August Wrap Up…

Welcome to my August Wrap Up. I have had a good reading month, finishing 7 books (3 books off my TBR). I also received 1 ARC this month, and I continued my new goal of reading 1 Shakespeare play.

I have reviews up or coming up for these books so as usual this is just going to be a brief run down on each book I read.

Without further ado, let’s get into my August Wrap Up:

Tiny White Lies by Fiona Palmer: This book was amazing. It had everything I hoped it would. A wonderful and emotional story, a beautiful setting, relatable characters and fantastic writing. I loved every page of this book and I will be re reading it many times in the future.

A Tale Of Magic by Chris Colfer: This book was magical! The story was wonderful, the characters were different and lovable, and the writing was perfect. I loved the underlying message that this book had and I cannot wait to read the next book it what I know will be a wonderful new series.

The Paper & Hearts Society Read With Pride by Lucy Powrie: This book was wonderful. I loved its predecessor, so I was very excited to dive into this book. I am happy to say it was everything I hoped it would be. I loved catching up with the original crew and I loved meeting new characters. The story was amazing and as expected the writing was fantastic. A must read book.

Fatal Faults by Eric Braun: This book was great. I knew the basics of this story before going into this book so I was excited to learn more. I really love the way this story was told; by the people who lived it, and I really enjoyed getting to hear the opinions or the various people involved. I am excited to learn more about this now.

Smooth Sea and a Fighting Chance by Steven Otfinoski: This was a great read. I think everyone is familiar with the story of Titanic; but I loved getting to read about it through the voices of the people who were there. I learnt a lot from reading this book and now I want to learn more.

Th Ethics Toolkit by Julian Baggini: This was require reading for my Ethics University class this Trimester and I actually enjoyed reading it. I likes the way it was broken into segments so that you could read different parts without having to read entire chapters. I doubt that I would have picked this book up if I didn’t have to for University but I am glad that I have read it.

10 Things I Hate About Pinky by Sandhya Menon: I really enjoyed this book. I probably should have read There’s Something About Sweetie first as there is spoilers in this book; but that didn’t affect this book and I doubt it will really bother me when I read There’s Something About Sweetie. After reading this book I am now even more excited to continue working my way through Sandhya Menon’s novels.

Shakespeare: I read 1 Shakespeare plays in August. I read the following Shakespeare Play This Month:

Coriolanus

That’s it for my August Wrap Up. I hope you all had a great reading month. Let me know what you guys read this month in the comments section.

Until my September Wrap Up…

Happy Reading…

❤ Gem

Uni Update 10!

It’s that time again…

Uni Update!

I have just completed my final week of study for this trimester. I have completed all of my course work and all of my assessments, now I just have to wait for my results.

I only have one assessment left to get results for as I already got my results for one of my assessments and my final exam; thankfully I passed both. Now its just a waiting game; which is not something I am good at.

I wont be just sitting around twiddling my thumbs though as my next trimester starts tomorrow. I am looking forward to jumping into Developing Research and Analytical Skills.

I didn’t love Thinking Ethically but I still enjoyed parts of it. I am hoping that I enjoy Developing Research and Analytical Skills a little bit more.

I have already ordered my textbook, so there will be no repeat of this trimester and not having a textbook that I didn’t know I needed. Hopefully the textbook for this trimester will arrive in the next few days.

For now I am just going to focus on my first week of Developing Research and Analytical Skills and not let anything else worry me.

That’s it from me today.

I will catch you all on my next Uni Update.

~>GEM<~

The Paper & Hearts Society Read With Pride by Lucy Powrie

‘Olivia Santos is excited for her last year at secondary school. But when a parent complains about LGBTQ+ content in one of the books, the library implements a new policy for withdrawing books. Olivia is distraught – she’s demisexual and knows how important it is for all readers to see themselves represented.

Luckily, she’s the mastermind behind The Paper & Hearts Society book club, and she knows exactly what to do: start a new club, find ways of evading the system, and change the policy for good!

