August Wrap Up…

Welcome to my August Wrap Up. I had a pretty good reading month, finishing 5 books (2 books off my TBR). I also received 4 ARCs this month.

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

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

A Gypsy In Auschwitz by Otto Rosenberg: This book was wonderful. I have read a lot about what Jewish people experienced during the second world war so to read about what the Gypsies went through was fairly new for me. This book captured just one boy’s utterly heartbreaking journey and survival yet carries the weight of all the Gypsies that suffered at the hands of the Nazis. This was a quick yet powerful read that will stay with me for a long time.

Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore by J.K. Rowling and Steve Kloves: I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The plays and screenplays of the harry potter world have been a bit hit and miss for me but this one was great. I loved learning more about Dumbledore and I really enjoyed the behind-the-scenes information and insights from the cast and crew of the movie. Overall; I am very glad that I decided to give this book a go.

The World’s Worst Pets by David Walliams: I Loved this book. David Walliams has done it again with another hilarious collection of short stories. This book had everything I have come to love from David Walliams; joy, crazy, laughter, and heart. Adding to David Walliams’ wonderful writing are the utterly stunning illustrations by Adam Stower that perfectly complimented each and every story. This book is a must-have for all young readers and their families.

The Cowra Breakout by Mat McLachlan: This book was amazing. I am embarrassed to say that I knew very little about the Cowra Breakout before reading this book. This book had the perfect amount of information, maps, and photographs for someone like me who is coming into this part of history with no prior knowledge. I am so glad that I decided to pick up this book and I am now going to add Mat McLachlan’s other works to my wish list.

The Ghost Tattoo by Tony Bernard: This book was wonderful. As with any personal account of the Holocaust, this book was incredibly emotional. At times this book was frustrating in revealing the past but as this was the way that Tony was informed about his Father’s past I understand why it was written this way. This is one of those books that breaks your heart over and over again. I am so glad that I read this book and I know that Henry’s story will stay with me for a very long time.

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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<~

Dear John by Nicholas Sparks

‘An angry rebel, John dropped out of school and enlisted in the Army, not knowing what else to do with his life–until he meets the girl of his dreams, Savannah. Their mutual attraction quickly grows into the kind of love that leaves Savannah waiting for John to finish his tour of duty, and John wanting to settle down with the woman who has captured his heart.

But 9/11 changed everything. John feels it is his duty to re-enlist. And sadly, the long separation finds Savannah falling in love with someone else.

Dear John, the letter read… and with those two words, a heart was broken and two lives were changed forever. Returning home, John must come to grips with the fact that Savannah, now married, is still his true love—and face the hardest decision of his life.’

I didn’t love this book.

I am a massive fan of Nicholas Sparks and I have read many of his books and I can say that this is probably my least favourite of his novels.

Nicholas Sparks is one of those writers who can craft such beautiful stories and his writing has a lyrical and cinematic quality to it; which is probably why so many of his novels have been adapted, and his characters are usually relatable and human, but for some reason, I just didn’t care about the characters in this book.

The only other novel by Nicholas Sparks where I have had this issue was The Notebook, but at least with The Notebook, I enjoyed the characters when they were older, with this book I had no interest in what happened with or to these characters.

I don’t know if it was because this book was set in more modern times or what, but I just couldn’t get into it. As I have loved so many of Nicholas Sparks’ works, I have re-read this book; both fully and partially, but I really don’t think I will bother trying to read it again. I will have to deal with the fact that this book just isn’t for me.

Dear John by Nicholas Sparks is a quick read that I hope you will enjoy more than I did.

Uni Update 28!

It’s that time again…

Uni Update!

I am just over a month into this trimester and so far I am loving it. I love the content; political violence and terrorism, and I love the way that the lectures and course work is being delivered. I haven’t had to do any assignments yet, but I have started researching and planning my essay which I have actually enjoyed.

Getting to chat with other students and hear their opinions about each subject has also been a really interesting part of this unit so far.

I am glad that I didn’t decide to do double the units this trimester as I had to have a few days off uni as I was sick but I was able to catch up pretty easily which would have been much more difficult if I was overloading my plate like I did last trimester.

I don’t have a bad word to say about uni this month. I am excited to see what subject we get to investigate over the coming weeks and I am looking forward to doing more research and then actually writing my upcoming essay.

Well, that is all from me today. I will catch you all in my next Uni Update.

Until then…

Happy Reading!

~>GEM<~

The Cowra Breakout by Mat McLachlan

‘During World War II, in the town of Cowra in central New South Wales, Japanese prisoners of war were held in a POW camp. By August 1944, over a thousand were interned and on the icy night of August 5th, they staged one of the largest prison breakouts in history, launching the only land battle of World War II to be fought on Australian soil. Five Australian soldiers and more than 230 Japanese POWs would die during what became known as The Cowra Breakout.

