Book Review: Fallen - Lauren Kate

First published in Great Britain by Doubleday,
an imprint of Random House Children's Book.
Doubleday edition published 2009

*** - 3 Stars

 Instant. Intense. Weirdly familiar...

The moment Luce looks at Daniel,

she knows she has never felt like this before.

Except she can't shake the feeling that

she has... and with him - a boy she doesn't

remember ever setting eyes on.

 

Will her attempt to find out why

enlighten her - or destroy her.

Fallen by Lauren Kate is a great casual read.
 I feel like I've been reading so many heavy books recently I needed something to read that wasn't going to require me thinking too hard about what I was reading. This was just the thing.

Although this is an easy read, that does not mean its a bad book. Its reasonably well written with likeable characters and it wasn't too much about teen angst.

I liked the book and look forward to reading the rest of the series but I gave it three stars because some parts where so generic it made me want to stop reading which brought it down from four stars.

Let me know what you though of the book.

 ***
Lots of love, Lara xx

 

Book Review: The Canterbury Tales - Geoffrey Chaucer

A Bantam Book
First published 1400
First Bantam Edition - May 1964

*** - 3 Stars

 Lively, absorbing, often outrageously funny, Chaucer's THE CANTERBURY TALES is a work of genius, an undisputed classic that has held special appeal for each generation of readers. The TALES gather twenty-nine of literatures most enduring (and endearing) characters in a vivid group portrait that captures the full spectrum of medieval society. From the exhalted Knight to the humble Plowman.

The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer is a selection of stories that show the in's and out's of medieval society.
I gave this book three stars because, unless you have some relatively good knowledge of European history - especially Roman history - you are going to struggle with this book. It is no easy read and you have to be rather committed to get through it. The other thing is, how it's written. One of the things that puts people off reading Classics is the language and sentence structure. Considering we speak no where near as formally and proper as they did say.... back in Austen's time, the way the books are written can make them appear intimidating.
However, this is a whole new level of intimidating. This book was written in medieval times so the language is so unlike modern English, it is laughable. Thank goodness for the modern English translation! (Although, this is still considerably difficult to follow.)
A good book; I enjoyed learning about medieval society. Their views on women's and men's roles within society were very interesting. It brought Emma Watson's feminism speech to the forefront of my mind!
If you've read this, let me know what you thought.

***
Lots of love, Lara xx

Book Review: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll

PENGUIN BOOKS
Published by the Penguin Group
First published 1865
 Published in Penguin Classics 1998

Published as a Pocket Penguin Classic 2006

**** - 4 Stars

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is such a lovely little book. Although it is only a short story, it is highly enjoyable and the shortness only adds to the appeal of the book. I recommend this if you have been reading a lot of books or heavy books in the past few weeks - as you might well have been, considering Christmas has just passed! It is a light, refreshing book in between all those big reads you might have had so far this year. I read this book in between reading a lot of heavy books back in November (as many of these reviews have been written ahead of time for you), and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I felt like I needed a bit of a break from some of the heavier stuff I have been reading recently but did not want to stop reading completely and lose my momentum. So, I decided this would be the perfect thing to slot in.

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is a beautifully written story and creates a beautiful little world inside your head full of many peculiar and wonderful things. The writing is wonderful and the characters and story are all wonderfully weird and light-hearted enough to make this an enjoyable read whilst still having enough weight to make them memorable and iconic characters.

The only reason I gave this book four stars instead of five is probably because I am far too familiar with the story and I have never read the book before! Growing up, there have been many film adaptations of this book that I have been sat before and I think those films have somewhat ruined the reading experience for me as I knew the story inside out.

I do adore this book, however, and I heartily encourage you to read it.

 



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Lots of love, Lara xx

Harry Potter Tag | LaraluBooks

Favourite Book

My favourite book would have to be Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince.

 Favourite movie

My favourite movie is actually the second one which I know a lot of people don't like but I love it so...

 Least favourite book

Least favourite book would probably have to be the first one. I just feel like it is just setting the story up and the other books are just jam packed full of stuff.

