What I've Been Watching Recently Part 1

I haven't posted an update on the movies and TV shows I've been watching for the longest time, so I thought it was about time I did just that. I found that when my life was pretty crazy I reached for the remote rather than a book, so I have quite a lot to cover and will need to do this in two parts. This isn't in any kind of order because I can't remember all the way back to April!

Friends Seasons 5-7 - As I have said before, I have watched this show so many times but never every episode in order so I have been rewatching it in order slowly over the year. I have always and will always love this show! Season 5 onwards are my favourite seasons so I have really been loving watching them again. 

The Last Summer -  This is a Netflix movie that I decided to watch because it has KJ Apa in it, but I now can't remember anything else about it. I know it's a romantic comedy about four friends during the last summer before they go off to college. I liked it okay at the time but it is so forgettable that I forgot I even watched it. 

Glee Season 1 - I decided on a whim that I wanted to start rewatching Glee. I watched the first two seasons when it first aired and then gave up on it, so I wanted to give it another go. I am a huge musical theatre fan and am not averse to anything cheesy but Glee was just too much even for me. I forgot how cringey and just plain bad the first season of this show is. Honestly, I struggled to get through it. One of my friends absolutely loves the show and has convinced me it gets better, so I might try and keep going at some point.

Otherhood - This is another Netflix movie and another one I would say is pretty forgettable. It's about three mothers who decide to surprise their adult sons after they forget Mothers' Day. It is meant to be a comedy but I didn't really find it that entertaining at all. In fact, the only thing I really liked about it was Jack Lacy.

After - This was a total surprise. I wasn't going to watch it because I hadn't read the book and was considering doing so first, but in the end I just decided to watch it without reading the book first. I didn't know what to expect but I definitely didn't expect to love it as much as I did. This is, like I said, based on the book After by Anna Todd, and follows a 'good' girl who moves away to college and meets a 'bad' boy and of course she falls for him. It's nothing that hasn't been done before but I just thought it was so adorable and I was completely invested. 

Good Sam - This was another Netflix movie that I enjoyed slightly more than the others. It follows a reporter who is made to cover a story about people finding bags of money on their doorstep and she is trying to uncover who is doing it. This was a nice, sweet movie but it was quite predictable and is a storyline I have seen done better before. I would say it's a good feel-good movie but nothing super special.

The Good Place Season 3 - I was loving this and then stopped watching it for ages and I don't know why. I decided to finish off the third season in time for the fourth (which I still haven't started yet) and loved it just as much as the rest. If you don't already know, this is a series basically about the afterlife. It is absolutely hilarious and they have taken the show in so many weird and unexpected places, I can never tell what is coming next. I just think it's amazing and don't want it to have to end.

Someone Great - Yet another Netflix film, yet another disappointment. This is another romantic comedy following a girl who's long term boyfriend breaks up with her and her two best friends try to give her a good night to get her out of her depression that follows the breakup. I was expecting great things given the cast, but it fell flat for me. It was just like any other 'party' romcom and didn't do anything different of special. I didn't really enjoy it at all.

Falling Inn Love - So basically, I've been watching a lot of Netflix films this year. This was a sweet little romantic comedy about a girl who, after losing her job and boyfriend in the same week, wins an inn in New Zealand, which turns out to be needing a lot more work than first appeared. Obviously there is very nice to look at local who offers to help her with the work needing done and everyone knows where this is going. It was cute and had some pretty funny moments, but it was very predictable and I got a little bored.

Ghosts Of Girlfriends Past - I have no idea why I decided to watch this but it popped up on Netflix so I decided to give it a go. Unfortunately, this was just bad! It is about a 'womanizer' who is haunted by ghosts of former girlfriends during the lead up to his brother's wedding. I didn't find it funny, it was pretty boring and really feels like a waste of an hour and a bit.

Death In Paradise Season 7 - I somehow skipped a season and watched season 8 before 7, so I obviously had to go back and catch up. I love a murder mystery so this is the perfect show for me, plus is has some comedy mixed in to make it such a fun watch. Every episode is so clever, I am always being surprised and can never guess the ending. I will never get bored of this.

