Lockdown Procrastination

 Hi friends!

So remember when I said I'd be back regularly? Apparently I lied to you so I am SO SORRY. 

But the reason I haven't been writing posts is because I've been procrastinating... hugely.

So some of my readers aren't from the UK so I'll give you a little bit of backstory. Here in the UK we've been in a lockdown since Christmas essentially. This has meant that I haven't had a job since then, giving me so much free time. However, this free time has made me not want to do the things I enjoy because that's the only things I can do. For example, if I want to do a workout in a day but that's the only thing I have to do - I'll put it off because it's the only thing I'm doing that day.

And this is exactly what's happened with my reading habits too. Reading was my escape pre-pandemic but now, it's all I can really do. So in the first lockdown, I didn't read at all. Now, in the third lockdown, I'm starting to get back into reading once again. 

It's a tricky thing to get your head around but, if you're also going through this I hear ya! It's super hard and I think this lockdown has really affected all of us differently to the first. Something I'm trying to do is give myself some sort of routine but again, sometimes that doesn't work out.

To help get you through, reconnect or find new things that make you happy. I found crochet (although I haven't really done that in a little while) and have gone back to reading. You definitely need to find that balance to get you through.

What I'm trying to say is... I've been procrastinating writing posts because I haven't been reading. I had actually been put in a slump recently by a book that threatened to take my soul (not cute) but I've read Cassandra Clare since them so I'm throughly back in the room.

I hope you're all keeping safe and well, I have a few reviews in the works and a YouTube video going up today at 6pm! So if you want to see that go straight over to my YouTube channel and you'll see it there.

New Year, New Blog?

For most people, the new year is a chance for new beginnings (new year, new me and all that jazz)| so I'm seizing that and starting over (metaphorically) with my blog.

I have gone and come back to this blog so many time and this year, it’s going to be different. I want to post regularly on here as well as my YouTube channel and turn this into a Reading and Lifestyle blog so that I don’t feel restrained to just talk about books (as much as I love them). I think the pressure to foley focus on books is what made me not want to post so much and actually deterred me from reading very recently. 

That being said, I have decided to participate in the pop sugar reading challenge this year to help keep me get back into reading. I have just started Rooms by Lauren Oliver and I’m not sure if its for me at the moment (very confused at the moment but hoping ti passes)

 
For those of you in the UK (I know I have many readers who are from other countries), I know that myself as well as others may be struggling in terms of the new tiers and regional lockdowns. I hope to be a little bit of a distraction during these bleak times when we can feel soooo negative. (Side note: If anyone is self-isolating or is just wanting a series to watch, I’d highly recommend Bridgerton on Netflix - I watched the whole first series in 2 days)

I am really proud of myself for getting through 2020, despite all of the ups and downs. I managed to graduate with a first class degree, move out of my mums house, start a new job in London and start my own business! Doesn’t get much better than that really?
If any of you have anything you’d like to see whether it be in a blog post or in a YouTube video please let mom know! I always love seeing what you guys would like to watch/read.

I hope you’re all staying safe and well - here’s to a brilliant year :) 

Women Don't Owe You Pretty - Why Everyone Should Read This Book (Review)

I hope everyone's lockdown has been good (well the best it can be). 

Today, I'm here to talk about Women Don't Owe You Pretty by Florence Given. And I'm gonna get straight into it because WOW WHAT A BOOK.

I originally picked up this book because it had so so much hype around it - I just had to read it for myself to form my own opinions. First of all, the illustration and overall theme of the book is absolutely gorgeous. Through research I have discovered the Florence had done all of the illustration herself and sells them! (A print from her is definitely going on my Christmas list, that's for sure.) 

My first impression of this book was that it started off with a bang. The sense of female empowerment just hit me within the first couple of pages and I could tell this was going to be a brilliant read. This book discusses sexuality, loving yourself, sex and body image - topics that could be considered taboo in todays society. But, my god, was it needed.

I could relate to pretty much everything she had written. This book really made me self reflect and think about my own life. She writes in such a clear concise way and is so eloquent with her writing that her message come across so clearly. This is in no way what would be considered 'preachy'. It's smart, thought provoking and just beautiful.

