I'M FINISHED WITH EXAMS!!!! I'M FINISHED!!!! FINISHED!!! FINISHEDDDDDDDDDDDDD!!!!!!!!!
Did I mention I'm finished with exams? :D
That's right, year twelve exams are over for me, my last one was literature!!!
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Please excuse my lack or rational or logical thought as studying for exams, has scrambled my brain. I had one every day!! Thursday, Friday, weekend, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday !!! I'm done!!!!!!!
I shall now go into a sleep coma for three days to make up for the sleep I have missed, which if you did psych you know you don't have to do, but that is irrelivent
Then after that I'm going to go on a reading frenzy, then a doing nothing marathon and I'm going to learn how to make Jambalaya
I just really wanted to make it but I couldn't cause of exams.... so yeah Jambalaya!!
So as you may have noticed, I am a bit crazy.... wooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!
I should go now, hopefully I shall be posting soon
Byes!!
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Foals Bread - Readalong- Chapter Twenty to the End
Here goes #spoiler alert#
So first off I want to thank Danielle from The Book Nerd Club for hosting this readalong and Allen and Unwin
It was my first readalong and it was really cool knowing that the other bloggers were reading the same parts and it was interesting reading the different perspectives.
So I have finally come to the end of the book. In the last chapters Lainey claims she has given up on Noah, and it was so sad to me to see her long for her mothers love, for the Noah she used to know. It really hit me, the sadness of their relationship. The part that described Noah's experience with Uncle Nipper and Lainey with Uncle Noah was really hard to read, even harder than before. I felt so sick reading it and I nearly jumped up and cheered when Noah came and saved her. And part of me was horrified, and part of me was slightly amused when she did what she did to Uncle Owen, I think because it seemed so unreal, not in bad way though, if that makes sense. Of course, when I found out his fate the amusement left me, but still.
Noah's storyline really leaves a lasting impression. I remember my first thoughts on her, as being bright and lively, and then due to unfortunate circumstances, her life becomes quite tragic. Her character is very real, and there so much to her, that I really wanted things to work out for her. It really shows how things never turn out as you expect.
The epilogue was really beautiful. I was really glad that Lainey had found some measure of happiness, she has grandchildren and had two husbands. I wished she had mentioned George, it would have been nice to know if he had lived past his teens. The ending wasn't exactly happy but it was very real, and it fits in with the whole book as being a chronicle of their lives.
Overall, I must say I enjoyed the book, but to be honest I would have stopped reading it if I had read it without there being a readalong. A lot of parts were difficult for me to read in terms of content and writing style, but I think Mears portrays these life events really well. I wonder if maybe, I didn't this book as much as I could have because of my age? Or perhaps its because it's not really the type of book I read, but after this I think I may read more. I think this type of book is one you have to read numerous times to fully appreciate it, to get all its meanings, and in my case, to understand the finer points of the language.
So once again thank you for giving me the opportunity to read this.
Now it's off to exams:( English is first!!!
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Foals Bread - Readalong- Chapter Eight to Chapter Nineteen
So, spoiler alert just in case
I'm finding it difficult to read this book, I don't do well with the real or the nitty gritty which is what this book is definitely becoming.
Roley is finally bed ridden, unable to walk and bitter and desolate because of it. I felt Mears did a great job with the writing in terms of his despair and condition, which is why it made it so hard to read because it was so realistic. Having seen one of my own family members deteriorate, not in the same manner, it hit very close to home. Of course it greatly affects the rest of his family, Noah and Lainey especially. Noah and he don't talk, and have trouble conveying their feelings and so Roley dies leaving their relationship bitter, which is so sad since it was once so sweet. When Angus, hit on her I honestly thought she would go with it, and was surprised when she didn't.
Noah turns to drinking and develops a serious problem, and becomes jealous of Lainey. Lainey, seems to be the last person left who loves Noah as the rest of their family have turned their backs on her. Minna, whom I dislike so much is a hard woman, whose one redeeming quality, I feel is her intense love for her family even if it is slightly misdirected. After Roley's death she becomes even worse, directing all her anger at Noah.
