Monday 31 March 2014

Book Review: Geek Girl by Holly Smale (Geek Girl, #1)

13621089Title: Geek Girl
Author: Holly Smale
Series: Geek Girl (#1)
Published: 1st February 2013
Source: Library
Goodreads          

Harriet Manners knows a lot of things.

She knows that a cat has 32 muscles in each ear, a "jiffy" lasts 1/100th of a second, and the average person laughs 15 times per day. What she isn't quite so sure about is why nobody at school seems to like her very much. So when she's spotted by a top model agent, Harriet grabs the chance to reinvent herself. Even if it means stealing her Best Friend's dream, incurring the wrath of her arch enemy Alexa, and repeatedly humiliating herself in front of the impossibly handsome supermodel Nick. Even if it means lying to the people she loves.

As Harriet veers from one couture disaster to the next with the help of her overly enthusiastic father and her uber-geeky stalker, Toby, she begins to realise that the world of fashion doesn't seem to like her any more than the real world did.

And as her old life starts to fall apart, the question is: will Harriet be able to transform herself before she ruins everything?


I've always avioded model books. I had thought that the stories went along the lines of; 
  • Bratty model finds there is a job opening at (insert multi-million fashion line here)
  • Bratty model finds out her arch-nemisis is also going for the job
  • THIS IS FASHION WAR!
  • Bratty model falls in love with supermodel at first sight
Looking back, I don't know why I thought this but after reading Holly Smale's fantastic novel Geek Girl my opinion on model books changed - maybe they aren't all terrible. 

Harriet is a geek. She has no interest in fashion and certainly no interest in modelling but after being dragged to Clothes Show Live in Birmingham, she is scouted. One of the best things about this book (and oh there are many) is the writing. Harriet is so witty and funny and clever. Her opinion on the things going on are just hilarious! Harriet isn't your sterotypical model. 

You learn weird little facts along the way like that there are approximatly 13,914,291,404 legs in the world!

 “My name," I tell Wilbur in the most dignified voice I can find, "Was inspired by Harriet Quimby, the first female American pilot and the first woman ever to cross the Channel in an aeroplane. My mother chose it to represent freedom and bravery and independence, and she gave it to me just before she died."

There's a short pause while Wilbur looks appropriately moved. Then Dad says, "Who told you that?"
"Annabel did."
"Well, it's not true at all. You were named after Harriet the tortoise, the second longest living tortoise in the world."

There's a silence while I stare at Dad and Annabel puts her head in her hands so abruptly that the pen starts to leak into her collar. "Richard," she moans quietly.
"A tortoise?" I repeat in dismay. "I'm named after a tortoise? What the hell is a tortoise supposed to represent?"
"Longevity?”
I also seemed to think that I knew what was going to happen but that, gladly, did not happen. Geek Girl isn't really a mystery or suspense but you can't really predict what will happen next.

I really liked how eventhough there is a love interest, he's not the centre of everything going on and is not mentioned in every paragraph.

In the end, I loved this book! I give it 5/5 stars and in my favourites list!
I'd recommend this book to anybody, ardent reader or not. Its that brilliant.

Hagar Manssour

Liebster Award!










I was nominated for a Liebster Award by the amazing Alma @ Journey Through Fiction! I seriously cannot fathom how I could be nominated but thank you very much Alma!

The Rules;

  •   Make Sure you thank and link back the person who nominated you.
  •   List 11 facts about yourself
  •  Answer the 11 questions that were asked by whoever nominated you
  • Ask 11 new questions to 9 bloggers. They must have less than 200 followers on Bloglovin' (or their preferred method). You cannot re-nominate the blog that nominated you.
        Go to their blog and inform them that they have been nominated!

  11 Facts About Yours Truly 

  1.  I was born in Cairo, Egypt but moved to Scotland when I was 3 months old
  2. I am currently learning to play the piano
  3. I was in a house fire when I was 4 and since then developed a fear of fire.
  4. I have the need to correct people's grammer -- it's getting bad! I almost got detension for correcting a teacher!
  5. My favourite colours are black, red and blue
  6. I hate the colour yellow.
  7. I love watching comedies :) my favourites are probably anything Will Smith, Eddie Murphy, Laurel & Hardy or Charlie Chaplin.
  8. I take part in a lot of sports like netball, rugby and cross country!
  9. I love Friends!
  10. I spend more time reading than doing anything else.
  11. I love travelling! 





