March Wrap Up (2019)

Hey guys, this is Abi here,

And because it's the end of March, it's time for my wrap up! I'm talking about all the reading I've done this month, all the films I've watched, and all the things I've got up to!

Enjoy!

-What I Read-

I read a total of 4 books this month!

1. Noughts Forever, by Malorie Blackman

This may only be a World Book Day short story, but when I saw what it was, when it was set, and who was in it, it was a story I couldn't pass up. Malorie Blackman is one of my all time favourite authors, maybe even my favourite author, and for those that have read the Noughts & Crosses series, this takes place right after the events of Double Cross. Not only that, but it includes the first chapter of Crossfire, her upcoming novel that is out in June. I flew through this in one day and the moment I opened the first page, it all came flooding back.

2. Muse of Nightmares (Strange the Dreamer #2), by Laini Taylor

Although I didn't choose this myself, I stick by my word, and I picked Muse of Nightmares next. Although the story didn't go in the direction I was expecting, it was still an epic conclusion to the Strange the Dreamer duology. Not only that, it was my first TBR Jar challenge that I completed this year! Muse of Nightmares was action-packed, with new characters, and a whole new plot direction that I thoroughly enjoyed reading about. Not only that, but I got to see a heck of a lot more of the world than I did in Strange the Dreamer. An epic conclusion to the duology.

3. Pet Sematary, by Stephen King

Yet another TBR Jar Challenge achieved! My boyfriend gave me this because he wanted to watch the film, but he found the book for me first. Not a bad read if I'm being honest, it was just under 400 pages, so it was a quick-ish read, took me just over a week. It wasn't as polished as IT was, but it was still a decent read, full of horror and gore. What I also liked about this book is that horror wasn't shoved down your throat at every turn. It's what give it that sinister edge, the fact that something can go so dark with such a normal family.

4. The Sun Is Also A Star, by Nicola Yoon

I started this on Monday, and finished this on Thursday. Going into this, I knew that I would 1)fly through it, same as I did with Everything Everything, and 2)that I would at the very least really enjoy it. And I was right on both counts. I might not have enjoyed it as much as Everything Everything, but it's still a decent novel about love and family. If you haven't picked this up yet, I recommend that you do, especially if you are a YA romance fan.

-What I Watched-

The Madeleine McCann Documentary on Netflix

I'm only a couple episodes into this documentary, but it already looks quite interesting. The whole world is obsessing about this documentary, and I've heard some interesting theories and ideas about what happened to Madeleine. I'll keep watching, and hopefully I'll come up with my own theory.

Backstage

I'm literally watching this while I'm typing this. I watched the first season some time last year, and I got the urge to go back and re-watch it. But when I went back to watch it, I saw that Season 2 is up there as well!

If you haven't watched Backstage, it's about a school for Performing Arts, and all the students in it. It's got quite a young feeling, but it gets really good insanely fast. If you like watching dance, art, design and music, I recommend this show!

Dragonball Z

This is getting so good right I literally can't stop watching it. Every time we put it on, we get through like 4/5 every night. I'm on the edge of my seat every time it's on, both excited and nervous at the same time. Highly recommend anyone who likes videogames and or violence.

A Quiet Place

Although it wasn't the horror I was expecting, I thought that the characters were very well cast, the music was very well done, and that it was just a solid horror movie. You were rooting for the family to survive, even though the most horrific of events. I recommend if you are a fan of horror, or you think you might enjoy this film.

Oceans 8

I watched this film last year, you can read all my in-depth thoughts here. But this is like an all female, Six of Crows, for all my Six of Crows fans out there. They pull off a seemingly impossible heist, besting even the smartest of minds, all with a misfit bunch of females. It's one of the most epic films I've seen in my life.

Pet Sematary

The first thing I'm going to say about this film is: it's really dated. Even though the book is only 380 odd pages, it only shows the bare minimum. It was accurate enough, but I was kind of disappointed by what I was watching. I'm incredibly excited that they are remaking this film, because I wasn't impressed by this adaptation.

-What I Wrote-

Nothing. Absolutely nothing (besides this blog.)

But, I would like to mention, that I've started sending instalments of my book to beta readers!

(Finally got over the fear of getting criticisms from other people! Yay!)

Also, if you want to be a beta reader, send me a message on my twitter (@TheWorldIsBooks)

or my Instagram (Same name as my Blog.)

