10 Things I Hate About Pinky by Sandhya Menon

‘Pinky Kumar wears the social justice warrior badge with pride. From raccoon hospitals to persecuted rock stars, no cause is too esoteric for her to champion. But a teeny-tiny part of her also really enjoys making her conservative, buttoned-up corporate lawyer parents cringe.

Samir Jha might have a few . . . quirks remaining from the time he had to take care of his sick mother, like the endless lists he makes in his planner and the way he schedules every minute of every day, but those are good things. They make life predictable and steady.

Pinky loves lazy summers at her parents’ Cape Cod lake house, but after listening to them harangue her about the poor decisions (aka boyfriends) she’s made, she hatches a plan. Get her sorta-friend-sorta-enemy, Samir—who is a total Harvard-bound Mama’s boy—to pose as her perfect boyfriend for the summer. As they bicker their way through lighthouses and butterfly habitats, sparks fly, and they both realize this will be a summer they’ll never forget.’

I really enjoyed this book.

A word of advice straight off the bat; you should probably read There’s Something About Sweetie before you read this book as I am pretty sure there are spoilers for it throughout this book.

This is the third Sandhya Menon book that I have read and it is by far my favourite. I loved the characters and the plot, and as usual the writing was wonderful.

The characters in this book really struck a chord with me. I loved Pinky’s spark and her drive to stay true to herself, and I loved the combination of her personality traits and those of both Samir and Dolly. This mixing of different personalities made for a really enjoyable reading experience.

Sandhya Menon has done a fantastic job with this book. Not only were the characters amazing but the plot was utterly captivating. I laughed and cried whilst reading this book. The way in which this story dealt with both heartwarming and heartbreaking moments was truly beautiful.

After reading this book I am more excited then ever to get my hands on another Sandhya Menon novel.

10 Thing I Hate About Pinky by Sandhya Menon is not to be missed.

Uni Update 8!

It’s that time again. Uni Update!

A lot has happened since my last Uni Update. I got my results back for my final Assessment from last Trimester; I passed. This meant that I passed last Trimesters course; which I am very happy about.

I am now almost a month into this Trimesters course; Thinking Ethically. I have just submitted my second Assessment, having already passed my first. I have also stared working on my third Assessment.

I am really enjoying the course and the subject matter so far. I was a bit worried as it is a more advanced course but I have found the teacher is really great about explaining this and the other students are very active on the discussion board, so questions are answered if you don’t understand something.

I have also narrowed down my course for next Trimester to two options, so I guess we will see how I feel as we get closer to the enrolment date.

I am very happy with how this first month of Trimester 2 is playing out and I am hoping that this a sign that I am going to enjoy this course.

That’s it from me for now. I will catch up with you next month for another Uni Update.

~>GEM<~

A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Sara Crewe, an exceptionally intelligent and imaginative student at Miss Minchin’s Select Seminary for Young Ladies, is devastated when her adored, indulgent father dies. Now penniless and banished to a room in the attic, Sara is demeaned, abused, and forced to work as a servant. How this resourceful girl’s fortunes change again is at the center of A Little Princess, one of the best-loved stories in all of children’s literature.

I adore this book.

This is easily one of my all time favourite books, so I decided that it was time to talk about it.

I read this book for the first time as a child and I absolutely fell in love with it, and I have read it many time times since and I still love it. I have found that I take something new from this book every single time I read it.

One of my favourite things about this book is how it blends the magic and imagination with very real and at times heart breaking situations. The hope and belief that the world will get better makes for a truly wonderful reading experience.

I loved the variety of characters on display in this book. There were a lot of badly behaved characters and I really enjoyed watching them interact with each other but more so, watching them interact with Sara.

I truly believe that everyone need a Sara in their live. Her love, kindness and optimism are something that we can all learn from. The world would be a much better place if we all looked at it the way in which Sara does.

Frances Hodgson Burnett created a wonderful story that deserves its place as a classic. If you haven’t read this book I highly recommend that you do so now.

A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett is a must read or everyone.

Goodbye Summer!

Summer is finally over, and I doubt that anyone in Australia is sad to say goodbye to it.

It has truly been a horrific Summer. The Heat, Humidity, Floods and of course Fires.

I don’t love Summer in Australia at the best of time. The heat and Humidity are not my friends. So this Summer was a horrible season.

Thankfully Summer is over. I know that Summer ending doesn’t actually mean the the weather is going to cool down dramatically, or that we are out of danger with the fires, but it does help.