 Parts of the books/movies that made you cry

Umm... obviously when everyone dies in the films. And yes I mean EVERYONE (even Cedric). And pretty much the same for the books only Dumbledore's death didn't make me cry in the book. The funeral did.

Oh! And also at the end of the first two (and I think eighth) films when they play that iconic music. Real tear jerker!!

 If you could hook up with any HP character who would it be?

Ohhh... I dunno. Sometimes I think Harry but I'm not entirely sure... Gun to my head, I'd say Harry.

 Favourite character

Umm... I think I'd have to say Ron. He's just amazingly funny and Rupert Grint did a great job playing him in the films.

 What would your Patronus be?

I'm not sure. You're not really supposed to know are you? It just is what it is. I think if I could choose though, I'd like to think it'd be something like a bunny rabbit.

Rabbit: self-sacrifice, humility, family. Rabbit people tend to be soft-spoken and non self-assertive. The symbol of the rabbit is strongly tied to the cycle of life, fertility, death and resurrection. The rabbit is also a symbol of luck, health and clear- sightedness.

 If you could have the Resurrection Stone, Invisibility Cloak or the Elder Wand which one would you choose?

Well... I don't think I would want the resurrection stone. That would cause more harm than good. I wouldn't want the Elder wand because I'm not really interested in being powerful. I suppose it would have to be the cloak. Although, I'm not sure I would use that very much either.

 What House would you be in?

This is a hard one. I know I wouldn't like Slytherin and I don't think I'd want to be in Ravenclaw. I'm torn between Hufflepuff and Gryffindor.

 IF you could meet any member of the cast who would it be?

Oh my gosh... this s SUCH a hard question to answer. I think it would have to be Helena Bonham Carter because I love Bellatrix and I'd love to talk to her about her portrayal of the character. 

 Have you played any of the video games?

Yes, I have Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix on Nintendo DS.

 IF you were on the Quiddich team which position would you play?

I like to think I'd be good as a seeker but I would have a go at being a chaser too.

 Were you happy with the ending?

Hahaha.. no not entirely but there was never any way that everyone was going to be completely happy with how it ended so I don't mind the ending.

 How much does Harry Potter mean to you?

Harry Potter was my childhood. I literally grew up reading the books and watching the films so there is a great deal of sentimentality for me that goes with Harry Potter. I adore it. 

 

***

So, there we have it. I know you were probably expecting another book/film review but I feel like I do them a little too often sometimes and you never really get to learn anything about me. So, I thought I would do the Harry Potter tag this week and you can learn a little more about me and my interests.

Please feel free to do the tag yourself down below and I will look through them and we can all be a little geeky for a bit. ☺

I hope you had a lovely week and carry on having a lovely week and I'll see you same time next week for a book review.

***

Lots of love, Lara xx

Book Review: Death Comes to Pemberley | P.D James



First published in 2011 by Faber and Faber

Bloomsbury House

© P.D. James 2011



**** - 4 Stars

'In a pitch-perfect recreation of the world of Pride and Prejudice, P.D. James elegantly fuses her life long passion for the work of Jane Austen with her talent for writing detective fiction.'

Death Comes to Pemberley by P.D. James is an excellent book. It is well written and pays well deserved respect and acknowledgement to the novel it is based on.

I really did enjoy this book and as a detective fiction, it was marvellous and it wasn't spoiled by any obvious plot twists. I loved this novel even better for it being based on and paying tribute to my personal favourite book; Pride and Prejudice.

However, Death Comes to Pemberley only gets four out of five stars as it just wasn't quite good enough - and paying homage to one of the most beloved novels in English Literature, it just didn't quite come up to scratch for me. There were too many blatantly obvious references to its predecessor (e.g., 'fluttering spasms', 'shades of Pemberley, less polluted') which just made it feel like she was trying too hard to remind us of the original story and ruined it as a separate piece of work. The characters feel too different from the original story and the storyline itself doesn't blend as seamlessly as I would've liked it to - considering the predecessor and the characters are so well known. Although, I do need to acknowledge it is almost impossible to be able to make the writing style and the characters perfect and this was in no way a bad effort. So, four stars P.D. James. Well done!!