Okay! So that is my March Wrap Up (2019)! I hope you enjoyed it, and I will see you on Monday with my April TBR (2019)!

I hope you have a lovely weekend full of reading, and I will see you soon!

Byeeeeee!

-Abi xxxxx

Books/Series I Doubt I'll Pick Up

Hey guys, this is Abi here,

It's been a while since I posted a list, so I thought I'd list the books I doubt I'll pick up, ever!

Enjoy!

1. The "Anna and the French Kiss" trilogy

Nothing against this trilogy, I just genuinely think that it wouldn't mesh well with me. I tend to have a limit on cutesy romance and I think that this trilogy might just exceed that. If anybody loves this trilogy and would like me to try it, then let me know in the comments. It's unlikely I'll change my mind, but I might be convinced!

2. The Astonishing Colour of After, by Emily X R Pan

I started reading this last autumn, and I got maybe 70 pages in before I DNF'ed it. And I can say, with a fair amount of confidence, that I am never going to pick this novel up again. As much as some people may have loved this novel, because of it's mystery and the journey of the protagonist to make sense of their heritage, it was just too slow to me.

3. The "Renegades" trilogy, by Marissa Meyer

Although I love Marissa Meyer and her novels, I get the feeling that I won't be into this series as much as the others. The hype is real for these novels, make no joke. But there's something about the blurb that just doesn't gel well with me.

4. The Selection series/trilogy by Kiera Cass

There have been some mixed reviews about this series, and I have never expressed any interest in this series, nor am I going to. Although I'm sure it's very good, it's not a series' I think I'll be picking up any time soon.

5. Hollow City

Library of Souls

Having read the first one, I can say that I highly doubt that I will be picking up the next two. It seemed like the story was created to fit the pictures into them. There wasn't much to the story until the very end and I was left bored. Sorry for all the people that love this trilogy, but I was very underwhelmed.

Okay! So that was my list! I hope you enjoyed it, and feel free to let me know in the comments what you doubt you'll ever pick up!

I hope you have a wonderful day, and I'll see you soon.

Byeee!

-Abi xxxxx

On the Come Up, by Angie Thomas

Hey guys, this is Abi here,

It's been a while since I've posted a review, so I thought I'd kick things off with a bang!

Here's my review of Angie Thomas' second book, On the Come Up!

Hope you enjoy it!

Title: On the Come Up

Author: Angie Thomas

Genre: Hard-hitting contemporary

Release date: 7th February, 2019

Status: Standalone

Pages: 435

Blurb: "Sixteen-year-old Bri wants to be one of the

greatest rappers of all time. It's hard to get your

come up, though, when your labelled 'trouble'

at school and your fridge at home is empty after

your mom loses her job. But Bri's success is all

that stands between her family and homelessness,

so she doesn't just want to- she has to.

Even if it means becoming exactly what the

public expects her to be."

My Thoughts

How does a book even compare to the success of The Hate U Give? Picking up this book, I was genuinely sceptical about whether I would love this book as much as I did it's predecessor. I'll tell you something. I had nothing to worry about. I'm not going to say that it was exactly the same as The Hate U Give, every book is unique. It had similarities between the structure of The Hate U Give, even went as far as to interweave specific points of THUG into the story. But it was a different type of story. The characters were different; the issues introduced were different; and this time, there were conflicting factors that meshed into the overall story.

Writing and venting my thoughts, even now, it's all coming rushing back. This book was amazing. There's nothing that I love more than some family subplots, and family, loyalties and hope was such a recurring theme in this novel, and because it didn't have the picture of the perfect family, it made it that much easier to delve into Bri's life.

Another aspect that I loved about Bri and her life, was the passion to take the risk and follow her dream, even though there's still other people trying to encourage you to do well and try hard in school, make the most of your education while you still can.

Not to mention, the pressure to live up to what people think of you, whether they're thinking true things or not.

One thing that I will say is that Angie Thomas is so smart in the way she weaves her story, it's like each subplot is balanced within the story, nothing is over-used, they each have that time in the story when it's the main plot, and that's subplot is being brought front and centre, and all the time, the story is being weaved into a perfect tornado of characters, tension, plot and funny/heartfelt/mad moments.

When it comes to the writing, one word I will use to describe it is definitely, intriguing. I was constantly intrigued, as to what was going to happen to Bri, her friends and her family within the next chapter. Whether Bri will get her Come Up, whether it'll all come crashing down around them.

