Video | December 2014 Wrap-Up.

Books Mentioned:

Cross Stitch (Outlander #1) / Diana Gabaldon

Quiet / Susan Cain

Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops / Jen Campbell

Daily Rituals / Mason Currey

What We Talk About When We Talk About Love / Raymond Carver

Never Fade (The Darkest Minds #2) / Alexandra Bracken

A Room With A View / E.M. Forster

I Was Here / Gayle Forman

Saving Francesca / Melina Marchetta

BEDJ #8 | The Liebster Award Tag!

Hey lovely people! I have a tag for you today. The lovely Bernadette from The Bumbling Bookworm tagged me, and so here I am. Also, a thank you to her for tagging me. :)

So, what is the Liebster Award, you ask? It's basically a tag used to promote lesser-known bloggers, and to just generally spread the love around. Pretty neat, I think. Ok, let's get started.

First off, the rules:
1. Link/thank the blogger that tagged you
2. Answer the 11 questions your nominator gives you
3. Tag 11 other bloggers who have 200 or less followers
4. Ask the 11 bloggers you nominated 11 questions (and let them know you nominated them)

&&&

Note: This has been in my drafts folder for at least two months. So, some of the information is a little outdated.

Number 1: When did you start blogging and why?
    I probably technically started blogging back in 2008 or 2009 when I was living in Canada, but I didn't use this URL. The Mother was keeping a blog so the rest of the family could keep up with us, and it was my first real introduction to blogging.

With this blog, I started it back in 2010. It was mainly used as a platform to showcase some long gone YouTube videos. Since then, I've expanded it (obviously). I guess I started doing it, because I enjoyed writing (still do!) and felt like blogging would help me improve my skills? Honestly, it was so long ago, I don't really remember why I decided to do it. It seemed like fun, so I did it.

Number 2: What book have you been wanting to read for a while but haven't yet read?

       I chose two books: A fiction and non-fiction. My fiction choice is: Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche. To be honest, I've been kinda keen to read all of her books. It just so happens that Purple Hibiscus was the one that really caught my eye. Ever since I watched her TedX speech, I've really wanted to read her books. She seems intelligent and gracious and yes.

My non-fiction choice is Quiet by Susan Cain. I've been told that this is also based on TedX talk, but I didn't realise that was a thing until I'd already bought the book. I've had my eye on this one since it first came out. As an introvert, I thought this was really interesting. So, here we are.

Number 3: Has a book ever made you want to travel somewhere, and if so, where?

       This will come as no surprise to anyone ever, but Just One Day by Gayle Forman. This book sort of owns my forever-wandering heart. It captures all the elements of Europe I adore. I didn't know whether to include Just One Year as well, given there's just as much travel in it.

Number 4: How do you choose which book to read next: are you a mood reader or do you stick to a schedule?
       I'm largely a mood reader. This sometimes works in my favour, because if I'm feeling a particular way I'll know exactly what books I want to read next. More often than not, though, it's a little difficult because I'll be at uni and not have all my TBR-books on hand. Not for long though! Holidays soon! (Read: Now)

Number 5: Where is your favourite place to read?
        I have two favourite places to read. The more obvious one is my bedroom. It's just the best atmosphere ever for reading a book. The other is my local Gloria Jeans. It's just got a really nice vibe, and they've also memorised my coffee order. I'm ridiculously proud of that fact, so don't harsh my mellow.

Number 6: Which do you prefer: reading the book before watching the movie adaptation, vice versa, or neither?
        I usually like to try and read the book before I watch the movie. It really just depends on whether I've got time to read it before hand, if I'm reading another book, etc. etc.

Number 7: What's your favourite book cover?

       Choosing one book is not fair. It's too difficult. I've tried to narrow it down to two but please know that there are so many others. Soooo many others. The two I decided to select were both classics. The first one is Middlemarch by George Eliot. It is kind of sitting there as a placeholder for the entire Penguin Clothbound Classics series.

Another favvie of mine is The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. I think this one is apart of the Penguin F. Scott Fitzgerald Anniversary Collection? It's just gorgeous in it's simplicity.