Also from seeing her internet presence, it is so clear the Florence herself has inspired a new wave of feminists. The feminists that are challenging society's norms and calling people out. AND I AM HERE FOR IT.

This book promotes self reflection in the best way and I personally think that everyone should read this book. Women can relate so hard and men will get so much education in just one book. It challenged my outlook on life 100% percent for the better and I couldn't recommend it any more.

That's why I give this book 5 stars. Absolute perfection. 

Review - Queer Intentions by Amelia Abraham

 Happy Thursday!

Recently I've been trying to really dive into the world of queer/LGBTQ+ literature. It's something that I really want to learn about having not been a part of the community for very long.

This one took me a little longer to read (I've been very sleep deprived recently and reading makes this girl go right to sleep if she's tired) but that does not reflect my enjoyment of this book as it was outstanding. I felt very enlightened after reading this and I just found it so so interesting.

The author started by acknowledging her interviewees pronouns and the different countries' use of the LGBTQ+ acronym and I just knew that I was going to love this book.

This is a non-fiction sort of memoire-style novel and it works so well. It really gives you an insight into queer culture on a global scale rather than what you can just see around you locally. It was also really enjoyable to see these things from the authors viewpoint; having her reflect personally on how these limitations that have been put on the LGBTQ+ community would affect her. 

There are subtle moments of comedy and this really allowed me to imagine the author reading this aloud, giving a strong narrative feel.

This was my first time reading a book of this style - non-fiction memoire is very off brand for the ya-loving-fantasy-reading-perksofalisha. But, if anyone has any other recommendations for book within LGBTQ+ literature, please leave them down below or feel free to DM on instagram (@theperksofalisha), I always welcome a good recommendation.

Overall I'd have to give this book 5 stars. It really opened my eyes to the differing queer culture throughout the world and really made me want to read books like it. If you are new to queer literature, like I am, I'd say that this is a good starting point. 

Also *UPDATE* I'm going to try and post weekly on here now! Ive really fallen in love with reading again thanks to this book and can't wait to read more.

(Sorry this is a short review but I can't really chat about characters, as I normally would, due to this not being YA FICTION. I'm sure you understand...)

Review - Normal People by Sally Rooney

Why hello everyone!

I have A LOT to catch you up on, you may have noticed that I haven't posted in.... quite a while. WELL university got really hectic and I didn't really have time for reading but now I do as I've finished (AND I'M GRADUATING WITH A FIRST).

I hope the lockdown wherever you are hasn't been too horrible and that you're coming out the other side.

I would like to talk about Normal People by Sally Rooney today. But first, as usual, here's the blurb curtsy of the Waterstones website.

'Marianne is the young, affluent, intellectual wallflower; Connell is the boy everyone likes, shadowed by his family’s reputation and poverty. Unlikely friends, and later lovers, their small town beginnings in rural Ireland are swiftly eclipsed by the heady worlds of student Dublin. Gradually their intense, mismatched love becomes a battleground of power, class, and the falsehoods they choose to believe.

Normal People is a tale of deceptive simplicity, a very accessible narrative of two seemingly mismatched young people who share a profound, inescapable understanding. Beyond that however is something properly universal, a study of how one person can forever shape and impact another. Marianne and Connell emerge almost shockingly real and deeply vulnerable in their different ways.'

I had heard a bunch of good things about this book and really wanted to watch the series but didn't want to watch it without having read the book

At first, I'm not going to lie, I did not like it. I really just didn't get on with Rooney's writing style as she doesn't use speech marks - this I found a bit jarring to begin with. It was difficult to tell what was a thought and what was actual speech.

As I got through the book I found that I had gotten used to it. I found the main characters Marianne and Connell to be average characters. For me, it felt like Marianne in the beginning was trying to be too 'edgy' - but she got better! Connell was also not your 'average cool guy', he had more complexity which I did like.

My only other criticism of this book was that everything started happening at the end and I JUST WANTED TO KNOW MORE.

