Book Review: Changeling - Delia Sherman | Lara Pass

Changeling - Delia Sherman
Published by - Viking:
A Division of Penguin Young Readers Group

**** - 4 Stars
This is a book that happened to catch my eye when I was in a charity shop a few months ago. Its an extremely beautiful book and I bought it on a whim. Just one of those, 'in the heat of the moment' decisions.
However, when I finally got around to reading it, I was glad that it did catch my eye that day. Not only is this an extremely beautiful book, but it's an extremely beautiful story. This is a story of self-discovery, independence and belief. I think it is really fitting for kids as it sends out all the right messages and is a rather empowering book.
After reading this, I felt like I could do anything. Battle a dragon maybe?...
I also love how Sherman creates a world within 'our world'. The 'New York Between' was a very interesting concept and a lovely idea that there is a world that coincides with our own. That its a place we as humans can only get to in our dream.

Delia Sherman - Author

Nothing has been overdone in this book. There is no aspect I can think of that Sherman has gone too far with. There is just the right about of action and adventure and also cunningness and bravery and the way Sherman writes, makes you feel like you are truly part of that world.
There are actually few children's stories that I actually, genuinely enjoy, but this month I seem to have fallen lucky in terms of children's books because they are all absolutely enchanting.
I can't wait to buy the second instalment of this series (luckily a short series - phew...)   and find out the rest of the story. This book will truly capture every child's imagination and I can't really fault it apart from on one thing. Originality. That is the only thing that lets this story down and is why I gave it 4/5 stars. The writing is brilliant, the story is brilliant; the only problem I have is that its a bit too much like so many other children's books I have read. Drawing inspirations from the Grimm brothers' stories, while a good idea, just reminded me of how little there is to inspire us to create a completely new world of our own invention which is what needs to be done with a children's story. They need to be transported somewhere completely new and different and unique and I feel that Changeling didn't quite deliver.
However, a beautiful book and an even more beautiful story and I'm glad to have read it.
 

Book Review: Peter Pan - J.M. Barrie | Lara Pass



Peter Pan -J.M. Barrie
Published by -
Oxford University Press

***** - 5 Stars
Hi everyone! I'm back again. I wanted to get all the books I have read this month reviewed on my blog before I did my April Wrap Up video on YouTube. One of the first books I read this month was Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie. Now, everyone has heard of this story and maybe seen one of the many film adaptations but its surprising how many people have never read the book. Of course, most people now associate Peter Pan with the Disney's 1953 film adaptation, which - while a good film - does not tell the whole story and capture the 'magic' of the story I suppose you could say. (I do feel that the best film adaptation of Peter Pan is the 2003 film adaptation starring Jeremy Sumpter and Jason Isaacs.)


Jeremy Sumpter as Peter Pan
- 2003 Film Adaptation of
Peter Pan

Anyways, onto the book review... I have had this book for quite some time and have never read it even though Peter Pan is probably my favourite children's story. I didn't really get into reading books just for the fun of it until I turned 13 and got a copy of Twilight (shocking I know) - and, being a young teenager, I just kind of got obsessed with that kind of thing. It seems that most teenage girls have an obsession from the ages of about 13-15 years old. (but you know... it's all part of being a 'teenager'). However, since that phase of my life is now over, I was going through all my old books that I've never read and I found my copy of Peter Pan. Of course, then I got really excited and couldn't wait to read it but I was also kind of nervous about reading it. The 2003 film adaptation is so good, I didn't know whether the original story was going to be. (this is why you should ALWAYS read the book before you watch the film)
However, I was not disappointed AT ALL. It was different, but - of course - it was better. There is very few books that I read and then want to read all over again as soon as I've finished it. Especially children's books. However, reading this made me realise what a classic it is and I felt really stupid for never having read it before now.
Barrie's writing throughout the book is faultless. Is perfect and magical and one of those stories that you can just picture yourself reading to your kids when they're all tucked up in bed. It is a perfect 'bedtime story' and I love it to pieces. It's only now that I really understand why this book is regarded as a 'classic'. It truly is a beautiful, wonderful, magical story and I know I'll keep the book forever because its just... There are not enough words in the dictionary to describe how brilliant this book is.
Peter Pan is - as shall forever remain - my favourite kids story and I will cherish it forever.



Book Review: The Blood of Flowers - Anita Ammirezvani | Lara Pass

The Blood of Flowers - Anita Ammirezvani
Published By - Headline Review

***** - 5 Stars!
This book is unlike anything I have ever read before. It is completely enchanting. Ammirezvani obviously went above and beyond to provide a book that speaks volumes, transports you to another place and that keeps you hooked right until the very end.
I've never read a book like it and I doubt I ever will again. Ammirezvani took no short cuts to make sure she delivered the best of the best with this book and I am delighted to have read it. Half way through this book I felt a sudden urge to go out, buy wool and a loom, and start making a carpet!
With her meticulous attention to detail, Ammirezvani has made this a book we should all have a copy of and I know I will one day be purchasing my own!