Number 8: When was the last time a book made you cry?
       Oh dear. I'm not a huge cryer when it comes to books? Give me a sad movie any day, and I will ball my eyes out (I'm serious, I was watching Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants 2 the other day and I nearly started crying towards the end. The Brother was in the vicinity though and I didn't want him judging me). Books though? Not so much. My immediate response is to go with The Fault In Our Stars, but I'm not 100% sure on that one. I very nearly cried at the end of Falling Into Place by Amy Zhang. Does that count?

Number 9: What was your favourite book and author as a child?

        Now, when you say 'as a child,' I'm going to take that as literally as possible and I'm showing you my copy from when I was like, five or six. I adored this book. It's very well-loved (as I'm sure you can see). I would read it and re-read it, over and over. The story mixed with the illustrations just caught my attention like nothing else.

There was another children's book I adored, but I can't seem to find it. It was about the desert and how it was so deserted (funnily enough) and ugly, and how, after it storms, it becomes a field of poppies. Or something like that. I was just fascinated by it.

Number 10: Do you prefer to read e-books or physical books?
        Physical books, easily. I really can't stand e-books. Don't get my wrong, I've tried. I do see the advantages in using them when travelling. I just really do not like them.

Number 11: If you have to recommend one book for me (Bernadette) to read, what would it be?
        *coughs* Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas. I recommend it to everyone. I honestly cannot stop myself. A customer came into work the other day and asked me for a book recommendation and I was going to say Throne of Glass and then she said she only wanted a book with a happy ending. I was totally floored and had so much trouble thinking of another suitable book.

Throne of Glass, or The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski. Both are pretty impeccable. If you want a  contemporary book, Falling Into Place is pretty raw/amazing/heartbreaking. If you want a classic, I've been obsessing over The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood recently.

&&&

So, there are my answers! Hope they were at least halfway decent.

Next step: Nominate some bloggers!

      + Jess from Jess Reads Things
      + Zoe from The Brit In Aus
      + Iona from Where Is Wallis
      + Julia from JulyeyCamille
      + Candice from Sense and Sensibility
      + Lauren from Lauren Reads YA
      + Anyone else who wants to do it

I'll be real with you guys, I'm cheating a little bit here. Some of these lovely people might have more than 200 followers. Also, I couldn't think of more than six people. Sorryyyyyyyy. But seriously, you should check these people out. They're the loveliest.

&&&

Next section: the new questions!

1. Tea or coffee when reading?
2. What book surprised you?
3. What is the place you most want to visit?
4. What are your ideal reading conditions?
5. What's your favourite quote?
6. Who's your style crush?
7. Is there a TV or film adaptation you prefer over the book?
8. Notebook or computer?
9. What's your classic red lip of choice? (Like, brand/name, that sort of thing)
10. What song could you listen to endlessly?
11. How would you describe your style?

&&&

And we're done! Hope you guys enjoyed the tag. And sorry to Bernadette for me taking so long to actually post this up.

BEDJ #7 | Empties #1.

That's right, my friends. I'm going to attempt to take the plunge into beauty blogging. Let's see how this goes. I will admit that there isn't a heap of products here, but because I don't wear makeup everyday, it takes a while for me to run out of it.

1. Simple Kind to Skin Hydrating Light Moisturiser

I really like this moisturiser. I've used it probably for the past four years or so? My skin reacts well to it, and it's relatively cheap (big bonus for poor uni student). Plus, I've already got a heap of extras (the Mother likes to stock up), so it's nothing something I'll need to repurchase anytime in the near future. 

2. Sportsgirl Lip Jam in Peach

I love, love, love this stuff. It's relatively cheap, lasts for ages, and has the sweetest packaging ever. It smells pretty fab too (peach fangirl right here). I also found out recently that Sportsgirl doesn't test on animals, which is an added bonus (especially because that's something I'm trying to be more conscious about). Definite repurchase.

