Book Review Graphic: The Geography of You and Me by Jennifer E Smith

Hello! It's been a while but I'm back at the reading and subsequently back at the reviewing! Below is a short graphic which I made over a year ago that I found in my drafts, I thought I'd share it even though it's slightly ~cringe~. As you can tell, I didn't like this book very much! 

With it currently being the Easter holidays, I do plan on getting some more reviews written up for you as well as finishing a few more books (I'm halfway through the Tales From Shadowhunter Academy novellas and then... LADY MIDNIGHT TIME!) Coursework can wait until the day before sixth form restarts, right? 

Do tweet me with your thoughts on the book, any new book recommendations and any other general randomness at @GeorgiaReviews, I've just started using my account again and I'm basically obsessed all over again!

*If you cannot read the text, click the image to open it separately where it will enlarge*

You can buy a copy of The Geography of You and Me now on Amazon or The Book Depository.

YA Choice of October 2014

With the Young Adult genre becoming more and more popular, each month I will be bringing you my choice of the newly released books which I must share with you all! This month's choice is...

The Perfectionists by Sara Shepard

Released October 2nd 2014
from Hot Key Books

You can buy it now HERE.

In Beacon Heights High, Nolan Hotchkiss is king. His charm, wealth and good looks are deceptively seductive, and many are the students whose lives and reputations have been ruined by it. All while Nolan continues to reign, unquestioned and undisrupted. Until now, that is. Mackenzie, Ava, Julie, Caitlin and Parker seemingly don't have much in common. Each has their own friends, dramas and goals. But one thing they do share: they all have a deep hatred of Nolan Hotchkiss. And they all think it's about time he paid for what he's done. They come up with the perfect murder - a hypothetical murder, of course. It's all wishful thinking ... until they wake up one morning to find that their wish has come true. Nolan has been killed - in exactly the way they planned. The thing is, they didn't do it. So who did?

Sara Shepard is the genius behind Pretty Little Liars, one of my favourite shows on TV. I've always wanted to read the book series but have heard that they are too different from the adaption so didn't want to get my self all muddled up! Now though, I get to check out her amazing work with the first book in a new series from her. I love watching mystery programmes, they're the best, but  never seem to read too many, maybe because I worry they'll creep me out, maybe because I worry I won't keep up. I have been expanding my reading horizons recently though so I can't wait to crack this open!

Have you read The Manifesto On How To Be Interesting since I recommended it last month? Let me know what you think in the comments! Also, sorry I missed a month! I was hugely excited for Afterworlds by Scott Westerfeld if you were wondering :-)

Book Review: She Is Not Invisible by Marcus Sedgwick

Title- She Is Not Invisible
Author- Marcus Sedgwick
Genre- Young Adult, Mystery, Contemporary
Format- Paperback
UK Publisher- Indigo
Publication Date- July 3rd 2014
Buy HERE

*I was sent this finished copy from the publisher for review, thank you Indigo. This does not affect my thoughts shared in this review.*

Sorry I've been absent recently! There really are no excuses, I've just needed a little break from the internet. Fingers crossed I can get back into things, I've been doubting my blog but now I'm putting in lots of effort to hopefully make some great posts for you!

Laureth Peak's father has taught her to look for recurring events, patterns, and numbers--a skill at which she's remarkably talented. Her secret: She is blind. But when her father goes missing, Laureth and her 7-year-old brother Benjamin are thrust into a mystery that takes them to New York City where surviving will take all her skill at spotting the amazing, shocking, and sometimes dangerous connections in a world full of darkness. She Is Not Invisible is an intricate puzzle of a novel that sheds a light on the delicate ties that bind people to each other.

Ever since this book was first released in hardback last year, I've been intrigued. The reason why? It featured a blind protagonist. I'm honestly quite ashamed at my lack of diversity when it comes to making reading choices, the only novel I remember having read with a disabled main character is The Curious Incident of The Dog in The Nightime and the only reason I picked that up is because it was cheap. I've already branched out of my reading comfort zone this year, venturing into the world of Adult with Rainbow Rowell's Landline a few months back, but I need to explore the world further through literature. More cultures. Wider issues. Greater differences.

This cover is incredibly alluring. The colours of the two images blend perfectly together, creating a gorgeous piece of art, yes art. The beautiful, hipster-ish (it honestly killed me to write that) font just ties everything together, purple was such a great choice! Some of my favourite covers have come out of this year and this is definitely up there!

From the first sentence I was hooked. Why would a young girl need to 'abduct' her younger brother? It was hard to understand just how much Laureth had to depend on other people but it soon became apparent that, while she may wish otherwise, she must rely on the support of those closest to her. The mystery element is great, what did happen to her dad? No spoilers here! But what I loved the most was the adventurous feeling which comes with travelling. Exploring a new place for the first time is so fun and even though it wasn't the main focus of our little explorers, they still experienced the culture of America without even realizing. Visiting the library, travelling to the Edgar Allen Poe museum, even just visiting the small-time comic store!

One thing that is apparent when you start reading is that this is on the lower end of the young adult genre. Which is not a bad thing, books like this are a great escape from the often dark themes and intense writing that comes along sometimes. I think this would be a perfect genre-transitioning read! Even though the writing is simplistic and the plot easy enough to follow, I really enjoyed She Is Not Invisible. It meant that I could rush through the book and I had it finished in half the time a book of the same length would usually take.