The 11 Questions That Were Asked

Q. Who are your favoruite authors?
A.  J.K. Rowling, Rick Riordan, Marissa Meyer etc

Q. If you could pick one character from a book to meet in real life, who would you pick?
 A. That's quite tough but probably Percy Jackson because he is too awesome not to.

Q. What book(s) have made you cry?
A. I am not ashamed to say that I do cry over books and when I do, it's usually hard to stop. I cried alot at The Book Thief by Markus Zusak and Champion by Marie Lu.

Q. What was the last book that you didn't expect to like, but ended up loving?
A. Probably The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson because I was forced to read it, and I really don't like being forced to read books.

Q. What book(s) do you feel are overrated?
A. The Perks of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky.

Q. Who is your most embarassing celebrity crush?
A. I don't even think my answer count because a) he isn't a celebrity and b) I am not embarrased but it's got to be Dan Howell from danisnotonfire on Youtube.

Q. You just won an all expenses paid trip to anywhere on the planet - where do you go and why?
A. I'd go to Tokyo, Japan because it looks beautiful and I'm really interested by their culture!

Q. Do you have any pets?
A. No, sadly :(

Q. What music do you listen to and who are your favourite artists/bands?
A. I listen to all kinds of music but I don't really like rap. Some of my favourites are Adele, Ed Sheeran, The Beatles, Pink Floyd etc.

Q. What is your guilty pleasure (not necassarily book/blogging related)?
A. When I'm bored I either re-organise my book shelves or look up fan art.

Q. Do you think you can survive a zombie apocalypse?
A. To be honest, I think I would with my traits but I might just be modest :P



           My 11 Questions for My Nominees!

  1.  If you could switch lives with any book character, who would you pick?
  2. How do you usually get your books (ie - online, library etc)?
  3. What book made you really angry?
  4. If you could live in any fictional world, which one would you live in?
  5. What book would you like seen transfered to TV/Film?
  6. What is your favourite book to movie adaptation?
  7. If you had to listen to one song for the rest of your life, what song would you pick?
  8. What are your favourite TV shows?
  9. What are your thoughts on the New Adult genre?
  10. What book/tv/movie character death did you not agree with?
  11. What is your favourite book cover?

My Nominees!



Christina @ Booksane
















Saturday 29 March 2014

Feature and Follow #2

Alison Can Read Feature & Follow 

Feature & Follow is a weekly meme hosted over at Parajunkee and Alison Can Read.
This week's question is...


Snap it Time! A picture is worth a thousand words. Anything and anything. Just give us a pic.

Teenage section at the local library :)

So many books, so little time!

I'm surprised that there wasn't anyone but me there!

 





 Hagar Manssour

Friday 28 March 2014

Book Review: Half Bad by Sally Green (Half Life #1)

18621194
Title: Half Bad
Author: Sally Green                                         
Series: Half Life (#1)
Published: 1st March 2014
Source: Bought from Waterstones
Goodreads             

 Half Bad by Sally Green is a breathtaking debut novel about one boy's struggle for survival in a hidden society of witches.

You can't read, can't write, but you heal fast, even for a witch.

You get sick if you stay indoors after dark.

You hate White Witches but love Annalise, who is one.

You've been kept in a cage since you were fourteen.

All you've got to do is escape and find Mercury, the Black Witch who eats boys. And do that before your seventeenth birthday.

Easy.
                          


I finished this book about an hour ago and I still cannot fully process my thoughts on this book. This book has a lot of hype so, unsurprisingly, I picked it up in Waterstones. I'm not as amazed as everyone else was but it was overall a good book.

Half Bad is set in modern day where witches live among fains (muggles basically). There are White witches; the "good witches" and the Blacks; the "bad". The witch society is ruled by a council of White witches and White hunters who hunt down and kill the Blacks. Our main character, Nathan, is a Half Code - half White and half Black, which isn't supposed to happen. His mother, now deceased, was a highly respected White witch but his father is the most evil Black. If the Council decide that Nathan is more Black than White, he will be killed instantly. There is more to this witch world but it is a lot more fun to figure it out while reading.

