Book Purchase January 2016

Okay. So you all know that I'm a huge Potter fan. Or maybe that hasn't come across since I haven't had the opportunity to write the reviews yet. I felt like maybe I should reread them before I start writing so that I don't get a bit muddled up. Or maybe it's just an excuse to reread them, cause now I am. Rereading The Order of The Phoenix.

The following is probably going to be so hard to explain. So I own all the Harry Potter books in the Swedish edition. Because you know when you're nine you tend to read in you mother tongue and not the language you've studied for like two years. So I've got all of those. Happy and satisfied. I got the first three from my grandma and then I started collecting the other as I went. I actually like the covers quite a lot to be honest.

So when I moved to England I started buying the English versions because I wanted to reread them in the original language and because I could. So I bought the first four without difficulty. What I didn't realise was that they were of the signature collection and now they don't sell them anymore!! And some of you may know that I'm really picky about editions and covers. I need every book in the series to be the same edition and size. Why? Because being a fandom is not just about reading. For me reading is like collecting stamps. I know, stupid simile, but true. I have most of my books on display in my room so I get irritated when stuff don't look perfect. So, now I obviously want the whole series in English.

So my friend was like just buy them from charity shops. They always have them. You just have to pop in now and then. And they are usually in good shape. Then my mum (being present) said that she had seen the whole series in the original colourful striped hardcover. So I was like yes, lets go. But when we went they only had book four and five. So mum was like no point in buying them then and I got convinced. I know. WTH!

So then we went to this 2nd hand charity book shop (yes, just books, in amazing condition and super cheap) and they had book six in the same edition as the other charity shop had. I bought it and decided to go back to the other one and get the other two and when asking in the shop she said that they do come now and again and that you have to pop in regularly to check.

I didn't get the chance to go in at the end of the day and get them but my mum and younger sister popped in and she called me saying that the fourth one was missing pages so I was like: how did you notice that you know, but don't buy it cause what is the point? Turns out they were tricking me (I always fall for these things) and my sister wanted to surprise me. She's an angel.

So I decided that it would have to take a little time to get my complete series in the original covers. I don't really mind the books being read through and a little worn out around the edges. I like that because some of my books are really worn out. It shows they've been read and brought with you in your bag and appreciated you know.

So bought those three books this week. Just realised like every paragraph has started with 'so'. I'm not a very good story teller.

However, I then realised that I can't build up my complete series in second hand hard covers and then have four of the signature edition uncompleted. No, I will not have it. So I search around amazon, but they're all used (which is fine) but The Order of the Phoenix was £22! I mean give me break. And the others were like £13. So I started looking at e-bay but found this website called alibris that sell second hand books really cheap. So I got The Order of the Phoenix for £1.25, The Half-Blood Prince for £11.49 and The Deathly Hallows for £0.71 plus £6.77. I didn't mind the shipping since the price in total still ended up cheaper than £22. They were all in 'very good' condition on the website and now I have the complete series. They proved very hard to find though.

Mind you, this doesn't mean I'll stop searching for the hard covers. I'm still getting there. I don't mind if that results in me having three completed series of Harry Potter in different editions. The more the merrier!

Which covers to you have and does it matter a lot to you?

Shadowhunters Season 1 Episode 1: The Decent Into Hell Isn't Easy (Decter 2016)

They are doing okay so far.

Simon is good at what he's doing and the relationship between him and Isabelle is very similar to that in the book. The silent brothers looked like I imagined.

However, I do have some major problems:

• They do not visit the Silent brothers this early. Right? And they are supposed to lead her to Magnus Bane. They certainly didn't do that.
• Since when does Clary find out that Valetine is her father this quickly. I think this causes major problems for the plot as we know it. It might allow possibilities in the plot for their plot, but it's based on the book.
• When the heck did Simon just get captured by the vampires in his car. Common. We're not even going to give the party ago with the funny drinks and the rat moment. That's how it all happened, right?
• Who the heck is Dot. Okay. So I thought she was the fortune teller kind of lady living down stairs who turns out to be a demon and attacks Clary. Whats up with this whole turns out to be a demon in Episode 1 and Jace kills her but then she turns up in her human figure again and is all of a sudden a warlock. I either really misunderstood something in the books or I've just forgotten, but Dot is confusing me so much.
• Where is Magnus Bane going? Where is he escaping and all that. And the circle members killing warlocks. Don't remember that either.

