Between the Lives - Book Review

Hello there internet! I am oh so excited about today's post, partly because i feel like i haven't written a book review in so long, but also because i just loved this book so much! But i'm getting ahead of myself, first we need to talk about the book before i get into all the feelings.

So the lovely people at Books With Bite sent me a proof copy of Between the Lives by Jessica Shirvington to review, and i am so happy about it.

Release Date: August 2014

The Plot: For as long as she can remember, Sabine has lived two lives. Every 24 hours she shifts to her 'other' life - a life where she is exactly the same, but absolutely everything else is different: different family, different friends, different social expectations. In one life she's a straight-A student with the perfect boyfriend; in the other she's considered a reckless delinquent.

Nothing about her situation has ever changed, until the day when she discovers a glitch: the arm she breaks in one life is fine in the other.

With this new knowledge, Sabine begins a series of increasingly risky experiments that bring her dangerously close to the life she's always wanted. But if she can only have one life, which is the one she'll choose?

Well, what can i say? Between the Lives was funny, heartbreaking, wonderful, dramatic, most of all - it was beautiful. 

The development of Sabine and Ethan's relationship was realistic, and oh so beautiful and lovely to read. I loved the way that they interacted with each other and the challenges that Ethan brought into Sabine's life were so important to both the story and to their relationship. The moments that they shared when he was looking after her were some of my favourite parts of the book, and they are now definitely one of my favourite fictional couples by far.

I loved the development of Sabine's character and the way that one life began to impact the way she acted in her other life, and the continuity was great, which can sometimes be missing in books with parallel world-type stories. I think that although Sabine went through a lot, both in Roxbury and Wellesley, and i think that's what has made her one of my new favourite characters. Her wit, the mix of her personalities, her relationships, all of it made me want to keep reading about her life and never stop.

As for Ethan...well what can i say, he was one of the best male characters i've come across who wasn't the main character. The way he acted with Sabine made me completely fall in love with both him and the story. He is ultimately the reason that i broke down into tears nearing the end of the book. And i won't give anything away, but i may need some time to recover from that.

The letter!! Oh man the letter! I was already in tears because of everything else in the book, and then that letter came along and that was it - i was gone. I just broke down into tears, and had to finish the book through very teary eyes. And i wouldn't want it any other way!

The ending of Between the Lives is one of the most wonderful, surprising, heart-breaking, heart-warming, beautiful endings to a book i have read in such a long time. And i want more! I need to know what happens after the book ends, but if i can't have that, i'm glad i get to go back and read this book over and over again!

I have completely fallen in love with this book, and these worlds, and i hope you do too, because believe me,  it's oh so worth the tears!

"You were right. I was lost. But you found me, between the lives."

Meghan x

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Book Fact Tag

Hello there internet, today i thought i'd do a tag because they're always fun to do and i haven't done one in a while. So i found this one when i was browsing around on some book blogs the other day and i thought it'd be fun to do (partly so i can continue my procrastination from my essays...). 

Anyway here is the Book Fact Tag!

(Sidenote, i have absolutely no idea who came up with this tag, and i forgot to write down the blog where i saw it, so i'm sorry for that!)

1: How many books do you have?

Erm, the last time i counted was when i left for uni nearly four years ago and back then it was about 500, and i've bought A LOT more since then, so i have absolutely no idea!

2: What book series have you not read that everybody else has?

The Maze Runner. I feel like everyone has read this series apart from me, and i do want to read it at some point but it'll probably be after i go see the film...

3: What book do you surprisingly hate?

Noughts and Crosses. I read the first book in the series and didn't really enjoy it, then i couldn't even finish the second, and i'm so disappointed because i thought i was going to love it.

4: What book had a super shocking ending?

Oh i can't think of one? Erm...Maybe The Fault in Our Stars because i (SPOILER) thought that maybe Hazel would die and not Gus? But i can't really think of a book that was super shocking.

5: Favourite genre?

I'd have to say it's a tie between contemporary and horror. I adore everything horror really, and i love the way contemporary is written.

6: What book can you not wait for to come out?

City of Heavenly Fire!! I am SO ready to finish that seires! Also, anything else Stephen King, Jay Bell, or Jay Asher writes, because i love them.

7: Favourite character of all time?

Holden Caulfield (Catcher in the Rye), Draco Malfoy (Harry Potter Series), Tim Wyman (Seasons Series), Joffrey Baratheon (A Song of Ice and Fire Series), Luna Lovegood (Harry Potter Series). 

8: Least favourite character of all time?

Umbridge (Harry Potter Series), Dumbledore (Harry Potter Series), Bella Swan (Twilight Series), Simon Lewis (The Mortal Instruments Series).

9: Favourite book of all time?