3. Avon Extralasting Concealer (Fair)

This concealer had amazing coverage. As someone who has chronic dark circles, this made my life a lot easier. Unfortunately, I don't really buy from Avon anymore, so I probably won't get it again. *upset face*

4. Max Factor Mastertouch Under-Eye Concealer (Fair)

This concealer is not nearly as good as the Avon one. Especially in terms of coverage. My thinking is that it's aimed for everyday use, and for people who don't generally get dark circles. And it's not cruelty-free either. Therefore, this is a no-go for me. If anyone does have a good cruelty-free concealer, let me know down below! I'd really appreciate it. Ta!

5. Avon Super Magnify Mascara (Black)

This is actually my all-time favourite mascara. Like, I love this mascara. It gave me a ridiculous amount of length, but it still maintained a natural finish. Unfortunately, I'm pretty sure Avon no longer stocks this mascara. If anyone can think of a similar cruelty-free one, let me in one the secret? I'm really not a fan of my current mascara, so I'd love any sort of alternative.

And that's it! How do you think I went? Expect more of these over the coming month. And by more of these, I obviously mean beauty and/or fashion posts.

BEDJ #6 | Top 10 Books of 2014.

The Top 10 Books of 2014:

Amelia Anne is Dead and Gone by Kat Rosenfield | ✭✭✭✭ |

Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg | ✭✭✭✭✭ |

The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski | ✭✭✭✭ |

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy | ✭✭✭✭ |

Falling Into Place by Amy Zhang | ✭✭✭✭✭ |

Sabriel by Garth Nix | ✭✭✭✭ | 

Heir of Fire by Sarah J Maas | ✭✭✭✭ |

The Valley of the Dolls by Jacqueline Susann | ✭✭✭✭✭ |

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood | ✭✭✭✭✭ |

Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay | ✭✭✭ |

Things I'm Digging | December 2014.

It's the last 'Things I'm Digging' for the year of 2014! How thrilling! Alright, let's get a move on.

TV

The Flash

Guys, I can't help myself. I'm mad-crushing on Grant Gustin. He is all types of adorable and geeky. I love it. So much.

MOVIE

The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies

It has finally ended. At last. *cue Etta James* It was good, guys. I'll give Peter Jackson that. And Lee Pace is my fav. I have to say though, my absolute favourite part of the entire trilogy was Legolas' last fight scene because the CGI was so terrifically bad, I actually cried from holding back the laughs.

MUSIC

'Everybody Wants to Rule the World' a la Lorde version

So atmospheric and intense and creepy and woah. Rekindled love, right there. Also, it fits right into the tone of my would-be novel. Totally gets me in the right state of mind to write it.

BOOK

'Quiet' by Susan Cain

This was the last book I finished in 2014, but it was one of the most interesting. Quiet is all about introverts and how they're different to extroverts and in what ways that's both a good and bad thing. As an introvert, I found it fascinating to read about it, and the studies done into it. More often than not, I was nodding in agreement with what Susan Cain said. Really cool read.

FASHION

Shoes.

I bought a lot of them during the Boxing Day sales. Not even sorry. Novo had a great sale on (as they always tend to), and then I saw this pair of shoes in Dotti and I was a goner.

&&&

What were some of your favourites in the month of December? Any Christmas presents that you absolutely adored?

Video | #xmasbooktubeathon.

Video | The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon.

Things I'm Digging | November 2014.

TV

Season 3 of The Newsroom

This is the last ever season of The Newsroom. Cue tears. So far, it is at it's peak of intensity. There are only two episodes left as I'm typing this, and I honestly have no idea how they're expecting to wrap it all up.

MOVIE

Mockingjay: Part 1

As I said on Twitter, for the most part, I enjoyed Mockingjay. There was definitely moments where it was a little navel-gazey, but I did enjoy it. This, however, is not me admitting defeat to the idea of the book being split into two films. I still don't see why it was necessary. But it was good. And, The Hanging Tree. Epic.

Also, has Liam Hemsworth grown in attractiveness since the last time I saw him, or?

MUSIC

Hozier

(His new self-titled album)

I just love him, ok? He's like an Irish Blues-loving Jesus. Is that blasphemous? It wasn't supposed to be. Just take a look at him, ok. Great album. Especially loving the track 'Sedated.'

