September Wrap Up…

Welcome to my September Wrap Up. I have had a good reading month, finishing 5 books (2 books off my TBR). I also received 4 ARC’s 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 September Wrap Up:

Just Ignore Him by Alan Davies: This book was heartbreaking. I honestly cant think of another word to describe it. Whilst there were some funny, quirky, warm and thoroughly human moments in it, I just felt utter heartbreaking while I read this book. I am so glad that I read it and I will be telling anyone and everyone about it.

The Happiest Man On Earth by Eddie Jaku: This book was absolutely beautiful. Through the good times and the bad you could feel the hope and warmth of Eddie Jaku radiating off the page. I honestly don’t have a bad word to say about this book, and I truly believe that everyone should read this book at least once in their life.

Santa And The Sugar Glider by Alexa Moses and Anil Tortop: This book was absolutely beautiful. The story was very sweet, with a great Australian Christmas message and feel. The illustrations complimented the story perfectly and added an extra layer to this lovely book.

Parkland by Dave Cullen: This book was equal parts heartwarming and heartbreaking. The fact that school shootings are still happening blows my mind, so seeing these young people create this amazing movement to help change and save lives is truly something wonderful to read about.

The Good Germans by Catrine Clay: This book was interesting. I love reading about World War 2 so I was surprised by how little I new about German resisters to the Nazi Regime. This is a topic I am now looking forward to earning more about.

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

The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark

That’s it for my September 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 October Wrap Up…

Happy Reading…

❤ Gem

The Ethics Toolkit by Julian Baggini

‘The Ethics Toolkit provides an accessible and engaging compendium of concepts, theories, and strategies that encourage students and advanced readers to think critically about ethics so that they can engage intelligently in ethical study, thought, and debate.’

This book was interesting.

As this was a required reading book for my University course I was surprised that I actually enjoyed it. I never would have picked this book up if I didn’t have too; so I am glad that it was assigned to me.

Ethics is confusing at the best of times so I was expecting to find it difficult to read this book. So I was both surprised and pleased by the fact that is book was fairly easy to read. It was written in clear, easy to understand language and used real-world examples that people experience everyday, which made it easy to see what each entry was trying to emphasize.

One of the greatest things about this book is that you don’t need to read it from front to back. You can pick and entry that appeals to you and go from there. You will also find a great cross-referencing element to this book to help you read entries that are connected and may help you get a fully rounded opinion on a topic that you are interested it.

As well as the actually entries in this book there is also list of further readings and useful websites listed after each entry if you want to read more about a specific topic.

Julian Baggini has done a great job with this book. It was easy to read, full of useful information and it genuinely opened my easy and mind to different ways that Ethics can be approached and implemented.

The Ethics Toolkit by Julian Baggini is a book that I believe everyone should read at least once in their life.

Uni Update 11!

It’s that time again…

Uni Update.

As I approach week five of University this Trimester, I am feeling pretty great.

I got my results back from my final assessment from last trimester and my final grade for the course and I am happy to say I passed.

I have already completed one of my assessments for this trimester; which I also passed, and I ma currently working on my second assessment.

I am enjoyed the subject matter more then I thought I would and I feel like I am comprehending the material and retaining information much easier because I am like it.

So far I haven’t had too much trouble with the weekly work and I am hoping it stays that way.

I am just going to keep chugging along and hopefully keep enjoying myself.

I should have submitted my second assessment and be working on my final assessment by my next Uni Update so wish me luck.

I will catch you all on my next Uni Update.

~>GEM<~

Parkland by Dave Cullen

‘Something changed with Parkland. When Nicolas Cruz shot seventeen students and teachers at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida on 14th February 2018, the story was tragic and familiar. Yet the eighth school shooting that year made history for another reason.

Days afterwards, young, traumatised survivors were galvanising their grief and outrage into action. Social media blazed with calls for gun control, and America listened. In just a few weeks, they organised national school walkouts, TV debates with senators and a march on Washington.’

This book was truly inspiring.

As an Australian I don’t have a lot of knowledge of school shootings so I was really intrigued to lean about this event and to see the lead up to the event and the after effects and how it led to an amazing movement for change.

One of the things I liked most about this book was that I didn’t focus solely on the six minute event but how those six minutes changed these wonderful young people and their families, friends and futures.

Dave Cullen has done a fantastic job with this book. The way he captured the journey these kids embarked on and how their individual personalities helped to change the minds and hearts of people all across America.

The movement these kids created is something that future generations will benefit from for year to come. As you read this book you experience the highs and lows the heartwarming and heartbreaking moments that shaped these young activists lives.

This was a hard book to read at times; especially someone like me who lives in a country where we don’t have school shootings and haven’t gone through school having active shooter drills. This book was eye-opening, emotional and inspirational but the overall feeling you take away from this book is hope. Hope for a better future for the next generation of American school children.

Parkland by Dave Cullen is a must read for everyone.

