Reviews

BOOK REVIEW: Girl Online

December 07, 2014


"Every time you post something online, you have a choice. You can make people happy or you can take away their happiness. Just a thought." - Zoe Sugg 

So I just finished Zoe Sugg (Zoella)'s first novel 'Girl Online' and honestly it is fast becoming one of my favourite books. First off, I am so proud of Zoe, she has done such amazing things and I really think she is one of the most inspiration ladies. She has stayed so humble through everything that has happened to her and deserves all the success that she has achieved, I am happy to support her through everything she has done and will continue to do because I can't think of someone who has worked so hard for so long and achieved such incredible things. 

I have always been inspired by Zoe, whether it be through her YouTube channel, her fashion sense, her blog or just the general way in which she carries herself, she is definitely one of my role models. I have idolised her for a long time now and her blog is one of the reasons why I decided I wanted to start one of my own. I was going so well with my blogging and then after the HSC I just stopped and I wasn't inspired to write, I felt pressured and I just wasn't enjoying it. Then whilst browsing the Internet one night I came across this trailer: 


After watching this I wrote 'Blogging Hiatus,' even a tiny glimpse into the novel inspired me to write more and get back to one of my favourite past times. After having a pretty crappy day on Thursday I found myself in my local Bookshop and noticed that Girl Online was currently ranked number four. I had planned to wait till Christmas but after so much disappointment in one day (it's a long store) I decided that I needed a treat, so I picked up a copy of Girl Online. 

{Spoiler Warning}

I honestly could not put this book down, I spent the whole of today reading it and have had it in my handbag all of Friday and Saturday desperate for a chance to keep reading it. This book inspired me so much to blog and to even just be myself. It reminded me that it's okay to get nervous or anxious and that being a clutz is completely normal. It showed me that public embarrassment is not just something that just I am constantly plagued with.  

So Girl Online is the story of 15 year old Penny who runs an anonymous blog online where she blogs about everything and anything. Everything in her life is pretty average until one day her mum gets an opportunity through work to take their entire family to New York (which is one of my dream places to go and anything set in New York because 1000x more appealing to me). In New York Penny makes a heap of new friends including Noah (ooohhhh mysterious) and learns to let go of the awful and toxic parts of her life.  

I honestly loved Girl Online from start to finish and I would definitely recommend picking up a copy, not just because you are supporting Team Internet and Zoe, but because it really is an amazing book! 

If you have picked up a copy, what did you think? 

♡♡♡

Reviews

Howl's Moving Castle.

October 28, 2014


"They say that the best blaze burns brightest when circumstances are at their worst." - Sophie Hatter, Howl's Moving Castle

Sorry about the lack of posting, but I'll catch up soon for all the missed days, it's just a full on week! 
So when I came home from my exam this morning I wanted to watch a movie during my lunch before I started studying for the next one (ugh). 

So today I thought I would share one of my absolute favorite movies; 'Howl's Moving Castle'. If you haven't seen any of the Studio Ghibli movies you're missing out and this one is incredible. It's full of love, pain, hardship and sacrifice. I've seen it over 10 times and I think I could watch it 10 more. 

There's something about the style of animation of these movies, whether it be the beauty in the way the character itself is created, the mouth watering depictions of food or the beautifully created landscapes and buildings. 
(If that doesn't make you hungry, I don't know what will).


The story begins with plain, hat shop employee Sophie being rescued by Howl and their story continues from there. I don't want to say too much but (SPOILER ALERT) this movie honestly inspires me so much and I love how it teaches the importance of acceptance and having faith in people which is such an important message in today's society, as both Sophie and Howl are cursed and must overcome the terrible curses which have been placed upon them, with not only true love but faith in self and faith in those around you. 

I definitely recommend checking out Howl's Moving Castle or any of the other Studio Ghibli films! 
If you have seen any of them, which one is your favorite? 

TRAILER: 

♡♡♡

Reviews

BOOK REVIEW: Me Talk Pretty One Day

October 01, 2014


"At the end of a miserable day, instead of grieving my virtual nothing, I can always look at my loaded wastepaper basket and tell myself that if I failed, at least I took down a few trees with me." 
- David Sedaris, Me Talk Pretty One Day

So I just finished (for the second time) a biography I'm reading for my English Extension class. It's a biography titled 'Me Talk Pretty One Day' and it's written by David Sedaris. Me Talk Pretty One Day is definitely one of the best biographies I have ever read. When picking a biography it's really hard because each individual person has a different writing style and a different way which they want to tell their story, which makes life writing such a difficult topic. However, for me personally this book reminds me so much of my own style of writing and one day I hope my that I will be able to write as well as Sedaris, he has the ability to tell a story, from his life and you actually feel like you are sitting there with him and experiencing his life. It's one of those stories that has you questioning why your life isn't as interesting as his, it makes you want to go out and experience things so one day you'll have something to write about, and it really explores the delicate nature of family life and how ridiculously different each family in this world is. 

The book is a bit hard to follow when you first begin as it is naturally of anecdotal nature and each chapter is a different story from Sedaris' life, sometimes jumping from his early childhood to middle aged between each chapter, but gradually you get used to the natural jumpy nature of the book and become fascinated by not only Sedaris' life but the less than conventional way in which he has lived it.

Whether it be the ridiculous stories about his father and childhood or the adventures which he has when he moves to France, it is honestly such a funny book and it had me laughing all through the night. If you're on the younger side you might want to wait a few years before reading this book and DO NOT read the quotes below as this book is definitely made for a more mature audience. Though I must say, that during my speech for the assignment everyone in the room as laughing at the chapter titled "The Youth in Asia" which explores the euthanasia of Sedaris' cat and his father's dog. Sedaris really has put so much thought into this book and it really shows off through his writing. I really enjoyed the book and look back fondly on the life which I lived through his writing. 

If you love reading blogs or just the nature of our society where everyone knows everything about another person's life then this book really hits the nail on the head (is that the right expression, I hope so) and I'm so glad a chose a more interesting biography to study for my senior year as some of the ones my friends have chosen sound like absolute torture to read! 

I definitely recommend if you're looking for something different or something that will make you laugh, I adored it from start to finish!

I also thought I would leave some of the funny quotes from the book below, enjoy!
“On my fifth trip to France I limited myself to the words and phrases that people actually use. From the dog owners I learned "Lie down," "Shut up," and "Who shit on this carpet?" The couple across the road taught me to ask questions correctly, and the grocer taught me to count. Things began to come together, and I went from speaking like an evil baby to speaking like a hillbilly. "Is thems the thoughts of cows?" I'd ask the butcher, pointing to the calves' brains displayed in the front window. "I want me some lamb chop with handles on 'em.”

“If you aren't cute, you may as well be clever.” 

- “What's the trick to remembering that a sandwich is masculine? What qualities does it share with anyone in possession of a penis? I'll tell myself that a sandwich is masculine because if left alone for a week or two, it will eventually grow a beard.” 

“It's a common mistake for vacationing Americans to assume that everyone around them is French and therefore speaks no English whatsoever...an experienced traveler could have told by looking at my shoes that I wasn't French. And even if I were French, it's not as if English is some mysterious tribal dialect spoken only by anthropologists and a small population of cannibals.” 

“there's a reason regular people don't appear on TV: we're boring.” 

“In other parts of the country people tried to stay together for the sake of the children. In New York they tried to work things out for the sake of the apartment.” 

“but I have no mind for business and considered staying awake to be enough of an accomplishment.”

♡♡♡