That was basically everything I have been watching on Netflix over the past few months. In part 2, I'll chat about the things I've been watching on all other platforms. Netflix seems to have been my go to recently.

Do you have any good Netflix recommendations for me?

Sophie :)

5 Books I Want To Read Before The End Of The Year

I haven't had the best reading year in 2019, as I have been so busy with everything else going on in my life to read as much as I would have liked. However, I am wanting to try and make up for that a little bit in the last few weeks of the year and read as many books as I can. There are some books that are high on the priority list to read before the year is over, so let's talk about them.

1. Twas The Nightshift Before Christmas by Adam Kay - 

I mentioned this in the End Of The Year book tag as one that I definitely want to get to before the end of the year. I absolutely loved This Is Going To Hurt by Adam Kay and this is essential a festive follow-on to that. It is another 25 stories from Adam's time as a junior doctor in the NHS, but with a festive twist in that they are all Christmas stories. I can't wait to read this!

2. Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare -

On every 'books I want to read before...' list I do, there is always a Cassandra Clare book. I finally read City Of Glass this year, after putting it off for a year, and I am reading Cassandra Clare's books in publication order, so this is the next one I need to get to. I have been saying that since February but I really do hope to get to it before the end of the year.

3. Christmas With The Bomb Girls by Daisy Styles -

This is the third book in a series I haven't read that was sent to me for review two years ago! I don't know why I accepted it for a start, but I also really should have read it before now. It is historical fiction, which isn't always my cup of tea, but it is also a Christmas book and it is no secret that I love Christmas. I'm going to give it a go, even though I haven't read the rest of the series and don't have a clue what it's about. 

4. Girl Made Of Stars by Ashley Herring Blake -

This was another one I mentioned in the End Of The Year book tag. I have heard so many people rave about this book for the past year and a half and haven't seen a single negative review. I am very intrigued to see if I enjoy it as much as everyone else seems to, so I'm really hoping to get to it before the end of the year. I think it has the potential, judging by all the opinions I have seen, to be a favourite of the year.

5. What Light by Jay Asher - 

Again, this is one I mentioned in the End Of The Year book tag. This is a reread, so I'm not sure if it really counts. I read this a few years ago and really loved it, but I have since seen a lot of negative reviews. I thought it was a really sweet, fun romance with some Christmas fun thrown in and I had a great time reading it. I really want to read it again and see if I have the same thoughts the second time around.

Let's be honest, there are only a couple of weeks left of the year so I'm most likely getting to none of these books before the end of the year, but sometimes it's nice to set unrealistic goals for yourself.

What books are you wanting to get to before the end of the year?

Sophie :)

October & November 2019 Wrap Up

So, apparently I wasn't quite as 'back' as I thought I would be. I'm definitely still trying to juggle work, life and blogging, but I'm getting there. I may not have my blogging life back to normal, but my reading life started to get back on track a little bit in October and November and I'm so happy about that. I'm definitely not back to reading as much as usual, and I really doubt I'll hit my Goodreads goal this year, but I'm glad I'm reading something. I read 3 books in October and 3 in November, so let's talk about them.

All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven -

I have had this on my shelf for the longest time but it is so crazy hyped that it put me off reading it, but I finally picked it up. This follows a boy and girl who meet on the ledge of the school bell tower and then become connected through a school project. People seem to either love this book or hate it, but I seem to be somewhere in the middle. I found the characters to be pretty bland, as though Jennifer Niven tried so hard to make the characters quirky that it they became nothing more than quirks. I thought the story was interesting and enjoyed getting both perspectives, though I didn't feel the mental health rep was entirely accurate. I thought the ending was important and impactful, but the book as a whole didn't blow me away. I also got very strong Eleanor and Park vibes while reading this and I really didn't enjoy that book.

Rating: 3/5

The Wrong Side Of Kai by Estelle Maskame -

Estelle Maskame's DIMILY series is one of my all time favourite series', so this was one of my most anticipated books of the year. It follows a girl who has an explicit video of her made public and teams up with the new boy in school to get revenge. I was so disappointed that I didn't love this as much as I wanted to. I liked the idea of this, I love a revenge plot, but this seemed very rushed and quite predictable. As usual, Estelle Maskame created great characters, who I really enjoyed getting to know, and I really loved that Vanessa wasn't the typical 'good girl' who couldn't possibly ever have sex with anyone, she was a real teenage girl. I also thought there was a great message regarding slut shaming and sharing explicit content. Overall, I liked this but not as much as I had hoped to.

