April 2015 Recap: The One Where Video Games Took Over My Life

Unless you have been living under a rock for the last month, you will have noticed that I decided to take a hiatus from blogging, just for a couple of weeks, while I tried to decide on which direction I would like this blog to take from here on out. Featuring less weekly memes and more discussion posts, I'm hoping this page will begin to rise from the grave in the coming weeks.

My Thoughts On Anna & The French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

SHOW BOOK DETAILS

THE BOOK -

Anna & The French Kiss
by Stephanie Perkins
Bk. #1 of Anna & The French Kiss
First published in 2010 by Dutton Juvenile
Genre: YA Contemporary
Avg. Rating: 4/5 stars

EDITION I PURCHASED -

Paperback, 401 pages
Published in 2014 by Usborne Publishing
My Rating: 3/5 stars

THE PLOT -

Anna had everything figured out - she was about to start senior year with her best friend, she had a great weekend job, and her huge work crush looked as if it might finally be going somewhere... Until her dad decides to send her 4383 miles away to Paris. On her own.

But despite not speaking a word of French, Anna finds herself making new friends, including Étienne St. Clair, the smart, beautiful boy from the floor above. But he's taken - and Anna might be too. Will a year of romantic near-misses end with the French kiss she's been waiting for?

ADD TO GOODREADS.

This novel left me with a lot of conflicting emotions, and I'm still not 100% sure what I thought about it. Don't get me wrong, it's not a bad book, I just didn't enjoy it as much as I expected. It felt a little slow in places. This novel has been growing in popularity since it was released nearly 5 years ago and I haven't seen a single negative review pop up on my feed. Everyone seems to love this book with a passion. For me, it was... meh. If I'm being totally honest, I can see why people like this book as much as they do - it's cute, it's fun, it's romantic, and it's set in Paris.

My Thoughts On Dark Parties by Sara Grant

SHOW BOOK DETAILS

THE BOOK -

Dark Parties
by Sara Grant
This book is not part of a series
First Published in 2011 by PAN (published as 'Neva')
Genre: YA Dystopia
Avg. Rating: 3/5 stars

EDITION I PURCHASED -

Paperback, 264 pages
Published in 2011 by Indigo
My Rating: 3/5 stars

THE PLOT -

Sixteen-year-old Neva has been trapped since birth. She was born and raised under the Protectosphere, in an isolated nation ruled by fear, lies, and xenophobia. A shield "protects" them from the outside world, but also locks the citizens inside. But there's nothing left on the outside, ever since the world collapsed from violent warfare. Or so the government says...

Neva and her best friend Sanna believe the government is lying and stage a "dark party" to recruit members for their underground rebellion. But as Neva begins to uncover the truth, she realizes she must question everything she's ever known, including the people she loves the most.

ADD TO GOODREADS.

To be perfectly honest, I don't even know where to start with this review. There were times where I really liked this novel, and times where I seriously considered putting it down for good. Dark Parties is a book that throws you in at the deep end, giving you no time to have a leisurely float as you explore the world created. Within the first chapter alone, we discover that our heroine, Neva, is planning a revolution, alongside her best friend, Sanna. Though the Protectosphere is mentioned, and is apparently killing everyone inside, nobody really explains what it is until much later in the book... strike one. And then Neva kisses her best friend's boyfriend. Admittedly, she didn't realise it was him, but that one kiss was the catalyst for pretty much all of the events in this novel, including the awkward, unrealistic love square. Strike two.

Are We Drowning In A Sea Of Memes?

Memes are a good feature to have on your blog for many different reasons, but the main perk of these weekly posts is that you can get across book recommendations to people who maybe don't like reading reviews so much. I, personally, never subscribe to a blog that only posts reviews or blog tours, etc. I like diversity when I'm scrolling through my emails, and I very rarely read reviews unless I'm thinking about buying the book with my next paycheck. For me, memes are essential when it comes to the decision of following a blog - they're where I get my book recommendations at the end of the day. A couple of sentences that pique my interest will get a book onto my wishlist, but it's not until after it's on my list that I start looking at reviews and such.