I love that fact that I am here complaining about Summer and in a few months i will be complaining about Winter. Yet if I had to choose, I would pick Winter over Summer in Australia every time.

This Summer has really reminded me just how wacky Australia is. From fires to floods, from drought to flooding rains; Australia truly is a one of a kind place., and I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.

So Goodbye Summer. You knocked us around this year, and I for one am not sad to see you go.

For next years visit could you please try to be kinder to us.

Pretty please with a cherry on top.

~>GEM<~

 

 

Routine!

I need help!

My routine is missing in action.

Since just before Christmas I haven’t have a routine. Which was fine because it was holidays, so I didn’t care about what time I was going to be or waking up, or about how much I was getting done in the day.

I was then on Holiday’s pretty much the whole of January, so there was no routine happening then.

Now that I am back to reality, I need to get back into my routine. But that has not been easy.

I have been able to sleep, laying for hours before actually falling asleep, this in turn means I am sleeping in and not getting much don’t during the day.

I haven’t even been reading very much. I have only read five book, two Shakespeare plays and six chapters on The Origin of Species this year. That is well below what I usually read.

With University starting back up the first week of March, I really need to get back into my routine or I am going to get snowed when my University work comes in.

I am trying to get back to normal, but for some reason it is just not happening.

I guess I will have to keep trying and hope that I am back on track by the end of the month.

~>GEM<~

Netflix Binge!

I have finally joined Netflix!

Now I have a three month subscription, so I may only be trying Netflix out and not actually committing to it at this stage.

It took me a few days to get use to Netflix. I was exiting it a lot when I wanted to go to the menu, but I have stopped that now.

I have found a couple of things that bother me about Netflix. The fact that the next episode or show starts immediately after the one I am watching finishes has been an issue for me, because I just keep watching instead of asking myself if there is something else I need to be doing.

The other issue I have with Netflix is the fact that there is no time visible. As a procrastinator this is a bad thing. I am finding myself watching TV for far too long.

Other then these two small issues, I am liking Netflix. I guess I just need to know how much time to spend watching TV and when I need to stop procrastinating and get some work done.

For the near future I will be sticking with Netflix, but that could change in three months time.

We will see how it goes.

~>GEM<~

Creatures of the Night Book Tag

Welcome one and all to another Wacky Wednesday post. Today I am partaking in the Creatures of the Night Book Tag. The challenge of this tag is to pick out your favourite books containing different types of creatures of the night, and, well, list them. I hope you all enjoy this quick little tag.

So without further ado, lets jump straight in:

Vampire

The Southern Vampire Mysteries by Charlaine Harris

Werewolf

The Twilight Saga – Stephenie Meyer

Zombie

Alice In Zombieland by Gena Showalter

Ghost

The Secret Recipe For Second Chances by J.D. Barrett

Witch/Warlock/Spellcaster

The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling

Fairy/Fae

Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie

Demon

The Inferno by Dante Alighieri

Angel

Are Angels Real? by Kathleen Long Bostrom

Alien

Under The Dome by Stephen King

Superpowered human

Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

---

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

Sequel Wish List…

Welcome back to another Wacky Wednesday. Todays topic is Sequel Wish List. This is a pretty simple topic, I want a sequel for the following books. Some of these books may be getting a sequel in the near future but if it isn’t out yet I have included it on this list. So without further ado, lets jump in…

FanGirl by Rainbow Rowell: I loved this book and I need more. I got excited when I saw Carry On get released but as it wasnt a sequel I was very disappointed. I didn’t want this story to end and would absolutely love to catch up with Cath and Levi again.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak: This is an interesting one. I would love a sequel to this book but I want it set before the books epilogue. This is one of the best books I have every read and I would do anything for a sequel. Please Please Please give me a sequel.

The Girl In The Blue Coat by Monica Hesse: This historical fiction was so perfectly crafted, and delivered. Hanneke was such an amazing character, add that to the haunting setting of World War 2, this book just took my breath away. I would love to see what happens to Hanneke and Co at the conclusion of and after the War. There is so many places this book could go and I for one would love to se a sequel.

The Secret Recipe For Second Chances by J.D. Barrett: Aww Lucy and Frankie. I miss these characters so much, I feel like there is a hole in my life and I need a sequel to fill that hole. This amazing book was so well written. I laughed, I cried and now I want more. I don’t think I will ever get enough of Lucy and Frankie, I need them in my life.