I really enjoy Lainey as a character, I feel she inherited the best from her parents and I'm glad that she didn't let the horrible circumstances in her life turn her bitter or cruel, at least yet. I feel she's really bright and lively, and her voice is really the only one I enjoy reading.
There is only so many chapters left and I feel that this book is going to make me sad, I really don't think their can be any happy ending which, I suppose from the start I kind of felt would occur.
I am definitely interested though to see how it ends.
Sorry for the sloppy review! I will try harder next week for the final chapters.
Bye!
Friday, October 14, 2011
Foals Bread - Readalong- Chapter Seven to Chapter Thirteen
Hi guys!!
So here is my readalong part 2!
Okay, so first a little summary, and yes spoiler alert
After being hit by lightning Roley is progressively loosing the feeling in his legs, he is experiencing a sort of numbness and this is making him inactive, meaning Noah has to take on more of the work. This is putting a strain not only on their marriage but with their relationships with their extended family. Noah is gambling and may be developing a drinking problem, and finds she is no longer satisfied with her relationship, and is even beginning to 'flirt' with other men. Roley, understandably is becoming increasing frustrated and ashamed of himself and his legs, at the end of chapter thirteen he is witnessed by his daughter, Lainey, loosing it, hitting his legs and crying. Septumus, Roley's father dies, and Minna, his mother and Noah's relationship has become even more strained. Lainey is growing up to be a good horsewoman, strong and slightly reminiscent of her mother. George, is growing up happy but has been subjected to attacks due to his mental state.
So, after reading these chapters I found myself confused, I'm not really sure where the book is going, or the encompassing theme of it. It is basically an account of their lives in war time and the various ups and downs they experience.
I found myself getting increasingly frustrated with the characters, especially Roley and Noah, and their lack of communication, which I suppose was common back then. But knowing that doesn't stop me from wanting to scream out "Talk to each other!!!!". It's obviously putting a great strain on their relationship, and this is a problem they are both responsible for. Noah, has changed becoming slightly cruel and risky, dressing nice for other men, and still thinks fondly of her 'Uncle Nipper', I find it very difficult to read the parts where she describes him.I find myself being unable to relate to the characters anymore, and even dislike many of them.
The writing has gotten easier to read, but that's only because I've been skipping words I don't know, which unfortunately a lot, it's mostly slang though and I can infer the approximate meaning usually. As in previous chapters, horses and jumping are a constant presence, the death of a horse one central event that occurred in the chapters.
Lainey has grown to be very spirited, and good with the work her family does. She quite valiantly protected her brother when he was being attacked and I feel that a great portion of the next chapters will be about her. I was surprised by the fact that in previous chapters Noah's first child was mentioned many times, but in these one it was hardly mentioned at all.
It has stopped jumping so much in time, but ironically I wish it would now.
Can't want to read everyone else's thoughts!
Friday, October 7, 2011
Foals Bread - Readalong- Preamble to Chapter Six
Hi Guys!
So as I said I am participating in the Foal's Bread read along, and this post is about the Preamble to chapter six, I'm going to try and not post spoilers but I may, so beware.
So to start off I have never read anything of Gillian Mears, to be honest I had never heard of her before I signed up for the read along. I tried to gain a little background information but I couldn't find much.
Anyway, here are my initial thoughts!
To start of, the preamble was very poetic, descriptive and sort of spiritual, I can't really think of another way to describe it.
When I started reading the first chapter, what I noticed first was the language. I found myself having to reread parts twice, even three times for it to make sense or sometimes it still didn't. It is full of traditional Australian jargon and horse related metalanguage. It's very dated language too, as this is set, and forgive me if I get this wrong, post world war one and pre world war two. Once I got used to it though, it became easier to read. It's very beautiful, descriptive language that instantly gave me a image when I read it. I could clearly see in my mind the land, the blossoms of the honeymoon and even the hospital.