Anita Ammirezvani - Author

I sincerely hope that Ammirezvani is
proud of her work because she should be! It takes someone with an immense amount of talent to produce work that is so brilliant. However, I do have to acknowledge that it isn't without it's flaws. I won't be talking about those flaws in this review though.  This is probably the first review I have done where I have not talked about the flaws in the text. Not because I am trying to be nice, or I don't think they're important; but because I don't feel as if they are worth mentioning in work as brilliant as this. I am sure there are hundreds of other reviews that tell you about the flaws and errors of judgement Ammirezvani made with this book and so I don't feel I need to mention them now.
However, as a person that reads and reviews books, I cannot say that I can't find fault in this book. There will always be faults. No-one's writing - no matter how good - is flawless and everyone has their own opinion about what aspects of a book are 'wrong'.
But for now, focusing on the positives, I can say that I absolutely loved this book and loved the fact that I could read this and review it for everyone. I would highly recommend this book (to adults) and say that if you like historical fiction, it is hard to believe you would not love this book! 

 

How to Survive Your Last Two Years of School...

Hi everyone!! I know it's been a REALLY long time since I posted anything and I'm sorry about that but have been REALLY super busy with school. So I thought I would do a kind of 'how to survive school' kinda thing

Starting School Again...
Now everyone knows that starting school again is always a bit of a pain in the behind but it's something we all have to go through. I know after the summer, you're not used to getting up so early to go to school. You're not used to having to wear a uniform 5 days of the week and you're definitely not used to the HUGE workload. I was really dreading starting school again this year because last year was not an easy year for me. However, once I got into it, I've found that I really enjoy it. School doesn't always have to be a place that you hate and dread going to every day. It can be a fun place where you hang out with your friends and hopefully do subjects that you enjoy.

School Uniform...

Now, I don't know if anyone who reads my blog has to wear a school uniform when they get into their last two years of school but at the college I go to, you do. I really liked wearing the junior uniform because it was comfortable and didn't look too awful but the senior uniform just makes me look really frumpy. Why? Well, it is designed to highlight a certain area (i.e. BOOBS) However, I have really, really small ones and it just looks like I am drowning in clothes. I just try and make the best of it though and try not to think about it too much.

 

Getting Up Early...

Lets be honest, no one likes this part of going to school. Its one of those things that everyone hates no matter what but we have to do it and I don't really have any advice on getting up early other than, go to bed earlier and then you'll wake up earlier but don't miss out on sleep because you'll feel awful if you do!

 

Work Load...

The workload is bound to be 10X bigger than it was in your junior years but who cares? As long as you get the work done on time, you should be fine. I always aim to get mine done before the weekend so then I have those two days to sit and relax and do nothing or film a video for my YouTube Channel or do a blog post.

I think getting the work done is important but also having that time to rest can really make all the difference to the coming week.

 

The Respect...

Now, I don't know about you but since I have become a senior, we get a lot more respect from the teachers. They laugh and joke with us, they're a lot more lenient about stuff and treat us more like adults than kids which is more or less what you are when you get to your senior years. I'm not saying we don't all have an awful long way to go (sorry, quote from Wicked - couldn't help myself) but we're not the Year 9's with the bad B.O. anymore. I think the respect can make all the difference because it makes you respect the teachers and makes you want to work so you don't let them down which is really, super important.

 

Exams...

Now, I try not to think about exams as much as possible because all that'll do is stress you out but  I also have internal exams throughout the year which makes it hard to... umm, not get stressed out?.. The best thing to do though is to focus on the work you're doing while you're doing it and getting the best marks you possibly can from that. If you focus on the fact that you have exams at the end of the year, you'll probably not get the best grades you could get because you're too busy thinking about something that isn't for another 9 months! Live in the moment and don't stress out about things that you don't need to be stressed about yet. When it does come to exam time, make sure you have a clear study time table and stick to it. I know its study leave and you're tempted to just lay in bed and watch TV all day but that WILL NOT help you when it comes to the exams. Its good to study so you have all that information fresh in your brain and you can get a better mark that way.

 

Leaving School...

For some people, they'll be leaving school forever which is emotional for everyone. Whether you're happy to be leaving school and moving on or whether you're sad school is over it's emotional. However just because you're leaving school doesn't mean that you can flour bomb everyone, silly string them, throw stink bombs into classrooms. For the rest of the school, they're stuck there for a good while longer. You don't wanna get into trouble on your last day. Just enjoy it and say goodbye to everyone and have a nice time.