Rating: 3/5

How To Love by Katie Cotugno -

This clearly made an impact as I'm honestly struggling to remember much about this book. I remember it following a girl both before and after becoming a teenage mother; the developing relationship between her and her childhood family friend, and her dealing with him returning after disappearing for some time. I remember enjoying the alternating before and after perspectives, but I didn't love the characters. I thought the story was okay, it was interesting enough, but the characters took away slightly from my enjoyment of the story. This wasn't a bad book, it was just pretty forgettable.

Rating: 3/5

Postscript by Cecelia Ahern -

Finally something to break up the run of 3 star reads! This is the sequel to the debut novel of one of my favourite authors, Cecelia Ahern's PS I Love You. Despite being such a popular book, the PS I Love You isn't one of my favourite novels of hers. I enjoyed it, but I didn't love it. The sequel, however, was a different story. Postscript follows Holly seven years after her husband Gerry died and she is approached by a group inspired by Gerry's letters to help them create their own versions. I wasn't sure what to expect from this but I absolutely adored it. I loved revisiting Holly and her family and seeing how things have changed for them all in the years since the first book ended. Even more than that, I really enjoyed meeting new characters and experiencing their stories. This story was completely heart-wrenching and heart-warming at the same time, and approached death and grief in an entirely unique way. I thought Holly's struggles throughout the book were very real and something many in similar situations may be able to relate to. I really did absolutely adore this book.

Rating: 5/5

Layover by Amy Andelson & Emily Meyer -

This was my biggest disappointment of the past couple of months. It follows three step-siblings who decide, during a layover in LA on the way to a family vacation, to run away in response to finding out their parents are getting divorced. The two oldest step-siblings also have feelings for each other. This was one of the most ridiculous books I have read in a while. The characters are pretty much unbearable and the authors liked to make it very clear that Flynn, one of our main characters, was not like other girls. Despite the annoying characters, the plot, while completely ridiculous and not at all realistic, was pretty fun. There was even a trip to Disneyland, so that was fun to read. The romance between the step-siblings was kind of unnecessary and seemed like an afterthought that was just added for an extra little bit of drama. There was some anxiety rep, specifically anxiety in younger people, which I thought was good to include and, at least from my personal experience, was a fairly accurate representation. This was definitely a disappointing read.

Rating: 2/5

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston -

I'm so sad to say this was another slightly disappointing read. I did enjoy it, but nowhere near as much as I expected to given the hype surrounding it. This follows the son of the American president and a British Prince who hate each other but have to stage a friendship, which of course leads to romance. There was nothing I disliked about this book, it was a good story with good characters that I enjoyed reading, but it didn't blow me away. I really liked all of the characters, although I did find it hard to keep track of who was who, and really enjoyed the romance. I did wish there was more of a build up to the romance, it seemed to all happen very fast in the beginning of the book. I didn't find the American politics all that interesting, a lot of it went over my head, and did find there was a few incorrect British stereotypes thrown in, but neither ruined my enjoyment. I think the reason I didn't love this book was just the fact that I got bored for middle of the book. I felt it was longer than it needed to be, and while I enjoyed the beginning and really loved the end, the middle section was just a bit dull. There were also so many really great messages throughout the book. Overall, I did enjoy this book but it was way overhyped and fell flat for me.

Rating: 3/5

It wasn't the best reading month in terms of quality, everything was pretty average other than my one 5 star, but I'm just glad to be reading anything. 

Have you been reading anything great recently?

Sophie :)

The End Of The Year Book Tag

It is very hard to believe we're at the end of the year already! I have had the craziest year, with so many massive changes, but it has gone so fast. I have been seeing the End Of The Year tag going around and thought it would be a good way to get back into things.