There are two main characters, Noah and Roley. At first I was a bit worried for Noah, and to be truthful I still am. I'm not sure if she knows that what occurred between her and her uncle was wrong as she still seems to care for him. I really dislike her father, as the animal cruelty part was really hard to read for me personally. Noah is a strong, wild, determined character that I really like. I also adore Roley, he is really sweet and the way he describes Noah is so cute, he obviously really cares for her. In a weird way I like his family, even his mother. They have their moments of ugliness, especially the racism towards Aboriginals, but overall I see them as a loving dysfunctional family, at least for now:)
The novel jumps in time a lot, it is linear but months, even years pass, which threw me a bit. I would have liked to see some moments that are only described when they think of the past.
Overall, even though it took me a while to get into the novel ,I am really enjoying reading it. Normally I guess what's going to happen but honestly I have no idea, so I'm really curious to find out.
So as I said I am participating in the Foal's Bread read along, and this post is about the Preamble to chapter six, I'm going to try and not post spoilers but I may, so beware.
So to start off I have never read anything of Gillian Mears, to be honest I had never heard of her before I signed up for the read along. I tried to gain a little background information but I couldn't find much.
Anyway, here are my initial thoughts!
To start of, the preamble was very poetic, descriptive and sort of spiritual, I can't really think of another way to describe it.
When I started reading the first chapter, what I noticed first was the language. I found myself having to reread parts twice, even three times for it to make sense or sometimes it still didn't. It is full of traditional Australian jargon and horse related metalanguage. It's very dated language too, as this is set, and forgive me if I get this wrong, post world war one and pre world war two. Once I got used to it though, it became easier to read. It's very beautiful, descriptive language that instantly gave me a image when I read it. I could clearly see in my mind the land, the blossoms of the honeymoon and even the hospital.
There are two main characters, Noah and Roley. At first I was a bit worried for Noah, and to be truthful I still am. I'm not sure if she knows that what occurred between her and her uncle was wrong as she still seems to care for him. I really dislike her father, as the animal cruelty part was really hard to read for me personally. Noah is a strong, wild, determined character that I really like. I also adore Roley, he is really sweet and the way he describes Noah is so cute, he obviously really cares for her. In a weird way I like his family, even his mother. They have their moments of ugliness, especially the racism towards Aboriginals, but overall I see them as a loving dysfunctional family, at least for now:)
The novel jumps in time a lot, it is linear but months, even years pass, which threw me a bit. I would have liked to see some moments that are only described when they think of the past.
Overall, even though it took me a while to get into the novel ,I am really enjoying reading it. Normally I guess what's going to happen but honestly I have no idea, so I'm really curious to find out.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Hi guys!
I have a couple of things to tell you!
1) I have been a horrible blogger and for that I apologize. I promise reviews and don't deliver, I ask for recommendations and either read them and don't review or don't even read them, and my posts are so sporadic. All I can say in my defense is Year 12 happened. I never expected it to be like this, so time consuming and draining. But I can promise that once this is all over, in a few months (OMG!! A few months!!!!! That's all I have left, not sure if that's good or bad....) I will try to make up for my misdeeds:) and be a better blogger. I want to say a big thanks to everyone who follows me, despite my once in a blue moon posts and thank you to all the comments that make me want to write a new post, even when I am up at 1:00 in the morning completing a literature exam! Don't worry, I don't stay up that late anymore, its not good! A big thanks to Jess from the Tales Compendium, who first commented on my blog and inspires me to be better blogger!
2) Despite my lack of time and posts I am participating in the Foal's Bread by Gillian Mears read-along hosted by Danielle from The Book Nerd Club. This is most likely the only reading I will do besides my literature and English texts and also the thing that will keep me from going insane! I will be posting from the 8th of October about the novel, along with five other awesome bloggers! I can't wait to share my thoughts with you guys.
3) Just quickly, in August, I got the chance to meet Maria V Snyder!!! Ahhhh, she is like in my top ten authors, it was simply amazing! She talked for a bit, answered questions and then signed books. I got three books signed and told her how much I loved Ari and Janco and how much I wished they were my friends/ brothers. I was so excited!