Overall, I really did enjoy She Is Not Invisible. Even though it is less complicated than I am used to, I never found myself bored and was still hooked. I just could not wait to find out how the book would be resolved! The writing style was a welcome break from the intensity of some young adult novels and it took just over a day to get through which, for a slow reader like me, was a huge achievement!

    

New Books! #7

Can you tell that it's just been my birthday? I went a little wild, oops! Thankfully, most of these I bought myself secondhand, something I'm really into at the minute. I love trying to find the best price for the best quality, weird I know! Also, I now own a full set of Harry Potters, more on that later.

Georgia at The Bibliomaniac also calls her hauls by this name so be sure to check hers out as well!

*Quick disclaimer, I am not bragging about these, hauls are my personal favorites to read and I am very grateful for each of these!*

This Star Won't Go Out by Esther, Lori & Wayne Earl (Paperback)

I've waited so long for this book, I didn't want to buy myself because the £10 price tag for a paperback was rather steep! After dropping a fair few hints, I unwrapped this on my birthday and couldn't have been happier. DFTBA!

Looking For Alaska by John Green (Paperback)

One of my favorite books and the best thing John has ever written, it was a given that I would eventually own a physical copy. After two reads of the library copy and one of my ebook, it was time. The website claimed that the book was used but the condition was immaculate, such a nice surprise!

The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han (Paperback)

I seem to be collecting contemporaries and I couldn't resist this on my post-birthday spree. Plus, the £1.80 price was unbeatable and even though it's not in the greatest condition, I don't mind and it's definitely still readable!

  

She Is Not Invisible by Marcus Sedgwick (Paperback)

This has been read and reviewed already so definitely look out for that! A lovely, light read for anyone after something to fly through. The cover, I am in love with because of all the pretty colours, eek! Thanks to Fierce Fiction for this review copy!

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater (Paperback)

I read this maybe three years ago after borrowing a copy from a friend and this was my YA transition book! I never continued on with the series then but decided now would probably be as good of a time as any! 

Forever by Maggie Stiefvater (Paperback)

To complete my Wolves of Mercy Falls collection, I bought Forever online. This is actually the second copy I received, as the first was send back! It was supposed to the in Very Good condition but did not live up to those guidelines, thankfully they supplied a refund!

  

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone 

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix

by JK Rowling

Gaaaah! I have a complete Harry Potter set now, four of which are first editions! And for 6 of them, I paid less than £3.50, isn't that amazing? I am such a bargain hunter so I'm just very, very happy that I could have all of these without having to part with too much money!

Huge thanks to each of the publishes who have send me books in this haul, I can't wait to read them! What have you picked up recently? Leave a comment letting me know!

The Not-So-Pointless Book (A Review of Sorts)

This morning, I had an exciting delivery! After what felt like ages, but was only actually less than a week, my lovely postman dropped this off. I raced downstairs, tore open the package and looked in awe. Although I never though too much of it online, the cover is beautiful! Truly. Now, that may seem a little strange to you but the embossing is perfect and the cover is all matte, with glossy accents. As a graphic design student, I'm in heaven.

Of course, I went a little overboard with all of my supplies but I was so excited to start. I recommend arming yourself with a black pen, a pencil, a selection of coloured pencils and a rubber. Also, a fancy writing pen is an easy way to jazz things up!

*One tip though, do not use markers. Permanent or not, they will bleed through.*

As instructed, I started at the first page I opened, which happened to be 28- Favorite Ever... Some questions were easy to answer (purple has been my number one colour since forever ago) and some I had to think about (every song I hear is better than the last) so this was a really fun page, taking around 10 minutes all together. It's also a fun idea to fill out with friends, comparing answers afterwards!

Skipping forward quite considerably, I found myself at 148- Draw a Landmark... I asked myself 'Where do I want to travel to most?' The answer of course, France. I've loved it for so long and studied the language for 4 years before I became too busy to carry on. Obviously, when choosing a French landmark, there was only one choice I could make: The Eiffel Tower. It took half an hour and looks awful but I'm not an artist so who cares?!

Back to the beginning now, more specifically page 38- Draw These Shapes... This was such a fun activity. At a glance, this looks easy; how hard can it be to draw in one stroke? Well, it's actually pretty difficult! It took many pencil practices before I eventually managed to master the shapes. That was, all but one. I swear that it's impossible, I spent a good 20 minutes puzzling over them but could not manage it! This kind of thing is perfect for something to do on a journey. Say goodbye to boring train travels!

Essentially, The Pointless Book is a more interactive Wreck This Journel. Alfie's little video clips and interactive pages are the perfect additions to complete an already incredible book. Even if you don't have a smartphone, the book definitely works as a standalone. With 192 pages bursting with ideas, you'll have hours of fun tasks ahead of you!

 

The thing about The Pointless Book is, nothing has to be perfect because it's your own, personal interpretation. Go crazy, play it safe. Share with your friends, keep it hidden. Scuff it up, leave it clean. It may have been started by Alfie but it's there to be finished by YOU! So do something; Do whatever you want as long as it is you. 

    

You can pick up your own copy of The Pointless Book by Alfie Deyes on September 4th! Be sure to tag all of your related tweets with #ThePointlessBook if you join in on twitter!

*I received this book from Blink Publishing in return for a review, this does not influence my opinion of the book!*