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!*

The Book Blogger's Kiss, Marry, Cliff

You must know these type of tags, they used to be playground games back in school and have now been rebranded into must-dos for all Booktubers (see these from Katytastic and Polandbananasbooks if you're interested). So why not bring the fun to the blogging community? That's what I'm doing today!

This is such a simple process yet I had so much fun doing it! Many of the supplies that I used are brand new as I bought them for my college course so I got to play around with them for the first time. You obviously don't need anything fancy, the same effect can be achieved with just a simple paper scrap and pencil writing but I wanted to experiment so went all out!

Start by measuring out your card so each piece will be equal sized. Be sure to use a pencil so any mistakes or slips can easily be erased! I made mine 1x3 inches which created 24 cards however I only ended up using 12 of them this time. Next, take your cutting equipment and separate each individual card, getting rid of any excess card you may have. Now comes the fun part, picking your boys (or girls, your choice!) who you want to feature! Write them down and you can also include the book they're from, I did! Now, all that's left is to fold them up, mix them up and put them in a little pot. Pick out 3 and you're ready to go!

Round 1:

KISS- Park! He's geeky and cute and I'll take it.

MARRY- Easy, Miles any day of the week. Looking For Alaska is a favorite of mine and all of the way through reading, I wanted to know him. 

CLIFF- Unfortunately Aaron. He just wasn't memorable enough, I won't miss him.

Round 2:

KISS- Will? Yeah, I don't think I could deal with his beauty every day, I'd constantly faint.

MARRY- Adam, because god I love this guy. Especially end of Where She Went Adam.

CLIFF- Sorry Robb but I know what happens to the women in your life...

Round 3:

KISS- Peeta because he probably tastes like cake. End of.

MARRY- It has to be Charlie. I just want to look after him all day, everyday.

CLIFF- Goodbye Edward, you'll probably survive the fall anyway though so no stress.

Round 4:

KISS- Oh Simon. Human you? I'd totally marry. Vampire though, I couldn't cope with the blood 24/7.

MARRY- It's go to be Willem. Otherwise, he'll probably run off from me!

CLIFF- I much as I'd hate to, Augustus. I'll put him out of his suffering. *Cries* 

Next, I want to see Georgia (The Bibliomaniac) and Amber (The Mile Long Bookshelf) attempt this! Also, be sure to let me know what you would have chosen for each round, do you agree with me? Comment!

YA Choice of August 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 Manifesto On How To Be Interesting by Holly Bourne

Released August 1st 2014
from Usborne

You can buy it now HERE.

Bree is a loser, a wannabe author who hides behind words. But when she's told she needs to start living a life worth writing about, The Manifesto on How to Be Interesting is born. Six steps on how to be interesting. Six steps that will see her infiltrate the popular set, fall in love with someone forbidden and make the biggest mistake of her life.

I have always loved contemporaries but especially now that it's summer, they're all I've been reading. I don't know why, maybe its because the fantasies and dystopians are all shrouded in a darkness that you just don't get in summer. Either way, this is something I will be needing very soon. Poor Bree's plan sounds like a disaster waiting to happen and I just want to scream at her 'BE YOURSELF'. Unfortunately though, life isn't that easy and I know it sounds horrid but I can't wait to read her struggles. Also, let me talk about this cover. Simple yet so great, I am especially in love with the bold colour choice!

Have you read On The Fence since I recommended it last month? Let me know what you think in the comments!

Yes, I’m a bookworm...

Yes, I’m a bookworm. No, I don’t live in a secluded, cobweb-covered cottage, I’m not an old lady surrounded by cats and I don’t spend my life perched in a rocking chair. In fact, I’m just like your average teenager.

I believe that you can blame Beatrix Potter for said habit. I won’t bore you with a long, soppy back-story but I will tell you this, receiving a collection of her best-loved stories as a christening present meant I was read to a lot as a child, building the foundations of my imagination as it is today. There are some great incentives to help children read at a young age, take the Greenaway Project for example. Not only did I experience the fun as a youngster, completing tasks set in drama and art along with my friends, I also had the chance to play the counter part: helping out wherever the bossy little things let me! I first heard of The Arthur Spiderwick Chronicles doing such work; the illustrations were so beautiful that it quickly became a favorite.

As I've grown older (I know, three years is a really long time), I began to notice that there was a bigger presence of readers online, using sites like Twitter to chat and share their thoughts, even sharing books in giveaways! Interacting with others who felt the same way as me was a real confidence boost and I became more comfortable when it came to airing my opinions in real life as well, I never would have been able to share this article before! BookTubers (you know, YouTubers who talk about books?) keep things fun too! It’s not all about reviews either, catch-up posts let you know what’s trending and keep you up-to-date with all of the latest releases. Hearing these people speak with such enjoyment in their tone can keep me entertained for hours.

While putting my face in front of a camera isn’t an option, I’d make too many people jealous with my movie-star looks you see, I have started writing things down in a blog. It’s only been a few months but I’ve already been sent books from publishers for free in exchange for reviews, further expanding my collection. I just have one problem with this though: I’m running out of shelf space! The best part of it all? Getting a quote published in one of my favourite books, Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell. Yes, I’M IN A BOOK! This was such a big deal for me, it felt like all of my hard work had paid off and more than that; I was hugely proud of myself!

Looking to the future, I hope my silly little obsession with writers will one day lead to the flipside of publishing: working in marketing and sending out the books to encourage others like myself. And who knows, maybe I’ll end up working with authors in the future, but that all depends on whether I can put my inner fangirl, complete with childish excitement, to rest and find a professional cool.

New Books! #6

Despite my slow reading pace, especially during exam time just gone, I keep gaining more books than I can keep up with! Not that I'm complaining, they look so pretty on my new shelves.

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!*

Where She Went by Gayle Forman (eBook)

After finishing If I Stay, I could now wait for the matching paperback to arrive so instead, I snapped up the ebook on my Nook and I regret nothing!

If I Stay by Gayle Forman (Paperback)

With the movie coming out in August (I think haha) I knew that this had to be pushed up to the top of my to be read list. That was a great decision as this series is now a favorite of mine!

Fallen by Lauren Kate (Paperback)

I realize while typing that I included this in my last haul but I've put my camera and books away now so I thought I'd keep that photo. Oops!

  

Looking for JJ by Anne Cassidy (Paperback)

If you've read any previous hauls, you'll know that I often buy second hand books from my supermarket. This month is no different, I bought this as the sequel was just released!

Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell (Paperback)

I have an ebook version of this already but I'M QUOTED IN THE PAPERBACK! Aah, excitement because it's my first time and I'm so proud of myself for this achievement. Thank you Orion for sending me a copy!

A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin (Paperback)

The start of a series which inspired one of my favorite TV shows. This was won in a giveaway from Bath Festivals, thanks!

  

Smart by Kim Slater (Hardback)

I love the cover of this books and have had my eye on it for some time! To celebrate the release day, Catherine Alport, Macmillan's publicity manager, held a giveaway which I won. Thank you!

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince by J. K. Rowling (Hardback)

I've seen all of the movies but never had any interest in reading the books... Until halfway through an exam. I'm not sure why but I got the urge to do so and so I ordered the first I found 2nd hand online. I already have Deathly Hallows but that's a long story, maybe I'l tell it later. Also, surprise, it was a first edition and I paid £3 total for it, steal!

City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare (Paperback)

The end has come *cries*. I had to get my hands on a copy as soon as I could to avoid the spoiler plague, eww, and so unfortunately it is the huge edition that does not match the rest of my series so I will have to buy another copy to complete my collection.

  

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!