***

Tell me what you thought of the book!!

Love, Lara xx

P.S. Where you can buy this book:

The Book Depository

Amazon

The Book People

Book Review: Wuthering Heights - Emily Brontë

 

**** - 4 Stars
Wuthering Heights follows the story of Heathcliff. Mr. Earnshaw adopted a young gypsy boy and brought him into his family to be raised with his two children, Catherine and Hindley. As the years go by, Heathcliff and Catherine form a deep relationship with each other, but when Heathcliff disappears for three years, Catherine marries Edgar Linton.
Wuthering Heights is a story who's main theme is the destructive effect of both jealousy and vengefulness.
What to say about Wuthering Heights? I have to say, when I found that this was next on my TBR, I was a little wary and exasperated.
As much as I love classics, Wuthering Heights has never really appealed to me before. Each time I have tried to read it before now, I found it confusing and too hard to follow so, I simply gave up.
However while, yes, this is a difficult book to follow for the first chapter or so; once you get used to it, Wuthering Heights makes for a supremely thrilling read. I honestly think it is a shame how classics novels such as this one are disregarded now for second rate, recycled stories.
I hear all the time that the reason people don't read classics anymore is because they are old, out-dated and have been read so many times before. What we all seem to be forgetting is that we wouldn't have the books we have today, if books like this hadn't been written.
I can honestly say that I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I did not expect to. I highly recommend reading this if you want to try your hand at reading a classic novel. The story is fantastically intriguing, the characters are well rounded and fleshed out and the plot is stunning, as is the writing itself.
4/5 stars. Please read and let me know your thoughts.

***

Love, Lara xxx

Book Review: On The Edge - Gillian Cross

PUFFIN BOOKS
Published by the Penguin Group
First published by Oxford University Press 1984
Copyright © Gillian Cross, 1984

**** - 4 Stars
'"Tug pushed the door as far open as he could. Squatting  down, he peered though the narrow crack and saw what was hanging outside, across the opening. A heavy padlock, snapped shut."
That was when he realised it wasn't all a mistake. He must have been kidnapped by the strange man and woman who'd brought him to this remote Derbyshire cottage. But he couldn't remember how it had happened, and the things the couple were saying just didn't make sense. If only they'd stop playing that endless, deafening brass-band music...'

On The Edge, by Gillian Cross is a brilliant book. I was actually really pleasantly surprised when reading this book at how much I liked the writing and the story. After reading New World, I was sceptical of reading more of Cross' work, despite the fantastic reviews on the back. New World was a real disappointment for me and I was dreading having to read this book next, in all honesty because I was so afraid I wasn't going to like it and I would have wasted my time again. However, this is definitely worth the read!! This book is filled with suspense and had me confused and intrigued right until the very end.
Although this book is classed as a thriller, filled with suspense, you do have to remember that this is a PUFFIN book and so, it is for children. On The Edge is a story about finding yourself, who you are as a person. That is the message you take away and that is hidden cleverly in a brilliantly written story. I usually would not have picked up a book like this to read, I happened to get it along with 20 or so others that I got for $1 a few months back. I also did not think I'd actually end up reading it. However, I'm glad I did.
I definitely recommend this book!! Its brilliantly written and I feel like Gillian Cross needs to be a more well known and celebrated writer.


Thanks again and I'll see you same time next week for a film review!!