With two book clubs to run, exams to prepare for, and a girlfriend, just how long will it be before Olivia burns out? After all, creating a book club and trying to get the #ReadWithPride hashtag to get noticed is going to take a lot of energy.

Sometimes, when you’re in too deep, it’s up to your friends to look out for you …’

This book was wonderful.

I absolutely loved the first book in The Paper & Hearts Society so I had high hopes for this book. I am happy to say it not only lived up to my high expectations; it well and truly surpassed them

I loved getting to catch up with the characters that I had fallen in love with in the first book, it was like visiting old friends. I also loved that we got to meet some new awesome characters in this book. With so many different and diverse characters there is someone for everyone in this book.

The plot in this book was so interesting and made me feel like I wanted to get up and fight along side these amazing characters. This story was so emotional and written with some much passion that I was hard not to get drawn into the story.

Lucy Powrie has done a fantastic job with this book. It was moving, compelling and filled me with hope and pride. I loved the characters, I loved the story, and the writing was utterly perfect.

I am now eagerly anticipating the next installment in the The Paper & Hearts Society.

The Paper & Hearts Society Read With Pride by Lucy Powrie is the perfect addition to the The Paper & Hearts Society series.

Harry Potter: Honouring the Dead Book Tag…

Welcome one and all to another Wacky Wednesday post. Today I am partaking in the Harry Potter: Honouring The Dead Book Tag. I hope you all enjoy this quick little tag.

So without further ado, lets jump straight in:

Remus Lupin

Sirius Black – A book with the best father/mother figure.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

Severus Snape – A book with a redeemable character.

Finale by Stephanie Garber

Albus Dumbledore – A book with a great mentor/teacher.

Doctor Sleep by Stephen King

Hedwig – A book with a great animal sidekick.

Storm Boy by Colin Thiele

Dobby – A book with a character who created bad scenes on accident.

The Princess and the Fangirl by Ashley Poston 

Fred Weasley – A book with your favorite brother/sister duo.

The House of Second Chances by Esther Campion

Nymphadora Tonks – A book with the best family feud.

Unfollow: A Journey from Hatred to Hope by Megan Phelps-Roper 

Cedric Diggory – A book where a character died too young/too soon.

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

Remus Lupin – A book with your favorite shapeshifter.

A Map of Days by Ransom Riggs

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Well that’s it for me. I hope you guys enjoyed this tag. As usual, hit me up with your answers in the comment section.

Until next time…

Happy Reading…

❤ Gem

#NeverAgain by David and Lauren Hogg

‘On February 14, 2018, seventeen-year-old David Hogg and his fourteen-year-old sister, Lauren, went to school at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, like any normal Wednesday. That day, of course, the world changed. By the next morning, with seventeen classmates and faculty dead, they had joined the leadership of a movement to save their own lives, and the lives of all other young people in America. It’s a leadership position they did not seek, and did not want–but events gave them no choice.

The morning after the massacre, David Hogg told CNN: “We’re children. You guys are the adults. You need to take some action and play a role. Work together. Get over your politics and get something done.”’

This book was interesting.

As an Australian the only knowledge I have about school shooting is from the news. We don’t have school shooting in Australia. I didn’t grow up having active shooter drills or ever even thinking about someone potentially shooting up a school, movie theatre or anywhere else for that matter.

Because I my upbringing this book was a real eye opener for me. Hearing from young people who have been through a traumatic event that most people will never understand, ad then seeing them react to it by creating an entire movement based off their experiences was truly awe inspiring to read about.

David and Lauren Hogg have done a fantastic job with this book. While it was hard to read at times due to the emotions it evoked, I honestly didn’t want to put it down. I was intrigued to see how these amazing young people stood up for what they believed in and didn’t allow anyone to tell them how they should feel or react to what they and far to many of their generation have had to endure.