This compelling and fascinating book, written by one of Australia’s leading battlefield historians, vividly traces the full story of the Breakout. It is a tale of proud warriors and misfit Australian soldiers. Of negligence and complacency, and of authorities too slow to recognize danger before it occurred – and too quick to cover it up when it was too late. But mostly it is a story about raw human emotions, and the extremes that people will go to when they feel all hope is lost.’

This book was riveting.

I am embarrassed to say that I had virtually no knowledge of the Cowra Breakout before going into this book. I was never taught about it in school and as an adult, most of my readings about WWII are about the war in Europe and the Holocaust. So I was very excited to learn about this piece of both Australian and WWII history.

Mat McLachlan has done a fantastic job with this book. It was detailed but not overwhelming in any way, and the writing was easy to follow yet still emotional. Having insights provided for both sides of this story allowed for the human story to be told and understood while still capturing an important part of Australian history.

I loved the fact that this book had a map and photographs in it, and I am glad that we got to hear from both Australians and Japanese when piecing together the timeline, the breakout itself, and the long-term feelings and consequences of the Cowra Breakout. This is one of those books that was captivating from start to finish.

The Cowra Breakout by Mat McLachlan is a must-read for all Australians.

Bookshelf Scavenger Hunt Tag…

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

So without further ado, let’s jump straight in:

Find an author name or title with a Z in it.

The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak

Find a classic.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Find a book with a key on it.

The Key by Kathryn Hughes

Find something on your bookshelf that is not a book.

Hogwarts Coffee Mug

Find a book with a girl on it.

L Platers by Madonna King

Find a book that has an animal in it.

Wombat Underground: A Wildfire Survival Story by Sarah L. Thomson

Find a book with a male protagonist.

All That’s Left In The World by Erik J. Brown

Find a book with only words on the cover.

Be The Love by Sarah Prout

Find a book with illustrations in it.

Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone: Illustrated Edition

Find a book with gold lettering.

The Essential Book Of Crystals by Emily Anderson

Find a diary, true or fictional.

The Diary Of Anne Frank

Find a book with a close-up of something on it.

Escape From the Ghetto by John Carr

Find a book on your shelf that takes place in the earliest time period.

Les Miserables by Vistor Hugo

Find a hardcover book without a jacket.

After Bali by Jason McCartney

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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<~

The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks

‘Set amid the austere beauty of the North Carolina coast begins the story of Noah Calhoun, a rural Southerner recently returned from the Second World War. Noah is restoring a plantation home to its former glory, and he is haunted by images of the beautiful girl he met fourteen years earlier, a girl he loved like no other. Unable to find her, yet unwilling to forget the summer they spent together, Noah is content to live with only memories…until she unexpectedly returns to his town to see him once again.

Like a puzzle within a puzzle, the story of Noah and Allie is just the beginning. As it unfolds, their tale miraculously becomes something different, with much higher stakes. The result is a deeply moving portrait of love itself, the tender moments, and the fundamental changes that affect us all. It is a story of miracles and emotions that will stay with you forever.’

I enjoyed this book.

I am a pretty big fan of Nicholas Sparks but unfortunately, this book isn’t one of my favourite of his novels. I have read many of Nicholas Sparks’ novels and while I enjoyed this book I just didn’t love it as much as some of his other works.

I have read this book a couple of times; it’s a pretty quick read so I pick it up every now and then hoping to enjoy it more each time but I just don’t.

Nicholas Sparks’ writing is wonderful as usual; I have never not connected to the writing in one of Nicholas Sparks’s novels his ability to create such emotional stories with a cinematic and lyrical quality is unmatched in my opinion, but for some reason in this book, I only care about the characters when they are older; I lose interest in the sections of this book that take place in the past which is unfortunate given the whole premise of this book.

Every time I read this book I can see why people love it so much, I just can’t make myself fall in love with or even care that much about the characters. Maybe next time I read this book I will have more luck falling in love with it.

The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks will take you on an emotional journey.

Pointless Facts 29!

As I am really enjoying compiling Pointless Facts, I am going to stick with my plan of posting a new list every month; at least until it stops being fun for me. So I hope you all enjoy this month’s installment of Pointless Facts.

Let’s jump in, shall we?

A flock of peacocks is called a party.

The longest noodle ever made is more than 10,000 feet long.

The actors who voiced Mickey and Minnie mouse from the 1980s to the 2010s were married.

Elmer Fudd’s original name was Egghead.

The heaviest onion on record was grown by Pete Glazebrook of England. It weighed 17 pounds.

The United States makes 25 percent of the world’s cheese.

Hiking naked is illegal in Switzerland.

The White House has 35 bathrooms.

“A Boy Named Sue” wasn’t written by Johnny Cash. Shel Silverstein wrote it.

In 2015, Belfast police used ice cream truck music to deter teenage rioters.

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I hope you all enjoyed today’s pointless facts. Let me know in the comments if these pointless facts were new to you or if you had already come across them.

~>GEM<~

One Last Dance by Wendy Leigh

‘This celebratory valentine to Patrick Swayze explores his kaleidoscopic career, from the early days on Broadway and TV to his defining roles in films such as “Dirty Dancing,” “Road House,” “Point Break,” and “Ghost,” and gives us an intimate look at the charismatic, complex man who seemed destined from birth to capture our hearts.

