What has my heart racing this summer?

I'm not even going to entertain the idea of reviewing Emily Bronte. In fact, to do so would be nothing short of blasphemy. So instead I'm going to rave about the gorgeous cover art instead because lets face it, it is beyond beautiful!

I stumbled across this little gem in Waterstones a month or so ago while shopping, and straight away I knew I had to have it. At first glance I actually thought that it was a graphic novel adaptation of Bronte's stunning novel but when I realised it was in fact, an unabridged copy of Wuthering Heights, and I saw the gorgeous distressed paper inside it had stolen my heart. And my bank balance (ok, slight exaggeration, it wasn't that expensive but still). 

Its stunning cover art is part of a Penguin Classics Deluxe Collection, and they have employed the creative genius that is Ruben Toledo to re-design the covers of the classics in a multitude of different mediums - watercolour, pencil and ink to name but a few.

I'm about half way through at the moment, and this being my first time reading the timeless classic, I am thoroughly enjoying it. 
Normal service will resume shortly however, where I will be reviewing a brilliant summer beach read, stay tuned!

Requiem - Lauren Oliver

I had to mentally prepare myself for this one for a while. I knew after how devastated I was after Delirium, and a certain someone's return in Pandemonium that I would be needing a mansize box of tissues and an industrial supply of chocolate to get through this. 

It was what I can only describe as a fairly perfect ending to a wonderful trilogy, and one that will stay with me for a long while. Although perhaps not as resolved as I wish it could have been (I really wanted to know what happened with the whole Lena - Alex - Julian love triangle we had going on) it was an absolutely perfect tale of the human race combining together to overthrow the wrong decisions made for them by a government with entirely the wrong morals and ideas, and the show of solidarity was heartwarming and uplifting. 

We join Lena at the beginning of the story after she leaves New York with Julian, and Alex. This becomes difficult for all in the group as the tension between her and Alex, and subsequently the tension between her and Julian, and of course Julian and Alex, grows.

When they land themselves in trouble in the Wilds and have to flee from a group of regulators, they find themselves part of a large resistance headed back to Lena's original home, Portland.

Lena is then faced with the difficult decision, does she fight for what she believes in, at what cost none of them know. Or does she secrete herself further into the Wilds to live a solitary life of survival and supposed freedom?

I didn't actually cry this time (weird right? Especially as I didn't cry at City of Heavenly Fire either!!) but there were some incredibly emotional scenes, and Oliver gives the characters new depths which makes their relationships even more believable. I loved the return of Hana in the narrative, and especially enjoyed the chapters from her point of view, and seeing that the Cure really isn't everything the government thought it would be. Seeing her struggle with her reality, and what she knows her reality should be was a particularly deep section of the book, and I found it well represented the agony when you realise that your life isn't perhaps going in the direction you wished it to yet you don't know how to change it (something I'm currently going through myself). So overall I guess you could say this whole trilogy for me was a resounding success. It goes onto my Forever Pile, in other words its a trilogy I will read over and over again until I'm old and grey.

Being Binky - Binky Felstead

Firstly, please ignore the terrible picture, I really need to start getting decent cover images off the internet and perhaps looking at a new Blogger layout, but for the time being this method will have to do.

SO, where to begin? Well, first of all I'd say for anyone who isn't a fan of Made in Chelsea, or indeed Binky herself, this may be a slightly pointless read for you. Now that that's said, I can get on with a proper review!
 
I've previously reviewed 'Confessions of a Chelsea Boy' (see here) by Spencer Matthews, and although I enjoyed the read as a whole, I found the actual writing rather lacking, and was expecting something similar of Being Binky, so I was pleasantly surprised to find the writing actually very good. 

She drew me in, rather unexpectedly, from the very first page, and I actually whizzed through the book in just over a day. I loved hearing all about her childhood and her close relationship with her Mother, which we see quite a lot on the show, and as a huge Made in Chelsea fan I loved hearing about how she actually got on the show, and the real truth about her friendships off screen. 