4) Yesterday, was MY BIRTHDAY!!! I turned 18! But unfortunately, due to it being year 12 I had to go into school for two hours and a half to do math, my most hated subject. Not much fun, but luckily the week before on Sunday I went to Luna Park with my friends and we had an awesome time. I had never really been on rides or roller coasters before so that was new. We also had a wooooing battle with a guy on a viking ship, needless to say we won! So yeah, I am officially, (in the eyes of the law anyway) an adult! In the eyes of my parents... not so much:-)
5) I was one of the million to receive early entry into Pottermore. I was just wondering if anyone else had, please tell me your thoughts on it. My name is BloodMagic161 and I am a Ravenclaw, my friends joke that my name is too pure blood and that I should be in Slytherin!
6) Lastly, I just wanted to inform people that my to be read pile of books has somehow grown puppy eyes and is looking at me saying "read me!!! Why aren't you reading me?" I hid it but I am still somehow always aware of it. (No, I'm not insane..... right?)
So anyway, that has been me for the last couple of months. After the read- along I will most likely disappear until December/ January. But I shall be back!!
Bye!
I have a couple of things to tell you!
1) I have been a horrible blogger and for that I apologize. I promise reviews and don't deliver, I ask for recommendations and either read them and don't review or don't even read them, and my posts are so sporadic. All I can say in my defense is Year 12 happened. I never expected it to be like this, so time consuming and draining. But I can promise that once this is all over, in a few months (OMG!! A few months!!!!! That's all I have left, not sure if that's good or bad....) I will try to make up for my misdeeds:) and be a better blogger. I want to say a big thanks to everyone who follows me, despite my once in a blue moon posts and thank you to all the comments that make me want to write a new post, even when I am up at 1:00 in the morning completing a literature exam! Don't worry, I don't stay up that late anymore, its not good! A big thanks to Jess from the Tales Compendium, who first commented on my blog and inspires me to be better blogger!
2) Despite my lack of time and posts I am participating in the Foal's Bread by Gillian Mears read-along hosted by Danielle from The Book Nerd Club. This is most likely the only reading I will do besides my literature and English texts and also the thing that will keep me from going insane! I will be posting from the 8th of October about the novel, along with five other awesome bloggers! I can't wait to share my thoughts with you guys.
3) Just quickly, in August, I got the chance to meet Maria V Snyder!!! Ahhhh, she is like in my top ten authors, it was simply amazing! She talked for a bit, answered questions and then signed books. I got three books signed and told her how much I loved Ari and Janco and how much I wished they were my friends/ brothers. I was so excited!
5) I was one of the million to receive early entry into Pottermore. I was just wondering if anyone else had, please tell me your thoughts on it. My name is BloodMagic161 and I am a Ravenclaw, my friends joke that my name is too pure blood and that I should be in Slytherin!
6) Lastly, I just wanted to inform people that my to be read pile of books has somehow grown puppy eyes and is looking at me saying "read me!!! Why aren't you reading me?" I hid it but I am still somehow always aware of it. (No, I'm not insane..... right?)
So anyway, that has been me for the last couple of months. After the read- along I will most likely disappear until December/ January. But I shall be back!!
Bye!
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Sisterhood Everlasting- Ann Brashares
So I haven't written a review in so long because really I haven't read anything for fun for so long! All I have been reading is books for my English class and Literature class which has driven me nuts and frankly to near depression. So I took a break from my endless studies and mountain of homework to read a book from one of my favorite authors Ann Brashares, who wrote the series the Sisterhood of the Traveling pants, one of my favorite teen series.
This book, Sisterhood Everlasting is the fifth and I believe last story in the series. So right now I'm not really going to write a review, it's more like a recommend mini review I suppose. See there's an event that happens quite early on in the book that is major and I believe that I'm not smart enough to write a review about this book without it being spoiler free and interesting. Besides, I really want to voice my feelings about this book and discuss it. So, and bear with me, I'm going to write a little on this book, spoiler free and hopefully this will make you want to read it. And then when you have, you can read my other review that I shall hopefully post soon and you can agree with me or disagree and discuss, which I sincerely hope you will because I'm literally bursting to discuss this book. So here I go!