For me this book was enjoyable, but only at the end! Maybe it was the writing style that didn't do it for me, I'm not sure, but if you are a fan of books such as Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell you'd definitely like this book.

Overall its a 3 star book for me!

A Youtube Hiatus?

So, I know that I haven't posted in a while both on here and on YouTube. This is because I'm having so much trouble with video editors. Any video editor that I have installed are crashing or not recognising my video formats (which are from my phone, I'm not ashamed). I used to enjoy filming and editing the videos but now it's just stressful when the editors are against me.

This is going to result in a YouTube Hiatus until I can find a good editing software or am financially able to buy one.

As a result of this Hiatus, I will be posting more on here! I'm currently reading Dream a Little Dream by Giovanna Fletcher and it's saving me from the depths of a reading slump which is lovely news.

I look forward to posting more soon!

Love you all, thank you for sticking with me.

x

Review - How To Be Happy by Eva Woods

Hello old friends!

I'm back and have decided to use this blog again!

Little bit of self promotion before we start - I have a YouTube channel now, in case you didn't know so if you want to see my face talk about books then you can. (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfEhNi9lyjByGWzMAyw3sVw)

There are a lot of books that I wont necessarily want to talk about on YouTube but I feel like they still deserve recognition and this is where I'm going to talk about them. So, if you prefer a written blog rather than watching a video, welcome! Grab a cup of tea and enjoy.

So I came across this book by off-chance when I was looking through what Amazon had recommended for me to read. And, I'm not going to lie, it was the cover that drew me in (sorry, sorry, sorry). I didn't read any reviews before I read this so I was completely going in blind and had no clue what this was even about.

But for those of you who would like a short overview, here goes:

Annie has had a troubled past. In fact, is still within a troubled time - then she meets Polly. Polly is the exact opposite of Annie and teaches her that life is too short to waste a single day. This story follows the two in their 100 day adventure towards happiness.

From the start, this book really pulled me in, It felt like a TFIOS meets Fangirl story and I was completely here for it. If you're someone who enjoys the more contemporary side of the YA genre then you'd definitely enjoy this. It is a cancer story, so for anyone who's easily triggered by that kind of story I wouldn't recommend it. But the characters in this are so relatable - even if you haven't been through the situations yourself.

It also features LGBTQ+ characters which is always a bonus in my books!

As well as being beautifully written, it has a really exciting premise. It is based on the idea of 100 happy days - that annoying hashtag that you see everywhere. What Eva Woods has done with this concept is really amazing and she's managed to fit in a whole book of inspirational quotes in there too. I would 100% recommend this if you're getting out of a slump or if you're getting back into reading after a long time.

I gave this 5 stars on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31839975-alisha) and read it in 4 days... So you could say that I really enjoyed it.

Review - Dare to Fall by Estelle Maskame

Hello!

This is one that was recommended to me by a bookseller for book club! The week in which this was meant to be discussed, the rest of my book club were on holiday so.... here's what I thought of the book!

But first, here's the blurb:

MacKenzie Rivers seems like she has it all figured out. She has great friends, she's doing well in school and her handsome ex-boyfriend is desperate to win her back. But something is missing from her life in Windsor, Colorado. And as much as she hates to admit it, that something might be Jaden Hunter. Tall. blond and athletic, a year ago Kenzie was falling fast for him and his crooked smile.

Twelve months later, everything has changed. A tragic accident had destroyed Jaden's family and, despite the was she feels, Kenzie has no idea how to talk to him anymore. She is all too familiar with the impact family tragedy can have on the people she loves, and she can't bear to go through it again with Jaden. She does the only thing she knows how to do: walk away.

When the pair meet again by chance one night, Kenzie realises that she can't ignore her feelings for him any longer. But as she is drawn back into Jaden's life, she finds herself aught between her increasingly volatile best friend, her interfering ex-boyfriend and her own fears about opening up to Jaden.

Will Kenzie dare to fall for the one person she's so afraid of growing close to?

***

So from the look of the blurb, it sounded very similar to The Night We Said Yes. But it really was not. It has features of a light-hearted contemporary with a bit of death and destruction thrown in.