 The book starts off with a second person narration - talking to you; the reader and you find out that Nathan (you) are in a cage being tortured. It then goes back to when he was a child which then leads up to the point where the book started and carries on from there. I found this quite an interesting technique to be using but it fit the story.

This book is heavily based on Nathan's character development from when he was 5 to his current age; 17. It can be quite slow at points and I found myself just reading the words while day-dreaming so then I'd have to read the same paragraph over again. Half Bad might not be for you if you are looking for a fast-paced, plot-driven story. This book is more of a lead-up to the rest of the trilogy and will probably depend on the sequels for an overall good series mark from me.

The world did intrigue me though. The way that the Whites look at themselves as the "good" and "superior" ones while they may be just as "bad" as Blacks or even worse just made me wonder how this society came to be. Whites hunt Blacks but the Blacks are only trying to defend themselves. It's almost racist.

I found the relationships that Nathan had with others weren't strong or well-developed, especially with Annalise - the supposed "love interest". Ms Green focused to much on Nathan's development and no-one else's.
 

If you are squeamish, I suggest you take note that some scenes may be gruesome before picking this up.

Overall, I enjoyed how unique this book was and I hope to enjoy the sequels even more. 3.75/5

Hagar Manssour

Thursday 27 March 2014

Book Review: Scarlet by Marissa Meyer (The Lunar Chronicles #2)

13206760 Title: Scarlet                                     
Author: Marissa Meyer
Series: The Lunar Chronicles
Published: 5th February 2013
Source: Gifted
Goodreads

  Cinder, the cyborg mechanic, returns in the second thrilling instalment of the bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She's trying to break out of prison--even though if she succeeds, she'll be the Commonwealth's most wanted fugitive. Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit's grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn't know about her grandmother or the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother's whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana, who will do anything for the handsome Prince Kai to become her husband, her king, her prisoner.                 

Wow ... just, wow. This book was a-maze-ing! It surpassed all my expectations based from it's proceeder; Cinder and kicked butt.

Scarlet is a strong and fierce red-head with a caring heart. She is not to be messed with, at all (see first 20 pages for proof). The way she would follow a debatable lead to find her missing grandmother is just heartwarming. She cares a lot for her grandmother and nothing would stop her from achieving her goal - thank the heavens she's on the right side!

Wolf ... well, he really is something, isn't he? He really is just confused about everything isn't he? I can't go into detail as there are spoilers but I enjoyed his character development very much so.

We still got to see Cinder's side of the story throughout this book which was great. You feel really sorry for her because she hadn't asked for any of this to happen. She really just needs to have a lie-down.

My favourite part of this book was probably the character of Carswell Thorne. He is a hilarious guy but he's also loyal. His lines just crack you up throughout this novel - trust me.

The romance between Wolf and Scarlet was so adorable and cute but with everything else going on, it just confuses them. There is one scene where Scarlet is on Wolf's back while he tries to jump onto a train but he stumbles but his excuse wasn't that she was heavy - it was that he was distracted. I don't know why but that line makes me all warm and fuzzy inside!

The plot was action packed and full of twist and turns. The things you discover are just so shocking and jaw-dropping. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time reading this book.

Overall, I loved this book a lot more that Cinder, which is tough mind you, so I give an infinity/5 stars!

Hagar Manssour        

Wednesday 26 March 2014

Favourite Book Characters (Male)

Today, I will be sharing with you just a few of my favourite male book characters. The characters on this list will (probably) be funny or heroic or complex. These are in no particular order.

1. Ron Weasley from the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling.



2. Percy Jackson from Percy Jackson and the Olympians and the Heros of Olympus by Rick Riordan



3. Will Herondale from The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare.

 

4. Carswell Thorne from The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer



5. Noah Shaw from the Mara Dyer trilogy.

  





















Hagar Manssour

P.S -  Douglas Booth is a fangirl's favourite for English characters :)

Tuesday 25 March 2014

Book Review: Cinder by Marissa Meyer (The Lunar Chronicles #1)




11235712Title: Cinder             
Author: Marissa Meyer
Series: The Lunar Chronicles
Published: 3rd January 2012
Source: Library
Goodreads

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl.