The Song Of Us by J.D. Barrett: Zoe was such a fantastic character to journey with, her life, her music and her relationships were fantastically explored in this amazing book, so is it any wonder I want a sequel. Zoe as a character has so much more to give, and I for one would do anything to get to catch up with her again.

Secrets Between Friends by Fiona Palmer: This is an a strange request but I want a sequel that takes place before the epilogue and after. I guess I kind of want two sequels. I loved getting an epilogue in this book but I really want to know what happened in the missing time. I of course also want to know what happens after the epilogue. I can’t help it, I loved this book and I want more.

Leaving Ocean Road by Esther Campion: This book was an absolute roller coaster read. I loved getting to fall in love with Ellen and Gerry and I would absolutely love to see where their lives went after the conclusion of this book. With so many characters to get to develop and so many relationships to explore I think there is definitely room for a sequel with this story.

Nineteen Letters by Jodi Perry: This is one of my new favourite books. I absolutely fell in love with Braxton and I need more. The journey between Braxton and Jemma was so beautiful and made for a wonderful, emotional reading experience and I would love to see them again, either picking up from where we left off or maybe a few years in the future. I don’t really care as long as I get more Braxton and Jemma.

Well that’s it from me. Let me know if you agree with this list, or if you have any books you want to see a sequel for.

Untill next time…

Happy Reading…

❤ Gem

Bat vs Poss by Alexa Moses

‘Meek the possum and her sisters three are happy living in the sprawling paperbark tree – until the day Squabbles the bat moves in. 

Meek lives with her three sisters, a gaggle of birds, lizards and other creatures next to a tumbledown terrace house. Everyone shares the space, and life is pretty sweet until the day a rude and messy fruit bat named Squabbles moves in – and demands everyone else move OUT. Will Meek be able to get rid of Squabbles, or is there a way for everyone to get along?’

This book was beautiful.

Alexa Moses has done an amazing job with this book. The story is sweet and warm, with lots of learning situations. Her amazing story has been perfectly complimented by Anil Tortop’s vibrant illustrations.

I love reading stories that are about Australian animals. Animals that young Aussies know and have even seen. Anil Tortop has brough these wonderful animals to life with her bright and colourful illustrations.

This book is going to be much-loved by young readers and their families. With the lyrical, rhyming writing, this book is perfect for read aloud story time. The fun and entertaining story, with the amazing, detailed illustrations will make this book one children will want to read over and over again.

It is books like these that make me wish I had children to share them with. Luckily I have many young readers in my life that will be getting a copy of this amazing book.

I honestly don’t have a bad word to say about this book. If you have a young reader in your life get them copy of this book. They will thank you for it later.

Bat vs Poss by Alexa Moses is a wonderful story about sharing and making friends that every young reader should have on their bookshelf.

A Wrinkle In Time by Madeleine L’Engle

‘It was a dark and stormy night; Meg Murry, her small brother Charles Wallace, and her mother had come down to the kitchen for a midnight snack when they were upset by the arrival of a most disturbing stranger.

“Wild nights are my glory,” the unearthly stranger told them. “I just got caught in a downdraft and blown off course. Let me sit down for a moment, and then I’ll be on my way. Speaking of ways, by the way, there is such a thing as a tesseract.”

Meg Murry and her friends become involved with unearthly strangers and a search for Meg’s father, who has disappeared while engaged in secret work for the government.’

This was a lovely book.

I can definitely see why this book is loved and why it has had the longevity that it has. Unfortunately for me, I didn’t love it. I liked it, but that’s about it.

The writing itself was absolutely beautiful. The way in which the writing was almost lyrical in quality and the craftsmanship of the sentences and chapters was truly amazing.

There was an element of this book that I did love. I loved the descriptions; especially during and after each ‘tesser’. These scenes one again really showcased the wonderful writing.

One of the problems I had with this story was the characters. I loved Calvin and I had a love hate relationship with Charles Wallace. I really liked Charles Wallace at the start of the book but that didn’t last. As for Meg, I wasnt able to warm to her at all. My inability to warm to Meg and the fact that I became annoyed with Charles Wallace as the story progressed made it difficult to really care about what happened to either of these characters.

I really wanted to love this book. I am planning on reading it again, I think I may watch the movie first and then try the book again and see if that makes a difference.

A Wrinkle In Time by Madeleine L’Engle will take the reading on a weird and wacky journey that you may just adore.