We find out in the first couple of chapters that the Hunters' parents have died in the tragic accident a year ago. That being the reason why Kenzie hasn't spoken to them in a year - she's scared she'll upset them.

This book is so well crafted. The way each different character has a complex yet individual relationship with Kenzie is so nice to read. Darren, being a character which I now totally despise, is Kenzie's ex- boyfriend. I'll put it this way, we all know a Darren. I think it was that relatability that made all of the characters that Maskame has written so believable.

The revelation near the end of the book was so unexpected, I honestly loved it. I thought one of her friends was going to tell her that he was in love with her and add another difficult relationship to the story line but... It was far from that. 

There were other times in the book where I completely sympathised with the characters. Kenzie's mum was one of those characters who you couldn't help but feel for. 

To conclude, I honestly loved this book. It was such a whirlwind of emotions and it just forced you to be a part of the book. What I would love to read would be a prequel, where we see Jaden and Kenzie's relationship before the accident, or a sequel (please say there will be one. PLEASE!).

It's 4 stars from me!

Discussion - Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon

Another book club meet, another discussion post!

So, this week's book club book, and Waterstones' book of the week, was Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon and I have to say - I loved it and the rest of the book club did too!


For those who aren't aware this is synopsis (courtesy of Goodreads):

My disease is as rare as it is famous. Basically, I'm allergic to the world, I don't leave my house, have not left my house in seventeen years, The only people I ever see are my mom and my nurse, Carla.

But then one day, a moving truck arrives next door. I look out my window, and I see him. He's tall, lean and wearing all black - black t-shirt, black jeans, black sneakers, and a black knit cap that covers his hair completely. He catches me looking and stares at me. I stare right back.

His name is Olly.

***

SOUNDS FAB RIGHT?!

We thought so too. The book club and I loved Maddy as a protagonist. Her childish innocence as a result of her sheltered upbringing was so beautifully reflected through Yoon's writing. as a love interest, Olly was so interesting. we also loved Carla as her nurse. I saw similarities in Carla that I saw in Lyra's nurse in replica. As a result, I saw Carla as more of a mother figure than Maddy's real mum. the whole book group agreed that we weren't sure what to think of Maddy's mum (you know... after that bit.... you know....) and I still don't know!

The writing was also so amazing. It was presented as mixed media (the best way to describe it) where we see Maddy's POV narrative intermingled with web pages, texts, etc which also continue the narrative. 

What else... oh yeah.... THE TWIST

None of us saw that coming. At. All. But it was the best twist that could've happened.

The way the book finished was so uplifting and just so happy... I love the book okay, I would recommend this to so many people. If you're thinking of reading it - do it!

I'd like to see the film next to see a comparison!

If you're interested, I'm hosting a book club discussion this Sunday (3rd September) talking about The Northern Lights at Waterstones gloucester at 2pm in the cafe. All ages welcome!

Discussion - Replica by Lauren Oliver

I'm back, I've risen from the ashes and have become a blogger once more.

This 'discussion' section is something I'm planning on doing with feedback from the YA Book club held at Waterstones in Gloucester. So the 'review' sections that I do are just my own opinions nut these will be a collection of opinion: what we agreed on, what we didn't, etc. (It's also spoiler free!)

This week's book was Replica by Lauren Oliver, an author which I have admired for a while after reading her Delirium trilogy and if you haven't read that and want a taster of it before you do, i have reviewed them! ( Delirium: https://theperksofalisha.blogspot.co.uk/2016/06/review-delirium-by-lauren-oliver.html )

The brief synopsis of this book is (directly from Lauren Oliver's website) :

Lyra’s story begins in the Haven Institute, a building tucked away on a private island off the coast of Florida that from a distance looks serene and even beautiful. But up close the locked doors, military guards, and bio hazard suits tell a different story. In truth, Haven is a clandestine research facility where thousands of replicas, or human models, are born, raised, and observed. When a surprise attack is launched on Haven, two of its young experimental subjects—Lyra, or 24, and the boy known only as 72—manage to escape.