BOOK/S

The Bone Season and The Mime Order by Samantha Shannon

Dark as hell, and I had to stop midway through Mime Order, but wowzas, guys. Shit happens in the second book. I'll keep it at that.

FASHION

Purple Jumpsuit

It's really hot and this jumpsuit is made of really like fabric and it's really comfortable. That's all I really ask for during summer. Thank you Trade Secret for amazing specials.

Retail During Christmas.

I feel a little stupid making a blog post about this, but nevertheless I feel like it's an important reminder (or PSA, if you will) for everyone.

Christmas is about two weeks away. This is not the PSA, but it's still very exciting. Who doesn't love Christmas? (Other than, you know, people who don't actually celebrate it)

But a thing that always happens during Christmas is that it gets extraordinarily busy at the shops. And, as a consequence of that, people are more likely to be stressed and/or frustrated. I'm a human, I get that. Lots of people in a cramped space can get ugly.

But please, please, please try to control that stress when you're dealing with retail workers this holiday season.

It's not a big ask, really. But if you can do that, it makes life that much easier for them.

As someone who has worked over four Christmases (each one consecutively busier than the last), I can guarantee that if you're at stress levels of ten, sales people's levels are ten times higher. I digress. This isn't a competition. It really isn't.

I'm just saying that while I know you're in a rush to get your presents, please be aware that along with customer service, retail workers also have to make sure stock is consistently processed and out on the floor.

If someone directs you to the counter because they don't know the answer off-hand, do not take it as a personal insult. We aren't doing it to be rude. We're doing it because we don't know the answer and we don't have direct access to a computer.

Retail workers try to be as respectful and helpful to customers during the holiday season as possible. In return, all we ask is that you treat us in the same manner.

PSA: Done.

Video | November 2014 Wrap Up.

Books I Read:

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender by Leslye Walton

The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon

The Wrong Girl by Zoe Foster

The Mime Order by Samantha Shannon

Book/s Currently Reading:

Cross Stitch by Diana Gabaldon

Video | 20th Century Books Tag.

Books Mentioned:

A Room With A View by E.M. Forster

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Beautiful and the Damned by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Tender Is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

Resistance by Owen Sheers

Breakfast At Tiffany's by Truman Capote

Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys

Valley of the Dolls by Jacqueline Susann

Slaughterhouse 5 by Kurt Vonneget

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Suskind

Sleeping Dogs by Sonya Hartnett

Book Review | The Strange & Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender by Leslye Walton.

"Magical realism, lyrical rose, and the pain and passion of human love haunt this hypnotic generational saga.

Foolish love appears to be the Roux family birthright, an ominous forecast for its most recent progeny, Ava Lavender. Ava - in all other ways a normal girl - is born with the wings of a bird.

In a quest to understand her peculiar disposition and a growing desire to fit in with her peers, sixteen-year old Ava ventures into the wider world, ill-prepared for what she might discover and naive to the twisted motives of others. Others like the pious Nathaniel Sorrows, who mistakes Ava for an angel and whose obsession with her grows until the night of the Summer Solstice celebration.

That night, the skies open up, rain and feathers fill the air, and Ava's quest and her family's saga build to a devastating crescendo.

First-time author Leslye Walton has constructed a layered and unforgettable mythology of what it means to be born with hearts that are tragically, exquisitely human." (synopsis and picture from (x).

This book is kind of intensely amazing.

Before I bought this book, all I'd heard about it was that it was magical realism and that it had the most gorgeous prose ever. Both of these things happened to be true. The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender is quite unlike anything I've ever read. So, to pass it on, this is all I'm going to tell you about the story (let's just disregard that I gave you a summary a couple sentences up, yes?)

Before I begin this review though, I just need to give a PSA about this book. The title and the blurb are a little deceiving. While yes, Ava Lavender is a character and narrator in the book, she certainly isn't the focal point. The book itself looks at her whole family - all the way from her great-grandmother to herself.

Ok, now onto the actual review.

