The Fault In Our Stars by John Green

Title: The Fault In Our Stars
Author: John Green
313 Pages

Rating: 5/5

I read this book last year and it quickly because my favourite book of all time. Since it came out in January last year I thought it was a good time to re-read it and I'd forgotten just how much I loved this book.

The Fault In Our Stars is the story of 16 year old Hazel who has a form of cancer that affects her lungs and 17 year old Augustus who lost his leg to cancer. Although cancer and illness are obviously one of the main themes of this book, it's about a lot more than that.

I think one of the reasons I love this book so much is because it shows how 2 teenagers make the best out of the situations they find themselves in, often without meaning to. I also like the fact that what you think will happen doesn't and things don't always go their way. I also think the other characters are all really believable, from Hazel and Gus' parents to their other friends.

I really can't recommend this book enough. I think it's truly one of the most amazing books I've read and it's one that, if I had the time, I would happily sit down and read cover to cover.

This book has several paragraphs and sentences in it that I think are truly amazing pieces of writing, so I thought I'd share one with you:

"My thoughts are stars I can't fathom into constellations."

(Book 2/50)

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews

Title: Me and Earl and the Dying Girl
Author: Jesse Andrews
295 Pages

Rating 4/5

After seeing many BookTubers rave about this book (mainly padfootandprongs07 and jessethereader) I asked for it for Christmas and if was definitely worth it! There's just something about this book that I found amazing and couldn't put down. I wouldn't recommend it for younger readers because it's got a lot of humour in it that wouldn't be understood by younger people and some of the language used isn't appropriate for anyone under the age of around 13 I would say. Obviously, that's just my opinion though.

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl is written from the perspective of Greg Gaines, a typical high school student who's main aim is to remain 'friendly' with everyone without committing to one social group. His only real friend is a boy named Earl and even then, they describe their relationship as 'professional'. One day, Greg's mother tells him how a girl named Rachel that he knew when he was younger has been diagnosed with Leukemia. Greg then decides to spend time with Rachel, more because he feels as though he has too than wants to.

This book says so it's self, it is not a typical 'caner book'. There's something about the way this book was written that made me fully believe that Jesse Andrews was really Gregory Gaines and the character was so believable, even in writing style, that I found this book was really unique.

I can see how this isn't the kind of book everyone would enjoy but if you think it might be your cup of tea, try it because it's definitely worth reading.

(Book 1/50)

50 Books Challenge!

The end of the year marks the end of the 50 books challenge. It was my first year attempting this and I didn't start properly until around April time but I decided I wanted to finish it now so I could start fresh with a new year. Unfortunately, I didn't manage to read 50 books in 2012 but I finished with 41 read which I still feel is pretty good. To me, the whole point of the 50 books challenge is to encourage yourself to read more by setting yourself a goal and although I didn't quite reach my goal, I think I probably read more books in 2012 than I have in any other year of my life.

I have a good feeling about 2013 as a reading year and I am setting myself the goal of 50 again because I feel as though it's a good number to aim for. I'll try and document how I do by writing reviews for as many of the books I read as possible and if you're taking part in the same challenge please leave a comment letting me know! I'd love to see other people's reviews to encourage me to read even more!

So here's to a great 2013, both in reading and otherwise.

Happy New Year :)

My Top 12 books of 2012!

2012 is the year that I fully began to love books. It's the year I discovered the online book community with it's book bloggers and booktubers, the year I discovered my now favourite author of all time (John Green) and the year I started this blog. Because of all this, I decided to create a list of my top 12 favourite books of 2012. Let me know whether you agree with any of them or not and what you think I should read in 2013. As a side note, these aren't really in any particular order. I love most of them equally with the exception of a few at the top of the list. :)

10. Let It Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson and Lauren Myracle

I read this book just before Christmas and fell in love with it. It's the perfect Christmas book in my opinion and definitely a must read around the festive period!

9. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

After hearing loads of rave reviews about this book I decided to read it and could absolutely see why it deserved those reviews. The plot of the book is so original and unlike anything I've ever come across before.

8. The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins

I know this isn't one book but I decided to cheat a little as it would've taken up too many spaces in the list otherwise. With the film coming out this year I decided to read all 3 books and instantly fell in love with them. They were the first dystopian books I read and I would definitely try more in the genre and have done this year! Anyone thinking of reading them should.

7. Out of Sight, Out of Time by Ally Carter

As much as I feel that this series is probably aimed at people younger than myself, I really enjoy every addition to it. The idea of a spy school is one that makes me wish I was part of the novel and is a must read for any teenage girl who would secretly love to be a spy.

6. Looking For Alaska by John Green

I read all of John Green's books this year and Looking For Alaska was the one that made me wish I went to boarding school. It's a perfect example of John Green's excellent writing and ability to create characters that leave the reader wishing they were best friends with them. 

5. The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

As a girl who loves a good romance novel from time to time, I fell in love with this book instantly. I fell in love with the characters more than anything. A quick read, but one that is still worth the read.

4. Paper Towns by John Green

Yet another example of John Green's phenomenal writing skills in Paper Towns. This book made me feel like I was actually a part of the journey that the characters went on and I loved it so much.

3. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Stephanie Perkins has a way of writing that makes you fall in love with her characters and you find yourself completely unable to put her story down for even an hour. It was the perfect summer read and I will be reading Lola and the Boy Next Door next year!

2. Divergent/Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Again I have cheated a little bit with this one and decided to combine the 2 in one spot on the list. The world that Veronica Roth created in the Divergent books is so amazing that I found it completely impossible to stop reading. The way Insurgent ended also was by far one of the most gripping endings I've ever read in a book and I can't wait for the 3rd book to come out!

1. The Fault In Our Stars by John Green

I love TFiOS more than any book I'd ever read before when I read it and the reason I've put it at the top of my list for 2012 is that it was the book that started my love of reading. I've always read books but after seeing so many people online talking about The Fault in Our Stars I decided to read it around April and it opened up a world of online book lovers to me, that I soon discovered I was part of. This book opened up a world of books that I never knew existed before it and since reading it I've found many favourite books and discovered the writing of many amazing authors. John Green has a way of writing about a sad topic in a way that remains happy and positive until the exact right moment and it is a truly amazing book.