 

I hope this helps everyone or at least makes them feel a little more optimistic about school in some way. Whether that is starting school again or leaving forever. I know this may all sound really lame but I promise you, you'll miss it when its gone!! :)

Love you all and speak to you soon,

Laralu x

Emigrating...

Hi all you lovely people, you! I thought it was about time I did a post on emigrating! I have told you so many time how I moved over here (here being New Zealand) from England and I thought I would tell you how it all came about, what I thought about it and advice to anyone who is emigrating to a new country.

New Zealand...
New Zealand is that place at the bottom of the planet - that tiny little dot near Australia. It is one of the many countries that is part of the British Empire and everyone thinks it's just full of trees and sheep.  Well, that might be true. There are a lot of trees here - and sheep too. However, there is so much more to it than that. I live just north of Auckland in North Island, New Zealand. I've lived here about a year and a half now and I love it here. It has sub-tropical weather, bright blue sea and cloudless skies. The people are lovely and it just has a lovely atmosphere over here.

Who I moved with?...
This might be a bit of a silly addition to the post because - who cares? Right? However, I will tell you anyways, just in case you are interested. I moved here with my parents and my two little sisters. However, my brother is someone we left behind. We all miss him more than anything and he is the most amazing person you'll ever meet but we know he's happy where he is and that's all that matters to us.

Why we moved...
We moved over here just to have more opportunities and a chance at a better life. As some of you will know if you watch my Youtube videos that I got really badly bullied at school in England and there was no way I could stay there throughout my school years because I would've ended up with no qualifications and no way of getting a job. Not to mention no self-confidence. So for me especially, this move was really important.

My thoughts on emigrating...
I love New Zealand and all the people in it. Everyone is so nice and welcoming and accepting here. I find it so much easier to cope with school over here than I ever did in England and I'm so grateful for the opportunities it has given me moving out here.

What advice I have for people who are emigrating...
Hmm... I don't think there's anything I can say to make the move easier on you. All I can say is; embrace it. All of it. If you give it a try, the chances are that you'll like it where you're moving to. However, if you spend all your time rebelling against your parents and saying that you hate it and you want to go home, the chances are you are going to be miserable. I know that you are under the impression that if you kick up enough of a fuss then your parents will just move back but that really isn't going to happen. If you are in a different country right now and your furniture is also there, you are not going back home with your family; you'll be moving back alone when you're 18. I know that sounds like a horrible thing to say but your parents would not have dragged you away from your home and your friends without good reason. Go easy on them, the move is just as hard for them as for you. Look at moving as a fresh start and a chance to get things right that might have gone wrong in England (or wherever you're from)

Will I ever go back?...
Well... I'm sorry to say I think it's highly likely that I will go back and live in Yorkshire. I love it out here and I love all the opportunities I have been given and all the friends I've made but after I have finished with school, the chances are that I will go straight back to Yorkshire and live in the Countryside again.

Why?...
Well, New Zealand just isn't me. I don't know if that makes any sense to any of you but I am totally homesick and I miss Chatsworth House and Gardens, I miss Bakewell market. I miss it all. I miss my brother. I miss having Christmas in winter. New Zealand has given me a fresh start and allowed me to have a life I wouldn't have had if I had still being living in England throughout my school life. No matter how much I love it here, it can just never compare to how much I love my home. The place I was born and raised. The place where all of my family is. I have a feeling at some point, we will all go back to England because I don't think New Zealand is where any of us wants to spend the rest of our lives. Home is just too important to us all.

I hope you enjoyed this post and I'll see you next Monday,
Laralu x

Back to School / Growing up and moving on

Hey everyone!! I'm so happy today! I have actually started writing my blog posts and filming my videos weeks or even months in advance since I am back at school now and I so much work to do I can't think straight. (Nothing a cup of tea won't fix though *;)* ) I basically upload them all at once and schedule them to be posted on a certain day at a certain time so as to make sure you still get a blog post and a video every Monday.

Confused?...
Some of you right now might be confused about what I mean when I say 'just started school again'. Well, I shall explain it to you. I am - as you all know - from England. Yorkshire in fact. However, I moved to New Zealand about a year and a half ago and the school years over here start in February and end in November / December time. However I am a senior in College so I leave school in October and get a full 3 months off school (which is pretty awesome!)

