How to Get Over a Book Hangover

Book hangovers suck. You just lie around moping and missing the world of your last read-a world that doesn’t exist and that just makes you even more upset. Here are tips on how you can get over a book hangover:

1) Have a back-up book(s):

Always have a book or books that you want to read once you’re done with your current read. This way you can easily jump into another book-world instead of sitting around and moping when your book is finished.

2) Binge-read an entire series:

For me I find a sure way to NOT suffer a book hangover is to read an entire series. This is especially helpful if you’re reading work by an author who is known for giving her readers hangovers.

3) Write about it:

Writing about your feelings on the book may help you feel better. I usually go on a Twitter or Facebook rant about my latest read and my friends and followers have accepted this small bit of strangeness.

4) Check the internet and social media for fan-art and fanfiction:

This is great if you’re reading a really popular book or series. Tumblr is great for fan-art and other genius pieces of work by fans.

How do you get over a book hangover? What was the last book that gave you a hangover?

5 Lessons Learnt from Gossip Girl

It’s been…a really long time since Gossip Girl ended (sorry but I can’t count the actual time because it will make me cry like a baby). The lessons the show has taught us however will last forever. Much like Blair and Chuck’s romance (or so we hope). Here are 5 lessons from Gossip Girl.

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1) If your boyfriend cheats on you, do NOT take him back. It doesn’t matter if he’s hot. It doesn’t matter if he says he won’t speak to the other girl again,DO NOT TAKE HIM BACK.

2) You’re not a stop along the way, you’re a destination- Kinda ironic that the woman who said this took her cheating boyfriend back but I’ll try not to judge.

3) “Friends” are fickle but friends are forever- Despite Blair and Serena’s many ups and downs they were (usually) always there for each other. Blair’s minions however were let-downs time and time again. Anyone remembers how they attached themselves to Serena in season one when she decided she wanted to be a bad girl again?

4) You don’t always get what you want but that’s okay – Am I the only one who cried when Blair didn’t get into Yale? I was as heartbroken as she was. After all, if the Queen Bee couldn’t get into her dream school, what did that say about the rest of us? That episode taught me that things in life may not always go as planned but it doesn’t mean you should give up. This has been an invaluable lesson for me in my own life.

5) Always dress your best- The fashion on Gossip Girl was one of my favourite things about the show. The characters wore amazing outfits and they wore them with confidence.

What lessons did you learn from Gossip Girl? Are you Team Nate, Team Chuck or Team Dan? Leave a comment below.

A Change in My Usual Reviewing Schedule

My University runs a “Student Media Lab” where students get the opportunity to attend the Durban International Film Festival and review their movies. I’m excited to announce that this year I’m one of the students. I haven’t attended any screenings yet but I have picked up a very cute media pass as well as a media pack.

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Look. I'm finally a member of the media!

The Durban International Film Festival showcases a variety of films from feature films and short movies to documentaries. The first movie I’m watching is “Alison” by Uga Carlini. “Alison” tells the real-life story of Alison Botha who was raped, brutally stabbed and left for dead.
Unfortunately since my mother has just come out of the hospital after a shoulder replacement, I won’t be attending too many screenings. However, if you’re a fan of film I suggest you get a DIFF programme ASAP and start booking for some of the movies. They all look great!

Have you attended DIFF before? Will you be attending this year? I’d love to know in the comments below.

A Court of Mist and Fury (A Court of Thorns and Roses #2) by Sarah J Maas

A Court of Mist and Fury (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #2)

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Still reeling from the horrific deeds of book one, I was glad to return to this world (what? You thought I was going to talk about Feyre? No. I’m scarred for life from what she did to save Tamlin. And apparently so is she).
Feyre is suffering the after-effects of the horrors she has faced to save Tamlin. This ruins what should be her happy ending. After all she and Tamlin can now be together for eternity. But before that happens, Feyre has to face her demons. And deal with Rhysand and the bargain she has made with him.
I think that the tone of this book was much different from the first one but I really did enjoy it even more. My only problem was with the ending. While it isn’t exactly a cliffhanger ending, it is an ending that leaves the reader waiting more. This book took me too long to finish so eventually I woke up at 3AM one morning just to see how it ended. And then I said some very bad words. So be warned- this book is great, it has the darkness we know and love, it has romance but it also is very long with an ending that will definitely make you long for the next book.

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Purchase a copy of A Court of Mist and Fury from Readers Warehouse

Waiting on Wednesday: Bay of Sighs (The Guardians Trilogy #2) by Nora Roberts

I have a weakness for Nora Roberts books that have characters that need to save the world or else. It’s a storyline that she’s used over and over again (in The Circle Trilogy, Three Sisters Island and others) but she does it so well. I’m especially taken with this series because the characters are so interesting. They’re a group of six people but they all seem to have their own secrets that are hidden both from the reader and the other characters.