As I mentioned above, the book has insanely gorgeous writing. It completely sucks you in. There is such a tragic tone to it. If the title doesn't give you the idea that this book is sad, the writing certainly will.

Speaking of which, this is a sad, sad book. Like, if you don't deal with death very well, do not read this book. I think that because there's so much, it gives off the impression that the book shouldn't be classified as YA.

Also because of this, the book comes off as very dark. It definitely isn't one of those light reads for the summer. Because of the magical realism elements, the author allowed herself to play around with the darker moments of the story (like all the deaths). I was browsing the review section in GoodReads and I saw someone say that the book is a throwback to the traditional fairytales, and I completely agree.

It was strangely wonderful.

My one and only problem with the book is that I feel a slight disconnect from it. Let me explain. While I was certainly engaged in the story line, I found myself not feeling for the characters. It was as if there was a barrier between myself and them. I only really start feeling for them in the last few pages.

Perhaps this was done on purpose - I'm not sure. In traditional fairytales, you never totally feel for the characters - they're just a device in which a moral is told. Unfortunately however, it did really detract from the novel for me.

Overall though, this is a thoroughly unique read. It's quite like nothing else I've read this year. 4 stars.

Rating: **** (4 Stars)

Publisher: Walker Books Australia

Publication Date: March 27th 2014

Goodreads | Leslye Walton's Website | Twitter

Want to buy the book? You can get it here:

Book Depository | Fishpond | Bookworld | Amazon

This review will also appear on Book Nerd Reviews

NaNoWriMo & Life.

Firstly, apologies (again) for my absence. As I'm sure you've figured out, my 'blog-everyday-in-November' challenge failed miserably. I mean, at first I did really well. But then my exams became my primary focus and I fell behind and I couldn't get back up.

Then, about midway through the first week, I decided that I should just push back this whole venture till January. That way I'd be less stressed and I think it'd just work much better overall. So, come January, expect a blogpost everyday.

I bet you're thinking now, 'Oh, because Jocie let herself go in the blogging department, she must have done really well with NaNoWriMo, right?' Nope. I failed just as miserably at that. I only wrote about 8,200 words. It's a little disappointing, but I am happy with what I did accomplish. I just wish I'd written more.

Despite these disappointments, I did decide to start BookTubing again. I also have the next few weeks of blogs planned out. So hopefully I'll be back on track with things soon.

I will admit now, however, that I might not be as active as I want. Why? Because Christmas is a thing. And because Christmas is a thing, it means retail is in it's busiest time. And because retail is in it's busiest time, it means I'm working a hell of a lot.

But we'll see how I go. Pinky promise to try my best anyway.

European Adventure | Venice.

I feel like I need to preface this post by saying that I was in a foul mood while we were in Venice. It had nothing to do with the city itself, it was just the whole travelling a lot was starting to take a toll on me. As such, there was a serious lack of photos taken of the city.

 We got to see people do glass blowing! It was way cool, and is such an intricate process. Amazing.

 One of the many, many canals in the city. 

 St Mark's Basilica. It was just wow. So gorgeous. Obviously there was work being done, but wow. It was just wow.

Is this the Bridge of Sighs? I can't remember. I feel like it might be, but don't quote me on that. 

&&&

One more blog post to go and we'll be finished! Entirely! What a miracle! Won't we all be glad when this is over?

Other Pictures of the European Adventure (so far):

London | Bath | Stratford-Upon-Avon | Blenheim Palace | Oxford | Warwick Castle | Edinburgh | Paris | Versailles | Rome | Florence & Pisa | Lake Maggiore & Milan | Verona | Venice

Book Review | The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood.

Yes, guys. I'm back on YouTube. Sort of. I don't know. We'll see how we go. I know I'm a little awkward in this, but please remember that it's been nearly a year since the last time I did this.

And don't worry, this blog is still going to be active. I pinky promise. I have this bad tendency of neglecting one platform and focusing all my attention on the other, but I'm going to try and avoid that this time.

Ok. That's all. Normal blog posts will start up again soon.

European Adventure | Verona.