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the centre of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future. 


Cinder is one of those books that is all hyped up by the book-lover community so you pick it up and you love it more than you thought you would. We all know the story of Cinderella (you know slave, lovely prince, ball, perfect fit of a shoe even though it falls off etc), well, Marissa Meyer puts an effortless twist to the story and you're left thinking this is a fairytale retelling?

The character of Cinder is such an interesting one. She is treated as if she were a disease, and is blamed as if she caused her sister's. She is a compassionate person but finds very few to show that love and compassion for. There are only a handful of people she loves and cares for deeply, like her sister, and is shocked when someone else feels that way for her, after all, she is a cyborg. 
 
Everyone seems to adore Kai and I'm just here like really? this guy?. I care for him and all but I didn't really fall head-over-heels in love like everyone else. I cannot fathom how he can keep his head held high because of the things that happen to him. I'm quite surprised that he didn't break down.

Even though I did see the plot twist coming, I still really enjoyed reading the plot. It was action-packed yet heartbreaking, adoreable yet grim. Ms Meyer really does a great job to set up this book for the rest of the series.

Overall, I really loved this book - 5/5 stars!

Hagar Manssour





Monday 24 March 2014

Book Review: Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

19174917Title: Fangirl
Author: Rainbow Rowell
Series: N/A
Published: 10th September 2013
Source: Bought from Waterstones
Goodreads

Cath and Wren are identical twins, and until recently they did absolutely everything together. Now they're off to university and Wren's decided she doesn't want to be one half of a pair any more - she wants to dance, meet boys, go to parties and let loose. It's not so easy for Cath. She's horribly shy and has always buried herself in the fan fiction she writes, where she always knows exactly what to say and can write a romance far more intense than anything she's experienced in real life. Without Wren Cath is completely on her own and totally outside her comfort zone. She's got a surly room-mate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words ...And she can't stop worrying about her dad, who's loving and fragile and has never really been alone. Now Cath has to decide whether she's ready to open her heart to new people and new experiences, and she's realizing that there's more to learn about love than she ever thought possible ...

You know the feeling when you fall in love with a story? Yeah well, I fell in love with this story. I have actually read Rainbow Rowell's other book Eleanor & Park and I also loved that book too, maybe even a little more; don't tell anyone. 

Cath Avery is such a realistic character; the way she thinks and the way she reacts to situations are probably the way I would. She is so socially awkward that it just breaks your heart every time she is invited to go somewhere she rejects because she never wants to leave her own bubble but one special someone widened that bubble - Levi.

Levi was such a wonderful character to read about. His interactions with Cath were hilarious yet adorable! He smiles at everyone and easy to strike up a conversation; the exact opposite of Cath. As the book progresses, Cath opens up more to Levi and vice versa. The way he cares for Cath is so cute it made my little heart fangirl. I was actually imagining a blonde Heath Ledger as Levi, or Andrew Garfield. Maybe the two combined ...


Throughout this book, Cath was always the one trying to keep it together so her world doesn't fall apart. She even wished she could just dissapear to the World of Mages (this book's Harry Potter universe), but she didn't know that she herself needed someone to catch her when she falls. Levi had grounded her to earth and reminded her how to find herself and live a little.

One scene that I found extra cute was when she met a fan of the fanfiction she writes. It was so heartwarming to see how Cath's fanfiction really affected her readers.

The romance was also so delightful! The way Cath had thought she was supposed to feel because of the fanfiction and how Levi had blown all her expectations out the water was endaring! 

In conclusion, I loved this book so much; I'll give it 4.5/5 stars!

Hagar Manssour
 

Saturday 22 March 2014

Book Review: The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

15950494Title: The Perks of Being A Wallflower
Author: Stephen Chbosky
Series: N/A
Published: 1st February 1999 
Source: Library
Goodreads

Charlie is a freshman.

And while he's not the biggest geek in the school, he is by no means popular. Shy, introspective, intelligent beyond his year yet socially awkward, he is a wallflower, caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it.