As heartbreaking as this story is, it is one that needed to be told. After reading this book I now have hope that this generation of American’s; the ones who have grown up under a cloud of mass and school shootings may actually be the force that is needed to change the future for the following generations.

#NeverAgain by David and Lauren Hogg is an absolute must read for everyone.

Book Unhaul!

I have recently completed a massive book unhaul. I have been wanting to make room on my shelves for a while but was overwhelmed by how much work it was going to be.

Well I finally did it, and I wasn’t wrong about the work load. I am still working on organising my shelves now that I have some more room. And I am yet to actually get the books out of my house.

A large pile of books have left the house and made there way to my Aunties house, but the rest are sitting in boxes in the lounge room waiting to be donated.

That is my problem at the moment; trying to decide where I am going to donate the books. I did a YA, Middle Grade and Kids books unhaul a year or so age, so I donated those books to my old Primary and High Schools but this unhaul is larger and not school age appropriate.

I am thinking about calling up the aged care facility near my house and seeing if they take donations but with all of the Covid-19 restrictions I don’t know if that is possible.

I guess now that the hundred’s of books I am donating have been sorted and packed into boxes I just have to make a list of possible destinations for them and then make some calls.

The other thing I want to do is organise my shelves. I have organised about half of them since the unhaul but I seem to have run out of energy to do the rest. Hopefully I will find some motivation over the next few days to complete my organising and make arrangements for the donations.

Here’s Hoping…

~>GEM<~

A Tale Of Magic by Chris Colfer

‘Fourteen-year-old Brystal Evergreen has always known she was destined for great things–that is, if she can survive the oppressive Southern Kingdom. Her only escape are books, but since it’s illegal for women to read in her country, she has to find creative ways of acquiring them. Working as a maid at her local library gives her the perfect excuse to be near them and allows her to sneak a few titles home when no one is looking. But one day Brystal uncovers a secret section of the library and finds a book about magic that changes her life forever.

Magic is despised and outlawed throughout the world–Brystal is well aware of the severe consequences the book may bring–but her curiosity gets the best of her. By reading some of the text aloud, strange phenomena begin to occur and Brystal discovers she is capable of magic! And the more she practices it, the harder it becomes to hide.

After being caught and convicted, Brystal is saved by a mysterious woman named Madame Weatherberry. The woman takes Brystal to her Academy of Magic and teaches her to become a fairy. While Brystal studies magic and befriends the other students, Madame Weatherberry is suddenly called away on suspicious matters. When she doesn’t return, Brystal and her friends work together to find and save their instructor. Along the way, the students discover Madame Weatherberry’s true intentions for the academy are not what they seem, and they come face to face with a sinister plot that puts the fate of the world, and the fate of magic itself, in grave danger… ‘

This book was magical.

I have to admit that I picked this book up thinking it was part of the Land of Stories series so I was a little disappointed when I found out that it wasn’t. Although my disappointment only lasted a few chapters before it was replaced by excitement over the fact that I now had a new magical series to devour.

This book had so many wonderful characters to grow and learn with, as such I was excited every time I turned the page; wondering what they would get up to next. There is definitely a character for everyone in this book.

Chris Colfer has done a wonderful job with the story in this book. Whilst it is a middle grade magical fiction the story is rooted in real world actions. Some of the situations and dialog between the characters will resonate with readers and hark back to speeches made by various human rights movements over the years.

My only issue with this book was its length. It was a big book considering it is just the start of the series. I understand that there was a lot to introduce; I just think it would have been broken up into two books without losing anything.

Other than that, I loved this book. I was a massive fan of Chris Colfer’s Land of Stories series and I am very excited to see where he takes this new and already wonderful series.

A Tale Of Magic by Chris Colfer is a must have for all middle grade readers.

How I Choose My Books Tag…

Welcome one and all to another Wacky Wednesday post. Today I am partaking in the How I Choose My Books Tag. I hope you all enjoy this quick little tag.