Library Lovers Book Tag…

Welcome one and all to another Wacky Wednesday post. Today I am partaking in the Library Lovers Book Tag. I hope you all enjoy this quick little tag.

So without further ado, lets jump straight in:

HOW OFTEN DO YOU VISIT YOUR LOCAL LIBRARY?

Not as often as I would like.

ARE YOU THE TYPE OF PERSON WHO CHECKS OUT MORE BOOKS THAN YOU KNOW YOU CAN READ OR ARE YOU SOMEONE WHO ONLY CHECKS OUT THE EXACT AMOUNT OF BOOKS YOU INTEND ON READING BEFORE THEY ARE DUE?

I only check out as many books as I am going to be able to read.

HOW OLD WERE YOU WHEN YOU GOT YOUR FIRST LIBRARY CARD?

Maybe 6 or 7. It was not long after I started Primary School.

DO YOU GO TO YOUR LIBRARY LOOKING FOR A PARTICULAR BOOK OR DO YOU CHECK OUT ANYTHING THAT PEAKS YOUR INTEREST?

A little of both. I usually go looking for a particular book but come home with anything else that I like the look of.

DO YOU USE YOUR LIBRARY TO CHECK OUT JUST BOOKS OR DO YOU ALSO CHECK OUT DVDS, AUDIOBOOKS ETC.?.

No just books. Well I have used the computers before when mine was out of action and I have used the photocopier as well.

FROM WHAT SECTION OF YOUR LIBRARY DO YOU CHECK OUT A MAJORITY OF YOUR BOOKS? ( YA, MIDDLE GRADE, ADULT, NONFICTION.)

Historical Fiction.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE PART OF USING YOUR LOCAL LIBRARY?

Knowing that other people in my community are reading the same books as I am and maybe having similar reactions to them.

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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

All About Anne by The Anne Frank House

‘Anne Frank’s life story is told by answering the most frequently asked questions posed by young people visiting the Anne Frank House Museum in Amsterdam. Text, detailed photographs and beautiful illustrations combine to give the fullest picture of Anne’s life, her diary and the Secret Annex. The book provides both an overview of the history of World War II and the Holocaust as well as intimate insights into the life of Anne Frank.’

This book was wonderful.

As soon as I saw this book I knew I had to have it. I am actually surprised that I hadn’t seen or heard about this book before. Now that I have read it, I am going to shout it out from the roof tops.

I went into this book expecting to read some heartbreaking things, what I didn’t expect was how much I learned from this book. There is so much information in this book that was new to me. I feel like I was learning more and more about Anne, her family, friends and her life with every turn of the page.

With so much new information on offer I was excited to start each new chapter. With information, photographs and other interesting facts, this book made for a truly special reading experience.

One of my favourite things about this book was the half-page inserts. These contain information that helped round out some of the facts we were being given, as well as answering some more common questions about Anne, her family and the Holocaust.

The story of Anne Frank came to my attention in school and has stayed with me ever since. All About Anne has now added to my knowledge of Anne and will stay with me long into the future.

All About Anne by The Anne Frank House is a must read for everyone.

YouTube Obsession Update!

Last year I wrote about some channels I had subscribed to on YouTube, so today I am going to do a little update on that.

I am actually going to start with a channel that I forgot to mention in last years post; Abnormally Adam. Adam is a fellow Australian who does TV Show reaction videos. I have been watching his videos for a while, so I am not sure why I forgot to mention him last year. I have now watch almost all of Adam’s videos; I didn’t watch his reactions to shows that I don’t actually watch as that seemed pointless. At the moment consumption of Adam’s videos has slowed down as it is the off season for many of the shows that he reacts to and I watch.

Now lets talk about Hailey In Bookland. Hailey’s channel was the first ever YouTube channel that I subscribed to. I absolutely love her videos and I get genuinely excited when I get a notification that she has a new video out. With everything that has been happening in the world, Hailey hasn’t been posting as regularly; which is understandable, yet I am so glad that she has had some videos going up every now and then.

Now onto my interconnected subscribed channels. I honestly don’t no how I would have made it through all the stress of Covid-19 if it was for Austin and Jess, MenTry, Ladies And Lattes and Life’s A Birch.

Since my post last year Austin and Jess have had a new baby; baby Paige. I have loved watching her grow and watching Micah adapt to a little sister. Their beautiful family has brought lots of joy to my heart throughout the craziness that has been 2020.

As for the Birch family over on Life’s A Birch; it has been so much fun watching baby Scarlet become a little independent toddler and watching her and Kaylee’s relationship grow has been beautiful.

MenTry was how I came across these wonderful families in the first place and I am so glad I did. The MenTry videos never fail to make me feel better and I have found myself re watching old videos a lot over the past few months whenever I am in need to a emotional boost. I am so excited as Austin and Cam and some of their friends are getting ready to launch a podcast and I honestly cant wait.

That brings me to Ladies And Latte’s. Jess and Holly have been a breath of fresh air that I didn’t know I needed. Their videos are fun, crazy and unmissable. Everyone needs a friendship like Jess and Holly have.