The Catcher in the Rye, Thirteen Reasons Why, Something Like Winter, Dracula, and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire are probably my top five.

Meghan x

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Top 5...#9

Hello again internet! I'm here today with a new Top 5, this time i'm going to talk about the top five series' that i think would make some great tv shows! I'm really excited about this one, because it combines two things that i like the most: books and tv. Here we go!

5: The Gallagher Girls by Ally Carter

I really like the Gallagher Girls series and i would love to see it come to life, but i think it would make a much better tv show rather than a series of films. When i read the books i can see them as a tv show which would be great for kids, and adults, with a great story about a boarding school which teaches girls how to be a great spy. And if you don't think that sounds like a great tv show then i don't know what you're thinking of.

4: A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket

I loved reading these books when i was younger, and i loved re-reading them. I think that they're the perfect books to make an amazing kids tv show out of, because they are the perfect mix of heart-warming and creepy. And i would love watching this show with my little nieces and nephews, or you know on Netflix on my own in my room...either way, i think it would be great.

3: The Winter Trilogy by Ruth Warburton

The winter trilogy is easily one of my favourite series and is probably my favourite series about witches. I think the amount of action, romance, friendship, problems, family issues, and drama that is in this series would make the most wonderful tv series! This series has everything really, there's points of humor, drama, excitement, romance, everything, and i think it would make a great show to fill the gossip girl and charmed filled holes in our lives.

2: Fallen by Lauren Kate

Angels, Nephilim, Romance, Action...what more could you want in a tv show? I think the fallen series has a bit of something for everyone really and i think it would just be one of those shows that could be done really, really well. If we go on a 1 book/1 season basis then i can see the third season being a little difficult/weird, but it could still be a great show!

1: Seasons Series by Jay Bell

I don't think anyone will be surprised by this. The seasons series is pretty much my favourite series, and are easily four of my favourite books of all time. I think that the amount of amazing and complex characters found in the series would make some incredible television show characters. Also the stories that each character goes through would make an incredible show (they'd also be incredible movies, just saying) and seeing the characters that i feel like i know come to life on a screen would basically be the best thing ever. (Or even if Jay Bell just wants to add to the series so i can have more? That'd be great...)

What book series do you think would make a great tv show?

Meghan x

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Writing vs Reading

Hello again internet! It's been a while, and i thought i'd make a post telling you what i've been doing in the past month or so.

As much as i love reading, it's kind of taken a back seat this month. Not only is it the last month of lectures for my masters, i also went back to my first University town to see some of my friends, and most of all i've started writing a book...oh man is that taking up a lot of time!

I'm really excited about writing this book though, it's an idea i've had in my head for almost a year at this point and i figured that now is the perfect time to get it out of my head and down on paper. Or, you know, the screen...

This isn't the first book i've started to write though, i started writing one during my second year of my Bachelor's degree and as much as i loved writing that, it was a non-fiction book, and right now my heart isn't as into it as it should be. However, my heart is 100% into the fiction idea i have. 

Right now i'm in serious planning mode, and with the exceptions of uni reading, i haven't read anything for almost a month now. I am reading little bits of Something Like Autumn before i go to sleep (and it is so good!!) but hopefully soon i can tear away from the planning of the story and go back to reading for fun. My lectures finish this week so hopefully the time i spend reading for uni can be turned into reading for fun time. 

I kind of want to maybe start making blog post documenting the writing process? I've never really done anything like this before, everything i have ever written has been non-fiction and mainly philosophy based, so this is a whole new world to me, and i am equal parts scared and excited. 

Meghan x

Like And Subscribe - Book Review

Two posts in one day?! Well aren't i the productive one today!

This review is slightly different to the other reviews i have done on this blog so far because it's of a short story, something i'm not usually a big fan of...well i've definitely changed my mind!

Like and Subscribe is an amazing short story from the ridiculously amazing Jay Bell, and let me tell you, it is just as great as his other work! The story is about a guy called Evan, and it tells the story of how he came to learn the truth about love. omg it's good.

I feel like anyone who has ever been subscribed to a YouTuber should read this story and see how much like reality it is! I think Evan perfectly captures the essence of being a YouTube fanboy/fangirl, and that Tony is the perfect example of how we can never really know what our favourite YouTubers are like no matter how much we love and adore them.

I love the evolution between Evan and Tony's boyfriend Orlando, and how Evan starts to see how the persona that Tony puts on for his YouTube audience is far from what he is like in reality. Something that a lot of YouTube lovers need to see, because not everyone on YouTube is as perfect as they seem.

Honestly, Jay Bell is fast becoming one of my favourite authors and every new thing i read by him the more in love i fall with his writing! I cannot wait to read more! In fact, i'm going to wrap up this post and go read his short story Language Lessons...I AM EXCITED!