So either I really need to refresh my memory from the books or the series are changing a whole lot of things. If you disagree with something please tell me. I'd love to hear from you.

2016: Reading - Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Ok gang. So I know I said I would read at least 10 books this year, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix being one of them. So I have taken a massive break in the middle of the book. Chapter 22 to be exact. And since I have an ongoing Harry Potter marathon with my friend and we massive Harry Potter discussions I decided to pick up the book again. Since I don't have the book in English I had to read in Swedish, which isn't too bad but the translation doesn't always match the English so sometimes the characters can come across a bit different. Maybe that's because I'm picky and I read in both languages.

So anyways, started reading again and realised I needed a massive catch up. Still enjoying it loads. I mean, who cannot enjoy Harry Potter (except that annoying guy on Goodreads who gave it 1/5 and people are upset and commanding aggressively on his review).

So have to buy it in English, but there you go. I get so captured by this that I find it really hard to focus on school work. I'll get there guys and then I'll write a review because I need to refresh my memory so can't do that yet. I'll probably end up reading The Half-Blood Prince and The Deathly Hallows just because I'm in the mood right now.

Shadowhunters Season 1 Episode 1: The Mortal Cup (Decter, 2016)

Sooooo....

What did you guys think? I've been quite critical towards this tv series, mainly because I though Clary look really scary on the poster. Otherwise, I was pretty excited. It was all over Instagram before Christmas and I was so confused until I finally realised... that they were making a tv series!! How cool is that?

I think there were pros and cons of the pilot. Clary was much better than the poster promised. Also, she's ginger. Guess what? She's ginger in the books! Well done! Jace I was pretty pleased with to be honest. I liked him in the film but he was really good here too. Isabelle and Alec I can't make my mind up about. They certain look like siblings so that's good. I don't think the "white" wig suits Isabelle, I'm going to be honest about that.

The institute confused me a bit. Have I missed out something in the books or is that high tech and that many people and so on? It was cool and impressive, but the film portrayed it closer to my interpretation.

The story about Clary's mum desperately trying to tell Clary about the shadowhunters bugged me a little. That was never in the books and it was slightly suspicious.

Although the TV series has added an odd character in: Simon's friend in his band I'll buy that for now. Although I swear he gets another friend later on the book series with a certain interest in the moon.

Overall, I'm quite pleased. It's hard to judge a series based on one episode. I think the action could be improved somewhat. Some scenes weren't quite as "actiony" as they could've been.

Also, what I find a little odd. Isabelle doesn't seem to be aware that Alec is gay and fancies Jace. She seems surprised when Alec is upset over the fact that Jace cares about Clary. This should not be the case. She knows.

We'll give it a try.

My rating:
6/10

For my review on the film The Mortal Instruments - City of Bones (Zwart, 2014) click here.

Me About Wattpad

I haven't always been a fan of wattpad. When I first found out about it I thought it was really cool and I really wanted to post my own stories and I read some as well. But after a while I got tired and wanted to read 'real' books. So I forgot about it for about two years.

Until I decided that I wanted to put up my own book on wattpad because I had something. So I thought that if I want to have my stuff read I might as well read other's work too. I have also recently read some pretty bad books on iBooks that have been free. So I thought if I want to read on my phone, then why not read on Wattpad. There are some really talented writers on there and you can find pretty epic stuff that hasn't been published. Just imagine, being one of the first people reading a book! And it also gives me a chance to put up my work. The more you read and comment the more people will find your work. So it's a two way street and it's a great community.

And you can get spotted. Fifty Shades of Grey was originally written on a similar website and is now a best selling book. My life with the Walter Boys was originally drafted on Wattpad and is now a book on the shelves. It's pretty amazing how you can get feedback and participate in competitions and so on.