I am so glad that Austin and Cam (MenTry) and Jess and Holly (Ladies And Lattes) continued to make videos throughout Covid-19 as I am not sure what I would have done without their videos. I can only imagine how difficult it must have been to create content without actually being near one another, so I am so glad that they found a way to do it. The social distancing videos were just as fun as the usual videos and both Austin and Cam (MenTry) and Jess and Holly (Ladies And Lattes), should be incredibly proud of what they achieved.

I am also happy to say that since my last YouTube post I have caught up on all of the back catalog of videos from each of the channels I subscribe to and I have caught up on all of their Instagram posts.

This post ended up longer then I had intended but I have no regrets.

If you are looking to add some more joy into your life I recommend you check out these amazing YouTube channels.

I will catch you all next week for another Sunday Session post.

~>GEM<~

The Happiest Man On Earth by Eddie Jaku

‘Life can be beautiful if you make it beautiful. It is up to you.

Eddie Jaku always considered himself a German first, a Jew second. He was proud of his country. But all of that changed in November 1938, when he was beaten, arrested and taken to a concentration camp.

Over the next seven years, Eddie faced unimaginable horrors every day, first in Buchenwald, then in Auschwitz, then on a Nazi death march. He lost family, friends, his country.

Because he survived, Eddie made the vow to smile every day. He pays tribute to those who were lost by telling his story, sharing his wisdom and living his best possible life. He now believes he is the ‘happiest man on earth’.

Published as Eddie turns 100, this is a powerful, heartbreaking and ultimately hopeful memoir of how happiness can be found even in the darkest of times.’

This book was extraordinary.

I was so excited to get my hands on this book, and I am happy to say it was everything I hoped it would be and more.

This amazing book follows Eddie Jaku from just before the Second World War to present day, and it is absolutely compelling from start to finish.

I didn’t know what to expect from this book feelings wise; would it make me sad, angry, maybe overwhelmed? While these emotions all came into play while I was reading this book the overriding emotion that this wonderful book fills you with and leaves you with is hope.

Eddie Jaku is an extraordinary man and as such his story is extraordinary. This book shows both the best and worst of humanity through experiences that were both heartwarming and heartbreaking. This is one of those rare books that touches your soul.

I honestly don’t have a bad word to say about this book. It was an honor to read and I truly believe that this book will stay in my heart for all time.

The Happiest Man On Earth by Eddie Jaku is a must read book for everyone.

The Weather In Books Tag…

Welcome one and all to another Wacky Wednesday post. Today I am partaking in The Weather In Books Tag. I hope you all enjoy this quick little tag.

So without further ado, lets jump straight in:

☀️ SUNSHINE:  A BOOK THAT MADE YOU SMILE

The Paper & Hearts Society by Lucy Powrie

🌧️ RAIN:  A BOOK YOU COULDN’T PUT DOWN

Liberation by Imogen Kealey

🌬️ WIND:  A BOOK THAT BLEW YOU AWAY

Truths I Never Told You by Kelly Rimmer

☁️ HURRICANE:  A TRAGIC BOOK

The River Home by Hannah Richell

❄️ BLIZZARD:  A BOOK YOU HAD HIGH EXPECTATIONS FOR

Matters Of The Heart by Fiona Palmer

🌪️ TORNADO:  A BOOK YOU DIDN’T LIKE AT FIRST BUT ENDED UP LOVING

To Kill the Truth by Sam Bourne

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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

Smooth Sea and a Fighting Chance by Steven Otfinoski

‘RMS Titanic set sail after making headlines as the largest passenger ship the world had yet seen. Just a few days later, this celebrated journey plunged into chaos as an iceberg dealt the ship a fatal blow. Through powerful and immersive narrative storytelling; in an exciting narrative nonfiction format, this powerful book follows a selection of people who experienced the tragic sinking of the Titanic firsthand.’

This book was great.

I think pretty much everyone knows the story of the Titanic, so I didn’t go into this book without knowing what I was getting into.

I was surprised to find out so much new information that I had never heard before. I honestly didn’t think I would learn as much from this book as I did. After reading this book I am excited to dive in and learn even more about the Titanic.

Getting to hear about this tragedy from people that were actually there made for a truly emotional and compelling reading experience. Reading about their confusion, fear and determination really added a truly human touch to a famous story.

As this book is aimed at younger readers it isn’t overflowing with information. It had the perfect amount of facts, personal tales and images to spark an interest in young readers. The book also contains a timeline, epilogue, further reading suggestions and questions to encourage conversation with young readers after the story is finished.

Steven Otfinoski has done a fantastic job with this book. It is interesting, informative and emotional. It doesn’t shy away from some truly heartbreaking moments but given that it is aimed at young readers it also has unbelievably heartwarming moments as well, and it isn’t graphic or morbid in any way.

If you haven’t read this book, then find yourself a copy now and read it.

Smooth Sea and a Fighting Chance by Steven Otfinoski is a must have for all young readers.