Month: April 2018


Apr
2018

Fiction Friday: Book Review- The Perfect Girlfriend by Karen Hamilton

categories: Books, Reviews

The Perfect GirlfriendThe Perfect Girlfriend by Karen Hamilton
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

“The Perfect Girlfriend” follows Juliette, a possessive and slightly psycho ex-girlfriend who is determined to show her ex, Nate that she’s perfect for him in every single way and dumping her was a mistake. She gets a job as an airhostess at the airline he works at, she stores his favourite snacks in his apartment and she tries to stop him from dating anyone else.
The first 150 pages was painfully slow and I didn’t enjoy it at all. And then I did what I always do when it comes to mystery novels and I skipped to the end (DON’T DO THIS). What I found left me speechless and I picked the book back up with renewed enthusiasm.
However after reading the entire book I don’t feel like the end is an end. It’s certainly interesting but I feel like there could have been more to the book afterwards.
This was a shocking unpredictable read which I enjoyed however I don’t think it was that memorable (i.e there will be no rereads here). Juliette was great as an unreliable narrator and while her past was tragic I found it overdone. I especially enjoyed her character. She is intriguing, twisted and so very terrifying. It was great seeing everything from her viewpoint and that put an interesting spin on this book.
I don’t think I’ll recommend this to anyone because I simply found it okay (although if you’re someone who enjoys mysteries and thrillers, you might be interested in this book).

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Apr
2018

Book Review- Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton

categories: Books, Reviews

Rebel of the Sands (Rebel of the Sands #1)Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I decided to reread this series before I tackle Hero at the Fall. I was in a reading slump when I read Rebel of the Sands AND Traitor to the Throne so I needed to renew my excitement for this series before it ends.
Amani dreams of leaving her deadbeat town and when she encounters Jin, she gets the opportunity to do so. But on their way out of the town, the two of them keep getting caught up in trouble, adventures and encountering mystical creatures (none of which I have EVER seen before). The only way I can describe this novel without spoiling anything is to say that it is totally unique. It was surprising and unpredictable and I loved every second of it. Since I read this so long ago and was in such an awful book slump , I also couldn’t remember lots of details about this book. Rereading was a great way to get back into this world and I can’t wait to binge-read the rest of this series. If you haven’t read this yet, now is the perfect time to binge the series.

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Apr
2018

Fiction Friday: Book Review- Winter Glass by Lexa Hillyer

categories: Books, Reviews

Winter Glass (Spindle Fire #2)Winter Glass by Lexa Hillyer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I cannot remember the last time I binge-read a book especially one that was over 300 pages. This was a wonderfully compelling read and I couldn’t go to bed until I finished it.
Winter Glass picks up immediately after Spindle Fire (so if you haven’t read that already, pick it up before you get this). Aurora’s engagement to William is planned while Isabelle plans to create an army to fight the upcoming war. However, much like the first book the sisters are soon separated and left to find their identity independent of each other.
I love how this is a story of two sisters who love each other so much that they would do anything to save the other.. This book was compelling, well written with great world-building. I kind of wish that the world was expanded on though because I loved the fae and their customs here. I also enjoyed how the cliche love triangle plot device was used in this novel. It is done very cleverly and very beautifully. (Again, for the first time in a long time, this was a love triange that DIDN’T make me roll my eyes.
I found the ending a bit lacking- after so much doom and terror, I had expected more. However I did love the way this book ended. It was beautiful. READ THIS BOOK NOW.
Four stars because this isn’t a book I would reread in a hurry (it is great but I feel like it is too heavy for a reread) but I did enjoy this book immensely. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys fantasy or books about the fae.