And you can create your own book covers and so on. That's really important for your book and image and can be pretty hard too!

So I've started to read Wattpad stories whenever I'm on my phone because it's a good way of spending my time. I usually hate having eBooks because I prefer having the physical book. But these books don't even "exist" so I find it a good way to spend time!

Tell me what you think!

The Awakening by K. E. Ganshert (2015)

Title: The Awakening

Author: K.E. Ganshert

Series: The Gifting #2

Pages: 314 (Kindle)

Published: Jul 1st 2015

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

Okay, so I bought this book as soon as I'd finished the first one. This book is thought through so well. I was really hooked. The hub is amazing and the characters are so interesting. I love the development between Tess and Luka and how Tess keeps on looking for her grandma.

The background stuff about the gifting is so cool. The Shields, The Linkers, The Cloaks and the Keepers along with the Fighters is really clever. The dream space is such a good idea and how they startle to get out of dreams. I'm so happy that Tess is special in the way that she is a Linker and a Fighter and that Luka is her Keeper. Could it get anymore perfect?!

I'm so grateful I even found this book, and the first for free on iBooks! It is to the same quality as Divergent and The Hungergames. No, I'm serious. I think it could be a really cool film, for real. It's real film material.

I have this feeling about trilogies and please feel free to comment, because I think it is a very interest concept (whether it is intentional or nor not it is a continuous pattern). Trilogies always start nice which a disequilibrium that is disturbing. Tess thinks she's mad and tries to make it through high school as she goes to her therapist and meets Luka. Tris is divergent and goes to get trained as a dauntless. Katniss gets selected for the Hungergames and makes her way through. However in the second book things get out of control. Tess and Luke escape. Tris and Four are on the run. (All these four letter names!) Katniss' war with Snow starts with the 75th Hungergames. And then in the third book is kind of just the same as the second in a way that it continues on this war. This is were the trilogy has totally moved on from the first book. It is nothing like the first book. Tess will never go back to high school. Tris will never go back to abnegation. And Katniss has no District 12 to go back to. I get this feeling of loss for the first book. Kinda miss the "cozy" feeling of Tess at high school, Tris in Dauntless training and Katniss in the regular Hungergames. Do you get me? Of course this is all part of the trilogy and it has to go this way or we would get bored and things develop and so on. But I was reading the third book of the Gathering (the book after this) and I realised that some characters will never show up again. They've moved on. And it's this strange feeling of for boding because you can never go back and nowadays books end pretty badly (and realistically I guess). Anyone who agrees or disagrees? Please feel free to comment. I don't know why I brought it up here of all posts but there you go. Might repeat it again separately some other time.

Plot Summary:

Tess Eckhart isn’t crazy. She’s not suffering from psychosis. She and Luka Williams are part of The Gifting. Before they can find out what that means, the man with all the answers turns up dead. The only thing he left behind? A few patient files that lead to the nation’s most lawless city.

With authorities chasing them, Luka and Tess escape into the very heart of peril and against all odds, find an underground community of people just like them. They aren’t gathered together for the sole purpose of survival, either. They have a plan and a purpose—to awaken as many people with The Gifting as possible. It’s dangerous and deadly work. Tess wants to help. Luka is desperate to keep her safe—a task that proves increasingly difficult as Tess’s gifting comes to light.

Is Tess Eckhart the One they’ve been waiting for? The One who can save them all?

Favourite Quote:

"A person can choose not to believe it, but that doesn’t make their soul go away. It’s there, whether they want to acknowledge it or not. The supernatural realm is just as real as the physical one, only you can’t see it. It’s the realm of good and evil, light and dark. From everything we can gather, these two forces are at war, and in order to join the battle, passageways are required." - Link

"That last option should make me rejoice, but I am a selfish creature." - Tess

"It’s true when they say knowledge equals power. After what I learned in the cafeteria, I feel like I have a handful of it in my back pocket.

And I want more." - Tess

My Rating:
10/10.
I cannot stress enough how much I love these books.