I also loved that she included hair, beauty and lifestyle tips at the end of each chapter - and I found things like her anti bullying tips particularly relevant. I think it was a really nice touch, and it's something that will definitely help younger fans of the show who may be going through things like that themselves.

I actually found quite a lot of the book quite emotional, especially how up-front she is about the breakdown of her parents marriage and the bullying that she experienced at school.

It also gave me a whole new found respect for how hard Binky has worked in her life to overcome challenges, and how perhaps life in the glare of the cameras isn't always what it's cracked up to be.

Frostbite - Richelle Mead

Ok so, I wasn't sure what I was going to think of Frostbite. I've previously reviewed the first in the 'Vampire Academy' series named, well, Vampire Academy, and I wasn't impressed (you can read my review for that here) so I was pretty dubious that the sequel would be any good at all.

How wrong I was. Admittedly, I read the first chapter and all I could think was 'this reminds me of one of those last time on.... spiels you get at the start of TV shows' but it was quite good to get a recap of what happened to Rose and Lissa in the last book, and went a long way to reminding you of close character relationships.

In Frostbite, we see Rose about to be tested as part of her guardian training, by one of the most legendary guardians alive, however she turns up to the house she's to be tested at with Dimitri to find the guardian and his Moroi family murdered by what appears to be a marauding band of Strigoi. It becomes even more alarming when they discover that humans are working alongside the Strigoi in an attempt to annihilate the Moroi royal families for good.

It's almost Christmas, and the Moroi world is in uproar with families scared to leave their children at the Academy, but knowing they all need to stick together - so the students of the Academy and their parents head to a remote ski resort owned by a particularly wealthy Moroi royal family for a winter vacation none of them will forget. 

I really enjoyed this book - it drew me in much quicker than its predecessor, and although I really, really hate the names 'Moroi' and 'Strigoi' (they just sound too, made up I guess. Which they are but yeah, it bothers me) the quality of writing had improved much more as well, which all clubbed together to draw me into the fabulous world of the Academy.

I began to really care what happened to these characters - I wouldn't go as far to say that I was emotionally involved with them yet, but the events with Mason saddened me somewhat and I'm keen to see how Adrian brings some drama to the group. I also like that Mia has begun to mellow, and I feel like her and Rose are going to have a particularly interesting relationship as the series progresses.

I made a comment in my last review that I hoped Richelle's writing would mature with the series, and so far it definitely has done. I'm actually really looking forward to reading the next installment now, and I'm also quite excited to see the film eventually.

City of Heavenly Fire - Cassandra Clare

First of all I want to keep this as spoiler free as possible, however there are a few little ones here and there so if you have not read the book yet please read no further!! Unless that is, you're a glutton for punishment like I was whilst reading Game of Thrones when I could just not help myself looking at the GOT tag on Tumblr and ended up ruining half the series for myself...

Anyway, I literally do not know where to start with this book! It's been the main focus of my thoughts for months now, and after Cassandra Clare announced that there would be six known character deaths I have been in a constant state of anxiety. I had such problems actually getting my hands on a copy of the book to begin with, with my Amazon delivery being delayed by weeks and all book shops in my area selling out within hours (who new Chester had such a strong shadowhunter presence?) so I was about a week later than everyone else actually getting to read it, but it was so worth the wait. Even if it did mean I had to avoid Tumblr and Twitter like the plague. 

So, as I said in my intro, there will be a few small spoilers and I really don't want to ruin this book for anyone so seriously guys if you don't want any snippets of CoHF gossip yet then I really suggest you stop reading now because I'm about to let slip the first little nugget of information...

The prologue. Oh by the Angel, the prologue. Possibly one of the most heart wrenchingly (is that even a word?!) introductions to any book I have ever read, introduced me to what may possibly be one of my favourite characters ever. Emma Carstairs leaves me greatly excited for what Cassie has planned for us in The Dark Artifices (WHY IS IT NOT 2015 YET!?) but then I have always been partial to the Carstairs family (Jem *swoon* <3) Speaking of Jem, his involvement the whole way through City of Heavenly Fire made me almost vibrate with glee, I do so love that boy. 