Release Date: 14 June 2016

Official Synopsis from Goodreads.com:
To celebrate the rise of their new queen, three goddesses of the moon created three stars, one of fire, one of ice, one of water. But then they fell from the sky, putting the fate of all worlds in danger. And now three women and three men join forces to pick up the pieces…
 
Mermaid Annika is from the sea, and it is there she must return after her quest to find the stars. New to this world, her purity and beauty are nothing less than breathtaking, along with her graceful athleticism, as her five new friends discovered when they retrieved the fire star. 
 
Now, through space and time, traveler Sawyer King has brought the guardians to the island of Capri, where the water star is hidden. And as he watches Annika in her element, he finds himself drawn to her joyful spirit. But Sawyer knows that if he allows her into his heart, no compass could ever guide him back to solid ground…
 
And in the darkness, their enemy broods. She lost one star to the guardians, but there is still time for blood to be spilled—the mermaid’s in the water and the traveler’s on the land. For she has forged a dangerous new weapon. Something deadly and unpredictable. Something human

Serpentine by Peter Parkin and Alison Derby

Serpentine
Serpentine by Peter Parkin

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Nate has a talent for creating terrifying rollercoasters. This book opens with the release of his latest creation, the Black Mamba. But for the first time in his life, one of Nate’s innovative designs fail him and 24 people die in a horrific crash. Shelby remains the sole survivor thanks to her wits and Nate’s quick response. What follows is an intriguing and complex mystery. Shelby knows exactly what happened on the ride. Nate knows he has tested the rollercoaster beforehand. So what went wrong? I enjoyed this book immensely however there were several mention of physics and engineering terms that, while related to the book, I found them incredibly boring. Apart from that I found this book great. It’s a compelling thriller that proves how you really can trust no one.

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Book Review: The Goodbyes by Leslie Welch

The GoodbyesThe Goodbyes by Leslie  Welch
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was such a heartbreaking book. Webb and Bree have always had a very destructive relationship as teens. They were always with other people but somehow inexplicably drawn to one another. Their relationship consists of a consistent pattern of passion and destruction. Eventually Webb escapes his small town and becomes famous. This story tells the story of their past as well as Webb’s frantic journey back home to see Bree before she dies. Honestly at first glance I expected this to be a cliché read because I’ve watched so many movies with a similar story. The Goodbyes, however, is a realistic and heart-wrenching read. The characters are as destructive as Catherine and Heathcliff but the reader can’t help but sympathise with them while simultaneously wanting to bash them over the head for their stupidity. I especially enjoyed how unexpected, fitting and beautiful the ending was.

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6 Pinterest Tips for Newbies

Since my post on 10 Tips for the Instagram Newbie was so popular, I thought I’d do one on Pinterest. Not many people use Pinterest that often which is a shame as it can be so useful. I got my first sponsored post opportunity through Pinterest so I believe in it strongly. Here are six tips for the Pinterest newbie:

1) Have a decent number of pins per board

Personally I feel that your board looks abandoned if it has any less than ten pins. Make sure your boards have a good number of pins so that people know that you’re active on Pinterest.

 

2) Be active on Pinterest

Like, follow and repin other members. They may return the love. If not, atleast you know you’ve found great new pins.

 

3) Create a Pinterest board for each of your interests

My Pinterest boards consist of fashion, college, books and blogging. Make sure you state clearly in your description what can be found inside your Pinterest board.

4) But don’t make it too broad

I once saw a great pinner who had about 20 different boards from make-up and organisation to blogging and food. I was too lost to even look at the pins. Ensure that your boards are not too different from one another.

5) Don’t have a million different boards

Just like boards that have nothing to do with each other, a large amount of boards are overwhelming. Stick with enough boards that someone can browse through them and not feel like they’re in a Pinterest maze.

6) Update your Pinterest whenever necessary

Delete boards and pins, create new boards and pins. People change and your Pinterest should change with you especially if you’re using it as a business.

What are your tips for Pinterest? What are your favourite tips of pins? Let me know below.

Fiction Friday: November 9 by Colleen Hoover

November 9
November 9 by Colleen Hoover

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This story has a sweet idea but falls flat towards the end. It seems like the characters are dragging out their romance simply because November 9 is a special day for them. If you look past that obvious flaw this is an amazing book, well-written with intriguing characters.
Fallon and Ben have an instant connection and because she is moving away, decide to meet every year on November 9. However life gets in the way and as they grow, they struggle to keep to their arrangement.

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Book Review: A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses #1) by Sarah J Maas

A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #1)

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A “Beauty and The Beast” retelling that involves fae…How can you not like this book? Feyre accidentally kills a faerie when out hunting for her family’s dinner. Tamlin, another faerie, demands that Feyre returns with him to his home in return for killing his friend. (Yes this makes absolutely no sense but play along coz it will eventually make sense).
Eventually Feyre and Tamlin fall in love. But there’s a dark evil force that could tear them apart.
I don’t think my review can be trusted to be 100% non-biased because I love anything to do with Beauty and The Beast. However this is a far darker and an infinitely more compelling tale. This book is my everything and I am obsessed with it! I really believe that everyone should read this book. It’s compelling, it’s different, it’s very well-written and the evil monsters in here are absolutely terrifying. Read it. Now!!!!

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