Gemma has been in and out of hospitals for as long as she can remember. A lonely teen, her life is circumscribed by home, school, and her best friend, April. But after she is nearly abducted by a stranger claiming to know her, Gemma starts to investigate her family’s past and discovers her father’s mysterious connection to the secretive Haven research facility. Hungry for answers, she travels to Florida, only to stumble upon two replicas and a completely new set of questions.

While the stories of Lyra and Gemma mirror each other, each contains breathtaking revelations critically important to the other story.

Sounds good right??

So to start, we all did enjoy the book. We thought the was it was written was really well thought out but the one thing that was sort of a down-side was the two stories and having to flip them over.

I had chosen to read Lyra's story first, then go on to read Gemma's. I don't think I'd recommend doing it in this way purely because I felt like I spoiled Gemma's story. I felt like there were holes in the story purposely left to be told in the other one. I think the best way to read this would've been to flip back and forth, maybe reading three or four chapters from one story and then going to the other one. I feel that this might give a bigger impact of the same moment.

We also gave views on whether the characters themselves were interesting or whether it was the situation. Personally, I thought that with such complex situations you didn't need to have really strong, complex characters as it would've been confusing. Zoe had said that Lyra dealt with some 'human' experiences better than others which seemed odd - whether that was a subtle hint as to what's later revealed about Lyra, I don't know.

We also agreed that we're all interested to see what happens in the sequel as we thought Lauren Oliver had left a good end in order to develop things a lot further despite, wanting more development in this book. 

***

Overall, I'd give it THREE STARS and I definitely prefer the Delirium series over this so far. If you feel like you'd like to try and come to this book club to join our discussion feel free! This Sunday, we're doing a Cassandra Clare discussion day and I'm so excited and you should be too!

Be there or be square.

I'm helping to run a book club?? What??

Yes you read that right!

So on the 25th June I am helping to run a YA book club at Waterstones in Gloucester! If you'd like to get involved, here's what you need to know:

• Where is it? Waterstones in Gloucester, in the cafe
• When is it? Sunday the 25th June at 2pm, it finishes at about 3pm
• What book are we reading?

Well I'm glad you asked that one.

The book we will be reading and discussing is The Northern Lights by Phillip Pullman book one of the His Dark Materials series. This book is the basis for the film, 'The Golden Compass'. 

For those who have not seen the film or have not heard of the book, here is a brief summary for you:

I begins with a girl and her daemon

Lyra lives in a universe where science, theology and magic are intertwined. Yet for Lyra, her world is climbing on rooftops with her friend Roger.

Then children start to go missing, taken by a group know as 'The Gobblers'. When Roger is taken, Lyra finds herself in a hunt that will take her far from her home in oxford - to a kingdom of ice bears and witches.

Here, Lyra's quest to truley understand the phenomenon called 'Dust' uncovers secrets about her family hat she would never have dreamed of discovering

So if that sounds amazing to you (which it does to me) come and join us!

Review - Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

I'm reading again!

Sound the alarm, bring out the cake and set off the fireworks.

I have been reading the first book in the Percy Jackson series recently and have finished it today so I thought I should just share my thoughts, as I usually do.

If you haven't heard of the series it's about a twelve year-old boy who finds out that he is a demi-god, meaning that one of his parents is a god. This book follows Percy on his adventures as he discovers himself through his quests. I can't really go into too much detail as it would give a lot of it away.

I really loved the use of the Greek gods throughout this book and how the lessons he had learnt in Latin helped him with his godly encounters. I also really liked how Rick Riordan introduced twists to the story right up until the end of the book. Eventhough this is classed as a children's book, I didn't find it to be childish in the way that I might've expected.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for an easy read to get out of a slump or, as this is a children's book, if you find books in your reading level are too easy and need a challenge.

I give it 4.5 stars!

***SPOILER SECTION***

So if you either want to know how this story progresses or if you want to see what I thought of some main events in the book then keep reading!

The first main event in the book that I sticky-noted (I forever have different coloured tabs sticking out of my books) was the Minotaur part. I think this was a beautiful creative was to give us, as a reader, that first submersion into the world of the Greek gods before he reaches Half-Blood hill.