I was slightly disappointed that Cassandra had announced further Shadowhunter Chronicles after The Mortal Instruments as it gave you, as you read the book, an indication of the way things were going to pan out so I felt like I was less emotionally invested in the events and less anxious for the characters than I would have been had I been unaware there were more shadowhunter stories to come. I do however feel like it was possibly the best written of all the Mortal Instruments books, but it just wasn't as emotional as I'd expected. I mean, it's probably a good thing that I haven't been a weeping wreck for days, and of course I'm devastated that the series is over and I did find certain parts of the book very emotional, but I didn't cry.

I felt like she could have made a little more of the battle as well, obviously the main protagonists were in Edom at the time but I think there was an opportunity missed there for some really engaging combat action, and more could have been made of the scene with Julian Blackthorn and his father in Alicante. All in all though it was a fabulous conclusion to a series that has touched my heart unlike any other (aside from Harry Potter of course!). The snippet of TDA at the end of the book has left me excited for more and I'm already on countdown to next Autumn and my next shadowhunter fix.

So I'm now going to crawl into a pit of despair and lick the wounds caused by an absence of Jace Herondale and Jem Carstairs in my life, and eagerly shout 'DEMON POX' and random passers by until TDA is released and my life is filled with magic again.

Pandemonium - Lauren Oliver

Apologies for how long this review has taken to appear, I finished the book weeks ago however I have been re-reading the last few books in The Mortal Instruments series in preparation for City of Heavenly Fire being released. (Seriously guys, omg. Buy it. Just, I can't.) 

I was so, so excited to read Pandemonium, anticipating that it would leave me an emotional wreck just like its predecessor, Delirium. I was slightly disappointed then, on finishing it, that I hadn't been drawn to tears. I did however thoroughly enjoy it.

I didn't really know what to expect from the story, only that it would take place in the Wilds, so the introduction of New York City as a new setting was both surprising and welcome. I really got behind the love interest in this sequel, although I will never get over Lena and Alex, I thought there was some really interesting progression in the relationship between her and Julian. I read someone on GoodReads making the point that Lena seems to take over the role of Alex in Pandemonium, and therefore Julian becomes Lena (based on relationship roles in Delirium) and I find this really interesting as it throws a whole new understanding to their relationship.

I absolutely cannot wait to read Requiem now, and it won't be too long before I devour it (I just have to read and recover from City of Heavenly Fire first) especially due to the beautiful and unexpected little twist at the very end of Pandemonium. 

I guess once again this is a book I would recommend to anyone and everyone!

The Shock of the Fall - Nathan Filer

This was another of my lunch time trip to Tesco book binges, and my God am I glad I picked it up.

I wasn't going to at first. Judging from the title I immediately thought that it would be some lovey-dovey chick lit, and although I do adore me some chick lit, I wasn't in the mood for it at the time. Something still encouraged me to pick it up however, and I was immediately drawn to it.

The story follows Matthew Homes (although that's not his real name, he is keen to tell us) and his struggle with schizophrenia triggered at a young age by the death of his disabled brother. He lives his life believing that his brother's death was his fault, and it haunts him so much that he begins seeing his brother, and messages from him in every day life.

We meet Matthew at a day centre in his local psychiatric ward, where he has been encouraged to express himself through creativity. He decides to use the computer to type out his story, I believe as a form of relief from the storm inside his head.

Filer was very ambitious with this as a debut novel. In my view, writing a story devoted to mental illness is incredibly brave - especially if you've never suffered from said illness yourself. Filer managed to weave one of the most beautiful stories that I have ever read however, and create a character with such depth and personality that you can truly believe that Matthew's story is one that is very important to Filer, and that needs to be told. 

I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this book - it's not the lengthiest of reads, I think I finished it in a couple of days as I was reading it around work and dance practice, and it's not the lightest of literary topics, however as I mentioned above it really is heartwarming in its own way, and in particular the final chapter will really resonate with those who have lost a loved one themselves.
 
It has won the Costa Book of the Year award for 2013, and I really do think it's very deserving of this accolade - I hope it encourages more authors brave the subject of mental illness in such a respectful manner in the future.