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Ann Brashares comes the welcome return of the characters whose friendship became a touchstone for a generation. Now Tibby, Lena, Carmen, and Bridget have grown up, starting their lives on their own. And though the jeans they shared are long gone, the sisterhood is everlasting.
Despite having jobs and men that they love, each knows that something is missing: the closeness that once sustained them. Carmen is a successful actress in New York, engaged to be married, but misses her friends. Lena finds solace in her art, teaching in Rhode Island, but still thinks of Kostos and the road she didn’t take. Bridget lives with her longtime boyfriend, Eric, in San Francisco, and though a part of her wants to settle down, a bigger part can’t seem to shed her old restlessness.
Then Tibby reaches out to bridge the distance, sending the others plane tickets for a reunion that they all breathlessly await. And indeed, it will change their lives forever—but in ways that none of them could ever have expected.
As moving and life-changing as an encounter with long-lost best friends, Sisterhood Everlasting is a powerful story about growing up, losing your way, and finding the courage to create a new one.
This book is set about eleven or so years since we last left the Sisterhood and things have changed. The four have drifted apart, as Carmen says 'growing up is hard on a friendship'. Carmen is a successful actress, engaged to be married to Jones, a man none of her friends like. Lena teaches art and finds herself living in the past, refusing to move forward. Free spirit Bridget now lives with Eric but is constantly moving and can't keep still. Tibby has moved away from them all to Australia with her boyfriend Brian. They hardly keep in contact and what they do have is mostly superficial. It's a lot different from what the sisterhood used to be or what they ever imagined and hoped. Then suddenly Tibby sends the Sisterhood tickets and a invitation for a reunion, and what they find when they arrive will change them irrevocably forever. So that's all I can say about the plot, which I must admit is basically what the blurb says.
This book was beautifully and amazingly written and I loved revisiting the characters from my childhood. It was very realistically written, to the point where I could see these characters emotions and actions in people I know. I must warn those who want to read it though, I don't think I can view or read the previous four books the same way ever again. It's very nitty gritty, raw and emotional and changes a lot of what I feel now when I think of this series. If you want preserve the characters as they were in the fourth book don't read this one.
However that said I don't think anyone who has read the series will not want to read this book anyway.
There's a lot of major and I mean major shocks and revelations in this book, literally sometimes I would stop breathing and reread the passage twenty times just for it to make sense! I cried a lot, and went through many powerful emotions while reading this.
I just want to briefly comment on the cover, the flower one is the cover we have in Australia, I think that the other one suits it a bit more but I was happy with the one I have. I feel it's a little more mature than the previous covers and this reflects the change in the series.
So to conclude my mini review I just want to say I really liked to book but be forewarned that there may be tears and near heart attacks when reading this book:) Also I feel that if you haven't read the previous books you shouldn't read this one first because a lot of it won't make sense, it's definitely more powerful and meaningful if you read it with the other four books in mind and also the other books are really good so you should read them anyway.
I shall try to find time to write my other more detailed, spoiler including review soon and I hope that people will read the book so they can have a chat with me about this book because I really want to discuss it. Sorry for this confusing, all over the place mini review:P
On a side note I'm going to see Harry Potter on Sunday! I'm so excited and scared and sad at the same time. I really want to see it and yet I'm super sad that it's finally going to end. Harry Potter is my childhood and I can't imagine life without waiting for the next installment of either the book or films. I feel that when I finish seeing the movies that there's going to be this metaphysical void in me:D Am I sounding too dramatic? But that's how I seriously feel. I shall write more after seeing the film.
So bye guys!