So without further ado, lets jump straight in:

Find a book on your bookshelves with a blue cover. What made you want to pick up this book?

Sleeping Beauties by Stephen King and Owen King. It was Stephen King, so it was a no brainer for me to pick this book up.

Think of a book you didn’t expect to enjoy, but did. Why did you read it in the first place?

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë. It was required reading for University.

Stand in front of your bookshelf with your eyes closed and pick a book at random. How did you discover this book?

Unfollow: A Journey from Hatred to Hope by Megan Phelps-Roper. It was sent to me as an ARC.

Pick a book that someone personally recommended to you. What did you think of it?

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows. I absolutely loved it.

Pick a book up that you discovered through booktube/bookstagram/book blogs. Did it live up to the hype?

Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid. I liked it a fair bit but I wasn’t as obsessed with it as other people were.

Find a book on your shelves with a one-word title. What drew you to this book?

Liberation by Imogen Kealey. The fact that it was an Historical Fiction, based on a real person, that I had never heard of.

What book did you discover through a film/TV adaptation?

Wonder by R.J. Palacio

Think of your all-time favorite book(s). When did you read these and why did you pick them up in the first place?

The Harry Potter series by J.K Rowling. I randomly picked up the first book at the shops when it first came out and have been a massive fan ever since.

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton. This was required reading in high school.

A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett. I was the movie version when I was a child and wanted more, so I borrowed the book.

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Well that’s it for me. I hope you guys enjoyed this tag. As usual, hit me up with your answers in the comment section.

Until next time…

Happy Reading…

❤ Gem

Total Devastation by Michael Burgan

‘History is about the people who lived it. In August 2005, Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast of the United States. The storm and its aftermath were catastrophic. Told in a narrative nonfiction format, these are the powerful true stories of some of the storm’s survivors.

In an immersive, exciting narrative nonfiction format, this powerful book follows a selection of people who experienced the events of Hurricane Katrina.’

This book was wonderful.

Filled with real life stories and photographs from Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath, this short novel show that human side of a major historical event not just number and statistics.

Presented as a narrative, readers follow multiple people as they talk about their very different experiences during Hurricane Katrina. From FEMA officials, Police officers, fathers, grandparents and everyone in between, this book is a purely human look at a horrible event.

The facts of Hurricane Katrina are not new to me, so I wasn’t concerned that this boo was filled with times and dates and official records. This book was about the people and their stories, their fear and courage.

This book is designed for younger readers so the photographs are not graphic and while the stories are heartbreaking, the content is suitable for readers of all ages.

Reading this book really touched my heart. Seeing the lengths everyday people went to in order to protect their families and to help out strangers really moved me in a way that I wasn’t expecting.

I honestly don’t have a bad word to say about this book. The stories were equal parts heartbreaking and heartwarming and the photographs were amazing. This is perfect book for both young and old readers who would like to learn about Hurricane Katrina. I will definitely be re visiting this book many times in the future.

Total Devastation by Michael Burgan is a great book that everyone should read.

Birthday Haul!

32 Years!

I’m one week into my 32nd year, and not surprisingly it doesn’t feel any different.

I had a lovely birthday at home with my family, where I received lots of wonderful gifts. So today I am going to be doing a Birthday Gift Haul. So without further ado, lets jump in…

The Complete Works of Jane Austen

His Dark Materials Trilogy by Philip Pullman

The Complete Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe

Tales of Norse Mythology y Helen A. Guerber

A Treasury of Irish Fairy and Folk Tales

10 Things I Hate About Pinky by Sandhya Menon

Harry Potter Shirt

Puzzle Book

Hair Treatment

Socks

Slippers

Make Up

Make Up Brushes

Two Harry Potter Plates

Face Wash

Shampoo and Conditioner

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That’s it from me today. Thank you to my amazing family for all my fantastic gifts.

Happy Reading…

~>GEM<~