Back to School...
Well for most of you, this blog post will be pointless till September but because I am going back to school now; I thought this would be the best time to do this blog post because you can always come back to this in September.
My first day back at school was literally today. I was scared out of my mind about being in classes with people I don't know and having new teachers and being in uncomfortable situations but apart from that, there was nothing much wrong with going back to school after a nice long break.
(You may also be wondering why I was scared. Well, I suffer with anxiety and it is particularly bad in school situations)
It turns out I had a really excellent first day.  I am taking Health, Photography, Classical Studies, Early Childhood Education, Maths and English. All these subjects are ones I am really passionate about and I love learning about. However, I do have some doubts. I took health in year 10 and 11 and really enjoyed it so decided to take it this year for year 12 but realised today that I'm getting pretty bored of it and am actually thinking about dropping it and then I will have a free period to finish off extra work etc. It's not that I don't like health and don't find it interesting but after two years of it, I'm just not sure if I want to do another two. All my friends who did health have also left to do bigger and better things.
Classical Studies is going to be amazing! We get to go to University lectures and visit the libraries there etc. I am SO excited for this year.

What's the problem then?...
What's the problem with all this amazing stuff and amazing opportunities? Well one simple little thing. At the end of next year, I leave school forever and never go back. This is scary as hell for me . I know that I will take a year out after year 13 to have a break from the education side of things and decide what I want to do with my life. As you know - I'm not that keen on going to University myself.
The thought of living by myself and paying the bills and cooking the food and being totally self-reliant scares me. I'm just not ready to grow up yet. I'm not ready to leave childhood behind and be an adult. Every time I think about it, it makes me feel a little ill. It's just all happening so fast and with no warning. You just wish time could slow down and you could be suspended in that moment forever. It would make things so much easier to deal with.


I also did a video on the same subject just a lot more rambling and a lot less coherency. I hope you enjoy.

Let me know your thoughts on growing up and moving on into the big wide world! I would love to know how you feel about it.
Love you all and see you next Monday,
Laralu x

Beauty Review:- CoverGirl's Aqua Smooth Foundation!

Hey everyone!
I hope you enjoyed my last post on 'Sunburn'. I know it sounds quite boring but you wouldn't believe how useful it is.

SUPER Scary...
My blog is growing quite quickly which is SUPER scary but I love it. My YouTube Channel is going a lot more slowly but I don't mind. Now that I have editing software, my video's might become more 'watchable'.
Today's post is going to be on a foundation from CoverGirl.

Just to explain quickly...
(Just for the purpose of this post, I did buy this myself, it wasn't gifted to me by any person or PR company and I am not being paid to do this review. If I should be asked to review something or gifted something to review it will have an (*) next to it. If I've been paid to review something, I shall tell you. (All of this has also been explained on my 'PR' page)

How I discovered it...
Okay, so I shall first of all tell you the story of how I got this foundation. I got $100 (NZD) for my birthday and I mainly bought clothes for the summer, since all the clothes I had were for (New Zealand) winter. I realised my skin was getting darker and my BB Cream didn't match my skin tone anymore so decided to get a 'summer foundation'. I went to the local supermarket and I wasn't looking for anything in particular, just something fairly cheap. Anyway, the CoverGirl Aqua Smooth foundation was on offer to I got it. It didn't look very impressive, there wasn't anything too special about it and there didn't seem to be a lot of product. It was an impulse buy. One of the BEST impulse buys EVER!

The Review...
Okay, so I know everything I just said is a little boring and you're waiting for me to get to the point. Well, I think it's amazing.
Packaging...
Packaging wise, this foundation doesn't have much to be desired. It lets the product down a little. Most people would just skim past this foundation because the outside doesn't look too pretty. As I've started to do reviews online, I've realised just how important visual aid is to selling a product. To be honest, if this foundation hadn't been on offer at the time, I would have gone right past it too.
However, the packaging is light, easy to open but secure so there is no worries about product going all over your bag etc.

Applicator...
As you can probably guess, I wasn't best pleased with the applicator. However, this isn't unusual - for anyone! I always find that applicators in any makeup products are a waste of time but I try them out just the same so then I can talk about every part of the product and give my full opinion. I think, if you are on the go and you can't take makeup brushes with you, this applicator will do okay. I just feel it leaves the foundation a little streaky on my face and doesn't apply it evenly.However, this is my personal opinion, so don't be deterred from trying applicators that come with products! You never know - you might like them.

Foundation...
Well, this foundation is amazing. I honestly don't think I've ever found a better one. It is a cream foundation so there is no need to worry about leakage. It applies beautifully to the face, it doesn't feel like you are wearing any foundation at all and - most importantly - doesn't look like it either. It is a matte (or semi-matte) foundation and there is absolutely no need to apply powder. In fact, I feel powder makes it look too heavy. The foundation lasts easily 5 hours on your face without primer, moisturiser, powder etc. to set it. However, if you do use all these extra things, it should last about 10 hours.

I also did a video review on this so check that out:

I hope you enjoyed this guys and I'll see you next week for another 'Let's Talk' post!
Love you all,
Lara x