 Two households, both alike in dignity, in fair Verona, where we lay our scene. From ancient grudge break to new mutiny, where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.

That's right, my friends. Here is the obligatory 'I-went-to-Verona-and-all-I-got-were-these-Juliet's-balcony-pictures' right here.

 Here is the aforementioned Juliet's balcony. Won't lie, I kept expecting to see an old lady taking letters from a just under it (thank you Letters to Juliet for that visual). Disappointingly, apparently that is not a real life thing. There was no wall filled with letters. Instead, there were locks, and graffiti.

 And you thought I was joking. I don't really get it to be honest. Yes, you saw it here folks: I'm a Romeo and Juliet cynic. It was a tragedy for a reason. And Romeo was a dumbass.

This was just a picture I took of some apartments (I assume) in a square just upwards from the balcony. It was lovely.

I don't really have a lot to say about Verona. We were only there for maybe an hour - two, at most. It was lovely though.

Other Pictures of the European Adventure (so far):

London | Bath | Stratford-Upon-Avon | Blenheim Palace | Oxford | Warwick Castle | Edinburgh | Paris | Versailles | Rome | Florence & Pisa | Lake Maggiore & Milan | Verona

Haul | Forever 21 & Books.

I've been spending a lot recently. I think a lot of it's got to do with stress, but yes. I've been spending a lot. Too much. Anyway, I thought I'd do a brief blog post on some on my more recent purchases. It isn't going to be huge, but who cares?

Onwards!

Forever 21 has recently started opening stores in Australia. I know, we're finally getting with the times. Of course, I was intensely curious because all the YouTube beauty guru's buy everything from there. So, I went in.

These wedges were the first thing that caught my eye. As you very well know from my October Favourites post, I adore these shoes. They're just gorgeous. They are here on the Forever 21 website, if you'd like to take a peek. 

 I also bought this top. It's that funny material that isn't great to wear when it's hot. So I regret that? A little bit. But I mean, it'll be still be great to wear in the colder months. It's got the collar, and it's easy enough to dress up or down. It's here on the website if you'd like to take a look.

And then there was the books. I actually mentally allowed myself to go crazy in the book department. That says something about my development as a person that I only came away with three books. The first thing I got was Cross Stitch by Diana Gabaldon. Yep, I caved. I need more Jamie in my life, ok?

Then I decided to go on a sequels binge and bought Farseekers by Isobelle Carmody. It's the second in the Obernewtyn Chronicles. I first read Obernewtyn two years ago now, when I was in Paris. And I thought now was as a good a time as ever. She kind of takes forever to write these books, so my thinking is that if I read this series slowly I won't have the agonising wait for the last books. Seriously. She's like the female version of George RR Martin.

The last book I got was Never Fade by Alexandra Bracken. I'd really enjoyed The Darkest Minds when I'd first read it (again, nearly two years ago). Now, what with In the Afterlight (the final book) out, I thought this would be the perfect time to finish the trilogy. Also, I recently followed her on Twitter, so that might've influenced me a little bit.

&&&

And with that, we reach the end of the haul. Unless you want to count what I bought with an iTunes card I recently got. But let's not go there.

Have you guys bought anything interesting recently? Let me know, down in the comments.

How to Find your Writing 'Voice.'

Given it is NaNoWriMo, I thought it'd be appropriate to write at least one post on an aspect of writing. I haven't gone to uni for nothing, you know?

I thought I'd talk about a pretty important detail of the writing process: the authorial voice.

It's one of the few things I feel like I can confidently talk about when it comes to writing (and that's saying something, because usually I can't talk about a lot). Anyway, here are the four major tips that have been drilled into me in my classes, and I've found work for me.

Tip #1: Read Widely.
I'm sure you guys have seen something like this around.
                   'Read a lot,'
                              'Read as much of your genre as you can,'
                     etc. etc.
When I mean read widely though, I mean across as many different genres as possible. It doesn't matter if it's fiction or non-fiction; if you're interested, read it. Through exposing yourself to so many different styles, you're gaining an understanding of what you do and don't like in your stories. This will ease way into your stories. It's amazing what you pick up subconsciously.

