolutely no idea what happened in the book. It started with Arthur Dent alone in a prehistoric wasteland and then he is on a cricket pitch and then about one-hundred and fifty pages after he is reunited with all of his friends...

Wednesday, 13 July 2016

The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton

Title: The Andromeda Strain
Author: Michael Crichton
Publisher: Avon Books
Release Date: 1st September 1969
Genre: Thriller, Sci-Fi

Summary:
When a satellite lands in a sleepy town in Arizona, a state of emergency is called as the whole town mysteriously dies. It is up to five biophysicists to figure out what happened and to ensure it does not happen again.
Review:
I had heard a lot of good reviews about this book but none of them prepared me for how thrilling and gripping it is. I loved it. The characters. The plot. The possibility of the world ending. Perfect.

Saturday, 2 July 2016

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: The Restaurant at the End of the Universe by Douglas Adams

Title: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: The Restaurant at the End of the Universe
Author: Douglas Adams
Publisher: Pan
Release Date: 23rd June 1997
Genre: Sci-Fi, Young Adult, Classics

Summary:
The journey into deep space continues for Arthur Dent, and the crew of the Heart of Gold. But first it is time for food! And where else would they go but Milliways, the Restaurant at the End of the Universe?

Review:
I absolutely loved the first book in the series (which can be found here) so decided to continue reading to see what happens next. However, whilst the series seemed promising at first - I found the second instalment kind of boring.

Saturday, 25 June 2016

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Leuithan

Title: Will Grayson, Will Grayson
Author: John Green and David Leuithan
Publisher: Penguin
Release Date: 6th April 2010
Genre: Young Adult

Summary:
Will Grayson is a socially awkward teen who struggles to fit in. On an unremarkable night, he meets a stranger who turns his world upside down. The stranger he meets is called Will Grayson. Whilst the two Will's are very different, they soon realise that they can learn from, and help, each other to help realise their dreams.

Review:
What I really love about John Green books is that you can completely turn off and not think because they are so easy to read and understand. Will Grayson, Will Grayson did not disappoint and I found this to be such an easy read.

Friday, 10 June 2016

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

Title: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Author: Douglas Adams
Publisher: Pan
Release Date: 27th September 1995
Genre: Sci-Fi, Young Adult, Classics

Summary:
On an average Thursday afternoon, Arthur Dent's world is turned upside down and destroyed. It starts with his house being demolished and ends up with him travelling through hyperspace with his alien pal, Ford.

Don't panic though - this is all for research for the latest edition of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

Review:
I was looking for a new young adult fiction series to follow and thought it would give The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy a try as, after all, it is a classic piece of science fiction.

Wednesday, 8 June 2016

A Change of Plan...

For several years I have always wanted to work in the publishing industry. However, after my placement year (which taught me a lot about myself and what I want from life) and my final year at university, I realised I should not limit myself to the publishing industry.

The charity co-ordinator at CLIC Sargent who I worked closely with throughout my placement year, made me realise I want to do something that I am passionate about and that I want to make a difference to the world. However, big or small this may be - I want to leave my mark. Similarly, over the past year, I have been making the most of my lovely Labrador, Meg, and spending as much time with her as possible. She makes me laugh everyday and is my best friend who loves me unconditionally. The time I spent with her made me realise that not all dogs, or animals, are as lucky as she is. That is why my new career aspiration is to work for an animal charity and use my knowledge of advertising, marketing etc. to help them in whatever way I can. In September, I will be attending Goldsmiths, University of London to me help realise this dream.

However, I will also love books and the publishing industry (who knows one day I may even write a book!) and will therefore continue this blog, at the moment, for leisure.

The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

Title: The Diary of a Young Girl
Author: Anne Frank
Publisher: Bantam
Release Date: July 1993
Genre: Non-Fiction, Autobiography

Summary:
Everyone knows the story of Anne Frank and her famous diary. This book, lovingly released by her father, captures and records her entries in her diary over the years she lived in the secret annex.