Charlie is attempting to navigate his way through uncharted territory: the world of first dates and mix tapes, family dramas and new friends; the world of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, when all one requires is that perfect song on that perfect drive to feel infinite. But he can't stay on the sidelines forever. Standing on the fringes of life offers a unique perspective. But there comes a time to see what it looks like from the dance floor.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a deeply affecting coming-of-age story that will spirit you back to those wild and poignant roller-coaster days known as growing up.


The Perks of Being a Wallflower is one of those books that everyone loves and raves about. I picked this book up because (a) the hype and (b) I wanted to see the movie. I was quite honestly disappointed by this book. It lacked that special something that makes a book memorable for the right reasons but I remember it now for the wrong. 

Charlie really annoyed me. He cried for no reason. He "fell in love" but didn't explain how or why. He seems oblivious to the obvious points in conversation and really dumbs down the word freshman. 

Another thing that made me want to hurl this book at a wall was the writing. The writing annoyed me immensely. It didn't flow which really grounded my gears. The grammar was terrible but some people would say "Yes, but it's written in the form of letters by Charlie so it isn't going to be perfect". I say that's complete and utter crap. 

All in all, I was disappointed by this book despite the hype. I'll give it 1/5 stars.

Hagar Manssour

Friday 21 March 2014

Feature and Follow #1

Alison Can Read Feature & Follow 




Feature & Follow is a weekly meme hosted over at Parajunkee and Alison Can Read.
This week's question is...
   

How have your reading habits changed in the past few years? Did you get interested in a new genre? Do you read more? Less? Why do you think your habits changed, if they did.
Well, when I was younger I'd read the same sort of books; fairies, unicorns and the damsels in distress sort of thing but now I read more of a wide variety. From horror to romance, mystery to contemporary, sci-fi to fantasy. I much rather doing that and I enjoy reading a lot more this way.

I definately read a lot more now than I did 2-3 years ago! Then, I would read maybe one or two books a month but now I read 8-9 a month! I think the different book crazed communities helped me discover more books like booktube, Goodreads etc. 

I think my habits changed because I was fed up with reading the same story over and over and over again. My older brother had actually recommended a few new books to me that I read which I had enjoyed which were not based around fairies that needed saving (Rainbow Magic - I'm talking to you!). 

What do you think? 



Hagar Manssour
              


Thursday 20 March 2014

Cover Reveal: The Infinite Sea by Rick Yancey (The 5th Wave #2)

Title: The Infinite Sea                            
Author: Rick Yancey
Series: The 5th Wave #2
Published: 16th September 2014   

The riveting follow-up to the New York Times bestselling The 5th Wave, hailed by Justin Cronin as “wildly entertaining.”

How do you rid the Earth of seven billion humans? Rid the humans of their humanity.

Surviving the first four waves was nearly impossible. Now Cassie Sullivan finds herself in a new world, a world in which the fundamental trust that binds us together is gone. As the 5th Wave rolls across the landscape, Cassie, Ben, and Ringer are forced to confront the Others’ ultimate goal: the extermination of the human race.

Cassie and her friends haven’t seen the depths to which the Others will sink, nor have the Others seen the heights to which humanity will rise, in the ultimate battle between life and death, hope and despair, love and hate.


We've all been waiting for the cover of the sequel to Rick Yancey's fantastic book; The 5th Wave*.
This cover gives all of us fangirls out there the feels, just look at that cover damn. Will this be the scenery to where an important scene takes place? Does this have a double meaning? I guess we'll just have to wait until September *cries internally.*

*Review coming soon!*

Hagar Manssour

Wednesday 19 March 2014

Book Review: Undone by Cat Clarke


                       

16036975Title:Undone
Author: Cat Clarke
Series: N/A
Published: 31st January 2013
Source: Borrowed from friend (hey Cody)

Jem Halliday is in love with her gay best friend. Not exactly ideal, but she's learning to live with it.

Then the unspeakable happens. Kai is outed online ... and he kills himself.

Jem knows nothing she can say or do will bring him back. But she wants to know who was responsible. And she wants to take them down.