1. Are there any books you started this year that you need to finish?

I think the only book I started and put down this year was Illuminae by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff. I was enjoying this but just wasn't in the mood so put it down. I'm not sure if it is one I'll pick up before the end of the year but I definitely want to finish it some time soon.

2. Do you have an autumnal book to transition into the end of the year?

Clearly I am late to the party with this tag. It is already well into the end of the year now, but I find thrillers and books covering darker topics are my typical transition books. However, this year I was just picking up anything I found interesting in the hope of actually being able to read a book.

3. Is there a new release you're still waiting for?

I think all of the new releases I was anticipating for the year have already been released. I'm just looking forward to 2020 releases now.

4. What are three books you want to read before the end of the year?

Twas The Nightshift Before Christmas by Adam Kay - I absolutely loved This Is Going To Hurt by Adam Kay so I'm really excited to read this collection of experiences of a junior doctor in the NHS at Christmas time.

What Light by Jay Asher - I have already read this book a few years ago but I really want to reread this book this year. It is a super sweet Christmas contemporary story, which I loved the first time around, but I've seen a lot of negative reviews since so I want to see how I feel about it on reread.

Girl Made Of Stars by Ashley Herring Blake - I have heard nothing but amazing things about this book so I really want to see if it will live up to the hype. It follows a girl who's best friend accuses her twin brother of rape, putting her in the most horrific situation.

5. Is there a book you think could still shock you and become your favourite book of the year?

I think Girl Made Of Stars has the potential to be a favourite if I love it as much as everyone else seems to. It made a lot of favourites lists at the end of 2018. 

6. Have you already started making reading plans for 2020?

I have in the sense of deciding not to make too many plans for the year. I have found that the more I give myself plans or goals for the year, the less I actually read. I will talk about this more in a future post.

What are your reading plans for the end of the year?

Sophie :)

I'm Back & A Few Changes

Oh my days, life has been crazy! I am so sad that I have had to basically neglect this blog for the majority of this year, but so many life changes meant that I had to prioritise everything else going on. However, things are hopefully starting to settle down and I'm back into some kind of routine so I am hoping this will mean I can get back into the blogging game.

While I am so excited to be back, there are some things that I want to change. During my break from blogging, I realised there were some things that I just don't enjoy about it. I was so focused on trying to do what is expected of a book blogger that I didn't bother to think about whether or not those were things I enjoyed. I have decided that, since this is purely a hobby for me, my main focus should be the things I enjoy and I shouldn't put pressure on myself to do the things I "should" be doing.

As much as this may go against everything a book blogger should be, I hate writing reviews. I have always felt this incredible pressure to try to review all of the books I read and never felt like I was doing a good enough job, probably because it always felt like a chore. Now, I'm not saying I'm going to stop reviewing book completely. I just think I need to calm it down a bit and just review books when I have something to say. It is so hard, I feel, to write a full review for a 3 star, totally average, nothing special book when I can sum up my thoughts in a short paragraph in my wrap up. So, from now on, I will still be posting the odd review, but I will not be trying to review everything I read.

The other thing I am wanting to change is incorporating other topics. I love reading and always will, but I have other things I love and want to talk about. I have been doing this a little bit through my 'What I've Been Watching' posts, and I would like to include more TV/movies content, as well as some other things I enjoy.

So basically, I'm back but expect a few small changes around here.

What kind of things would you like to see on this blog?

Sophie :)

Wrap Up | May - September 2019

Life is crazy. Blogging is hard. I read some books, let's talk about them while I have a spare five minutes!

In all seriousness, I am currently the busiest I have been in a long time and blogging has had to take a serious back seat. I am trying to post wrap ups when I can, but I doubt I'll have anything more than that for at least the next month or so. I've hardly even had time to read recently, which makes me quite sad, but I did manage 3 books in May, 3 in June and 3 in July.

Strictly Between Us by Jane Fallon -

This was a complete cover buy, but sadly not one that paid off this time. This follows a woman who uses her assistant as bait for her best friend's husband, who she is convinced is cheating, and things get very messy. It turned out to be a bit of a disappointment. I disliked most of the characters and didn't really see any kind of character development, they stayed selfish and unbearable for the whole book. I also wasn't a fan of the cheating storyline. I'm not someone who always dislikes cheating in books, I think a cheating plot can be done well, but I didn't like this one. Especially as I felt many characters did not receive any consequences for their actions and blame seemed to be placed predominantly on one party when many were involved. It did have some redeeming qualities; it has some funny moments, there was one characters I liked, and it was a pretty quick read for being over 400 pages. However, it was still a disappointment.