And to go on from that, be critical of the books you're reading. Look very specifically at the writing and what you do or don't like about it. Make a list! This might be a very technical approach to the form of writing, but if you do it, you start to find what elements should make their way into your personal writing style.

Tip #2: Experiment.
This tip was drilled into me all throughout my first year of uni (and it still is, actually). Experiment. I mean it. One of the best ways to learn is by doing. One thing I maintain is that writing has got to maintain at least a little of bit of an element of fun. By experimenting with your writing, you're doing this. It's not a pre-requisite, but it should be.

But seriously. By trying out certain style, you again, find what does and doesn't work for you. Your writing should never feel too forced (I say this, acknowledging that sometimes it has to go that way with NaNoWriMo, but that isn't the point). If there is a chance it is, then you might be trying to push something that isn't you.

This isn't just limited to fiction, by the way. It's just as appropriate for poetry. Possibly more appropriate in some ways.

Tip #3: Don't Be Scared of Being Bad.
Again, it's all apart of the learning process. Not everything has to be perfect 100% of the time (and that's saying something coming from me).
         Write something with as little punctuation as possible. Write something with too much of it. Write overly flowery prose. Keep it to the strict facts.
          It's all about figuring out what you do best, and failing is a major part of that process.

And, if you really don't know where to start,

Tip #4: Try and Imitate the Writing Style of Your Favourite Authors.
This sounds weird, but just trust me on it. Figure out what makes them tick, and see if it works for you. Try and make your writing a medley of the best parts of your favourite authors' writing. Admittedly, this may be a little difficult if, say, you adore the poetic prose of someone like Nova Ren Suma, but also love the staccato stutter of someone like Raymond Carver or Cormac McCarthy.

I digress. Just give it a go. You never know what will happen.

&&&

And that, my friends, is the end of my writing advice post. Was is helpful? I hope so. I don't really talk about writing much on here, so I thought I should change that.

Hope everybody participating in NaNoWriMo hasn't had a breakdown yet! I have fallen off the bandwagon (thank you very much, final exam and assignment). Hopefully this'll change once I'm on holidays.

Tag | Top 10 Books That Have Stayed With Me in Some Way.

Hey, lovely people. Today, I am doing a tag. As I'm sure you can see from the title, it's a tag about the books that left me with the biggest impression. The loveliest Kristy from Book Nerd Reviews tagged me. Please note that this isn't in any particular order. Ok? Let's go!

1.

Everything by Jane Austen.

You cannot make me choose just one of her books. It isn't fair. Austen is the queen, and I am her ultimate fan girl. I first started reading her back in 2009 and she was one of the main reasons I realised I wanted to have a career in book publishing (or, at the very least, have a career in something to do with books). Since then, I've read all her works, and a couple biographies on her as well. She changed how I read exponentially.

2.

Harry Potter (series) - J.K. Rowling

Again, you can't just make me choose one. Anyway, literally everyone and their mother probably has this as one of their choices so I feel like I don't need to explain why.

3.

Throne of Glass (series) - Sarah J Maas

I'll try to keep this brief, though that might be a little hard. You should all know by now how much I love this series. It is right up there as one of my favourites of all time. Celaena was one of the first characters who I felt was truly well-rounded and wasn't considered strong because of her abilities. She can kill people with the flick of her wrist, but she still loves dresses and books and she has that vulnerability there (especially so in the later books) that you don't see a lot elsewhere. This series inspires me to write. Ok. I'll stop blubbering now before I embarrass myself further.

4.

Bone Season - Samantha Shannon

The reasoning behind this might be slightly more related to the author than the book, but we're going to roll with it. Whenever I think about this book, I think 'wow.' Samantha Shannon, the author, proves to me that I can write and can achieve things. If she can be successful at such a young age, I can too. Is that cheesy? Probably. Oh well.

5.

Imaginary Girls - Nova Ren Suma

When I first read this book, it was totally different to anything I'd ever read. And the writing style really got to me. Nova Ren Suma has the style of writing I aspire to.

6.

