Sunday 20 July 2014

BookTube-A-Thon: Day Seven and Wrap Up

Day Seven:
So today was day seven, the last day of BookTube-a-thon and read 394 pages making my BookTube-A-Thon total 3,109. Reading Rebel completed the challenge of starting and finishing a series.

Rebel - Amy Tintera
Finished. I loved this even more than Reboot. The premise of this series, and the execution is superb.
(394 pages).

Wrap Up:
So I successfully completed Book-Tube-a-thon and its reading challenges. I read seven books, and a short story. It was really great to just focus so much on reading, and really helped me read some books I've been meaning to read for a while, and to remind myself how much I love reading. I'll definitely be writing a few reviews, especially for Fangirl and the Reboot series.

BookTube-A-Thon: Day Six

I was going to do a late update for yesterday early this morning but we had a bunch of drama with a burst water main and stuff so it's pretty late. 

On day six I read 482 pages making my current BookTube-A-Thon total 2,715. Finishing The Folded Earth completed the challenge of reading a genre I'd read least this year.

The Folded Earth - Anuradha Roy
Finished. This was really beautifully written. 
(83 pages).

Reboot - Amy Tintera
Finished. I loved this book so much, such an interesting take on one of my favourite genres - zombies.
(399 pages).

Friday 18 July 2014

BookTube-A-Thon: Day Five

Day Five was a very slow reading day for me, but I got some done in the evening. I've read 174 pages making my current BookTube-A-Thon total 2,233.

The Folded Earth - Anuradha Roy
This is will complete the challenge of reading a book in a genre I've read least this year. It's reminding me I really enjoy literary fiction.
(174 pages).

Thursday 17 July 2014

BookTube-A-Thon: Day Four

For Day Four I've read 744 pages. That makes my current BookTube-A-Thon total 2,059. And watched 2 hours of BBC glory.

By finishing Fangirl I completed the challenge of reading a book with red on the cover and by finishing Hollow City I completed the read a book with pictures challenge. I've also now done the read a book and watch the movie challenge with North and South.

Fangirl - Rainbow Rowell
Finished. I had very high expectations, and not all of them were met. I really felt the community aspect of fandom just wasn't really represented. But I enjoyed the book, it made me feel all warm and mushy and nostalgic.
(348 pages)

Hollow City - Ransom Riggs
Finished. I am in awe of how much effort has gone into the series. 
(396 pages)

North and South BBC adaptation (disk 2)
Finished. I just so much love. Such a great adaptation.


Wednesday 16 July 2014

BookTube-A-Thon: Day Three

So for Day Three I read 946 pages. So all up I've read 1,315 for BookTube-A-Thon.

We were going to finish watching North and South tonight as well but ended up babysitting for some friends and now will have to do that tomorrow. So no challenges completed yet, but am well on track for my 300 pages a day :)

North and South - Elizabeth Gaskell
Finished. I actually read the last chapter twice because I love it so much, but I haven't counted that in my pages. I really think this is my favourite classic.
(663 pages)

The Devil Latch - Sonya Hartnett
Finished. Sonya Hartnett is a national treasure. Seriously, her writing is just so incredible. I would read about anything if she wrote it.
(171 pages)

Fangirl - Rainbow Rowell
I want this book to be amazing. But so for it's not quite managed to encapsulate my fangirl feelings. I'm still enjoying it though.
(112 pages)

Tuesday 15 July 2014

BookTube-A-Thon: Day Two

For Day Two I have managed 1, 203 pages (they're both ebooks but I couldn't be bothered working out the page differences) and 2 hours of BBC period drama. 

I completed the challenge to read something that someone else picks out by reading Turn Here, which my sister chose for me.

Turn Here - Jackson Pearce
Finished. This short story was super cute and random, a great quick read.
(691 pages)

North and South - Elizabeth Gaskell
I've read about 23 chapters, it's fun rereading as I here the characters speaking with the voices of the actors from the BBC adaptation.
(512 pages)

North and South BBC adaptation (disk 1)
So much fun watching as I'm reading it is such a great adaptation because it changes a lot to fit the medium while keeping the exact right feel of the story. And of course because Richard Armitage is incredible.

Monday 14 July 2014

BookTube-A-Thon: Day One

So this morning I decided to participate in BookTube-A-Thon. For those who don't know, BookTube-A-Thon is a read-a-thon for BookTube (the youtube book community) that happens every northern hemisphere summer, but luckily I'm still on uni winter break. It runs from midnight Monday 14th July to midnight Monday 21st July. I'm not going to be making videos or anything but I normally watch a lot of peoples so I thought this year I'd give the reading challenges a go.

Because I decided on the spur of the moment, I spent my booktube-a-thon time for day one selecting which books I'll be reading. The overall challenges (there are extra challenges for different days) are: 

Challenges:
  • a book with pictures
  • start and finish a series
  • a book with red on the cover
  • a book someone else picks out for you
  • a book from the genre you've read least this year
  • a book to movie adaptation (read and watch)
  • read seven books (aiming for 300 pages a day)
My Choices:


Hollow City - Ransom Riggs
For my book with pictures I chose Hollow City, which I've been meaning to read since it came out. I loved Miss Peregrine so am very excited to read the sequel 

Reboot by Amy Tintera
Rebel  by Amy Tintera


The series I'm going to start and finish is a duology I've been wanting to read for a while now, perfect for this challenge because there is only two books and they were pretty cheap on iBooks. 

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
In the picture it looks more pink than red, but on my actual cover it looks very red. I've wanted to read this for ages as well, despite mixed reviews. I desperately want it to perfectly encapsulate my own fangirl feelings so we will see how it goes.
Turn Here by Jackson Pearce
My sister picked this out for me. I like the other books I've read by Jackson Pearce, and it is a short story so it shouldn't take too long to read. 

The Folded Earth by Anuradha Roy
I had a look at the books I've read this year and (probably because I'm no longer studying English lit) but the genre I've read list was literary fiction. This is a book I picked up on impulse at the library today, and it fits in with my attempts to read more broadly.

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell
BBC miniseries
I've been wanting to reread North and South for ages now, and I always love watching
North and South - Elizabeth Gaskell (and the BBC) (a book to movie adaptation)


....and all up that equals seven books but one is a short story so I'm adding in The Devil Latch, which I picked up at the library today because it is a book I loved as a teenager and I felt like rereading it.
The Devil Latch by Sonya Hartnett


Saturday 12 July 2014

June Round-Up

June was a pretty big month for me. I went to Melbourne the first weekend to hunt for a bridesmaids dress (and see family and drink fancy hot chocolates), I had my 24th birthday and 2nd wedding anniversary. It was the first month of my 2 month uni break, and I injured my back so I had plenty of time for relaxing. Also, very importantly, the World Cup started, and while I have complicated hatred towards FIFA and its ridiculously corrupt and discriminatory practices, my love for football is immense and it was so awesome to watch Australia play so credibly against such massive teams. 

Treats:




Book Haul:

Books I acquired this month


Read:

False Colours by Georgette Heyer (reread), Cress by Marissa Meyer, Dangerous by Shannon Hale, Battle Magic by Tamora Pierce, Dreams of Gods and Monsters by Lani Taylor, Buffy the Vampire Slayer 8.7, Batgirl: Knightfall Descends, Home by Larissa Behredt, Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas and City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare. 


Watched:




Finished watching The Vampire Diaries with my best friend.
Husband and I watched Call the Midwife (on abc) and then bought Veronica Mars which we've been marathoning. I've also been getting up at all hours of the morning for my one true love: football.