Overall, a fantastic book. If there's one book up that you pick up this year, make it this one.

Let me know your comments down below, we can have a right natter about it.

Right! That is my post for today, I hope you have a wonderful weekend, and I'll see you all on Monday!

Byeeeeee!

-Abi xxxxx

Out of My Comfort Zone Book Tag

Hey guys, this is Abi here,

I was thinking of an idea for today's blog post, and it occurred to me that I haven't done a book tag yet this month!

This is the "Out of My Comfort Zone Book Tag", created by Emmabooks on YouTube, the original video is on YouTube so you can check it out.

I hope you enjoy this and feel free to comment down below.

Enjoy!

THE RULES

You have to pick one genre that you (maybe more than frequently) read and you can't pick any books from that genre!

So, even though the two genres are pretty close to what I read the most, I think I'm going to exclude YA fantasy. (What comes second is hard-hitting YA contemporaries.)

1. A book that is an exception when it comes to genres or elements you don't typically like.

This is the hardest question by far. The only element I can think of, is a love triangle. And the example for this element is... Twilight, of course!

2. A book you enjoyed from a genre you previously held some stigma against.

I think, when I was younger, the main genre I really didn't want to try was romance. And romance is rarely the main genre. It might be a sub plot, but it's rarely the main plot. The first fully romance book that I read is probably Jacqueline Wilson's Love Lessons.

3. A book you didn't know was out of your comfort zone until you started it.

It, by Stephen King. Not to mention the size, but the font is also tiny. Those of who have picked up a Stephen King book know: each page feels like a chapter. That and, the fact that I had never picked up a horror book ever, this was my idea of a nightmare.

4. Pick a friend that motivates you to pick up books you might not normally be interested in- is there a book they convinced you to try?

All you guys! I love talking about books! And for that, I need to read. As for who motivates my to try books I wouldn't usually- all the booktubers. They all sounds so excited to read all these new books, and that motivates me too.

5. A book that is out of your comfort zone, but you would like to read.

A full graphic novel series. Like Saga.

6. A book or genre that is out of your comfort zone that you'll probably never give a chance.

As much as I hate to say it, it'll probably be memoirs. I don't have any type of interest in delving in a memoir nor do I plan to.

I TAG

As always, anybody can do this tag!

Okay! That was the "Out of My Comfort Zone" Book Tag!

I hope you enjoyed it, and let me know in the comments what you would say for these questions!

I hope you have a wonderful day and I will see you all on Wednesday!

Byeee!

-Abi xxxxxx

1-10 Books of 2019

Hey guys, this is Abi here,

And I'm back!

It's been (literally) a week since I posted something, and I'm sorry but there are no excuses!

I will try to fit the time in, I promise, but I haven't had a day off this week!

But I'm here, with 1-10 Books of 2019!

Enjoy!

(These are the books I've read so far this year- up to 10.)

1. This Mortal Coil (This Mortal Coil #1), by Emily Suvada

2. This Cruel Deisgn (This Mortal Coil #2), by Emily Suvada

I have reviews for both of these books if you want to check them out, but this is a sort of sci-fi, dna-tastic trilogy by Emily Suvada, that is possibly one of my favourite authors for explosive endings to chapters. There is one book left, it's out later this year, and I am ready for the showdown of a lifetime! I have some theories, some things that I want to see happen, but I know that, without a shadow of a doubt, that it'll go in a direction I've never seen!

3. Still Me (Me Before You #3), by JoJo Moyes

This is the third and final book in the Me Before You trilogy, by JoJo Moyes. Now, everybody has heard about Me Before You, and the film that everybody loved. Then came books two and three, After You and Still Me. Now, I'm going to be honest, and it might not be a popular opinion. Even though I did really enjoy Still Me, it actually surprised me how much I enjoyed it, especially after how underwhelmed I was by After You. But I do honestly think that Me Before You should have been a standalone.

4. Two Can Keep A Secret, by Karen McManus

This one had strengths, and it had weaknesses. It's a decent book if you're looking for an introduction into the YA murder mystery genre, and it's also not incredibly slow. The characters, I found, I could get a lot more attached to than the characters of One of Us Is Lying. The weaknesses however, (I feel) are that there isn't really much to pull you into the story. There were chapters when the pacing was off, that there wasn't a lot that was happening, which I think was the reason why it took me a week to get through this book. The other reason is probably the ending where, even though I was expecting who the killer was, I also wasn't completely surprised.