A searing story of love, revenge and betrayal from a bestselling author.
My friend (hey Cody) had let me borrow her copy of this book because she wouldn't stop talking about it. The synopsis really intrigued me and apparently, Cat Clarke is awesome so, naturally, I had to read it! I'd say I finished this book quite quickly even though I had mixed feelings.
I loved Kai's character! He treated Jem so sweetly and his letters are one of the highlights of this book. When Jem only hung out with Kai (when he was alive), Kai was more social and I think Jem could've maybe took Kai as an example but not with the suicide thing because that's just wrong.
I also really loved the dialogue of this book! Jem's voice was so witty and sarcastic which are two things I love to see characters have! This book made me laugh out loud a lot even though it deals with darker issues.
Despite all the good things I mentioned above, I did find one thing annoying: Jem. She dies her hair blonde because Kai had asked her, then she says she hates it and calls it stupid. She then goes out with Lucas and continuously has sex with him eventhough she says she doesn't like him; her only reason was "I was just so f****** horny". She doesn't question herself if the populars actually outed Kai online or if that was actually a diversion. I just think Jem wasn't a character you could sympathise with or even connect with on some degree.

I did not agree with the ending. It was just an annoying way to put an end to this novel. It really did dissapoint.

All in all, I give this 3/5 stars and I probably wouldn't re-read it. I will, hopefully, read some of Cat Clarke's other books because, as I said, she is quite a popular UK author.

Hagar Manssour

Tuesday 18 March 2014

Book Review: The Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

16108212
Title: The Evolution of Mara Dyer
Author: Michelle Hodkin
Series: Mara Dyer (#2)
Published: 28th February 2013
Source: Library

Mara Dyer knows she isn't crazy. She knows that she can kill with her mind, and that Noah can heal with his. Mara also knows that somehow, Jude is not a hallucination. He is alive. Unfortunately, convincing her family and doctors that she's not unstable and doesn't need to be hospitalised isn't easy. The only person who actually believes her is Noah. But being with Noah is dangerous and Mara is in constant fear that she might hurt him. She needs to learn how to control her power, and fast! Together, Mara and Noah must try and figure out exactly how Jude survived when the asylum collapsed, and how he knows so much about her strange ability...before anyone else ends up dead!

Woah ... This book was such a roller coaster ride! I was gasping for air every other page which is not recommended when in class, just saying. This book is a piece of art that Ms Hodkin should indeed be proud of. If you thought the first book was good, you'll find that this book is outstanding.

One of the many conventions that makes this novel what it is is the mysterious element. As soon as you think you know what's going on, Ms Hodkin switches it up and you're left where you started; in I don't know-ville.

Another element that makes this novel what it is is the dialogue. Even though the plot is really creepy and even terrifying at points, the dialogue will immanently crack you up. Both Mara and Noah's characters are fantastically funny.

The character development throughout this series is astonishing. Noah goes from a care-free rebel in book one to a caring and affectionate person in book two which, if it were another author, would be difficult to do but Ms Hodkin can do it flawlessly. Some authors can learn a thing or two from her.

The ending was so spectacular and crazy and unexpected. I didn't see anything coming which is great because normally within the first hundred pages of a book I can tell what the ending would be but I love it when authors do the unexpected! I was left with my jaw hanging wide open when I finished this book!

In conclusion, this is a fantastic sequel and a breathtaking novel. I need the final book to see how Ms Hodkin will conclude this fantastic series.

Infinity/5 stars!

Hagar Manssour

Monday 17 March 2014

Book Review: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Title: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer     
Author: Michelle Hodkin
Series: Mara Dyer (#1)
Published: 7th September 2011      
Source: Library
Goodreads
 

Mara Dyer doesn’t think life can get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.

It can.

She believes there must be more to the accident she can’t remember that killed her friends and left her mysteriously unharmed.

There is.

She doesn’t believe that after everything she’s been through, she can fall in love.

She’s wrong.
                   


WARNING: DO NOT READ THIS BOOK IN PUBLIC UNLESS YOU DON'T MIND HAVING MULTIPLE FAMGIRLING MOMENTS 

After reading this book in about a day, I was left with three words coming out my mouth; what the fudge? I absolutely loved the creepiness in this book. Mara Dyer thinks that she is going crazy and Michelle Hodkin makes you feel as if you are going crazy with her. Not only is this book utterly creepy, it is also hilarious. The dialogue had me laughing out loud so hard. This book will make you theorise like a crazy person because the mysterious element in this book is to die for (I should be punnished).