Gone with the Wind - Margaret Mitchell

This is kind of an amazing mammoth of a book. This was the first big book I'd finished, and it stayed with me for months afterwards.

7.

Resistance - Owen Sheers

(Sorry, I don't have my copy with me right now - I lent it to someone. Thus, the lack of photo) 

This book just stuns me. The writing, the story itself, everything about it stuns me. I read this one probably about two years ago now, and I still have moments where I just stop what I'm doing and think about this book.

8.

Bridget Jones' Diary - Helen Fielding

I feel like we all have a little bit of Bridget in us. There's just something about her - I dig it. This is one of the few books that has literally LOL. Her neuroticism's are my neuroticism's. I can't really explain why I love this book so much, or why it stayed with me. It just did.

9.

Everything by Meg Cabot

She was a big influence on me in my formative teeny-bopper years. Absolute favourite author back then. I devoured everything of hers (even her adult books)

10.

Just One Day - Gayle Forman

Gayle Forman created a character in Allyson that made me feel a lot less alone.

So, that's my list of books. Hope you like them. This was actually a lot harder than I'd initially anticipated. I suppose I ought to tag some people:

Jeann @ Happy Indulgence

Renee @ Book Boyfriends
Bernadette @ The Bumbling Bookworm
Kate @ Fictional Thoughts
And anybody else who wants to do it!

Book Review | Tape by Steven Camden.

"Record a voice and it lasts forever...

In 1993, Ryan records a diary on an old tape. He talks about his mother's death, about his dreams, about his love for a new girl at school who doesn't even know he exists.

In 2013, Ameliah moves in with her grandmother after her parents die. There, she finds a tape in the spare room. A tape with a boy's voice on it - a voice she can't quite hear, but which seems to be speaking to her.

Ryan and Amelia are connected by more than just a tape.

This is their story." (synopsis and cover from (x)

I got this book back in January, read it in July, and couldn't find the words to review it until November. So now, here we are. Apologies for the long wait.

Tape is about a boy and a girl: Ryan, and Ameliah. Ryan lives in 1993, and has lost his mother. Ameliah lives in 2013, and has lost both of her parents. See the parallels? One day, they both flick a switch and while recording a tape, hear each other's voices. That's when it hits them: they are more connected than they initially realised.

When I first read the blurb, I was all like, 'Yeahhh, this sounds like a young adult version of The Lakehouse.* Trippy.' Unfortunately, I found that what was in the blurb was very different to what the actual story was.

I had a lot of problems with this novel. And honestly? I couldn't finish it. We'll start with the cons though so I can finish on the one positive note.

This book was painfully slow. Like, painfully slow. I read up until about halfway through the novel, and virtually nothing had happened. They had sort-of talked through the tape cassette, but it was seen as a freak blip - something that couldn't have actually happened. While the writing was interesting, I feel like perhaps it was being used as the thing that was supposed to carry the novel. I don't think the writing was strong enough to do that.

I also found the characters quite ill-developed. This goes hand in hand with the whole 'not-a-lot-happening' thing. Likewise, I felt like there was a disparity between the age we, the readers, were told, and the age the dialogue painted them at. I kept assuming they were around fifteen, but in the book, we are reminded again and again they're thirteen or fourteen. It threw me for a bit of a whirl, to be honest.

Finally, I found it predictable. I quickly scanned the last few pages, and all of my suspicions had been confirmed there. While I liked that there was an emphasis on a different sort of love to romance, it was obvious (to me).

The one thing I liked: the writing. It was interesting, different. Camden didn't use the typical quotation marks, and it intrigued me.

Overall, not hugely impressed by the book. The pacing really just threw me and I found the novel difficult to enjoy, as a result. 2 stars.


*You know, that movie with Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves? Yea.

Rating: ** (2 Stars)

Publisher: Harper Collins Australia

Publication Date: 30 January 2014

Goodreads | Steven Camden's Website | Twitter

Want to buy the book? You can get it here:

Book Depository | Fishpond | Bookworld | Amazon

Thank you to Harper Collins Australia for sending me a review copy