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Apr
2018

April Book Haul

categories: Books

We are almost to my birthday! Okay, no. My birthday is in three months but whatever. April is my mother’s birthday month and it makes me incredibly happy because once this month is over I can finally start discussing my birthday plans. Here are the books I got for April so far (I have to say so far because recently I feel like I have  been magically finding books everywhere I go despite my supposed book ban):

 

1) SPCA and Bargain Books Book Haul:

Please take a minute to observe and be astounded by the small size of my haul. Also, YAY boxsets. I was working on the day of the SPCA booksale so by the time I got there, there were not many books that I found interesting. However I did find Matilda which I’ve always wanted to read. When I first started work and my co-workers found out about my love of reading, they called me the real-life Matilda (this quickly came to an end when I told them I had  no idea who that was).

I also managed to get a copy of “Seed” from Bargain Books. If you follow me on social media, you know that I have wanted this book for a really long time. I’ve seen it in the bookstore during my last two visits but I left it behind because I already read it and I had other (unread) books that I was buying (but still haven’t read any of those books). Anyway, when I got to Bargain Books, I looked around the entire store twice and was unable to find the book.I very reluctantly asked the saleslady to look it up and within a few minutes, the staff located a copy for me. I was overjoyed. “Seed” was one of the first Netgalley books I ever read and I enjoyed it immensely. The story is captivating and the writing is incredible. I feel like I have come so far as a person and as a book reviewer since then and I NEEDED this book to remind me of the girl I was back then. I don’t even know if I’m making sense right now but words cannot express how much it meant to me that I finally got this book.

 

2)  Review Copies from Jonathan Ball Publishers:

I requested “The Perfect Girlfriend” by Karen Hamilton because I recently read “The Woman in The Window”” and I LOVED IT. I very rarely enjoy mysteries but that was a book that made me rethink my opinion on the entire genre. I’m hoping that “The Perfect Girlfriend” will be something along those lines. “The Wren Hunt” has been all over my social media and I’m both excited and scared to read it. Excited because it seems interesting but scared because what if it doesn’t live up to the hype (that is the eternal book question, if you ask me).

What books did you buy recently? Feel free to send me weblinks, pictures, comments, etc. If it’s book-related, I want to know.


Apr
2018

Fiction Friday: Book Review- Shopaholic Abroad by Sophie Kinsella (Shopaholic #2)

categories: Books, Reviews

Shopaholic Abroad (Shopaholic, #2)Shopaholic Abroad by Sophie Kinsella
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Becky is back to her old shopaholic ways and for some reason, she STILL doesn’t see anything wrong with it. When Luke moves to New York, he takes Becky with him and it is like she has discovered heaven. Fifth Avenue shopping, sample sales, etc. Every day brings with it a new shopping spree. However when Rebecca doesn’t realise is while she’s piling on her credit card debt, someone is following her and her little habit. This was a predictable book but I enjoyed it immensely. Luke finally develops a bit more of a personality and Becky is as hilarious as always. It is a bit annoying how she is so absent-minded and didn’t find it odd that someone kept asking questions a bout her. Especially since by the end of the book, she redeems herself by discovering something that saves a business. This was a wonderful feel-good book and I can’t wait to read the next one.

View all my reviews


Apr
2018

Why You Should Start a Blog in College

categories: Blogging Tips, College

Okay, I know I might be a bit biased but I really believe that starting a blog is ALWAYS a good idea. Starting a blog in college is like the best idea. Here’s why:

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1) You have a record of your college experience- College is not something that is forever (honestly I wouldn’t want it to be either). A blog is a great way to keep track of your college experience. It’s been two years but I still like to read and reread the horror of my first year. I like looking back and marvelling at how things have changed.

2) You gain writing experience- You’re probably wondering why do you need writing experience. Well if you’re a student of humanities chances are that you’re going to be writing essays. Knowing how to write well is a great advantage to have in college. There have been so many occasions when I had no idea what I was saying in an essay but I managed to scrape together a pass.

3) You gain friends- blogging is a great way to make friends. You find people who are going through the same things as you. Being a college blogger allows you to meet other stressed college students who you can share your woes with.