Review:
I have always wanted to read The Diary of a Young Girl but have never got around to it. In terms of writing, I cannot really comment as it is autobiographical so I will keep it short. However, this book does give an extremely interesting insight into what it was like to be a Jew during the war and what Anne, and her family and friends, went through in hiding.

Sunday, 5 June 2016

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith

Title: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
Author: Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith
Publisher: Quirk
Release Date: 1st May 2009
Genre: Horror, Classics, Fiction, Romance

Summary:
England has fallen victim to a mysterious plague which turns people in to mindless, brain-hungry zombies. However, the Bennett sisters are highly-trained fighters who are determined to protect their small village in rural Hertfordshire. Elizabeth Bennett, the eldest sister, is their best and most fearful leader in the fight against Satan's spawn. That is until she is distracted by the arrogant and intriguing Mr Darcy.

Tuesday, 10 May 2016

A Brief History of Time: From the Big Bang to Black Holes by Stephen Hawking

Title: A Brief History of Time: From the Big Bang to Black Holes
Author: Stephen Hawking
Publisher: Bantam Books
Release Date: 1988
Genre: Non-fiction, Science

Summary:
A Brief History of Time: From the Big Bang to Black Holes provides an insight into the mind of Stephen Hawking and his thoughts into the history of the universe. He aims to answer, or at least unable readers to understand, his lifetime work of pinpointing a precise moment when the universe, and time and space, began.

Review:
As some of you may know, my boyfriend, and most of my friends, are physicists (they are like the plague at my university - they are everywhere!). I therefore get exposed to really long, complicated conversations where they speak in abbreviations and use weird words which I do not understand. I therefore felt it was my duty to see if this book would help me understand at least some of what they are talking about - maybe then I could stop saying the answer is pi all the time...

Monday, 9 May 2016

Library of Souls by Ransom Riggs

Title: Library of Souls
Author: Ransom Riggs
Publisher: Quirk
Release Date: 22nd September 2015
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Fiction

Summary:
Jacob, and his peculiar friends, are in London in search of their beloved Miss Peregrine and friends. They soon find themselves in Devils Acre searching the labyrinth of alleys. However, Jacob soon becomes a hot commodity as more and more people learn about his ability putting Emma and their quest in jeopardy.

Review: 
Library of Souls  is the final instalment (I believe and hope!) in the Miss Peregrime's Peculiar Children series (reviews of the other two books Miss Peregrime's Home for Peculiar Children and Hollow City can be found here and here). I have a few issues with the series in general, like that it seems to be tailor made for adaptations for films (which is not necessarily a good thing) and the story seems to have been dragged out over three books just for the sake of it.

Tuesday, 5 April 2016

The Shining by Stephen King

Title: The Shining
Author: Stephen King
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Release Date: 1st July 1980
Genre: Thriller, Sci-Fi, Mystery, Classic, Horror

Summary:
When his father becomes the Winter caretaker of the Overlook Hotel, young Danny Torrance does not know the danger that awaits him. Danny is blessed (or as some may say - cursed) with the shining and the mysterious forces inside the hotel want it badly...

Review:
I made a promise to myself to "try" and look after myself more with all my assignments and drama going on around me so, I thought I would take a stab at The Shining which I have tried to read about three times before.

Monday, 7 March 2016

The Martian by Andy Weir

Title: The Martian
Author: Andy Weir
Publisher: Del Rey
Release Date: 27th August 2015
Genre: Thriller, Sci-Fi

Summary:
After a NASA mission to Mars, goes horribly wrong Mark Watney is left stranded on the red-planet with no way to communicate with Earth. 

With limited food, water and threat of his life-support systems breaking down at any moment; Watney has to "science the shit out of" the situation to survive.

Monday, 18 January 2016

Masters. I Need to Get Some Things Off Of My Chest.

Surprise surprise - university work has taken over my life yet again, which leaves little time for me to do fun things and read books! The rest of my Christmas break was taken up with work and I did not get time to read anymore books that were given to me for my birthday - sorry everyone that brought me books! So, instead, I am going to get some things off of my chest and vent...