5. The Miniaturist, by Jessie Burton

One of my goals for the year is to pick up more: historical fiction, horror, and graphic novels. This was my first historical fiction novel of the year, and I am so glad that I listened to the Waterstones sale assistant that was undoubtedly trying to sell me this book, (haha). But I was honestly surprised by 1)how accurate the day and age was in this novel (I mean I think.) 2) How much I grew to LOVE those characters. 3)How much I DID NOT WANT IT TO END. If you can't tell I loved this novel.

6. Mind Games, by Teri Terry

All I will say is that it was so lovely to pick this book up again, to delve myself into the crazy virtual world of mind games with amazing characters, premises and mad plot twists that, frankly nobody was expecting. I love Teri Terry's books frankly because they are so well-written, so fast paced, but involved enough that you're not going WHAT THE HELL for the entire novel because nobody can keep up. She will forever be one of my autobuy-authors and I love her books.

7. Five Feet Apart, by Rachel Lippincort, Mikki Daughtry & Tobias Iaconis

I read this in one evening. It was just one of those books that I couldn't put down, and it was short enough that I didn't have to. The best part was that even though it wasn't the biggest book, far from it, it didn't feel rushed at all. The characters didn't feel like we could have delved any deeper than we did, because what happened hurt enough! I wish the book could have been longer, because I didn't want the story to end, but I did happen to like the ending. I feel we got just enough.

8. Lady Midnight (The Dark Artifices #1), by Cassandra Clare

The first book in the Dark Artifices, and a fantastic start. People say this trilogy gets better, and even though I can't see how, I'm excited to see where it goes from here, because there's two more books where I get to love these characters. There are still strengths that can be worked on when it comes to her Shadowhunter books (don't hurt me), but for the most part, I really enjoy her novels. (Even though, if I'm honest, I doubt I'll pick up any more Shadowhunter books after the Dark Artificies.)

9. Theatrical, by Maggie Harcourt

This was exactly what I needed when I picked it up. Theatre, romance, drama; even though it was all backstage! It was a light-hearted read, and if you are a fan of contemporary romance, whether you're a fan of theatre or not (and I definitely am) I highly recommend this book, because Maggie Harcourt's writing is so good, you'll be flying through this book like nobody's business!

10. On the Come Up, by Angie Thomas

To wrap this up, On the Come Up, by Angie Thomas! This was absolutely phonemonal, I literally couldn't put it down. It's been out a month and if you haven't picked it up, get on it! It's just as good as THUG, so get to that book shop immediately!

Okay! That is my 1-10 Books of 2019! I hope you enjoyed it, I hope you have a good weekend, and I will see you on Monday!

Byeeee!

-Abi xxxxxx

March TBR (2019)

Hey guys, this is Abi here,

And it's my favourite time of the month because I get to post my TBR!

I have a couple of fairly large books for this month, so I hope I can get through all of them, but here they are!

Enjoy!

1. Muse of Nightmares (Strange the Dreamer #2), by Laini Taylor

Truth be told, I wasn't going to pick this one up this month. I was going to save it for after I finish the Dark Artifices, because those books are big enough without adding another to the equation. But my boyfriend Jordan picked this one, and to heck with it, I'm going to honour it. I'm about 100 pages into it and although a lot hasn't happened yet, in terms of the characters, it's like nothing has changed. I still love them just the same. I really hope I enjoy this as much as Strange the Dreamer.

2. Lord of Shadows (The Dark Artifices #2), by Cassandra Clare

Book 2 of the Dark Artifices! Unlike Lady Midnight, I haven't read this one before and will be reading it with fresh eyes. From what I've heard, a lot of people like this more than Lady Midnight, and I am excited to see what happens in Lord of Shadows, so I can be ready to pick up the concluding novel in April. I have no idea what is going to happen, and this is probably the book that I am most looking forward to picking up!

3. The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, by Stuart Turton

I got this last month because everybody on Booktube is raving about it. I don't really know much about it other than what the blurb says, which is basically how Evelyn will die, day after day, until Aiden can figure out who her killer is. Also, Aiden is a different person every night, and someone is determined to stop him from ever leaving. I love the cover, I love the premise, and I really hope I enjoy the story as much as everyone else has.