Rating: 2.5/5

Lucky In Love by Kasie West -

Speaking of disappointing reads, I am so sad to say this is possibly my least favourite book from one of my favourite authors. I adore Kasie West but this story just fell flat for me. This is about a girl who wins the lottery and has to deal with all the changes it brings, including how differently people are suddenly treating her. I'm generally not a fan of lottery win storylines and this was no exception. I didn't dislike the book, I just found the plot to be predictable and filled with unnecessary drama. The characters were fine but forgettable and didn't live up to what I have come to expect from Kasie West's books. I guess I can't love everything she writes.

Rating: 3/5

Her Royal Highness by Rachel Hawkins -

This is the second book in the Royals series, a series following a Scottish royal family and American teens who find themselves involved in royal drama. The second book is set in a Scottish boarding school and find American Millie sharing a room with the princess of Scotland. I have such mixed feelings about these books as a Scottish person myself. After reading Royals, I claimed that it would have been a 5 star read had it not been set in Scotland as I found many of the inaccuracies too difficult to ignore. However, I went into this book with the mindset of the Scotland in this book being entirely fictional, which made it a lot easier for me to simply laugh at the inaccuracies and focus on enjoying the story. I think these books are so much fun! I love all the characters and particularly loved the boarding school setting in this second book. I also really enjoyed the romance and found myself really rooting for them from the outset. As long as you don't believe this is what Scotland is actually like, I would definitely recommend giving these books a try.

Rating: 4/5

The Second Summer Of The Sisterhood by Ann Brashares -

After reading the first book in the series two years ago, I decided it was definitely time to continue with the second book. The second book takes place the summer after the first, as the girls once again go their separate ways for the summer with the travelling pants to keep them connected. This was a different reading experience for me as, unlike with the first book that I read after watching the movie so many times, I did not know this story at all. I didn't enjoy this as much as the first, particularly as I didn't enjoy Carmen's storyline, but I still had a lot of fun being with these characters again. I loved Bridget's story in this book and really enjoyed seeing her character grow and develop so much. I can't wait to carry on with the rest of the series.

Rating: 3/5

Did I Mention It's 10 Years Later? by Estelle Maskame -
This short novella/bonus chapter was released to celebrate the anniversary of the release of Did I Mention I Love You? It takes place 10 years after the end of the DIMILY trilogy and was a lovely insight into how all of the characters are doing in the future. This was so lovely to read as I often finish books or series and wonder how the story would continue - if couples would stay together, new friendships would last, family issues would be resolved - so I enjoyed getting some of those answers. The DIMILY trilogy is a favourite of mine, so of course I loved this.
Rating: 5/5

Girl In The Mirror by Cecelia Ahern -
Let me just say that I adore Cecelia Ahern, she is one of my favourite authors. However, this wasn't for me at all. Girl In The Mirror features two short stories, one of the same name and The Memory Maker. One I thought was just fine, the other I didn't understand at all, but I couldn't tell you which one was which. In fact, I don't really remember a much about either. I think that tells you my general feelings. Disappointing from a favourite author.
Rating: 2.5

Listen To Your Heart by Kasie West - 
Kasie West is another of my favourite authors, as I already mentioned, and as far a I can remember I enjoyed this book. It follows a girl who ends up as the host of her school's podcast, which is completely outside of her comfort zone, and has to give advice to callers; including a guy asking for advice about his crush, who she believes to be her best friend. It was pretty typical Kasie West, fun and cute with a sweet romance and some nice friendships. It wasn't my favourite of hers but it did give a great Summer vibe, with the lake being a big part of the story, which was exactly what I was looking for.
Rating: 4/5

