The Book Tag

I saw this post over on The Giggly Blogger and I knew immediately that this was for me. I love reading so so so much and so I'd love to spread the word (excellent pun there.....)

- Do you have a certain place where you read?

My bed. It's the most relaxing place to curl up and read a good story. 

- Bookmark or a random piece of paper?

I'm one of these awful people that fold down the corner of the page. I know, I'm a horrible person. *hangs head in shame* BUT IN MY DEFENCE - I always end up losing a book mark....

- Can you stop reading at any moment or do you have to finish the chapter?

I usually try to finish the chapter, unless I fell asleep or had to stop for some particular reason.

- Do you eat or drink whilst reading?

No. I'm so desperately clumsy that I drop crumbs everywhere/spill anything. Don't want a soggy book now, do we?

- Can you read whilst listening to music/ watching tv?

Nope. I get far too distracted. 

- One book at a time or several at once?

Oh one at a time. I can barely keep up with one, let alone any others. I've tried reading loads, but I'd end up picking a favourite and just reading that one and then I lose my place in the others. Too much hassle. I'll stick to one.

- Reading at home or everywhere?

EVERYWHERE. When I'm in college, I literally take my book everywhere. It's perfect for waiting for practice rooms/on the bus/chillin'.

- Reading out loud or silently in your head?

In my head. 

- Do you skip pages?

No!!!! That really ought to be a crime!!!

- Breaking the spine or keeping it new?

I don't understand people who don't break the spine. I once dated a guy who didn't, and when I borrowed his copy of The Da Vinci Code, I was so scared of breaking it in case he shouted at me and I was terrified of the book. Sorry, but life is too short.

- Do you write in books?

Sometimes. If there's something that's really caught my eye then I'll underline it.

I'm going to tag aaaaall of you. If you enjoy reading/books/whatever then please take a few minutes to finish this! :) 

Harri xxx 

Things That Make Me Happy

 I woke up this morning in a foul mood. Don't know why, but I was all (as the welsh say) cyntachu. There is no translation for that word. Sorry.
I did nothing differently this morning, but nothing seemed to be going right.

So I thought I'd make a list of all the small day-to-day things I am grateful for, and the things that give me pleasure in life:

my favourite shower gel | reading | oboe | playing something right | late night phone calls | cwtches | cute texts | dinner with friends | film nights | exploring new places | tidy rooms | my harry potter t-shirt | listening to music | having me-time | baking | fancy dress | food | knitting | yoga | writing letters | receiving letters | doing right in the world | little victories | family time | travelling | my hair looking good without effort | finding bargains in charity shops | chivalry | tea | smiling | disney | bubble baths | parcels | cinema trips | smell of pages | cats

view from my kitchen

Possibly the coolest cat ever

What makes you happy? :)

Review | The Fault In Our Stars

The Fault In Our Stars, by Mr John Green, has been #1 on the New York Times Children's Best Seller's List, #1 on the Amazon Best Seller's List, and has had an amazing reaction from fans all over the cyberworld. However, I am not usually one to read a book simply because it's popular. I'm not sure why, I seem to get it into my head that because so many people are reading it, then it can't be that good. Please don't ask me how my brain has managed to come to that conclusion, I have no idea. But yeah, the jist is, I tend to avoid reading the currently popular books.

Many, many, many people had insisted that I must read TFIOS and that it would make me sob like a baby. As many of my friends know that I cry at every single emotion. Happiness, sadness, anger, frustration, fear, shock, laughter. You name it, my reaction would probably be to have tears sprouting from my
eyes. And I cry in practically every film. Another reason why I wasn't particularly drawn to read it. Why would I want to read a book that would make me bawl like a baby?

Anyway, there was one day I was making a large Amazon book haul, I saw that the book was £3.85 so I figured, what the heck? It was added to the basket, and two weeks later it was on my doorstep. Last weekend I went to London, and I thought I'd take it for some easy reading on the train. It was very easy to read, I very much enjoyed Mr John Green's style of writing as it is not dissimilar to his way of speaking on his vlogs, which I try and watch every week. I finished it in a day.

"The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves" - William Shakespeare.

I'm going to assume that this is the quote that inspired the title of this book. I can see that Mr John Green has used the quote almost ironically, as the tragic love story between Hazel Grace Lancaster and Augustus Waters is very much written in the stars and it is fate what is happening to them and there is nothing that can be changed about it.

Here is where my opinion may be a little different to the majority of people.....I wasn't that overly impressed it. The story, in my opinion, is a little so-so, and I feel that it got the attention it received because the story was centred around cancer. I didn't sob like people had promised. I did get a little lump in my throat, but I was completely dry-eyed for the entire book. I found the main character a little irritating, constantly comparing herself to a fictional character of her favourite book, and to be honest, I think I would have preferred to know the story from Gus's point of view (although I can see how that wouldn't quite work.....)

They fell in love in what seemed like 5 minutes, and they are of the ages of 16 and 17. I'm sorry, but it is highly unlikely that what they were feeling was indeed True Love, and even if [SPOILER ALERT] Gus hadn't died at the end, the relationship probably would not have lasted for a long time. I may be wrong, but I couldn't help think this with every sentence that I read.

I spoke to a very good friend of mine, and although she hadn't read the book, she said that one of the reasons why the story is so popular is due to the romantic and tragic notion of the two protagonists suffering from this disease and the inevitability of death. However, don't you think that this may be romanticising a dreadful disease like cancer?

I am terribly sorry to my dear friends who had recommended me to read TFIOS to read, but it had very high expectations, and the book simply did not live up to them.

If you have any opinions that you would like to share with me, then please feel free to discuss them in the comments below.