Book Review: Side Effects May Vary by Julie Murphy

When sixteen-year-old Alice is diagnosed with leukemia, her prognosis is grim. To maximize the time she does have, she vows to spend her final months righting wrongs—however she sees fit. She convinces her friend Harvey, who she knows has always had feelings for her, to help her with a crazy bucket list that's as much about revenge (humiliating her ex-boyfriend and getting back at her archnemesis) as it is about hope (doing something unexpectedly kind for a stranger). But just when Alice's scores are settled, she goes into remission.
Now Alice is forced to face the consequences of all that she's said and done, as well as her true feelings for Harvey. But has she caused irreparable damage to the people around her—and to the one person who matters most?

My in depth review of the novel Side Effects May Vary by Julie Murphy. Enjoy and comment !!

Cover Reveal and Author Interview: The Empress Chronicles

When city girl Liz is banished to a rural goat farm on the outskirts of Portland, the 15-year-old feels her life spiraling out of control. She can’t connect to her father or his young girlfriend, and past trauma adds to her sense of upheaval. The only person who seems to keep her sane is a troubled boy who is fighting his own demons. But all of this changes in one historical instant.One-hundred fifty years earlier, Elisabeth of Bavaria has troubles of her own. Her childhood is coming to a crashing end, and her destiny is written in the form of a soothsaying locket that has the ability to predict true love. But evil is afoot in the form of a wicked enchantress who connives to wield the power of the locket for her own destructive ends.When Liz finds a timeworn diary, and within it a locket, she discovers the secrets and desires of the young Bavarian princess who will one day grow up to be the legendary Empress of Austria. It is in the pages of the diary that these two heroines will meet, and it is through their interwoven story that Liz will discover she has the power to rewrite history—including her own...

My Favourites of the Goodreads Quotes Of The Day

From Goodreads, I get emailed a different quote from a different author each day, along with a snippet of information about said author. It's optional to have this, but I really love receiving these and finding what some of the authors we love have said. They are also quite inspirational, so if you have a Goodreads account then I definitely recommend you click 'yes' to receive them! These are my favourites so far:

30th July

These rough sketches, which are born in an instant in the heat of inspiration, express the idea of their author in a few strokes, while on the other hand too much effort and diligence sometimes saps the vitality and powers of those who never know when to leave off. 
Giorgio Vasari   

In his Lives of the Most Excellent Italian Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, Giorgio Vasari (born July 30, 1511) wrote artistic biographies and essentially created the first book of art history.

Charlotte's experience at YALC

On the 12th July I went to the Young Adult Literature Convention, which was a part of London Film and Comic Con. YALC is the first convention I've been to, and here is where I shall relay my experience to you all!

CROWDS

I bought my tickets for the event in advance- and let's just say that that was most definitely the best thing to do for this event as I only(!) had to queue for one and a half hours as opposed to however long it must have taken for people buying tickets on the door, where the queue seemed to stretch on for miles!

Personally, I think that the place where the convention was held (Earl's Court, London) was far too small for

Book Review: Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children

 

A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. A strange collection of very curious photographs.

It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive.

A spine-tingling fantasy illustrated with haunting vintage photography, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children will delight adults, teens, and anyone who relishes an adventure in the shadows.

pe·cu·liar [pi-kyool-yer]
Strange; uncommon; unusual

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children is just that: strange, uncommon, and most definitely unusual. I've read many books in my lifetime, ranging from sappy romances to thrilling mysteries and every single one of these books is unique in their own way. But never have I read a book as unique as this one.