Did I Mention I Love You? by Estelle Maskame -
This was a reread for me. After reading Did I Mention It's 10 Years Later, I was desperate to go back and read this first book in the series again. I have a full review of this book, and the series as a whole, and I stand by pretty much everything I said in both. I did enjoy this more upon reread, I think as I had more of a connection to the characters and the story, but did still have the same issues as I had the first time around. This is my least favourite in the series, but I do still love this book, and the series as a whole.
Rating: 3.5/5 (maybe 4 this time)

Becoming by Michelle Obama -
If you don't know about this book, where have you been? This is Michelle Obama's memoir, following her life and journey to becoming one of the most influential women in the world. I have huge respect for her, I think she is an incredible woman, and this absolutely grew and grew while reading this book. I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Michelle Obama herself, which added another level to the reading experience. I felt as though she was sitting in the car with me, telling me all about her life. I found it so interesting to hear all about her upbringing, her career, and particularly to find out more about her as a person, rather than Barack Obama's wife. As with most memoirs, I did get a little bored at some parts, but overall, it was a really interesting and enjoyable book.
Rating: 4/5

And that is it. I didn't read a single book in August or September, which is so disappointing as that is the longest I have gone without reading a book in years! However, life is just so crazy at the moment. I am happy to report that I have read a couple in October so far, which I will hopefully be able to share with you at the end of the month, if I can get myself back on track. For now though, those were all the books I read in May, June and July.

What is the longest you've gone without finishing a single book this year? Any tips for finding time to read when life is too crazy?

Sophie :)

Wrap Up | April 2019

I have been the worst blogger over the past month! April has been so crazy that I had time for nothing other than trying to survive my dissertation. However, now that is out of my life for good, I can get back to all the things I have been neglecting. As well as not having much time to blog, I didn't find a lot of time in April to read. I only managed three books in the month, which is more than March but considerably less then the first couple of months of the year. I did really enjoy all three of the books I did get to and even found another 5 star read.

Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough -

With all of the hype surrounding this book, and the ending in particular, I knew I had to pick it up. I had not idea what to expect as I went in completely blind, but I definitely didn't expect that. This is the kind of book that had me confused for basically the whole thing. I had no idea what was going on, but that's what made it so intriguing and kept me completely hooked. I would definitely suggest going into this blind, which is why I'm not giving any kind of synopsis. It was one of the weirdest reading experiences of this year so far, but I actually really enjoyed it. The ending seems to be very hit or miss but I thought it was an amazing twist. It is quite rare that I'm completely shocked by a twist but this one managed it, it was great!

Rating: 4/5

Hard Pushed by Leah Hazard -

This is a non-fiction book, being published tomorrow, following Leah Hazard's journey as a midwife in the NHS. I have mentioned several times that medical memoirs like this are completely my kind of book, but I am often a little let down by them. This was not one of those books at all. I absolutely adored this book from start to finish. It was a real raw, genuine insight into the role of a midwife and the many challenges they face, particularly in an understaffed and underfunded health service. Yet the struggles and real lows of midwifery were well-balanced with fun and heartwarming stories of some of the amazing women and families that have been cared for. I just thought it was perfect and definitely confirmed my desire to one day go into this wonderful profession.

Rating: 5/5

The Start Of Me And You by Emery Lord -

After a good 3 years of sitting on my shelf just waiting to be shown some love, I finally picked up my second Emery Lord book. I really enjoyed Open Road Summer and knew I wanted to read more from her, but for some reason it took a lot longer than I would have liked. This one follows a girl who is trying to get her life back on track a year after the sudden death of her boyfriend. This book featured so many of the things I love, and didn't have the usual plot points that I really hate. We had a great friendship group that didn't have any unnecessary drama or fall outs over really stupid things. We had an adorable romance that wasn't instalove and started as a really pure friendship with no inability to use simple communication. Even better than all of those things, we also had platonic boy/girl friendships, involved parents and the sweetest grandmother. There was a lot I really liked about this book! There wasn't really anything I didn't like, but it just wasn't quite a 5 star read for me.

Rating: 4/5

I read a real mix of different books in April, but really enjoyed all of them. I know May is going to be another really busy month for me, but hopefully I can do a bit better with both blogging and reading this month. However, as long as I read some more books I enjoy then I can't complain too much.

What was the best thing you read in April?

Sophie :)