4) You get a portfolio of writing pieces- if you’re interested in a job that involves writing, starting a blog is a good place to begin. You can gain writing clips simply by writing on your blogs. Some paying jobs actually look for blogging experience.

Do you have a college blog? What’s your favourite blog to read? I’d love to know!


Apr
2018

7 Sources for Cheap Books

categories: Books

Most people assume that my beautiful book collection is expensive. And considering the way that I buy books, it sometimes tends to look like I spend too much money on books. Firstly that’s not a thing. Secondly, I hardly ever buy books at full price. I might pay full price for Sarah J Maas or a signed book but that is it. Here are my seven sources for discounted books.

 

 

Print Books:

If you’re a print reader, these stores below are going to become your best friend. I know this because I am already obsessed with them and spend most of my time on their sites.

1) Reader’s Warehouse: My personal equivalent of Bookstore Heaven. Reader’s Warehouse has tons of discounted reads and I love them for it. Their stores are only in Cape Town and Johannesburg but they deliver all over South Africa. Deliveries over R250 are free and that is usually how I shop from them. If you’re ever near a physical store  though, I definitely suggest you check them out.

2) Raru: Raru is an online site selling items from video games and toys to books and movies. They are also the cheapest 99% of the time. If I need a new book and I am willing to pay full price, I usually compare between Raru and Reader’s Warehouse before making a decision.

3) Bargain Books: My Durban version of  Bookstore Heaven. Personally I am not a fan of all their stores but their Galleria and Umhlanga stores have great deals ALL THE TIME. Some of my greatest finds were Empire of Storms by Sarah J Maas for R89, Scarlet by Marissa Meyer for R70 and their wonderful 3 YA novels for  R150 deals. I get butterflies just thinking about it. They also have a factory store in Cape Town (why is all the great bookish things in Cape Town though?).

4) Secondhand stalls: Secondhand stalls are the reason I don’t order books online as much as I used to. I am close to having a pile of books fall on me. Two of my favourite secondhand stalls are the SPCA booksale and the Last Chance books stall at the Stables market. The quality of the books range from excellent to shabby but I have found some great reads so I am definitely not giving this habit up anytime soon.

eBooks:

5) BookBub: I don’t use BookBub that much (although now that I’ve seen their website on my PC, I really should) but they have been great for finding new and cheap reads. I signed up with them and every day I get an email with a list of discounted titles. It’s great because all you have to do is see if you’re interested in the book and then just click on wherever you wish to purchase it from.

6) Amazon Kindle: My absolute favourite for all of my eBooks. I think this stemmed from my time on Netgalley but I am in love with my Kindle app and sometimes just browse the Kindle store for fun. If you haven’t joined yet, DO IT!

7) Author newsletters: Subscribe to your favourite author’s newsletters so you know when they have a book going on sale. This is my favourite way to catch up on previous books in a series that I might have missed.

 

What are your tips on saving money when it comes to books? Did you try any of the tips I mentioned? Have you visited any of those stores? I’d love to know below.


Apr
2018

Fiction Friday: Book Review- The Selection by Kiera Cass

categories: Books, Reviews

The Selection (The Selection, #1)The Selection by Kiera Cass
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

In an unusual dystopian world, society is distracted by it’s troubles by the Selection, which is a combination of The Hunger Games and the Bachelor. America doesn’t want to be Selected- she is already in love with someone else- but she realises that it is what is best for her family. When America finally meets Prince Maxon, the two of them begin a tentative friendship. Maxon knows that America is not interested in him but he finds her honesty refreshing.
This was the first audiobook I ever listened to and I found it just okay. The story was cliche and pretty easy to predict. However I did find this book pretty fun (and then I came home and read spoilers for the rest of the series and ruined any chances of me finishing the rest of the books). This was a great light read and it took me out of my reading slump. Definitely read this book if you’re looking for something fun and cheerful.

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