This book, Sisterhood Everlasting is the fifth and I believe last story in the series. So right now I'm not really going to write a review, it's more like a recommend mini review I suppose. See there's an event that happens quite early on in the book that is major and I believe that I'm not smart enough to write a review about this book without it being spoiler free and interesting. Besides, I really want to voice my feelings about this book and discuss it. So, and bear with me, I'm going to write a little on this book, spoiler free and hopefully this will make you want to read it. And then when you have, you can read my other review that I shall hopefully post soon and you can agree with me or disagree and discuss, which I sincerely hope you will because I'm literally bursting to discuss this book. So here I go!
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Ann Brashares comes the welcome return of the characters whose friendship became a touchstone for a generation. Now Tibby, Lena, Carmen, and Bridget have grown up, starting their lives on their own. And though the jeans they shared are long gone, the sisterhood is everlasting.
Despite having jobs and men that they love, each knows that something is missing: the closeness that once sustained them. Carmen is a successful actress in New York, engaged to be married, but misses her friends. Lena finds solace in her art, teaching in Rhode Island, but still thinks of Kostos and the road she didn’t take. Bridget lives with her longtime boyfriend, Eric, in San Francisco, and though a part of her wants to settle down, a bigger part can’t seem to shed her old restlessness.
Then Tibby reaches out to bridge the distance, sending the others plane tickets for a reunion that they all breathlessly await. And indeed, it will change their lives forever—but in ways that none of them could ever have expected.
As moving and life-changing as an encounter with long-lost best friends, Sisterhood Everlasting is a powerful story about growing up, losing your way, and finding the courage to create a new one.
This book is set about eleven or so years since we last left the Sisterhood and things have changed. The four have drifted apart, as Carmen says 'growing up is hard on a friendship'. Carmen is a successful actress, engaged to be married to Jones, a man none of her friends like. Lena teaches art and finds herself living in the past, refusing to move forward. Free spirit Bridget now lives with Eric but is constantly moving and can't keep still. Tibby has moved away from them all to Australia with her boyfriend Brian. They hardly keep in contact and what they do have is mostly superficial. It's a lot different from what the sisterhood used to be or what they ever imagined and hoped. Then suddenly Tibby sends the Sisterhood tickets and a invitation for a reunion, and what they find when they arrive will change them irrevocably forever. So that's all I can say about the plot, which I must admit is basically what the blurb says.
This book was beautifully and amazingly written and I loved revisiting the characters from my childhood. It was very realistically written, to the point where I could see these characters emotions and actions in people I know. I must warn those who want to read it though, I don't think I can view or read the previous four books the same way ever again. It's very nitty gritty, raw and emotional and changes a lot of what I feel now when I think of this series. If you want preserve the characters as they were in the fourth book don't read this one.
However that said I don't think anyone who has read the series will not want to read this book anyway.
There's a lot of major and I mean major shocks and revelations in this book, literally sometimes I would stop breathing and reread the passage twenty times just for it to make sense! I cried a lot, and went through many powerful emotions while reading this.
I just want to briefly comment on the cover, the flower one is the cover we have in Australia, I think that the other one suits it a bit more but I was happy with the one I have. I feel it's a little more mature than the previous covers and this reflects the change in the series.
So to conclude my mini review I just want to say I really liked to book but be forewarned that there may be tears and near heart attacks when reading this book:) Also I feel that if you haven't read the previous books you shouldn't read this one first because a lot of it won't make sense, it's definitely more powerful and meaningful if you read it with the other four books in mind and also the other books are really good so you should read them anyway.
I shall try to find time to write my other more detailed, spoiler including review soon and I hope that people will read the book so they can have a chat with me about this book because I really want to discuss it. Sorry for this confusing, all over the place mini review:P
On a side note I'm going to see Harry Potter on Sunday! I'm so excited and scared and sad at the same time. I really want to see it and yet I'm super sad that it's finally going to end. Harry Potter is my childhood and I can't imagine life without waiting for the next installment of either the book or films. I feel that when I finish seeing the movies that there's going to be this metaphysical void in me:D Am I sounding too dramatic? But that's how I seriously feel. I shall write more after seeing the film.
So bye guys!
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