4. The Sun Is Also A Star, by Nicola Yoon

I'm not really in the mood for this, to be honest. But something tells me that I'm going to need a short, light-hearted contemporary romance after all that mystery and violence in the books at the top of this TBR, and The Sun Is Also A Star will be the perfect anecdote for that this month. Also, it's been ages since I've read a Nicola Yoon book, and there's also the fact that this book is becoming a movie later on this year and I need to have read this before it comes out. Let me know if you've read this, and whether you enjoyed it in the comments!

5. The Light Between Worlds, by Laura Weymouth

So, I literally got this book today. I saw the spine, picked it up, saw the cover, read the blurb, and bought the book. It's a magical realism novel, and even though I haven't enjoyed a whole lot of these, there's a little under-current of mystery and intrigue that I find really interesting, to say the least. I only found out lately that it's a historical fiction novel too, because it's set in 1944. I'm super excited to read this, especially as I know like nothing about it.

Okay! So that is my March TBR (2019)! I hope you enjoyed reading it, and let me know in the comments what you're reading this month!

Right! I hope you have a wonderful day and I will see you all soon!

Byeeeeee!

-Abi xxxxx

February Wrap Up (2019)

Hey guys, this is Abi here,

And as it's the first day of March, a wrap up is in order.

(Also, I specifically waited until March because I wanted to finish "On the Come Up" before I posted this.)

Anyway, there's nothing more that I wanted to say except, enjoy!

BOOKS

I finished a total of 4 books this month. Not only was the month shorter than the others, but I was also reading Lady Midnight throughout the course of the month. The books I read this month were:

1. Five Feet Apart, by Rachel Lippincott, Mikki Daughtry, Tobias Iaconis

Five feet apart is about two characters, Stella and Will, who both have cystic fibrosis. The reason behind the title is that patients with cystic fibrosis cannot be within six feet of each-other, but that the characters want to take a foot back. It was an insanely fast read and I was not prepared for what was going to happen to these characters. I highly recommend you pick this up if you have any interest in this wonderful novel.

2. Lady Midnight (The Dark Artifices #1), by Cassandra Clare (Re-read)

Having read this back in September 2016, I wanted to re-fresh my memory as to what happened in the first book, so I'm more in the mood to read the beast that is Lord of Shadows and Queen of Air and Darkness in the upcoming months, as I now own all three of them. The plan is to read one book from this trilogy a month, and finally finish the entire trilogy by the end of April. I have now fully emerged myself back into the Shadowhunter world and cannot wait to see what happens to these characters in Lord of Shadows.

3. Theatrical, by Maggie Harcourt

I went into this book wanting to love this book. Not only is it a contemporary with a subplot romance, it's set in the theatre, which will always have a special place in my heart. And do you know what? I absolutely loved this book. It was everything I was hoping for, and there was certainly enough drama and chaos to keep me occupied. I can confidently say that, even though it was my first Maggie Harcourt book, it definitely won't be my last.

4. On the Come Up, by Angie Thomas

After reading the amazing "The Hate U Give", I had high expectations going into this. And as you might expect from Angie Thomas, I was not disappointed. There is a review coming of course, and that will up sometime in March but for now, I'm going to keep my thoughts. One thing I will say is that I liked how much what happened in "The Hate U Give" was incorporated into this novel. It wasn't a main theme, but it cropped up every now and again and had some meaning within the plot. I thoroughly enjoyed this and a review is coming, I promise.

FILMS AND TV SHOWS

1. Happy Deathday 2 U

That's right, I went to go and see a horror film, on Valentine's Day.

But to be honest, it wasn't really a horror. Sure, it had a couple of creepy moments, but there were also funny moments, and I have to admit, some amazing scientific moments. It took a different direction than what I was expecting but, funny enough, I actually really enjoyed this film.

2. Dragonball Z

Yes, I am still hooked on this show, and yes, I will keep watching until the end. The characters are epic and bad-ass, and for some reason I've formed an attachment to them. If you like anime and violence, then I recommend giving this tv show a try.

3. Meet the Parents: Little Fockers

One of my comedy favourites that I haven't watched in a while. I love this family comedy and it remains one of my favourites.

Okay! That is my February Wrap Up! I hope you enjoyed it, and don't forget to let me know what you got up to in February!

I hope you have a wonderful weekend and I will see you all on Monday!

Byeeee!

-Abi xxxxx