Patrick Swayze: One Last Dance, with never-before-heard stories including his insatiable drive for pushing the limits and his many brushes with death, his early family life and fairytale love story with his wife Lisa Niemi, and how his refusal to be typecast led him to roles that fell both in and out of favour with critics and fans alike.

Surprising and fascinating details, such as the heavy tension on the set of Dirty Dancing with co-star Jennifer Grey, the inspiration behind Patrick’s drag queen character Vida Boheme on To Wong Foo, and Patrick’s struggle to deal with his Sexiest Man Alive status and the throngs of women who came along with it, will captivate his myriad fans. Patrick Swayze: One Last Dance is a loving portrait of a man who’s mesmerized and inspired us for decades.’

I loved this book.

I am a massive Patrick Swayze fan so I went into this book both excited and with high hopes. I am happy to say that this book lived up to both my excitement levels and my high expectations.

This book was written and published before Patrick Swayze lost his battle with cancer, so while it mentions his diagnosis it doesn’t cover the last few months of his life or his ultimate passing. In my personal opinion, I am glad that this book doesn’t cover his illness and death as much as other books, instead, it focuses on his life and career.

Wendy Leigh did a fantastic job with this book. It was insightful and personal, and the information that she revealed in this book really captured who Patrick Swayze was as a person and why he was so loved by his fans. Wendy Leigh’s writing perfectly captured the humanity and emotion of Patrick Swayze’s life while also proving truly funny stories from Patrick’s personal life and moments on set throughout his career.

This is one of those books that I will definitely re-read many times in the future.

One Last Dance by Wendy Leigh is well worth the read.

RIP It Or Ship It Harry Potter Book Tag…

Welcome one and all to another Wacky Wednesday post. Today I am partaking in the RIP It Or Ship It Harry Potter Book Tag. I hope you all enjoy this quick little tag.

So without further ado, let’s jump straight in:

Harry Potter and Hermione Granger – Ship It!

Harry Potter and Ron Weasley – Ship It!

Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy – Ship It!

Ron Weasley and Neville Longbottom – Ship It!

Ron Weasley and Draco Malfoy – RIP It!

Ron Weasley and Luna Lovegood – RIP It!

Hermione Granger and Ginny Weasley – Ship It!

Hermione Granger and Cho Chang – Ship It!

Hermione Granger and Nymphadora Tonks – RIP It!

Luna Lovegood and Ginny Weasley – RIP It!

Luna Lovegood and Harry Potter – Ship It!

Luna Lovegood and Neville Longbottom – Ship It!

Remus Lupin and Sirius Black – Ship It!

Dobby and Winky – Ship It!

Alastor Moody and Minerva McGonagall – RIP It!

Minerva McGonagall and Albus Dumbledore – Ship It!

Fleur Delacour and Ron Weasley – RIP It!

Percy Weasley and Hermione Granger – RIP It!

Nymphadora Tonks and Luna Lovegood – RIP It!

Nymphadora Tonks and Ginny Weasley – Ship It!

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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<~

The World’s Worst Pets by David Walliams

‘BE WARNED! AWFUL ANIMALS LURK INSIDE…

Millions of readers have loved The World’s Worst Children, The World’s Worst Teachers, and The World’s Worst Parents – now they will delight in this ludicrously laugh-out-loud collection of pets, brought to you by the phenomenal Number One bestselling author David Walliams, with every story illustrated in vibrant colour by Adam Stower.

These ten tales of the world’s craziest creatures will have you shaking with laughter. You’ll never look at pets in the same way again!

Marvel at Houdini, the magician’s rabbit. Take a trip around the world with Zoom the supersonic tortoise. Gasp at the chaos created by Griselda, a grizzly bear with a big secret. And RUN FOR YOUR LIVES! It’s Furp, the monstrous goldfish!

Good pets, bad pets, supervillain pets, pets as big as a house, and pets that could eat you in one gulp – these are the most hilarious and horrendous animals around.’

I loved this book.

I am a massive fan of David Walliams’ books so I went into this book with high hopes. Thankfully it not only lived up to my high expectations, it well and truly surpassed them. I honestly haven’t read a David Walliams book that I haven’t enjoyed but this one is easily my favourite of his short story collections.

David Walliams has done it again with this hilarious collection of short stories. Each of the stories was fresh and entertaining while also being different from each other. As will all of David Walliams’ collections each of these stories contain a message for young readers to learn from while also being laugh-out-loud funny.

Adding to David Walliams’ wonderful stories are the stunning illustrations by Adam Stower. Adam Stower’s illustrations are bright and bold, and perfectly captured the stories being told. The combination of writing and illustrations in this book is truly fantastic.

I honestly don’t have a bad word to say about this book. As I am not the target audience, yet I absolutely loved this book, I can only imagine the joy this book will bring to the lives of Middle-Grade readers.

The World’s Worst Pets by David Walliams is a must-have for all young readers and their families.