Other Books In These Series:
The Gifting (The Gifting Book 1)
The Awakening (The Gifting Book 2)
The Gathering (The Gifting Book 3)

Star Wars: The Force Awakens - Episode VII (Abrams, 2015)

So this is the first Star Wars film I've seen from beginning to end. I guess I've never really given them a chance before. But since the show we are putting on (Loserville), makes loads of Star Wars references so I kind of had to go to see it for research if nothing else.

The props where amazing! I'm obsessed with props, because well, that's what I'm going off to study at uni!! People that went on the same course as I'm hopefully getting into have worked on past films, which I find quite cool.

I had a hard time in the beginning understanding who was who. Yes, call me stupid, but all I knew was that Darth Vader is Luke and Princess Leia's dad and the two of them are siblings. That's it. And I know why R2-D2 is. So guess how confusing I found it when Kylo Ren (who I thought was Darth Vader because come on they look the same) turns out to be Princess Leia's son when I thought she was Darth Vader's daughter. I didn't get it fully until I left the theatre and my dad told me.

I did enjoy it and I think I left with a development of a Star Wars fan inside.

Plot Summary:
Three decades after the defeat of the Galactic Empire, a new threat arises. The First Order attempts to rule the galaxy and only a ragtag group of heroes can stop them, along with the help of the resistance.

Favourite Quote:
Well can you unfix it? - Finn to Ray

My Rating:
8/10
Mainly because I was confused, but that's fault isn't it?

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer (2005)

Title: Twilight

Author: Stephenie Meyer

Series: The Twilight Saga #1

Pages: 498

Published: Oct 5th 2005 

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company

So when I was 10 Twilight came out as a film. I watched and decided to go straight to the book store to get it. Yes I know, I was probably fat too young to be reading about sexy, blood thirst vampires, but there you go. My mum decided to read them as well so we had our own little fandom together.

Nowadays I feel a little embarrassed to say that I was crazy about the books. Because people loved them and then they hated them and for some reason my class mates loved to hate them. I read them anyways. I did read the first books in Swedish because 1) I was 10 and 2) when I went tot buy it they only had the Swedish version in stock (which for some reason is translated to "If I Could Dream"). I do have the books in both languages as well however, and I've read the first one in English so please don't judge my 10-year-old me.

Although I hate to say that I was head over heals for the books, it's the truth. I look back remembering my poset covered room and all the things I bought that had any relationship with the books or films. The book's are that good I like to think. But then, they were. They were bloody amazing at the time, or I wouldn't have covered my room in posters and bought every magazine that featured gossip about it.

I guess I don't like to admit that I had a vampire period growing up. Yes, I read the Vampire Diaries as well and watched (have to catch up by the way).

Plot Summary:

About three things I was absolutely positive.

First, Edward was a vampire.

Second, there was a part of him - and I didn't know how dominant that part of him might be - that thirsted for my blood.

And third, I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him.

Favourite Quote:

It was such a long time ago that I don't remember one that stood out to be honest.

My Rating:

7/10

It has lost it spark and I'm not sure if I was sane or not at the time. It was definitely good at the time though. 

Other Books In These Series:
New Moon (The Twilight Saga #2)
Eclipse (The Twilight Saga #3)
Breaking Dawn (The Twilight Saga #4)

This review is also available on YouTube here.

xmas presents

I promised I would show you what I got for Christmas and here goes.

From my parents I got two Pop Vinyl Figures. Tyrion Lannister in battle armour and scar and Joffrey Baratheon! I swear my Mum asked me near a thousand times which one I preferred and there are like a hundred I want from like a hundred different films and TV series so that was a tricky one but it turned out with two favourites.  

Along with that I got the fourth season of Game of Thrones from my parents and the film Insurgent from my younger sister.

If anyone's ever read "Fangirl" by Rainbow Rowell, I'm so excited to read it. I got the edition with fan art on the inside and it's so good.

From my aunt I got me the book "Lean In For Graduates" by Sheryl Sandberg because I start uni next year and she has read her original book "Lean In" for women in the work place and how to succeed.

From my grandparents I got a book called "Running for Women" and a yoga block with a yoga strap, which is perfect because I love yoga and I'm trying to improve my running routines.