The love interest of this book is the one and only Mr Noah Shaw. He is a very enjoyable character to read about and his lines have me in stitches. The way he cares for Mara is so adorable he made me blush ... I'm not ashamed. He has this 'bad boy' vibe going on but as you progress through the book you think is that all for show?

The cliffhanger on this book had me thinking "If I don't get this book right now, I will go on a killing spree." . I couldn't believe how that could happen but oh, of course, it did.

I conclusion, I loved this book very much so and I give it a billion/5 stars!

Hagar Manssour
                                                          
                                           
             

Sunday 16 March 2014

Favourite Literary Couples!

I've watched a lot of movies/tv shows with couples that made my little heart sing so I thought, while I'm in the mood, I should share with you my favourite literary couples (or OTPs)!

1. Will Herondale and Tessa Gray from The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare.



2. Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase from Percy Jackson and Heros of Olympus by Rick Riordan.





3. Evan Walker and Cassie Sullivan from The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey.



4.  Noah Shaw and Mara Dyer from The Mara Dyer Trilogy by Michelle Hodkin.



5. Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger from (you're crazy if you don't know where from).





6. Rudy Steiner and Liesel Memminger from The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.



7. Jace Wayland and Clary Fray from The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare.

 

8. Peeta Mellark and Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.



9. Wolf Kesley and Scarlet Benoit from The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer.







                                                                                
10. Simon Lewis and Isabelle Lightwood from The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare (again).



Hagar Manssour

Wednesday 12 March 2014

Current Obsession - Fairytale Retellings










During one of my oh-my-god-what-am-I-doing-with-my-self moments, I have realised that I am currently obsessed with fairytale retellings. I find it quite creative when someone can take a fairytale we all know and love and twist it to make it their own. I will be sharing my favourite retellings with you; yes, I will be sharing my favourite fairytale retellings with people I don't even know and wouldn't tell someone I did. Oh God, I feel and existential crisis coming on ...

Favourite Fairytale Retelling Book Series: The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer



 


Most Excited Fairytale Retelling to Read Next: Splintered by A. G. Howard 


 

 Fairytale Retelling(s) That Have Been On My Shelf For Ages: Sisters Red and Sweetly by Jackson Pearce

  


Favourite Fairytale Retelling(ish) TV Shows: Once Upon A Time & Grimm


  


Favourite Disney Fairytale Movie: Tangled 
  




Hagar Manssour

P.S   Can you argue with this perfection?


*dies*

Sunday 9 March 2014

March 2014 Book Haul!


I always tell myself on trips into town I will not buy another book. It's getting ridiculous now. but as always, I choose to ignore my conscious and as a result I now have way more books than needed; LET'S DISCUSS. 


                                                              
Title: Looking for Alaska
Author: John Green
Shop: The Works
Price: £1.99 or 3 for £5
Goodreads







Title: The Raven Boys
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Shop: The Works
Price: £1.99 or 3 for £5
Goodreads













Title: Deception (Defiance #2)
Author: C. J. Redwine
Shop: The Works
Price: £1.99 or 3 for £5
Goodreads













Title: Splintered
Author: A. G. Howard
Shop: WHSmith
Price: £7.99 or 3 for 2
Goodreads















Title: Half Bad
Author: Sally Green
Shop: Waterstones
Price: £7.99
Goodreads













Title: Gone Girl
Author: Gillian Flynn
Shop: Waterstones
Price: £7.99
Goodreads

















Compared to other people, my book buying habit isn't that bad, but I don't have a job to get all my money I'm literally broke.

Hagar Manssour

Wednesday 5 March 2014

Favourite Book Covers!

I don't know about you but I love to look and admire books with gorgeous covers. I thought I'd list some of my favourites ( in no particular order ).



1. Sisters Red and Sweetly by Jackson Pearce (Fairytale Retellings #1 & 2)


 

2. The Night Circus by Erin Morgentstern


  

3. Me, Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews



4. Champion by Marie Lu (Legend #3)


 
 
5. Between The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea (Between #1) 

 

6. Splintered by A.G. Howard (Splintered #1)

Hagar Manssour