Meghan x

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Something Like Winter - Book Review

Hello there again people of the internet! I'm back again today with another review for you all! Up this time is Something Like Winter by Jay Bell, which is the sequel to the wonderful Something Like Summer, here we go!!

Something Like Winter was everything i ever could have wanted in a sequel and oh so much more! All the aspects that i completely fell in love with during Something Like Summer were still there, but there were also these other amazing parts that i never knew i wanted. The parts that were 100% Something Like Winter were possibly the parts of this book that i loved the most, and the whole book was simply perfect.

Something Like Winter tells the story of Tim from Something Like Summer, and shows us his perspective of that first year with Ben, as well as all the other times that their characters came together in Something Like Summer, but with oh so much more. The parts of the book that told the story of Tim without Ben, something i longed for while reading Something Like Summer, were so brilliantly and beautifully written, and i even loved the characters that i hated. Tim's story was a perfect blend of familiar and original, mixing the best parts of his story with Ben with a story so uniquely his own in such a beautiful and heartbreaking way.

The new characters were all amazing, all of them being this amazing blend of good and bad characteristics that Jay Bell seems to have mastered. Getting to know the characters from Something Like Summer that i felt i knew so well in a whole new way was amazing, as was getting to know characters who i wanted to know more about the first time round. *cough*ERIC*cough* I never wanted this book to end!

Since i finished Something Like Winter i haven't prepared enough mentally yet to take on Something Like Autumn and Something Like Spring, but omg i cannot wait to get stuck into them both! As soon as i finish my current book i will be all over Something Like Autumn! I miss the characters, i miss Jay Bell's writing, and i miss being so involved in a story.

It's such a wonderfully perfect series so far, and i cannot suggest it enough! If you decide to give this series a chance, i promise you will not regret it one little bit!!

Meghan x

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The Book Sacrifice Tag

Hello there internet! I hope we're all good today!

Today i thought that i would take on The Book Sacrifice TAG created by the very wonderful Ariel Bissett  and i thought it looked like a really fun tag to do! HERE WE GO!

Scenario One: An Over-Hyped Book - Let's start this off with a zombie apocalypse! Let's say you're in a book store, just browsing, when BAM! ZOMBIE ATTACK! An announcement comes over the PA system saying that the military has discovered that the Zombies' only weakness is over-hyped books. What book that everyone else says is amazing but you really hated do you start chucking at the zombies knowing that it will count as an over-hyped book and successfully wipe them out?

Okay, what book is too over-hyped? I'm going to go for Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman . Everyone i have heard talk about this book has said how amazing it is, and how the series is the best thing ever, and honestly? I cannot stand it! I tried so hard to get into it, i read the first two books and i really wish i had just given up during the first one. So those zombies have got hoards of noughts and crosses being aimed their way.

Scenario Two: A Sequel - Let's say you've just left the salon with a SMASHING new haircut and BOOM! Torrential downpour. What sequel are you willing to use as an umbrella to protect yourself?

New Moon. New Moon. New Moon. I actually really like the Twilight series...no judging! But is there any need for New Moon? Really? It's just a terrible book, and going from the first book in a series to the third should feel like you've missed something, but jumping from Twilight to Eclipse doesn't feel like that. So sorry New Moon you're getting wet. 

Scenario Three: A Classic - Let's say that you're in a lecture and your English teacher is going on and on about how this classic changed the world, how is revolutionized literature, and you get so sick of it that you throw the classic right at his face because you know what? This classic is stupid and it's worth detention just to show everyone how you feel! What classic did you throw?

Romeo and Juliet. You can use plays for this question right? Either way i have to throw Romeo and Juliet, mainly because that's all i wanted to do when we studied it at school. I love Shakespeare, but i have a special piece of hatred reserved for Romeo and Juliet. I don't think it's anywhere near Shakespeare's best play, nor can i really find any redeeming feature in it. I think a big part of me hating R&J so much is the way it's taught as this amazing love story and how it's THE love story you know? It's not. Two teenagers fancy each other and everyone ends up dead because they're idiots. Ugh yeah i'm throwing this book so hard.

Scenario Four: Your least favourite book of life - Let's say that you're hanging out in a library when BAM global warming explodes and the world outside becomes a frozen wasteland. You're trapped and your only chance for survival is to burn a book. What is the book you run to first, your least favourite book of all life. What book do you not fully regret lighting?

*Don't hate me* My least favourite book of life is...The Great Gatsby. I have read this thing like 4 times? (i'm not sure i finished it the fourth time) and i still can't get myself to like any part of it. I don't know what it is, but i just really cannot enjoy this book. And i know that everyone else loves it, but if i'm stuck in a freezing library, this sucker is being burnt!

Meghan x

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