Percy, as a character, has a way of just asking the right questions. When he is first bombarded with all of the information on his first day of camp, he asked questions that allowed me as a reader to learn more about the world that Riordan has created.

We then first hear of the prophesy that unfolds throughout the book from Luke (you'll understand why I hate him) that Annabeth had to wait for a special person to come to go on a quest. Luke is then the one that trains Percy to fight with a sword. This now makes me hate him even more as he betrays him at the end of the book - he gains his trust only to betray him.

Capture the flag is where we see who Percy's father is. The reveal with the subtle hints about him healing in the water and then him being publicly claimed by Poseidon. I thought this was a great way to slowly lead up to the big reveal.

When Percy is first sent on his quest we hear of what happens and what is potentially in store for Percy, this leads to his first meeting with a goddess Medusa in the form of Aunt Em. He soon defeats her, severing her head, and goes on to meet Ares, the god of war.

When they eventually reach the underworld, I liked the (predictable) three-headed dog that they meet. I thought it was a cute twist on something that's kind of expected.

Having found the bolt, he moves onto battle Ares as he had set this all up but in the end - it was Luke who had taken it and betrayed everyone to please Kronos - biggest reveal ever.

WAS. NOT. EXPECTING. IT. AT. ALL

Overall, I definitely loved this book, can't wait to read the others.

Review - Strange Medicine by Mike Russell

Two posts in one week? You lucky things!

So, this post is a review - specifically a review of Strange Medicine by Mike Russell. This book was sent to me by Strange Books and it contains weird shot stories. I have to say, this book definitely lived up to its title - it was strange.  The stories were normal stories with something slightly weird about it and I think that was what made the book such an adventure to read. Also, the short stories meant that I was thrown from one world to another. this added to the experience of reading it.

Mike Russell must have the wildest imagination! These stories are so different to one another and so out of the box that it was such a joy to read. The different storylines really messed with my head, I think 'Flock' did that the most. Normally, I'd give a little summary about the book itself but, I can't in this case if I gave you any information it would spoil the stories- SORRY! But if you do want to know, they will be i the spoiler section below.

I have to say, I was very impressed with this book and I am so grateful to have received it! I would rate this 3.5 stars! I'd definitely recommend it if you're looking for something new and different to read.

*** SPOILER SECTION ***

I'd just like to review each story down here as it will contain some spoilery details.

Flock - The first thing that struck me about this story was  that the main character was consistently referred to by his full name. Then this strange character whilst doing he daily routines pretty much imprisoned a pigeon in his office - as I said, strange, but a good strange! This only bit that was very odd was the tying of the strings, it really made me question the character, but it made sense at the end.

Seventy - Two Bricks - I absolutely loved this story, so intriguing! The bricks appearing between two things and still having the initials on one of the bricks. When he then becomes fearful of the bricks it was lovely that he wife could solve them for him. But then, when Tiffany died, he built himself into the bridge... best ending ever.

Telephone - The concept of this story was that the phone in which  she rang Dan on (I assumed he was a boyfriend or significant other) she fell in love with. She constantly tell Dan that she's not talking to him when she says 'I love you' and in the last section he becomes paranoid that she's still not talking to her. Sounds confusing - you just need to read it.

Mime - I did like the ending of this and the basic concept, it was just a bit drawn out. I loved the idea of their visibility but the story just wasn't for me.

Mr Dennis and the Universe - During this I did feel some sympathy for Mr Dennis and his experience in the universe and I did understand his need to punch it. But the fact that he kept his dead daughter with him was strangely heart-warming. And then as she appears with the same white freckles he used to symbolise the universe showed his acceptance. It was a nice heart-warming story, not as odd as the rest of them.

The Spy - I still question if she's paranoid or what actually happened in the story... it's a thinker.

Brain - kept me on edge the whole time. When the 'noise' was first mentioned I thought he was imagining it but when it was revealed he had no brain it made sense. However from that I thought that maybe it was white noise from the lack of brain but, I loved the end where he finds the magic stone he threw in the bin as a child.

Shish - A should fish! Actually amazing! I really enjoyed this one, a really fun one to end on .