Love, Lara xxx

 

P.S. Where you can buy this book

Book Review: The Mortal Instruments City of Ashes – Cassandra Clare | Lara Pass

**** - 4 Stars
The Mortal Instruments City of Ashes is the second book in the Mortal Instruments series and I was pleasantly surprised by it. Usually I get disappointed by book sequels because they're never as good as the first. However, this book did not let me down. I was anxious to know how the story of Jace and Clary was going to progress and it has been really interesting. I feel like I Clare had more confidence when writing this book and was more comfortable with the characters now. The relationships between both Jace and Clary and Clary and Simon, become a bit more complex. The brother-sister relationship between Alec and Isabelle also becomes more prominent in this book which I enjoyed.
Obviously, we get to meet new characters in this book. The rest of the Lightwood family come back from Alicante after the Accords and you get to see Jace's relationship with his adoptive family. What I loved about this book is, unlike the last book, this was not set from just Clary's point of view. You get to see how other characters view the situations and what their feelings are as well as Clary's and I enjoyed that aspect of the book. I constantly read books and get to a part thinking 'it would be great to know what this character is thinking right now, see their point of view' but I have never read a book like it until now. I love the idea and it makes for a more interesting read. Of course, a lot of books work better where it's just from one character's point of view, but this particular series works better when you get to know what multiple characters are feeling. I makes the story more complex and interesting and just makes it more enjoyable to read than the last book.
I gave this 4/5 stars for its originality but it is not quite good enough to get 5/5. Thank you again, Cassandra Clare, for writing a truly brilliant book.

Book Review: The Mortal Instruments City of Bones – Cassandra Clare | Lara Pass

**** - 4 Stars

The Mortal Instruments - City of Bones
Cassandra Clare
Publishers - Walker Books 

The City of Bones is the first book in the Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare. I'll be honest, I'm a late bloomer when it comes to this series. I didn't actually find out about it until the film came out last year and when it did, I knew I had to read the book first. It was only when I joined the 'BookTuber' community that I realised the hype around these books. I tend to stay away from YA series that get a lot of hype as they all seem to be knock off versions of Twilight (Stephanie Meyer) which – while successful – was not the best book series I have ever read either. As always, because this is a book series, I'm going to relate it to Harry Potter. (Sorry…) The reason I tend to stay away from big book series is because they all seem to be more of the same and it gets tiresome reading and reviewing books that are so much like everything else that is 'big' at the time. Twilight, The Hunger Games… they all just tend to bore me a little. The reason series have become such a big thing is
because of Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling wrote the most successful books in history and is one of the richest women in the world and because of the success of the book series, that's what all writers are doing now. Well, I say 'all writers', I mean writers of YA books specifically. I'm not saying that people can't write successful series anymore because of Harry Potter. What I am saying is, there is no point writing a book series if it is like so many other things that are being written and turned into films. I just don't see the point in it if I'm being honest.
This – while being another YA book series – is a little different. Since the release of Twilight all those many moons ago, everything that has followed after has come from Twilight. The next 'big thing' after Twilight was, of course, The Hunger Games (Suzanne Collins). Both these book series were original at the time but now everything seems to be a knock off version of it. Teen romance novels became a massive craze after Twilight (Which is when I became uninterested), and dystopian novels became a massive craze after The Hunger Games (which – again – is when I became uninterested). The City of Bones is something I can't make my mind up about yet. I don't see it becoming as big of a deal as is predecessors but that's what I kind of like about it. Of course, it is kind of another 'teen romance' but the characters seem to have a bit of complexity and depth to them – which I have yet to see in other teen series.
There are reasons why I love Harry Potter and why it is my favourite book series ever. It's not because of the film series (that I found pretty average). There is something in Rowling's writing which makes you feel something. You can envision every nook and cranny of Hogwarts because her writing is so rich. There is a depth to her characters which makes you not only sympathise, but empathise with them. These are all the qualities I look for in a book. These are the things which – in my opinion – make a book good. There is something in Clare's writing which reminds me of Rowling a little. I can envision where Clary and Jace are standing quite clearly. Their relationship isn't simple and black and white but there are so many complexities to it which makes for an interesting read. Although I can never truly compare any writer to Rowling, Clare's writing skills are something to be admired and I can't wait to read the rest of the series and find out all the twists and turns. Well done Cassandra Clare on a smashing book. I give you 4/5 stars for your hard work.